The good news is, these newer TecTile tags are backward-compatible with older Samsung devices that are NFC-enabled, allowing you to use them with your new Galaxy S 4, as well as any other Samsung devices you have lying around, including the Galaxy S III. These tags will allow you to automate a variety of tasks for certain situations, like adjustments to settings and opening up an app with a wave of your phone.

If you’re not all that familiar with TecTiles, they are Samsung-specific NFC stickers that you can program to activate certain phone tasks when the tag and the phone are touched together. You can place these tags all around your house and in your car, which allow you automate tasks, like setting alarms, switching a phone to silent mode, starting up media players, etc.

The downside is that if you’ve invested in the original TecTiles and have upgraded to the Galaxy S 4, you’ll need to grab the newer TecTile 2 tags, which sell for $15 for a pack of five, and are available now online, with availability in stores coming next month.

Currently, the only device that comes with native support for TecTile 2 is the Galaxy S 4, but we’re guessing that future Samsung devices will be utilizing the updated technology as well. As for the advantages of TecTile 2, it seems it’s a bit faster than the previous-generation, with the possibility of extended NFC capabilities, but if you can’t rush out and get new tags now, it won’t hurt you to wait around in order to grab some.

The new phone would even beat out the Galaxy S III, which sold 10 million units in a matter of 54 days, so the Galaxy S 4 would reach that milestone roughly a few weeks ahead of the Galaxy S III. Shin says that the Galaxy S 4 is expected to hit the 10 million mark in less than a month, so be prepared for Samsung to pop open the Champagne bottles once again.

The Galaxy S 4 first became available on April 26, and has since spread like wildfire all over the world. The phone is so hot, in fact, that Google decided to partner up with Samsung on the Galaxy S 4 to release a “Google edition” of the new handset, allowing users to bypass the TouchWiz interface in favor of a stock Android Jelly Bean experience. It’s not a Nexus device, but it could very well be.

Of course, we knew this day would come eventually, so we shouldn’t be extremely surprised that the Galaxy S 4 is hitting 10 million in sales, but we are a little impressed to see it hit that number in such a short amount of time. As for an exact date on when the 10 million mark will hit, Samsung expects to make an announcement on May 24.

In slightly related news, Shin also talked about the upcoming Galaxy Note III, and while he didn’t give away a lot of details on the new device, he says that the phablet-style smartphone will sport a 5.9-inch display, which is right on track with several rumors that we’ve heard in the past that suggested somewhere in the 6-inch range. As for the type of display, it’s rumored that it will come with OLED technology.

VIA: Android Community

SOURCE: Korea Times

As a part of Apple’s statement recently filed with the US District Court in California, the company said that the Galaxy S 4 “is an infringing device and accordingly intends to move for leave to add the Galaxy S4 as an infringing product.” The Galaxy S 4 now joins a list of 22 Samsung products that Apple believes are infringing on their patents.

Both sides have over 20 products from each company that they claim infringe on each other’s patents. Samsung has included almost all of Apple’s iOS devices, while Apple has focused on Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup, as well as the Note series of phablet-style smartphones.

Judge Lucy Koh will oversee the upcoming patent trial, as she was the judge during the first patent trial that saw Apple win with a whopping $1.05 billion award. However, that was since cut down by $450 million. However, while it seemed Apple was fine with that for the most part, the company claimed the re-calculation is off by $85 million, and thus, another court case will begin in November to re-calculate the damages.

If you’re slightly confused by all that’s going on between the two companies, you’re most likely not alone. Apple and Samsung have been going at it for a couple years now, and both companies are starting to slowly end their partnerships in the industry. For instance, it’s been rumored for quite some time that Apple is completely dropping Samsung from its manufacturing partners, which would cut ties between the two companies. Of course, Apple wants to develop their own chips anyway, but the separation is probably for the best at this point.

VIA: Phone Arena

SOURCE: US District Court Filing

The outside isn’t too different from the Galaxy S III, so we’re certainly curious as to what changed on the inside. The back cover pops off easily, allowing you to replace the battery with ease. Further done, though, are the main guys of the phone, which are separated with 11 screws that come right off.

The only real part that takes some difficulty is the display, which is glued into the frame, and the glass and LCD are fused together. Other than that, all of the internal components are modular, which means they can be replaced individually rather than having to replace the entire unit if one thing breaks.

iFixit gave the GALAXY S 4 a repairability score of 8 out of 10, which is pretty good for a flagship handset these days. They did note that while most of the parts are modular, they’re glued in place, which means you’ll need some tools in order to dig them out, but the only real concern with the phone was the fused-in display, which requires a complete disassembly to replace.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the rugged version of the GALAXY S 4 is said to arrive sometime in July, and as of right now the phone is being dubbed the GALAXY S 4 Active, but it’s possible that the name could change eventually. The launch of this phone is said to come shortly after the rumored release of a new 8-inch tablet in June.

The tablet is said to be Galaxy-branded and will fit between Samsung’s 7-inch and 10-inch models already on the market, although the company just release the Galaxy Note 8.0 earlier this month (read our full review here). It’s the company’s only 8-inch variant, so it could be possible that this rumored tablet will simply be a lower-cost option.

As for the GALAXY S 4 Active, we’re sure many people will be worried that Samsung will butcher the sleek design theme that the Galaxy S line has had, but it’s said that Samsung will attempt to keep the design unchanged, possibly using nano waterproof coating. We’ve also heard rumors recently that Samsung will be using plastic screens on the Galaxy Note III instead of glass to make the device shatterproof, so it’s possible that they’re thinking about doing the same for the Active.

[via Android Community]

Dr. Ray Soneira, owner of Displaymate Technologies, says that the GALAXY S 4 1080p 5-inch display is beautiful, and it packs in almost as many subpixels as the iPhone 5, and with the Samsung device’s PenTile layout, there are twice as many green subpixels as there are red and blue. Light reflection is also said to be as good or even better than the iPhone 5.

The Galaxy S 4′s display also uses a lot less power than its predecessor. The Galaxy S III chews up around 0.83W of power, while the GALAXY S 4 only uses 0.70W. That doesn’t quite beat out the iPhone 5′s 0.66W, but it’s really close for sure. The successor to the GALAXY S 4 may surpass the iPhone 5 in this respect if the trend keeps up, especially since OLED technology is still in its early phases.

As for the GALAXY S 4′s color gamut, it was found to be significantly smaller than the Galaxy S III’s color gamut. You want a small color gamut, and the GALAXY S 4′s stands at 132%, compared to the Galaxy S III’s 139% gamut. This makes the GALAXY S 4 display images that are less over-saturated. As for the iPhone 5, it stand at a cool 104%, but the improvement seen in the GALAXY S 4 is still noticeable nonetheless.

[via ExtremeTech]

The 16GB model of the GALAXY S 4 will cost $199, which is quite lower than what AT&T previously mentioned last month, but we’ll certainly take it. If you’re wanting to get the phone off contract, you’ll have to pony up $639 for the privilege. However, it seems AT&T hasn’t yet listed the 32GB model on its website yet, but we should be seeing it soon, most likely at a price of $249 on contract.

The launch of the new phone will come just a couple weeks after the HTC One in the US on AT&T, which gives HTC the advantage in this case, allowing them to put more handsets in the set of buyers before Samsung can. However, we can only assume that the GALAXY S 4 will still be a big hit among avid Galaxy users.

The GALAXY S 4 sports a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1920×1080. The US version of the phone runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor clocked at an impressive 1.9GHz with 2GB of RAM. On the back there’s a 13MP camera with a 2600mAh battery right beneath that, which should be enough to keep you going all day. Check out our hands-on with the device to learn more.

There’s three ad spots in the total, all of which are roughly just over 30 seconds long. The first one we see shows off the GALAXY S 4′s “Sound Shot” feature, which allows users to take a picture as well as record surrounding noise in order to give the photo more life and energy. Plus, it makes it feel like you’re actually there.

The second features shown off in the series of commercials is “Group Play,” which allows GALAXY S 4 users to share a song with other GALAXY S 4 users over a wireless connection. However, this method involves turning multiple phones into more speakers, allowing for louder playback of a song, since a single phone can’t output loud volumes all too well.

Lastly, Samsung shows off its S Translater app, which lets users who travel abroad communicate with the locals in the area without needing to know the native language. The feature lets users talk into the phone, and it will repeat the phrase back in a different language. It should definitely come in handy for all the globe trotters out there.

Android Central also got a hold of a one-minute-long GALAXY S 4 commercial that’s a bit different than the three ads above. This one guides you through some of the features of the phone, as well as showing off the exterior and the vivid colors that the display can produce. This ad spot hasn’t been uploaded by Samsung yet, but we should be seeing it show up fairly soon.

[via Android Beat]

So far, AT&T and US Cellular are the only two major US carriers who have announced pre-order details, but T-Mobile is actually the only US carrier who has announced availability of the new phone, which is set for around May 1. T-Mobile announced availability of the GALAXY S 4 earlier this week during an event.

Pre-orders for the GALAXY S 4 are actually already live over in the UK, with an availability date of April 26 for UK residents. A handful of carriers will have the phone available, as well as a few retailers, such as Carphone Warehouse and Amazon, where you can grab the new device for £630 without a contract.

The GALAXY S 4 comes with a 5-inch 1080p display and a 13MP camera. The US version of the phone will pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor clocked at 1.9GHz with 2GB of RAM, while the UK version will sport Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa chip. The phone also has a huge 2500 mAh battery. We’ve already gotten our hands on the new toy, but we’ll have a full review coming up soon.

[via Android Community]

AT&T’s pre-order date is far later than the UK’s pre-order availability. Users across the pond are already able to snag their own unit for when it officially launches on April 26. However, US residents will have to wait a bit longer until they can reserve theirs — at least on AT&T for the time being. We should hear from other US carriers sooner or later.

T-Mobile recently announced the availability of the GALAXY S 4, and CEO John Legere said that the new phone would be available to own “about May 1,” which isn’t a solid release date, but we should expect it to arrive close to that time frame, and other US carriers will most likely follow that same release window.

The GALAXY S 4 comes with a 5-inch 1080p display and a 13MP camera on the back. The US version of the phone will pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor clocked at 1.9GHz with 2GB of RAM. The phone also has a gargantuan 2500 mAh battery. We’ve already gotten our hands on the new toy, but we’ll have a full review coming up in the near future.

At Carphone Warehouse, you can pre-order the GALAXY S 4 off-contract for a steep £630. However, you can also grab the new phone from the retailer with a contract from either Orange, T-Mobile, or O2, which will obviously offset the cost of the device significantly, but you’ll have to sign away for a two-year contract in order to make that happen.

As for Amazon, you have your pick at a either a black or white version (same with Carphone Warehouse), both of which will cost the same £630 if you want to get it without a contract. With the pre-order, you’ll get £1 MP3 credit to use in Amazon’s MP3 Music Store. As for Unlocked Mobiles, you can grab a GALAXY S 4 for just £530, which is £100 cheaper than Amazon and Carphone Warehouse.

As for availability on other wireless carriers not mentioned, the GALAXY S 4 is available on EE, Vodafone, Three, and Virgin Mobile. EE seems like your best bet right now, as they’re the only carrier in the UK with a 4G LTE network. Of course, more wireless carriers in the UK will launch their own LTE network, but if you want LTE as soon as possible, EE is your only option right now.

[via The Next Web]

The Samsung GALAXY S 4 has yet to get an official release date from any of the major carriers in the US, until now. T-Mobile announced that the new smartphone will be hitting T-Mobile sometime in early May, with CEO Legere saying sometime around May 1. There doesn’t seem to be a solid release date, but early May looks to be a good guess at this point.

Legere mentioned May 1, but it’s possible that the official launch date could be moved back a couple of days, which is probably why he added the “about” to his statement. Either way, this gives us a good idea on when other major carriers may launch the GALAXY S 4. We have yet to hear from Verizon or AT&T about their plans on when to launch the new device.

With the HTC One delayed, it’ll be a photo finish as to what device will launch first: the GALAXY S 4 or the HTC One. The HTC One has been pushed back to a late April release, which barely beats out the proposed May 1 release date of T-Mobile’s GALAXY S 4. Naturally, the first phone to release usually gets the spotlight, so it’ll essentially be a race to see who gets to the line first.

According to UK wireless carrier Omio, they have been informed by Samsung that they will not be bringing the Exynos 5 version of the GALAXY S 4 to the UK, even though that’s the model earmarked for countries other than the US. Instead, future UK GALAXY S 4 owners will be treated with the Snapdragon 600 variant.

We already know that another UK carrier, EE, will be offering the new phone starting April 26, and we expect most other carriers to release the phone at some point around that time, but EE has yet to confirm what model of the GALAXY S 4 they’ll be offering. If Omio’s report is true, it looks like it’ll be the Snapdragon 600 that’ll be greeting customers.

If you don’t know much about Samsung’s new Exynos 5 Octa chip, you can check out our SlashGear 101 piece that serves as a primer for the new technology. Essentially, the new chip isn’t necessarily a octo-core processor, but rather a chip with two separate quad-core processors, one which serves as a backup of sorts. While

The dev team mostly blames the different variants of the new device, one being the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 version in the US, and the international version which will rock out an 8-core Exynos 5 chip. They also note that many of the bugs present on the Galaxy S III will most likely be there on the GALAXY S 4 as well, most notably issues with camera support.

UPDATE: Steve “Cyanogen” Kondik himself has debunked this claim himself.

There’s also the issue with Samsung locking down their platform tightly. Samsung wants to protect their IP, which obviously makes for very developer-unfriendly devices. Of course, the company works around carriers and such, but they haven’t been too friendly toward independent developers as of late.

Of course, there will mostly likely be other ROMs available for the GALAXY S 4, and while other developers are following in the footsteps of the CyanogenMod dev team’s decision to pass on the new device, there will still be some developers who want a stock version bad enough that they’ll be willing to jump through the necessary hoops to make it happen.

If you didn’t happen to be waiting in line at the GALAX S 4 event at Radio City Music Hall, then you may not know that HTC showed up and passed out free beverages to those waiting in line. It’s the ultimate troll maneuver, but that’s not all. HTC posted a video on their YouTube channel showing off the HTC One to random folks in Times Square in order take attention off the GALAXY S 4 and put it on the new HTC One.

In the video (which is cleverly edited, of course) shows a handful of people getting the chance to play around with HTC’s new phone, and a few of the company’s PR folks were there to tell people all about it, saying that they “just wanted to make sure that people got a chance to see it,” among the Samsung festivities.

This isn’t the only time that HTC has downplayed the significance of Samsung’s new device. They called the GALAXY S 4 “more of the same,” and they haven’t been afraid to call out the company recently. Of course, when you make a really awesome device, it’s hard not to get a little competitive, and even a little snarky.

LG claims it applied for the patent in 2009, as well as other eye-tracking patents as far back as 2005. There’s nothing that the company can do right now, but once the GALAXY S 4 officially launches late next month, they’ll be able to investigate and see whether or not Samsung infringed on one of LG’s patents.

Samsung denies any infringing on LG’s patent, and the says that it uses its own technology for “Smart Pause.” LG’s Optimus G Pro was unveiled at Mobile World Congress last month and is expected to release sometime next month in the US, and there’s already an update out for the new phone that enables eye scrolling, similar to Samsung’s “Smart Scroll.”

This isn’t the first time that LG has turned up the heat on the battle between the Optimus G Pro and the GALAXY S 4. Before the GALAXY S 4 launch, LG trolled Samsung in New York City by placing a clever and bold ad directly on top of Samsung’s ad for the new phone, officially mocking the company before the phone has even been unveiled. Of course, this is only the start, so we’re bound to see more skirmishes between the two companies in the near future.

[via The Next Web]

This lovely little oddity was revealed under the radar by Samsung this week for use with the Samsung GALAXY S 4, it being a push for the device to work with gaming controls not unlike that of the Xbox 360, right down to the XYBA configuration and color scheme. If you take a peek at NVIDIA’s Project SHIELD, you’ll also see XYBA and the colors blue, orangy/yellow, red, and green showing up in the same spot. A real standardization is happening right this minute.

But the interesting bit we’d like you to pay attention to here and now is the compatibility this device has with screen sizes between 4-inches and 6.3-inches. While this covers every Galaxy S device on the market today, it may very well be telling what the Galaxy Note’s next generation is toting as well. With the Samsung GALAXY S 4 hitting the market soon, it wont be long before the big S starts hinting at the again-larger Galaxy Note handset as it has for the past two years.

Have a peak at the timeline below for more information on the Samsung GALAXY S 4 complete with hands-on action and details on its innards. See the four pillars of user experience excellence as well to see how the Galaxy Note III might be shaping up soon, complete with features that’ll have you wanting a Samsung device quicker than you can say S-Want!

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 is one of two monstrously powerful quad-core processors the company has revealed this year alone. The other is the Snapdragon 800, a System-on-Chip that’s only thus far been revealed to be carried by the ZTE Grand Memo, a device whose USA release schedule is still not quite solidified. You’ll find more information on the Snapdragon 800′s implementation on the ZTE Grand Memo in our Mobile World Congress 2013 report.

The Snapdragon 600 and 800 were revealed back in the first week of 2013 in a full report detailing how they’ll be appearing on smartphones (and perhaps tablets) throughout the year. As in previous iterations of the Snapdragon SoC, image processing continues to be a high point – have a peek at our LG Optimsu G Pro Photo Tour from Barcelona during Mobile World Congress 2013 as well for a view of how well the device does with the big Q under the hood.

As for the Samsung GALAXY S 4, the Snapdragon 600 will be appearing with a fantastically large performance increase over its predecessors. Compared to the Snapdragon S4 Pro, Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 600 offers a whopping 40% performance increase – the previous Galaxy smartphone had the Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, a step below the S4 Pro, so you can imagine this GALAXY S 4 will be delivering quite the beastly bump compared to last year.

“ The Snapdragon 600 processor helps consumers do more on their mobile devices, providing seamless app switching, high-speed Web browsing, email connectivity, GPS, multimedia, fast gaming, social networking and 4G/LTE connectivity.” – Qualcomm

As it was with the Samsung Galaxy S III, this GALAXY S 4 model will be coming out with different processors in different regions. Inside the USA you’ll be seeing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor while in most (if not all) regions outside the states you’ll find the Samsung Exynos “Octa” processor with 8 CPU cores (4 active, 4 backup). We’ll be interested to see how these two builds compare to one another once they’re both out on the market without a doubt!

Have a peek at the timeline below to see additional insight on the release of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 as well as a set of hands-on experiences and comparisons to other recent smartphone hero models. Stay tuned for more on Qualcomm as well in our fabulous Qualcomm tag portal, too!

If you’ll have a peek at our hands-on with the Samsung GALAXY S 4 and our review of the HTC One, you’ll be able to see how the build quality may, at first, appear to be lacking in the Samsung presentation. HTC is going to have a relatively easy time claiming the idea that a whole heck of a lot more metal in their casing will prove a more premium experience for all. Per HTC’s Marketing officer, the following is true:

“With a continuation of a plastic body and a larger screen being the most obvious physical change, Samsung’s new Galaxy pales in comparison to the all-aluminium unibody HTC One. This is more of the same.

HTC remains the best option for those people looking for the best technology wrapped in premium design. Our customers want something different from the mainstream, who appear to be the target for the Galaxy. Our customers want original cutting-edge technology, mouth-watering design and a premium feel from their mobiles, which is why we created the HTC One.” – Benjamin Ho, HTC’s Chief Marketing Officer

Feel free to take a peek at our article on the Samsung GALAXY S 4 vs the HTC One as well. Specifications on both devices are extremely similar, while the software experience is a whole different story from one to the next. We’ll also have a review of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 sooner than later too – just you wait!

Pricing is still a mystery, however, but we’re guessing that we’ll see the price tag for the new phone before it opens up for pre-order toward the end of the month. We’ve already heard from a couple of US carriers as far as availability, with AT&T and T-Mobile both announcing that they’ll be offering the new smartphone.

We’re guessing that more and more carriers will come forward in the next couple of weeks, though, since Samsung announced last night that the GALAXY S 4 will support 327 mobile carriers in 155 different countries. The phone will also be available in 3G and 4G LTE in multiple bands, with Samsung president JK Shin saying that the phone supports all frequencies and standards.

As for other UK carriers, both Orange and T-Mobile have announced that they’ll be offering the GALAXY S 4, although they have yet to announce availability and pricing, but it should be the same as EE, since both Orange and T-Mobile are subsidiaries of EE. However, we’re guessing that many carriers will model their release dates after EE, give or take a few days. We should be hearing more details from carriers soon.

Belkin will be releasing 11 cases in total. The Wallet Folio case being their most premium case for the new phone. It will be priced at $49 and will feature genuine leather, a cover that folds up into a stand, and there will even be pockets inside to store small things like credit cards, IDs, and receipts.

As for OtterBox, they will have their usual lineup of cases available for the GALAXY S 4, including their Defender Series, Commuter Series, and Reflex Series. The Defender Series is OtterBox’s premium option that offers the best protection, while the Reflex Series offers a low-profile design that’s sturdy enough to take on a few hits.

Belkin says their cases will be available in “April 2013″ while OtterBox has yet to officially announce availability, although the cases will “soon be available” for the new device. Again, we should be hearing about more companies in the coming weeks who will be releasing their own cases, but Belkin and OtterBox seem to have been the first ones to the line.

In the release of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 you’ll have noticed the look and feel of the device to be largely similar to what we’ve experienced before with the Samsung Galaxy S III and the Note series after the Note II. This is done to keep you in the Samsung natural-feeling aesthetic, one that’s proven itself to be monumentally successful over the past year in many products.

This device works with a 5-inch display and has had its bezel minimized – it’s smaller than it’s been on any Samsung device before. This minimized battery creates a feeling that you’re using one massive display rather than a display embedded in a smartphone. Covering the display you’ll find the most advanced reinforced protection with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3.

This viewing experience is enhanced to the max with Full HD Super AMOLED display technology. You’ll be working with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution, that’s 441 PPI across the 5-inch display and by far the sharpest smart device display offered by Samsung thus far. This is also one of the sharpest displays on a smartphone in the industry today, right up next to the HTC One (468 PPI) and the DROID DNA (440 PPI).

As for photography and videography equipment, you’ll be starting with a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera. These cameras work with a set of new software outlined in the timeline below, specifically in the “Enjoyment” section – a must-see!

Inside you’ll find that the battery is more powerful than before (2600 mAh, mind you) while the overall device is thinner than the Galaxy S III. The GALAXY S4 weighs in at 130g and is slim as ever with just 7.9mm to its name.

The GALAXY S4 is lighter than its predecessor and it’s more powerful “in all ways” as Samsung notes. This device works with a Qualcomm quad-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz as well as a Samsung Exynos 1.6Ghz “Octa” processor depending on where you get the device – you’ll know final location and hardware when release information is final in your area of the planet.

You’ll also be backed up by 2GB RAM per the standard fare in essentially every top-tier smartphone on the market today. The GALAXY S4 will be released in three different internal storage capacities, 16, 32, and 64GB, each of these coming with a microSD card slot for 64GB memory expansion. Depending on the carrier you’re working with, one, two, or all three versions will be available to you starting in early April, 2013.

As the GALAXY S4 supports HSPA+42 Mbps as well as 4G LTE, you’ll find this device released on many – if not all – of your favorite carriers around the world. Inside the USA we’ll see the device released on each of the top four mobile carriers as well as Cricket, the cutest of the USA carriers.

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean will be coming with the device right out of the box with the company’s newest version of TouchWiz integrated for a fully Samsung-friendly experience. For more information on the software side of this device, you’ll want to check out the four pillars of excellence mentioned in the first paragraph of this post. Each of these four pillars can be found in the timeline below – check it out!

HomeSync is basically a home server, and it has 1TB of storage, which is plenty to store all store all sorts of media that you can access on the go. Although, rather than being an actual cloud storage service, the storage is in your home rather than somewhere in a server farm.

The system allows content thats played on a TV to be viewed by the GALAXY S 4 in full 1080p if the video file is rocking it. The big kicker here, though, is the NFC capability. All you have to do is tap the device on the home box and content appears on the S 4. It’s a pretty nifty system, and quite a unique one at that.

As for Knox, it’s essentially a service that allows for enterprise-level security on the phone, as well as the ability to store all of your personal content, which is very similar to BlackBerry Balance. Knox keeps all of your business files and personal files separate, that way you don’t mix the two accidentally.

As far as specifications go for the hardware on the GALAXY S 4 as it compares the the iPhone 5, there really couldn’t be two more different devices. With the GALAXY S 4 you’ve got Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean (the newest Android on the block) and the company’s own TouchWiz user interface working alongside and within. The iPhone, on the other hand, has iOS – the only version of the software that exists for the newest wave of Apple mobile devices.

Samsung GALAXY S 4
Display: 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 pixel display at 441 PPI
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.9 GHz Quad-Core Processor / Samsung Exynos 1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor – depending on market
Cameras: 2 megapixel front-facing, 13 megapixel back-facing
Dimensions: 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm, 130g
Storage: 16 / 32 / 64 GB internal storage, 64GB expansion microSD slot
Battery: 2600 mAh

iPhone 5
Display: 4-inch Retina 640 x 1136 pixel display at 306 PPI
Processor: A6
Cameras: 1.2 megapixel front-facing, 8 megapixel back-facing
Dimensions: 123.8mm x 58.6mm x 7.6mm, 112g
Storage: 16 / 32 / 64 GB internal storage
Battery: 1440 mAh

When you have a peek at our iPhone 5 full review, you’ll find that it’s an entirely different user experience than the Samsung GALAXY S 4 is shaping up to be. With the GALAXY S 4 you’ll be working with Samsung’s newest-in-new user experience as outlined in their four user experience pillars of greatness – you’ll see these in the timeline below as well. Android runs here as well with all the connections that operating system implies while Apple’s OS is in an entirely different arena.

Both devices are, on the other hand, connected to the major apps across the board – Facebook, Twitter, all your social networking goodness, and more apps to send messages back and forth between any device than you’ll be able to ever experience. What this decision will come down to, for you, is whether you’re going to pick up a device with a massive display and Samsung’s brand on its back, or if you’re going to go with the other most popular smartphone in the world, Apple’s iPhone.

Have a peek at the timeline below for more information on the brand new Samsung GALAXY S 4 and remember to check the full iPhone 5 review out for just about as close-up a look as you’re going to get without purchasing the device for yourself – and let us know what you choose!

Both devices work with Android Jelly Bean, though the HTC One’s update to 4.2 is coming soon (perhaps by launch time) while the GALAXY S 4 has its 4.2 version of the software ready on the device right here this week as it’s revealed. The HTC device has a user interface that’s extremely different from what they’ve offered before with a whole new app drawer for Android and a feature called BlinkFeed – learn more about HTC’s approach in our full HTC One review.

The Samsung GALAXY S 4, on the other hand, adds a collection of apps and features to its user interface with TouchWiz, leaving the UI in a more grand way pretty much the same as it’s been on the newest updates to both the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note II. Have a peek at some specification comparisons here to see how the hardware differs, too:

Samsung GALAXY S 4
Display: 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 pixel display at 441 PPI
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.9 GHz Quad-Core Processor / Samsung Exynos 1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor – depending on market
Cameras: 2 megapixel front-facing, 13 megapixel back-facing
Dimensions: 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm, 130g
Storage: 16 / 32 / 64 GB internal storage, 64GB expansion microSD slot
Battery: 2600 mAh

HTC One
Display: 4.7-inch Full HD Super LCD3 1920 x 1080 pixel display at 469 PPI
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor
Cameras: 2.1 megapixel front-facing, 4 megapixel back-facing (Ultrapixels in both cases)
Dimensions: 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm, 143g
Storage: 32 / 64 GB internal storage
Battery: 2300 mAh

The Samsung GALAXY S 4 has been pushed with a set of four pillars of user experience excellence while the HTC One was given a similar push with more feature upgrades than you can shake a stick at. In the timeline below you’ll be given a tour of our hands-on experiences with the HTC One and its features as well as a tour of the GALAXY S 4′s four pillars. You’ll find both approaches to be rather interesting if not utterly confusing until you actually have the hardware in your hands.

And here’s one of the biggest key differentiators between the two of these devices: the Samsung GALAXY S 4 has a removable, replaceable battery as well as a microSD expansion slot. The HTC One has neither.

If one thing is true about both of these devices, its that their makers aren’t holding back when it comes to putting features in full-force. Now we’ve got to see if the public will accept a whirlwind of software and hardware upgrades at once, or if they’ll opt to stick with the simpler approaches on the market that are already available.

S-Health also shows you information on your environment – humidity and temperature – tracking these elements over time. You can also track your dietary habits – though in that case you’ll have to tell the device what you’re actually eating and drinking. That information can be tracked over time and, “based on a database,” you’ll have caloric consumption information.

You’ll have Adapt Sound and Adapt Display prepared for understand the type of content you’re consuming and will adapt speakers and display based on that content. Reading text will have the device “maximize the viewing experience”, making the display most comfortable for your eyes.

A set of accessories is also being introduced by the company with the S-Band, for starters, and a body scale and heart monitor to round out the collection. We’ll have a full hands-on look at these lovely bits and pieces for you sooner than later. Stick to the GALAXY S 4 tag portal for more!

Meanwhile you’ll want to head to the timeline below to see the full set of hands-on and news blast articles posted during the big Samsung GALAXY S 4 reveal event without a doubt. There you’ll see the device itself, full specifications included, as well as the rest of the full four pillars Samsung has presented for the device as an ideal new-world user experience for you!

With the Galaxy Note II, the S-Pen began working with a feature called Hover. With the GALAXY S 4, you’ll be able to use the Hover feature with just your fingers. Hovering over emails or calendar events expands them to preview with ease – a step between seeing just the title of note and seeing the full message is exactly what this preview element represents.

You can expand contacts to see who’s behind your speed dial numbers, magnify elements throughout the device’s UI, and the custom version of FlipBoard shown with the Galaxy Note 8.0 works here with the finger-only Hover as well.

You’ll also find Air Gestures to be working here with the GALAXY S 4. You can browse content now with your hand just hovering above the device. You can Air Browse through your music, flipping from track to track with a wave of your hand. This also works with your web browser to move up and down through the page you’re viewing or back and forth through tabs.

Smart Stay continues to work in the GALAXY S 4 as it did with the Galaxy S III, so your device will never go to sleep as long as it detects your face looking at it. The Galaxy S4 works with Smart Pause and Smart Scroll now as well. If you tilt your device with Smart Scroll, you’ll scroll through content without having to gesture or touch the display. With Smart Pause, video will be paused when you look away from the screen – like magic!

This device works with an analog optical reader, meaning you’ll be able to view – for example – a business card with the camera on the GALAXY S 4 and the vital information will be translated digitally for you. Text can be translated easily, emails, phone numbers, and of course QR-codes as well. S-Translator is also embedded into your analog optical reader so you can view text in a language you don’t understand and have it translated for you in a jiffy.

The GALAXY S 4 has an IR-blaster equipped right up at the top. Similar to what we’ve seen with the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 2 series, you’ll be able to control your television right from your smart device. You’ll be working with Samsung WatchON to control any TV and discover Video On Demand content and see television station information based on your location and provider as well.

Have a peek at the timeline below for more information on the Samsung GALAXY S 4 including full specifications as well as some hands-on experiences as well – coming your way soon!

ChatON was also re-imagined to add some new ways for you to communicate through quick messaging. You’ll be able to work with three-way video calls, dual camera video calls, the ability to share your screen, and the ability to share what you’re annotating on your screen.

GroupPlay returns with the Samsung GALAXY S 4 to bring on a set of new features for the already awesome collaborative personal network sharing app ecosystem. At launch you’ll find the ability to play songs between GALAXY S 4 device at the same time with Share Music. This new Group Play app also is able to connect your Samsung GALAXY S 4 devices manually or via NFC.

That’s right – here in the newest version of Group Play you’ll find the need for connecting on the same wifi network to be taken away entirely – games like Asphalt 7 and Gun Bros 2 will work between GALAXY S 4 devices even over your mobile network connection. The Samsung-specific connectivity universe is expanding more and more each day!

Have a peek at the timeline below for more information on the Samsung GALAXY S 4 for specifications, hands-on experiences, and the rest of the four pillars of GS4 excellence!

With Dual Shot you’ll be able to work with both the front and back-facing cameras at once. With Samsung’s experience here, you’ll have an array of templates for placement of these photos together in compositions for sharing with friends and family. You’ll also be able to take videos in this manner with Dual Recording – front and back-facing cameras shooting at once with a final product that’s got both videos in one file.

Sound in Shot allows you to capture up to 9 seconds of audio while a still photo is shown. Drama Shot allows you to combine a series of photos together into one final product. Cinema Photo takes a video of a moment you’d like to capture and allows you to highlight the areas on the screen you want to feature while the rest remains static – the result being one moving .gif file.

Story Album allows you to store all your photos into collections with pre-set templates. With Trip Advisor you’ll be able to pull out GPS location data and apply to these albums with ease. With Samsung’s connection with the company known as Blurb, you’ll also be able to easily print these albums for real-world viewing.

Have a peek at the timeline below for more information on the Samsung GALAXY S 4 with news posts and hands-on experiences galore, including the rest of the four key pillars of this smartphone’s user experience!

This device has a total of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels across its 5-inch display, this showing a lovely 441 PPI, one of the highest pixel densities in a smartphone on the market today. Depending on the market this device is released in, it’ll be working with one of two processors. One of these processor possibilities is the Samsung Exynos “Octa” SoC clocked at 1.6GHz per core – there’ll also be a Samsung GALAXY S 4 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor clocked at 1.9GHz.

The front-facing camera on this device is 2 megapixels strong while the back-facing camera clocks in at 13 megapixels. Both of these cameras work with a collection of features that are outlined in a set of four user experience pillars that Samsung has set up for this device. In the Enjoyment pillar you’ll find the camera outlined in full.

The Samsung GALAXY S 4 works with a body that’s 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm small and just 130g in weight – again, smaller than the GALAXY S III in thinness and lightness. Samsung says it’s stronger than the Galaxy S III as well. Inside you’ll find a 2,600 mAh battery and one of three different internal storage sizes: 16, 32, or 64GB of space. This device also has a microSD card slot that’s able to work with a 64GB card.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see everything – this timeline will expand as our details posts and hands-on experiences are revealed. Stick around all night long to see more!

The GALAXY S4 will be available sometime toward the end of April, and will be supported by 327 mobile carriers in 155 different countries. The phone will be available in 3G and 4G LTE in multiple bands. Samsung president JK Shin says that the phone supports all frequencies and standards, and there’s even global roaming on LTE.

We should hear more information about which carriers will get the GALAXY S4 and when the phone will be available. Pricing details are also another topic that hasn’t come up yet, but we’re guessing the carriers will decide on their own how much they’ll sell the phone for, and when it’ll be available.

UPDATE: We’ve heard word from both AT&T and T-Mobile about the GALAXY S 4. T-Mobile will carry the phone, but they haven’t yet announced any details except for a sign-up page where you can enter in your email address for more details when they arrive. As for AT&T, they too have a landing page for the new phone, but no details yet.

As for the device itself, it has a 5-inch 1080p display and weighs just 130 grams. As expected, the phone will come in both black and white variants, with a silver band outlining both of the devices. The phone has Bluetooth 4.0 and even an IR blaster just like in the HTC One. It’s also packing 2GB of RAM, a 13MP camera, and up to 64GB of storage. We’ll be updating as we hear more info about availability and carriers.

What you’ll see below is a collection of tips and suggestions for what could be the device we’re going to see in the next couple of hours. If predictions are right, this device will take on a look that’s not all that different from the Samsung Galaxy S III, complete with the nature-themed aesthetics and Android-packing software finesse. This smartphone is set to become the new leader for the manufacturer as well.

The Samsung Galaxy S III lead the pack for Samsung last year with the introduction of the hardware theme that’s run strong through the Samsung Galaxy Note device ecosystem ever since. This collection of moves includes a lovely set of smooth angles and colors from white to blue, black, and sometimes red or brown. While the future may hold non-Android software for Samsung – the distant future- we can be sure that we’ll be sticking with Google’s own mobile OS this week as well.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see recent chatter from the technology and gadget universe surrounding the Galaxy S4 and what it could contain. Meanwhile have a peek at the main news feed here on SlashGear for more information as it appears throughout the night – we’re ready to rock and roll!