Around this time last year, we were gearing up for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S3. Anticipation was running high for the flagship handset: after the launch of the S2, and Samsung’s meteoric rise from fringe manufacturer to top-end Smartphone maker, everyone expected the Samsung Galaxy S3 to swoop in and steal the mantle of ‘greatest Smartphone of the year’ from the iPhone, the yearly favourite. In fact, several publications dubbed the Samsung Galaxy S3 ‘the iPhone killer’ long before its release! Though it may not quite have reached the lofty expectations set by some anti-Apple enthusiasts, the Galaxy S3 still became one of the most successful Smartphones of all time, and certainly topped out as one of the five best devices of 2012, alongside favourites such as LG’s Nexus 4 and, naturally, the iPhone 5. So it’s only natural that anticipation is running just as high for its successor, the Galaxy S4. Rumours are flying about what its internal specifications will be, what kind of screen size, how it will look, and even how large the battery will be – pundits of all stripes have been dissecting every ounce of information. Today we’re going to be looking at some of the likeliest.
Most people seem to be in agreement that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will feature a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen, with Samsung’s proprietary Super AMOLED technology. Most also seem to be in agreement that this touchscreen will be in full 1080p HD, suggesting 440+ ppi – well in advance of current-generation handsets. Real-life colour reproduction of this quality will mean a significantly higher drain on battery power, so the battery should be 2600 mAh or higher; and there’d be little point in such a high-quality screen unless you had the computing power to make use of it, so most are expecting a 2GHz quad-core processor and a round 2GB of RAM to make use of it. However, some optimistic bloggers think that the Galaxy S4 may feature the octo-core processor showcased by Samsung at this year’s CES – four cores optimized for power-intensive tasks and four optimized for low-end usage, which means battery can be conserved for longer as the phone cycles through the appropriate set of cores. However, this technology is bleeding-edge and unlikely to be seen for at least a few months – we’d expect Samsung’s octo-core to make its debut in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which is likely to be due in Q3 at the earliest. In terms of periphery features, the Galaxy S4 is almost certain to have the 13 Megapixel camera of other recent top-end phones, and we confidently predict microSD compatibility to bring the 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage (Samsung tend to offer multiple options) up by another 64. As far as the look of the device goes, it’s probably going to follow the same curved, naturalistic design that inspired the Galaxy S3 and most other recent Samsung handsets. Most renders we’ve seen so far seem to tally up with this: the most prevalent we’ve seen differentiates the S4 from the S3 primarily with a slightly straighter top and bottom, putting the S4 somewhere between the S2 and S3 in terms of aesthetics. After long debate, it looks like Samsung are going to retain the context-sensitive bottom buttons of the S3 – some early renders eschewed them, but frankly, they looked a little homogenous without Samsung’s trademark look. But despite the proposed similar design, we’ve still collected some of the more outlandish device renders below, just on the off-chance that Samsung surprises us with a radical re-design – we wouldn’t want you to be caught off-guard
All that’s left is the when of the device. Most people think that Samsung are going to reveal the particulars of the Galaxy S4 at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, in March; it’s very possible that this could be the case, but last year Samsung passed over the MWC when it came to the Galaxy S3. Consequently, we could be looking at a solo launch event to show off the Galaxy S4 in March, leading up to a release in April; or even a launch event in May to make it a round year since the launch of the S3. Interestingly, a launch event for the S4 could be even more expansive than last year’s S3 gala, because according to leaked internal documents, ‘Project J’ (Samsung’s codename for the S4 project) consists of three devices instead of one. The first is simply called Project J, or sometimes Altius: the second is the Project J Mini, known internally as Serrano: likely a Galaxy S4 Mini to counterpart the S3 Mini. The third is called Project J Active, and is known as Fortius – and according to rumours, it could be a Smart watch intended to buttress the functionality of the S4, an impression reinforced by the list of leaked accessories (including an armband, bike mount and pouch). At this point, only one thing’s really certain… Samsung’s launch event can’t come soon enough!
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The Seoul court reached the conclusion on Friday that Samsung did not infringe upon the designs of the iPhone or iPad, with the judge stating that “these similarities had been documented in previous products”, which constitutes a tactic confirmation of Samsung’s ‘prior art’ defence. The judge went on to note that it would be difficult for consumers to mistake the products, as Apple had claimed, owing to the branded company logos and the significant differences in operating systems, applications, prices and contract services between the two, which also jibes well with Samsung’s defence of consumer intelligence (with a Samsung attorney in the flagship U.S court case protesting that “consumers demand more choice, not less”). Nevertheless, Samsung were fined 25 million Won (approximately £12,000) for infringing upon Apple’s “bounce-back” function in regards to scrolling, and face a ban of ten products, including the Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy SII.
Apple, meanwhile, were found guilty of infringing upon two of Samsung’s wireless technology patents, and face a fine of 40 million won (approximately £22,500), as well as an embargo of four of their products – including the iPad 2 and iPhone 4. Fines of this size are peanuts to the two companies, who regularly boast revenue above 10 billion USD per year, but even given the modest size of the market in South Korea, those sales bans are bound to sting a little, even if they don’t eat into the profit margins significantly. However, it’s a bad omen for both companies: the much-touted U.S patent trial reached the point of deliberation on Wednesday, with nine jurors currently discussing the high-stakes patent battle between the two. Apple is demanding a staggering $2.5 billion in damages, along with a ruling that Samsung’s ‘infringing’ products face a permanent ban; Samsung, meanwhile, demands $422 million, claiming that Apple have violated several of its wireless technology-related patents.
While both companies face significant loss of face depending on which way the pendulum swings in the US trial, the results could be far worse for North American consumers; if Apple win, Samsung may be forced to pay them significant royalties on every Smartphone they ship, which may result in rising costs (in addition to the distinct possibility that several products – including some of the flagship Galaxy range – are banned). If Samsung wins, Apple may face a similar royalty rate; but far more importantly for the company that prides itself upon ingenuity and originality would be the loss of face incurred through such a ruling. Such a ruling may tarnish their reputation in their coveted North American marketplace, and result in a significant loss of sales from the traditional Apple faithful. And if a similar conclusion to that of the Seoul trial is reached, everyone loses – except the lawyers and expert witnesses, who will pocket a pretty penny for their involvement in what’s fast becoming the technology trial of the century.
For our part, we echo Judge Lucy Koh’s optimism, and hope that both companies manage to reach an understanding in the future. When companies like Samsung and Apple cease focusing on their superb products in lieu of focusing upon litigation, everybody loses – whether that loss is in money or dignity remains to be seen.
Our Samsung Galaxy S3 mesh hard cases consist of a hard plastic underlay, with a silicone gel mesh back. While the plastic innards provide stability and durability, the soft outer portion provides a sturdy surface for grip, with the fringe benefit of making your new SIII look even more attractive. If you thought you were the envy of your friends when you purchased Samsung’s flagship mobile, you’ll see raw lust in their eyes when they gaze upon your pick of the Samsung Galaxy S3 mesh hard cases selection! But it’s not just a fashion accessory – whichever colour mesh case you choose to opt for, you’ll gain a superior degree of protection from the daily wear-and-tear faced by any Smartphone, whether it is scratches, dents, casing chips or even drop damage.
Our Samsung Galaxy S3 mesh hard cases are convenient and easy to use: simply slot your Galaxy SIII into the interior portion of the mesh case, ensure it’s firmly in place, and you’re good to go. With cut-outs around all of the salient ports and jacks of your Galaxy S 3, the mesh hard case never has to be removed in order to access any of the features of your device, meaning it will possess shielding from harm even when you’re charging or listening to music! You’d probably expect to be facing a pretty hefty price tag for a case with as many features as this, but you’d be mistaken – all of our Samsung Galaxy S3 mesh hard cases are priced ultra-competitively, and completely at odds with their wide range of features, ensuring that the consumer has no reason not to opt for this superb new range of case covers!
This is just the latest imbroglio in Apple’s crusade against Samsung (and, indeed, Android Smartphones as a whole). Following Steve Job’s famous pledge to “go thermonuclear” on Android devices – which he claimed massively infringed upon Apple’s intellectual copyright – Apple have launched attack after attack on companies ranging from Google to Motorola. But some of their most famous clashes have been with Samsung, and for good reason, as the South Korean conglomerate is currently their biggest rival in the Smartphone market: together, Apple and Samsung account for over 50% of Smartphone sales, and over 90% of Smartphone profits.
However, the importance of banning sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is largely symbolic. The newer iteration of the device – the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 – is still on the marketplace; in fact, the Tab 2 was created specifically in order to circumvent a similar ban faced by the original Tab in the German marketplace. The scope of Apple’s design patent is fairly narrow, meaning by differentiating the Tab 2 just enough from the iPad, Samsung barely had to alter the specifications of the new device. So the banning of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 amounts largely to petulance on behalf of Apple; the real battle to retain Samsung’s Smartphone supremacy begins on July 30th.
For example, the company was busy developing three separate designs for the Galaxy S3 at any one point, to throw sleuths off the trail. That doesn’t mean there were two dummy designs and a real one, with only the real one facing upgrades – all three designs faced the same periodic updates, ensuring that even the engineers working on them couldn’t differentiate the truth from the lies! These prototypes were locked in secure cases even when carried to an adjacent developer’s room, guaranteeing that passers-by couldn’t get a glimpse of the device. And such transportation was a necessity, because reproducing images of the S3 prototypes were strictly forbidden. Engineers couldn’t snap a photograph or even take a sketch of the components, and were instead forced to describe the nuances of the design out loud when requesting items from Samsung’s procurement department, to avoid even the grainiest photograph or the roughest sketch from leaking into the public domain.
And of course, that’s not mentioning the usual security measures established in a situation like this – a team of elite engineers and developers who are the only ones permitted to view the device; a separate working area from the rest of the development staff; sophisticated security technology like retinal scanners, fingerprint identifiers, etc to avoid drop-ins… as staff have acknowledged, the security measures were often incredibly tedious, and were described by one engineer as “tiring and frustrating”. They were forced to lie to even close family members in order to ensure that no “loose lips sink ships” scenarios came to the fore. One engineer denied his involvement with the Galaxy S3 to his precocious young son, who had (correctly) guessed that his prior work on the Galaxy S and S2 would lead to a similar position on the S3’s design committee. Others had to repudiate allegations from curious wives and parents, bound to a non-disclosure agreement that was valid until the 3rd of May (the eve of Samsung’s gala event in London, at which the S3 was introduced to the public).
Ultimately, all of their preparation paid off: despite a few grainy photographs managing to leak online, the disparity between the three “prototypes” reduced their veracity, and nobody managed to view the complete design prior to its grand unveiling. The engineers deserve a lot of credit for their efforts; not only on the development of the device, but the incredible lengths they went to in order to keep it under wraps. The lack of publicity meant that the introduction of the S3 was that much more special – and could certainly account for a portion of their record-breaking 9 million pre-orders!
Anticipation for the S3 has been high for quite some time. Its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S2, was the high water-mark for Samsung’s burgeoning Smartphone expansion in 2011 – the device which afforded them record highs in their ongoing struggle against Apple, the market-dominating behemoth responsible for the ubiquitous iPhone.
For the first time, Samsung showed market growth exceeding that of Apple: more than 80% comparative to Apple’s roughly 50% gain. So the follow-up to the S2 was regarded as something of a Holy Grail for those disgruntled with Apple’s comparative supremacy; the device finally capable of knocking the iPhone from its coveted pedestal.
But the excitement reached fever-pitch on May 3rd, when Samsung unveiled the device and its many possibilities at an ultra-glitzy launch event at Earl’s Court in London. A mobile which, up until that point, had been regarded as some mythical ideal was painstakingly demonstrated in full – and, somehow, failed to disappoint.
Features such as the touted eye-tracking (preventing the phone from switching off while you observe the screen), the smart voice control (allowing greater utility when busy with other tasks) and expansive Cloud-based storage (courtesy of a partnership with digital storage company Dropbox.com) whipped up Samsung loyalists into a veritable frenzy of anticipation.
Now that the phone has finally been released, all of Samsung’s market goals have been confirmed: the S3 has had the most successful launch out of any Samsung product to date. In fact, not only has it marked Samsung’s most successful launch to date, but also the most successful launch for any Android phone, boasting more than nine million pre-orders – a heady figure, considering the comparatively lacklustre performance of the iPhone 4S (just over 4 million).
With that said, there was a fairly large issue on launch – despite promising the definitive capacity to meet every pre-order issued, an issue with the manufacturing process of the “pebble blue” coloured devices means that they have been delayed. They will now hit the market more than two weeks late; even the casual Smartphone user can see how this would alienate a significant proportion of Samsung’s user-base, especially in the light of their prior guarantee.
g~~60_35__82946.JPG "The Pebble Blue Samsung Galaxy S3")
For the time being, then, the Galaxy S3 is the Smartphone of the moment, a title it richly deserves due to its power, utility, and clever marketing. But the year is only half over; and with Apple’s annual WWDC just around the corner, the iPhone 5 (or “The New iPhone”, as the case may be) is almost certain to make its own debut before the end of the year. Samsung enthusiasts may be hoping that their chosen developer pulverises Apple effortlessly… but if we know anything about their company, it’s that the iPhone giant unlikely to go down without a fight!
Making its debut in early April, the HTC One X carved out a place in a Smartphone marketplace dominated by Apple’s iPhone, by emphasizing raw power over Apple’s trademark usability. That doesn’t mean it lacks utility, though; as one of the premier slate phones on the market, the One X is incredibly intuitive to use. Utilizing Android 4.0.3 (the Ice Cream Sandwich OS) as a baseline, it overlays HTC’s proprietary HTC Sense GUI for increased attractiveness (and better market branding in relation to similar HTC devices), guaranteeing a unique browsing experience for the user. In addition, it boasts a range of fringe features for the enthusiast, including geo-tagging, simultaneous HD picture-taking and video recording, and both face and smile detection, allowing you to perform feats like locking your phone unless you are present in person.
But how does it stack up against the Samsung Galaxy S3 in terms of specifications? Let’s find out:
With that said, it comes down to a matter of choice. The two devices are so similar in most other respects that it’s difficult to make a definitive choice between them. Brand loyalists on either side will have an easy time of it – but for the rest of us, there’s precious little to differentiate the S3 and the HTC One X. And as more software updates are released for the two devices, the gap between the two is likely to shorten even more, in addition to greater equalization in pricing.
So, ultimately, it comes down to your own personal allegiance – are you a Samsung or a HTC kind of person?
Essentially, the notion behind the Galaxy Pocket (so named for its miniature frame) is that it provides the features of an entry-level Android Smartphone without being excessively expensive. As an entry-level Smartphone, it is designed as the next rung on the ladder for feature-phone users to climb: powerful (or at least powerful compared to its lesser kin), but much more competitively priced than something like the S3. Things like this have been attempted before – Samsung themselves have made a stab at it prior to now, with the Galaxy Mini 2. But the envelope has never been pushed further than it has with the Samsung Galaxy Pocket. Its hardware features are startlingly austere for a Smartphone: a 2.8 inch screen pulling in 143 ppi; a 2 Megapixel camera; a 1200 mAh battery; 3GB of internal storage; Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity; and, promisingly, an extraordinarily light weight of 97g. You can expect an ultra-competitive price-tag when the device debuts in the UK – though we haven’t been given a date yet, it’s a fairly safe bet that the Galaxy Pocket will put you back less than £150, considering its modest specifications.
But, of course, there are some drawbacks for a competitively priced mobile that attempts to run Android competently. First off, the capacitive touchscreen input. While it’s comfortable and user-friendly on mobiles with larger screens (the HTC One X is a particularly excellent example of touchscreens done right), anyone with larger-than-average fingers is going to struggle to input on the Samsung Galaxy Pocket with any degree of speed or accuracy. Additionally, the smaller screen can make browsing a pain, which isn’t a very attractive notion for a Smartphone that boasts Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity as some of its flagship features. Any kind of lengthy browsing session could result in a headache and eyestrain.
The modest CPU (a processor running less than 840MHz) and low resolution mean that you will get noticeable time-lag when running anything even remotely graphically intensive, making the Galaxy Pocket’s compatibility with Android’s app store seem like a hollow proposition when even a simple game like Angry Birds can slow your device to the very brink of unplayability. Without the capacity to run Android’s current OS (Ice Cream Sandwich), the Galaxy Pocket is also restricted to a re-skinned version of the earlier Gingerbread OS - which, to its credit, remains a competent operating system with many useful fringe features (albeit with significantly less utility than its bigger brother).
With all of that said, however, the Galaxy Pocket was never an exercise in creating a specification-mad monster; the Galaxy S3 fulfils that particular niche in Samsung’s catalogue of devices. While Smartphone enthusiasts will find little to love here, it’s always a noble sight to see a company genuinely interested in expanding their market by appealing to the younger and less experienced consumer. The Samsung Galaxy Pocket is guaranteed to make less than one tenth of the money of the leviathanic S3, but the good-will it will engender in first-time Smartphone customers is sure to make it all worthwhile in the long term.
Released in October, the iPhone 4S swiftly became renowned as Apple’s most inventive and versatile Smartphone yet. Its prime directive is fluidity: the user interface is designed to be as intuitive and functional as possible. It’s a smart way of doing things; by ensuring that different hand motions such as swiping, tapping and pinching the screen become inextricably linked with the concept of iPhone interaction, Apple have, in essence, created a brand based on the users own synergistic experience with the device – a brand which has been expanded by identical touchscreen interaction with the iPad. In terms of raw specifications, the 4S utilizes the iOS 5.1.1, Apple’s most recent variant on their proprietary operating system. It’s capable of acting as an internet hotspot, diversifying its internet connection over WiFi, Bluetooth and USB and permitting access to Apple’s famed app store while on-the-move.
Its most unique and talked-about feature is probably Siri, however. An automated voice control system, Siri is unique among such software in that it permits near-total control over every aspect of the device, from weather reports to appointments. This means it’s much easier for somebody busy with a different task – such as exercising in the gym, or driving a car – to check things on their phone without compromising their own safety. It recognises three languages on launch – English, French and German – with plans for more languages to be added as the system matures. Because the 4S is a slate-style touchscreen (eschewing excessive buttons in favour of a streamlined design), its keyboard is virtual, meaning greater functionality for inputting in a range of different languages across the board – ensuring a broad market saturation.
Apple, then, are clever marketers - that much is obvious to anybody who has paid a modicum of attention to their advertising campaigns. But for a raw comparison of the respective specifications of the iPhone 4S and the Samsung S3, you need only check out the table below.
But when you get right down to it, that’s not what this fight is about. Apple has never claimed to put out the strongest products on the marketplace: their claim to fame has always been sleek functionality combined with relentless, saturation marketing. For Samsung to stand a chance of beating out Apple in the long run, they’re going to need to spend a lot of money building up an aesthetic brand as recognisable as the classy, minimalistic sheik of the iPhone. The Samsung S3 may well be the Smartphone that drives the iPhone 4S off its precarious position as most-touted Smartphone, but will its follow-up be able to go toe-to-toe with the iPhone 5, or will it stand to become just another flash-in-the-pan contender for Apple’s crown?
Only time will tell.
1000.jpg "Samsung Galaxy S3 Black S-Line")
1000.jpg "Samsung Galaxy S3 Pink Flip")
