Samsung Answers Galaxy S4 Storage Complaints by Telling Users to go Buy a MicroSD

As many consumers flock to buy the Galaxy S4, it isn’t a surprise to see the 16 GB model becoming quite a hit among the Android crowd. One general complaint that continues to become increasingly popular on a daily basis is that the 16 GB model doesn’t provide enough storage. When voiced to Samsung, the company simply responded by saying: if that’s not enough storage for you, that’s why we put in a microSD card slot.

According to CNET UK, the 16 GB version of Samsung’s newest flagship handset has only just over half of its listed memory available for owner use. The rest is taken up by the smartphone’s operating system and built-in apps. Samsung said the following in a recent public statement:

For the Galaxy S4 16GB model approximately 6.85GB occupies [the] system part of internal memory, which is 1GB bigger than that of the Galaxy S3, in order to provide [a] high resolution display and more powerful features to our consumers.

For users who aren’t satisfied with the 8.49 GB or so of free space left to them on the 16GB model, Samsung’s simple solution was:

To offer the ultimate mobile experience to our users, Samsung provides [a] microSD slot on Galaxy S4 for the extension of memory.

Galaxy S4 owners are given the option to expand their devices’ storage capacity via microSD up to an additional 64GB, bringing the potential total capacity of the device to 80 GB, with 73.15% being available to the user. The additional space, although it can’t be used to store apps as Google removed that capability with Android 4.0, allows users to store downloaded books, music, movies and other files.

The disparity between listed storage and usable storage isn’t particular to Samsung as device manufacturers typically list their capacities at the maximum amount the device could conceivably hold, regardless of how much is taken up by the system software. The size of the disparity though is uncommon. The S4 has only about 55% of it storage capacity available. In comparison an iPhone 5 running iOS 6.1 will give users roughly 77.5% of its total capacity.

Although Samsung’s response is a logical one, the company could have probably handled the situation a bit better. [Source]

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Galaxy S4, The Next Android Top Smartphone Can Now be Pre Ordered Now!

The Samsung Galaxy S4 doesn’t hit shop shelves until 26 April, but if you just can’t wait to get hold of the full HD, turbo-charged Android smartphone, we’ve got good news for you: it’s now up for pre-order with your network of choice.

Vodafone, EE and Three have all now made the Samsung Galaxy S4 available for pre-order, as have stores Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U – and you can bet O2 won’t be far behind.

The networks are all trying to stand out in their own ways: EE is providing accessory packs worth £55 thrown in for pre-orderers, while Phones4U is offering up to £100 in Google Play vouchers for those who opt for a Samsung Galaxy S4 on EE 4G through the store.

If you can cope without 4G super speeds (or you don’t yet live in an area with LTE coverage), by far the best deal so far however is with Three, which is offering a free Samsung Galaxy S4 on a two year contract for £35 per month, with unlimited data, 500 minutes and 5,000 text messages.

In case you missed the hubbub earlier this month when the Samsung Galaxy S4 was revealed, it’s shaping up to be a true iPhone slayer, with a massive 1080p screen, quad-core processor and 13 megapixel camera, plus the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on board.

Will it match the HTC One for skills though? We’ll let you know ASAP, so stay tuned for a full review soon. In the meantime, let us know where you’ll be getting yours in the comments below. [Source]

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LG Points Out a Possible Patent Infringement in The Eye-Tracking Tech Contained in The Galaxy S4

Yonhap News reports that the Korean cousins Samsung and LG are in a row over the eye-tracking technology in their respective flagship phones, the Galaxy S4 and Optimus G Pro. The feature at the center of the controversy is called Smart Pause by Samsung and Smart Video by LG, and lets users pause a playing video by looking away from the screen. LG says it applied for the relevant patent in 2009 (as well as other eye-tracking inventions as far back as 2005) and plans to check if Samsung's phone infringes when it launches next month. Samsung, of course, denies infringing LG’s patent, saying it has its own technology and used different methods for its own implementation. The two companies' phones are both scheduled for release in April.

Over the past year, the rivalry and mimicry between Korea’s top two electronics companies has reached insane new heights. The pair both announced 55-inch OLED TVs at CES in 2012, and while both were severely behind schedule, LG eventually shipped its panel, beating its longtime rival to market. When Samsung announced a curved OLED TV at CES 2013, LG was quick to respond, trotting out its own "world’s first" curved panel within a couple of hours.

The friction was being mirrored behind the scenes, too, where the pair had been at loggerheads over the underlying technology, suing each other for various OLED patent violations. To top it off, Samsung had filed another suit in its home country in December, claiming that LG infringed its LCD patents, and asking the court to ban the offending products. While those cases have since been settled out of court, the armistice doesn’t seem to be lasting very long. Whether it's antagonistic billboards or lawsuits about refrigerator capacity in advertising, it looks like the two chaebols just can't get along. [Source]

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