Samsung Galaxy S4 Review - Phones 4u

Our friends over at Phones 4U have been taking an in-depth look at the new Samsung Galaxy S4. Enjoy!

Press Release: Krusell's TOP-10 selling phones for March

Krusell's TOP-10 selling phones for March

Krusell International AB - Apr 03, 2013 17:15 CEST

1. (2) Sony Xperia Z 
2. (-) Samsung I9500 Galaxy S4
3. (1) Apple iPhone 5
4. (9) HTC One SV
5. (-) Sony Xperia ZL
6. (7)Samsung Galaxy i9300 SIII 
7. (-) Sony Xperia E / E Dual
8. (3) Apple iPhone 4/4S
9. (4) Samsung I8190 Galaxy S III Mini 
10. (-) Blackberry Z10

() = Last month’s position.

Sony Xperia Z is taking the number one position on the Krusell Top seller list for March, stepping up from second place in February, says Ulf Sandberg Managing Director at Krusell. The interest for Xperia Z has increased week by week, when the device has proven to be a massive seller in retail. The new competitor for Xperia the coming period will be Samsung’s Galaxy S4 which soon will hit stores, Ulf Sandberg ends.

The Swedish manufacturer of carrying cases for portable electronics, Krusell, releases its Top 10-list for April 2013. The list is based on number of pieces custom made mobile- and smartphone cases ordered from Krusell during March 2013. The list of Krusell is unique due to the fact that it reflects the sales of phones in six continents and in more than 70 countries around the globe.

Krusell Group with 200 million SEK in turnover, and more than 500 employees around the globe is a
Swedish lifestyle-house in which several consumer electronic brands reside such as Motörheadphönes, Krusell and the ecofriendly BioSerie. After more than 20 years in the mobile phone industry, Krusell is established as one of the leading brands in its niche. Besides cases for smart phones, Krusell also sell, develop and manufacture laptop-, tablet cases and audio products. Moreover, Krusell is a subcontractor to Sony, Samsung, Sanyo, Honda, Toyota and LG

Press Release: Introducing Home from Facebook

Introducing Home

April 04, 2013

By Tom Alison and Adam Mosseri 

Today we're introducing Home - a new way to turn your Android phone into a great, living, social phone.

We all want to share and connect. That's how we discover new information and build meaningful relationships. But today, phones are built around tasks and apps. To see what's happening with your friends, you pull out your phone and navigate through a series of separate apps.

We asked ourselves ­if sharing and connecting are what matter most, what would your phone be like if it put your friends first?

Our answer is Home. Home isn't a phone or operating system, and it's also more than just an app. Home is a completely new experience that lets you see the world through people, not apps.

Cover feed
From the moment you wake up your phone you become immersed in cover feed. Cover feed replaces the lock screen and home screen. It's a window into what's happening with your friends - friends finishing a bike race, your family sharing a meal or an article about your favorite sports team. These are the beautiful, immersive experiences that you get through Home.

You might have missed these updates before, but now they're a central part of the Home experience. Since Home is both your lock screen and home screen, the content comes right to you. You can flip through to see more stories, and double tap to like what you see.

Cover feed is for those in-between moments ­like waiting in line at the grocery store or between classes ­when you want to see what's going on in your world.

Chat heads
With chat heads you can keep chatting with friends even when you're using other apps. When friends send you messages, a chat head appears with your friend's face, so you see exactly who you're chatting with. Messages reach you no matter what you're doing - whether you're checking email, browsing the web, or listening to music.


You can move chat heads around and respond to messages. And since SMS is integrated into Facebook Messenger for Android, chat heads include Facebook messages as well as texts.

Notifications
Cover feed is great for seeing everything going on in the world. But when something happens that's more important and directed at you, like a friend posting on your timeline, you'll receive notifications with their profile pictures.

To open notifications, just tap them. And if you don't want to deal with them right now, you can just swipe to hide them and keep flipping through cover feed until you want them back.

Apps
It's as easy to get to your apps in Home as it is on any other phone. Swipe up to see your favorite apps in the launcher. There's also a screen containing all of your apps, and you can drag your favorite apps to the launcher.

How To Get Home

Home will be available as a free download from the Google Play Store starting April 12. Home works on the HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung GALAXY S III and Samsung GALAXY Note II. Home will also work on the forthcoming HTC One and Samsung GALAXY S4, and on more devices in the coming months.

Home will also be available pre-installed on phones through the Facebook Home Program. HTC and AT&T are the first companies working together to deliver a phone with Home. It’s called the HTC First and it will go on sale on April 12.

We designed Home to be the next version of Facebook. But we also wanted to do something more. We wanted to reimagine the way we all use computing devices to make us more connected and bring us closer to the people we care about.

Download Home ­and put your friends front and center on your phone.


FAQ:

What is Home?
Home is a whole new experience for your phone. It’s software that turns your Android phone into a great, living, social phone.

How can I get Home?
You can download Home for free from the Play Store starting April 12, or purchase a phone with Home pre-installed. The first phone to come with Home is the HTC First, which goes on sale in the U.S. on April 12. 

Where is Home available?
Home will initially be available for download in the U.S. on April 12, and will be available in other countries shortly after that.

What Android phones does Home work on?
Home is available on:
HTC First
HTC One (Future)
HTC One X
HTC One X+
Samsung GALAXY S III
Samsung GALAXY S4 (Future)
Samsung GALAXY Note II

How can I buy a phone with Home on it?
AT&T will offer the HTC First for sale on April 12.

Is Facebook building a phone?
No. Facebook Home is a software experience designed to run on Android devices.

Is Facebook home an operating system?
No. Facebook Home is a family of apps. You install them and they become the home of your phone.

Press Release: EE first UK mobile operator to launch BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10

EE FIRST IN THE UK TO SUPPORT

BLACKBERRY ENTERPRISE SERVICE 10

 

·         EE first UK mobile operator to launch BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 on its new superfast 4G network

·         BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 is an end-to-end enterprise mobility management solution offering a single platform for managing BlackBerry, Android and iOS devices

·         EE is the only mobile network operator to offer businesses enterprise-grade security across all mobile operating systems, covering 3G and 4G devices

 

27 March, 2013 – EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, will be the first UK mobile network to support BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10, BlackBerry’s unique end-to-end multi-platform enterprise mobility management solution. BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 will be available to EE’s corporate and public sector business customers from 2 April 2013.

 

BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 brings together industry-leading BlackBerry security with mobile device and application management that extends across BlackBerry 10 smartphones and BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets. It also provides mobile device management for devices running iOS® and Android™.

 

One of the key features of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 is BlackBerry® Balance™ technology, which offers customers with a BlackBerry 10 smartphone a ‘Personal’ and a ‘Work’ profile on the same device. With these dual profiles, work applications and data are kept separate and secure from personal content, meaning that the IT department can maintain maximum security, while the employee is able to keep their personal content completely private.

 

Pricing starts at £15* per month for 1GB of mobile data. All BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 price plans include user licences, server software and dedicated BlackBerry support from EE at no extra cost. 4GEE price plans are available for an additional £3 per month.

 

Alongside the largest range of 4G mobile devices in the UK, EE now provides superfast 4G coverage in 37 towns and cities nationwide. EE’s 4G network currently covers more than 45% of the UK population and is forecast to increase to more than 55% by summer, as the network grows to cover more than 65 towns and cities. To add to this, EE also has more network capacity than any other UK operator through its 4G spectrum holdings to take care of the significant future demands of enterprise data.

 

Max Taylor, Director of Business, EE, said: “Now businesses can get BlackBerry’s industry-leading security and mobility management solution on the UK’s best and fastest network. Alongside our Secure Mobility management software, the introduction of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 means we are the only network operator to offer enterprise-grade security across all mobile operating systems, covering 3G and 4G devices.”

 

Rob Orr, Managing Director UK & Ireland, BlackBerry, said: “BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 builds on our decade long leadership in the mobile enterprise space with a unique end-to-end, multi-platform enterprise mobility management solution. Our BlackBerry  Z10 customers on EE can already take advantage of the nation’s fastest mobile network, and we’re delighted that the network’s enterprise customers will now be able to avail of a mobile enterprise solution that blends unrivalled security with maximum usability.” 

 

Corporate and public sector organisations can find more information on BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 by visiting http://business.ee.co.uk/large-business/BES10 and http://business.ee.co.uk/public-sector/BES10 respectively.

Press Release: Lava tablet scores over Competition

Lava tablet scores over Competition

Leading technology portal rates LAVA ETAB XTRON ahead of Samsung Tab 2 / Tegra 3 powered Nexus 7

In a latest report released by a leading technology portal has rated lava’s new Etab Xtron ahead of its completion.

According to the webportal www.fonearena.com  “On Quadrant Benchmark : It tops and is ahead of Samsung Tab 2 / Tegra 3 powered Nexus 7. On An tutu Benchmark : With top score of 2.9 An tutu, it beats Samsung Tab 2 / Micromax / Zync etc. On Vellamo Benchmark : It again is at no. 1 position.:

In quadrant benchmark Lava Etab Extron’s scoring is 3938, followed by Ausus Nexus 7 3649, Samsung Galaxy tab 2720, Micromax fun book 2057, Zink Z999 1807 and Datawind Akahs-II 1412. Similarly at AnTuTu Lava Xtron’s scoring is 7663 highest among the all above.

Lava International Ltd, a leading Indian mobile handsetplayer has recently launch the its new 'Future Now' 7-inch tablet- ETAB XTRON in the Indian market which is getting overwhelming response. It combines the best-in-class features in hardware and software and comes preloaded with enriching applications – making ETAB XTRON a must have device. The tablet is powered byAndroid 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, Dual-core, 1.5 GHzprocessor, that deliversunmatched performance. It is also the first tablet in its price range to feature a 7-inch IPS screen with multi-touch display with a high resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The screen provides users with rich colors, great viewing angles and is readable even under the direct sunlight as it uses IPS (In plane switching) panel technology. The bright display combined with a revolutionary design makes the tablet ideal for reading books, watching videos as well as playing games on-the-go.

Offering a plethora of value added features;Lava has tied up with various well known content partners for ETAB XTRON. Tablet users will get an entertainment package worth Rs 2,000 free from Hungama.com as well as one month unlimited online movie package from BigFlix for just Rs 1.There is also a free vedicmaths package, discounts worth Rs 4,000 from meritnation.com, a free career booster package and additional 20% discount from edukart.com. With Uahoy, users canalso win unlimited prizes everyday through pre-installed apps.

Tech Specs:

Screen: 7-inch diagonal at 1024 x 600 pixels resolution with In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology

CPU: 1.5GHz Dual-Core Cortex A9

Size: 184 x 131 x 11.5 mm

Weight: 350 grams

Camera: 2 Megapixel Front Facing

Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (Enhanced Reception)

Memory:1GB RAM DDR3, and 8GB Internal (5GB is user memory and can be extended upto 32GB via Micro SD )

Connectivity: Micro USB; Headphone Port; Micro SD

Sensors: Microphone; Accelerometer

OS: Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean)

Battery: 3500 mAh

Price: Rs.6499/-

Press Release: HTC and BlackBerry trade-ins rocket following the Samsung GALAXY S4 launch, reveals SellMyMobile.com

HTC and BlackBerry trade-ins rocket following the Samsung GALAXY S4 launch, reveals SellMyMobile.com

Smartphone trade-ins shoot up 35% on the mobile phone recycling price comparison site, as consumers cash in on old HTC and BlackBerry devices just days after Samsung’s highly anticipated GALAXY S4 launch

• SellMyMobile.com sees 35% increase in trade-ins through the site just days after the Samsung GALAXY S4 launch
• HTC trade-ins rocket by 82%, followed by BlackBerry (56%) and Samsung (21%) just two days after the Samsung GALAXY S4 launch event. Apple fans are less happy to part with their devices as SellMyMobile.com has only seen a 5% increase  in iPhone trade-ins 
• The Samsung GALAXY S4 is already listed by one recycler on SellMyMobile.com, with a £300 trade-in value

 

LONDON, 19th MARCH 2013 – With one of the most anticipated mobile events of the year having taken place Times Square last week, data from SellMyMobile.com reveals that HTC and BlackBerry trade-ins through the site have shot up just days after the Samsung GALAXY S4 launch. The data reveals that smartphone trade-ins have increased by 35% the weekend following the launch of the Samsung GALAXY S4, with HTC and BlackBerry device trade-ins up 82% and 56% respectively. However, the data also reveals that Apple fans were less impressed by the launch of the new GALAXY, as the site saw only a 5% increase in iPhone trade-ins – compared to a 61% surge in Apple trade-ins after the launch of the iPhone 5 last year.  

Although the official price for the Samsung GALAXY S4 has yet to be revealed, one recycler has already given the device a £300 trade-in price on SellMyMobile.com if people register to trade-in early, compared to £242 for a Samsung GALAXY S3. 

The data from SellMyMobile.com reveals that Apple devices tend to prove the best investment in terms of holding value over a long period of time. While people can still get the most cash for a BlackBerry Porsche at £547, Apple handsets make up three out of the top five most valuable phones. The value of a Samsung GALAXY S2 has plummeted by 16% over the past four weeks, and the Samsung GALAXY S3 has also fallen from £260 to £250 following Mobile World Congress earlier this year. This contrasts with the iPhone 5 16GB which has retained its trade in-value of £311 despite a raft of new devices unveiled over the past few weeks. 

Colin White, MD for SellMyMobile.com commented: “The rise in trade-ins of HTC and BlackBerry devices highlights the increasing rivalry between handset giants as consumers cash-in on the old in exchange for the new. But it’s interesting to see that despite the hype, we haven’t seen the same surge in trade-ins that we do with most Apple device launches.”

“With new devices launching so regularly, we often see tech-savvy consumers trading in their old handsets even before the new device hits the shops, as this is when trade-in values are at their highest. But with so many devices launching every month, prices fluctuate according to supply and demand. So if you’re looking to trade-in your old device, make sure you use a price comparison recycling site to guarantee you get the best deal, no matter which device you have.”

To get the best price for your old mobile or tablet device, visit SellMyMobile.com.

 

Table 1 – Top 10 most recycled mobile handsets in the UK in March 2013

Source: SellMyMobile.com

Position	Make	Model	Recycled Value Up To
1	Apple	iPhone 4 16 GB	£140.00
2	Apple	iPhone 4S 16GB	£232.50
3	BlackBerry	Curve 8520	£50.05
4	Samsung	GALAXY S3 i9300	£251.00
5	BlackBerry	Torch 9800	£76.07
6	Apple	iPhone 3GS 16 GB	£66.06
7	Samsung	GALAXY S2 i900	£143.15
8	BlackBerry	Curve 9300	£54.05
9	Samsung	GALAXY S i9000	£72.07
10	BlackBerry	Bold Touch	£127.12

Table 2 – Top 10 most valuable handsets in the UK in March 2013 (by top trade-in price)

Source: SellMyMobile.com

Position	Make	Model	Recycled Value
1	BlackBerry	Posche Design P9981	£547
2	Apple	iPhone 5 64GB	£352
3	Apple	iPhone 5 32GB	£326.00
4	BlackBerry	Z10	£317.40
5	Apple	iPhone 5 16GB	£311.00
6	Samsung	GALAXY S IV i9500	£300.00
7	Nokia	Gold Arte 8800	£283.40
8	Samsung	GALAXY S III i9300 64GB	£259.00
9	Apple	iPhone 4S 64GB	£253.00
10	Nokia	Sapphire Arte 8800	£251.50

 

- ENDS -

Press Release: Explorer to make first-ever video call from the summit of Everest

EXPLORER TO MAKE FIRST-EVER VIDEO CALL

FROM THE SUMMIT OF EVEREST

19th March 2013: HTC and British explorer Daniel Hughes are setting out to achieve an historic world first this spring. From an amazing 8,848m above sea level, Hughes will attempt to make the very first video call from the top of Mt. Everest.  At the summit, Hughes plans to speak live to BBC News using his HTC smartphone and the latest mobile satellite technology from Inmarsat, in temperatures as low as -35°C. HTC is one of the lead sponsors for this remarkable expedition. During his climb, Hughes will also make scaling the world’s tallest mountain an interactive online experience, inviting his followers to share the journey through video, pictures and webchats.  

Hughes, 32, aims to generate one million £1 donations for Comic Relief and place the first Red Nose at the top of Everest. He will begin his journey from base camp in mid-April and is expected to reach the summit via the South Col in mid-May.  However, from the moment he sets off from London, his followers will be able to take part in his journey through an interactive online experience. Through webchats, photos, video and social media, followers can track his progress along the notoriously difficult journey, where he will be able to respond to questions, share insights and provide updates via www.everestmillion.com.

HTC is providing Hughes with a selection of cutting edge devices to assist and document his mission, including the powerful new HTC One, featuring an Ultrapixel camera and 1080p HD video, to capture the climb in detail. Utilising features such as HTC Zoe^TM, long life battery and high-res photo capability of the phone, he will be able to capture every emotional step of his ascent. With on-mountain IP broadband access, followers will be able to share in the adventure, thanks to Broadband Global Area Network satellite technology provided by Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications.

The story behind the climb began with a 2010 trip to Bolivia, in which Hughes witnessed extreme poverty in the silver-mining region of Potosí and was inspired to take action to help others. Deciding to support Comic Relief because of their work with poor and vulnerable people across the world’s poorest countries as well as right here in the UK, Hughes decided to challenge himself to a feat never before attempted – putting a Red Nose at the top of Everest.  

Talking about the challenge ahead, Hughes said: “The Everest Million campaign is all about people coming together to do something amazing for Comic Relief and the projects it supports. Climbing Everest is going to be exciting and at times scary, but thanks to the amazing technology from HTC and Inmarsat I can make this a fully interactive experience. You’ll be able to join me every step of the way, from live tracking and web-chats to answering your questions anywhere on the mountain.”

Hughes’ intense training for the trip has taken place over a number of months and has been documented in a series of YouTube videos. To date, preparation has included climbing the mighty Mt. McKinley in the USA, the coldest mountain on Earth, as well as Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. 

Phil Blair, HTC Head of UK & Ireland, added: “Daniel is taking on an incredibly dangerous challenge in order to raise money for others. We couldn’t be prouder of him, or more excited to be involved and offering our support. It’s been amazing watching his preparation for the trip and I’d urge people to check out some of the videos on You Tube. We’re also delighted to be working alongside Inmarsat to enable the public to follow his progress along the way.

“As you can imagine, this will be one of the toughest tests conceivable for our handsets. They will have to cope with below-freezing temperatures, changes in atmospheric pressure and more, however we’re sure they can and will step up to the challenge. We’ll be watching with baited breath as he reaches the summit!”

For more information, and to donate, please visit: www.everestmillion.com