Samsung says its new flagship phone, the Galaxy S4, is experiencing delays "due to overwhelming global demand."
Here's the full statement Samsung sent us:
Due to overwhelming global demand of Galaxy S4, the initial supply may be limited. We expect to fulfill inventory to meet demands in the coming weeks...
The Galaxy S4 has an easy mode, and more importantly, the Galaxy S4 needs an easy mode. This necessity is a double-edged sword. It means that the technology built into Samsung’s latest generation smartphone does things you’ve never seen before, and maybe couldn’t even imagine. However, really using that technology isn’t as simple as you might think, and could be downright overwhelming to a novice smartphone user.
This is the theme I kept running into with the GS4. If you’re technologically advanced enough to be excited for hovering gestures and optical readers and two cameras working at the same time, then yes, you should absolutely jump on the Galaxy S bandwagon. But for those of you who want a phone that works well, keeps you connected, and not much else, be forewarned that the S in Galaxy S4 certainly doesn’t stand for simple...
Today Samsung confirmed some of the details about the Galaxy S4‘s carrier footprint that leaked out earlier this week. Just as with the Galaxy S3, the S4 will be available on all of the major carriers – AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless – plus three of the next biggest networks. U. S. Cellular, Cricket, and C Spire also get the phone at launch. The Samsung press release didn’t offer all the pricing and availability details, but it was quickly followed up by announcements from the carriers themselves.
AT&T has announced availability and pricing for the new Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone. Customers will be able to preorder the Galaxy S4 starting on April 16th for $249.99 with a new two-year agreement. The carrier claims to be the first to offer the GS4 in the US, though Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, and other regional carriers have committed to carrying it. T-Mobile recently revealed that it plans to offer the Galaxy S 4 starting on May 1st, though it is not clear if that means preorders will be available then or it will be in stores on that date...
With the Galaxy S4's launch on the horizon, Samsung may be prepping another phone — this one a successor to the Galaxy S III mini. Leaked images posted at SamMobile appear to show a phone with the same design language as the Galaxy S4 but a smaller form factor, just as the original mini was a copy of the Galaxy S III. Its model number is shown as GT-I9190, compared to the S III mini's GT-I8190. SamMobile says the device has a 4.3-inch screen, compared to the 5-inch screen of the Galaxy S4 or the 4-inch screen of the S III mini. 4.3 inches was once enough for Samsung's flagship Galaxy S II, and there's still obviously demand for phones with smaller screens than the S4.
How do you choose between the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4? On the one hand, the iPhone 5 is an entirely known entity that just works. You might not be getting the most exciting or feature-rich smartphone, but at least you know exactly what you’re getting. Samsung’s Galaxy S4, on the other hand, is world’s apart from the iPhone 5: It’s huge, and massively powerful, and it has a ton of features that might be awesome or gimmicky, depending on your point of view.
The best bet, if you need help choosing between the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4, is for us to start at the beginning: the hardware. We’ll then work our way up through the software, first- and third-party support, and other features that might break the tie.
Samsung is often accused of copying Apple. Last night, no one was saying that.
Its event to announce the Galaxy S4 was one of a kind. It was the sort of over-the-top ridiculous event that only Samsung would, or could, deliver. It must have cost millions of dollars.
In Radio City Music Hall, with Broadway actors, Samsung set up a bunch of scenes to act out all the new features of its phone.
For the most part it was panned by the techno snoots.
Personally, I thought it was pretty good. It took less than 50 minutes, so it didn't drag on. It wasn't yet another boring phone presentation where one guy stands on stage and drones on about specs that even I don't fully understand before another guy gets on stage and does a boring demo of a new app.
At a packed event in New York’s Radio City Music Hall Thursday, Samsung revealed its newest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S 4. Following in the footsteps of the bestselling Android phone on the market, the Galaxy S III, the S 4 sports a number of unique new features, while keeping some favorite options from its predecessor.
A far from ordinary event, the announcement was full of song and dance numbers, some bizarre theater moments, and a few surprises.
Samsung just announced the slimmer, lighter, and stronger Galaxy S4 and it looks about the same as the Galaxy S3, aside from some new software additions. There’s no denying the Galaxy S3 was the breakout star of Android in 2012 and it is clear Samsung wants to duplicate that success with the Galaxy S4 by playing it safe with the design. Despite including a larger screen at 5 inches, the S4 is actually smaller and feels smaller than the previous iteration thanks to a slimmer profile and a greatly reduced bezel. The question is whether the same-old design can compete with a more aggressive design like we’ve seen from the HTC One. Let’s look at the numbers, shall we?
Compared to the sheer deluge of rumors surrounding last year's Galaxy S III, talk about the Galaxy S IV has been relatively hushed. That's partly owing to the contracted launch schedule -- despite Samsung's initial denials, the company is unveiling its next Android flagship almost two months before the GS3's first birthday. There's still been a fair share of rumormongering, however, and a picture is emerging of just what Samsung could unveil for yet another encore. Will the smartphone giant make a sharp break from tradition? Read past the break for a roundup of what to expect when Samsung hits the stage at Radio City Music Hall.
There's one complaint that often crops up with the Galaxy S III: it feels "plastic-y."
At a time when competitors are using glass, aluminum, and even higher quality plastics such as polycarbonate, Samsung has stuck to its guns with a thin, bendable plastic body.
Which is why the Galaxy S4 won't stray too far from that design philosophy.
CNET sat down with Y.H. Lee, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile business, to discuss the company's thoughts on design. When Samsung looks at what materials to use, it isn't just taking into consideration the aesthetic quality of the device, Lee said. The company also assesses how quickly and efficiently it can manufacture the product, knowing that it will have to ship a high volume.
Lee said that because Samsung will ship large units, it must consider the smartphone's manufacturability and durability.
Samsung’s Galaxy S IV will feature software that uses eye tracking to scroll content on the screen, according to a report from the New York Times on Monday. When the phone senses that readers’ eyes have reached the bottom of the screen, it will page up the content on the screen so that users don’t have to swipe, the report says.
NYT points out that Samsung filed a trademark in Europe this past January for the term “Eye Scroll,” and it trademarked “Samsung Eye Scroll” in the US in February. The US application describes the service as “software having a feature of sensing eye movements and scrolling displays of mobile devices, namely, mobile phones, smart phones, and tablet computers according to eye movements.” The term “Eye Pause” was also trademarked in the US, but the application states only that the service is “software for smart phones and tablet computers.”
For a smartphone with as much hype and anticipation as Samsung’s Galaxy S4, we know surprisingly little about it. We know that it is likely to launch on March 14th at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. We know that Samsung will have a huge marketing plan around it and worldwide distribution on a mammoth scale.
