Samsung Galaxy S4 dual SIM variant confirmed, will come with Exynos 5 Octa

Samsung has officially unveiled the dual-SIM variant of its latest flagship Galaxy S4, meant for the Chinese market. The dual-SIM GT-i9502 model has almost the same specs and appearance as the base GT-i9500 model, although it will be 2 grams heavier, mostly due to the addition of a second SIM slot. What’s absent from the dual-SIM Galaxy S4, though, is LTE, which means it might not reach markets where LTE connectivity is a must.

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HTC President brags up the HTC One, points to some of the mixed reviews for the Galaxy S4

While Android Authority’s experience with the Samsung Galaxy S4 was a very positive one, not all reviewers on the net have felt that way about Samsung’s latest flagship. Some of the complaints brought Samsung’s way include their continued use of plastic and “somewhat gimmicky” software features. Not surprisingly, HTC couldn’t be happier to hear that some of Samsung’s reviews are mixed.

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Rumor: Google X Phone launch set for August with AT&T, ‘creepy’ predictive intelligence included

A new set of rumors on the Google X Phone has hit the web, revealing other details for the handset although they still remain unconfirmed for now.
Before we look at today’s crazy-but-interesting X Phone rumor du jour, we’ll remind you to take the information with the appropriate amount of skepticism, as we’re yet to see an official Google X Phone announcement.

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Galaxy S4 as easy to repair as Galaxy S3, iFixit teardown reveals

A complete iFixit teardown of the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone is now available, revealing that the handset is very easy to repair.
This isn’t the first Galaxy S4 teardown that we’ve seen, with a previous one reaching the exact same conclusion. But iFixit’s Galaxy S4 dismantling procedure goes into greater detail than the previous attempt and features plenty of high-quality photos.

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HP Slate 7 arrives in April after all, priced at $170

Not too long ago we reported that the HP Slate 7 wouldn’t be making it into stores until June. The good news is that HP kept its original promise to deliver the slate in April after all, with the tablet popping up on HP’s retail site for just $170.

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Check out the Samsung S Translator app in action [Video]

The Samsung Galaxy S4 not only introduces significantly upgraded hardware, several new software features are making their way to the handset as well, such as Samsung S Translator. If you are wondering just how well the new translator app works, you’ll want to check out the latest video from CNET, where they put the new app to the test.

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Rugged Galaxy S4 Active, S4 Mini and 8-inch tablet coming this summer, WSJ says

Galaxy S3 (left) vs Galaxy S4 (right)

A new Wall Street Journal report mentions several unconfirmed Samsung products including a rugged Galaxy S4 Active, a Galaxy S4 Mini and a different 8-inch tablet (Samsung already has an 8-inch Galaxy Note 8.0 in stores).

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New Google Glass specs emerge: OMAP 4430 processor, 1GB RAM

Last week, some Google Glass specs were officially posted on Google’s support website. Thanks to developer Jay Lee, we have received even more details on what is powering the next-generation technology. After developer Liam McLoughlin posted on Twitter saying Google Glass was easy to root, Jay tested the claim to much success, capturing the following info:

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Facebook hosting its “biggest developer party yet” to kick off Google I/O

With the launch of Facebook Home earlier this month, we’ve seen an interesting relationship form between the social networking giant and Google. To show its support for Android developers, Facebook will be hosting a party for Google I/O attendees on Tuesday, May 14. The event will take place at Jillian’s San Francisco, a day ahead of the kickoff of Google I/O 2013.

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Judge rules Motorola patents worth far less than $4 billion

In April 2012, Motorola claimed Microsoft was infringing on several of its patents with their Xbox 360. The ITC sided with the claims, issuing a preliminary ruling. In June, Motorola offered a settlement to Microsoft, asking 50 cents for each sold copy of Windows, and a 2.25 percent royalty fee on every Xbox 360 sold.

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Galaxy S4 delayed by a week in the UK due to low stock

The Samsung Galaxy S4 was supposed to be released in the UK on April 26, but it seems that there isn’t enough stock available, which, in most cases, has delayed the launch until May 3.
A Vodafone spokesperson said it is “very unlikely” that more stock would become available over the weekend, but the carrier said it will try and fulfill pre-orders with the current stock available.

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Asus MeMO Pad ME302C spotted in GLBenchmark, features x86 processor

A new Asus tablet by the name of the MeMO Pad ME302C was recently spotted in a GLBenchmark listing by Notebook Italia. What makes the ME302C stand out is that as opposed to an ARM processor, it appears that the budget tablet is powered by an Intel x86 processor.

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Samsung Galaxy Core: dual-SIM handset for Russia and China leaked online

Samsung Galaxy Core is apparently a new dual-SIM smartphone for the Russian and Chinese markets, with Russian website HiTech@Mail.ru having discovered the handset ahead of its actual announcement.

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The Friday Debate: Galaxy S4 vs HTC One

We are all mobile geeks, here at Android Authority. We love everything with a power button. We like to comment the latest news and endlessly argue over which phone is better. On the Friday Debate, we pick a hot issue and proceed to discuss it. Join us!

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Rumor claims Sony Xperia ZR in the works, features 4.6-inch display and waterproof design

If a new rumor is to be believed, Sony may be working on another Xperia Z variant, the Sony Xperia ZR.
The latest rumor comes courtesy of the Xperia Blog, which simply states that they have it on “good authority” that the Xperia ZR is in the works. So what can we expect from the ZR? Allegedly, the handset will borrow from the looks of the Xperia ZL, but will feature water resistance like the the Xperia Z, with a rating of IP55/IP58.

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Samsung turned a profit worth $7.9 billion in Q1 2013

It’s an excellent start of the year for Samsung Electronics, as the company has announced an operating profit of 8.78 trillion won, that’s USD$7.9 billion, in just the first quarter of 2013.
This is pretty much the same as Samsung’s Q4 2012 profit of $8.27 billion and just about beats out the company’s profit forecast of $7.75 billion. The company’s total revenue came to 52.87 trillion won ($47.6 billion), resulting in a net profit of 7.15 trillion won ($6.45 billion). So you’re probably feeling quite happy if you own Samsung stock.

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Smartphones beat feature phones in Q1 2013 sales

Smartphone sales have surpassed those of feature phones for the first time ever in this year’s first quarter, according to IDC.
Out of the 418.6 million total phones shipped worldwide in this Q1 2013, no less than 216.2 million were smartphones, accounting for 51.6 percent of the total number.

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App Update Roundup: AirDroid 2, Chrome Beta, Kindle, and Moviefone

Today we bring you the latest roundup of recently updated Android apps; including AirDroid 2, which is moving out of beta, improvements to Amazon’s Kindle app, and an all new user interface for AOL’s Moviefone.

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Google Glass root apparently ‘easy,’ developer says

A developer has revealed that rooting the Google Glass is “easy,” well ahead of a commercial launch of the product.
Liam McLoughlin (@Hexxeh) discovered a debug mode on Google Glass enables ADB access and then revealed via Twitter that root is “easy too.” Here’s what he said:

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Arrested development: while the iPhone lagged, Android sales boomed in the last year

Market share estimations from IDC and Strategy Analytics show that, while the top four Android smartphone makers posted massive sales increases, Apple’s growth was mediocre.
In the last 24 hours, two of the largest and most respected market research firms, Strategy Analytics and IDC, have posted their smartphone shipments estimations for the first quarter of 2013.

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Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 set for mass production in late May

The Snapdragon 600 processor is already a brilliantly fast processor, found in powerhouse devices like the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, but it’s only been warming the throne for the king of Qualcomm’s 2013 series of processors, the Snapdragon 800. At a media event in Beijing, Senior Product Manager Yufei Wang said that mass production for the Snapdragon 800 will start in late May, without revealing what devices would use the new processor.

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Eric Schmidt: Google Glass can be ‘inappropriate,’ talking to it ‘the weirdest thing’

Google’s Chairman Eric Schmidt described his personal experience with Google Glass in a talk at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
The former CEO had some interesting things to say about the product – the sort of things you wouldn’t necessarily expect to hear from a high-ranking company official.

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Google Play Store security improved, app updates outside it disallowed

Google Play Store security has been improved, with the company taking an additional measure to make sure you don’t download malware thinking it’s a legitimate update.
After the latest revamp, Google has now also updated the Play Store Developer Program Policies, making sure that if you download an app from the Google Play Store, that’s the only place you’ll update it from. The updated Developer Program Policies now clearly state as follows:

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Samsung Galaxy Note 510 (Note 8.0) launched in India for Rs 30,900

The Samsung Galaxy S4 isn’t the only high-profile Samsung product announced in the Indian market today. After launching the device almost 2 months back, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, releasing as the Note 510 in India, has finally been priced, and is now up for pre-order from the official Samsung eStore.

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Samsung can’t make enough RAM for its smartphones, component shortage looming?

Samsung, the biggest memory chipmaker in the world, admitted that it would buy DRAM chips from its rival SK Hynix in order to satisfy the demand generated by its booming smartphone sales.
One reason for Samsung’s amazing success is the fact that Samsung, unlike many of its competitors, makes most of the components that go inside its flagship devices. When you buy an HTC phone or an iPhone, a part of the money you pay goes to the makers of the chips, display, battery, and other components that make up that device.

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Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 5 display battle: S4 now on par with the iPhone in many areas

Here’s a quick description of the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen for you: it’s a big, vibrant, Full HD 5-inch Super AMOLED display. Which means it has vivid colours that you either love or absolutely hate (kind of like that plastic body). Another detail worth noting, is that the Galaxy S4 has a PenTile display, but that should not make a difference due to the very high 441 PPI.

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Google Glass Easter Egg discovered, lets you meet the team

Google Glass is starting to show its secrets to Explorers, as Jay Lee, one of them, has found out that a hidden panoramic picture of the team working on the device is accessible pretty easily.
Using the My Glass app, which works together with Glass, you just need to go to Settings, and then to View licenses under Device info and then tap the touchscreen nine times. With each tap, “an audible beep increasing in pitch” is heard. That’s what Lee did, and was surprised to come across a head-controlled panoramic picture of the Google Glass team (you can check out a part of it below, and you can even see Sergey Brin there).

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Samsung Galaxy S4 officially launched in India for Rs 41,500

Following the extravagant launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 in New York, being flown into Romania on a helicopter, and a grand event at the Sydney Opera House, Samsung brought the Samsung Galaxy S4 road-show to India today, a few days before the rumored May 1 launch.

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Vine Android app officially coming to Google Play Store, no release date yet

A Vine Android app must be one of the most awaited things by Android users, ever since Instagram finally got to our beloved platform. The good news is that it’s finally coming to the Google Play Store.

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Galaxy S3 sold 50 million units, demand for Galaxy S4 deemed “explosive”

Credit: Korea Herald The Samsung Galaxy S4 launched today in South Korea

Samsung has high hopes for the Galaxy S4, launching into its first markets today. The Galaxy S4 is projected to sell in 100 million units, a target that is deemed “highly achievable.”
It’s a big day for Samsung. The Galaxy S4 started selling today in the first market, Samsung’s native South Korea, with great expectations and glowing reviews.

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T-Mobile signs court-ordered agreement after ‘deceptive’ no-contract plan advertising

T-Mobile announced their new, no-contract Simple Choice Plans last month. While there are technically no contracts, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson discovered the carrier was failing to disclose important information. Because of this, T-Mobile has now entered into a court-ordered agreement.
From the official press release:

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Amazon updates Kindle app in a big way

The Amazon Kindle app has never looked bad… its just never been impressive. That’s all changed, and the new design suggests quite a shift in thinking over at Amazon. We recently told you all about their interesting strategy for coming out ahead, and this flies in the face of that a bit.

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Google Drive now syncs Docs, Sheets, and Slides for offline use

Starting today, Docs, Sheets, and Slides in Google Drive will automatically sync for offline use. Also, you can now create, and edit drawings while offline. Google says these new features will roll out to users over the next few days. Forgetting to make certain files available offline is an easy task, and now users won’t have to worry about that happening again.

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$200 Intel-based Android notebooks confirmed by chip maker

An Intel executive has officially confirmed that Android notebooks will be available in stores in the future with prices starting at around the $200 mark.
The news comes shortly after various unconfirmed reports mentioned Android laptops and is delivered by Dadi Perlmutter, Intel’s chief product officer.

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Siva Cycle Atom uses pedal power to charge your USB devices

While the idea of generating power from a bike isn’t anything new, the Siva Cycle Atom aims to improve on the idea by creating a system that not only can charge devices like your Android smartphone while you pedal, but can even provide you battery power long after ending your ride.

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Movie tie-in game Iron Man 3 has arrived to Google Play

Whether you are simply a fan of endless runner games or desperately waiting for anything related to upcoming Iron Man movie, you’ll be happy to know that the official tie-in game Iron Man 3 has finally arrived to Google Play.

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Oppo R809T officially announced, won’t be world’s thinnest smartphone after all

Earlier this month a rumor cropped up suggesting that Oppo was preparing to break another record by introducing the R809T as the world’s thinnest phone. The mid-range R809T became official today by way of Sina Weibo (China’s equivalent of Twitter), though a record breaker it is not.

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Security flaw exposed in Viber app

Viber, a popular VoIP app for Android, has run into a bit of a problem. It seems that, with a little work, full access to your device can be had via the app. The video below demonstrates it in detail, but it’s not something to dismiss.

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Class racing game “Re-Volt” arrives on Google Play

There isn’t much better than when a classic gets ported, polished and brought over to Android. For those of you that don’t remember Re-Volt, it was one of the best racing games back in its heyday and could be found on the N64, Dreamcast, PC and Playstation. Now it has also arrived to Google Play for $4.50.

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Galaxy S4 available in India, starting April 27th

Samsung isn’t kidding about the Galaxy S4. Between the Radio City Music Hall event, or flying the device in to Romania on a helicopter, Samsung intends to make a world wide statement with the S4. Now, according to BGR, The Galaxy S4 will be available in India, starting April 27th.

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AT&T LG Optimus G Pro press render hits the net

Come May 1st, LG will hold a special event in New York city, where it will unveil its official plans for the U.S.-version of the Optimus G Pro. In the meantime, a press render showing off the AT&T version of the handset has now hit the net for your viewing pleasure.

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Samsung Experience Shop opens at NYC Best Buy

Earlier this month, it was confirmed Samsung would be opening “Experience Shops” inside 1400 Best Buy stores. Today, they kicked off in a heavily trafficked location at a Union Square Best Buy in NYC.

From Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly:

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Galaxy S4 to launch in South Korea tomorrow despite supply issues

If you’ve got your eyes on the Samsung Galaxy S4, the device is set to launch in South Korea on April 26 and will be available on the country’s three most major carriers.
In a statement released to Sky News, Samsung said that initial batch of Galaxy S4′s may be limited in supply ”due to overwhelming global demand” and a limited stock of memory parts. HTC experienced a shortage with components for the One, although not nearly as bad and not for the same reasons. The Taiwanese based company, much like Samsung, also saw a great demand for the HTC One.

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Galaxy S4 announcement lead to 29% increase in Samsung phone trade-ins

On March 14, Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S4. According to data from CompareMyMobile, trade-ins for older Samsung phones increased 29 percent, while requests to see how much a phone was worth increased 127 percent. The data came from over 40 electronics recyclers in the UK.

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Google Glass sales forecast predicts 10 million sold by 2016

Everyone is looking forward to Google Glass. Whether you want a pair or not, you’re a t least curious to see just what these things are capable of. It’s the reason for so many copycat items, as well as the recent smartwatch trend. We’re all just so curious about wearable tech!

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T-Mobile HTC One S Jelly Bean update underway

The T-Mobile HTC One S Jelly Bean update process is underway, and multiple users have already received it, according to TmoNews.
The update brings the T-Mobile HTC One S to Android version 4.1.1, while the HTC firmware version is 3.14.531.11. So if you own a T-Mobile HTC One S, now you can enjoy Jelly Bean, just like users of the international version, or those in Canada or the UK.

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‘Switch to Windows Phone’ Android app is Microsoft’s latest attempt to convert users to Windows Phone 8

Microsoft has a new app for Android device users that would help them make an easier switch to Windows Phone 8, in case they so desire.
Called “Switch to Windows Phone” and supposed to be released today, the app inventories the app contents on your phone in order to find exact matches or similar apps in Microsoft’s Windows Store.
That way, users looking to move from Android to WP8 would have an easier way to do so, by being able to somewhat recreate their app setup on a phone running a different platform.

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Verizon preparing a $100 billion offer to buy Vodafone’s share of Verizon Wireless

It’s no secret that Verizon Communications wants more power over the direction of Verizon Wireless, which it owns in partnership with Vodafone. With that in mind, Verizon is preparing to offer up an $100 billion cash and stock bid to get buyout talks started.

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Future Google Glass may look more similar to regular glasses, Google patent reveals

A new patent awarded to Google reveals that the company’s future Google Glass generations could look more like usual glasses than the current model does.
Filed in October 2011 and awarded today by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the patent describes a new way of projecting images on the user’s retina – something that’s somewhat clear from the patent’s title: “Near-to-eye display with diffraction grating that bends and focuses light” – that would let Google actually remove the glass prism from the current Google Glass model and replace it with an in-lens system to project images.

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Verizon’s exclusive Pantech Perception now available for purchase

The Verizon exclusive Pantech Perception is now available on the carrier’s website, as promised a while ago, and, we have to say that it’s a pretty interesting smartphone for its price.
The smartphone costs $99.99 with a two-year contract and it’s running Android Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box (with a Jelly Bean upgrade promised soon). The screen is a decent 4.8-inch Super AMOLED with a 720p resolution, the exact same specifications of last year’s popular Samsung Galaxy S3.

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