SM-G900S shows up in benchmark with 2k display, could be Galaxy S5 or Galaxy Round 2

There have been a lot of rumors making the rounds about the Galaxy S5, but now we finally have what we could consider concrete details on Samsung’s next flagship, including a model number and a few of its specs. A device with model number SM-G900S has made an appearance on GFXBench – the model number suggests it could be the Galaxy Round’s successor, but what reduces the chances of that being the case is the hardware listed in the benchmark.

Galaxy S5 with metal construction almost a certainty, says report

One of the most interesting rumors about the Galaxy S5 has been about the possibility of Samsung finally moving away from plastic and adopting a metallic build for its flagship. It was rumored that Taiwanese company Catcherwas one of the prime candidates Samsung had selected to acquire metal casings for the S5, and now a report out of the Taiwan media says the possibility of the Galaxy S5 having a metallic body has shot up considerably.

Patent shows possible Galaxy S5 feature: improved one-hand operation with custom orientation of on-screen apps

One-hand operation of smartphones is becoming more and more of an inconvenience as display sizes become bigger with each passing year. Samsung mitigates the issue by offering a one-handed operation mode on the Galaxy Note 3, which reduces the size of the on-screen content and pushes it to a particular side of the screen, and the Korean company might be working on making one-hand operation even better with the Galaxy S5.

Samsung working on custom ARM CPU, 560ppi and 4k resolution phones for 2014-15

1080p Full HD displays not working out for you? Well, fret not, as come 2014, Samsung will be launching devices with AMOLED displays that have a pixel density of 560ppi and a resolution of 2560 x 1440 – which means your standard 5-inch+ smartphone displays will be even sharper than they are now. Furthermore, you’ll have around a year to tout these high-resolution displays, as in 2015 Samsung will begin making 4k Ultra HD displays, of resolutions up till 3840 x 2160. Crazy times, right?

Galaxy Note 3 Experience app lets you try out Note 3 features on any Android device

Can’t make up your mind about the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung’s latest and most powerful phablet, and are still wondering whether it’s a device you should upgrade to from your current device? Well, Samsung wants to help, so the company has released a new app called Galaxy Note 3 Experience, which, as the name suggests, will let you experience some of the features of the device on any Android device.

Tizen 3.0 to be unveiled on November 11 in developer conference in Seoul

The first Tizen phone might not be anywhere near a market launch, but Samsung does keep working on the OS itself, constantly improving and adding new features. We recently saw images of Tizen 3.0 running on a Galaxy S3, and now it’s been confirmed that Samsung will be officially showing off the latest version of its OS at the upcoming developer conference in Seoul.

Galaxy Round unofficially available in the US and Australia

The Galaxy Round is currently available only in South Korea, as Samsung wanted to test the market response to a smartphone with a curved display before launching it worldwide. Well, while that may be the case, it’s often not that difficult to buy such devices in other markets, thanks to third-party retailers and the good old eBay. In the case of the Galaxy Round, it looks like a retailer in the US, and one in Australia, are currently listing the device on their websites.

Telstra launching Galaxy S4 with Cat4 4G (150 mbps) on November 12

Want faster internet speeds than what your current 4G-enabled smartphone allows? Telstra might just be looking to take care of that for you, as according to AusDroid’s sources, the carrier will be launching a new variant of the Galaxy S4 that supports Cat4 4G, which will offer theoretical speeds of up to 150 mbps.

This variant will probably be the one that has the Snapdragon 800 chipset inside, as that is the only SoC that currently supports Cat4 4G (also called LTE-Advanced). Other specs should remain the same, including a 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, 13-megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage and microSD slot, 2,600mAh battery, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Verizon Galaxy Note 3 gets its first update, improves sound and connectivity

The Verizon Galaxy Note 3 is finally getting its first software update, to build VRUBMJ7. Unlike the updates for the international variant of the device, this one is more than just a stability update – it improves the poor sound quality that users have been complaining about, and fixes a few connectivity issues. That’s about it for the list of changes in this one.

Samsung market share increased in China despite strong competition from local manufacturers

China is the world’s largest smartphone market today, and things there work a lot differently than in other markets. Numerous local manufacturers in China offer consumers low-cost, high value devices, which makes it difficult for global manufacturers to sell too many smartphones in the country, at least not as much as they’re able to in other countries. But for Samsung, that doesn’t seem to be proving to be much of a problem, as it looks to make its mark in the Chinese market.

Samsung doesn’t like the word ‘phablet’, prefers ‘fonblet’ instead

The word phablet is currently a word in the Oxford dictionary, and while many don’t like it, it has been used so often since Samsung launched the original Galaxy Note that it became pretty much difficult to ignore it. But it doesn’t look like those at Samsung are keen on the world – at today’s Analyst Day event in Korea, company CEO JK Shin used the word fonblet several times, and this has caused something of a stir in the media.

Samsung Galaxy S5, Note 4 and other flagships to have 16-megapixel cameras

Of all the rumors and speculation we’ve heard about the Galaxy S5, one common theme among them has been the fact that Samsung’s next flagship will have a 16-megapixel camera (possibly with optical image stabilization). Now, a report from the Korean Media claims that all 2014 flagships from Samsung will feature 16MP shooters. This isn’t surprising – every Galaxy Note has featured the same camera as that year’s Galaxy S, so if a 16MP camera debuts on the S5, the Note 4 should have one as well.

Samsung releases Android 4.3 kernel source for Galaxy S3

When it comes to releasing kernel source code, Samsung wastes no time. The Android 4.3 rollout for the Galaxy S3has only just begun, but interested developers can already download the relevant kernel source from Samsung’s Open Source Release Center, and start releasing custom kernels and ROMs that work well with the official Android 4.3 update on the device.

Samsung brings Galaxy Win to South Korea

Samsung has announced a new LTE-equipped handset for its home market. The Galaxy Win will sell on SKT and LG U+ for 550,000 won and the affordable price tag brings support for 4G LTE and 1.4GHz quad-core processor. The international Galaxy Win features a slower 1.2GHz quad-core processor.

The phone runs on Android 4.2 and brings in features like Group Play, S Translator, Sound 7 Shot. There’s also Korea specific Smart DMB and ImageON.

Samsung to focus on tablets and low-end devices in 2014, not on Galaxy S5 and other premium models?

According to a new report, Samsung expects to sell only 360 million smartphones next year. Wait, “only” 360 million, isn’t that a lot? Well, yes, it is, but for Samsung, a company that has seen immense growth in sales in recent years, with the Galaxy S4 becoming its most successful device this year, that’s the smallest predicted year-on-year improvement in the case of smartphones.

Mugen launches 5500mAh battery for Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

For those looking to extend the usage times of their Galaxy S4 Active, Mugen has announced the availability of a 5,500mAh battery for the device, which it promises will last over twice as long as the standard battery, which has a capacity of 2,600mAh. Not a far-fetched claim, considering the capacity has been more than doubled, though you’ll have to make do with a bulkier battery and add-on battery cover.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom for AT&T official, launching November 8th

We knew the Galaxy S4 Zoom was headed for an AT&T launch, and today the carrier has officially announced that it will be carrying Samsung’s camera-cum-phone, with availability set to begin from November 8th. The price has been set at $199 on a two-year contract, or $25 a month on AT&T’s Next program; you’ll also get a free Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 with the phone, as part of the carrier’s ongoing free tablet deal, and a $100 Promotion Card if you trade-in an eligible device.

Samsung’s first Tizen phone delayed to 2014?

Things don’t seem to be going so well for Tizen, Samsung’s upcoming mobile OS. After its launch was delayed from early 2013 to late 2013, word is coming in from the Korean media that the launch might have been delayed yet again, to sometime in spring next year. Earlier rumors suggested that CEO JK Shin had personally delayed launch so they could create the “best smartphone,” and it looks like the company is still a ways off from achieving that goal.

Samsung W2014 officially unveiled: flip phone with Snapdragon 800 under the hood

The clamshell phone powered by the mighty Snapdragon 800 processor (clocked at 2.3GHz) that we’ve been hearing about in recent times has finally been made official by Samsung, at China Telecom’s “Heart of the World” charity concert. The device will be joining the SM-W2013 and the recently launched Galaxy Golden in the carrier’s flip phone lineup, and will cost somewhere around CN¥10,000, which translates to around $1600.

Custom Android 4.4 KitKat ROMs now available for the Galaxy Nexus

As expected, the development community has come to the rescue of the Galaxy Nexus, after Google announced that its 2011 Nexus wouldn’t be getting updated past Android 4.3 to 4.4 KitKat – a couple of custom Android 4.4 ROMs are now available for the device, built from the Android 4.4 source that Google released right on the day of announcement of the new version of the OS.