galaxy s4

Is an unlocked Galaxy S4 or HTC One worth the hefty price tag?

For most consumers in the U.S., price is not a factor when buying a new smartphone, since most devices with a two-year commitment cost roughly the same. But when you are in the market for an unlocked smartphone, the dynamic drastically changes.

High-end devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the HTC One, are still attractive to just about any consumer. The features are top-of-the-line, and the devices are sleek. But what many consumers don't realize is that a cutting-edge smartphone does not actually cost $200 or $250. In fact, if consumers were to pay the full … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 has the fastest gaming graphics of any phone

Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are on a collision course of high graphical performance. We're not at "console quality" just yet, but every few months or so performance seems to take a giant leap forward.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the latest mobile graphics prodigy, and while our full review will answer whether it's ultimately worth your money, I'm personally more interested in just how adept its highly advanced internals are. Namely at producing real-time, polygonal, video-game graphics. (Spoiler alert: as smartphones go, it's currently the best at doing this.)

To determine this, … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 review: At the top of its game

With the Galaxy S4, Samsung clinches its goal of global smartphone domination. The supercharged Android 4.2 Jelly Bean device may look like a toy compared with the stunning HTC One and the dapper iPhone 5. But taken together, its blazing quad-core processor, colorful 5-inch HD screen, sharp-shooting 13-megapixel camera, and mile-high stack of software extras make the Galaxy S4 the most powerful superphone anywhere in the world.

What does the Galaxy S4 have? A better question is: what doesn't it have? There's the 1080p screen, zippy processing speeds that are ideal for gaming, and an IR blaster … Read more

T-Mobile delays online ordering for Samsung's Galaxy S4

T-Mobile customers expecting to place their online orders for the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Wednesday will have to wait until next week to order the hotly anticipated device.

Formerly expected to be the first to offer the device online, the wireless carrier said Tuesday that the beginning of online ordering has been rescheduled to Monday, blaming an inventory issue for the delay.

"Due to an unexpected delay with inventory deliveries, the Galaxy S 4 will not be available on www.T-Mobile.com as planned on Wednesday, April 24," the company said in a statement. "Instead, online availability … Read more

RadioShack sells Samsung Galaxy S4 on April 27

RadioShack confirmed on Tuesday that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available at more than 4,700 retail locations starting Saturday, April 27.

Specifically, RadioShack will offer the Sprint and AT&T versions of the flagship Android smartphone.

Pricing for the pair will cost the same as going through their respective carriers; however, phones purchased through RadioShack also include free lifetime tech support.

To sweeten the pot just a little more, RadioShack will toss in a coupon good for $10 off a future accessories purchase of $30 or more.

RadioShack's Trade & Save program will give you cash … Read more

AT&T confirms April 25 release for Galaxy S4 pre-orders

AT&T subscribers who pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy S4 could have the hotly-anticipated smartphone in hand by Thursday.

When AT&T began taking orders for the Galaxy S4 last week, it promised delivery of Samsung's new flagship smartphone by the end of the month. Now, the mobile provider is rushing to get to the finish line ahead of its rival carriers.

A spokesperson for AT&T confirmed to CNET Monday that all customers who pre-ordered their 16 GB Galaxy S4 before 9 a.m. ET Monday could receive the smartphone as soon as April 25.

And, … Read more

Where and when to buy the Samsung Galaxy S4

The release of Samsung's next super smartphone, the Galaxy S4, is just days away. Sporting an improved design over the Galaxy S3 and packed with a ton of high-end features and specialized software, the Galaxy S4 already is an Android powerhouse. And even better, it will land at all major U.S. carriers plus a few smaller, regional providers.

Note, however, that the carriers aren't following the same release schedule. T-Mobile, for example, will begin selling the phone this week, but U.S. Cellular customers will have to wait until next month. Meanwhile, C Spire and Cricket have … Read more

Making the change from iPhone to Android as easy as possible

Is iOS starting to feel a bit stale for your taste? It's something I'm hearing more and more as I talk to iOS users, or former iOS users. With some amazing Android phones hitting the market, it's tough not to get caught checking out the competition -- or even feeling a bit compelled to make the jump to Android.

But before you make the change, there are some kinks that need to be worked out to make the process go as smoothly as possible. You likely have contacts, a calendar, photos, and music that you'll want … Read more

Will Samsung's next phone be metal like the iPhone?

There's something about the plastic nature of Samsung's phones that make them slightly less attractive.

To me, that is.

I know that there are millions to whom it doesn't make a difference. There are even many, no doubt, who believe -- in some idiosyncratic way -- that plastic says now, rather than, oh, six months ago.

Some of these people are 13 years old.

However, not all of these people work for Samsung. Indeed, the SamMobile blog last week revealed that it had heard whispers from South Korea that some at Samsung believe plastic isn't quite … Read more

Verizon's Galaxy S4 sign-up page is finally live

Verizon's Samsung Galaxy S4 page is finally live, giving America's largest wireless carrier a way for folks to get in line for what's been the most anticipated new phone of this year so far.

Earlier in the week, Verizon Wireless tweeted that the GS4 would be hitting its 4G LTE network in May and promised that more details would soon be forthcoming.… Read more