samsung

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom marries smartphone and camera

Samsung's S4 Galaxy Zoom -- which combines an Android smartphone with a 16-megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens -- is real.

The model isn't likely to appeal to the mainstream smartphone buyer. But in an Android market crowded with options, a niche that caters to a particular subset can be a reasonable approach -- especially if that subset is as passionate, enthusiastic, and willing to part with money as photographers often are.

The Korean electronics giant announced the new smartphone Wednesday, the latest in a series of S4-branded phones that began with the Galaxy S4 flagship model, continued … Read more

Samsung's NX series gets the fisheye

Adding to its growing lineup of lenses for its NX series of interchangeable-lens cameras, Samsung plans to release a 10mm f3.5 fisheye later this year.

The lens is Samsung's widest-angle model to date, and it looks like a pancake.

Here be specifications:

Mount Samsung NX i-Function Focal range 10mm (15.4mm equivalent) Aperture range f3.5 - f22 Aperture blades 7 Minimum focus distance 3.5 inches Angle of view 180 degrees Elements Seven elements in five groups (one aspherical lens) Filter diameter n/a Minimum length 1.0 Maximum length 1.0 Weight 2.5 ounces (est.) … Read more

Samsung reportedly readying 12.2-inch Galaxy Note tablet

Samsung could introduce an extra-large Android tablet in the second half of the year, according to ETNews (translate).

New rumors indicate that Samsung will release a 12.2-inch version of the Galaxy Note-like experience in the coming months.

According to the Korean Web site's "industry sources," the Samsung tablet will feature a 2,560x1,600-pixel display and come with an S-Pen stylus. While there's no outright mention of a name, we could assume it'll be part of the Note line.

As for smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is rumored to arrive in early fall, … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 review: A phablet to consider

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 was reviewed by CNET Asia, CNET's sister site. For CNET Asia's star rating and full-size photos, visit the fully-rated review at CNET Asia.

Yoda once said: Size matters not. Based on the size of the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3, it's pretty obvious that the chaebol was never a Jedi Knight or a student of the Dagobah resident. The large 6.3-inch phablet is the largest smartphone I've seen from the Korean electronics giant, though I do note that it has a 7-inch tablet that can make phone calls.

Design … Read more

Samsung unveils Galaxy Ace 3 smartphone

Samsung has announced a new addition to the company's smartphone line.

Dubbed the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3, the device comes with a 4-inch screen and a 1GHz dual-core processor. It's running Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and comes in the customer's choice of 3G or 4G LTE. The 3G option comes with 4GB of internal memory, while the 4G LTE option has 8GB of internal memory. Both support a microSD card of up to 64GB of storage.

On the back, users will find a 5-megapixel camera. The software coupled with that lens allows for users to share … Read more

Galaxy S4 losing steam? Samsung's shares follow suit

Despite Samsung's claims last month that its Galaxy S4 was performing quite well on store shelves, and had reached 10 million units sold in less than a month, analysts are concerned things are changing.

Samsung's shares were down around 6 percent Friday, representing their largest drop since August. Blame analysts worrying about flagging demand for the Galaxy S4. JP Morgan was among the analyst firms that expressed concern about Samsung, and it cut its share-price estimate by 9.5 percent.

In a note to investors, JJ Park at JP Morgan said that supply chain checks are showing "… Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 gets wireless charging help from accessories

Samsung is no stranger to peddling smartphone accessories that fit into its ever-expanding hardware portfolio. Meet the latest member of this family, the Samsung Wireless Charging Pad ($49.99).

Intended to play nicely with the company's Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone, the charging pad is actually compatible with all smartphones that use the prevalent Qi standard.

Unfortunately, your U.S. Galaxy S4 is about to prove codependent. That's because it doesn't have wireless charging built in, so to even use the charging pad, you're going to have to fork out for the charging cover, a $39.99 … Read more

Screens test: HTC One vs. Samsung Galaxy S4

The two hottest flagship Android smartphones right now, the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4, both earned CNET's Editors' Choice Awards for their stellar designs, massive feature sets, and overall appeal.

So which one has the better screen?

In the tradition of our original screens tests last year, we set out to answer that very question. We used a combination of objective measurements courtesy of the same expensive test gear we use to evaluate and calibrate HDTVs, and subjective observations courtesy of our priceless, expert eyes.

As we found previously, each screen has particular strengths and weaknesses, but to our minds the Samsung Galaxy S4 has the better screen. Its victory over the One, however, was by no means a slam dunk.

Overall color accuracy between the two is nearly a wash by the numbers, and the One has a decided advantage in brightness -- making it the better choice if you spend a lot of time outdoors under a bright sky. But the deeper black levels and insane contrast of the GS4, along with the versatility afforded by its many settings, helped put it over the top.

… Read more

Samsung launches firmware update for Galaxy S4

Samsung has launched a firmware update for the wildly popular Galaxy S4 that should quell some unrest for those who own the 16GB version.

Once the firmware is installed, users will have the ability to offload their app installs to the SD card. That's especially important for 16GB device owners who were upset to find that they had just 9.15GB of usable space on the device's storage. Moving apps to the SD card can save some of the needed space. Samsung has also found a way to squeeze another 0.08GB of space on the device's … Read more