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Samsung launches firmware update for Galaxy S4

The update provides users with the ability to put applications onto the SD card, freeing up the precious little space on the 16GB option.

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Don Reisinger
Former CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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Samsung's Galaxy S4 (left) and its predecessor, the Galaxy S3.
Samsung's Galaxy S4 (left) and its predecessor, the Galaxy S3. Sarah Tew/CNET

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 drive, according to SamMobile, which was first to report on the news.

In addition to handling the storage issue, the software update for the Galaxy S4 includes a host of fixes and improvements, including the ability to record HDR video and a fix for the purple effect users were seeing when scrolling through pages.

According to SamMobile, the update is available only in Germany now, but the site cited sources who said it will roll out elsewhere at some point.