Earlier this month, AT&T began rolling out Android 4.3 to its variant of the Galaxy S 4, only to have it pulled in order to focus on "potential improvements." Here's the good news: the Rethink Possible carrier today started the process of, once again, bringing the Jelly Bean updates to Samsung's flagship smartphone. As a refresher, Android 4.3 brings a lot of improvements and enhancements that make the overall experience an even more pleasant one -- some of which include OpenGL ES 3.0 support, Bluetooth Smart technology and enriched notification access. What's more, AT&T's also releasing an update for the Galaxy Gear that makes it compatible with the GS4, which is great news for folks on the network who own both Samsung devices. Let us know in the comments how these updates are working out for you thus far -- and here's hoping this one is here to stay.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Mobile, Samsung, Google, AT&T
9to5GoogleSource: AT&T
Remember the allegation that Samsung cheats at benchmarks? Despite the manufacturer's semi-denials, there's growing evidence to suggest that not only Samsung, but also a number of other Android phone makers engage in some level of chicanery. Usually, it involves programming a device to temporarily ramp up its performance if it detects the launch of a benchmark test, regardless of the consequences for battery life or processor temperature. This results in a higher score on the artificial test, but one that is unrepresentative of what the device could actually achieve if it had to pace itself for a real-world task that lasted for a longer period of time -- such as a 20-minute bout of gaming.
So far, so bad. However, a startup called GameBench reckons there's another way. Its founders, who previously worked at chip companies like ARM and MediaTek, claim to have developed an "uncheatable" performance test that can be used to corroborate (or refute) the scores from traditional benchmarking apps, and which can help to rank Android phones and devices according to their true gaming capabilities. Although GameBench's app is still in beta and likely won't be released until the first quarter of next year, it has already collected scores for two devices, the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S 4. Ironically, as you're about to see, Samsung may actually have less to fear from this cheat-free test than some of its rivals.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, HTC
For about a month now, HTC One owners have been able to enjoy MoDaCo's efforts to mix up the Android experience on the Taiwanese company's handset. But, hey, don't go thinking anyone forgot about Samsung's own flagship device, the Galaxy S 4. Available now to those who backed the campaign on Indiegogo, MoDaCo.Switch is giving the GS4 crowd a ROM to sense what it's like to seamlessly switch between the TouchWiz and AOSP versions of Android OS. It's worth noting that this particular ROM is only compatible with GSM models of the Galaxy S 4, and, as ever, creator Paul O'Brien notes it is a beta after all, so some issues may arise. In other words, backers must install at their own risk -- capiche?
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung
Via: Android Police
Source: MoDaCo