Samsung pauses Android 4.3 update for Galaxy S III following reports of glitches

Samsung Galaxy S III close up

Samsung was apparently too hasty in rolling out its Android 4.3 update for the Galaxy S III. The phone maker says that it has paused the upgrade following reports of audio hiccups, excessive battery drain and freezes. There's no word on when the upgrade will resume, although we suspect that Samsung will take its time stamping out as many bugs as possible. In the meantime, those who upgraded too quickly (or are still running Android 4.1) will just have to be patient.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Fone Arena

Source: SamMobile

Galaxy S III mini expected at AT&T, for reasons unknown

Galaxy S III mini expected at AT&T, for reasons unknown

We can't say we're in love with Samsung's Galaxy S III mini, especially with a next-gen model already official. But if today's @evleaks post is to be believed, last year's not-so-brightest star in the Galaxy will be coming to AT&T. The date on the render up above is fixed on August 23rd, which is when we're expecting the Galaxy Mega to make its US debut, so there's a chance we might see the GS III mini then as well. Still unknown is why AT&T would be bringing a humdrum 2012 handset to subscribers this late in the game, but if it does hit retailers this summer, it better come in with a MSRP far below handsets we'd actually recommend. Like, say, the Galaxy S 4.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Source: @evleaks (Twitter)

IRL: TYLT cables and a standoff between two Galaxies

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

IRL is a column about stuff we're using in real life and yes, that sometimes includes neon-green charging cables. It also includes all manner of smartphones, as you know, and this week we've got a short-and-sweet write-up comparing the GS3 and GS4. Is the 4 worth an early upgrade? Not if you ask Jon Fingas, anyway, but that's mostly because he's happy with the camera, performance and LTE radio on last year's model.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Visualized: Facebook Home’s assortment of abodes

Visualized Facebook Home's variety of abodes

As you may have heard, Facebook Home has finally made its way to a select number of devices from HTC and Samsung. While the initial rollout was a little shaky, we were able to grab the social network's latest mobile triumph on every device that officially supports it. What you see above is the full spread of devices that are listed as candidates for the downloadable APK's launch (the HTC First excepted, which we have unfortunately already shipped away): from left to right, you'll see the Samsung Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, HTC One X+, One X and the One. For folks who already have access to it, the One isn't officially supported yet, but it's been announced and it should be coming soon.

We've already gone into painstaking detail of Facebook Home in our review of the HTC First, so we won't dwell too much on the downloadable version. In short, as we expected, the interface seems quite a bit more quiet than our experience on the First simply because it doesn't offer the same system-level integration; in other words, the devices shown in the above image are only able to display notifications related to Facebook services. You can still access your usual suite of alerts through the status bar at the top of the screen, but just make sure to go into Home settings to enable this functionality. Aside from the difference in notifications, the downloadable APK differs from the First's pre-loaded version in that no Google search bar sits upon the top of Home's app menu. Other than that, you'll be hard-pressed to find any major variances in Cover Feed, chat heads or the app launcher. If you're curious to see exactly what it looks like on a Samsung Galaxy S III, check out our gallery of screenshots below.

Note: To ensure that everything works the way it should on your phone, make sure the official Facebook and Messenger apps are installed and completely up-to-date.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Purple Samsung Galaxy S III coming to Sprint on April 12th for $99

Purple Samsung Galaxy S III coming to Sprint on April 12th for $99

Last month, a purple Galaxy S III first reared its regal-hued exterior accompanied by claims that it would launch on Sprint sometime in April. Tonight, a tipster sent a screenshot our way that's pegged the aubergine handset for an April 12th release on the Now Network. With the help of a $50 mail-in rebate, you'll be able to pick up the 16GB variant of the smartphone for $99 on a two-year contract. Finally, a phone that'll match our impeccable taste in handheld gaming consoles.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Jelly Bean rolling out to Samsung Galaxy S III on Sprint beginning today

Jelly Bean rolling out to Samsung Galaxy S III on Sprint beginning today

Sprint's the first US carrier to get the long-awaited Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S III. Featured as an OTA update, your device may start seeing it as early as today. Don't worry too much if this doesn't happen right away; experience has shown us that these large-scale OTA rollouts can be a lengthy process spanning the course of a couple weeks. Feel free to shout out in the comments if your device has already prompted you for the update. The press release is found below.

Continue reading Jelly Bean rolling out to Samsung Galaxy S III on Sprint beginning today

Filed under: , , ,

Jelly Bean rolling out to Samsung Galaxy S III on Sprint beginning today originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSprint  | Email this | Comments

Isis’ NFC payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City: 3 carriers, 9 phones, 1 long way to go (video)

Isis' NFC mobile payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City 3 carriers, 9 devices, 1 long way to go

To say that the launch of Isis has felt drawn out would be a mild understatement. The alliance first signaled its intentions two years ago, detailed its first markets one year ago and faced a last-minute delay. All the ducks are finally in a row, however, and residents of both Austin as well as Salt Lake City can tap to pay (or score discounts) at the "hundreds" of locations that accept NFC-based purchases through American Express, Capital One, Chase and Isis' own cash card. Launch day brings app- and SIM-enabled access for nine devices spread rather unevenly across AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon: only the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is confirmed working for Verizon subscribers, while the rest are divided more equally between multiple Samsung Galaxies and HTC devices like the Amaze 4G and One X. Over 20 phones should be Isis-aware before the end of the year. It's a potentially strong start to one of the few truly cross-network mobile payment systems in the US, but we see a long road ahead before Isis gives Google Wallet some jitters -- there's legions of banks, cities and stores needed before Isis is widespread, and we're not counting on that ever-elusive universal hardware support.

Continue reading Isis' NFC payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City: 3 carriers, 9 phones, 1 long way to go (video)

Filed under: , , , , , ,

Isis' NFC payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City: 3 carriers, 9 phones, 1 long way to go (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon  | Email this | Comments

Samsung begins delivering Jelly Bean to UK-based Galaxy S III owners

Samsung Galaxy S III with Jelly Bean in South Korea

Samsung has already started on the Jelly Bean upgrade path for the Galaxy S III, but that hasn't meant much so far unless you live in Samsung's homeland. The update's global relevance is expanding in grand fashion now that the company has confirmed the software is rolling out to Galaxy S III units across the UK. Variants on the smartphone for British carriers should get their taste of Android 4.1 over the course of a multi-week update process that brings everyone to the new version. Different carrier testing methods prevent Samsung from being any more specific; it's reasonable to say, though, that most owners living in Old Blighty should be running Jelly Bean before the holiday season kicks into overdrive.

Filed under: , ,

Samsung begins delivering Jelly Bean to UK-based Galaxy S III owners originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 10:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceZDNet  | Email this | Comments

Verizon Galaxy S III now available in black and brown

Verizon Galaxy S III now available in black and brown

Verizon teased on Monday that black and brown models of Samsung's Galaxy S III would be coming soon, but mum was the word on exactly how quickly that would be. Turns out, it was real fast. The pair of smartphones are now available at the carrier's online storefront with a $199.99 price tag for those who don't mind a two-year commitment with Big Red. If the new shades strike your fancy, hit the source link below to give one (or two) of the devices a new home.

Filed under: , , ,

Verizon Galaxy S III now available in black and brown originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 03:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceVerizon  | Email this | Comments