Hasta La Gadget!

It slightly less than a week back that word of the Android 4.4.2 KitKat update was arriving via an Over The Air (OTA) vehicle for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active (SGH-i537) over at AT&T, which would see additional features thrown into the mix. The thing is, it does look as though AT&T has stopped the update’s release today, without letting us on a specific reason in allowing that to happen. AT&T, however, did mention that they are working with Samsung at this point in time to deliver some “potential improvements” to the firmware update.

Samsung shared, “The software update for Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is temporarily on hold while AT&T and Samsung look into potential improvements.” In such a case, it is most probably due to the fact that there are some bugs in the firmware update which would not bode the Galaxy S4 Active well after installation, where a select bunch of users have alerady reported that they have run into Wi-Fi connectivity issues after the update.

It remains to be seen when the Android 4.4.2 KitKat update will continue down the road, but hopefully AT&T and Samsung will be able to fix this mess sooner rather than later. For those who have already applied the update, how was your experience?

AT&T Stops Android 4.4.2 KitKat For Galaxy S4 Active , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Cellphones, Galaxy S4 Active, kitkat, Samsung,

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has been around for some time already, being one of the rugged models from Samsung that is able to withstand more than just regular wear and tear. Having said that, it seems that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has just received a bump in its chipset, where the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset is now thrown into the mix, giving users another option other than picking up the standard issue SHV-E330S Galaxy S4 in SK-Telecom’s smartphone family over in South Korea. Needless to say, this bumped up device would arrive with support for LTE-A networks (of up to 150 Mbps, theoretically speaking).

Other than the updated SoC as well as 2.3GHz quad-core processor and Adreno 330 GPU, the updated Samsung Galaxy S4 Active would also sport better hardware specifications, where you will be able to enjoy a 13-megapixel shooter which has a far higher resolution count than the 8-megapixel camera on the existing Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, alongside a new color scheme. Despite that, it is also slightly lighter, while arriving in white. As for the rest of the hardware specifications, it will sport a 5” Full HD display, a 2,600mAh battery, and IP67 certification. It remain to be seen whether it will be available internationally.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Receives Snapdragon 800 Chipset original content from Ubergizmo.

A while back Samsung launched the Galaxy S4 Active which was more or less the Galaxy S4 device just with waterproofing capabilities. Well apparently there is a new Galaxy S4 Active in the works, one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset on board, but it seems that while Samsung is working on that device, it turns out that another Galaxy S4 Active is in the works as well, but this one is a low-cost and lower-specced version that goes by the model number, GT-I8580. Some have likened the device to what the Galaxy S4 mini is to the Galaxy S4, but given its display size, we don’t think it would be appropriate to call this a Galaxy S4 Active mini.

So what sort of specs are we looking at here? Well for starters the phone will sport a 4.65” 00×480 display and will be powered by an unnamed dual-core processor that has been clocked at 1.2GHz, but given that its GPU is the Adreno 305, chances are it could be a Qualcomm chipset, maybe even the Snapdragon 400. It will also come with 1GB of RAM, a 5MP rear-facing camera, a 0.3MP front-facing camera, and will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. No word on when the above device will be announced but given that both Tenaa and the Bluetooth SIG have given it the green light, perhaps it won’t be too long before an announcement is made.

Lower-specced Galaxy S4 Active (GT-I8580) Leaked original content from Ubergizmo.

Samsung released its latest Galaxy S Android smartphone earlier this year, the Samsung Galaxy S4, which since then has sold like hotcakes as it’s been released globally. One thing we didn’t expect was for there to be an additional version of the Galaxy S4 released shortly after its release that would allow the device to become extremely durable as it has been made to be water and dust-resistant and has a IP67 certification.

If you’re the kind of person who finds themselves in an environment that requires to outfit your smartphone with a special case in order to survive through the day, we’re sure you’ve been keeping an eye on the Galaxy S4 Active as other Android devices that offer water and dust resistance tend to not have the most earth-shattering specs. Samsung has already caught the attention of many with its Galaxy S4, so let’s see if making it resistant to water and dust makes it an even more valuable device. (more…)

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Review original content from Ubergizmo.

When it was announced that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active would be available via AT&T on June 21st for $200 a pop a couple of months ago, some folks might have seen that as a way to pick up a rugged device, although it was not considered to be 100% waterproof, it still did come with an IP67 certification that meant theoretically speaking, it ought to be able to be submerged in up to 3 feet of water, and for up to half an hour at any one time. The thing is, the AT&T warranty did not seem to offer any kind of protection against water damage.

That itself is a bummer, as some folks who picked up the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active from AT&T did not seem to have the rub of the green, since some users claimed that there were issues concerning the lack of its ruggedness as advertised. Strangely enough, AT&T does not cover the Galaxy S4 Active against water damage, never mind that the smartphone itself is said to be water resistant. An oversight by the legal eagles, perhaps? Well, it is nice to hear on the grapevine (via a leaked memo, specifically) that AT&T has agreed to make one-time swaps for those who have a Galaxy S4 Active, never mind that the Liquid Damage Indicator points to water damage. This is only applicable to those who purchased directly from AT&T though.

AT&T Starts Replacing Galaxy S4 Active Smartphones That Experienced Water Damage (Rumor) original content from Ubergizmo.