Hasta La Gadget!

The Verizon version of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 has arrived – and it’s surprisingly clean. While the Samsung Galaxy Note II came with a strangely placed Verizon logo on its home button, this device keeps with the common look on its outsides. On the other hand, inside, there’s a slightly different situation going on.

The Samsung GALAXY S 4 works with a 5-inch 1080 x 1920 pixels Super AMOLED display, that coming in at 441 PPI. This machine is 5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches and weighs in at 4.59 oz, coming with a hard plastic back and a pane of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 up front.

On this smartphone’s right side you’ll find a power button in the upper 1/3rd region, while on the left side in the same place you’ll find the volume rocker. The front works with capacitive back and menu buttons and a physical home button, while the back works with a 13-megapixel camera and a single LED flash.

This iteration of the device has a collection of style differences inside compared to the version on other carriers. Little bits and pieces, like moving the toggle for Blocking Mode from the notifications icons collection and pushing it to “My Device” in settings. Apps have been taken away and added too, of course, most of them coming directly from the carrier itself.

Some other apps that are missing from the Verizon version – for whatever reason – are ChatON, Samsung Apps, and the Samsung Optical Reader. It would seem that Verizon has told Samsung that they’ll need to keep their app store out of the mix in favor of Verizon’s, while it’s unclear why the Optical Reader has been axed. ChatON is anybody’s guess.

Below the fold you’ll notice some of the changes that do take place on many Verizon phones vs AT&T, starting with a long press on the device’s Home button. Holding down the GALAXY S 4′s Home button will bring up a selection of apps being used for easy switching – this being a standard since Android 4.0 Jelly Bean. Below this, though, Verizon has opted to use text to signify Task Manager, Google, and Close All, where AT&T’s model – and others – show icons instead.

Stick around while we review this device and its Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor as well as its dual-recording abilities with front-facing 2 megapixel camera. For those of you that can’t wait, have a peek at SlashGear’s Samsung GALAXY S 4 Review from its initial release earlier this year – April to be more precise.

Verizon Samsung GALAXY S 4 Unboxing and Hands-on is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week has certainly been one for unofficial HTC One announcements – today’s comes in at 5-inches or more with a smaller cousin in the works as well. While earlier today the HTC One was suggested to be coming in a so-called “Google Edition” with exclusive aim for Verizon, this afternoon there’s word that two MORE HTC One relatives are in the mix. The first of these is the HTC One’s larger relative, while the second is one we’ve heard of before: the HTC M4.

The larger of these two devices is said by people familiar with the matter speaking with Pocket Lint to be an HTC One clone, made by HTC, with a slightly larger display. It’s suggested that this device will be a response to the Samsung GALAXY S 4 and its own 5-inch display in a chassis similar in size to the Galaxy S III.

This larger HTC One model will likely have a body that’s similar in thickness to the HTC One standard model with height and width closer to that of the HTC J Butterfly – aka the DROID DNA. This would also be a good candidate for which device will eventually make its way to Verizon in their eventual replacement of the DROID DNA amongst their HTC smartphone ranks.

The second tip is a renewed interest by HTC in releasing what would essentially be a boosted-power HTC First. This device is said to be code-named HTC M4 and will have camera and speaker technology similar to that of the HTC One, but in a 4.3-inch display form factor.

Sound like a couple of beasts you might be up for checking out? Is it a good idea for HTC to spread the HTC One brand once again, or do you think they should stick to One, as it were?

HTC One’s big brother tipped with 5+ inch screen is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week the folks at the app called gMusic have pushed through an update to include Google Play Music All Access for iOS users – iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch included. This update is one that allows the app to stream music using the app’s ability to access all features included in the Android Google Music app, here “unofficially” on Apple’s devices. Google Play Music All Access is a service that was introduced earlier this month at Google’s yearly developers conference Google I/O 2013, working with a monthly subscriber fee for streaming “radio” access to the full Google Music library.

Here at SlashGear, members of the staff (including yours truly) have been using gMusic since late 2011 when we reviewed the XtremeMac Tango TRX – that’s an Apple iPod dock-toting wireless speaker that’s still kicking out the beats today. There the user interface for gMusic wasn’t exactly as user friendly as it is today. Today, the developer team behind the app have kicked things up a notch – just that .

ABOVE: gMusic from 2011. BELOW: gMusic today, spring of 2013.

This week’s update to version 6.0 of gMusic reveals – for those of you who haven’t used the app in a while – a user interface that’s far more friendly and ready to be a real replacement for the built-in music player for iOS. The icons within the app have been smoothed out, the lines are clean, and the overall aesthetic is up to par with the content.

ABOVE: gMusic on the iPad. BELOW: more gMusic on the iPad – YT Cracker up for play.

Now the only thing you’ll be wishing for is an update to Google’s new user interface. At Google I/O, the developer team behind Google Music updated the UI for the Android app, making it gesture friendly and clean at a level equalling that of the Google Play store – also updated this month.

That’s what happens when you’re working as a 3rd party system trying to keep up with the original: they’re always one step ahead!

That said, there’s no official alternative to gMusic on iOS, and from what we’ve seen, there’s not been a whole heck of a lot of good competition for it either. You’ll be tossing down $1.99 USD to grab this app if you’re picking it up from iTunes in the USA, and the team at Interactive Innovative Solutions LLC have made it worth the bucks.

Google Play Music All Access hits the iPhone through gMusic is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Is Russell Holly a seer of the future, or did he just manage to get lucky? That’s the question we’re currently kicking around at Engadget. You see, when he first revealed that a Galaxy S 4 would be introduced at Google I/O with stock Android, we quickly dismissed it as something that’d never happen in a million years. Then it came true the very next day. Now, Holly is back with another mighty tall claim: “HTC is considering a stock Android variant of the One for release in the US.” In fairness, rumors of such a phone began to circulate last week, but were quenched just as quickly by HTC. Contrary to the denial, however, Holly claims that multiple sources have informed him of an HTC One that’s in the works with stock Android 4.2.2. It’s tough to make heads or tails of Holly’s report, especially since he follows the assertion that HTC is “considering” such a phone with a claim that it’ll be announced within the next two weeks. Naturally, we’re taking this with more than the usual dose of skepticism, but like Fox Mulder, we want to believe.

[Image credit: Pencilshade / deviantART]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

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Via: Phandroid

Source: Geek

As this week’s hope for an HTC One from Verizon is dashed by none other than Jennifer Lopez, fans of the device turn to a developer of ROMs for the manufacturer. In a bit of a cryptic announcement by the developer known only as LLabTooFeR, confirmed HTC addict and insider here and there, it would appear that “it will be announced later” is all that we’ll be getting.

This developer has been accurate with leaks in the past and has provided the public access to RUU files galore – almost as if he (or she) works with HTC in some way or another. It’s important to take any anonymous source’s words with a grain of salt, but in this case, there’s little reason to doubt it.

The only thing you, as a consumer, should be worried about at this moment is if the Verizon HTC One will be prepared in time for it to be marketable. There’s always the chance that a device is made – and even announced – then pulled from release. Case in point: the HTC First.

This device was announced for release internationally, is currently available for sale with AT&T, but has been pulled from possible release for sale in the UK. At the moment, the idea is that developers with Facebook are improving the software before it gets a push, but it’s more likely that the device simply hasn’t been selling well enough to warrant another market chance.

The HTC One for Verizon, on the other hand – that’s a good bet. With all the interest we, as a publication, have seen in the possibility of this phone being released, it’s gotten to the point where it seems like it would be foolish not to release this device on this carrier. And we want it, too – bring it!

Verizon HTC One tipped for “later” by HTC ROM creator is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.