Spec comparison: Lumia 920 vs. Samsung GS4

Samsung just presented the Galaxy S4, its flagship device. It is not only Samsung’s flagship, but also Android’s. The device was hyped at least as much as the iPhone, and it is indeed a great device, but what is exactly new, and can it compare to the flagship Windows Phone?
When it comes to the hardware the S4 is definitely better in most specs when compared to a Lumia 920…

Lumia 920

SGS4

Snapdragon S4 Dualcore 1.5 Ghz Samsung Exynos Octa (8×1,6GHz)
PureMotion HD+, 1280×768 pixels, 60Hz, 4.5” Super AMOLED, 1920×1080, 5”
PureView camera with OIS, Carl Zeiss optics, 8MPX 13 MPX
1024 MB RAM 2048 MB RAM
2000 mAh battery 2600 mAh battery
Usable with Gloves Samsung WatchOn
Super bright IPS screen Pedometer
Wireless Charging Wireless Charging
Dolby Headphone WiFi 802.11 abgnac
Rich Recording 

These should be the most relevant specs. It should, however, be noted, that not only specs are relevant, but also the resulting experience, and though the SGS4 isn’t out yet, the NL920 has the edge in many areas.

Screen
The SGS4’s screen is bigger and has the higher resolution, which means also the higher PPI (sharpness), but the 920 has the better display technology. Both have a PPI over 310, which means there is no real difference visible for the human eye, and while the SGS4’s screen is based on an AMOLED panel, the Lumia 920 does offer a super bright, PureMotion IPS screen. The difference is clearly visible: Colors do look much more natural on the 920 and movements are much clearer. However, the SGS4 has the brighter colors, and even if those are clearly over saturated, some do like those bight colors more.
Camera
The Lumia 920 does offer an 8MPX camera with Carl Zeiss optics and optical image stabilization. The SGS4 offers an 13MPX camera with no such things. Some of you may think that the 13MPX do automatically mean better pictures, but that is not true. First, 13 MPX are just too much for such a little camera sensor. This will cause much blurrier pictures in dark conditions. Also, since it has no image stabilization, you won’t be able to make acceptable shots in low-light conditions anyways. I think in day light both phones will be pretty similar, but at low-light conditions the 920 WILL be the better camera phone.
Build quality and materials
The SGS4 is just 7.9 mm thin and 130 grams light. That is pretty impressive, and much better than the 11mm and 180 grams on the 920. However, because of the weight and the thin form the SGS4 is unlikely to be very well build. While both use polycarbonate as a housing the SGS4’s shell is much thinner and less stable. The 920 is a real tank, in every point, which makes it also much more durable.
Other features
When the 920 was announced it was full of innovations: The screen, the touchscreen, the camera, and also some software features. Now it should be noticed that the SGS4 does also offer some of those software features: Cinemagramm and the erasing of moving objects are examples. Also wireless charging (which wasn’t new last year either) and supersensitive touch. Well, not at all, but you can use some gestures on the SGS4 without needing to touch the screen, which automatically makes it usable with gloves on either.
Of course the SGS4 does also offer some innovations like smart scroll and smart pause. However, I personally think those features are not things which are really useful in practice, but they are definitely nice to have.
I can’t make a real comparison of both devices. The SGS4 is not out yet and I didn’t have the opportunity to test it. However, a spec comparison is doable and also some assumptions are allowed. The pure specs, however, do say nothing about the final usability of the device. While the Lumia 920 has less than the half of the processor performance of the SGS4, some HandsOns do show that the SGS4 still  does  not run as smooth as Windows Phone. Also a bigger battery does not automatically mean a better battery life. The bigger screen and the faster processor may cause a worse battery life than on most phones. Of course the SGs4 may also be a big surprise and blow the Lumia 920 away…
… but I personally think it won’t. While the SGS4 will be a great device, it surely won’t reach the user experience of the Lumia 920.  The vast majority of us purchased our phones because we like Windows Phone, and until Samsung delivers a GS4 running Windows Phone 8 it’s not going to have what we want, no matter how many cores it runs on.

BlackBerry plans security feature for Android, iPhone

A Blackberry smartphone is displayed in this August 12, 2010 illustrative photo taken in Hong Kong. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/Files




By Euan Rocha
TORONTO | Thu Mar 14, 2013 10:17pm IST
(Reuters) - BlackBerry(BB.TO)(BBRY.O) will offer technology to separate and make secure both work and personal data on mobile devices powered by Google Inc's (GOOG.O) Android platform and by Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iOS operating system, the company said on Thursday.
The new feature could help BlackBerry sell high-margin services to enterprise clients even if many, or all, of their workers are using smartphones made by BlackBerry's competitors. That may be crucial for the company as it has lost a vast amount of market share to the iPhone and to Android devices, such as Samsung Electronics Co's (005930.KS) Galaxy line.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said he expects BlackBerry's device management software to gain traction this year, and boost revenue next year.
"Supporting devices with the best, most secure, and easiest-to-use mobile solution should enable RIM to transform into what we believe is an attractive model," he said in a note to clients.
The offering could help BlackBerry shore up its profitable services business. BlackBerry's shares plunged in December after it said it would change the way it charges for services, cutting fees for customers that do not need advanced security and other enhanced features.
The new Secure Work Space feature will be available before the end of June, and will be managed through BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, the platform that allows BlackBerry's corporate and government clients to handle devices using different operating systems on their networks.
BlackBerry said the feature fences off corporate email, calendar, contacts, tasks, memos, web browsing and document editing from personal apps and content, which could be less secure.
BALANCING ACT
In a bid to regain market share and return to profit, BlackBerry introduced a new line of smartphones powered by its BlackBerry 10 operating system earlier this year.
The touch screen version, dubbed the Z10, is on sale in more than 20 countries, while a device called the Q10, with a physical keyboard, will be available in April.
The new devices have a feature called Balance, which keeps corporate and personal data separate. It allows information technology departments to manage the corporate content on a device, while ensuring privacy for users, who can store and use personal apps and content on the same phone without corporate oversight.
With Secure Work Space, "we're extending as many of these (Balance) features as possible to other platforms," David Smith, BlackBerry's head of mobile enterprise computing, said in a statement.
BlackBerry's move comes as Samsung, whose Galaxy devices have gained great popularity, attempts to make itself a more viable option for business customers with security features such as Samsung Knox and SAFE, or Samsung for Enterprise.
BlackBerry said Secure Work Space means clients would not need to configure and manage expensive virtual private network (VPN) infrastructure in order to give workers' devices access to data and applications that reside behind corporate firewalls.
"Secure Work Space also offers the same end-to-end encryption for data in transit as we have offered on BlackBerry for many years, so there is no need for a VPN," Peter Devenyi, head of enterprise software, said in an interview.
SELLING SERVICES
The new feature could also help stem declines in BlackBerry's service revenue. That business has long been a cash cow for BlackBerry because of the large clients that pay to use its extensive network and security offerings.
However, the company has been under pressure to reduce its infrastructure access fees, and opted to do so during the transition to BlackBerry 10. Due to the changes, BlackBerry's service revenue is expected to decline over the course of this year.
Giving its large array of corporate clients the ability to manage BlackBerry devices, along with Android smartphones and iPhones on their networks might encourage both corporate and government clients to continue to pay for and use BlackBerry's device management services.
BlackBerry plans to report quarterly results on March 28.
Last week, Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said sales of the Z10 had surpassed BlackBerry's expectations in emerging markets such as India, where cheaper entry-level phones are typically popular.
On Wednesday, the company said it had received an order for 1 million BlackBerry 10 smartphones - the largest order it has ever had from a single customer - and its shares jumped.
BlackBerry's volatile stock closed up 8.2 percent at $15.65 on the Nasdaq on Wednesday, while its Toronto-listed shares rose by a similar margin to C$16.04.
The shares pared gains on Thursday, falling 2.3 percent to $15.29 in late morning trading on the Nasdaq. In Toronto, its shares were 2 percent lower at C$15.72.
(Reporting by Euan Rocha and Allison Martell; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Lisa Von Ahn and Peter Galloway)

INTERVIEW - Apple's Schiller blasts Android, Samsung on Galaxy's eve

Apple Inc(AAPL.O) marketing chief Phil Schiller attacked Google Inc's(GOOG.O) "fragmented" Android software and its biggest adopter, Samsung Electronics(005930.KS), a day before the Korean firm takes the wraps off its latest flagship smartphone in the United States.
The marketing chief's rare attack on a rival, on the eve of the Galaxy S4's global premier in New York, underscores the extent of the pressure piled upon a company that once stood the undisputed leader of the smartphone arena, but ceded its crown to Samsung in 2012.
Schiller, in an interview on Wednesday, told Reuters that Google's own research showed the vast majority of Android users were stuck on older versions of the software, and that Samsung's new phone itself may debut with a year-old operating system that will need updating.
"With their own data, only 16 percent of Android users are on year-old version of the operating system," he said. "Over 50 percent are still on software that is two years old. A really big difference."
Schiller said fragmentation, or the host of customized versions of Android in the marketplace, poses a problem for consumers.
Every version of Android's operating system update has to be tested to ensure a good fit for a multiplicity of handset makers before it can be widely released by the handset makers, which slows updates. That's because some manufacturers, such as Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), employ heavily customized versions.
"And that extends to the news we are hearing this week that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is being rumored to ship with an OS that is nearly a year old," he said. "Customers will have to wait to get an update."
Schiller pointed to multiple research from third parties that showed that people who have iOS devices actually use them more than people who own Android devices, and more than half of iOS users are using the latest version of the software.
He also said that Apple's internal research shows four times as many consumers are switching to iOS from Android than the other way.
Schiller also took a shot at the vast sales volume of Android, which sees 1.5 million activations a day, saying even the out-of-the-box experience of using an Android device is far inferior with the consumer having to log into nine different systems to begin using the device fully.
"At Apple we know that it's not just enough to have products pumped out in large numbers," he said. "You have to love and use them. There is a lot of data showing a big disparity there."
Google declined to comment. Samsung did not respond to a request for comment.
A SIMPLE PLAN
Samsung will take the wraps off its Galaxy S4, after a broad marketing campaign that has helped drive pre-launch speculation and hype to Apple-like proportions. The launch -- the first time Samsung has chosen to host a global Galaxy debut in the United States -- is deemed critical to propelling Samsung deeper into Apple's home turf.
Apple remains the most valuable technology company today, with a $137.1 billion cash pile, or the equivalent of just under the gross domestic product of Hungary.
But Samsung knocked Apple off its perch atop the global smartphone arena in 2012, and continues to chip away at its market share with a combination of aggressive marketing, rapid technology adoption and boundary-pushing designs.
That onslaught, coupled with growing uncertainty about whether the U.S. giant can sustain growth in coming years, has contributed to a 30 percent decline in Apple's stock since its September peak.
Samsung had 30.3 percent of the smartphone market in 2012, up from 19 percent a year earlier. Apple's share was 19.1 percent last year, up from 18.8 percent in 2011.
That rapid ascendancy was made possible partly by Android, the software Google Inc launched just a few years ago but is now the world's most-used smartphone platform. IDC expects shipments of Android tablets to exceed those of the iPad in 2013.
Schiller's remarks came the same day Android architect Andy Rubin stepped down, after having built the free, open-source software into the platform of choice for mobile phone manufacturers around the world.
(Editing by Edwin Chan and Leslie Gevirtz)

Samsung Galaxy S4 blitz may prompt Apple rethink

Samsung's(005930.KS) newest, feature-packed Galaxy S4 may put pressure on Apple Inc(AAPL.O) to accelerate its pace of smartphone design and venture into cheaper devices - both departures from usual practice.
The latest Galaxy, unwrapped with much fanfare in New York on Thursday, out-does the iPhone in most technical aspects. But the challenges it encapsulates run deeper than just a simple specifications comparison.
"It would be overstatement to say Apple is far behind," Charles Golvin, analyst with Forrester, said, but it does need to note the quickening pace of competitive devices being released.
"If anything, what Apple needs to respond to is the cadence of their own releases, probably a completely new design every two years and a sort of speed bump every year is not an adequate cadence for Apple to remain at the forefront of smartphone innovation today."
Samsung's apparent ability to go toe-to-toe with Apple on cutting-edge smartphones may prompt the U.S. titan to finally make its own assault on the lower-end of the market that it has famously stayed away from -- not least to get into untapped markets like China and India.
Many analysts now say Apple has to respond in force to Samsung and other rivals that are grabbing attention. Much of Wall Street is now looking ahead to the next iPhone, but expectations are muted.
Once the darling of Wall Street, Apple has in six months seen its shares fall 30 percent from a high of $705. Its Maps software was panned for inaccuracies; its once-reliable financial results, that rarely failed to surpass Wall Street estimates, missed analysts' expectations.
IN A RUT
Apple appears stuck in an iPhone product cycle, with a new phone typically launched in the second half. In past years, the iPhone has gotten a complete redesign only every two years.
Brian White, analyst with Topeka Capital Markets, who views the Samsung Galaxy S4 as a refresh and "not a game changer," said smartphone technology is now improving so fast that timetables put Apple at a disadvantage.
More importantly, White said, Apple needs to broaden its portfolio and play in more smartphone categories as the high-end market could soon be saturated, and get into new categories such as the oft-rumored television or a smart watch.
"They have all the components of the magic potion, which is the hardware-software ecosystem," he said. "All they need to do is take that potion and put it in a different segment of the iPhone market."
While many on Wall Street believe the quickest way to penetrate fast-growing markets like India and China is a cheaper iPhone, the risk is that a cheap iPhone would cannibalize demand for the premium version and eat into Apple's peerless margins.
Apple's vice-like grip on its ecosystem - with the closely managed app store and its seamless integration with the hardware - is still seen as its biggest strength, one that Samsung is trying to emulate with a larger investment in software and connectivity. The Korean giant is also emphasizing its own mobile "Samsung Hub" rather than the Google Play store that most other Android adopters point to.
The iPhone has seen its sales increase to 125 million in fiscal 2012 from 40 million in fiscal 2010. But in 2012, Samsung became the No.1 in the global smartphone market with 30.3 percent share followed by Apple with 19 percent share.
Samsung's rapid rise is partly helped by the fact that it bombards the market with close to 40 versions tweaked for regional and consumer tastes, from high-end to cheaper models.
Samsung's momentum is a major issue for Apple, Ben Reitzes, analyst with Barclays, who is expecting Apple to launch a lower-end iPhone globally this summer.
Apple declined to comment on Friday. But a day before Samsung's launch, marketing chief Phil Schiller attacked Google's Android operating system, saying that the majority of its users were stuck on older versions. He also said Apple's internal research showed four times as many consumers were switching to iOS from Android than vice versa. (Additional reporting by Sinead Carew in New York; Editing by Edwin Chan and Leslie Gevirtz)

Nokia Announces Software Updates For Lumia 920, Lumia 820 And Lumia 620 Devices

Nokia today announced software updates for all its three Windows Phone 8 devices that currently in the market. Nokia Lumia 920, Nokia Lumia 820 and Nokia Lumia 620 will receive these updates soon. These updates does not include any new features, instead they will improve the overall performance and stability of the device.

This software, version 1232.5957.1308.00xx, includes further performance and stability improvements, enhancements to display stability during a call, and improved automatic display brightness adjustment.
In addition, Nokia Lumia 620 has some new software in the pipeline. This software, version 1030.6407.1308.00xx, will include improved touch behavior and enhancements to system stability and camera picture quality, such as corrected camera exposure when the flash is used in bright light conditions.

New Nokia Lumia devices will be shipping with this new update.

We go hands on with the biggest Android handset of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is finally here featuring Android Jelly Bean 4.2, reams of processing power, a brand new camera setup, and a gorgeous 4.99-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display. But was it worth the wait?
If you were expecting something vastly different from the Galaxy S3 then you might be a tad disappointed. The Galaxy S4 looks a lot like the Galaxy S3. Now that’s not  necessarily a bad thing so long as you like Samsung’s design language, don’t mind plastic, and thought the Galaxy S3 was awesome in every conceivable way.
Samsung Galaxy S4 - Design
If you’re after something more premium-looking like the HTC One, then it might not be what you’re looking for. It’s Samsung through-and-through and that means lots of plastics, great visuals but rather a lot to be desired when it comes to build materials. It’s not ugly by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s no HTC One.


There are subtle differences between the Galaxy S4 and its predecessor. The first is its larger and vastly superior 4.99-inch Full HD display. The second is its chassis which is now two-tone and embellished with a flecked finish on the back for better grip.
The front is decked out in traditional black and features a rather attractive mesh-like finish. Again it’s plastic but Samsung’s decision to turn its back on nature, or pebbles, and produce a handset using more traditional colouring does wonders for the device’s overall aesthetics.
Exact measurements for the device are: 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm and it weighs just 130g, making it significantly lighter than its predecessor.
The Galaxy S4 does not break any new ground. It’s a refined version of the Galaxy S3. But that’s okay. It makes business sense. The S3 was a great handset, lots of people loved it, and many, many more bought it. Why go and screw that formula up? It doesn’t make any sense.
Surely, it’s more logical to add a few new features, tighten up the design, whack in a new processor, and add a better display? That’s what’s happened here and we’re neither surprised or perturbed if we’re honest. I liked the Galaxy S3, despite its jarringly plastic finish, and I like this handset, too.
Want cutting edge design? Get the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, or Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6. For everybody else - AKA the majority - the Galaxy S4 will do just nicely.
Samsung Galaxy S4 - Processor and RAM
Powering everything along is Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa processor alongside 2GB of RAM. Based on ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture, the Exynos 5 Octa runs a quad-core Cortex-A15 cluster clocked at 1.6GHz.


It’s an intelligent processor that switches tasks around based on their intensity, which results in better performance and a longer battery life, according to Samsung. We'll be looking at the Exynos 5 Octa in more detail in our full review. Initial impressions are very good though. This thing really does zing along.
Samsung Galaxy S4 - Display


The 4.99-inch panel has a Full HD 1920x1080 pixel resolution at around 440 ppi. Visuals were extremely detailed and easily on a par with what we’ve seen on the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z.
Samsung Galaxy S4 - UX
TouchWiz remains largely the same although Samsung has packed it with a myriad of new features that include an IR blaster, Air Gesture control, a pedometer, Smart Switch, and a whole load more.
Visually it's very similar to what we've already seen on the Note 2 and Galaxy S3, although Samsung insists it's more lightweight.
Samsung Galaxy S4 - OS
Unlike the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, and most other Android handsets now on market, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 will launch with the latest build of Android Jelly Bean (version 4.2), giving you access to the most up to date version of the OS. No other flagship handsets bar Google’s Nexus range of smartphones and tablets are currently running this version. It's rarer than hen's teeth at present.
Expect to see a Jelly Bean 4.2 update from HTC and Sony very soon.
Samsung Galaxy S4 - Specs
◾Name Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500
◾Screen 4.99inch, 1920 x 1080 Super AMOLED
◾Dimensions 140.1 x 71.8 x 7.7mm
◾Weight 138g
◾Processor Samsung Exynos 5 Octa 5410
◾CPU: Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A15
◾Graphics processor PowerVR SGX 544MP3@533MHz
◾RAM 2GB
◾Storage 16/32/64GB + microSD
◾Front Camera 13MP
◾Rear Camera 2MP
◾OS Android 4.2.1+TouchWIz
◾Battery 2600mAh
The Samsung Galaxy S4 will be launched in 155 countries globally, support both 3G and 4G, and get a release date at the end of April.
Phones4U and Carphone Warehosue have both annonced they will be stocking the Samsung Galaxy S4 from April 26.
UPDATE...

EE
Paul Jevons, Director of Products and Devices, EE, said: 'The interest we've received from consumers and businesses has almost reached fever-pitch levels, so we're delighted to be the only UK operator to offer the Samsung Galaxy S 4 enabled with 4G from launch.'
He added: 'When paired with our unique superfast 4G network, customers really will be able to make the most from the powerhouse performance the Samsung Galaxy S 4 provides - utilising its capabilities to the maximum

After the Galaxy S4 launch, Apple explains why iPhone 5 is the best

After Samsung unveiled its new flagship smartphone, Galaxy S4, Apple released a webpage explaining why the iPhone 5 is better than smartphones from its rivals. The webpage's banner says, "There's iPhone. And then there's everything else."
The Samsung Galaxy S4 may have powerful specs like an octa-core processor, full HD display, Android 4.2 OS, but Apple has its own reasons that why even then the iPhone 5 stands out in the crowd.
Apple gives certain reasons that what makes an iPhone unlike anything else. Apple says that the two main reasons are that the phone lets you do so many things and it lets you do so many things so easily. But the company has listed many other reasons to prove why its flagship smartphone is above the competition.
 VideoPhotoGallery
After the Galaxy S4 launch, Apple released a webpage explaining why the iPhone 5 is better than smartphones from its rivals.
After the Galaxy S4 launch, Apple explains why iPhone 5 is the best
 
- The iPhone has received eight straight JD Power and Associates awards for customer satisfaction.
- It is thin and light, and thus the iPhone feels substantial in your hand.
- Only the iPhone and other Apple products have retina display.
- The iPhone 5 gives you long battery life so you can easily make it through your day. You get up to 8 hours of talk time, up to 8 hours of browsing over cellular networks, and up to 10 hours of video playback, claims Apple, adding the iPhone has a powerful battery into such a thin and light design.
- Referring to the processor under the hood, Apple says the iPhone 5 has an A6 chip, which is powerful but not power hungry. It makes quick work of even the most graphics-intensive apps, and high frame rates make gameplay feel smooth and downright real.
- The iPhone has ultrafast wireless and LTE.
- The iSight camera on iPhone is claimed to be the world's most popular camera. The company says that an 8 megapixel on iPhone 5 captures great photo data, and the hardware and software work together to make behind-the-scenes image and color adjustments. So it's easy for anyone to take impressive photos in various lighting conditions.
- The iPhone has acces to the iTunes Store and the App Store, which offers more than 800,000 apps - all reviewed by Apple to guard against malware. Attacking its rivals, the company says that other mobile platforms have a myriad of fragmented store options, resulting in availability issues, developer frustration, and security risks.
- Only the iPhone has Siri, the intelligent assistant, lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place calls, set reminders, and more.
- iCloud takes the experience of using iPhone that much further. It stores your content - your music, photos, apps, mail, contacts, calendars, documents, and more - and wirelessly pushes it to all your devices.
It seems that Apple has bragged about the features of the iPhone 5 on its new webpage. But are you convinced that the iPhone 5 is the best smartphone?
Here is how Apple should respond to the Samsung Galaxy S4
Samsung's newest, feature-packed Galaxy S4 may put pressure on Apple Inc to accelerate its pace of smartphone design and venture into cheaper devices - both departures from usual practice.
The latest Galaxy, unwrapped with much fanfare in New York on Thursday, out-does the iPhone in most technical aspects. But the challenges it encapsulates run deeper than just a simple specifications comparison.
"It would be overstatement to say Apple is far behind," Charles Golvin, analyst with Forrester, said, but it does need to note the quickening pace of competitive devices being released.
"If anything, what Apple needs to respond to is the cadence of their own releases, probably a completely new design every two years and a sort of speed bump every year is not an adequate cadence for Apple to remain at the forefront of smartphone innovation today."
Samsung's apparent ability to go toe-to-toe with Apple on cutting-edge smartphones may prompt the US titan to finally make its own assault on the lower-end of the market that it has famously stayed away from - not least to get into untapped markets like China and India.
Many analysts now say Apple has to respond in force to Samsung and other rivals that are grabbing attention. Much of Wall Street is now looking ahead to the next iPhone, but expectations are muted.
(With inputs from Reuters)