Bring Galaxy S4-like experience to any Android smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy S4 may have been a bit of a disappointment in terms of design, but it does push the envelope in terms of functionality. Along with the hardware Samsung has also paid a lot of emphasis to the software features with the S4 and went all out to demonstrate them at the glitzy launch event. While S4 has shown some nifty dedicated features, it has also carried forward a few smart features from the other S series devices like the Note II, Galaxy S IIIand even the Galaxy Grand. These features, while quite handy to have around, fortunately aren’t all that unique. There are plenty of apps available that will provide you with a similar, if not the same, experience. We’ve listed five such apps that can give you Samsung Smart Feature-styled experience on your existing Android smartphone.

Do note that not all S class features found in Samsung’s latest devices are available. The ones we have listed here are but a few from a longer list. So while they might not be tightly integrated as the ones found on Samsung devices with the TouchWiz UI, they can function independently and give you a similar experience.

Smart Stay 

Smart Stay made its debut with the Galaxy S3. This is one feature that all of us would love to have. It’s especially annoying when you’re reading an e-book or a long email and your screen times out. Smart Stay is designed to keep the screen from timing out when you are looking at it. The app will check periodically to see if you’re looking at the screen and turn the backlight off when you are not. It uses the front camera to detect your face. When it senses you are looking away, it will turn off the backlight according to your Screen Time Out settings. With the S4, Samsung has taken the Smart Stay a notch higher – Smart Pause will pause your video when you look away and resume where you left off and Smart Scroll will automatically scroll emails, web pages up or down when you tilt the phone. While there aren’t any apps that will imitate the Smart Pause and the Smart Scroll, there are several that imitate the Smart Stay feature.

Original article at http://tech2.in.com/features/smartphones/bring-galaxy-s4like-experience-to-any-android-smartphone/845622

Sony Xperia Z 5-inch Android superphone announced officially

Sony Mobile has announced the launch of its new flagship smartphone for 2013, the Sony Xperia Z.

The new phone, a mammoth 7.9mm thick, 5-inch beast, has previously gone under the guise of the Sony Yuga and enjoyed the usual array of leaks ahead of its unveiling at CES, where Sony has finally made the phone official.

Called the Xperia Z – because, according to Sony, everything before has been a build-up to this moment – the new smartphone will go on sale in the UK in the coming weeks, with mobile phone operators including Vodafone all keen to stock it in white, black and purple.

The phone itself, which Pocket-lint has already had a chance to play with, measures 139 x 71 x 7.9mm and weighs 146 grams, and comes with a Full HD 1080p Reality Display with Mobile Bravia Engine 2 that builds on the technology found in the company’s 2012 range of phones.

That screen, which is as stunning as it looks in our hands-on pictures, is the main focus of the design, with the casing emphasising Sony’s “OmniBalance” approach that means it looks the same from all angles.

That means the front is void of all buttons and fixtures aside from a front-facing camera and the Sony logo. It’s the same for the back – and, for the most part, the sides – with Sony opting to cover all the ports to create not only an almost seamless design, but also one that is waterproof. Yep drop it in the swimming pool, or more likely the toilet, and it’ll be fine.

There is one feature that breaks away from the smooth lines, and that’s the rather large aluminium power button on the right. It’s an interesting choice, but one that feels well-made and comfortable to use. It’s the phone’s worry button and many will welcome that.

Of course that 5-inch 1080p 443ppi display (a lot more than most phones on the market) is big – like, really big as our hands-on pictures show – and like the Samsung Galaxy Note II makes phones like the iPhone 5 and even the Samsung Galaxy S III look tiny by comparison.

Surprisingly it’s not quite as big as we were expecting, with the screen real-estate smaller than the SGN2 and the casing (just 7.9mm thick) keeping the size to a minimum as much as possible. Interestingly the Sony Xperia XL, also announced at CES 2013, comes with the same display in a smaller non-waterproof housing, but Sony has confirmed to Pocket-lint that it won’t be coming to the UK.

But it’s not just a big screen. There is power behind the Xperia Z too in the guise of the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor – the 1.5GHz asynchronous quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 2GB RAM – a 13-megapixel fast-capture camera, 4G LTE, NFC, and a 2400mAh battery which, with additional help from a new software feature from Sony, should give you more than nine days of battery life. We’re thinking standby, not active use here.

Message originally posted at http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/48940/sony-xperia-z-pictures-preview

Samsung Hints of Q1 2013 Release for Galaxy S4 via its AMOLED Roadmap

samsung‘s Galaxy S4 is likely to come out within the first quarter of 2013, a new blog report said, which based the claim on the hints ‘leaked’ by Samsung during a side gathering in the recently-concluded Las Vegas CES.

4.8-inch and 5.5-inch, fitting the two handsets with 310ppi that were launched successively second and third quarter last year.

The map finished off with a Full HD screen launch projection, scheduled between the months of January and March this year. The still unidentified handset on this AMOLED screen will sport pixel density of 440ppi to be hosted on a 4.99-inch screen.

Tracking the development that Samsung itself supplied, it is highly possible that the next AMOLED rendition will be accorded to the Galaxy S4, rumoured to debut anytime within the first half of 2013, and the Galaxy Note 3 after that.

It was also indicated, AnandTech said, that the new AMOLED technology will deliver battery savings of about 25 per cent, suggesting that the next batch of Galaxy smartphones will enjoy longer operation times.

UniverCell plans to launch tablet computer

Chennai-based mobile handset retail chain UniverCell is looking at the opportunity of launching its own brand of tablet computer with foucs to cater the education sector. The company is in talks with hardware suppliers and content providers about the project, said D Sathish Babu, founder and managing director of UniverCell.

The company has been observing the market and has identified the accelerated growth of tablet market, with the tablet computers in the lower price points gaining momentum. It would decide on the brand and plans are also there to speak with various state governments to offer the product in government schools.

“We have seen that a lot of students are using the tablets for educational purpose. Our plan is to tie up with a content provider and incorporate various contents into the tablet, which would be useful for both the teachers and the students in education sector,” said Babu.

“Plans are in a nascent stage and we will take further steps after the festival season is over. But we see a huge market for the tablet computers in the country in near future,” he added. He said that the tablet market is growing faster than the smart phones market in the country, though did not revealed any numbers.

The company, with around 450 stores across South India an a few in non-South region, is planning to expand with another 100 stores next year. This year, it had a target of opening 100 stores, of which already have opened around 70 stores. The company is planning to launch its stores in Goa and Orissa and expand market in Maharashtra where it has a little presence.

The company had a revenue of Rs 850 crore last year and expects it to grow towards Rs 1200 crore by end of this year. The company today announced launch of the Apple iPhone 5 in Chennai. The company would sell the product through its selected stores and would showcase in its live stores where customers could have a touch and feel of the news phone, said Babu.