Samsung Galaxy Mega (6.3) review

Is there space in the market, or your pocket, for a 6.3-inch smartphone​?

We’ll say right off the bat that this kind of device isn’t going to enjoy the mass appeal of a traditional smartphone like the Galaxy s4. But after a week with the Galaxy Mega, we’ve come away convinced that there’s a place in the world for freakishly large smartphones like this.

We’ve almost run out of unique ways to explain Samsung’s current style terminology. Be sufficient it to say if you have managed a New Samsung phone or product from the past 18 months, you will know what to expect from the Galaxy Mega. There is an all-glass front side, a big clicky home button, a bright nasty cut and a versatile nasty battery door. Placed next to the Galaxy S4 and  Galaxy S4 mini, the resemblances are even more apparent -- the Super has same simple diamond design on the top side and rear, the same compressed sides for enhanced ergonomics, and the same smooth, a little bit awkward feel.

All the regular trade-offs associated with this style terminology apply to the Galaxy Mega, too. You get a device that is reasonably light for its size, and that fits perfectly in the side despite its significant measurements. It also seems durable, not creaky, probably a little more so than the Galaxy S4. However, there is no getting out of the fact that you are using a very plasticky piece of technology — and the slickness of the complete does not make this large device any easier to hold.

The Galaxy Mega’s main attraction is its humongous 6.3-inch screen, which is a 1280x720 TFT LCD panel. It’s not a bad looking display by any means — small text is easy enough to make out, and photos and movies look good — but neither the resolution nor the color quality are going to blow you away. The screen is merely adequate, as opposed to impressive. In particular, we noticed colors on the Galaxy Mega weren’t as vivid as competing SuperAMOLED, IPS and SuperLCD offerings, and on default settings images appeared to have a cooler tint to them. Samsung's TouchWiz software has a number of software options for tweaking the display and making colors pop a little more, but on the Mega these just seemed to blow out brighter areas.

So that’s the outside of the Galaxy Mega, and there’s plenty of it. Internally, however, things get a little more familiar, as essentially we’re dealing with Galaxy S4 Mini-level hardware. The term ‘mid-range’ is overused, but it’s the best way to describe the Galaxy Mega’s hardware. It’s powered by a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU with 1.5GB of RAM. There’s an 8-megapixel camera around the back, with LED flash, and there’s 8 gigabytes of storage, expandable via microSD.

(Note: Samsung has announced that the U.S. version of the Galaxy Mega will ship with "up to 64GB" of storage, meaning U.S. buyers will likely have more breathing room on their devices' internal storage.)Unfortunately the Galaxy Mega is yet another Samsung smartphone with storage space issues. Of the 8GB advertised, around 4.6 is available to use after you’ve powered the phone on and installed all the required updates. Worse still, the current firmware doesn’t yet support moving apps to the SD card, a feature that’s been patched onto devices like the Galaxy S4 and S4 Mini. Once again, Samsung fails hard at internal storage.

Fortunately the manufacturer hasn’t skimped on battery power, and the Mega packs a massive 3200mAh unit — removable, naturally — which is the biggest battery we’ve seen ship in a Samsung phone.

Connectivity-wise, you’ve got just about everything you’d expect from a modern Android smartphone — Wifi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and 4G LTE. Regular voice calls didn’t seem to be hindered by the Mega’s enormous size. Calls came through loud and clear, and we didn’t notice any issues with the mic being further down your face than it would be with a regular smartphone.

The Mega is a solid all-round performer, closely matching the Galaxy S4 in terms of general speediness, app load times and UI responsiveness. In fact, the casual observer probably isn’t going to notice any difference in responsiveness between the Galaxy S4, the S4 Mini and the Galaxy Mega. It’s also no slouch when it comes to gaming, thanks to its Adreno 305 GPU, and it’s surprising how well the Mega’s large form factor works as a gaming device. It's the only phone we've used that seems big enough to accommodate on-screen controls without feeling cramped.

Software, OS and apps

The Galaxy Mega runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and Samsung’s latest TouchWiz software, and first impressions are of a device that closely matches the Galaxy S4 in terms of software features.

Samsung's software suite has become just as familiar as its hardware design. TouchWiz is big, bright and bold, with slightly cartoonish icons and an affinity for primary colors. At a cosmetic level, it's identical to the UI of the Galaxy S4 and S4 Mini, not to mention countless other current-generation Samsung phones. TouchWiz remains a little visually disjointed, but there's certainly worse out there in the world of Android "skins."

The manufacturer has clearly realized that you're more likely to be using the Galaxy Mega in landscape orientation than you are a regular smartphone, and as such, the TouchWiz launcher can now operate in landscape mode. This works about as well on the Mega as on an Android tablet — some widgets end up being squished out of shape, but generally speaking, everything works well.

Unlike the Galaxy S4 Mini we reviewed a few weeks back, the Galaxy Mega has retained many of the trademark features of the Galaxy S4. Highlights include "multi-window" — Samsung's way of splitting the screen between two fully-functional apps, which is a great way to take advantage of the larger display.

 

Other notables include —

• Group Play — Link up with other current Galaxy handsets to share photos in real-time, or create a surround sound experience by using each device as a speaker.
• Air View — Hover over certain areas in apps to view on-screen previews. For example, hover over an album in the gallery app to see what's in it, or hover over the "next" button in the Samsung Music app to see the next track in a playlist.
• S Memo — Samsung's note-taking app, which has adapted well to the larger display. You can create hand-written notes with your finger, text using the keyboard, and embed audio or images.
• S Translator — The built-in translator app, with support for nine languages.
• Smart Stay — Uses the front-facing camera to track your eyes, and only powers off the display if you're not looking.

Air Gesture is also missing, so you can't swipe between photos without touching the screen. We don't use this feature much on the GS4, so we didn't miss it much on the Mega.
In fact, there are only a handful of headline TouchWiz features missing from the Galaxy Mega. S Health is absent, likely due to the lack of pedometer hardware in the device. A more curious omission is the Optical Reader app, which on the GS4 can automatically read business cards and import to your contacts list.

So Samsung hasn't strayed far from the familiar TouchWiz design language and feature set, but it's tweaked things just enough to make all the built-in gubbins work well on a larger screen. Indeed, some of the features that debuted on the Galaxy S3 and S4 have come into their own on the Mega's larger display.

Batt​ery life

Samsung’s pulling no punches with the inclusion of a 3,200mAh battery in the Galaxy Mega, and we found the bundled battery was easily able to keep the device alive and kicking for a full day’s worth of mixed use.

Using the Galaxy Mega as our primary phone, we were able to get 16.5 hours of heavy use out of the device before hitting the 20-percent warning level. That included a couple of hours of video streaming, regular web browsing and email-checking and a couple of hours gaming in Sonic 4 Episode 2.

When idling on Wifi, we found the Galaxy Mega consumed barely any juice at all. And we're also happy to report that using the Galaxy Mega on LTE didn't seem to produce any noticeable battery drain compared to HSPA+.

Should you need to extend the Mega's battery on a longer day, the standard TouchWiz power saving controls allow you to cut back on CPU speed, haptic feedback and backlight brightness to extend the device's useful life.

C​amera

The Galaxy Mega has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a basic 1.9-megapixel front-facer. The rear camera produced shots reminiscent of what we’ve seen from other mid-range Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S4 Mini. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Mega and the Mini shared some (or all) of their camera hardware, given that both also have f/2.6 aperture lenses.

So we’re looking at camera performance on par with the Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S3 and Note 2. Though not quite up to the standard of the super-high-quality of the Galaxy S4 — or any number of phones that might launch this fall — the Mega's rear shooter is nevertheless decent. As we've found with most Samsung phone cameras, it performs well across the board, whether taking landscape shots, macros or anything in between. Colors are mostly accurate, and dynamic range is wide enough to take daylight shots without worrying too much about washed-out skies and lost detail.

 

You also get Samsung's latest camera app, which includes the excellent HDR and panorama modes from other Samsung phones, along with some, but not all the shooting modes from the GS4. The standard night mode, and rapid-fire modes for capturing fast-moving subjects are included, but you'll miss out on eraser shot and animated photo.

One significant Galaxy S4 feature that's absent in the Mega's camera app is the ability to use the front and rear cameras simultaneously to capture a "dual shot" photo of yourself and your subject. It's a heavily-advertised feature that sounds neat, but in practice we've found it's often difficult to properly frame both shots a the same time.

On the video side, you're looking at standard 1080p footage at 30 frames per second. Video recorded on the Galaxy Mega was mainly crisp and clear, with accurate colors and smooth transitions between light and dark areas. Whether you'll want to use this thing as a video camera, however, is another matter.

It's worth noting that there's a significant awkwardness factor associated with using a device of this size to take pictures in public. It's not quite as ridiculous as using a full-sized 10-inch iPad as a viewfinder, but you're probably going get a few funny looks holding this 6.3-inch slab of electronics in front of your face.

Finally another suggestion, if you own the Mega 6.3, you should select some accessories for your phone on www.witrigs.com. A nice case, a suitable car holder,a useful charge dock station and a special screen protector are the equipment of your phone.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3:Big is set to get bigger

With the Samsung Galaxy S4 now out of the way the entrance has been tossed start for the Korean company's other high-end smart phone to get a restart by means of the Samsung Galaxy Note3.

Rumours are distributing about Samsung's next super-sized device, indicating it's going to get even bigger - even though the Samsung Galaxy Note2 brought up eye-brows with its bigger dimension.

Samsung professional J.K. Leg has verified the lifestyle of the Galaxy Note3, exposing it will function a non-flexible 5.9-inch OLED show.

Samsung Kazakhstan has also fallen up, unintentionally exposing the 

Universe Observe 3 on its formal website together with the Galaxy Z4 Zoom capability and Galaxy Tab 3 10.1.

We're regularly on the look out for Galaxy Note3 information and you'll be able to find all the newest right here. You fortunate things.

Galaxy Note 3 release date and price

Update: After a tentative Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date of September 4 was leaked a while back the Korean firm has now revealed that it will be holding an Unpacked event on that date at IFA 2013.

We've already had one Unpacked event this year which saw the introduction of the Galaxy S4 and "Episode 2" (as Samsung is calling it) carries the tagline "Note the date" - wonder what it might be announcing?

You can expect the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to carry a hefty price tag, probably in line with the Galaxy S4 - making it more expensive than its Chinese rivals the ZTE Grand Memo and the Huawei Ascend Mate.

The Note 3 will probably set you back at least £550 (around $800/AU$770) give or take, plus there will be regional variances too.

Does the screen need to get bigger?

Although exact specs are still unknown the general consensus seems to suggest that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will sport an even bigger screen than its 5.5-inch predecessor.

Early reports pointed towards a whopping 6.3-inch display, which would see the handset dwarf the 6.1-inch Ascend Mate and 5.7-inch Grand Memo.

Other sources have claimed that the Galaxy Note 3 could actually pack a slightly more modest 5.9-inch AMOLED screen.

We thought Samsung may have let the cat out of the bag on its own website after listing a smartphone accessory compatible with screens from "4- to 6.3-inches", potentially hinting at a massive display bump for the Note 3 - although with the announcement of the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3 this is now less likely.

Screen size, then, remains a mystery but that's not the only quandary we have regarding the display on the Galaxy Note 3. Oh no, there are now reports suggesting it will be the first phone to sport a flexible OLED display.

Samsung did show off such a display at CES 2013 - although it wasn't part of a phone at the time and we reckon there's still some way to go before it's ready to hit our handsets, but it certainly gives us food for thought - especially now there are reports that Samsung is mulling three designs, one of which includes a flexible option.

We're also hearing that the Galaxy Note 3 may actually pack a 5.99-inch, Full HD display (although this came from unknown "inside sources"), as well as word that Samsung is potentially working on a number of variants with varying screen sizes.

Could this be Samsung replacing the Note range, or adding more feathers to its super-sized cap?

With JK Shin "confirming" the existence of the Galaxy Note 3, the Samsung exec is also reported revealing the 5.9-inch OLED display the super sized handset will pack.

The 6-inch screen size gets another shout out as part of an image leak on Twitter, with noting the screen was "accounting for 84%" of the front of the device.

Update: A full HD resolution looks to be pretty much on the cards whatever size the screen ends up being after more leaks pointed towards 1080 x 1920 for the Galaxy Note 3.

The operating system conundrum

We can be pretty sure that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will roll up running Google's Android platform, but which particular version that will be is not so black and white.

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie was expected to be announced at Google's IO event in May, but it failed to materialise and since then we've seen the search giant launch a new version of Jelly Bean, Android 4.3.

However if history has taught us anything it's that assuming is for fools - as we've seen numerous handsets launched with older versions of Android - but Key Lime Pie is pretty unlikely and there's no guarantee the Galaxy Note 3 will arrive with Android 4.3 on board.

It could well run Android 4.2 out of the box, but he latest reports do point towards the Note 3 running Android 4.3.

Specs

The big screen won't be the only feature Samsung will want to shout about though, as you can expect the Galaxy Note 3 to be packing some serious tech under the hood.

It could be another industry leading handset (the Note 2 was the most powerful smartphone when it launched) with reports suggesting it will follow in the footsteps of the Galaxy S4 with a ridiculous octa-core chip.

Update: And like the Galaxy S4 the Exynos 5 Octa version may not be available in some markets with Qualcomm's 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core chip likely to feature in some variants.

As this device will fall into Samsung's "Note" family you can expect the fabled S-Pen to make another appearance here as it looks to rub shoulders with the Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy Note 10.1.

According to Android Geeks a software engineer has spilled the beans on the S Orb camera feature which is apparently destined to debut on the Galaxy Note 3, after reports earlier this year suggested it would arrive on the Galaxy S4.

The usually reliable SamMobile has also had its say on the Note 3, with its own "inside sources" claiming the handset will be the most powerful in the world with a octa-core processor, eight-core GPU, 3GB of RAM, 5.99-inch Full HD display and a 13MP rear camera.

There's been further leaks surrounding that 13MP camera, with news claiming the snapper will sport optical image stabilisation tech, which will apparently give traditional cameras a run for their money.

Update: The suggestion of 3GB of RAM was given another boost by a second source "confirming" the memory of the Note 3 and since then reports that Samsung has been ramping up production of 3GB RAM has added further fuel to the fire.

Apparently the Galaxy Note 3 will measure 8mm in thickness and weigh in at 183g, so slimmer than the Galaxy Note 2, but pretty much the same weight.

Update: With all that power, and of course the huge display the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is going to need a decent battery and the latest from the rumour mill points toward a 3450mAh power pack which would beat the 3000mAh battery in the Sony Z Xperia Ultra.

Plastic or metal?

Many were expecting the Samsung Galaxy S4 would see the Korean company change its way when it came to framework development - getting rid of the plastic content for a more fancy steel complete, but unfortunately this wasn't the situation.

The whole plastic content vs steel discussion isn't over though and now speculation are indicating the Galaxy Note3 could well game a hard steel situation.

SamMobile resources consider the HTC One has "worried" samsung, major the maker to consider a new content for the Note 3.

We've also seen an picture slide out online declaring to show the steel body of the Galaxy Note3 and a completely new design language for Samsung - although we're not far too assured by this.

Credit: @evleaks

Those hoping Samsung will pull out some premium materials for the Galaxy Note 3 may have their dreams dashed as inside sources claim the handset will follow in the footsteps of the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 in terms of design.

Edward Snowden? There's a Temple Run-style endless runner app for him

With NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden having been provided short-term asylum in Russian federation, he's experiencing a crack from operating away from the US regulators. On cellular phones, it's a different tale.

Meet Snowden Tale – Evade from Den of Iniquity, the first cellular activity motivated by Snowden's uses. Released as a obtain free for iPhone, iPad and Android operating system, it's secure to say it requires some rights with the real-life tale.

"Snowden Saga - Escape from Den of Iniquity is a spy action game about Snowden, an ex-secret service agent who got wrongly convicted of a crime he didn't commit," explains its App Store listing.

"He has has escaped the jail with the help of some friends and now you take control of Snowden and help him escape the authorities that are following him, guide him through tricky paths changing gravity in a sci-fi world; don't forget to collect the top secret documents to get info on how to save himself as well as his country."

The game is an endless-runner in the vein of Temple Run, complete with laser-door traps and the promise of "mind-blowing 3D visual effects" from its India-based developer Moong Labs, whose previous releases include Slap Thy Neighbor, Jump Monkey Jump and the keyword-stuffed Viking Rush – Clan Defenders' Glory Clash Chronicle.

Is it any good? Let's just say based on The Guardian's play-test this morning, Snowden Saga seems unlikely to trouble the upper reaches of the App Store charts.

Moong Labs has done well to get the experience accepted by Apple company, though. The company has a reputation of rejecting activities depending on real-world governmental hot apples, such as the Northern Korea-themed Delighted Accomplishments, Syria-based Endgame: Syria and border-control satire Traffick Vehicle.

Snowden Saga's sci-fi establishing may have stored it from that destiny, while its cautious prevention of saying which "authorities" are pursuing its Snowden personality will have reduced it past Apple's App Shop concept that "'Enemies' within the perspective of a activity title cannot completely focus on a particular competition, lifestyle, a actual govt or organization, or any other actual entity".

G2: comparing LG's latest against the Samsung Galaxy S4, Moto X, and more

LG declared its newest leading smart cellphone these days, the G2, along with some big programs for the big phone: the organization's newest will be releasing across the world, gradually getting on all four significant US providers. That should put it in immediate competitors with the present most interesting Android operating system gadgets, as well as the top gadgets from Htc and The apple company. The G2 isn't quite a typical opponent though — it's a little bit bigger than much of its immediate competitors, it's something of a leader, and it has an non-traditional key positioning that discovers the quantity musician and energy placed on its returning. We're placing it side-by-side with the best out there to see if that's enough to make it take a position out.

The G2 comes in at a somewhat formidable size compared to latest line of flagship phones: it's taller than both Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and HTC’s One, and it’s slightly wider than all but Nokia’s Lumia 1020. It isn’t the thinnest device on the market either, though it’s at least a bit trimmer than some of the others, including the Moto X.

With all of that extra size, however, LG has built in the largest display of the bunch. The G2 features a 5.2-inch 1080p display that goes nearly edge-to-edge across the device’s front. While that larger size makes it just slightly less pixel dense than its top Android competitors, the G2 ought to look plenty sharp regardless. Such a high-res display may not be necessary for everyone, but 1080p still ends up looking better — even if it’s not by much. In that regard, the G2 stands ahead of the iPhone 5, Lumia 1020, and Moto X, though the casual observer may have a hard time finding the difference.

To make up for the G2’s large size, LG created a unique layout for the device: not a single button is on its front or sides — they’re all located on the phone’s back, just below the camera. It’s an odd setup, though in our initial use of the handset, we found that it actually worked pretty naturally with the way the device was held.

It may not feel top of the line, however, since the G2 has the same type of glossy plastic as the Galaxy S4. Build quality certainly isn’t everything, but when it's compared to the slick and sturdy constructions from Apple and Nokia, or the gorgeous styles available on the Moto X, the G2's aesthetics fall short.

Luckily, what exactly is within matters, and the G2 really creates the most of it. It has a high-end Snapdragon 800 processer — something that very few other gadgets have at this time — and supports that up with 2GB of RAM. It also has a 13MP back photographic camera, which is numerically on the greater end, aside from the incredibly high-res Lumia 1020.

Of course, day-to-day, that will all be operating LG’s extremely skinned edition of Android working system. It’s a lot like Samsung’s TouchWiz, which creates it one of the less creatively attractive operating-system out there. The G2 does provide a lot of nice functions though, like a visitor method and a way to awaken the product just by hitting it, but those very improvements can be discovered elsewhere. And when as opposed to truly useful functions being included to the Moto X, it creates the G2’s take on Android working system glow just a little bit less shiny.

LG has not said yet when it’ll be delivering the G2 onto the industry, but when it gets there, it’s likely to have a challenging street before it. The system creates some exciting actual changes though, and with its extremely effective internals and huge, high-resolution show, it may be able discover some lovers.

How to update your Samsung Galaxy S4 to Android 4.3 Google Edition

Back in May, Google announced that it would offer a "Google Edition" edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Compared with the regular Galaxy S4, the Google Edition program functions a stock version of Android, free from any Samsung-specific features and programs.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy S4 Google Edition is only marketed in the US through the Google Play Store and is not available in Australia. However, if you're eager to use the newest form of inventory Android operating system on your Galaxy S4, there is a way to set up the application personally, offered you are using a Windows PC.

Backup your data

IMPORTANT: Before you go forward you should make sure you back-up your Galaxy S4 and preserve any essential information (such as images and videos) you want to keep. This guide application set up will clean any information on your device.

To back up your Galaxy S4, navigate to Settings > Backup & reset and ensure the "Back up my data" checkbox is ticked.

To back up other files that won't be saved through your Google account there are a few options. For photos, we recommend the excellent Dropbox app. Navigate to the camera upload menu and you can choose to sync the images in your camera roll that you want to keep.

The best way to manage this in an ongoing manner is to use the automatic camera upload feature in the settings menu of Dropbox. When this is switched on, any new photos you take with the Galaxy S4's camera will automatically be uploaded to Dropbox.

To backup your text messages, we recommend the SMS Backup+ app. It can back up your text messages through your Gmail account and can be set to backup automatically, or at predefined time periods.

WARNING: Good Gear Guide takes no responsibility for anything that might go wrong during this process. We are not liable for any faults or damages caused by any of the procedures in this guide. If followed correctly, these instructions should ensure a hassle free process but you are ultimately advised to attempt this at your own risk. Do note that rooting your device and installing a custom ROM is likely to void your manufacturer warranty, so attempt this at your own risk.

This guide will work with the GT-I9505 version of the Galaxy S4 sold in Australia by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone and various other retailers. Do note that it will remove any Australian telco customisation such as included Telstra/Optus/Vodafone apps. It will also remove all Samsung-specific features such as dual-camera, S-Voice and Smart Scroll.

Step one: Root your Galaxy S4

This method will require your Galaxy S4 to be rooted. There are a number of methods to root your device but we used the popular Chainfire Root (CF-Root for short).

Once downloaded, unzip the file. We recommend extracting the file to your main hard drive. In our case, this was the C:\ drive. You should see a .tar.md5 file once unzipped.

To root your Galaxy S4 you'll also need to download Odin, a small program that allows you to flash software to Samsung Android devices. 

Once downloaded, unzip the file. Double click on the "Odin3 v3.07.exe" file. It should look like this:

Turn off your Galaxy S4. Put the phone into bootloader/download mode by holding the power button together with both the home and volume down buttons. Hold these three buttons simultaneously until you see this screen:

This is a Galaxy S III, but should look almost identical on your Galaxy S4.

Press the volume up button to continue and you'll then see this screen:

Plug your Galaxy S4 into your PC using the USB cable. The phone should automatically be detected by your computer and will be displayed in the ID:COM box on Odin. (On our PC the port is COM8, but it may be a different number on your computer). The ID:COM box should be highlighted yellow or blue.

Click the "PDA" button in Odin, and select the CF-Auto-Root .tar.md5 file you downloaded earlier. Press Start on Odin. You should see a progress indicator on Odin and a progress indicator bar on your Galaxy S4.

Ensure you DO NOT remove the USB cable from your Galaxy S4 while your phone is being rooted. Once the process is completed, your Galaxy S4 should restart as normal.

Step two: Install a custom recovery

Once your phone is rooted you'll need to install a custom recovery. This is a replacement for the stock Android recovery and allows you to flash new ROMs to your device.

There are number of custom recovery's available, including the popular ClockWorkMod Recovery (CWM for short) or TeamWin Recovery Project (TWRP for short).

Once downloaded, unzip the file. We once again recommend extracting the file to your main hard drive. In our case, this was the C:\ drive. You should see a .tar.md5 file.

You'll need to flash your custom recovery via Odin, so you can follow the same process in step one, just with the different file.

Turn off your Galaxy S4. Put the phone into bootloader/download mode by holding the power button together with both the home and volume down buttons. Press the volume up button to continue.

Plug your Galaxy S4 into your PC using the USB cable. Click the "PDA" button in Odin, and select the custom recovery .tar.md5 file you downloaded earlier. Press Start on Odin. You should see a progress indicator on Odin and a progress indicator bar on your Galaxy S4.

Ensure you DO NOT remove the USB cable from your Galaxy S4 while the custom recovery is being flashed. Once the process is completed, your Galaxy S4 should re-boot straight into recovery mode. Select "reboot system now", then select "yes" when prompted with the "disable flash recovery" screen.

If the phone reboots normally and not into recovery mode, repeat the exact steps above but untick the "autoreboot" check box item in Odin.

Step three: Install the Google Edition 4.3 ROM

Once you're rooted your Galaxy S4 and flashed a custom recovery, you are now ready to install the Google Edition 4.3 ROM. There are various versions of this ROM, but one of the best we've come across is Janjan's version which can be found over at the Xda-developer forums. The ROM is a direct port of Android 4.3 without any changes.

To install the Google Edition ROM, download the latest version from the Xda link above. We used the latest v.1 version, but previous versions are also available to download.

Once you've downloaded the file, DO NOT unzip it. Plug your Galaxy S4 into your PC and copy the zip file to the internal storage on your device.

Detach the Galaxy S4 from your PC, then convert off your cellphone. Now you'll need to start into restoration method by having down the quantity up, home and energy control buttons until you see the Samsung Galaxy S4 logo. Launch the control buttons when you see the logo. Don't keep them for too long, otherwise the cellphone will start as regular.

Once you're in recovery mode, use the volume buttons to select wipe data/factory reset. Press the power key to confirm. Then select clean to install a new ROM from the internal SD card storage on your phone. Scroll down to the zip file you copied to your phone earlier in this step. Press the power button to confirm.

Select "reboot system now", then select "no" when prompted with the "disable flash recovery" screen.

Your phone should now boot as per normal with the latest Google Edition Android 4.3 software installed! If your device gets stuck on the Samsung logo screen, boot into recovery mode again, wipe data and reboot again.

Samsung's eight-core Galaxy S4 chip offered on new developer board

A New samsung eight-core processor used in some Galaxy S4 smart phone designs is now available for online hackers to perform with on a designer panel from Southern Korea-based Hardkernel.

Hardkernel’s Odroid XU board has incorporated Samsung’s eight-core Exynos 5 Octa 5410 chip, which is based on ARM’s latest processor designs. Samsung recently announced a new eight-core chip, the Exynos 5 Octa 5420, which packs faster graphics and application processing than the 5410. The 5420 has not yet been shipped yet, however.

The Odroid panel is costing $149 through Aug. 31, after which it will be provided for $169. New samsung for many several weeks has said that a panel with an eight-core processor would be launched, and has proven model designer forums at conventions.

Specs

The board has an Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX544MP3 graphics processor, 2GB of low-power DDR3 DRAM, two USB 3.0 ports and four USB 2.0 ports. Other features include Wi-Fi, ethernet and optional Bluetooth. Google’s Android 4.2 operating system is preloaded, and support for other Linux distributions like Ubuntu is expected soon.

The board has already been benchmarked on Ubuntu 13.04.Odroid-XU will provide developers an opportunity to write programs tuned for Samsung’s octa-core chip, which has been a source of controversy. Analysts have said the eight-core design is overkill for small devices like smartphones and tablets, which need long battery life.

The eight-core chip design also takes up a lot of space, which prevented Samsung from putting LTE radios inside some Galaxy S4 models. Qualcomm, which hesitantly moved from the dual core to the quad-core design on its Snapdragon chips, on Friday criticized eight-core chips, calling the idea “dumb.”

Despite the criticism, the board will give developers a first true glimpse of, and an opportunity to write and test applications for, ARM’s Big.Little design. The design combines high-power cores for demanding applications with low-power cores for mundane tasks like texting and calling.

Samsung’s iteration of Big.Little in the Exynos 5 Octa 5410 chip combines four processors based on ARM’s latest Cortex-A15 processor design, which incorporates four low-power Cortex-A7 CPUs. The Cortex-A15 is ARM’s latest processor design and succeeds the previous Cortex-A9 core, which was used in popular smartphones like Apple’s iPhone and the Galaxy S3. Samsung said the eight-core chip provides a balance of power and performance, with the high-power cores kicking in only when necessary.

How to unroot your Galaxy S3 and flash it back to stock ROM

The most of this article came from Darren Yates, thanks him~

Rooted your Android smartphone/tablet or changed the ROM, but now want to go back to genuine firmware? Darren Yates shows you how using the Samsung Galaxy S3 phone.

Cheering your cellphone and even trying out new ROMs is part of being a serious fanatic. Getting rid of the business bloatware from cellphone system suppliers — the primary reason for rooting — is similar to ditching the business promotion and getting your cellphone returning. But group ROMs do not always coordinate the buzz, particularly when it comes to getting your cell phone's full features list.

It’s usually then that some decide they would rather go returning to what they had. If you are operating a New samsung Universe S2 or S3 cellphone and you have tried the newest CyanogenMod ROM, you might be losing the capability to link your cellphone to your TV, for example.

So the big query is: can you put your cellphone returning to the way it initially was?

Yes, you can go back

It’s simple to get a bit captured up in the innovative characteristics of cheering and blinking your cellphone, and see it all as a bit of a black art. But if you keep in mind your cellphone is just a convenient A linux systemunix pc, modifying ROMs becomes modifying the OS and it instantly seems less complicated.

The best principle for modifying a ROM in your cellphone is to always be systematic in what you do, never anxiety and provides your cellphone a chance to do what it needs to do.

In very simple conditions, providing your cellphone returning to unique situation is all but the same as placing a new ROM on it — because that is exactly what you are doing. However, there are several methods to do it, based on where your place to start is.

Danger, Will Robinson!

Flashing your phone will null and void your warranty. While we have successfully tested the processes described in this story, we offer no support or guarantee. You try them at your own risk.

First things first: Back up everything

It should become as second nature as breathing — any time you change your phone’s ROM, back up everything. Storage is cheap; getting data back that you haven’t backed up isn’t. We use two methods. First, we use the ‘Recovery Mode’ Nandroid backup to make a complete backup of the phone, which is basically a snapshot of the phone as it is. Second, we use combinations of Android apps to back up the phone — we sync email, contacts and calendar with Google Sync and back up SMSs with SMS Backup and Restore.

We don’t normally back up apps as they can be restored from Google Play. We’ve never had much luck restoring apps when changing from one OS to another — not surprising, really. You probably already know how much Windows likes to be copied from one computer to another. Anyway, the general idea is to back up everything and copy the backup files to your PC — don’t leave them on your phone.

Method #1: Nandroid backup

If you were a good APC reader and performed a Nandroid backup before you flashed the new ROM, you can just back up your personal data (email, SMS and so on) and restore that Nandroid backup. The downside is, you’ll be sending your phone back in time to the point you made the backup, as everything after that date will disappear from your phone until you reinstall them from your new backups. This method basically returns your phone to its previous ROM.

Method #2: Install a new stock ROM

If you forgot to do a Nandroid backup or it hasn’t worked, all isn’t lost. Another option would be to take the latest available stock ROM from your phone’s manufacturer or your network provider and install that onto your phone. The downside here is that most stock ROMs are a generation (or possibly two) behind the latest available release. For example, Optus just released its Android 4.1.2 ROM for the Galaxy S2 in late March, despite 4.2.2 now being the latest benchmark.

Where to get your ROM

Samsung is like most phone makers, preferring to deliver new ROMs as over-the-air (OTA) updates rather than as a downloadable file you install yourself. However, if you’ve installed a non-stock ROM, the ability to get updates OTA will likely have been removed. So where can you download stock ROMs? For Samsung owners, head to Sammobile. It’s the most complete list of stock ROMs by phone provider we’ve seen for any smartphone, let alone just Samsung mobiles.

Which ROMs?

If you’re going to get into the habit of flashing ROMs onto your phone, we think it’s always a good idea to understand exactly what you’re doing. And when it comes to phone ROMs, there’s more than meets the eye.

When you load a new OS onto your PC, you’re installing high-level code that interacts directly with the user. It contains the code that runs your apps and provides the basic apps like Windows Explorer and so on.

In your phone, the equivalent is colloquially referred to as the Phone ROM. It’s the high-level Android operating system you interact with. But it’s not the only ROM your phone uses.

Your PC’s motherboard has a low-level firmware called the BIOS (basic input/output system), a code set that communicates between the hardware and the operating system, like talking to hard drives and setting the CPU clock speed. Your phone’s equivalent here is commonly called the Radio ROM and its function is to handle the wireless hardware electronics in your phone. However, just to be different, Samsung uses different terms:

• PDA. This refers to the Android operating system ROM version code, although it doesn’t obliquely refer to Android in any way (just to make it easier… not).
• Phone. What everyone else calls the Radio ROM is Samsung’s Phone ROM, handling the modem and wireless connectivity electronics.
• CSC. This stands for Consumer Software Customisation. It’s a ROM separate to the PDA ROM, which contains the corporate bloatware specific to your network provider and your geographic location.

We’ll talk more about these later, but for now, it’s just enough to understand what these Samsung terms mean and how they correlate to terms you’ll read online.

Picking the right ROM

As we’ve mentioned previously, the most important aspect of picking a stock ROM is making sure you get the right one for your phone model. If you have the standard 3G version of the Galaxy S3 as sold in Australia, its model number should be GT-I9300T (you can find it on the Samsung splash screen when your phone first boots). The international version is known as the GT-I9300, while the 4G version is the GT-I9305. And when you head over to Sammobile, these are the model numbers you need to look up your model.

The reason it’s so important that you pick up the right download is because Samsung stock ROM packages include both the PDA and Phone ROMs (the operating system and the Radio ROMs). So while a PDA ROM for another phone might work, a different Phone/Radio ROM probably won’t and will very likely brick your Galaxy.

Beware the bugs

The other thing you need to be careful of is making sure that you don’t choose too old a ROM. For example, if you’re running a Galaxy S2, don’t choose an Android 4.0.4-based ROM, otherwise you could end up bricking your phone through the Galaxy S2 Superbrick Bug. The S3 isn’t immune either, with its own Sudden Death bug plaguing Android 4.0.4 ROMs. Unfortunately, it means we can’t just tell you to get the latest ROM and you’ll be right — you should try to keep up with phone trends, particularly your model, and be aware of what’s happening in the market.

In the case of the Galaxy S2 and S3 phones, new Android 4.1.x-based ROMs have so far proven to be bug-free and should be your starting point for stock ROMs.

How to get it onto your phone

ROM flashing has become so sophisticated that there are three different options available for flashing a Samsung phone.

• Recovery Mode. You copy the ROM file onto your phone’s storage and use the phone’s built-in ‘Recovery Mode’ to install it.
• Samsung Kies. Allow Samsung’s official software to detect the phone and grab the latest official phone/network update and install it.
• Samsung ODIN. Grab the ROM and install it yourself via your PC.

Our preference is to use the ‘Recovery Mode’ or ODIN — we’re just not fans of Kies. It worked happily enough with our test Galaxy S3, but it’s never picked up OTA updates with our S2. That said, it’s a consumer-focused tool so it’s not designed to let you get too funky with your phone. ODIN is reportedly a leaked internal Samsung app and potentially more dangerous (because it lets you do dangerous things like repartition flash storage), but if you don’t stray too far, it’s easy to use and very effective.

How many times can I flash my phone?

The NAND flash storage inside your phone can support many hundreds of write cycles so it’s unlikely you’ll kill your phone’s storage by flashing a new ROM. The bigger issue comes if you flash a new Radio ROM (the code that talks to the phone’s wireless connectivity electronics). Flash a dud Radio ROM and you may well brick the phone. While no-one can give you an iron-clad guarantee, chances are you’ll have a new phone before you reach your phone storage’s flash write limit.

Warranty restored?

In the old days with phones like the HTC Desire, restoring a rooted phone back to its original condition with a legitimate stock ROM effectively also restored your phone’s warranty — mainly because there was no way for the phone provider to tell whether the phone had ever been rooted or ROM’d in the past.

However, the Galaxy S2 and S3 now have a built-in custom binary download counter that records how many times the phone’s storage has been flashed. The idea was that even if you replaced a community ROM with an official one, Samsung would still know you’d flashed it in the past, thanks to that counter, if the phone was ever presented for repairs under warranty.

So the reality here is that restoring your phone to stock doesn’t restore your warranty if the flash counter has it registered that you’ve flashed a different ROM at some point.

Turning back the clock

Winding back the old mechanical odometer in cars was one of the dodgier practices rogue used car sellers would use on unsuspecting buyers and make clapped-out motors seem like they’d literally lived a sheltered life. Well, it’s also possible to wind back (as in reset) the binary download counter; however, we don’t recommend it.

There’s an app on Google Play by the ever-brilliant Xda Developer/moderator Chainfire called Triangle Away, which attempts to reset the counter. But because it operates on the phone’s bootloader code that tells the phone what to launch when it first boots, Triangle Away may brick your phone if it doesn’t work correctly — not a recoverable brick like an Android ROM flash gone wrong, but a fully unrecoverable brick that requires advanced electronics knowledge (JTAG) or a new board to fix.

If you’re seriously worried about warranty, don’t flash your phone in the first place. Otherwise, if you’re happy to lose your warranty, there’s nothing to be gained by resetting the counter, although there’s plenty more to lose.

You choose

In the end, it’s your phone — you get to choose which ROMs you install. While most community ROMs are generally fantastic at removing bloatware, they don’t always give you your phone’s full features list and a stock ROM, warts and all, might actually be a better option. There are some good ROMs based on official releases that maintain functionality, but if you want to go back to being safe and conservative, a stock ROM is the way to go.

Step-by-step guide: Install a stock ROM on a Galaxy S3 using ODIN

WARNING: While this guide was successfully tested on a Samsung Galaxy S3, we provide no support or warranty on the information provided. Use at your own risk.

Step 1:

Charge up your phone to at least 75% capacity. Make backups of your current phone setup using Nandroid (complete phone backup), Google Sync (email, contacts, calendar) and SMS Backup and Restore (SMS). If you haven’t already, install Samsung Kies for its USB drivers — we won’t be using this software otherwise.

Step 2:

Head to Sammobile, search for your phone model and select the version that matches your location and network provider. Once downloaded, unzip the contents into a folder on your hard drive. Be warned: S3 stock ROMs can be greater than 1GB in size and require up to 2GB to unzip. You should see a large ‘tar.md5’ archive file after unzipping.

Step 3:

Download the Samsung ODIN 1.85 tool from tinyurl.com/d8tcnsu (size: 204kb). Unzip it, launch it and with the phone turned off, plug your S3 into your PC’s USB port.

Step 4:

Turn the phone on into ‘Download Mode’ (press and hold the power, ‘Home’ and volume down buttons until you see the warning screen). You should see the phone listed in ODIN. Press the ‘PDA’ button and select the ‘tar.md5’ archive. Ensure the ‘Re-Partition’ box is unticked.

Step 5:

Press the ‘Start’ button and allow ODIN to flash your phone with the stock ROM. It’ll take a few minutes but once it’s completed, you should get the big green ‘PASS’ signage. Your phone should now automatically reboot.

Troubleshooting

If your phone keeps showing the Samsung splash screen and rebooting, it’s stuck in a boot loop. Don’t panic — it’s a common issue. Provided that you got the green ‘PASS’ sign in step 5, here’s what you can do to fix it.

Step 6:

Pull the cover off your phone and remove the battery. Put it back in when the screen goes blank, put the cover back on and boot your phone into ‘Recovery Mode’ (press the power, ‘Home’ and volume up buttons until you see the Samsung splash screen). When the recovery menu appears, navigate using the volume buttons to ‘Wipe data/factory reset’ and press the power button to activate.

Step 7:

When it’s done, navigate back to ‘Reboot Now’ and allow the phone to reboot. It should now come up as normal.

Will a stock ROM keep my phone rooted?

The short answer is no. By installing a stock ROM, you also remove the root access because you’re no longer using the same operating system. Think of it as if you were replacing Windows XP with Windows 8 — you don’t have the same OS installed so none of the same conditions remain. However, there’s nothing stopping you from rooting your phone again with the new stock ROM installed if that’s what you want. (Just follow the process in our article here on How to root your Android phone).

Other tips

• If the flash process failed, check if it passed the MD5 check test — this checks to see if the download is a valid file. If it failed, download it again.
• If the MD5 checksum test is fine, try flashing it again.