Samsung has named the intrusion stopper simply Blocking Mode, and that is exactly what it does. If you would like to keep your handset from disturbing you while you are sleeping, or you just need a little down time from the always in-your-face information overload that cell phones can sometimes deliver, Blocking Mode was made with you in mind. The handset also allows you to limit interruptions during meetings, while driving, or any other time you would prefer your powerful S4 smartphone to leave you alone.

You can obviously reset the handset to typical operating mode later and check your messages, missed phone calls, e-mails, texts and alerts. To activate Blocking Mode, head over to Settings on your Samsung Galaxy S4, tap the My Device tab, and near the bottom of your display you will see Blocking Mode. You can then tap the menu item to configure your settings, or simply switch it on or off if you simply want to access or shut off previous configurations.

This mode allows you to disable incoming calls, disable notifications, disable your alarm/timer and or disable your LED indicator light. You can choose any one of these individual blocking modes, or a combination of any of the four. One really neat characteristic of this privacy feature is the ability to set its start and stop time. This way you do not forget to manually restore your phone to the standard mode and miss any important phone calls, messages or notifications. You can also set specific contacts from your Samsung Galaxy S4 to break through Blocking Mode and ring your handset if you fear missing an important call.

Blocking Mode is just one of dozens of unique features the Samsung Galaxy S4 has debuted when it burst onto the smartphone scene with a powerful Snapdragon 600 quad core processor clocked at 1.9 GHz, large 5.0 inch capacitive, multitouch display, Full HD 1,080 x 1,920 pixel resolution and extremely high pixel density at 441 ppi. The handset is slim at 0.31 inches (7.9 mm) and light at 4.59 ounces (123 g), delivers a generous 2.0 GB of RAM memory and a microSD slot for storage expansion.

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We will know for sure on Thursday, July 24, when Google is purportedly going to debut Jelly Bean 4.3 officially. The current rumors swirling around the Galaxy S III getting an attractive leapfrog over Android 4.2 and going directly to the upcoming Jelly Bean 4.3 operating system also involve the flagship Galaxy S4 as the first phone to deliver Key Lime Pie 5.0. Check back here for an update after the July 24 Google event, and we will fill you in on any Galaxy S III related news and announcements.

On the price side of the equation, the Sprint Galaxy S III 16 GB 4G Android smartphone is priced about as low as you can get without being totally free. If you have one penny and don’t mind agreeing to the typical two-year mobile contract, the phone that multiple mobile conferences and industry watchdogs gave the Best Smartphone of 2012 label can be yours. The phone is slim at 0.34 inches (8.6 mm), and weighs just 4.73 ounces (134 g), making it slim and light in comparison to other 4G capable smartphones with as large a display.

That screen in question is a True HD offering with a resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels, delivered at 306 pixels per inch. The Super AMOLED screen requires the standard capacitive, multitouch gestures for device navigation, and boasts scratch and chip resistance thanks to a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass. On the Sprint 4G LTE system in the US, the Galaxy S III can provide more than 8.0 hours of talk time and 8.3 days of standby battery power.

As one of the first 4G smartphones for Sprint to provide simultaneous HD video and image capture, the Galaxy S3 claims an 8.0 megapixel camcorder as its main camera. That rear snapper records video in 1,080P HD resolution and 30 frames per second, and there is also a front facing chat cam on board. Processing power comes from a dual core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Plus CPU, a full 2.0 GB of RAM system memory is on board, as is microSD, microSDHC and microSDXC memory card support up to 64 GB.

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Having said that, rumors last month of Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface experiencing compatibility issues with Android 4.2.2 got the ball rolling concerning which operating system version the Galaxy Note II smartphone would move to next. Hopeful Android shoppers and Galaxy Note II owners then excitedly conjectured that Android’s 5.0 Key Lime Pie may debut on the big-screen Galaxy Note II smartphone/tablet. But it would make more sense for Samsung to reserve that major operating system release for their flagship Galaxy S4.

So when Telstra, the leading provider of mobile broadband Internet and mobile devices in Australia, recently announced that Samsung as a company was entirely skipping over Android 4.2.2 in favor of 4.3, a possible operating system schedule began to take shape. It is widely believed that on July 24 Android 4.3 will make its official marketplace debut, as Google has scheduled a special news conference for that date. Other rumors also point to the 4.3 announcement as the reason for this press release.

Since the Galaxy Note II delivers one of the largest and highest resolutions displays ever designed for a smartphone, the new Android 4.3 operating system version would be perfect for that handset. The True HD display offers a unique split screen feature which allows you to create two separate but integrated windows on your Galaxy Note II screen. Android 4.3 supports eyeball tracking technology like that found on the Galaxy S4, which allows you to scroll your web browser, and start and stop videos simply by moving your eyes.

Other contextual awareness and touch-free gesturing commands are supported with the Android 4.3 operating system, and the powerful quad core processor on the Galaxy Note II would be an efficient engine for the new operating system update. Arriving last October in the US with a large 5.55 inch display, the Galaxy Note II boasts 15 hours of single charge talk time, a powerful 1.6 GHz quad core CPU, 2.0 GB of RAM memory, 16 GB of built-in storage space and a microSD slot for storage expansion.

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The powerful and multitalented phone recently arrived in the United Kingdom in a bright red, adding the flashy color choice to the current silver and black options. At this time the HTC One in a brilliant red body is only available in the UK, but if sales are strong enough in the unique color, red may accompany other color choices in the North American smartphone market as a choice for the HTC One. The phone is identical internally otherwise to the US model running on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE system.

Sales have been strong on the HTC One, but with the Galaxy Note 3 and iPhone 5S due to arrive in the next couple of months, HTC is looking to bolster their market share on their flagship phone. The phone delivers the Jelly Bean Android operating system, and has been praised by UL Environment as an environmentally friendly smartphone throughout its life cycle. The phone’s BlinkFeed feature provides one central location for all social networks and news feeds, and the handset boasts a full HD 1,080P display.

HTC introduces a new camera technology on the HTC One, the UltraPixel. This combines an advanced image sensor and ISP, as well as CMOS sensor and floating lens to deliver up to 300% better light recognition than the typical smartphone camera with 8 or even 13 megapixels. A wide-angle f/2.0 lens is found on the rear facing 2 UltraPixel camera, which provides simultaneous video and snapshot capture in high definition, and is capable of recording video in 1,080P HD resolution.

As smartphones go the HTC One is slim, measuring just 0.37 inches (9.3 mm) in thickness, and the Super LCD3 display is large at 4.7 inches. Resolution runs 1,080 x 1,920 pixels, and a scratch resistant layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protects the display. The HTC One can offer as much as 16.0 hours of talk time from a full charge, and runs on a powerful quad core 1.7 GHz Snapdragon 600 processor. A full 2.0 GB of RAM memory and 13 GB of built-in data storage are also present. The HTC One comes equipped with a Stereo FM radio with RDS display, and offers front facing dual speakers.

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The study did not ask individuals to describe exactly what the smartphone is being used for, or how it is being used, and polled American adults between the ages of 18 and 34. The research was conducted by Jumio for Harris Interactive, and definitely reveals a titillating and eyebrow-raising feature of smartphone use in America. Obviously, the younger end of that age group has had access to mobile handsets virtually since childhood, and smartphone use in the bedroom may not seem odd at all.

And considering that 3 out of 4 people have reported keeping their cell phone within five feet of them at all times, and others even sleeping with their handsets, smartphone proliferation and frequent use is expected. And in a dangerous statistic that was revealed in this recent study, Harris Interactive found that far and away the most frequently reported use of a smartphone was while driving a vehicle. A scary 55% of the 1,102 US pollsters reported operating a car and smartphone simultaneously.

More than 33% of the respondents also reported to having used their handset in a movie theater, while a full 32% evidently were not impressed enough by their son’s or daughter’s recital or school play performance, and pulled out their phone at one of their children’s school functions. And exactly 1 in 3 poll-takers reported using a smartphone on a date, which is probably a major reason why they are dating and not in a steady relationship in the first place (editorial opinion).

A recent study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships actually delved deeper into the “smartphone use on a date” behavior, conducting two different experiments. Researchers Andrew K. Przybylski and Netta Weinstein, working at the University of Essex, discovered date partners did not mind if their date used their cell phone while the two discussed casual matters, but trusted their dates a great deal less if they whipped out there smartphone while the two were discussing more intimate or important matters. Couple that data with the above startling evidence of smartphone use in the bedroom, and you can see that your powerful mobile handset/computer is definitely having an impact on your romantic life.

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The phone was an immediate success when it launched, reaching 1 million global sales units well ahead of analysts’ expectations. BlackBerry also benefited from a huge 1 million unit commercial Z10 order, but in recent weeks the phone has lagged behind popular phones like the Galaxy S4, HTC One and Galaxy Note II in sales. There is no doubt the BlackBerry Z10 will receive significant sales support with this new one penny price tag, especially since this is the version that runs on the largest 4G LTE system in the United States, Verizon Wireless.

After years of dominance in the smartphone marketplace, BlackBerry began to see their market share drop dramatically in 2007 when the iPhone arrived. This ushered in the new form factor of our current smartphones; slim, rectangular slabs with touchscreens instead of physical QWERTY keyboards. BlackBerry was six years late in deciding to change their form factor to a totally touchscreen driven device, and those who have not seen the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone may mistake it for an iPhone or Android handset.

The new design for BlackBerry is typical to the mobile handset marketplace, and the BlackBerry Z10 delivers a large 4.20 inch high-resolution, touchscreen display. The phone is exceptionally slim, measuring just 0.35 inches (9.0 mm) in thickness, and weighs just 4.85 ounces (138 g). BlackBerry has also designed the phone with a soft touch material on its back plate, which minimizes drops. The display delivers excellent pixel density at 356 pixels per inch, for an overall HD+ resolution of 768 x 1,280 pixels.

The BlackBerry Z10 can provide you with up to 10.0 hours of talk time after a full charge, and the handset is run by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 system chip. 2.0 GB of RAM memory is present, as well as 16 GB of built-in data storage space, along with a microSD slot for storage expansion. Video capture runs 1,080P HD resolution with a rear facing 8.0 megapixel camcorder, and a front facing 2.0 megapixel chat cam is also on board.

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There are probably hundreds of GPS navigation applications available for smartphones. However, CoPilot offers a little different user interface that has proven very popular. You can also choose a free offline map for any single country, and a free 14 day trial period is now available for Windows Phone 8 smartphones like the HTC Windows Phone 8X. Voice guided turn by turn instruction is supported, and for a slight upgrade you can receive the total CoPilot GPS experience.

The HTC Windows Phone 8X can currently be purchased for around $49 on contract in the United States, and is available from online retailers like Amazon. The offline maps are easy to navigate and understand, and even powerful route planning tools allow you to explore areas where you have never been before. This application is great for tourists and travelers who are in unfamiliar settings, as well as hikers, campers and other outdoorsmen.

Points of interest and other locations on maps are very detailed, and upgraded frequently. Walking routes are displayed as well as driving routes, and David Quin, head of consumer applications at ALK Technologies (the creators of CoPilot) says that “CoPilot is designed for use offline, providing guidance even when there’s no mobile connection.” 3-D car navigation and full voice-guided support is free for your first 14 day trial, as is the CoPilot real-time traffic service, ActiveTraffic.

If you enjoy the experience on your HTC Windows Phone 8X, after 14 days you can continue the service as is, or upgrade to unlimited voice-guided, turn by turn navigation through a purchase directly in the app. Free CoPilot features for your Windows Phone 8X include high-quality street maps stored on your phone that you can also use offline, trip planning features, drag-and-drop route editing and a very unique itinerary planner which allows you to calculate the best possible way to reach all your desired activities in the timeliest manner. The 4.30 inch True HD display on the HTC Windows Phone 8X provides an excellent backdrop for CoPilot.

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Some brave smartphone buyers will even purchase the Galaxy S4 and root the phone’s software to return the Jelly Bean operating system to its stock Android existence. However, rooting your handset not only avoids any warranties on it, but is also a dangerous practice. The good news is, you do not have to spend $700 or $800 for the Google Play Edition Galaxy S4 to give it a much cleaner and Android stock-like appearance. Below we have listed a couple of steps you can follow to give your carrier-sponsored GS4 that “stock Android” user interface thanks to the operating system’s flexible nature.

A thorough house cleaning comes first, which means browsing the pre-installed apps and chunking the ones you will never use. Go to App Drawer > Menu > Uninstall. You can also access Settings > App Manager to get to the same place, and get to work removing unwanted apps. Write down the names of any apps you can not remove, and move on to step two. Head back to Settings, choose Motions and Gestures, and turn them all off. Repeat this for Smart Screen, Air View, and Voice Control. This not only gives you a clean Android feel, but saves battery life as well.

Now you are going to add the base Android look. Go to the Google Play Store and download Nova Launcher, Google Keyboard and Google Calendar, all free. Then add WidgetLocker Lockscreen, a $3 app. This allows you to customize home screens and app drawers, and you can give app icons your own look. Just these touches will also make the Galaxy S4 feel faster already. You can now add custom widgets to lock screens, and program your phone to deliver a customized experience every time you turn it on.

And the paid version of Nova Launcher can hide any apps you were unable to remove. Hit the Home button, and you will notice a clean and very basic Android appearance. You have more room onboard, your device is faster and your already excellent battery life is enhanced. A lot of GS4 buyers enjoy the cool hands-free gestures and eyeball tracking functions the Galaxy S4 provides, but follow the steps above and you can deliver a stock Android feel to your Galaxy S4 without spending a ton of money, and without voiding its warranty while possibly bricking it by obtaining root.

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Logically, it would be safe to assume that the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system on the handset would progress to Android 4.2.2, and that OS upgrade was prepared to hit the Galaxy S III last month. However, issues with compatibility between the Samsung TouchWiz user interface and Jelly Bean 4.2 has caused a delay. And while the Galaxy S4 has sold a reported 20 million units already, and ranks as the fastest selling Android smartphone of all time, sales of that handset have slowed down recently.

That has led some industry analysts to believe that Samsung is intentionally skipping over the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS update for the Galaxy S III in favor of Android 4.3, or possibly even Key Lime 5.0, to make the Galaxy S4 more appealing. Sales of the Galaxy S III have continued to show strength even though the handset just passed its one year anniversary. A speedy processor, large high-resolution display, simultaneous video and image capture in high-definition and slim, light form factor have proven an attractive option for smartphone shoppers.

Add the fact that the 16 GB Galaxy S III is available for one penny on contract online, and it appears the GS III will continue to sell well into the near future. The handset is closing on 60 million global total sales, making it one of the best-selling smartphones ever designed. SamMobile is a Samsung dedicated website which revealed the possible problem between the TouchWiz UI and Android 4.2.2, but Samsung has neither confirmed nor denied that assertion.

Measuring just 0.34 inches (8.6 mm) in thickness, the Galaxy S III is also light at 4.70 ounces (133 g). The large 4.8 inch Super AMOLED screen delivers a True HD resolution of 720 by 1,280 pixels, and the phone can deliver up to 15.0 hours of talk time after a full battery charge. A 1.5 GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 plus processor powers the handset, 2.0 GB of RAM memory are present, and the phone is delivered in a 32 GB version as well. A rear facing 8.0 megapixel snapper is capable of recording video in 1,080P HD resolution.

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At present the HTC One is not available on Verizon, but that date is getting closer and closer. The company officially announced the HTC One 4G is headed to Big Red, and in advance of that release many retailers are substantially lowering the price tag on their Droid DNA 4G stock. The handset can currently be purchased for around $49 on contract, and delivers the Jelly Bean Android operating system and Beats Audio sound enhancement package. Beats provides an audio boost through dedicated speaker and headset amplifiers across all sound supporting applications.

The form factor is a tough, slim and light polycarbonate unibody, which is home to a large high res screen with more than 16 million colors spread across the display at the rate of 441 pixels per inch. The thin profile measures just 0.38 inches (9.73 mm) in thickness, and the phone weighs 4.87 ounces (138 g). The display mentioned above is a 5.0 inch ImageChip ISP S-LCD 3 model with 1,080 x 1,920 pixel resolution, and is protected against everyday wear and tear by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 2.

The 2,020 mA battery which provides juice for the Droid DNA 4G can deliver up to 12.6 hours of talk time after a full battery charge. Standby power lasts approximately 14.6 days, and the handset runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 system chip. A generous 2.0 GB of RAM system memory is present in the hardware package alongside 16 GB of built-in storage and an Adreno 320 graphics processor. The Droid DNA 4G running on Verizon provides wireless connectivity through DLNA, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 options. The phone delivers both front and rear facing cameras, with the front facing 2.1 megapixel chat cam offering a wide-angle lens.

The rear camera is an 8.0 megapixel camcorder, which also provides extra-wide video and image capture, offers low light and night-time excellence with a built-in LED flash, back illuminated sensor (BSI) and f/2.0 lens. That main camera also offers a multishot burst mode which can snag up to four snapshots per second, and the exclusive HTC VideoPic technology which allows the Droid DNA 4G user to take snapshots while simultaneously recording HD video. Video is recorded in 1,080P HD resolution and at 30 frames per second.

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