The Samsung Galaxy S4 burst onto the mobile scene as the most anticipated phone of the year, and has roared past 20 million global sales in its first two months of existence. Retailing for just under $150 on contract in the 16 GB version from the three largest wireless carriers in the US, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, the GS4 offered by those providers also recently began receiving a substantial update. A 357 MB software boost is hitting the flagship Samsung handset, amid no formal announcement from those three manufacturers.
The Samsung Galaxy S 4 Black Mist is available for a reduced sale price now starting at .
If any complaints can be found on the bestselling Android smartphone of all time, it is that the 16 GB variant does not make all of that closet space user-accessible. So one of the key components of the software update is the ability to download apps to an external memory card via the handset’s microSD slot. That ability is referred to as “apps to SD” functionality, and since the Galaxy S4 supports memory cards up to 64 GB in size, this new capability will seriously extend your ability to download apps, music and games.
The Samsung KNOX business security solution also appears for the first time ever on the Galaxy S4, and receives a performance upgrade as well. This system enhancement also offers new status bar improvements and multiple smaller bug fixes and tweaks. It is unique to see all of the Big 3 carriers in the US push out an update at the same time, and there may be some type of Samsung-mandated order behind this simultaneous launch. An update to the T-Mobile GS4 has not been spotted or announced just yet.
Check your status bar for a notification, and then make sure your Galaxy S4 has a full charge before downloading. And as always, we recommend Wi-Fi for the download. Sprint and AT&T are shooting the software bump out over the air, while Big Red is using the Samsung Kies system for you to download the new software. After obliterating all previous sales records for an Android smartphone in its first two months of sales availability, the Galaxy S4 has cooled down. Truth be told, it is hard to say that a handset estimated to sell 60 to 80 million units in its first year is slowing in sales, but that is the word from smartphone analysts.
That news arrives as iPhone 5 sales are also reportedly slowing, and as 4G handsets across the board have been predicted to slow their previously rapid sales growth. As the 4th in an uber-successful line of Galaxy S mobile handsets that helped march Samsung past Apple as the worldwide leader in smartphone sales, the GS4 is popular due to an ultra-slim profile, huge Full HD display and contextual awareness feature that allow you to operate the phone without touching or talking. In a feature like something out of Tom Cruise’s Minority Report, a simple hand gesture above the display can answer inbound calls, scroll browser windows and emails, and perform other functions.
The Samsung Galaxy S 4 Black Mist can be purchased at a discounted price tag now starting at .
