Come Thursday, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available on all four major U.S. wireless carriers. To celebrate, we thought we would hand out a whole bunch of cases and accessories for the device from our friends at Spigen.  We reviewed a couple of their cases already – the Ultra Thin Air and GLAS.tR – so that means we have a bunch laying around that need to go out to you, the wonderful Droid Life reader. In fact, we have 17 of their cases to give away, some of which are the Ultra Thin Air while others are the wallet/flip cover style. Who wants one?

To check out Spigen’s entire Galaxy S4 collection, hit up their store.

Contest

Prizes:

• 6 (six) Ultra Thin Air cases for the Galaxy S4
• 6 (six) Slim Wallet cases for the Galaxy S4
• 2 (two) Neo Hybrid cases for the Galaxy S4
• 2 (two) Crumena leather pouches for the Galaxy S4
• 1 (one) GLAS.t Slim tempered glass screen protector

How to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners:

We’ll select our 17 winners tomorrow at 3PM Pacific.

Contest: Win 1 of 17 Galaxy S4 Cases From Spigen and Droid Life! is a post from: Droid Life

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Yesterday, the first real photos of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active presented themselves on the web, thanks to what appeared to be a display model at a trade show. Today, we’re getting a second look at the device – likely from the same location – on video. The source of this info claims that this is the GT-I9505 (retail international GS4 is GT-I9500) and that it only sports a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor and an 8MP camera, however the video shows it as the GT-I9295 which doesn’t necessarily seem like a GS4 variant. Plus with those specs, you’d be doing a disservice to the Galaxy S4 by slapping it’s name on there.

So while this phone is said to be a rugged, waterproof alternative to the Galaxy S4, it seems lacking in comparison. The retail Galaxy S4 runs on either a quad-core or octa-core processor, contains a 13MP sensor, and is a beast in terms of smartphone prowess.

Via:  MobileTechReview

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Caught on Video, Not Really on the Same Level as the Galaxy S4 Though is a post from: Droid Life

After months of remaining on the top of Consumer Reports’ list of best rated smartphones, the LG Optimus G has been dethroned. Taking its place is the Samsung Galaxy S4 (our review), not the HTC One or white Nexus 4 LTE with 32GB of storage (couldn’t help myself, since it doesn’t exist but the media wants it to). Thanks to the “oodles” gesture and sensor-based tools, along with the “excellent” 5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, and its multi-tasking abilities,  the GS4 garnered a score of 81, which tops the Optimus G and One with scores of 79. The Galaxy S3 remains in third place with a score of 78, while the iPhone 5 rounds out the top 5 with a score of 77. 

This ranking for the Galaxy S4 certainly doesn’t surprise us at all. In our review, we had very few things to knock it for. I’ll also add that after spending the last few weeks with the HTC One as my daily device, but then switching over to the GS4 for most of I/O last week, it was a refreshing change. The Galaxy S4, even though it’s made of plastic, feels amazing in hand. It has a tiny body when compared to something like the One and is incredibly light in hand, yet manages to house a bigger (and in my opinion) more beautiful display.

I can’t wait for our Verizon readers to finally get a hold of this phone – you’ll be more than pleased with it.

Via:  Consumer Reports

Samsung Galaxy S4 is Consumer Reports’ Top Rated Smartphone is a post from: Droid Life

When the Samsung Galaxy S4 “Nexus experience” device launches on June 26 for the questionably high price of $649 through Google Play, it will be available to U.S. customers only. According to CNET who spoke with Google on the subject of availability, for now, the device will be a U.S. exclusive. 

Google first unveiled their own version of the Galaxy S4 at Google I/O last Wednesday after being rumored the night prior. The device will run stock Android, receive timely updates like a Nexus, include LTE support on T-Mobile and AT&T, and has an unlocked bootloader. Keep in mind that running stock Android also means that it won’t have any of Samsung’s suite of software add-ons like Air Gesture, Air View, or the Samsung Camera. This is 100% pure stock Android running on the GS4.

We know that most of you are U.S. residents, but our international crowd seems to be growing. So U.S. readers, congrats – international readers, we’re sorry, for now.

Via:  CNET UK

Samsung Galaxy S4 “Nexus Experience” Edition Will be a U.S. Exclusive is a post from: Droid Life

If Verizon ever opens up a pre-order for a new flagship device that you are strongly considering or have already made your mind up on, jump on the pre-order. Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen pre-orders arrive early time and time again from Big Red. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is no exception, as pre-orders shipped at the end of last week and are now arriving as early as today to many. Readers of ours (as you can see by the image above) are now the “envy of everyone” they work with.

The device doesn’t officially launch until May 23.

Have you received yours? If so, we’d love to hear your initial thoughts on it!

Cheers Chris!

Verizon Galaxy S4 Pre-orders Now Arriving at Homes of Lucky Customers is a post from: Droid Life

A couple of weeks ago, Dan Rosenberg announced that he had unlocked the bootloader of the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4, but that he wouldn’t release his method until Verizon’s variant was also out in case they tried to patch it. With Big Red’s version arriving on doorsteps of pre-orderees, Dan had a chance to test his method thanks to a “helpful tester” and came out successful. According to a Tweet sent by Dan this morning, he successfully booted a custom recovery onto the Verizon version of the device and that he is looking forward to a release. 

Should your Galaxy S4 arrive in the coming days, or you decide to pop into a Big Red store to pick one up, be on the lookout for this method. We’ll be sure to pass it along the minute it becomes public, as there is no telling how long it’ll take for Verizon to issue a patch.

Take us away Diddy, “Can’t nobody take my pride, can’t nobody hold me down, ohhhh no, I got to keep on rootin’!”

Via:  @djrbliss

Cheers Mark!

Dan Rosenberg Appears to Have Conquered Verizon’s Galaxy S4 Bootloader, Boots Custom Recovery is a post from: Droid Life

As if the brand new Galaxy S4 and last year’s best selling phone the Galaxy S3 didn’t already look enough alike, Samsung is looking to make the software as similar as possible as well. SamMobile has a leaked version of the Android 4.2.2 build that Samsung is working on bringing to the S3. Not only does it upgrade your device to the latest version of Android, but many of the new features from the S4 will be included as well. 

The list of features that come from the new version of Android and the new TouchWiz is pretty long, but the big features include the new S4 lockscreen, which includes multiple widgets, clock resizing and other nifty features. New S-Voice, settings menu and smart switch widgets have all been added as well. If you are looking for the full list of changes or to install the leak for yourself, hit the source link below for instructions on how to do so.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via: SamMobile

Android 4.2.2 Firmware Leaked for Galaxy S3, Brings Lots of S4 Features is a post from: Droid Life

Take a look at what could very well be the first shots of the Galaxy S4 Active from Samsung. This device has been an interesting one to follow, ever since the first reports of a water and dust-resistant Galaxy S4 hit the web back in April. It’s been reported that the device could launch as early as July, and with no word from Samsung yet, it’s interesting that they are allowing buyers to still gobble up the Galaxy S4 without presenting them with options first.

According to the benchmarks in the shot, the device should come shipped with what we see listed. There is a 1.9GHz quad-core processor (most likely the Snapdragon 600), 2GB of RAM, a 5″ 1080p display at a pixel density of 480 and a Adreno 320 GPU.

The phone’s exterior is quite different however from the regular Galaxy S4. It appears that all front-facing buttons are physical and slightly protrude from the bottom, a move that might have helped Samsung make it more resilient to the elements. As for that red backing, the four screws in the top and bottom corners add a nice rugged touch, but it does appear that the back is still removable if you look closely in the top left hand corner.

All in all, I think it’s a pretty handsome albeit tough looking device. Excellent for all of you weekend warriors out there.

What do you think?

Via:  GSMArena

Cheers Open1Your1Eyes0!

First Photos of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Emerge? is a post from: Droid Life

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The newest commercial for Samsung’s Galaxy S4 dropped over the weekend, a clip that highlights Smart Pause for video watching and the phone’s ability to answer calls while waving a hand. It’s clever, that’s for sure. You have features being tossed around, a setting that is familiar to all sorts of segments of the population, awkwardness, and comedy. Samsung has done a pretty brilliant job when it comes to promoting their products over the last couple of years, with 2013 and the GS4 campaign being no different.

Samsung will reportedly eclipse the 10 million sales mark for the Galaxy S4 in less than a month’s time, a number that is pretty remarkable even with what must be an almost unlimited marketing budget.

New Galaxy S4 Ad Touts Smart Pause, Air Gestures, and Conversations With Complete Strangers is a post from: Droid Life

Yesterday, readers reached out to inform us that their pre-orders of the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Verizon were being processed and potentially getting primed for shipping. They weren’t messing around, as orders for many of them have begun to ship with estimated arrival times of early next week. The device was supposed to arrive around May 23 – at least that’s the new release date – but if they are shipping now, some lucky future GS4 owners could have their devices a day or so early.

Get ready! And be sure to browse through our Galaxy S4 review and 20+ tips and tricks video, so that you know all there is to know about Samsung’s new flagship. 

Cheers Dan, Matt, Stephen, and Alan!

Verizon Galaxy S4 Pre-orders Already Shipping! is a post from: Droid Life

According to some of our readers, their Galaxy S4 pre-orders on Verizon are starting to be processed, and some even say they’re being shipped. Verizon previously listed that the Samsung Galaxy S4 would launch on May 30, but then bumped it up a full week to May 23.

Naturally, it makes sense that orders would start being processed as inventory fills up, but to see that they might begin shipping too is a great sign for customers waiting by their door.

Let us know if you receive your shipping info from Verizon.

Update:  They are now shipping!

Cheers Jonathan!

Galaxy S4 Pre-Orders on Verizon Are Beginning to be Processed is a post from: Droid Life

According to Samsung’s CEO, J.K. Shin, the Galaxy S4 is putting in some serious work. In numbers, the Galaxy S3 passed ten million in sales after 50 days on the market last year. The Galaxy S4, their newest flagship device which isn’t even on America’s largest carrier yet, is said to pass ten million in less than a month next week. 

We are confident that we will pass more than 10 million sales of the S4 next week. It is selling much faster than the previous model S3. Samsung spent 50 days to pass the 10 million sales mark for the S3. The S4 will be Samsung’s first ’10 million seller’ device less than a month after its official debut.

It’s clear they have found the winning formula for themselves. Have you pre-ordered your S4 on Verizon yet?

Via: Android Beat

Samsung CEO: Sales of Galaxy S4 to Exceed 10 Million In Less Than a Month is a post from: Droid Life

This morning, Google announced the availability of Google Wallet for new Android devices. The newly approved devices are Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 2, along with the HTC One on Sprint. US Cellular also got some love, as their Galaxy S4 is also now compatible with the mobile wallet service. 

If you own one of those devices on Sprint, you can pick up the Google Wallet app through Google Play, starting today.

Play Link

Via: Google+

Google Wallet Now Available For Sprint’s Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 2 and HTC One is a post from: Droid Life

When news broke that the 16 GB Galaxy S4 only let you have access to 9 GB of the internal memory, users were rightfully a bit angry. It is understood that system partitions eat into some of our space, but gobbling up half of the storage promised is cause for concern. After Samsung suggested that people used SDcards to expand that space, it seems that they may be looking for another solution to the problem. 

In speaking with CNET, a Samsung spokesperson said they are “committed to listening to our customers” and that they are “reviewing the possibility to secure more memory space through further software optimization.” There was no timetable given for this reviewing process and that doesn’t mean it will even come to fruition. If Samsung can find a way to cut down on the size of their partition, S4 users could see some storage coming back their way.

Via: CNET

Samsung Considering Giving Galaxy S4 Users Their Storage Space Back is a post from: Droid Life

Google, on stage during the I/O keynote, just announced that they will sell a Samsung Galaxy S4 directly through Google Play with an unlocked bootloader, stock Android experience, LTE support, connectivity on AT&T and T-Mobile, with a “Nexus experience,” and as a device that will receive updates promptly.

The device will launch June 26 on Google Play for $649.

If you wanted the Galaxy S4 as the clean phone you always envisioned, this is your chance to get it. 

Be sure to watch along as they unveil more during today’s keynote!

Google Announces Samsung Galaxy S4 With “Nexus User Experience” is a post from: Droid Life