Samsung Releases First Official Galaxy S6 Teaser Focuses on the Camera

With just around two weeks left for the Galaxy S6 announcement, Samsung has started teasing ‘The Next Galaxy’ already. Samsung Mobile released the first official Galaxy S6 teaser on its Twitter handle today. The 17 second teaser video focuses on the camera of the Galaxy S6, possibly hinting at some great new features and improvements with the camera on Samsung’s next flagship smartphone.

The video teaser only talks about ‘The Next Galaxy’ being inspired by “Great Vision” and “A Unique View”. Clearly, that doesn’t really tell us anything about the Galaxy S6’s camera. However, what the first teaser does point to is that the camera on the Galaxy S6 is likely to be one of its biggest USPs when it goes official next month. Two days back, Samsung had hinted at a capable camera on the Galaxy S6 that will let users take brilliant pictures without having to worry about anything else except pressing the shutter button in a blog post made on the SamsungTomorrow website.

Based on rumors so far, the Galaxy S6 will come with a 20 megapixel camera at the back, likely manufactured by Samsung. It could also include the ISOCELL technology, just like its predecessor. No info is available yet on the sensor size but we expect it to have a slightly larger sensor than the Galaxy S5. More recent renders and image leaks also seem to suggest the Galaxy S6 is likely to include a protruding camera lens at the back, similar to the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Apart from the increased resolution, the Galaxy S6 camera is also expected to include optical image stabilization for steadier videos and superior low-light imaging prowess. A dual-LED flash is likely as well, a first on a Samsung Galaxy flagship smartphone.

Samsung to Skip Android 5.0 Update For Galaxy Note 4 & Galaxy Note Edge; Direct Update to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop

Samsung is reportedly going to skip the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge smartphones and directly update the devices to Android 5.0.1, much like the Galaxy S5. The report comes courtesy of SamMobile. They claim that Samsung is readying the Android 5.0.1 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge and could roll out the update for these devices soon.

Samsung started seeding the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update for the Galaxy S5 in Poland earlier this month and has recently rolled out a second update based on Android 5.0.1 to Polish users. The second update is expected to be the final Android 5.0.1 build for the Galaxy S5 LTE-A (SM-G906S) model and should be rolling out for Galaxy S5 devices across Europe soon. The Galaxy S5 was also updated directly to Android 5.0.1, skipping Android 5.0. Android 5.0.1 builds for the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge are being tested already, and an Android 5.0.1 Lollipop build for the Galaxy Note 4 was recently demoed by SamMobile. In case you missed that video overview, you can view the video by clicking on this link.

The Galaxy S5 Android 5.0.1 update for Europe and other regions could be expected to arrive by the end of this month, and then we can expect the Android 5.0.1 rollout for the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge smartphones to begin. Earlier leaked roadmap of Samsung’s Android Lollipop update plans did indicate that Samsung will be updating the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge devices beginning January. The Galaxy Note 3 Android Lollipop update is expected to arrive next month as well, although it isn’t clear if the Galaxy Note 3 will also be updated directly to Android 5.0.1 or will be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop first.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 Android 5.0.1 update doesn’t include any new features from Samsung’s side but does come with the updated TouchWiz UI designed with Material Design guidelines from Google. Since the Galaxy Note 4 is the newer flagship and includes a slightly different version of TouchWiz than the Galaxy S5 with additional features, Samsung might include a few new software goodies along with the Lollipop update. The Galaxy Note 4 & Galaxy Note Edge TouchWiz version is also lighter than earlier versions on other Galaxy devices, so we hope Samsung will optimize TouchWiz further for these devices and introduce a lighter TouchWiz version with Android 5.0.1.

New Samsung Galaxy Avant Android 4.4.2 KitKat Update Now Available at T-Mobile

If you are among the T-Mobile customers who purchased a Samsung Galaxy Avant, then you should get your device ready to receive a new software update. According to the carrier’s support page a new Samsung Galaxy Avant 4.4.2 OTA update is now being pushed to users.

Unfortunately, we aren’t looking at a major software update so don’t expect any changes in terms of interface. The new Android 4.4.2 OTA update for Samsung Galaxy Advance arrives to introduce Chinese language support. Even though the official changelog doesn’t mention anything else besides Chinese language, the new firmware probably patches some bugs too and brings slight performance improvements.

The Android 4.4.2 roll out for T-Mobile Galaxy Avant users begun December 8th, but, as usual, the update is being released in batches. This means that some users will have to wait longer than others before being able to update their smartphone. You probably know already that once your Avant becomes eligible to receive the new update you should be able to see a system update message in the notifications bar. All you need to do is tap on it then follow the on-screen instructions. You can also perform a manual check under Settings > About device > Software update > Check for software updates. Alternatively, you can grab the USB cable and check for the update via KIES.

The new Samsung Galaxy Avant Android 4.4.2 update is labeled G386TUVU1ANK3 and even though there’s no mentioning of its size we are recommending you to download it using a Wi-Fi network so you won’t damage your data plan. Also try to have the battery charged above 50%.

Samsung Galaxy A7 Specs Leaked, High-end Hardware Inside

After Samsung introduced the Galaxy Alpha earlier this year, the South Korean phone maker started to focus more on using premium materials for their smartphones. The Galaxy Note 4 arrived with a metallic frame, and then Sammy introduced the mid-range Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5, both sporting metallic bodies.

Early rumors have suggested that the Galaxy A family will actually have three members, but, for the time being, only two have been announced. A new report coming from the folks at Sammobile reveals more details about the yet-unannounced Samsung Galaxy A7. Even though everyone expected the A7 to be a mid-range device, the leaked technical specifications are suggesting otherwise.

According to the aforementioned source, Samsung Galaxy A7 will be equipped with a 5.5-inch display with Full HD resolution, while being underpinned by an Octa-core Exynos 5430 SoC. The chipset will be based on four high-power 1.8 GHz Cortex A57 cores paired with four low-energy 1.3 GHz Cortex A53 cores. Besides that, it will also integrate an LTE modem.

The other Samsung Galaxy A7 technical specifications include 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, 2,600 mAh battery, and a 5 MP Selfie camera. The smartphone should also integrate a 13 MP primary shooter, which is most likely based on the same camera sensor used for the Galaxy S4.

Sammobile also reports that Galaxy A7 will be 150 mm tall, 75 mm wide, and 6.3 mm thin which would make it the thinnest Samsung smartphone yet. A7 will weigh in at 150 grams.

It’s not clear yet when the Samsung Galaxy A7 will be released on the market, but you should expect it to become available for purchase before early 2015. The latest leak also revealed that Galaxy A7 would run Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, but we are sure that it will get updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop soon after its launch.

New Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Android 4.4.2 KitKat Released by AT&T

The AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is receiving a brand new Android 4.4.2 KitKat build. Check the notifications panel of your phone and confirm the installation process if you want to run this new KitKat firmware.

The changelog of this new release doesn’t feature too many new features; it adds only various bug fixes and tweaks that should make your AT&T Galaxy S4 Zoom run smoother and faster than before. This might probably be the final KitKat build that we will see released for the Galaxy S4 Zoom device, as Samsung is probably trying to figure out if the Android 5.0 Lollipop will work smoothly with the Zoom model.

This new update is released in phases and it should arrive for all the S4 Zoom devices before the end of this year. In case the Android 4.4.2 KitKat OTA update notification isn’t sent your way in the following days, then you shouldn’t panic as it will eventually be released. You can also check manually for new KitKat files by going to Settings> More> About Device> Software Update> Check for Updates menu.

The build number of this Android 4.4.2 KitKat release is C105A_KKUCUBNI1 and it comes almost one year and a half since the original Galaxy S4 Zoom in 2013. Also, note that this is the first OTA Update that’s made available for the AT&T Galaxy S4 Zoom.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4.4 Update is Now Available for Verizon Users

Do you own a Verizon Galaxy Note 3? If the answer is ‘yes’, then you should keep an eye on the notifications bar, as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4.4 update is now rolling out. Last time the device received an Android version bump was in May, when it got updated to Android 4.4.2.

Verizon’s support document says that the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4.4 is labeled “N900VVRUCNC4,” it appears to be a mistake, as the May update had the same version number. According to the users who already received the new software the actual version is N900VVRUDNJ6. The new update only arrives with minor changes, but even so, you would definitely want your Note 3 to run the latest software version.

According to Verizon, the new Android 4.4.4 update for Samsung Galaxy Note 3 arrives with updates for Verizon Support & Protection (VSP), caller name ID, and Isis Walled which is now known as Softcard. The new software also adds Knox 2.0 for enterprise support, Find My Mobile app, Side Sync Call Forwarding Framework, Virtual Tour Camera Mode, and Kids Mode sub. You should also notice improved 4G data connectivity, better voice call performance, fixed Bluetooth audio issue when device is connected to Wi-Fi, fixed SMS bugs, and fixed data disconnect issue when using VPN.

The new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4.4 update is being rolled out in stages, so you might not be able to update right away. If the system update message appears in your notifications bar, all you need to do is tap on it and follow the on screen instructions. You can also check for the update manually under Settings > More > About phone > Software updates > Check for software updates, or via KIES after you connect the device to the PC using the USB data cable.

Verizon Releases new Android OTA for Samsung Galaxy S4

While Android 5.0 Lollipop is already pushed out for different Android smartphones and tablets, Verizon just released a new official update for its Galaxy S4 devices. No, it is not the OTA Lollipop roll out you expect, as this time we are only talking about a minor OS improvement, so KitKat is the common word.

The new Verizon OTA should embrace your Samsung Galaxy S4 right away, so you can already check if a new notification is available on your phone. The notification should be displayed automatically on your phone – just slide down the notification panel – or you can manually search for the new OTA by going to “menu – settings – about phone – software update”. If the update is there, ensure a Wi-Fi connection and follow the on screen prompts to automatically flash the same.

As already pointed out, these roll out represents only a minor Android improvement that should smooth things up on your Verizon Galaxy S4. The firmware should address issues related to VPN connectivity and intermittent power cycle problem. And that’s quite all; just these two problems will be resolved by this OTA release, so don’t expect to receive new features or apps along with other stability improvements.

Anyway, after all, it’s good to see that Verizon is still trying to satisfy its clients, even if it implies in providing such a small update. Of course, Android 5.0 Lollipop should be also prepared by the carrier as it is quite frustrating to see other devices receiving the new Android OS ahead of Samsung’s own flagships: Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5.

Samsung SM-E700F Leaks with 5.5 Inch Display & Dual-SIM support

If there’s one thing that is never expected to change, it is Samsung launching new Galaxy smartphone every few weeks. The company had only recently announced the new Galaxy A300 and Galaxy A500 A-series smartphones and now two more devices have leaked courtesy of Indian import tracking website Zauba. First it was the SM-E500F that leaked a few days back and now it’s the turn of the SM-E700F. Both smartphones could be part of the new Galaxy E-series lineup going by the model names. Samsung recently decided it would do away with its conventional naming scheme for Galaxy devices and move to a single-letter naming convention. The A-series are already out and now it could be the E-series that can be expected in the coming weeks.

Although detailed specs of both the devices remain a mystery for now, Zauba does list some details regarding the SM-E700F model. The first bit of information is regarding the screen size. The smartphone will apparently sport a 5.5-inch display, meaning this could end up being a phablet offering with mid-range specs. The price of the device has been mentioned as $204, which solidifies that assumption further. Samsung currently has very few phablets at such a low price point, and this is the most expensive smartphone in the E-series lineup going by the model number. The SM-E500F could be even cheaper, and the indicated price on Zauba is around $156. The SM-E500F will sport a smaller 5-inch display according to the listing on Zauba.

Samsung’s move to single-letter naming convention is probably to clear up the mess and confusion in their current naming convention. Currently Samsung uses single letter-naming for its flagship Galaxy S line but uses more generic names for other cheaper devices. With the A-series and the E-series, we have now learnt about two new series of Galaxy smartphones. But there could be more such device families being launched next year, as by then Samsung would have moved completely to single letter names for its Galaxy smartphones. I do wonder what they’re going to do with the Galaxy Note brand though. It is far too popular to get rid of now, and if they continue with the Note branding for their flagship phablet, it will still be a little weird.

Along with the change in its naming convention, Samsung is also trying to bring greater changes to its Galaxy smartphone range after its market share has been declining steadily over the past few quarters. Once the undisputed leader of the Android market, Samsung finds itself under threat now by the onslaught of Chinese OEMs that have started going global and are offering devices with superior specs at much lower prices. The popularity of the Samsung brand isn’t helping much either and its recent Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone hasn’t been as successful as earlier Galaxy S line flagships. So in order to remain profitable in the long-term the smartphone market is very critical to the company.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Android 5.0 Lollipop Firmware Leaked for the Sprint Variant

Rumor has it that the South Korean phone maker might release the Samsung Galaxy S5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update sometime in December. After we’ve seen Lollipop running on a Galaxy S5, now an Android 5.0 Lollipop firmware leaked for the Sprint Galaxy S5 SM-G900P,

The leaked Sprint Samsung Galaxy S5 Android 5.0 Lollipop build has been made available by an XDA-developers forum member and, according to him, “this will not be the OTA release and may have issues.” Therefore it’s safe to assume that this is just a test build and that it might not be yet ready for daily usage.

The XDA member said that he’s tested calls, SMS, and “other functions” and they seem to work. He also adds that flashing the leaked Android 5.0 Lollipop build on your Sprint Galaxy S5 will wipe data on your device.

If you previously flashed ROMs on your Galaxy S5, then you shouldn’t have any troubles installing this Lollipop build. All you need to do is download the leaked Android 5.0 Lollipop build from here, extract the contents on your PC, boot your Sprint S5 in download mode, Open Odin, place the tar.mdg in the PDA slot, then hit the start button. Your smartphone should reboot and install the new firmware.

Android 5.0 Lollipop is the most major update Android has seen so far, so expect major improvements. The new software should arrive with revamped Material Design interface, multi-user support for phones; lock screen notifications, new notifications bar and quick settings, new recent menu, improved performance courtesy of ART (Android Runtime), and more.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Google Nexus 6: Specs Comparison

The Phablet market has really heated up this year with Apple, Samsung, and Google launching their phablet devices to gain the attention of consumers worldwide. Unlike last year, when the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 had virtually no direct competition, the Galaxy Note 4 has more than one major rival to take on. And interestingly both its rivals are from companies that have no prior experience in the phablet market – Apple and Google. We’ve already seen how the Galaxy Note 4 fared against the iPhone 6 Plus in our previous versus article, this time we’re going to see if the Galaxy Note 4 will be able to dominate its Android rival the Google Nexus 6 in the same way as it did with the Apple iPhone 6 Plus.

Samsung has a long experience in the phablet segment. The Korean tech giant literally created the phablet segment with the Galaxy Note three years back. Google on the other hand has no experience in the phablet market and the Nexus 6 is the first phablet product from Google as well as the manufacturer of the device – Motorola.

Display

The display is one of the most important criteria when buying a new phablet. Both the Google Nexus 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 have very impressive displays with Quad-HD 2560 x 1440 resolution. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 5.7-inch display while the Google Nexus 6 has a slightly bigger 5.96-inch display. That translates to a pixel density of 515PPI on the Galaxy Note 4 and 493 PPI on the Google Nexus 6. Both feature Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the front.

Even though there is a slight difference in the pixel density, in real world you won’t really notice much difference in sharpness between the two. In fact even compared to a smartphone with 1080p resolution display, the difference in sharpness will not be very apparent. As far as the actual quality is concerned, the Galaxy Note 4 display is definitely superior, but not by much. The main advantage of the Galaxy Note 4 display is the significantly higher brightness, which means outdoor visibility is much better on the Note 4. Color accuracy is largely similar on both.

This round could have been a draw but the low peak brightness means the round has to go to the Galaxy Note 4.

Dimensions

Being phablet, both of these devices are definitely not going to be comfortable to hold for people with small hands. And even for those with large hands, single-handed usage is only going to be barely manageable at best.

The Galaxy Note 4 has overall dimensions of 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm while the Google Nexus 6 measures 159.3 x 83 x 10.1mm. Not only is the Google Nexus 6 taller and wider, but it is also thicker. So for a lot of people out there, the Nexus 6 is going to be simply too big to handle easily.

As far as the weight is concerned, both are roughly the same. The Google Nexus 6 only weighs around 8 grams more than the Galaxy Note 4.

So picking a winner here is a pretty easy task. The Galaxy Note 4 is easily the more compact device of the two

Processor

2014 hasn’t seen a major jump in CPU performance for mobile devices. In the beginning of the year we saw Qualcomm release the Snapdragon 801 chipset, which was barely any faster than the Snapdragon 800 that launched last year. The Snapdragon 805 is a bigger upgrade over the Snapdragon 800 though, and that’s what you will find inside both the Galaxy Note 4 and the Google Nexus 6.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon’s four CPU cores are clocked at 2.7GHz and it comes with the new Adreno 420 GPU. The Adreno 420 GPU is the biggest improvement the chipset brings as the new GPU is significantly more powerful than the Adreno 330 GPU on the Snapdragon 801 chipset. The Adreno 420 GPU has been designed to deliver high-performance graphics on displays with Quad-HD resolution, so performance with high-resolution screens does not bog it down much like the Adreno 330.

Between the two phablet, performance is largely similar as the two have identical CPU and GPU. So this round is a tie.

Camera

Cameras on our smartphones have seen a big upgrade this year in the sensor size as well as overall performance. The Optical Image Stabilization feature has also become more popular and most high-end flagships currently come with OIS equipped rear camera. The Galaxy Note 4 and the Google Nexus 6 are no exceptions either.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 16MP rear camera with a 1/2.6” size Sony Exmor RS IMX240 sensor with f2.2 aperture wide-angle lens, dual-LED flash, Fast AF, Live HDR, and support for 4K video recording at 30 fps.

Google Nexus 6 has a slightly lower resolution 13MP Sony Exmor RS rear camera that also has a lower sensor size of 1/3.06”. The Nexus 6 features a slightly brighter f2.0 aperture lens, dual-LED flash, HDR+, photo sphere, and records 4K videos at 30 fps.

As far as the front-facing cameras are concerned, the Note 4 has a 3.7MP unit with a wide-angle f1.9 aperture lens while the Nexus 6 has a 2MP front-facing camera.

When it comes to the overall quality, the Galaxy Note 4 is superior thanks to the bigger sensor and higher resolution. But the difference between the two isn’t huge though. The Galaxy Note 4 thus wins this round.

Memory

Over the past 2-3 years, smartphones have seen major upgrades in many areas but the one thing that hasn’t seen much of an upgrade is the internal storage size. The amount of internal storage on the latest flagship devices isn’t any higher than smartphones from 2-3 years back.

Samsung has in fact dropped the 64GB internal memory option from the Galaxy Note 3 with the Galaxy Note 4. The Note 4 only comes with 32GB of internal memory in all markets. Thankfully the memory is expandable, so you can get a microSD card and expand the memory by up to 128GB.

Like the earlier Nexus devices, the Nexus 6 doesn’t come with expandable memory. You have the option of 32 or 64GB internal memory with the Google phablet. While the higher 64GB option is certainly welcome, it still might not be sufficient for some users.

The amount of RAM on both devices is identical at 3GB.

Since 64GB memory should be sufficient for a lot of smartphone users, we are going to declare this round a tie.

Connectivity

Connectivity features largely depend on the chipset that has been used on a device. Since both the Galaxy Note 4 and the Google Nexus 6 are using the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset, you would expect them to have similar connectivity options. And that is actually the case, almost.

Both devices come with Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual-band, Bluetooth 4.1, LTE Cat.6, NFC, microUSB v2.0, and USB host connectivity options. The Galaxy Note 4 does have one advantage over the Google Nexus 6 though – it comes with a built-in IR blaster. So you can use it to control all your home entertainment devices as well.

LTE Cat.6 is the biggest upgrade connectivity wise that Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset brings. The previous LTE Cat.4 standard came with support for maximum download speeds of up to 150Mbps, but the new LTE Cat.6 standard can support download speeds of up to 300Mbps.Upload speeds remain the same at 50Mbps though.

This round could have been a tie but thanks to the IR blaster, the Galaxy Note 4 edges out the Nexus 6 in this round.

Operating System

The hardware of a device doesn’t give you the complete picture of the performance of a device. Software optimization is also a key factor.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 comes with Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI layer on top. Unlike the previous generations of TouchWiz, the latest version on the Galaxy Note 4 is leaner than earlier and isn’t as resource intensive as earlier. Even on the Galaxy S5, TouchWiz negatively affects the performance. So it is good to see that Samsung has decided to bring positive change with the Galaxy Note 4’s software. What hasn’t changed is the amount of features added on by Samsung. Apart from the hugely popular and functional Multi-Window feature, there are other great S-Pen related features like Smart Select, Air Command, Photo Note, Action Memo, Image Clip and a few others. The usual Samsung S Voice, S Health, S Note, Motion Gestures are all there too.

Google’s Nexus 6 is the launch device for the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop version. Android 5.0 brings new changes like the Material Design UI, new Notifications view, redesigned recent apps menu, switch to the Android Runtime (ART) for improved performance, multi-user support, new battery saving mode with Project Volta, smart lock and more. As the earlier Nexus devices, the Nexus 6 is free from bloatware. There aren’t any apps that you would feel shouldn’t have been on it. It does get the always on voice command feature that is seen on Motorola devices, with the same Ti C55 hotword processor as on the Moto X.

Thanks to all the new improvements with Android Lollipop and a much cleaner UI, the Google Nexus 6 wins this round. Samsung is making good progress with TouchWiz but there is still some more work to be done to get it to perform as good as stock Android.

Design

One of the biggest changes with the Galaxy Note 4 is the improvement in design and build of the device. If there has been one consistent complaint with Galaxy devices, it has been the poor design and build. The Galaxy S5 for instance looks virtually similar to the two year old Galaxy S3. And the traditional plastic build only made matters worse. With the Galaxy Alpha, Samsung decided that it had enough and needed to step up in terms of design and build on its Galaxy smartphones.

The Galaxy Note 4 actually draws a lot from the Galaxy Alpha. It has a similar aluminum frame as the Alpha and has a much more premium feeling back that finally gets rid of the visible stitching pattern that nobody found appealing on the Galaxy Note 3. The front glass is also 2.5D curved, adding to the visual appeal of the design. The leather used on the back is also a lot more premium feeling this time, so finally we have a Galaxy device that looks and feels worthy of its high price.

Made by Motorola, the Google Nexus 6 is a charmer when it comes to design. It looks very similar to the 2^nd gen Moto X, with the same curved back and shiny aluminum frame on the side. There is no doubt that it is the best looking Nexus device yet and one of the better looking flagship devices launched this year. Thanks to the use of metal and high-quality polycarbonate, the device feels solid in the hand and is every bit as good as the Note 4 in terms of build quality, if not better. It also has a water resistance coating, so that’s another advantage over the Note 4.

The Galaxy Note 4 is an improvement over previous Galaxy devices, but the Nexus 6 simply looks better. That makes Nexus 6 the winner of this round.

Battery Life

Apart from the large display, phablet are also popular for their impressive battery life. The Galaxy Note 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 do not disappoint in this area.

It is quite interesting that both the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Google Nexus 6 have the exact same 3220mAh capacity battery. Since the two phablet have the same battery, chipset, and screen resolution, you might be thinking battery life on both would be very similar too. Right? Well unfortunately that is not the case.

According to the battery life tests, the Google Nexus 6 actually has significantly lower battery life than the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The reasons behind this aren’t clear but it could be due to various reasons. But it does have one advantage over the Note 4. Thanks to the Quick Charge feature, the Nexus 6 can deliver 6 hours of usage with just 15 minutes of charging. It comes with support for Wireless charging as well.

The winner is quite clear in this round, the Galaxy Note 4 it is.

Price

When it comes to flagship devices, the prices don’t play a major role in the decision-making process for most buyers, but it is still important to be sure if the device is worth the price or not.

The Google Nexus 6 is available on the Play Store at $649 for the 32GB variant and $699 for the 64GB variant. But since this time the Nexus 6 is available through carriers as well, you can get it through the major US carriers such as AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile on a 2-year contract. AT&T and Sprint are selling the phablet for $249 down, while T-Mobile will sell it to you for $0 down.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 is available unlocked at around $750 if you purchase it outright or you can get it on a 2-year contract from the carriers at $299. That’s the price you would need to pay upfront from AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile is selling it at $0 upfront payment, just like the Nexus 6.

Clearly, this round goes to the Nexus 6.

Conclusions

Now that we’re done with the comparison. Let’s see which smartphone managed to win most categories. The Nexus 6 managed to win in three categories – Operating System, Price, and Design. Two rounds were a tie – Memory and Processor. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 won 5 rounds – Display, Dimensions, Camera, Battery Life, and Connectivity.

So does that mean the Galaxy Note 4 is the better phablet here? Well if you were to consider how good each of these devices are as a phablet, then the Galaxy Note 4 would obviously be the winner as it comes with the S-Pen. The Nexus 6 doesn’t come with stylus support and that limits its appeal to customers who are looking for a phablet that can do more than the average smartphone.

Small T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 Android 4.4.4 KitKat OTA Update Released by Samsung Today

T-Mobile has released a brand new Android 4.4.4 KitKat firmware update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 device. This new release comes with stability updates and bug fixes that should offer you an improved KitKat experience.

This build of Android 4.4.4 KitKat for T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 comes with Chinese language support, but there aren’t any other major changes listed in the changelog. The new Android 4.4.4 KitKat firmware version is set to N910TUVU1ANK4 and it is rolling out right now by T-Mobile for its Galaxy Note 4 users.

Note that the new update is being rolled out in phases, which means that not all devices will be getting this new update at the same time. But, T-Mobile will surely finish updating all the Galaxy Note 4 devices in maximum two weeks and then they are planning on releasing a brand new Android 4.4.4 build that will add T-Mobile Free Inflight Texting support. After that they will be able to focus 100% on testing the Android 5.0 Lollipop, firmware upgrade that should be released for all T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 devices in early 2015.

The new N910TUVU1ANK4 Android 4.4.4 measures over 100 MB and it is recommended for you to use the Wi-Fi Connection in order to complete the download. Also, make sure that your device’s battery life is over 50%, it will prevent the device from powering down during the updating process.

If the update notification hasn’t been displayed by your T-Mobile Note 4 device, then you can choose to connect the device to your PC via USB cable and run KIES to search for new Android 4.4.4 firmware updates. The new official OTA update will not be released for Note 4 T-Mobile devices that are currently running modified OS builds.

New Android 4.4.2 Update for T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S5 Now Available Over the air

T-Mobile announced today that a new software update is now being pushed to their own Samsung Galaxy S5 variant. If you happen to have one by your side, you should keep an eye on the notifications bar. The new update is still based on Android 4.4.2 and only brings minor changes.

The roll out for the new Samsung Galaxy S5 Android 4.4.2 update started November 24 and, as usual, we are dealing with a staged roll out. This means that some user might have to wait longer than others. Unfortunately, T-Mobiles website doesn’t reveal too many details about the new update, except for the fact that it brings Chinese language support.

The new Android 4.4.2 update for Samsung Galaxy S5 will update your baseband to version G900TUVU1CNK2 and you will be able to retrieve it over-the-air. If the OTA update fails to initiate (the system update notification doesn’t appear), you can also try a manual pull down (manually check for the update under Settings > About device > Software update > Check for updates now. The new update is also rolled out via KIES so you can also plug in your device to the PC using the USB cable and use Samsung’s software to check for the update.

The update file shouldn’t be too large in size if you’re running a recent build, but, even so, it’s advisable to download it using a stable Wi-Fi network to avoid unwanted data charges. T-Mobile also notes that if you are coming from software version G900TUVU1BNH5 the update will have a size of around 33 MB, but if you are coming from G900TUVU1ANE6 the new update will have a size of about 140 MB.

Minor Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4.4 KitKat OTA Update Pushed Out for T-Mobile Users

Starting today the T-Mobile Galaxy Note 3 smartphones will be getting a brand new firmware update that should bump their Android 4.4.4 version to N900TUVUDNK3. This new update is available OTA (over-the-air) and through Samsung KIES.

In Android 4.4.4 N900TUVUDNK3 KitKat you will find new Chinese Language Support and support for T-Mobile Free Inflight Texting a few that will also be pushed out later next month for the Galaxy Note 4. No other major changes have been reported in this release, you can check the changelog by visiting the T-Mobile Support web page.

This new build of Android 4.4.4 KitKat for T-Mobile Galaxy Note 3 will possibly be the final KitKat release, as T-Mobile will soon be starting to work on implementing the new Android 5.0 Lollipop OS for their entire flagship devices like the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4 and last year’s Galaxy S4. Android 5.0 Lollipop will also be available for Galaxy Note 3 on T-Mobile, but that will most possibly happen in late Q1 of 2015.

N900TUVUDNK3 Android 4.4.4 OTA Update is rolled out in phases and it should arrive for all T-Mobile Galaxy Note 3 devices before next month. However, note that this update will surely not be released for Note 3 devices that are running on custom ROMs.

If the update isn’t available via OTA in your region, then you can choose to look for updates by connecting the Galaxy Note 3 to your PC and then using KIES to install the firmware. In case you don’t want to use KIES, then you can always go to Settings> About Phone and use the ‘Software Update’ menu and see if there are any new firmware files ready for download.

New Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android 4.4.4 Update Brings Minor Changes

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 owners based in Germany and Greece are now reporting that their terminals are receiving a new software update. The new firmware is based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat and judging by its size is just a minor update.

If you live in Europe and happen to own a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, you should keep a eye on the notifications panel as you might be prompted to update your device to a new software version. The new update has build number N910FXXU1ANK4 and it’s rolling out over-the-air. As I was mentioning above, we are dealing with a minor update and, for the time being, there’s no official changelog available. We are most likely talking about stability and performance improvements.

The users who already received the new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android 4.4.4 update claim that the update file size is 137 MB and that the software build is dated November 17, 2014. Even though there are no reports outside Germany and Greece, the new update will probably spread to other European countries in the coming days.

As you may know already, once your terminal becomes eligible to receive the new firmware you should be able to notice a system update message in the notifications bar. You know the drill: tap on it, select ‘Download now’, wait until the download is completed (preferably via Wi-Fi to avoid unwanted data charges), then select ‘Install now’. Your device should ask to reboot and install the update. In case you haven’t received the software update notification, it’s also worth checking for the update manually under Settings > More > About phone > Software updates > Check for updates. You also have the option to check for the update via KIES. Grab the USB cable, connect your Note 4 to the PC, launch KIES and wait for the program to check whether new updates are available.