Feature
South Korean mega-vendor Samsung keeps churning out the devices to cover every conceivable base and user need, with the new Mega 6.3" screen phablet joining a waterproof S4 model, with an S4 mini confirmed on the way.
Left in the Dust?
All other smartphone makes, bar possibly Nokia (who popped out the Lumia 928 and Lumia 925 this month), are being left behind by Samsung's prodigious efforts in design and release. The latest model is the Samsung Galaxy Mega which will hit stores in July. Packing a monster 6.3" screen it fits right between the largest phones and the smallest tablets, creating yet another niche.
Inside users will find a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 4G LTE, a chunky 3,200mAh battery, with a choice of 8GB or 16GB of internal storage. There will also be a 5.8" version for those with slightly less-massive hands, or a slightly increased sense of practicality.
This follows on from the news and some leaked pics of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, a more rugged update to the base S4 model with rubberized backing and improved dust and water resistance. With the upcoming rush of wearable devices like smartwatches and Google Glass, presumably, users will soon be asked to take their phone places they normally wouldn't, so additional protection will become the norm. Or, we could all end up buying proper casing for them and not Hello Kitty covers.
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Room For A Small One?
With these devices confirmed or all but out there, that leaves the baby of the family, the mini to receive an S4 update and Samsung is supposed to be just days away from announcing this little fellah. A Samsung App in the Google Play store has already been updated, adding support for the S4 Mega, S4 Mini and S4 Active devices, so its just a matter of time.
While it might not pack all the power of its bigger siblings, the S3 mini proved a popular choice selling by the million last year. There's also the temptation for Samsung fans of Google selling a stock Android version of the original Galaxy S4.
Which leaves the field nicely set up for whatever the likes of HTC, Sony, LG and other Android players will do next. While the HTC One and other device have received rave reviews, these makers seemingly won't or can't afford to cover the bases like Samsung, and sticking with a tiny product line-up leaves them weak on consumer choice and customer experience.
As for Apple, currently celebrating 50 billion downloads on the App Store, it will be taking its time over the iPhone 5S (or iPhone 6) to ensure all the features are in place for a smooth launch with iOS 7. That should appeal to its core users clamoring for an upgrade while the effortless Apple marketing campaign goes on the hunt for new converts.
