Facebook Home, which was announced at the beginning of this month, hit Google Play on the 12th of April. Now, after nine days it has surpassed 500k downloads. But it will be interesting to know how many people hang on to it.

That number, although it sounds awesome, is not so big especially when we think about the number of Facebook users around the world. And in comparison, when Instagram was launched on Android it hit over 5 million downloads in just six days. Of course Home is just available on few devices including the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, HTC One X and One X+, and the HTC First. The numbers are expected to increase after Facebook expands compatibility in the future.

As you probably know, Google Play does not show the number of uninstalls. So far reviews about the new app have been mostly bad, with complaints about battery life getting killed faster, constant freezing of the home screen, and questions such as why anyone would be “on Facebook all of the time”? It seems many have already uninstalled it.

We do think that the new app will be a great experience, but for only those who are VERY dedicated to Facebook. Features such as the Chat Heads are very convenient, though the lack of folders and widget support is a bit disappointing.

Of course Facebook will be listening to feedback and reply with updates, but it seems that they should start work ASAP. What do you think about Facebook Home? Did you install it? And are you still using it? We wonder what the guys over at Apple are thinking right now.

The post Facebook Home Installed 500k Times, But How Many Times Has it Been Uninstalled? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is what’s hot at the moment and the device is expected to be launched on several US carriers, including Sprint. But in case the budget has been a bit tight for you to go for the S4 on the Now Network, maybe you can focus on getting a brand new S3 via a great offer.

According to a leaked screenshot, which comes to us courtesy of Engadget, a purple version of the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S3 will be available from Sprint on April 12 with a price tag of $99 on a new two year contract with a $50 mail-in rebate.

The 4.8 inch Galaxy S3, as you might know, has been available in a variety of colors including red, white, grey, brown and black. We have our doubts regarding how the customers will think about the color purple. Other than that color, there is of course nothing new under the hood to make the device better than the S4. But maybe that low price might pull in shoppers.

What do you think about this edition? Find it appealing? Or are you saving to get the S4, which will be available as Black and White versions on Sprint?

The post Purple Samsung Galaxy S3 For Sprint appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Samsung Galaxy S III is widely heralded as one of the best Android smartphones on the market today, but perhaps you don’t want to deal with a locked phone on a contract. Then this unlocked version is for you.

The factory unlocked Samsung Galaxy S III is currently on sale on Amazon for $570. This is said to be 37% off the regular list price of $899.99. You get a 4.8-inch AMOLED HD display, a Snapdragon 1.5GHz dual core processor, Android 4.0 ICS, quad-band 3G, 16GB of storage, and the usual array of Samsung TouchWiz optimizations like Smart Stay, Direct Call, and S-Voice.

This is listed as the international version of the phone, so it starts up in German. Thankfully, it’s really easy to switch it to English by simply going to the language settings. And yes, it’s completely unlocked, so you can pop in whatever compatible SIM card you want.

If you want to save a little more money, the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II international version in ceramic white is also on sale. It can be had for $420.99, which is $379 off the list price of $799.99.

The post Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S3 International Version for $570 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Galaxy S3 deal is being offered through Amazon and it’s for the Verizon version of the Android smartphone. As a quick reminder, this phone has a 4.8-inch 720p display, Android 4.0 ICS, 8MP camera, 16GB memory, microSD slot, and it’s mobile hotspot capable. It also takes advantage of Verizon’s 4G LTE network, giving you average data rates in the 5Mbps to 12Mbps range.

Naturally, the way that you can qualify for the $59.99 price point on the Galaxy S III 4G is that you need to sign a qualifying two-year service agreement with Verizon. That’s all pretty much par for the course and you’ll be getting a great smartphone that’ll keep you happy for those two years anyhow.

The post Samsung Galaxy S III 4G for Just $59.99 on Verizon appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Remember how you could get a free $25 credit toward the Google Play store when you bought a Google Nexus 7 tablet? Now, it’s even better if you decided to pick up a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone, because you’ll be getting a free $50 Google Play credit to spend as you see fit. Buy apps, buy games, buy movies… it’s up to you.

This promotion, according to RadioShack PR guy Adam Lee, will be starting this Sunday, November 18. The catch is that you only get the complimentary Google Play credit when you sign up for a qualifying two-year plan with the corresponding wireless carrier. You can do this in-store with AT&T, Sprint or Verizon. Alternatively, an online purchase can be done with Sprint and Verizon only. You might remember that you also get two years of a 50GB Dropbox account upgrade with the S3 too. That’s a lot of bonus action.

The Samsung Galaxy S III is $99.99 on contract for new and upgrading customers for AT&T and Verizon, while new Sprint customers can get the special promotional price of $49.99; existing Sprint customers pay the same $99.99 contract price. All of this money-spending also qualifies for RadioShack’s holiday bonus of $10 back for every $50 spent in-store or online.

From what I can gather the free $50 Google Play credit only applies if you buy the S3 from RadioShack, but if you’re in the market for this awesome Android smartphone anyway, you might as well get the bonus.

The post Buy a Samsung Galaxy S III, Get a Free $50 Google Play Credit appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

“The main design concept was to reflect nature. We wanted a more emotional, and stronger connection with our customers.”

That’s how Samsung engineers and designers describe how they eventually got the final product that we call the Samsung Galaxy S III. The SGS was built around the design framework of “Minimal Organic,” and they say that they wanted the phone to feel like you’re having a pleasant, calming stroll through the woods. It’s also very clear that they borrowed a lot of inspiration from water, as evidenced by the water droplet home screen and the pervasive “liquid” sound effects throughout the TouchWiz UI.

But even in terms of physical design, they say they were inspired by nature. They saw the rocks in the river and then they “spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to capture the flow of water and the reflection of the light into the design of the phone.” If you look at the battery cover on the back, for instance, you’ll notice that it reflects and has these fine grooves in it. “We used three layers of coating on top of the polycarbonate base. And then, a total of five layers of multi-coating were applied to the surface. So even the slightest change in angle creates a reflection that accentuates the graceful design.”

It’s clear that Samsung is very proud of the SGS3 and they should be. They’ve sold over ten million units to date and counting, making it the most successful Samsung smartphone of all-time. Watch the video below to see just how proud they are and how they got to where they got. I wonder if Apple has a patent on these kinds of videos.

[Source]

The post Video: Samsung Tells “Meaningful Design Story” Behind Galaxy S III appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

At the moment, this is only affecting versions of the S III being sold by Sprint in the United States, but an over-the-air update could just as easily be pushed to other versions of the ICS smartphone being sold across the country wiping out the feature all together. What this means is that when you type in your search in that homescreen search bar now, all you’re going to get are search results from Google and nothing from the insides of your phone.

To make matters worse, this is affecting more than the Galaxy S III. Apparently, a “security patch” is about to be sent out to the Galaxy Nexus too. Under the guise of patching up security holes, this software update will also remove Universal Search from the Galaxy Nexus. To skirt this issue, you can install Google Quick Search Box, which is available as an .apk on the Android Central Forums (post #41). Other forum members are saying that it works, but as always, proceed at your own risk and discretion.

The post Universal Search Removed from Samsung Galaxy S3 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

A fun post was recently published on Samsung Tomorrow, the official global blog for Samsung Electronics. In it, they explain some of the steps that they took so that no leaked information about the Samsung Galaxy S III made its way to the public before the official announcement on May 3. That included leaks to the friends and family of Samsung employees, who felt like they were living “a double-life.”

Security was important. Where there was R&D work being done on the S III–which included both the design and the engineering sides of things–workers needed security cards, fingerprint scans “and everything, designated only for the few that were approved for this top-secret project.” If they had to move a prototype, even across the hall, they had to place them in security boxes “to prevent passers-by from catching a glimpse.” Indeed, they had multiple full-fledged prototypes that looked like final products, complete with multiple versions of each component, just to throw the dogs off the scent.

Instead of using regular 3rd party logistics services for delivering the prototypes to partners and suppliers, the deliveries were handled in-house and in-person. Testing procedures were then “monitored day and night to make sure no leaks in security occurred.”

[Source]

The post Samsung Shows Apple How to Keep Secrets (Galaxy S III) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Samsung Galaxy S III is on its way to all four major US carriers. Waiting impatiently to get your hands on it? That’s understandable. Luckily there are a few test shots from their respective 8MP camera models.

For those that  haven’t been following its specs, the Samsung Galaxy S III has the following specifications: 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED 720p display, Android 4.0 ICS, 8MP rear camera, 1.9MP front camera, S Beam, AllShare Play, AllShare Cast, S Voice, burst shot mode, Smart Stay, Social Tag, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, GPS, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, 16/32/64GB storage, microSD expansion (up to 64GB) and a 2100mAh battery.

Here is a look at the AT&T variant, the SGH-I747

Here’s the Verizon version, the SCH-I535

Here’s the T-Mobile version, the SGH-T999.

Here is the Sprint version, the SPH-L710

As you can tell, the 8MP camera in the Samsung Galaxy S III takes a very attractive picture, no matter what the phone version.

[ source ]

The post Sample Shots From The Samsung Galaxy S III appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

As far as American carriers are concerned, it looks like at least T-Mobile and Sprint are getting it, but there’s no official mention or word for Verizon or AT&T yet. The Sprint version will likely be equipped with the ability to use the upcoming 4G LTE network, whereas the T-Mobile version could make use of their HSPA+ network instead. It has been postulated that the T-Mobile version will be the only one with a quad-core chip, since the LTE versions would require either an external 4G LTE modem or a non-Samsung dual core chip with LTE (likely the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4).

Given the history, we’re expecting the LTE version to arrive at all of Canada’s big three (Rogers, Bell, and Telus) some time this summer, which should be the same launch window for T-Mobile and Sprint.

In case you missed it, here’s a rundown of some of the key specs and features: 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED 720p display, Android 4.0 ICS, 8MP rear camera, 1.9MP front camera, S Beam, AllShare Play, AllShare Cast, S Voice, burst shot mode, Smart Stay, Social Tag, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, GPS, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, 16/32/64GB storage, microSD expansion (up to 64GB) and a 2100mAh battery.

The post Samsung Galaxy S III Headed to T-Mobile and Sprint appeared first on Mobile Magazine.