SYDNEY, Australia, August 20, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Australia Pty Ltd today released local pricing and availability details for among the world’s-first TDD-LTE (Time-Division Duplex) and FDD-LTE (Frequency Division Duplex) capable devices with the Australian launch of GALAXY S4 mini and GALAXY S4 variants.
Australian pricing and availability of the TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE capable GALAXY S4 mini and GALAXY S4 variants comes after the recent announcement of Samsung’s partnership with telecommunications provider, Optus, to offer a new mobile experience for Australians after testing these units on the latest Optus 4G* TDD-LTE network, currently being rolled out across Australia.
“Being first-to-market with world leading devices that are supported by a premium TDD-LTE network represents a milestone for mobile technology in Australia and is indicative of the constantly evolving collaboration Samsung maintains with leaders in telecommunications networks,” said Tyler McGee, Vice President – Telecommunications, Samsung Electronics Australia.
“With the launch of the TDD-LTE capable GALAXY S4 mini and GALAXY S4 variants in Australia, Samsung is offering consumers greater choice when selecting a smartphone that suits their unique requirements,” added McGee.
The GALAXY S4 mini variant is available through Optus retailers for pre-orders today at www.optus.com.au/S4mini and will be shipped to selected retail outlets around Australia from August 28, 2013. The new dual mode GALAXY S4 will be available in-store at selected Optus retail outlets around Australia and online from mid-September 2013.
TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE Supported Devices
Samsung and Optus conducted detailed testing of the dual band TDD/FDD-LTE versions of the GALAXY S4 mini and new GALAXY S4 handsets earlier this year. Optus’ new mobile site development, as well as upgrades to existing sites across metro locations, will consist of combined TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE technologies so customers with dual 4G devices can access Optus’ 4G network in more places.
“This exciting launch from Samsung means Optus customers can get their hands on two great new smartphones – then get ready for a new network experience,” said Rohan Ganeson, Managing Director Sales, Optus.
“These smartphones, combined with our new TDD/FDD-LTE network paves the way for greater 4G capacity on the Optus network,” Ganeson added.
Currently available in parts of Canberra, Australia, Optus’ TDD-LTE network will be rolled out across select Australian metropolitan centres over the coming year.
Mini Design and Powerful Performance
The new GALAXY S4 mini delivers premium performance, intuitive ease-of-use and sleek design of the GALAXY S4 in a highly portable, chic and compact design, helping to make it an ideal companion for everyday life.
With a 4.3” qHD Super AMOLED display, 107g light weight and compact design, the GALAXY S4 mini is easy to carry and operate with one hand. Though compact, the GALAXY S4 mini also boasts powerful performance, equipped with a 1.7GHz dual core processor that assists users to quickly and easily perform data intensive tasks.
Capture and Share Important Moments
The GALAXY S4 mini allows users to capture important moments with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.9-megapixel HD front-facing camera. Special features such as Sound&Shot, which stores sound and voice together as pictures are taken, and Panorama Shot, which assist users to photograph the full view of their surroundings to help ensure that no memory is lost. Users can also automatically arrange photos in a smart format with the Story Album function whereby photographs taken using the GALAXY S4 mini are automatically gathered and saved according to the user’s timeline, geo-tagging information or a specific event to create a photo album.
The Samsung GALAXY S4 mini helps allow users to share and build true connections. Users can simultaneously listen to the same music and play games together with friends using the Group Play~ feature, and chat with multiple friends and add animations, video and voice recordings to messages using ChatON#.
Making Life Simple and Easy
The new GALAXY S4 and GALAXY S4 mini devices help provide international travel easy with S Translator^, which provides text or voice translation on email, text message or ChatON#. Receive travel assistance and an information service through the preloaded S Travel** application, which can also recommend future trips and provide a guide along the way.
Users can also control their compatible Samsung Smart TVs through WatchON’s~~ IR remote application which transforms GALAXY S4 and GALAXY S4 mini devices into a remote to control for the user’s compatible Samsung Smart TVs, set-top boxes, and DVD players. Through WatchON~~, the GALAXY S4 mini also offers a broad selection of entertainment content including live TV, cable TV and video on demand based on the EPG (Electronic Program Guide). Samsung Link~ also enables users to share content across multiple compatible Samsung digital devices.
The new GALAXY S4 and GALAXY S4 mini devices also help users keep up-to-date with personal health and well-being details. Downloadable from Samsung Apps^^, S Health## enables users to monitor caloric balance and health condition. S Health## accessories can also help users calculate daily steps, monitor sleeping patterns, calculate weight and get real-time heart monitoring.
The devices also include an Adapt Display function which provides an optimal viewing experience for users, customised for each type of application, and an Adapt Sound function which offers an optimal level and type of sound, personalised for each user.
Pricing and Availability
The GALAXY S4 mini and new GALAXY S4 TDD/FDD Dual Mode LTE capable devices will be made available via selected Optus retail outlets in September 2013 and supported by the latest Optus network technology that is currently being rolled out around Australia.
The GALAXY S4 mini is available on a number of great value Optus plans, including the $50 My Plan with $5 monthly handset repayment fee offering 450 minutes of standard national voice calls, unlimited standard SMS and MMS to Australian mobiles and 500MB of mobile internet data (Minimum Total Cost is $1320 over 24 months, cost of 1MB included data $0.0300), all for use within Australia, and subject to the Optus Mobile Fair Go™ Policy. The GALAXY S4 mini can also be purchased outright for RRP $576.
From mid-September 2013, customers can pick up the dual mode new GALAXY S4 with a $7 monthly handset repayment on the Optus $60 My Plan which comes with 600 minutes of standard national voice calls, unlimited standard SMS and MMS to Australian mobiles and 1GB of mobile internet data (Minimum Total Cost is $1608 over 24 months, cost of 1MB included data $0.0195), all for use within Australia, and subject to the Optus Mobile Fair Go™ Policy. The dual mode new GALAXY S4 will also available outright for RRP $744.
The GALAXY S4 mini will be available in two colours: White Frost and Black Mist.