The Next "Next Big Thing" is Coming to AT&T

It's official - AT&T has announced that they will "bring the Galaxy S4 to the nation's fastest 4G LTE network," an exciting if not expected move considering they were "the first to deliver Samsung's Galaxy series." With over 40 million devices sold, Samsung's last model, the Galaxy S3, quickly became the world's most popular Android phone. Will the newest edition to the AT&T family of Samsung Galaxy devices outdo its predecessor? We think so. Here's why.

More Screen, Less Bulk
For starters, the 4.8" screen on the S3 has grown to a full 5" on the S4, yet the body of the phone has only increased in height while decreasing in width, thickness and weight. The "Full HD Super AMOLED" screen display is as dazzling as you'd expect at 1080p (that's 441 pixels per inch).

Smart and Entertaining
One of our favorite new features on the S4 is the ability to use the device as a remote control for your home entertainment system. Even cooler is Smart Pause, an almost unbelievable feature that uses eye-tracking technology to automatically pause a video when you look away, so you don't miss a thing.

Ditch all those Health and Fitness Apps - Now you Only Need One
The S4 comes with its own native health and fitness app called S Health, and it's actually very useful. It works as a pedometer, calorie counter, workout calendar, even a sleep monitor!

Air Gestures
You can preview lots of content on the S4 simply by hovering your finger over the screen - no touching required. Hover your finger a few centimeters over an email header and you can preview the body text, or magnify browser content. Pass your hand over the screen to scroll, switch tabs or skip music tracks. You can even answer calls with a simple wave!

Group Play
This is another one of our favorite features on the Galaxy S4. Group Play allows you to connect up to 8 devices, so you can play a variety of multi-player games with friends in real-time. The number of games that will work with this feature will initially be limited, but it's such a cool idea, we can't imagine the library won't grow fairly quickly after the device is launched.

Rory Kelsey, an avid Samsung user and Sales Representative at Car-Tel Communications' Center City location, anticipates the S4 as being potentially "the best" smartphone on the market to date:

Samsung’s Galaxy line of phones started off quite strong, but has since risen to the peak of smartphone innovation and beyond.  The Galaxy S4 is one of the best smartphones to date, if not the best, with its five inch screen, 1.9GHz processor and running Android’s latest iteration, Jellybean.  Despite coming to a point where innovation is accomplished mostly through software development rather than hardware, Samsung has found a way to distinguish itself once again in both arenas.  The device efficiently balances its blistering performance with solid battery life and a smooth, intuitive interface. 

Among its myriad of features, S Translate allows you to speak in one language and have the phone dictate in another; Smart stay and smart scroll can follow your eye movements to control the device, and its Siri-like voice recognition outdoes Siri without breaking a sweat.  Have an appointment across town? The phone will prepare your directions before you leave..  Running late to the train? Google Now automatically pulls up the next few departure times while you’re dashing to the station.  And to top it all off, “Air Gestures” allow you to control the phone without actually touching the screen.  There is no end to the list of features that make this smartphone so unique, and we haven’t even touched on its sleek, stylish exterior.  Clearly I could go on forever about the phone and barely scratch the surface, so you’ll have to come on in and check it out for yourself!

There's no word yet on a specific release date for the Samsung Galaxy S4, but we can't wait to get our hands on one. If you're waiting for the launch date with the same anticipation, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, and you'll know when we know!

6 Unique Features of the New BlackBerry Z10

"I am really looking forward to the Blackberry Z10. It's a very get-to-the-point type of device. It's like having a personal secretary, especially with the customization and features this phone will offer. Plus I am highly looking forward to the new camera features!" - Lindsey Achuff, Sales Representative at Car-Tel Communications, Delran

BlackBerry is back! After briefly stepping out of the smartphone game (they haven't released a new model on AT&T since the Bold 9900), RIM has dropped their company name and has fully committed to the BlackBerry brand. They've updated their signature smartphone concept, and are finally back on the scene with the release of the BlackBerry Z10 slated for this coming weekend. 

BlackBerry Z10, available March 22 for AT&T customers

One reason BlackBerry loyalists have championed the brand over Apple and Android is the alternative operating system. BlackBerry 10 has been "re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented" to offer customers a faster and smarter new platform that will continuously adapt to their needs. Rory Kelsey, Sales Representative at Car-Tel Communications' Center City location, has been anticipating BlackBerry's new operating system for months, and accordingly, has a lot to say about it:

"Blackberry's Z10 and the new BB10 operating system is based on a complete redesign of the platform and incorporates features that the handset maker has been working on for years. They acquired the QNX platform in 2010, which is used in everything from vending machines to fighter jets, and built their new OS on that foundation.  It is one of the most reliable and respected systems in the entire tech industry, and BlackBerry has put together a great piece of hardware to run it. The phone and OS are stylish, sophisticated and more intuitive than on any BlackBerry we've ever seen, with integrated email, SMS, Facebook, Twitter and BBM. The screen is higher resolution than the iPhone's touted "Retina" display, and the virtual keyboard is completely revolutionary. There is no doubt it will be a contender against the 3 smartphone giants, Apple, Android and Windows phone, and BlackBerry has made it clear that they are in it to win it."

Here are 6 of the most exciting new features available on the BlackBerry Z10:

BlackBerry Hub is a convenient new component of the BlackBerry OS, acting as a central location for your emails and other messages. You can use a simple swipe gesture from any app to quickly peek at your hub, and easily go back to what you were doing.

BlackBerry Touchscreen Keyboard learns how you write, and adapts to your own personal typing style so you can communicate faster and with more accuracy.

BBM Video and Screen Share are new advances made to BlackBerry Messenger, a traditional feature of the brand's devices about which enthusiasts have raved for a long time. Now you can chat face to face with your BBM friends, and even share your screen content.

Time Shift and BlackBerry Story Maker make taking photos and creating memories easier than ever. Time Shift is a very cool, unique feature that captures the moments before and after you snap a photo, so you can choose the best shot. Story Maker lets you sequence those moments to create a video with just a few swipes.

BlackBerry Balance lets you seamlessly switch between using your Z10 for work and your personal life without compromising the security of your business-related content when connected to BlackBerry Enterprise.

BlackBerry Enterprise Service provides AT&T business and government customers with secure access to work email, firewall-protected apps and data, and offers other security and management features

We are very excited for this weekend's launch of the fastest and most advanced BlackBerry device yet! Get yours at your local Car-Tel AT&T store, or come visit any time for a demo of the new BlackBerry Z10.