Stefan Mileschin

New York is an Apple stronghold highlighted by the fact that the New York Times only prints positive Apple stories and reviews, so the fact that Samsung is going to launch its Galaxy S4 smartphone in the town is clearly heresy.

According to Samsung, after the iPhone 5 and Mac mini fiasco it has been swamped with requests from US mobile carriers to be a little more proactive on Apple's turf. While we don't think this is likely, it is interesting that Cupertino might find itself with more earnest competition in the US.

AP reports that the Galaxy S4 model will heat up competition in the crucial US mobile phone market and this will be the first US launch of Samsung's flagship Galaxy smartphone in three years.

Company spokesperson Chenny Kim said this comes amid a Samsung advertising blitz in the US that has been taking the Nintendo out of Apple fans, pointing out that stupid is not exactly cool.

The new Galaxy model is expected to feature a higher-resolution display and camera than its predecessor, as well as a faster quad-core processor.

It will put the phone at the head of a smartphone advantage over Apple this year.

While Apple is saying nothing, and the New York Times will almost certainly write off the new phone, Apple investors have grown anxious about the company's prospects.

Apple shares have slumped 15 percent this year and the company is reportedly slashing orders for screens and other components from its Asian suppliers as intensifying competition erodes demand for its latest iPhone.

PS: If this model is indeed called the S4 we will be interested to see how the phone does in Asian markets. The number 4 is considered highly unlucky and is usually associated with death.

http://news.techeye.net/mobile/samsu...k-for-s4-event