Just as it did last year, Samsung announced three internal storage configurations for the Samsung Galaxy S4 – 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB.  So far, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon have released, or will be releasing 16 GB versions, while AT&T’s 32 GB Galaxy S4 is scheduled to be released tomorrow.  The 64 GB version, unfortunately, is still questionable at this point, as none of the five carriers have confirmed anything about this variant, not even AT&T, which was once thought to offer the 64 GB Galaxy S4 as it also has the 64 GB HTC One on its lineup.

As the 64 GB Samsung Galaxy S3 was not offered in the United States last year, it would appear that we may be seeing a repeat of this snub in 2013, with no 64 GB Galaxy S4 confirmed by any carrier big or small.  Chances are those who aren’t satisfied with 16 GB or 32 GB onboard storage will have to purchase a microSD card in order to gain themselves additional storage space; microSD support extends up to 64 GB for the Galaxy S4.

So why are U.S. carriers seemingly lukewarm on the 64 GB variant of the Galaxy S4?  Aside from the above microSD support, there’s also the cost of purchasing such a device.  Apple’s 64 GB iPhone 5 costs $299 on-contract, and for the Galaxy S4, pricing could reach as high as $349, assuming $50 increments for each increase in storage space.  But let’s face it – a little more storage space won’t hurt, especially since it’s been widely reported that the 16 GB version only offers 9 GB free space for end users, due to Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and assorted software features taking up the remaining 7 GB.

Yet another Samsung Galaxy smartphone had been spotted by eagle-eyed tech rumor mongers, and this device was the Samsung Galaxy Core.  Right now, this phone is as good as confirmed, but what kind of Galaxy phone is this device?  Fortunately, we now have answers.

Apparently, the Galaxy Core is little more than a rehash of Samsung’s 2011 flagship phone, the Galaxy S2, which should still be a relevant device in some markets despite its relative age.  In Samsung’s press release announcing the Galaxy Core, it merely mentioned the presence of a dual-core processor, but the company didn’t make it clear whether this dual-core is an Exynos powertrain, or possibly an older Qualcomm or TI chip.  The phone is bolstered by 1 GB RAM, and would work with HSPA and GSM connectivity.  The Galaxy Core will reportedly come with the same 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 display found on the original Galaxy S2, a bit of a letdown, but perhaps expected, considering this looks like a device meant for developing markets.  And we also must add that the Galaxy Core is a bit thicker and heavier than the Galaxy S2 of old, with less internal memory at 8 GB.

Still, there are some positive changes onboard, such as Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box.  Other than that, the Galaxy Core looks like something we may not see stateside, but a phone that should be a solid midrange offering nonetheless.  Pricing has yet to be announced for either single-SIM or dual-SIM flavor, but if the Galaxy S2’s unlocked price is an accurate basis, we can expect something around $300 for an off-contract Galaxy Core.

Early Samsung Galaxy S4 adopters seem to be having a good number of issues with the flagship handset, as reports have emerged regarding bugs that include, but are not limited to poor battery life and fuzzy display quality.  This adds to reports suggesting that international versions of the Galaxy S4 running on Samsung’s Exynos eight-core processor suffer from something users have playfully referred to as the S Lag “feature”, or a tendency for the phone to freeze without warning.

Battery life, which had supposedly been remedied through Samsung’s use of a larger 2,600 mAh battery on the Galaxy S4, is one of the most pertinent issues at the present.  Tech site Gotta Be Mobile had done its own homework on the matter, and tried testing several scenarios where abnormal battery drain would purportedly take place.  In one test, a fully charged Galaxy S4 had gone down to half of its charge the morning after.  It also seems that features and apps such as Google Play Music and Media Server are draining battery life for an unexplained reason.  This may be a problem related to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean or it may also be a Galaxy S4 specific issue, though nothing remains sure at this point.

And while Samsung had done well by riding the 5-inch, 1080p trend with the Galaxy S4, there have also been some device owners who have reported purple smudging when they try scrolling through the device’s user interface.  This doesn’t seem to be a widespread problem as of the moment, though there are more and more users reporting such problems on sites such as XDA-Developers.

For both issues and others, a software update may be the best way around things, but since Samsung has yet to announce or roll out an update, the best thing users can do, at least for the battery problems, would be to purchase an extended battery a la carte.