The Big Three arrive in the UAE

They’re here. Three big smartphones will make their UAE debut this week – for those who pre-book. The much-awaited Samsung S4 is coming on April 27 through retailer Jacky’s Electronics and operator du. Jacky’s says customers can pay Dh200 to pre-book and then pay the balance of Dh2,399 for the basic version of the device when they collect it upon its release. The retailer is also among many vendors including Carrefour to offer pre-book options for the QWERTY BlackBerry Q10, again with payment of Dh200. The device, exclusively available with an etisalat connection for now, is also available for pre-order on the operator’s website for Dh2,699. Delivery is May 10.

Then there’s the HTC One, also priced Dh2,699, available for pre-book through operator du with a payment of Dh200. Delivery is April 25th.

Just.me free messaging is now available

Here’s one for all you free messaging fans. Just.me is now available for iOS users , which looks very similar to Facebook’s messaging service, chatheads and all. But what’s different about Just.me is you can message just about everyone in your contact list, even if they don’t have the app, and they will receive it via email or SMS. You can also save all your chat history to the your own private cloud for future reference. There are so many messaging apps already but the guys behind this free app surely thing there’s space for more.

Travel back in time with YouTube

And for those prone to nostalgia, YouTube is letting you relive the past by turning some of its videos into VHS quality. To celebrate the 57th birthday of the commercial video cassette recorder, select videos will now feature a VHS button in the bottom of the video player. Just click on the icon and turn the video into a fuzzy, analog-quality video and travel back in time. HD fans, look away now.

Beauty and the bass

Bang & Olufsen is known for their beautifully designed products. The Danish company has just reiterated that with the Beoplay A9, a gong-style wireless speaker that’s sure to be a great conversation starter. No buttons on this one, except for a very discreet power button at the back - just swipe the top of the curve right or left for volume controls. Music is served through your smartphone or tablet, wirelessly, or through mini jacks for those who preferred to be wired. Designed by the Copenhaen-based Øivind Alexander Slaatto, the A9 is a complete speaker, meaning you won’t need extra amplifiers, speakers, cables or other accessories. It’s priced Dh9,000-plus in the UK. Call the Dubai store to find out when it’s available 04 339 9314.