Samsung Galaxy S4 Problems: Manufacturer Will Review Internal Storage Issues, Fixes May Come Through 'Further Software Optimization'

Samsung Galaxy S4 owners disappointed by the lack of internal memory in their new handsets may soon get a reprieve as Samsung now says it is now looking into new ways to expand the smartphone’s storage capacity for personal use.

In a response to the BBC Watchdog program that recently called the Korean manufacturer out on its shady practice of advertising the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone as having 16GB of internal storage but only offering about 9GB of storage for personal use, Samsung has released a statement further addressing the issue.

“We appreciate this issue being raised, and we will improve our communications,” a Samsung spokesperson told CNET UK. “Also, we are reviewing the possibility to secure more memory space through further software optimization.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 was heavily advertised as containing 16GB storage options in its prerelease; however, owners quickly discovered that more than 6GB of that storage was already used up by system files, which include the many “innovative” features that Samsung also heavily advertised with its “next big thing.”

The company initially responded by saying that the features in the Samsung Galaxy S4, such as its 5-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD Super AMOLED display, were designed to benefit the user experience despite taking up a considerable amount of memory.

However, Watchdog wasn’t buying the “greater good” explanation. While the Samsung Galaxy S4 does contain a number of high-tech features, users find that many of them remain unused and are simply taking up space that could be available for personal use.

Samsung has indicated that it is looking into ways to expand internal storage through system updates; however, some note that the system partition for internal storage on the Galaxy S4 is nearly full without any changes. This makes us wonder from where this extra storage will come. Others have considered that Samsung could make the Galaxy S4’s features customizable, allowing users to delete apps and systems they do not use and free up that space for personal use.

It will be interesting to see exactly how the company tackles this issue, as despite its hiccups the Galaxy S4 has become the fastest selling Samsung smartphone with more than 6 million units sold in less than three weeks.

“Samsung is committed to listening to our customers and responding to their needs as part of our innovation process,” the manufacturer said in closing.