Samsung S4 and [ANT+] Garmin devices

The S4 is a rather popular phone, and if you plan to use it with my app (Uploader for Garmin) there are a few things you need to know.

If your ROM version is less than 4.2, your phone works just fine with most Garmin devices. If you plan to connect an ANT+ forerunner (310xt, 610, 910xt, 405, 405cx, 410) you need an OTG adapter, so that you can plug in the Garmin USB ANT+ dongle. Just follow the instructions here or here.

If your ROM version is 4.2.x, you may have troubles. That version basically breaks the USB, and if you connect an old Forerunner 305 you'll get a security warning when you run my app; if you connect an ANT+ key, you'll get a security warning about the dynastream driver, and you'll probably never get to step 3 in the instructions above. Unfortunately, it's not something that can be fixed by an app. You have to wait for version 4.3.

Version 4.3 is a huge step forward. For old devices, well, it's just a good step backward :-), that is, the Forerunner 305 will simply work again as before (OTG adapter needed). However, if you have an ANT+ forerunner, you no longer need the ANT+ key, as Samsung has finally enabled the internal ANT+ chip in the S4. Simply follow the instructions I wrote for the xperia and you'll be set (in a nutshell: you don't need the ant+ usb service anymore, and you need to set a flag in the app).

By the way: the S3 has the same internal ANT+ chip, but it is not clear if Samsung is going to enable it in a later version.