Much has been going around about the 4.3 update to Samsung devices. With the integration of Knox users can no longer officially flash to an older version of android and once you root your device you can no longer get official updates. It's not a secret. The information comes up on the screen before you update but still people are shocked, shocked I tell you!
In spite of all the warnings I happily updated my S4 and as expected saw very little difference. There was a Knox app now so I thought I would give it a try. Knox creates a secure sandbox for apps. Unlike the Blackberry version, this can be implemented by users without running server side software. It's simple to jump back and forth as you can activate from the notification shade and on the knox home screen there's an icon to return to your home screen. You can view all your unsecured info in the Knox space but not Knox stuff doesn't show up outside of the Knox space. You have the option to delay having to re-enter your password if you are moving back and forth.
Some features of Knox include, the home button stays within the Knox box until you return to your personal space, you can't do screen shots while running Knox, personal calendars show up in SPlanner and you can continue personal conversations in hangouts. Most of the Samsung Applications have Knox versions which is really nice. I did set up my work email in there (so if they explode the account, my personal stuff remains) and it's nice to know if I take pictures they won't get backed up like my personal ones do. I even don't mind the launcher skin they use. The icons are crisp and more subdued. The Knox store offerings are pretty decent as well. There is a mix of free and paid apps including the popular GoTo apps by Citrix, a secured PDF reader, scanning software and a ton of audit software which really plays to the Note 3.
All in all I'm pretty impressed with the Knox implementation. It's simple and intuitive and would be great for people who want extra privacy on their device even if it isn't a BYOD.
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