Samsung captivated and fascinated the world with the epic Galaxy S3. With over 40 million units sold, it’s clear that they did something right. Samsung learned that combining high-end hardware and custom software really helps to make a phone successful. Following the success of the S3, let’s take a look at Samsung’s next big thing, the Galaxy S4. Now, there is a lot to love about this device; Samsung has once again packed in every bit of cutting-edge technology into a slim 7.9mm device. But the real question is whether this device will retain the same popularity as the S3. Samsung has definitely paid close attention to Apple’s iterative upgrade schedule. Meaning, the Galaxy S4 adds a very minimal design change from the S3, although it still packs some serious horsepower under the new 1080p display.
“It’s still plastic, but I’m okay with it.”
From a strictly “looks” standpoint, the average consumer will not notice the difference between an S3 and an S4. Although place the phone in your hand and the difference becomes apparent. It’s much sharper than the S3, offering a flat back and relatively flat sides; the phone feels a bit more high-end. I find it very difficult to say this hardware is “high-end,” especially when you compare it to its two major competitors, the iPhone 5 and HTC One. It’s almost not even an opinion at this point — aluminum and glass hold a higher value than plastic. But plastic or not, the phone still feels great and we get a removable battery.
“Pixels, pixels, and more pixels.”
Samsung has always held their head above water when it comes to their displays, offering the latest resolution and screen technologies at the time. The S4 is no different, with a gorgeous 1080p AMOLED display — it really is beautiful. Most complain about the brightness on AMOLED displays, but I found it completely suitable in just about any lighting situation. The 5″ screen squeezes in 441 pixels-per-inch (ppi), which leaves a single pixel imperceptible to the naked eye. Thanks to Samsung’s clever engineering, the screen grew in size while the device did not.
“Full performance all in a day’s battery.”
Let’s face it: when we heard the rumors of an 8-core mobile processor, we all got a bit excited. When Samsung announced the full specs for the US variants of the S4, every feature seemed to match except the processor. Samsung decided to swap the international variants’ 8-core processor for a quad-core Snapdragon 600. Disappointing? A bit, but use this phone for 30 seconds and try to tell me it’s slow. It blows the S3 out of the water and, paired with Android 4.2, this phone soars. In addition to the speed, Samsung has once again managed to fit a huge 2,600mAh battery into a small chassis. After a full day of pulling 6 email accounts, hardcore tweeting, and running at full brightness, I ended with an average of 30%.
“TouchWiz is… good?!”
As an Android enthusiast, I prefer my device to be running a stock build of Android — manufacturer skins? No thank you. While that’s just my personal preference, when reviewing devices I like to keep them as they were out of the box, and I had a really good experience. Samsung has tailored their applications, refined their user interface, and the result is a very unified, cohesive experience. Whereas previous versions of TouchWiz carried “cartoon-like” traits, this version is very modern and much lighter on the processor.
Bundled with the Galaxy S4 are a few Samsung applications, most notably WatchOn and Samsung Hub. WatchOn works in conjunction with the IR blaster on the top of the device. Using Peel’s technology, you can use the S4 as a universal “smart” remote, offering more than just volume and channel control. WatchOn actually works to replace your TV guide system. Using a series of algorithms, Samsung is able to locate TV shows and movies that you watch frequently, as well as recommend similar programs. Furthermore, instead of glaring at a list of 1,000+ channels, you can see 15-20 personalized shows that are available right then. The newly designed Samsung Hub was also a breath of fresh air compared to previous versions. Instead of four or five separate Hub apps, you now have one application to host all of them, allowing you to quickly purchase games, movies, music, and books. To be honest, Samsung Hub was still an application I could never find myself using — it looks great, but the purpose just isn’t there for me.
“Samsung, shoot.”
In today’s world, a phone’s camera is usually the only camera most people have on them at all times. With that, a good camera has really become a vital feature in every smartphone. As far as specs go, the S4 boasts a 13MP camera with 1080p video recording, and the best part of all, the camera looks as good as it sounds. Photos were rich and vibrant, with plenty of depth of field. The macro capabilities were pretty intense — I could get much closer to the subject and retain great detail and sharpness. Besides the optics, Samsung has also included a few modes to create some unique shots. Drama Mode allows you to take one image with multiple instances of your subject; it sounds great in theory, but my results looked more like the same item blurred four times. Night Mode was a nice feature — it lowers the device’s shutter speed to compensate for low-light situations and it really worked well. Other modes include a revamped Panorama, Beauty Mode, and Auto.
“Gimmickly useful.”
You cannot mention the Galaxy S4 without speaking of the new IR sensors. These sensors allow you to manipulate and interact with the phone in a more unique manner. Straight from the Galaxy Note 2, Air View has made its way to the S4 in a very interesting way. Instead of using an S Pen to hover over the screen, you can now place your finger just above the display to reveal information without actually tapping into the application. This was one of the more useful features, especially in the calendar. Air Gesture was another useful feature that seemed to work 9 out of 10 times, allowing you to scroll by waving your hand over the Samsung logo. Then of course, there is Smart Scroll (formerly promoted as eye scrolling), a feature which literally coins the term gimmick. Smart Scroll lets you awkwardly tilt your head to scroll through webpages — it sounds cool, but it looks ridiculous and worked maybe 2 out of 10 times.
Overall, the screen is great, the phone is fast, and the battery life is suitable. As a successor to one of the most popular Android devices ever, the Galaxy S4 makes a great upgrade from any phone. There are no outstanding flaws with the S4, although it is far from perfect. The still-plastic build does creak and adds an overall “cheap” feeling to the phone. But without a doubt, the pros outweigh the cons, and as they did last year, Samsung has once again put together a very solid device.
