Samsung Galaxy S4
The introduction of Samsung’s S4 to the maelstrom that is the
international smartphone slug fest has seen a lot of coverage in recent
days. Is it an iPhone killer? Does it signal a new direction ? Will it
factor into further Apple vs. Samsung litigation? Does hardware even matter anymore since it’s the operating systems that are key?
All of these questions make sense to ask when trying to observe
Samsung’s market strategy, how it stacks up against competitors and what
the smartphone-buying public really wants. That said, the most
important thing to learn about is what, exactly, it has to offer. Let’s
see what the professional technology watchers have to say about it
South Korean giant Samsung launched its new flagship Galaxy S4 on march 14th 2013 at the Radio City music hall in New York. The ceremony, which will be broadcast live in Times Square, will be the presentation of latest Apple's rival and a new attempt to become leader in the mobile market.
Despite Samsung already sells more handsets than any other
manufacturer, if we talk about economical benefits, Apple has remained
unchallenged. However, according to analysts, Seoul's firm could have a
chance this year to overtake Steve Jobs' company with its
Galaxy S franchise.
“I wouldn't be surprised if the new Samsung device sells more than the
new Apple device over the next two years”, said Francisco Jeronimo from
analysis firm IDC.
Among the new features that we will see in three days, new
Galaxy S4 is expected to allow users to scroll the screen and pause video just with the movement of their eyes. Back in January,
Samsung registered the names "eye scroll" and "eye pause", and everything indicates that both will be part of its next device.
Features
Samsung Galaxy S4 release date and price
The Samsung Galaxy
S4 will roll out with a staggering 327 operators across 155 countries
and the Galaxy S4 release date is April 26.
Want to know where to pick one up in the U.K.? Check out this list of retailers that will be
selling the Galaxy S4.
Additionally, here are the full details on the
Samsung Galaxy S4 U.S. carriers. For those in Australia, here's a full list of carriers
selling the S4.
We
expect the Samsung Galaxy S4 price to be about £480(
US$725/62,008.21 KES)
SIM-free, although the Galaxy SIV price is yet to be confirmed.
BIG Screen
The new S4 has a slightly larger screen than its predecessor, the S3.
It’s also an HD screen, with 1080 x 1920 pixels and improved sharpness.
According to an in depth review by TechRadar, “the 441ppi pixel
density
doesn’t match the HTC One, but is more than good enough for the average user.”
On a down note, however, TechRadar found the plastic case of the
phone could feel off-putting or cheap to some, compared to other similar
phones out there.
Features
The S4 runs on Android 4.2.2.2. Jellybean which is the latest
iteration of that OS. Reviewers at product review hub CNET were
impressed with certain functions of the device, including multi-view
mode that allows users to split the screen between two apps—good for
when you’re trying to find a restaurant and check out the subway map to
get there (there may be other applications for that feature, but I
cannot think of any).
There is also an optical character recognition feature that can
turn business cards into text, Voice Drive for accessing features like navigation while driving, and a calorie counter for the health and fitness-conscious.
As expected, Drop box is integrated, as it was on the S3. Still, nice to have.
Eye Tracking
A rumored feature involving the tracking of a user’s glance is new to
the Galaxy S4. Called Smart Pause, the phone monitors your gaze when
you’re watching video content and pauses the video when you look away.
Another feature allows you to scroll through content by tilting the
device up or down.
Camera
The S4 boasts a 13 megapixel back-facing camera, which managed to
impress FORBES contributor
Larry Magid.
One of the more interesting features of the device’s photo capabilities
is that it allows the user the option of inserting him or herself into
the photo being taken in a small window in the frame of the shot. No
more being left out of shots.
Samsung Galaxy S4 design
The polycarbonate chassis is still
in use, although the metallic banding around the side, is much sturdier
and feels more premium - though it's still plastic. Color-wise, there's
the choice of 'White Frost' and 'Black Mist', although Samsung says "a
variety of additional color options will be available later this year".
Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE and WI-Fi
The S4 apparently supports
both LTE variants - "all frequencies and standards covered" says
Samsung. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is also supported, alongside the more usual
802.11b/g/n.
Samsung Galaxy S4 battery
The S4 packs a fairly huge 2,600MAH
pack, up from the 2,100 offering we got on the S3. It will surely need
it with such a powerful processor on board.
Samsung Galaxy S4 dimensions and weight
The S4 is somehow smaller than the
Galaxy S3 at 136.1 x 69.8mm. It's a 5-inch handset, which is exactly the same height as its predecessor (5.38 x 2.34 x 0.5 inches).
It
also appears to be unbelievably thin - considering the amount of tech
stuffed inside - with the Samsung Galaxy S4 measuring a svelte 7.9mm.
It's a whole gram lighter than its predecessor too, at 130g.
Interface
Samsung hasn't really re-tooled the Touchwiz
overlay for the Galaxy S4, but has added some clever upgrades that will
have some users talking about innovation.
For
instance, the lock screen doesn't have the water rippling any more, but
does register your finger from up to two centimetres away, so a little
beam of light will follow your digit as you unlock. It's something
you'll definitely play with for ages.
It's clear with the Galaxy
S4 that Samsung has worked out there's only so much it can do on the
hardware side these days – not to say that we're pretty impressed with
the spec list - and as such has tried to bring the unique flavour
through the interface instead.
As before with Touchwiz, there's a
definite sense the whole process has been simplified, as the phone has
got a much easier feel to it when swiping around. That's not to say
there aren't loads of widgets to be played with, but there is less
clutter on the larger screen.
The dock at the bottom of the display pervades, and there are more widgets to play with. Thanks to the Galaxy S4 running
Android Jelly Bean
4.2.2 you've now got an addition in the notifications bar of a toggle
in the top-right hand corner where you can turn on and off pretty much
anything, from
NFC to Group Cast to eye-tracking.
Swiping
around the display was easy as pie – it's not exactly taxing on the
processor, but we did note that there was a slight pause as we swiped
through the menu screen on this pre-production model.
However,
there is a worry that the octo-core (yes, you read that right) 1.6 GHz
Exynos 5 CPU, with 2GB of RAM as well, could suck power a little too
dramatically – but we've yet to hear the full details of how the CPU
will work before we can pass any judgement on that.
Smart Stay,
which tracks your eyes to tell if you're looking at the screen, has
stablemates now. Smart Pause will note if your gaze leaves the screen
and will pause the video, and Smart Scroll will check when you're
reading a web page and scroll up and down as you tilt the device.
It's
a novel idea for replacing things you do already but in practice we
didn't find either that useful. Smart Pause takes a second to register
your gaze has gone, which means you'll still miss part of the video, and
Smart Scroll (again, pre-production model) was far from accurate when
we tilted the phone.
Smart
Voice hasn't been upgraded beyond improving the accuracy of the voice
recognition and Driving Mode, which will give you more voice-related
feedback when you're in your motor.
Smart Alert has been upgraded:
now it's joined by Air Gestures, which allow you to swipe the phone
without touching the screen. So this means you can flip through pictures
or music tracks ("good if you have messy fingers" says Samsung) flick
to the top of a list by wiping upwards on the screen and Air Call Accept
starts the camera… no, we're joking. It accepts a call without touching
the screen.
On top of that there's Hover mode, which is the same
as Air View on the Note 2 which used the S Pen and tracked when it was
near the screen to give previews of emails, video scrolling without
disturbing the action, and seeing who is on speed dial.
A quick
test with this saw the preview being activated a little too easily, but
it's definitely a neat feature and something we could get used to.
But
overall the good news is the large screen looks great, the improved CPU
might not be needed but is welcomed and the little touches like the
shining lock screen do actually feel like a real step forward.
GENERAL FEATURES OF THIS MODEL
Samsung Galaxy S4 OS
Android Jelly Bean
4.2.1 is the software on board the Galaxy S4, with Samsung's TouchWiz
user interface having been given a spruce up before being slapped on
top.
Building on the Smart Stay feature found in the Galaxy S3 and
Galaxy Note 2, Samsung equipped the Galaxy S4 with smarter eye tracking software.
Smart Pause will know to hold things when you look away and Smart
Scroll checks when you're looking at the screen and will move the page
as you tilt the phone back and forth. Air Gestures mean you'll be able
to jump to the top of lists, skip music and flick through
pictures/answer calls without even touching the screen.
There's also
Samsung's Knox security feature for separating work and play.
Samsung also unveiled
S Voice Drive
for the driver who loves to multitask. This feature will activate when
you start your car and will read incoming text messages aloud, let you
dictate text messages, or use navigation features with your voice so you
don't have to take your eyes off the road.
Some features that are new to the S4 include:
- "Dual
Camera": so you can take simultaneous photos and videos using both the
rear and front cameras, then blend the pictures together
- "Story
Album": curates content, such as SNS posts, memos, location and weather
information, as well as photos and videos, to create a photo album which
is personalised around your timeline of special occasions and events
- "Group Play": means you can enjoy music, photos and games with those around you, without requiring a Wi-Fi AP or cellular signal
- "Samsung Smart Pause": so you can control the screen using your eyes
- "Air
View": allows you to hover with your fingers to preview the content of
an email, S Planner, image gallery or video without having to open it
- "Air Gesture": so you can change a music track, scroll up and down a web page, or accept a call with a wave of your hand
- "S Health" software: empowers your life by keeping you up-to-date with health and wellbeing information through a range of accessories
