So yesterday Samsung launched the S4. The specs are –
-5″ 1080p Super AMOLED HD Display (441 PPI) which works with gloves on
-1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor / 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos processor (depending on region)
-2GB DDr3 RAM
-13MP rear camera, 2MP front facing camera with dual shooting mode + HDR modes on both
-16/32/64GB internal storage
-MicroSD slot with support for cards up to 64GB
-Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
-Samsung Smart Scroll – USe your eyes to scroll down the screen when reading – no hands required.
-Samsung Smart Pause – pause a video by looking away from the screen
-AirView – simply hove over content with your finger to see a preview
-Share Music – connect multiple Galaxies as a set of speakers
-S Translator – instant text or voice translation
-Bluetooth 4.0
-4G LTE
-Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
-MHL 2.0
-Infrared (IR) Blaster
-Temperature and humidity sensors
-2,600 mAh battery
-136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9mm
-130g
-Available in Black or White
And it’s made of plastic but that does allow for a removable back cover and replaceable battery which judging by all the above you might need a spare battery in your wallet. It also has a version of video calling but with more options using both cameras to show back and front and share the screen contents, something Blackberry introduced with their Z10. It also has an app called S Health. The S4 has a pedometer built in and using the accelerometer and other sensors you can use the S4 to manage your health. There were also accessories that linked up to this app. That’s neat.
The S Hub. Samsung have amalgamated all their shopping services into one app, similar to Google Play. Actually do Samsung want you to use Google Play. You can create photo books on the device and then have them uploaded and printed for a fee. Reminds me of Apple’s app Cards.
The S4 has wireless charging as standard and the back cover is ready to rock. Just need the wireless pad. It also has thermal throttling on the US version when temperatures hit over 70°.
So what do I think. Well specification wise it seems amazing. In reality would you use all of it? Samsung has evolved the S3 using better hardware and software integration. What we don’t know is the camera specifics other than its 13mp. We don’t know how good the audio quality is? We do know the screen adapts to what you are using by adjusting the colours and contrasts automatically.
Samsung also has a number of accessories to go with this from the S Band and S Flip case.
What was bizarre was the audience didn’t really seem to applaud the S4 during its launch show. Also bear in mind that the HTC One looks better and has a better screen. So Samsung theoretically is not top of its game. And if you want waterproof and dust proof there is the Sony Xperia Z. So the S4 is different but not game changing.
Am I going to get one. Not at the moment. I need to discover more about the device and I also want to see what Apple introduce later on, as well as seeing what improvements are made with the Note 3.
