Review: Samsung Galaxy S4 - a "top performer" - Tech & Net

When Samsung launched the Galaxy S4 in March this year , to all appearance would be a smartphone with technical specifications absolutely sweeping. But will this smartphone comes down to performance? And that will be important aspects such as build quality and camera are also the height? We spent some time with the device and then present our analysis.

Hardware and construction.

Galaxy S4, Samsung follows the same principles of construction (with minor changes) existing since the first generation of the Galaxy line. Taking the display / screen that is protected by a glass extremely resistant (Gorilla Glass 3), the entire surface around comes down to a building material: plastic. Likewise, the “frame” or if you prefer, the frame that surrounds the glass is this material, although their painting aluminum try to disguise this and want to give the equipment a construction more elegant. But it is perhaps in this frame which in our opinion lies the weakness of this device. In tests we performed the Galaxy S4, we noticed that the plastic is particularly fragile and prone to blemishes or scratches. This means that if there is no proper care, a smartphone appealing as the Galaxy S4 can quickly lose all its splendor is not saving this frame impact.

Also on construction

a detail of the back cover is fiddly smartphone. The cover itself is quite sturdy and flexible to be built based on polycarbonate (a plastic tougher). However, using the Galaxy S4 brings us memories of the first Android Smartphone that looked – the HTC Magic. At the time as it was more or less a risk betting on Android, HTC opted to control well costs in construction of this device and endowed him with a cover painted plastic back with a polished black tone. The problem is that as the HTC Magic, Samsung Galaxy S4 is a magnet for “fingerprints”. Due to the glossy finish easily attract dirt and grease left by our fingers. The same finish also makes the Galaxy S4 a bit slippery. Therefore, all possible future or recent owners of the Galaxy S4 our advice is: buy a protection cover.

However, the use of lightweight materials in the Samsung Smartphone has an advantage, Galaxy S4 has a weight of only 130 grams. Incidentally the Smartphone is so light that it was sometimes hard to tell if he was in his coat pocket. The fact that Samsung have managed to improve all the technical specifications of its predecessor and at the same time have reduced the weight and thickness (very thin!) The device shows the commitment of the South Korean giant.

But what specifications we talking about? Firstly, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is a real machine processing. This model we received for analysis includes a SoC (System on Chip) which integrates a powerful processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 and a capable graphics processing unit Adreno 320. The process is assisted also by a generous 2GB of RAM . These specifications are guaranteed that the Galaxy S4 can handle the most intensive applications in the world of Android. If you want to have a more general idea of ??the performance / performance see our impressions in the video below. Otherwise see our section performance / performance below.

Screen / Screen

If there is one area where Samsung over the years has cemented its position as market leader is in developing screens / screens. The “know-how” acquired in the market for televisions and investment in research centers to develop AMOLED screens has clearly borne fruit. The display / screen HD Super AMOLED Galaxy S4 is one of the best screens / screens in the market, and is in our opinion a level similar to or higher than the iPhone. The viewing angles provided by the screen / screen are large, and the definition of each letter is a consequence of the high density of dots per inch (441 ppi). To give you an idea of ??the difference in terms of pixel density, the iPhone 5s has 326 ppi (115 ppi’s are that can make all the difference). If the iPhone has a screen / screen quality “retina”, is easy to conclude that the Galaxy S4 has an equivalent “super retina.”

Another feature we like in Samsung’s AMOLED’s colors are more vivid (saturated), giving a new life to your images and videos you see in this smartphone. We are convinced that the tone of vibrant color achieved by these screens is currently inaccessible to any LCD competition. And because the iPhone uses LCD technology it is no wonder that can compete in the fidelity of color reproduction with displays / screens based on AMOLED technology from Samsung.

While we had this equipment in our office every day we discover that meet several gaps in the day-to-day. For example, it is a real pleasure to view a clip, series, or movie anywhere that accompanied this Smartphone. In practice we seem to take a portable television in our pocket. Although 5 inches are quite far from a typical television screen, watch videos in a while Galaxy S4 did not cause us any trouble or fatigue. The high density of pixels and the fact that the screen / screen having a 1080p resolution, are certainly the secrets of a multimedia experience in high fidelity that the Galaxy S4 gave us.

Audio / Speaker

And speaking of high-fidelity audio quality produced by Galaxy S4 was a pleasant surprise. Amplification of Smartphone calls aloud is quite high. But not only! The speaker included in the Galaxy S4 gives it a very amplified audio playback. We tested small video clips, play games or simple audio file (MP3) and playback was quite audible in adjacent divisions of our test. The fidelity of the handset for normal calls is also very good, without any kind of distortion that normally found in Smartphones medium / low range. With the Galaxy S4 thankfully you can enjoy a Smartphone that does not belittle the importance of a good sound quality that is of utmost importance. After all, more or less “intelligent”, ie a mobile / cell phone and as such should be able to perform its primary task (ie making calls) with a good sound quality.

Still Camera

Still Camera is one of the strengths of this Smartphone. Samsung excelled in include the Galaxy S4 what is one of the best cameras (13 megapixels) market Smartphones. Be sufficient to outweigh the quality of the iPhone? We’ll have to wait for the iPhone 5s to reach the market we take questions.

But we are sure you have a camera at least quite competitive with the iPhone 5 with a big advantage. The software included with the camera of the iPhone 5 is quite minimalist. In contrast Galaxy S4 software has a wide range of modes (filters) for image capture. Through these options according to our experience it is possible to “squeeze” the quality of the rear camera to the last pixel.

image capture modes boil down to:

• Automatic: The sensor of the camera chooses the best program automatically (including the best color hues and filters). No need to adjust the conditions of the camera around (default mode).
• Beautiful Face: Applies filters which enrich the skin of the face of the individual photographed, making it brighter and decreasing the imperfections. Think this way a characterization or artificial makeup.
• Best Photography: takes a succession of photos and offers to choose the best for you. However, you can choose all the photos taken that you prefer.
• Best Face: Similar to the way “Best Picture” only focused on picking a succession of photos where the face of the person photographed was more pointed.
• Sound and shooting: Enrich the photos for a few seconds by adding a background sound.
• Drama: This mode allows you to take a set of successive photos and merge them into a single image in order to capture the feeling of movement.
• Animated Photography: Make a photo that has moving objects, highlighting those same objects in the final image.
• Tom Rico (HDR): This way, also present in the iPhone, allows you to apply a method known as HDR (high-dynamic-range) in your photos. This filter in practice takes several photographs of the same point, and tries to merge the display colors, striking a balance between images with lighter shade and dark. The result is an image with a clearer and uniform brightness.
• Eraser: In this mode the camera applies a filter that allows you to remove objects that do not want to appear in the final image
• Panorama: Take a picture 180 degrees. This mode is suitable for taking pictures of sweeping landscapes and is reminiscent of the same function as the camera’s Android has.
• Sports: mode suitable for taking pictures on the go.
• Night: Mode suitable for festive environment with moderate brightness when you need to take pictures without flash.

If you take some time to choose the most appropriate program to the scenario where the results are at least impressive. Then let two examples: an image taken by Galaxy S4 environment in daytime and another at night environment. For the first image, so we used the “Tom Rico (HDR)” while the second was used for mode “Night.”

The ability to capture video at 1080p is also one of the strengths is an enthusiast to record those moments. Gone are the days when the videos captured by smartphones lacked quality, or offering a sense in which the scenarios and the buildings seemed surfaces “gelatinous”. The ability of the camera sensor to capture movement in the videos is quite capable and produces very interesting results especially in the light of day. We left here shows an example where the excellent quality video capture in a particularly cloudy day.

Operating System / Software and Operating

version of Galaxy S4 we tested, includes factory Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) , although it seems this smartphone will receive the update to version Kit Kat. With already being normal, the Galaxy S4 brings customization of the look of Android (one “skin”) created by Samsung, and designated as TouchWiz . We are not particularly enthusiastic this modification, although we understand that manufacturers feel the need to differentiate its offer (the end is all about branding). Fortunately, gone are the times when the Touchwiz version was a “iPhonizada” of Android.

Note this version of TouchWiz is a certain evolution in a more bent on light blue and mergers with elements of nature. For example, unlock the screen, the Galaxy S4 produces a sound that everything resembles a drop to drop in an ocean. Notifications of new emails reproduce a bird chirping. Samsung pasted the “look and feel” of the Galaxy S4 elements.

Due to the above reason

Samsung achieved a unique distinction. However, there is still the details better. The icons that Samsung uses to represent messages SMS, Contacts and even the telephone, little or nothing changed compared to the first Galaxy S. In fact, it seems that the icons came from a “Cartoon” (stories with squares) and are misfits. It’s a detail that Samsung needs to review in future updates – introduce new icons.

But not all of Samsung customizations need to be improved and some are even quite useful. One detail that was quite appreciated the replacement of the Android keyboard. The included keyboard authored by Samsung takes advantage of the screen size / existing screen on the Galaxy S4. How? Adds a numeric keypad on top, which is very handy. Dispenses one of the tedious tasks on keyboards it is: hold an alphabetic character and expect the number to appear. Despite being a minimal customization, efficiency increases greatly in writing.

As for

Software supply is very rich tradition as usually by Samsung. Only the fact describe all the features this Smartphone offers warranted one or more articles. So let’s dwell on the main offers:

• Samsung Apps: is a kind of App Store or Google Play Samsung. Samsung Apps allows you to find and install some of the applications and games. Some of these applications are on Google Play while others are offered exclusively by Samsung. There’s everything: paid apps, free and discounted special
• S Health: is an app dedicated to the management of your fitness. In this app you can control the number of steps you took and if possible consult the calories consumed should a given day. The number of calories is calculated according to your height and weight (which you must enter when you launch S Health first.
• S Memo: allows you to create Memos (notes) so you do not forget something important.
• Planer S: Here you can schedule all your tasks and intervals that will happen over time. OS Planer in practice is the equivalent of the Samsung App for Android’s native calendar.
• Chat On: Instant Messaging Samsung, concurrent with Hangouts, Facebook Messenger and a multitude of similar apps exist for Android.
• Group play: Allows you to join a group in your local Wifi or alternatively create a group. These groups aim to enable sharing of files / files wirelessly assuming that those who join these groups have the app installed. Also can start games in multiplayer environment via NFC connectivity.
• Samsung Link: Allows you to view and play multimedia content (audio or video) originating from other external devices like Tablets or Smartphones.
• Samsung Hub: This app is a central recommendations of games, books, music and videos. In practice offers some shortcuts for applications from Samsung Apps, as well as shortcuts for exclusive offers books and movies.
• Voice S: allows you to perform various tasks such as scheduling events in S Planner or do Google searches through voice commands. This service is inspired by the iPhone’s Siri.
• Translator S: Allows you to translate text into any language you want. The app also allows you to transcribe audio into the original text and translated.
• WatchON: turns your Galaxy S4 in the remote control (or command) to your TV. This app uses infrared emitter included in the equipment.

addition to the previous apps, Samsung also includes customized versions of Flipboard and Tripadvisor. The Flipboard lets you view news in a nice magazine-style format. One new feature in this application is that the user / user can position the finger over a section and see some of the titles present without having to touch the screen / screen. Tripadvisor lets you choose to travel destinations based on suggestions provided by the app, and “feedback” from other users / users.

You can see an overview of some of these apps that provide the images below:

Performance and Autonomy.

In terms of performance the Galaxy S4 in no time disappointed, however – played all the tasks which he was charged with honor and distinction (despite several changes to Android that Samsung does). Although we are not “experts” in the measurement of performance in games, some titles superficially tested to see if we were facing a good replacement for your handheld. One of the game was chosen TurboFly HD, which is one of the titles recommended by Samsung Apps and offered for free download. The TurboFly HD is a futuristic racing game between ships (largely inspired by the wipeout) that makes use of rendering chipset. Not only the game is fluid at max settings, such as the accelerometer Galaxy S4 is very sensitive making the experience much more enjoyable.

But if our impressions are not enough for you, there is always the formal field of benchmarks in order to dispel some doubts. However the benchmarks are not entirely accurate, because as recently saw an independent study , can be manipulated by the manufacturers. However, to establish a baseline, we used the only existing benchmark that, according to the authors was built to combat match-fixing – Antutu Benchmark X . In implementing the benchmark tested various items such as Smartphone CPU, GPU, I / O, RAM and UX . The Galaxy S4 was restarted before running the benchmark, to prevent contamination of the results of the benchmark by some process running in the background. The results were as follows:

The list is led by brand new Galaxy Note 3 , but it is nonetheless interesting, a graphical analysis, noting the differences that exist in the unit we received with the reference value of Galaxy S4. The value of the benchmark relatico Galaxy Note 3 is justified due to the model include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, with a maximum processing capacity 2.3 GHz (quad-core). On the other hand the Galaxy S4 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 that can reach up to 1.9GHZ. In any case if we assume the results as reliable, our Galaxy S4 is still one step ahead of the previous generation models – Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3.

good performance and processing capacity combined with screen / screen size has a significant negative impact on the battery? Our experience with the equipment indicates no. The tests we did with Wifi on, accompanied by regular access to the internet, games and use the camera, took the device lasted most of the time one day and a half. Of course if a data plan for 3g or LTE, depending on your usage habits can not spend 1 day of autonomy (or less). But in our view, the 2600mAh battery is more than enough to meet their basic needs of navigation.

Conclusion and verdict

Galaxy S4 is a smartphone with extraordinary features. Samsung did an important job in getting lighten the Galaxy S4 compared to its predecessor while upgrading the processor, memory and include a camera with a sensor top. The software offer is also extensive and diverse. It is true that you pay for it, but Samsung ensures that goes well served with a range of applications that make this smartphone useful for a multitude of scenarios. May be your ideal companion in physical exercise, a camera elaborate your device to access the Internet, your portable console, your portable TV, etc … (fill your needs).

However

this Smartphone has not only advantages. Probably the most notorious disadvantage boils down to certain details in the build quality and finish of the Galaxy S4. The gleaming finish of the back cover makes it difficult to hold and even slippery being conducive to “go to ground” with regularity, for those who have hands gelatin. And if it falls to the ground, will be coming out innocuous? We have doubts about this aspect, since the daily use showed that the frame is fragile and prone to scratches and little impact resistant. With this device you will have to worry more about what is around the screen / screen (because glass is very resistant).

Weighing the pros and cons is a good buy? If you are willing to open their wallets and pay 649 euros for the model locked to the carrier or 699 euros unlocked by the model (model input), we believe it is a good buy! If you want a device with one of the best cameras on the market, the best screen and excellent performance, will be greatly reduce your options if you do not consider your choice in one of the best smartphones of today – the Galaxy S4.