Terrific Smartphone with smaller weaknesses

Terrific Smartphone with smaller weaknesses

Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone (4.99 inch AMOLED touch screen, 16GB memory, Android 4.2) - Black (Wireless Phone)

Customer Review

Hello! After I got already delivered the HTC One early April by Amazon (see. To my HTC One review) and me this device unfortunately could not completely convince, I have with the Galaxy S4 finally found a worthy successor to my Galaxy S2. Suffice to HTC: The One is also a great device, but did not bother me personally, the lack of hardware menu button then very strongly (by the additional menu bar is in many apps not the entire screen can be used), the camera was only mediocre and the display was me, unfortunately, not entirely convincing (but which may be that I am used by S2 AMOLED or even to the quality variation of the HTC displays, perhaps just a matter of taste). In sum certainly evenly matched devices, both of which have their pros and cons. With Connect, for example, is the S4 at # 1, with chip HTC One. In the end therefore a matter of personal preference. Below I will give a summary of the main pros and cons of the Galaxy S4 in my view.

POSITIVE:
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+ The display is simply a stunner. With the same frame size as the S3, Samsung has again increased the size from 4.8 to 5 and the resolution to Full HD. The display is sharp, the colors are (as we know from S-AMOLED), be regarded as gaudy, but can be personalized with the option Professional Photo also adjust naturally. As a disadvantage compared to LCD displays as the One is to mention that the brightness is lower (who often used his device in bright sunlight outdoors, possibly with an LCD better off) and that AMOLEDs not represent perfect white (you can see only in direct comparison with a bright LCD). This is black, the absolute strength of AMOLED. Black screens are not lit, are so nearly perfect black, providing dreamlike contrasts (keyword checkerboard or ANSI contrast) and black levels. The viewing angle stability of the S4 is very good, just as it did with my S2. Even when viewed from the side very minimal contrast changes are visible. So a huge difference z. B. the Xperia Z. Thanks to the Full HD resolution is in accordance with high-resolution images and video of course razor sharp. Individual pixels are no longer recognizable, very small writing is still legible. In sum, a great display that plays definitely in the top league. Various reviews confirm that the S4 a brilliant and crisp sharp display with rich colors, excellent viewing angles, high contrast and perfect black levels. For easy cutting back on white background (minimal color cast) and the brightness (which has, however, improved significantly compared to S3). Whether the display is better or worse than the display of the HTC One, can not be answered flatly. I personally like it better, but that may see another different.

+ Power: The 1.9 GHz quad-core processor combined with 2GB RAM simply provides a brutal performance, which can not tell you otherwise. The products must be taken somehow for bucking very very difficult. Websites build up in record time, Full HD video plays from the device as if it were a piece of cake, and lots of updating apps in the background while you surf the Internet at the same time, the unit is not too embarrassed. So this is fun.

+ Battery: 2,600 mAh see on paper first terrific from. When S2 I'm usually two days arrived at my usage on a single charge back. Whether the S4 which also creates, remains to wait. The second battery charge has been passed to me with great difficulty a day but you play at the beginning also still comparatively much rum with the device and the battery needs still a few charging cycles before it reaches its full capacity. Will therefore complement the review in a few days again, if I can say more about the battery life.
EDIT: Now that I have tested the S4 a few weeks, I can say that the battery last as long as at least with my S2. Rather a little longer. In my use of it (every half an hour to retrieve mail, several times a day surfing the Internet, occasionally Whatsapp messages and phone calls a few minutes) does the battery last with me in most cases 2 days by. With little use even 2.5 days. With frequent use of the battery, of course, you get empty without problems in one day. Leaving the unit unused are (from WLAN, UMTS on), the battery lasts me 5 days extrapolated (20% battery in 24 hours). Overall, the battery life is very positive.

+ Voice quality is absolutely convincing.

+ Three hardware buttons (two soft buttons and mechanical), including a Menu button !!! Power button right on the side (very beneficial). Power button and volume rocker not sunk into the housing, thus to feel good.

+ Very efficient use of Shell Size: 5-inch display, high-end processor, 2,600 mAh battery, replaceable battery and SD card slot are already extremely impressive key data for a case size of only 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm and a weight of 130g. By comparison, the HTC One is a little longer and thicker, but has only a 4.7 display, no SD, battery not replaceable, 2300 mAh battery and weighs 143g, the flip side of the send aluminum unibody enclosure. In terms of efficient use of housing size can hold a candle to the S4 currently no other smartphone. Nevertheless, it's borderline big for a smartphone in my view. Through the slim and lightweight case it interferes in your pocket but not, therefore, for me still okay. But greater it should really be no more.

+ Camera: The camera makes even inside insulated lighting with good pictures. A slight background noise in low light is normal, but the pictures are really useful, the LED flash does a great job here. Pictures with adequate lighting are absolutely brilliant and very sharp. Even when viewed in large format on the PC or TV, the pictures are top. In this point, the HTC One is unfortunately clearly inferior, because although its Ultra pixel camera captures more light and therefore makes at night brighter images, but overall all images when viewed on a PC or TV too blurry and washed out. The camera of the One could not convince me therefore. With the photos of the S4 I am completely satisfied, however. Videos I do with the smartphone not, here again is the HTC One have been better.

+ SD card slot and replaceable battery: Sure, those two points should not overstate also, but so has a replaceable battery has advantages if you want to resell the unit after the warranty. Because often is simply flat after 2 years of battery. For devices with fixed verbautem battery exchange can be expensive. Whether you need an SD card slot, everyone must decide for themselves. (Be when migrating anew device can data and settings easily acquired) In addition to the larger space that simply increases the comfort.

+ Comparatively low radiation value (SAR value) of 0.28 W / kg. For comparison: HTC One 0.86 W / kg, Xperia Z 0.55 W / kg, Optimus G 0.43 W / kg.

NEUTRAL:
==========
+/- Optics: I opted for the S4 in black and am generally quite happy with the look. Clear, to the chic Aluminiumgehäse the HTC One it is optically not, but it looks generally quite chic and simply made. The front with the broad silver lining I find even really classy. What looks a bit cheap, is the reverse. This is thanks to their very fine, honeycomb-like structure (just look under the paint) probably produce a kind metallic effect, but it still looks a lot like plastic and feels like that. Hopefully there will soon be another battery cover for the S4. The reverse is unfortunately very susceptible to fingerprints and smudges from fingers. So much I have not yet seen in any device. Overall, the appearance of the device is okay, the chic metal edge and only 7.9mm thin body take it out again.
EDIT: See my edit below the point "Very smooth back". There are already several alternative battery cover for the S4 accessory retailers, the significantly enhance the device looks and feels!

+/- Space (based on the 16GB version): For completeness, I would like to mention that about 9.2 GB are of the 16GB of internal memory of the S4 for apps and that, for example, the big games. generally not can move on the external SD card (Samsung has indeed now submitted App2SD as an update, but that can not be the great addition of the games move files but only the app itself). Some criticize this or knew it apparently not before buying. So you have 9.2 GB of installed apps and the external SD card is for other private data (photos, videos, documents, etc.). That should be a conscious before buying. So if ago, various memory-eating high-end to install 3D games simultaneously plus offline navigation, which is wrong in the 16GB version of the S4 and should take now available 32GB version or wait for the 64GB version.

+/- Speaker: The sound is loud enough. Here again, only a single speaker on the back, so no stereo. But what of course has the advantage of a nice clean front panel. The speaker is nothing special but perfectly adequate.

+/- The additional features such as Smart Scroll, Smart Pause, Smart rotation as well as some of the gestures (scrolling / sheets by wiping across the sensor) are just battery-eater without significant added value which often function also more bad than good. Summary: All off. What works quite well and is quite useful are Smartstay (display does not go out as long as you look on it - you already know from the S2 and S3) and AirView (preview display when the finger hovers just above the screen - similar to the mouseover on PC).

NEGATIVE:
=========
- Operation of the three buttons at the bottom: that the display occupies almost the entire front of the housing and therefore above and below the display is very little space, unfortunately, also has its downside. Since the three buttons are therefore very close to the edge of the display, it comes to me again and again that I'll accidentally pressing a button also on display, while up out unwanted actions. Is probably matter of habit. From S2 I am used to operate the device with one hand. If I do that the S4 and the soft buttons press with your thumb, it happens that I inadvertently on display tatsche with the palm of the thumb, which can also cause unwanted effects. I have to just get used yet at ease.

- Very smooth back: Like on my S2 (white version) is the plastic back extremely smooth, making the device even at a small angle (about 30 °) slips from the palm. The S4 is with its rounded edges, although very comfortably in your hand, but can also be a slightly flutschen due to the smooth back of the hand. I personally would have liked a matte back, which is not as prone to fingerprints and streaks and significantly less slippery. Perhaps there since soon something accessory retailers. The device would significantly enhance visual and tactile in my opinion.

EDIT:. Meanwhile, there are rear sides of the S4 aluminum or aluminum / carbon / leather optics (just check out eBay or here on Amazon Search for "Galaxy S4 battery cover" The aluminum cover there either with wide plastic rim (at Amazon z. B. from "Xubix") or almost entirely of aluminum (only very thin plastic frame on the side visible) in Amazon best look for "Galaxy S4 aluminum back cover". Have both versions here and am absolutely thrilled. Especially the latter variant provides optically just awesome from on the device and gives it a look and feel that my opinion with the HTC One can keep at least report Unfortunately (for my taste even in total chic "clean" through the front of the S4). some in the xda-developers forum from receiving sacrificing these aluminum covers from about 8-10%, which u. U. can be critical if you already has been only marginal reception. I was with my unit but not by Congstar still with Base receiving these losses confirmed by measurement. Neither in receiving strong even in empfangsschwachem area. Since helps only test themselves. I can in any case be used without restrictions in the wireless, cellular or GPS reception the Alucover. NFC works no longer, I do not need anyway.

- As mentioned above, the application is not the strength of S-AMOLED displays in bright sunlight outdoors. In direct sunlight, you can only read bad even at 100% brightness. However, this problem have the vast majority of smartphones.

- Some minor software bugs are still present. So for me it works, neither the S Memo app yet the story album. Both crash reproducible. For me, not a tragedy, I do not use these apps anyway, but here Samsung really needs further amendments, because that pre-installed apps do not work, is a bit embarrassing.

CONCLUSION:
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Perfect is not the S4. As each device has its advantages and disadvantages that each weighted differently for themselves. For my taste, it's a great smartphone with a grandiose display, incredible performance, a good camera and first-class amenities at an extremely efficient use of housing size. Light smears you have to do in the optics / haptics (material) and the operability. Thanks to the back pages available from accessory retailers I have now an S4 with high-quality look and feel (a pity that Samsung has not brought so standard, then no one would have bitched about the material). I'm super happy and have finally found a worthy successor to my S2.

Who will vary between the HTC One and S4 has to decide: What is more important, a display with an especially high brightness (outdoor) and brilliant white, or a display with more vivid colors and brutal good contrast and black level (especially good for dark Games & Movies )? A chic aluminum unibody enclosure of a piece, or a lighter device with a larger display, replaceable battery and SD card slot? If one value to a hardware menu button, or you can live with the fact that in some apps a part of the display is not available with an additional menu bar? And last but not least: Can you make friends with the HTC Sense 5 surface or one prefers a more classic Android interface?
It's your choice, are spoiled :-)

Edit 11/2013:
After 7 months S4 I have yet again bought a HTC One now. My S4 had repeatedly a software error (could not make calls) and due to the lately very questionable policy of Samsung (guarantee rejection at frequent torrential displays, subsequently imported Region Lock, proven selling bad reviews of the competition etc.), I wanted to anyway from this Manufacturer distance. Since my software error appears to be an isolated incident, however, I personally am not affected by the display plan and everyone must know yourself how it is to business policy of Samsung and the lock region, is this on my review and evaluation do not change. I rate here only the device ansich, as I have experienced it.

not bad 40 Rank: 3/5
July 9
Device puree Rank: 1/5
May 16
Practice 1185 Rank: 4/5
December 2
Very nice 249 1 Rank: 4/5
May 1

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