Samsung's Galaxy S 4: Introduction & Hands On
by Anand Lal Shimpi on March 14, 2013 7:30 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Samsung
- Mobile
- Galaxy S 4
Final Words
With a release scheduled for sometime in Q2 of this year, today’s announcement is more of a preview. We’re sure to have more details on hardware and software in the coming months. For now, the Galaxy S 4 seems like a logical evolution of the Galaxy S lineup. Faster hardware and a larger higher-resolution display were both expected and delivered upon.
Power users will be pleased by the modern SoC integration, and I’m sure there are some that will still be happy with the removable battery and micro SD card slot.
Samsung has continued to increase its focus on delivering enhancements through software, which is very obvious based on the list of launch features for the Galaxy S 4. Although I’m sure power users will still prefer unmodified Android, it’s important to note that many of the features Samsung is introducing with the Galaxy S 4 will be very easy to market to mainstream consumers. The ability to control your smartphone without ever touching it or pause/unpause video with a glance are marketing messages that are very clear and easy to deliver.
The same is true for the enhancements to the camera app. While Samsung continued down the path of the megapixel race, truth be told it will have an easier time selling the Galaxy S 4 to mainstream consumers based on specs and the added features enabled by the new camera app.
Round it all up with S Translate and S Health, two more features that aren’t really new but definitely speak directly to consumers. It’s Apple’s Siri strategy, but coming from many different angles. Samsung’s consumer focused strategy is one that has done very well and I see the Galaxy S 4 continuing that. The real question is how well all of these features will perform/work in final software. Conceptually the Galaxy S 4’s software suite makes a lot of sense, the proof as always will be in the execution and how long it takes Samsung to get to the appropriate level of polish.
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Senpuu - Friday, March 15, 2013 - link
If they are using the internal temperature sensors for the silicon for anything, I really don't think it would be to add a caveat to the displayed temperature; rather, I'd assume they would simply use it to adjust the temperature reading with a simple calculation, providing a more accurate temperature value. It could even do a cross check against the temperature for your area through its network connection and maybe add an asterisk if it's outside a range (say, +/-3°C) to let the user know there is a discrepancy. I'd be interested to see their implementation in action, but I'm sure it'll be robust enough to function accurately for day-to-day use.CeriseCogburn - Saturday, March 16, 2013 - link
How about they put the sensor on a front upper edge area away from the battery- oh golly beaver.Senpuu - Friday, March 15, 2013 - link
It's fun to speculate about how the design could be executed and the problems that may crop up, but I'd bet dollars to pennies that Samsung didn't throw a crappy implementation into their phone, and that they've done extensive testing. In cases like this, I think it's entirely more prudent to assume the design engineers have a brain in their heads until proven otherwise, than to assume that there will be a slew of problems with their design. Besides, your cited concerns are obvious and would be nearly impossible to overlook... I don't think Samsung got to where they are in a very competitive marketplace by being terrible engineers and designers.HJPJ - Friday, March 15, 2013 - link
I could not agree more, Sempuu. I look forward to testing this feature, and agree that if it's relatively accurate, it will be very useful.CeriseCogburn - Saturday, March 16, 2013 - link
Of course the weather app on the front window with TEMPERATURE PRESENT isn't useful.I vote they include a stylus and that it doubles as a thermometer and a wind gauge.
ManiiNames - Friday, March 15, 2013 - link
I had a basic flip-phone w a thermometer several years ago. Casio gZone Rock I think. It worked if you put the phone down somewhere and didn't touch it for a minute or so, otherwise the ambient heat in your pocket etc produced unreliable results.Freakie - Friday, March 15, 2013 - link
Heh, figures that the people who put calculators in watches would be the first to do that. Looked that phone up and it looks pretty neat!snajk138 - Friday, March 15, 2013 - link
Yes, I had a Nokia 5210 that had one too. Pretty great phone from what I remember. "Improved Durability", games and an IR-port.dakishimesan - Friday, March 15, 2013 - link
Sweet, I'll always know how hot it is in my pocket.Skidmarks - Friday, March 15, 2013 - link
Even their low end phone feature that.