We take you through all of the features and info of the Samsung Galaxy S4 in to make you and Instant Expert in Samsung’s latest!
By now we’re sure you’ll know that the Galaxy S4 has been launched. Samsung’s Mobile Unpacked event started at 11pm UK time last night though, so we wouldn’t blame you for sleeping through the whole thing.
If you’re somebody who loves to be up on the latest tech to impress your friends and family, then we’re going to pump you with the knowledge you need. Samsung’s event went on for over an hour, but we’re confident that five minutes’ reading here will make you an instant expert on the Samsung Galaxy S4.
The name
If you’re going to become an expert, we’d better start with the simple stuff. Samsung has changed its naming strategy from using roman numerals – e.g., the Galaxy S III – to numbers. Write it as the Galaxy S4, not the Galaxy S IV.
What makes it better than the Galaxy S III?
Everyone is going to want to know this. What makes Samsung’s new phone any better than last year’s? Learn these differences and improvements and you’ll sound like a gadget guru to anyone who asks.
The display – The big change is in the screen. Samsung has upped the size from 4.7-inches to 5 and has also increased the resolution from 1280 x 720 pixels to a whopping 1920 x 1080. The new display is Full HD – the same as Blu-ray quality – and boasts 441 pixels per inch of screen, compared to the S3’s 306.
It’s slimmer and lighter – Despite the screen being bigger and there being better tech inside, the S4 is 7.9mm thin compared to the S3, which is 8.6mm in thickness. It’s also a touch lighter at 130g, compared to the S3’s 133g.
The cameras are better – Samsung has upgraded both cameras to a 13 megapixel sensor on the back and a 2 megapixel on the front. New software and a faster processor help the rear camera to shoot an insane 100 shots in just four seconds, and you can even record video from both cameras at the same time. The S3’s camera was good, but the S4’s is next level.
It’s faster – Samsung has doubled the processing power in its new model, bumping the RAM from 1GB to 2GB and the processor from a quad-core to an octa-core chip. This means the S4 will be faster, smoother and much more capable when it comes to the latest games and Full HD movies.
The new features
It’s not all about hardware improvements. Samsung has added a ton of new software-based features too, which is where it hopes to wow customers. Some of them are very impressive, so be sure to learn up, young padawan!
Smart Scroll, Smart Pause and Smart Rotate
Samsung’s gone all big brother with the S4, teaching the front facing camera to watch you closely. For example, when watching a movie the phone can detect when you look away from the screen and pause playback – that’s called Smart Pause. It’ll also detect which angle you’re looking at the phone from and rotate it to portrait or landscape to suit – Smart Rotate. Our favourite is definitely Smart Scroll, which tells the phone to automatically scroll through webpages, messages and emails as your eyes move down the screen. Look mum, no hands!
Sound and Shot
Ever wished you could capture the sounds around you at the same time as a beautiful camera shot? Sound and Shot, as the name suggests, does just that. A short snippet of sound is captured and stored along with a picture.
S-Translate
Speak a phrase, question or word and have the S4 translate it to one of 10 languages in text or audio form within seconds. It’ll also understand somebody’s response in a different language and show you what they mean in your chosen language on the screen – perfect for holidays and travelling.
Air Gesture
In keeping with the hands-free idea, Air Gesture allows you to control the phone by hovering hands or fingers just above the display. You can scroll through webpages and messages, answer calls with a swipe of your hand over the display and even unlock your phone with an air gesture – it’s magic!
How much will it cost and when can you buy it?
By now you’ll have wowed with your knowledge, so logically the only question left to ask by your impressed friend or family member is “where and when do I get this phone?” Well, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be out in the UK from April 26th. All major UK networks will be stocking the phone on contracts, and although tariffs and prices aren’t yet revealed we envision the phone to come free on contracts of £36 and up. SIM-free the phone will cost in the region of £530-£550.
The phone will come in two colours – White Frost and Black Mist – and in 16, 32 and 64GB variants.