Before its launch there was a lot of hype generated about the Samsung Galaxy S4. But does this phone really live up to the expectations? The reviews are out and so is the verdict about this new Android phone. To begin with, it has new improvements but does not live up to the hype.
A few days back we did a review round up for HTC One and most reviewers say the HTC smartphone bests its Samsung counterpart.
Here is what the review mills are churning about the Samsung Galaxy 4.
The Body
This is one of the weakest points of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Many of us prefer a sturdy phone while this smartphone is more plastic and feels weak.
Business Insider’s Steve Kovach writes. “The entire phone is covered in creaky plastic, not solid metal and glass. Just take off the flimsy back cover and you’ll see what I’m talking about. It almost bends in half. Whereas the iPhone and HTC One designs scream quality, the Galaxy S4 design feels at least two years behind. It looks nearly identical to last year’s Galaxy S III, with only a few minor tweaks.”
It’s not so much about the quantity of space and the number of software’s but a phone which is strong and sturdy according to David Pierce of the Verge.
“I don’t need more cores, more gigahertz, or more software features that ostensibly help me use my phone more easily. I need a phone that feels good in my hand, looks good on my desk, does everything I expect it to, and gives me no reason to think it won’t last the life of my two-year contract.”
Features
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has many software features but are they all necessary? Maybe not.
Walt Mossberg wrote his opinion about the smart phone in All things D. “Nearly all Android phones already come with two email apps — one reserved for Google’s Gmail. But on the Galaxy S4, there are also two online video and music stores, two music and video players, two calendars and two browsers.
Yet out of the box, there’s no camera icon on the lock screen so you can immediately take a picture. (You can add this feature, via the settings menu, in – you guessed it – two different ways.)”
Dan Rowinski from readwrite.com feels that all of those software’s are just too much. “Your smart phone should not be a source of stress. With its new Galaxy S4, it seems Samsung may not have gotten the memo.
It seems that every feature Samsung could possibly dream up ended up in the Galaxy S4. The company pushes the envelope with technologies and features that keep the rest of the industry on its toes. Yet it packs the Galaxy S4 with so many of its own branded apps, so many features of questionable value that don’t even work properly, that it detracts from the overall quality of the device.”
You can of course turn all those features off if you wanted to.
Steve Kovach of Business insider feels that this phone can be customized according to anybody’s taste and preference. “Some of them are useful, some of them don’t work properly, and some of them are just plain gimmicky. But that’s also part of what makes the Galaxy S4 an appealing phone –– it’s versatile and completely customizable, able to adapt to your needs whether you’re a Smartphone pro or a novice. All those extras are there if you want them, yet hidden if you don’t.”
Performance
This is a place where the Samsung Galaxy 4 shines triumphantly.
Jordan Crook of TechCrunch says “At the end of the day, it’d be foolish to think that the Galaxy S4 isn’t a top-notch phone. Where specs, performance and software innovation are concerned, the company is clearly making strides. ”
David Pierce, from The Verge echoes this sentiment, “I ended my HTC One review by saying there were two Android phones worth buying, the One and the Nexus 4. That number is now very clearly three, but I had hoped against hope that Samsung would emerge the undisputed winner. The Galaxy S4 is a very good phone in most respects — it has a stellar camera and solid battery life, blistering performance and an impressively useful complement of software features. It’s a technological achievement — there’s no question about that.”
The Final verdict:
David Pogue (The NY Times) and Brad Molen (Engadget) put it across very well.
Pogue, The New York Times: “And here’s the funny thing: Now Samsung is starting to play it safe. The Galaxy is still a beautiful, high-horsepower Android phone. But basically, it’s an updated Galaxy S3. If this were Apple, who adds the letter S to denote a slightly upgraded model (“iPhone 4S,” for example), Samsung might have called this phone the Galaxy S3S.
Molen from Engadget “All told, both phones have different strengths and weaknesses, so one handset unfortunately won’t fit all. But when we compare it to the eye-catching look and feel of the One, we can’t help but think of one word to describe Samsung’s particular flagship entry: predictable.”