Here it is folks. Months of speculation, rumors, leaks and several reports have finally led to the most awaited event of this year: Sammy has ripped the wraps off its latest new flagship Android smartphone at a special Unpacked event in New York and it’s called Galaxy S 4 (not S IV) with a bigger screen, faster processor. Samsung fans can finally say it: 4 is ready now.
J.K. Shin, Samsung’s mobile chief has introduced the Galaxy S4 and told the world that “It will make your life richer, simpler and fuller”. GS4 is slimmer, lighter, and more solid and it is “simply amazing,” offering eye-tracking feature, solid hardware and high-end technical specifications. It will start hitting the stores by the end of April from 327 mobile operators across 155 countries. Of course, the list will include AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon in the United States.
First of all, lets talk about the specs. Galaxy S 4 brings a huge list of improvements over its predecessor, packed in hyperglaze finish. The device will have a 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen (folks, it’s still a new PenTile matrix) with 1080p resolution, a pixel density of 441PPI. Under the hood, there’s a Samsung’s own Exynos 5 Octa chipset with features four Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.8GHz, four Cortex-A7 cores running at 1.2GHz accompanied by PowerVR SGX 544MP3 GPU. Please note that some regions will be getting another version of GS4, which will pack Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset, which feature 4 Krait 300 cores and Adreno 320 GPU. You can operate the handset’s screen wearing gloves too (even opera gloves). Just like the Like the Nokia Lumia 920.
You will be also getting 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing shooter. Sammy has introduced a new “dual camera” feature for the device. Both the front and back cameras can actually shoot video at the same time. Users will be able be erase the object from the pictures and record 1080p video simultaneously from the front and back camera.
It has got almost every cellular with GSM/GPRS/EDGE/CDMA/EV-DO/HSPA/LTE. It also supports hexa band LTE, Cat 3 100/50Mbps, which is destined to be launching “later this year”. It also includes Bluetooth 4.0, an IR LED sensor to control your TV, MHL support, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac. There’s a removable 2,600mAh battery too. It is thinner than Galaxy S III at 7.9 mm, and ships with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS with improved TouchWiz package, There are also several software innovations introduced, which are really worth noting. Here’s the list:
# Sound and Shot – It captures 9 second clips with sound (we’ve seen the same feature with the introduction of HTC Zoe for the HTC One phone)
# Drama Shot – It captures a burst of photos and combines them into a single image
# Cinema Photo – It allows the users to shoot a video and then select which part to be animated and then produce a GIF image. (Are you listening Nokia?)
# Smart Pause – This feature lets you to pause the video clip you’re watching if the software detects that you are not looking at the screen. Look away and the video pauses. The device will do it for you automatically and pause the video. That’s it.
# Smart Scroll – This feature can scroll a web page if you tilt the device while looking at it.
# Air Gesture – It allows you to execute some specific actions like scrolling, image swiping and more. (this feature has been ripped from Note II. In S4’s case, you will use your finger instead of the S-Pen.)
# S Translator – It works with email and ChatON, and can also translate all major languages (supports a total of 9 languages at launch. More will be adding in the future). Good to hear that it can be used without a data connection.
# S Voice Drive – You can use this service while you are driving. Basically, it is S Voice feature with bigger fonts and a few different features that will help you to assist you while driving. Once you’re in your car, S Voice will takes over.
# S Health app – It utilizes the GS 4’s numerous sensors to present you tons of health-related information. It lets you to measure your steps, calories and even the confort of your surroundings – temperature, humidity, etc. Some of these these features will require the S Band and Heart Rate monitor accessories.
# Adapt display – It changes brightness of the display depending on what you are doing, reading a webpage, watching a video, playing a game.
# Samsung Smart Switch – You can transfer information from older phones (any phone with any any OS) to the Galaxy S4
# Sensational Magazine Interface (as a part of Samsung Hub) – It will help you finding and buying content..
Here’s the list of the highlighted specifications of the Galaxy S 4:
- 5-inch Super AMOLED HD display (and 1920×1080 pixel resolution and 441 PPI). Yes, works with gloves on your hands.
- 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos processor / 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm snapdragon processor
- 2GB LPDDR3 RAM
- 13 MP Auto Focus camera with Flash & Zero Shutter Lag
2MP front camera with Full HD recording @30fps with Zero Shutter Lag. - 16GB/32GB/64GB Storage, microSD card slot with support up to 64GB
- Bluetooth 4.0
- 4G LTE Support
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
- IR Blaster, MHL 2.0
- Temperature and humidity sensors, Accelerometer, RGB matrix, Barometer, IR Gesture, Proximity, Gyro, Temperature & Humidity
- 2,600mAH battery, which is removable
- 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm, 130g
Samsung has also confirmed the device’s ChatOn service will now support video calling with up to three people. The Galaxy S 4 comes in 16/32/64GB storage with a microSD slot that supports 64GB cards, and it weighs 130 grams. Buyer can choose between White Frost and Black Mist colored edition at launch. I bet more colors will be joining in the future. Sammy has yet to announce the pricing information.