REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy S4

Following on from the popular Galaxy phone series, including the S1 and S3, the latest S4 model, which we had the pleasure of reviewing recently, certainly didn’t disappoint.

Not only is the screen noticeably bigger but it’s better in terms of detail and doesn’t affect the size of the chassis itself. It’s the same Amoled screen that can be seen on the S3 and other models but, at 1920 x 1090, it enhances the experience of watching media from the latest viral videos to your favourite television shows.

And that’s not the only thing they’ve improved. The processor is much faster and can handle a range of tasks simultaneously and with ease. Starting up apps is also much easier and quicker than the S3.

The age-old problem of the battery life is also a non-issue with the S4 which actually runs off a physically bigger and thus stronger battery. It lasted throughout the day even with heavy usage playing podcasts, tweeting and going onto Facebook (all of the things that need to be done throughout the day).

Speaking of Twitter and Facebook, the 13MP camera is brilliant and produces great quality images. There is an array of features including Sight & Sound mode which allows you to take a photograph and then record a couple of seconds of sound over the top. While this particular feature only worked on other S4 models, it’s still a nice addition especially if you are in contact with friends and family abroad.

Other camera modes include Best Photo (enables you to choose the best image from a series), Rich Tone HDR (gives a beautiful tone to your pictures) and Eraser (allows you to remove unwanted items such as pigeons and photobombers).

One of the highlights of the S4 phone experience has to be the Smart Stay, Smart Scroll and Air Gestures features. While strange at first, it didn’t take long to get used to the Scroll and Stay. The sensors on the outside picked up our movements and we were able to roll up and down a webpage or email with little effort.

The Air View basically allows you to hover your finger over a message or email and bring up a preview. Air Gestures enable you to swipe your hand over the screen (without making contact) to skip tracks, switch through photos and other things. Of course this saves your screen from those infuriating finger smudges you get with normal touch screen phones.

The only negative we would point out in this latest Galaxy model is the plastic chassis. To be honest we would have preferred something a bit more solid and premium on the back. However this can be somewhat fixed with a decent cover.

Overall the S4 lived up to our expectations and didn’t try to be something else (iPhone S series). It raised the bar from the S3 model and is certainly worth checking out if you’re considering an upgrade.