Sadly, this next version of the already hit Samsung Galaxy S series brings nothing new to the table in terms of design and looks but it does packs a lot of cool new features.
Samsung Mobiles, for years, has been following the practice of benchmarketing. They launch new phones and their successors with beefed up hardware specifications but forget to brush up the design.
Whats new in Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500?
The
phone boasts an 8-core processor (1.6 GHz Quad core A15 + 1.2 GHz
quad-core A7), 13MP, Full HD screen having pixel density of 441 and an
array of sensors including barometer, temperature, humidity and gesture
sensors. It also includes an IR LED which helps you transform your
smartphone into a universal remote.
Note: You might think that this 8 core phone will be about 2x faster than the current quad-core offerings in the market. But this is not the case. A max of only 4 cores will be active at any given time.
The phone has 4 A15 cores for heavy duty applications and 4 A7 cores
for less computationally intensive applications like calling, texting
etc. Basically, A7 cores help elongate the battery backup.
Should you prefer it over the Samsung Galaxy SIII or Note II?
I am assuming that you’re neither a millionaire nor a gadget freak who buys every new smartphone for no apparent reason.
The
Samsung Galaxy SIII and Note II are pretty decent smartphones. They
both have a snappy 4-core processor and a generous amount of RAM. This
means that you will be able run any app from the play store without any
hiccups.
Both of these smartphones
should be updated to the latest android OS till the end of year 2015.
So, pretty you’re pretty much covered on the front of software updates
too.
The Samsung VP of portfolio planning, Nick DiCarlo, made it clear in the statement that the Galaxy S3 will receive most of the new features in the Galaxy SIV via firmware updates.
Anything that we can do that’s not dependent on hardware like infrared, we’ll definitely bring to all the flagship devices.
Those
who are ready to make to make a long term commitment (>2 years) with
their smartphone should definitely go with the Galaxy S4.
Other non-Samsung but worthy Alternatives
- HTC One – HTC One is a brilliant example of design and innovation. Given the choice, I would definitely choose HTC One as it looks too sexy to resist. Though it is not available in the Indian stores right now but its 32GB version can be bought online for INR 39500 at shopyourworld.
- Apple iPhone 5 – If you are an Apple fanboy then this is the only choice that you’ve got. It also comes with all the modern bells and whistles and an attractive unibody design. The iPhone 5 is available at INR 42590 on Snapdeal.
- Blackberry Z10 – The Blackberry Z10 runs on the new BB OS 10 and is preferred by privacy conscious users. Not to forget, the Z10 looks even better than the iPhone5. It is also available on snapdeal and can be yours for INR 40800 only.
- Sony Xperia Z – The Sony Xperia Z is a rugged smartphone and is IP-57 certified. Besides being tough the phone is built upon the latest hardware. It is available for INR 34999 on shopclues.
- Nokia Lumia 920 – The Lumia 920 is a very refreshing phone to switch from an android smartphone. It runs on WP 8 and packs an 8MP pureview camera having optical image stabilization. You can buy it online from tradus for INR 34599 only.
Final thoughts
It is an impressive and power packed smartphone and is surely going to be huge hit in the market but it could have achieved more success if it looked gorgeous. I personally am bored of plastic and ugly looking Samsung smartphones. But if you can’t live without the cool new features of the SGS4 and have enough money to spare then galaxy s4 is the phone you ought to buy.
P.S: Samsung smartphones have never disappointed me when it comes to performance.