TMCnet News
Up, down and all around the Galaxy [New Straits Time (Malaysia)](New Straits Time (Malaysia) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The Samsung Galaxy S4 comes with a plethora of features, but are these sufficiently enticing to attract potential buyers? Ermira Faridah finds out. TEN months after the successful release of Galaxy S3 comes the S4. The new smartphone further strengthens Samsung's dominance in the Android ecosystem with intelligent new features that relegates many rivals to play catch-up. OVERALL FEEL As a user of all the previous series - S1, S2 and S3 - this fast quad-core processor Android Jelly Bean powered-phone is potentially enticing for those on Android or iOS. The body is designed to look sturdier than the S3. The slimmer aluminium bezel and metal siding lend an air of elegance. Despite the overall "plasticky" feel, the premium touches are quite noticeable. The five-inch screen, however, does not offer a significant difference from the S3's 4.8inch. In fact, if you're an S3 user, both phones still look similar in size. Being a woman, I'm perturbed by the incessant expansion of screen size with each new model. A five-inch display should be the limit for smartphones so women can get a firm and comfortable grip on it. Bigger smartphones become unwieldy as you'd need two hands to operate the phone. Aside from that, the S4's screen resolution and clarity are impressive. Its Full HD screen is a step up from the S3's excellent 720p HD display. Images are brilliant and colours, vibrant. SMART FEATURES While appearance and design are key, what drives a smartphone's demand are the software and applications that power it. This is what makes Samsung the top contender in the smartphone market. The phone maker has incorporated several features to wow users. For example, its gesture features allow users to browse by just a wave of the hand. One is called Smart Scroll, a touch-less scroll which operates the device at certain angles or even to follow one's tilt of the head. Another feature detects eye movement and it kicks in when an eye appears in the middle of the screen. Initially, I found it awkward to scroll this way but, after a while, I got used to it. However, this can appear odd as you tend to nod as you move your eyes up and down the screen. Another amazing gesture feature is Smart Pause, which tracks one's face while watching videos. What happens is a sensor will monitor your face movement while a video is playing. If you look away from the screen, the video will automatically pause. Depending on the user, the same smart screen feature may also be annoying if one does not have steady hands. It helps if the phone is docked. I have to truly face the phone full-on to ensure that the clip or movie is played continuously. I would rather that the sensor only detect my eye movement, pausing only if I move my eyes away from the screen for more that a few seconds. You do have the option of disabling these features. The Air View feature is interesting as the device provides information when I hover my fingers over the screen. Other features include Group Play which allows one to form groups to share music, pictures, documents or games from their own devices. If you're into weight management and exercise, the S4 includes S Health, with S Board which can keep track of calories. With its many power-hungry features, the battery can last at least a day with full use. But I'm not worried about battery life as power banks are easily available and very affordable. AUDIO AND VIDEO As a music fan, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is fantastic. Its 16GB internal storage and the option to add 64GB in the microSD slot is more than enough storage for multimedia files. The supplied earphone delivers adequate sound quality. The 13MP camera turns this phone into an image-capturing monster capable of producing stunning photos, especially under natural light. As a novice camera user, I am delighted with the range of photo effects, enough to make me look like a seasoned shooter. There there are 12 modes to select from - auto, beauty, face, best photo, best face, sound and shot, drama, rich tone (HDR), eraser, panorama, sports and night. These features, in my opinion, easily enhance the multimedia experience. The sound and shot feature, for instance, gives a background sound of up to nine seconds after the shot is taken. For example, if you take a shot at a beach or a busy traffic intersection, the sound of waves, or the bustling traffic sound will accompany the picture, giving a more memorable moment to the picture. Don't worry about not knowing how to use these affects as there are one-liner instructions. Video-wise, the S4 is excellent and coupled with the optional storage, your video library can be expansive. NFC The S4 also boasts the new near-field communication or NFC. It allows the phone and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by putting them together or in proximity. Unlike Bluetooth, NFC can interact with another device with a single wave of your smartphone. It's fast and requires little effort on your part. In contrast, Bluetooth connections take time and require many steps to activate. With the required close range between devices, the potential for signal interference or hacker intrusion is reduced. For instance, the new Samsung NX300 camera, which has the NFC, pictures can be beamed to the S4 and vice-versa, but software like the Samsung Smart Camera App must first be downloaded to the phone from Play Store. OVERALL Compared with S3, the S4 does have an edge - slightly bigger screen, more vibrant colours and a slew of new intelligent features. However, I will not jump to upgrade to the S4 as I did with the S3. For the price of the S4, I can do without its improvements. However, if I were using much older versions of Galaxy S or other smartphones, I would not regret getting the S4. Samsung Galaxy S4 Manufacturer: Samsung Price: RM2,199 Inquiries: www.samsung.com/my SPECIFICATION Processor: Exynos 5 1.6GHz Quad + 1.2GHz Quad (AP) XMM6360 Screen: 5-inch Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Full HD Super AMOLED (1920x1080) OS: Andrid Jelly Bean Storage: 16GB Internal Storage microSD slot (Up to 64GB) RAM: 2GB Camera: 13MP auto focus Battery: 2,600 mAh removable battery Pros: Brilliant screen quality Advanced new features Fast processor Cons: Look and feel almost like the S3. Expensive (c) 2013 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |