The next big thing is here. With the Galaxy S 4's five inch display, that's not too far from the truth, either. It may not be as big as the Galaxy Note II, but there's no doubt in my mind that Samsung is doing all it can to further the desire for large displays. A trend that other companies either refuse to catch onto, or simply don't care to emulate at this point. Either way, Samsung's big displays are one of the crux points of their flagship devices, but it could be one area that someone out there would like changed.
In fact, there are probably many different, little things in any specific phone out there that some people would like changed. It's part of the world we live in. As we've talked about in the past, there's a sort of honeymoon with a phone after you purchase it, that can ultimately lessen your experience over time. These pet peeves may not mean a big deal to some, but for many they can lead us to look for another phone to buy, long before we initially intended, or ever imagined.
Samsung's Galaxy S 4 has been out in the wild for a little while now, and more than a few people have bought one. In fact, Samsung has shipped more than a few, too. 10 million, by their last check. It will be interesting to see how many they actually sell, which we'll hopefully learn in due time. It's not hard to assume that they'll sell a lot, though.
As far as specifications go, the Galaxy S 4 is a powerhouse. With that aforementioned 5-inch Super AMOLED display, with a resolution of 1080x1920, it's one of the best displays out there right now. There is a 13MP camera on the back, and a 2MP shooter on the other side. Inside, you'll find a quad-core processor clocked at 1.9GHz (here in the United States, mind you) and 2GB of RAM. There are multiple versions of the Galaxy S 4 with varying amounts of onboard storage: 16-, 32- and 64GB. The Galaxy S 4 is running Google's Android 4.2 Jelly Bean mobile operating system.
So, a powerhouse. And that's not all, of course. Samsung's got their proprietary TouchWiz user interface on there, too, which throws pretty much everything but the kitchen sink in software additions into the phone. You get things like Air View, which allows you to manipulate options without actually touching the screen itself. Throw in something like Air Gesture, too, for good measure, which allows you to navigate certain areas without touching the display, either.
Basically, Samsung is giving you options so that you don't dirty up that 1080p display. Isn't that nice of them?
That's one way to look at it. Another, is that Samsung added too much into the mix, and that most of it is a gimmick that most people will never use.
There is a lot to love about the Galaxy S 4. As our own Aaron Baker has said on multiple occasions, the additions that Samsung includes in their software only add to the value of the phone. It's one of the reasons he loves the Galaxy Note II so much, and that's something that I can relate to. Samsung doesn't just make sure that TouchWiz looks different from, say, HTC's Sense UI or LG's proprietary software No, they add the extra features to make sure that you're getting the "bang for your buck."
But software aside, there are certain features of the phone that may not speak to certain customers. With devices like HTC's One or Apple's iPhone 5 out there in the market, a plastic handset like the Galaxy S 4 seems a little out of place. Especially with the price tag equaling those other handsets. (This is that "software versus hardware" argument that we can have another time.)
So I want to ask those of you out there who have actually purchased the Galaxy S 4, or maybe even have used it at length and decided not to buy it: What would you change about the Galaxy S 4? Despite the fact that the Galaxy S 4 is sitting so prominently near the top of the list on both the Expert's Choice Smartphone Rankings and the People's Choice, I can't help but wonder if there is anything you'd change about the flagship device.
For me? It isn't the plastic body (sure, it's not great, but I don't see it as a deal breaker, either), or even TouchWiz by itself. One of the only things I'd change about the Galaxy S 4 to consider it as my main device, would be the Super AMOLED display.
Yes, I love that it's a 1080p display. The pixel count is great. But I just don't like Super AMOLED displays. I used to, on devices like Microsoft's Zune HD, but I've just grown out of the saturated colors.
If that were to change on a device like the Galaxy Note III, but still add plenty of software value to the device, then it's a phone that I'd be more than happy to pick up. Especially if the rumors of a 13MP camera with image stabilization pan out. I'd be very interested in that.
So tell me what you'd change about the Galaxy S 4. Whether's something related to software or hardware, I want to know what features you'd change, and why. Do you plan on keeping your Galaxy S 4 for the long haul? Are you waiting to buy one for any particular reason? Or are you skipping it altogether? Let me know!