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At a slightly kitschy Broadway-style event at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Samsung on Thursday officially lifted the curtain on the latest member of the storied Galaxy smartphone series: the octa-core Exynos 5-powered Galaxy S4.
With all due respect to the Korean electronics giant who was clearly trying to make its first smartphone unveiling on U.S. soil special, all the theatrics at today’s Unpacked 2013 event were not only tedious but unnecessary, as it had very little to tell us that we didn’t already know — what with an unrelenting deluge of rumors that continued until a few minutes before the official unveiling.
The intolerable theatrics aside, here are the specs Samsung confirmed today: 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, 1.9 GHz Quad-Core Processor / 1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor (to vary by market), Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean), 2GB RAM, 16/32/64 GB internal storage, microSD support, 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS / GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE) and IR LED (Remote Control) and 2,600 mAh battery.
Granted, the Galaxy S4, with its powerful innards, 5-inch full HD display and 13MP camera, is without any doubt a better device than its predecessor, but it’s still nothing more than an evolutionary leap. With most devices sporting more or less similar specs and, thereby, finding it hard to stand out in an increasingly competitive smartphone market, the software is, in many ways, more important than the hardware. Thankfully, the latest Galaxy smartphone, which is scheduled to make its retail debut next month at an as yet undisclosed price, is not short on software innovations.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the phone’s software innovations (excerpted from the press release):
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Hey.That_Dude
March 22, 2013 at 11:00pm
Galaxy S4 has a price. It's going to be around $650. It says so in their own documents!
https://www.samsung.com/us/register/galaxy-s-4-smartphone/terms-and-conditions.html
For those that don't want to follow the link...
First Prizes: 48 First Prizes will be awarded, each consisting of a Samsung Galaxy S® 4 mobile device. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $650*.
* The mobile device pricing is approximate and subject to change based on retail pricing set by Sponsor and carrier partners once the mobile device is available for purchase. Any difference between the stated value and actual value once the mobile device becomes available at retail will not be awarded.
oh and gfy Maxpc. your spam filter doesn't work so stop forcing it on me.
TechW
March 18, 2013 at 10:31am
I can honestly say that while the Galaxy S IV hardware specs are great, the included software is nothing but crapware to me. I can't think that I would use any of the new "features" they are adding on to the phone. There are plenty of apps available to customize Android. And I can delete those at any time if I am not using them. I imagine that is not the case with the Samsung included apps if history is any guide.
I'll probably be going with the HTC One. Less crapware and I can shove it off screen if I want and it has quality speakers that I can actually hear. (Yes, I know, it doesn't have a removable battery and an SD Card slot, while those are desirable they are not deal breakers for me)
Zanshi
March 15, 2013 at 4:01pm
8 cores is meaningless if the apps can't don't take advantage of it. Why do you think Intel and AMD have such a hard time promoting them? 4 cores for software (as of right now) are more than enough.
Vano
March 15, 2013 at 4:35pm
It's for multitasking! There are no apps right now that would even need multicore phone, unless it does some kind of video converting or 3d rendering, but if you need run several apps simultaneously, the more cores the better.
bling581
March 15, 2013 at 9:48am
Why are people so concerned about how it looks in plastic? I have an iPhone 4S and my coworker next to me has a GS3. I've looked at it and it feels durable enough. What really matters is the guts inside and how it performs. Crazy Apple fanatics are always worrying about aesthetics and looking cool.
Opm2
March 15, 2013 at 10:59am
Maybe they like their calls dropped and poor signal quality. Shrouding your antenna in metal may look cool and feel durable, but it rapes your functionality.
Peanut Fox
March 15, 2013 at 8:13am
I used to think quad core phones were overkill. However, I've noticed that as performance in the devices has increased so has user experience, and the overall quality of the device. Higher resolution screens, more responsive UI, and added features.
Also Samsung's Octa isn't an 8 core processor in the traditional sense. 4 of the Cores are Cortex A15, while the other 4 are low power Cortex A7. The design is based off of ARM's big.LITTLE architecture which is similar to nVida's Tegra 4+1.
somethingelse
March 15, 2013 at 7:06am
For better sounding phone calls and more responsive email of course! (sarcasm in effect)
Ninjawithagun
March 15, 2013 at 6:24am
Pulkit - hate to break it to you, but the Samsung S4 is indeed a revolutionary step and NOT evolutionary step in smartphone technology. The Samsung S4 uses a lot of all-new tech that is currently not available in any other device, so how can it only be evolutionary? Stop reading other tech posts and trying to push them off as your own opinion. You are not going to fool Maximum PC readers - we know better! If you paid any attention, you would know that I am correct and that the S4 is the very best phone with the newest generation of technology onboard. I do not foresee the iPhone 5S being able to catch up with the S4...maybe the iPhone 6 will next year, but then by that time the S5 will be out...hahahaha!
Caboose
March 15, 2013 at 7:48am
Like what? The 8-core CPU, IR blaster or the 802.11au tech? The rest is all available in other devices, may not be the current revision, but it's available. And the rest is all software based.
Peanut Fox
March 15, 2013 at 8:16am
Nokia has had IR blaster's in some of their high end phones in the past, and the new HTC one also has one.
bigrigross
March 15, 2013 at 5:11am
Hold the phones. IR LED. Im sold. I dont know how many times I wish I could use my phone as a remote just because I know I wont lose it and it would be pretty darn handy. They need this on more phones.
Opm2
March 15, 2013 at 11:02am
There are a ton of traffic lights controlled by IR LED lights mounted in emergency vehicles. Never wait at a red light again!
Khoiboi
March 14, 2013 at 10:37pm
I honestly don't like the five inch screen. My coworker broke the screen on his S3 (a single horizontal crack in about the middle) because he put it in his pocket weird and when he sat down, the plastic bent enough for the screen to crack. Larger screen is more room and everything, but it also means a larger and more vulnerable screen to crack and a shorter battery life.
Ninjawithagun
March 15, 2013 at 6:31am
If your friend (or you) had any common sense, he would have bought a decent case for the phone. I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 in a Otterbox Defender case and have had zero issues with it being damaged in any way. I've sat on it (multiple times), dropped it (a couple times from 4ft onto concrete), and it has yet to exhibit any physical damage. I can guarantee you that if you were to sit on an iPhone 4 or 5 (that has a much smaller screen) without it being in a case, the glass would crack for sure. Be smart and protect your tech devices - INVEST in good protective gear! Common sense goes a long way...if you have any.
Sparx10
March 15, 2013 at 2:08am
I was thinking of buying this phone but what you said is a little concerning. Perhaps that is why the rumored Motorola X Phone is going to have a flexible 5" screen
maverick knight
March 15, 2013 at 12:40am
People just need to be careful and mindful of their phones. Countless phones in the past have been victims of careless people drop them on the floor, toilet, pool, bridge, etc. I had a friend who bought a $40 hard plastic cover/case for his S2 and, ironically enough, he cracked the screen at the gym. He had his phone in his pocket (on top of his tight) while doing shoulder press and when he rested the dumbbell on his tight he cracked the screen.
It is not the phone's design fault, it is careless peoples's fault.
maverick knight
March 25, 2013 at 12:53pm
Its ironic that his $40 case didn't protect the phone after all.
vrmlbasic
March 14, 2013 at 9:39pm
Only 2,600 mAh battery? My phone has a 3300 mAh battery. Perhaps this phone is more efficient than mine and and can run for a longer duration than can mine, but my phone proves it possible to have a 3300 mAh battery in a phone and this Samsung phone would certainly run for longer had it the 700 mAh capacity it is lacking.
I have qualms about buying a more capable phone which has less battery capacity than my current one.
Sparx10
March 15, 2013 at 2:05am
I'm guessing you have the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD?
I would have gotten that phone if not for the fact that Motorola doesn't always follow through on promised Android updates on their phones, the fact that the back cover (and by extension, the battery) is non-removable, and the unfortunate decision to not let users unlock the bootloader (yet you can unlock the regular Droid Razr HD)
Anyways, 2600mAh is higher than most if not all phones from 2011, which usually had anywhere from 1700mAh to 2000mAh. For people just coming out of a 2 year contract this is a great upgrade
vrmlbasic
March 15, 2013 at 11:49am
I have the Razr Maxx, the non-HD version.
I wish that the battery were replaceable, but I'll accept that for the durability provided by the rigid, nigh-unserviceable construction. This phone has withstood somewhat serious abuse, abuse that I've seen do in a Galaxy S2 & a few iPhones. I also don't plan on using this phone forever. I'd like to be able to continually update the battery as it loses capacity (where is our super capacitor tech?...sigh) but I get the feeling that before the battery craps out the phone will be irrelevant: my old Droid Eris has a replaceable battery, but it is so dated that it can do scarcely anything besides phone calls.
2600 mAh is nice, I agree, but with the bulk of this device I wouldn't mind them cramming in a much more capacious battery. I suppose that I could do that myself, if I were to find a 3rd party super-battery, which could work.
Paper Jam
March 15, 2013 at 7:27am
I got burned by Moto on my last phone by them reneging on the ICS update, but as for the locked bootloader, that falls on the carrier. My current Moto can be unlocked using their website. I went back to Motorola because they still have the best radios and solid build quality.
anc51699
March 14, 2013 at 8:23pm
13MP front camera and 2MP rear camera? Is that a typo? Why on earth does anyone need a front camera to take pictures that big?
Blaze589
March 14, 2013 at 8:30pm
I checked CNET and it is a typo 2MP front and 13MP on the rear.
"Why on earth does anyone need a front camera to take pictures that big?" Sexting maybe? lol
limitbreaker
March 14, 2013 at 9:03pm
My sony Xperia S can already do that and has a lot less cheap plastic :-) I liked samsung phones for a while but After my Galaxy note i'm never buying their products again.
Ninjawithagun
March 15, 2013 at 10:15am
No, the Sony Xperia can't do that...12MP camera with only a dual-core CPU and no 4G LTE capability? NO THANKS! And the Xperia uses a lot of plastics too - you just think it's metal. Time for you to upgrade your phone :P
limitbreaker
March 15, 2013 at 10:34am
I'm sorry, my mistake... I have the Xperia T which does have LTE and a 13mp camera and the casing is of great quality, it's not quad core or water proof like the Xperia z but I settled for a last gen phone because I bought it without a contract.
Warrior247
March 14, 2013 at 8:07pm
Trying to create Apple hype are we Samsung? Seriously now. Plastic fantastic.
Ninjawithagun
March 15, 2013 at 6:35am
Hahahahahaha! At least our phone and maps work properly :P Can't say that about Crapple's iPhone 5 and it's wonderfully screwed up iOS updates...NUFF SAID! Samsung S3 and S4 FTW! Crapple who?
Warrior247
March 15, 2013 at 11:03am
It's funny that Samsung criticized Apple for hype, long lines, ect. Now, it seems they see nothing wrong with doing it themselves! This is suppose to be their last Android phone as well. Why, so they can up their own Apple like ecosystem. What this shows is that thru all of the criticism directed at Apple, those doing it secretly want those things. Samsung stole from Apple and now they're trying to become Apple.
Supall
March 15, 2013 at 7:23am
You completely missed his point.
Samsung's presentation overhyped a relatively "okay" product. Sure, it has a bigger screen, faster processor, and gimmicky features, but the build quality is still the same and it makes Samsung's product look cheap in comparison to Apple's iPhone, and even to Motorola's phones.
Ninjawithagun
March 15, 2013 at 10:25am
I didn't miss the point. You are only trying to convey your opinion as "overhyped", and not based upon fact. Apple has been guilty of overhyping its products for years. The plain fact is that every company has to be aggressive in advertising new products, especially in today's tight economy. How else is the general consumer supposed to find out about new products in an official format? Samsung products do not look cheap in my opinion...just like you have an opinion saying they do look cheap. Sure Samsung could have developed a heavy all-metal phone design that weighed a quarter pound when held in your hand. But would consumers want that? No. That's why Samsung chose to design the S3 and S4 based on a much lighter frame that uses both metal and plastic. Just take a look at the iPhone 5...the first time Apple went to a frame that used more plastic than metal...NUFF SAID!
Engelsstaub
March 14, 2013 at 11:38pm
In a way they are aping Apple (again IMO) by doing shit like this, but I think it's smart. They are fierce competitors and Samsung wants to one up them. That's bizness, dawg.
....but in other news: does anyone else think these phones are getting too pheckin' big? Pretty soon they'll just start selling docks for your living room so it can replace your HDTV.
Impressive specs though. A 13 megapixel camera is not a necessity, but it sure does help when you're cropping pictures for Hipstagram and stuff.
Exarkun1138
March 15, 2013 at 4:13am
It's got nice hardware specs, but yes, I agree, these things are getting too big now. Unless this is the ONLY device you have to watch movies, play games, etc., then I guess that's OK, but otherwise, it is a bit large in my opinion.
Paper Jam
March 15, 2013 at 1:19am
I'll agree they are getting too big. 4.3" screen is the biggest that I want in a phone. Why does it need to be that big when they have the Note line? You would think that they might be competing with themselves. And I'll bet this thing still has weak radios. My Moto has two bars where my buddy's GS3 can't get a signal.
limitbreaker
March 14, 2013 at 9:08pm
I don't know if you're trolling or not but i agree with you a 100%. For something i carry with my self almost everywhere i go on earth, I want quality and Samsung even admits to cheapen their products for bigger yields.
maverick knight
March 15, 2013 at 1:12am
Replacing certain parts to lower production cost is a norm in manufacturing goods. This practice is done in food processing too. You can go the celebrity path and buy phones made out of gold and diamonds. Or just go with a phone made out of some sort of metal, like an iphone. Either way, if you are careless is going to brake just the same.
Honestly, most comments here are so negative over a product that improves its predecessor which just last year everybody was praising. And yes, I believe that the big show presentation is necessary. This is how marketing works. Samsung has proven to be a top quality manufacturer, enough to rival Apple and Sony.
By the way, I like underdog teams and companies and in the case of smartphones Sony is a little on the underdog side. I really wish their new Xperia Z really sell well. I used to be a Sony Ericsson fan before the smartphone market bloomed.
Paper Jam
March 14, 2013 at 8:40pm
Yeah, they should have just stopped with the original Galaxy S. Upgrades and advancements are for chumps.
steven4570
March 14, 2013 at 9:32pm
the presentation of the phone aside...its a kick ass phone that makes the iphone look a little sad
tony2tonez
March 14, 2013 at 7:58pm
Also software offered is Samsung Knox which is similar to BB Balance. Separation of personal and work OS.
The S Translation sounds similar to BB text, meaning if you switch insert those special character of another language the dictionary changes to that language, so you can have multilingual text message.
The specs sound really nice, i would check out this phone as my contract will be up end of June. Also there were rumors that this could be Samsung last Android device as they are developing their OS Tizen (maybe on the highend).
