SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

Original Article XATACA / Spa

Citius, Altius, Fortius. He played renewal of the range of most successful Android smartphones of history and Samsung has not missed the appointment. Few tech products are going to elicit much attention as this Samsung Galaxy S4 now analyze
The context is well known by the community, so we just summarize. In the last two years Samsung has emerged as the World's Leading Technology, exalted by the growth of the smartphone, the reaffirmation of Android as the leading system, and three things that nobody has been able to run as: manufacture excellent franchise as terminals have been the Galaxy S2 and S3, to have a unique supply chain over which he has great control and an intense and successful marketing strategy.
Meanwhile, the competition has not slept quite the contrary. We come to see a series of "updated" from the remarkable and outstanding (Z Sony Xperia, HTC with its excellent ONE, LG Nexus 4 and the LG Optimus G, with its Z10 Blackberry, Nokia with the Lumia 920 ...) so that the level requirement with which to measure the Samsung Galaxy S4 is maximum. Will fight? ....
Samsung Galaxy S4, specifications
Tiempoonocemo ago known the main features of the S4, the most important stress that it depends on the country version. In Peru and the rest of Latin America, apparently commercialize the Quad core and will not have the version with the processor Octa.
5-inch screen with Super AMOLED technology, Full HD 1920 × 1080 and 441 ppi (pixels per inch). Gorilla Glass 3
Jelly Bean Android 4.2.2 with customization (Nature TouchWiz UX 2.0) by Samsung
Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor 600 1.9GHz Quad-Core, 2GB RAM
16/32/64 GB of internal memory, expandable via MicroSD (up to 64GB)
13-megapixel rear camera, 1080p video recording. 2-megapixel front camera
2,600 mAh battery, replaceable
Price, Free 699 euros in its output, see prices and with operators
Weight: 130 grams, dimensions 136.6 × 69.8 × 7.9 mm

Design and finishing
The design and finish of the Galaxy S4 are certainly the most controversial and criticized the terminal. Samsung has opted for a continuous line with respect to S3, on which some improvements have been made. The first and most obvious is to have achieved a larger screen (five inches vs. 4.8) without increasing the size of the terminal, reducing the weight thing (yes, just three grams, the s3 it was very light) and the thickness will be just 7.9 millimeters.
To understand where the S4 Samsung gets put over the competition can take a look at the following table:

In the quantitative aspects no one can beat the S4, for lightness and thinness have to go to a phone like the iPhone 5 that offers instead an inch less screen.

The arrangement of buttons Samsung maintains previous implementing models. Physical center button as opposed to the usual in Android, on-off button on the side and not "up" and volume control on the left. As house brand, no dedicated camera button. The USB input we have it down to the audio output on top. There is no great difference in use compared to other terminals Android franchise because of it, except perhaps the one aspect of just getting used to use the "home" of s4 to turn in place dedicated to it.
As has already been discussed ad nauseum, the back of the S4 is polycarbonate, a type of plastic that since Samsung advocate for durability and allow you to change the battery. This bet contrasts with the trend of the market (Apple, HTC, Sony, even LG) for higher quality finishes in terminal "premium", which had been a point where criticism of Galaxy range the emphasis had shifted one and again.

In the s4 have tried to overcome this point with a silver band on the side (which improves aesthetics something but still not metal) and trying to provide more solid texture to the terminal. In any case, in terms of design and finishes the Galaxy and Samsung are one step behind the best phones of competition. This value depends on how one puts this aspect of the phone and how much on the ability to change the battery and memory cards.

Nor lose sight of something important: the S4 earn enough in hand, is far - here comes a point inevitably subjective - of having a bad design (I refer to photos) and in many cases is often left out of the equation what is won and lost with the designs "unibody" in areas such as the ability to expand via card and replace the battery. In any case, even though this part of the analysis it is often assumed as "subjective", Samsung and the Galaxy are below quality finishes and design materials.
With the polycarbonate shell win but also lose aspects
In hand I would say that it is up to more manageable than the Galaxy S3, for lightness and lower edge and thickness. Use with one hand still has the difficulty of not being able to both corners at once, but as with the Z, forecasts of five inches converted to an unmanageable phone have not been met.

Screen
What that translates to "5-inch screen with Super AMOLED technology, Full HD 1920 × 1080 and 441 ppi (pixels per inch)"? In an experience that would come close to 10 if they had further improved the reading when the display receives direct sunlight.

The commitment and PenTile AMOLED rather than LCD Samsung has always weighed on the understanding that often chose a technology cost savings with less color fidelity so that the screen Galaxy s3 "azuleaba" did not come to get the pure white and could only appeal to many people oversaturate base.
Colors range s4
What we find with the display of the Samsung Galaxy S4 is an outstanding experience. The sum of the density of 441 ppi with Super AMOLED work on this year have come to offer one of the best - if not the best - screen on the market, yes, if we ignore default mode "optimizes" based to saturate the colors too old-fashioned with these technologies.

For photographers recommend checking out screen mode specially oriented to them and they can be calibrated Adobe RGB and the rest would point to screen mode that I am more comfortable with the S4 is the "film", despite (or rather, precisely) for the low saturation. In DisplayMate has an excellent article on Engadget thoroughly shelled Android in which screen s4 analyzed and compared with that of the iPhone 5.

Details aside, the screen offers a really good experience. Everything we've tried - photography, films, games, text - we liked and put the S4 in the league of the industry benchmark screens.
Software
S4 comes with the latest version of Android, 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, on which I recommend reading sendosartículos to have on the table all the news they bring. With this Samsung confirms an area where you are trying to position themselves for a long time, being the manufacturer before updating their models to the latest version after the Nexus.
About what has mounted over Android Samsung is much to discuss. Both his speech - in which accumulate features and services to exhaustion - as reflected first impressions so, the big news of the S4 would come in the software. The fact is that there is so much to check everything becomes almost intractable task, so we will attempt to tease out what we believe destable and make a balance sheet.

Air Gesture: the idea is that a sensor located in the upper right gestures detected at a maximum distance of 7 cm. This opens the door to that in certain contexts and applications (for example, it supports the native browser, Chrome, Firefox and others do not), the S4 can handle gestures.
The best case is solved with this technology "Air Browse", especially when we passed the photos of the gallery making the gesture to turn the page without touching the terminal can also be used between music tracks and pages read (although, again, Spotify does not apply or not to Kindle, etc ...). My impression is that it is more gimmicky than useful, can be some context that makes more sense (cooking or other pringadas hands now), but isolated

Air View: Samsung brings this functionality information consisting highlight an item without touching the screen (only approaching finger) from the range Note, which is articulated with the stylus.
Again is integrated in some contexts - see full text or SMS notice of an appointment in the calendar without having to enter the event. These are small details to save a click and it works reasonably well, but nothing more.

Smart Scroll: here is to avoid having to touch the screen to scroll the screen and continue reading using the wrist gesture or quit nodding and head, for which the device detects the user's gaze.
Both use cases are very striking at first, but share handicap: they have a significantly higher error rate to move a finger and in these cases I fear that if you are not always reliable, better not ever use you. A shame because the idea that the phone "I see" and thus has great potential to function and hopefully this is the start of something more powerful and reliable.

WatchON: here we have an approach of "universal remote with TV Guide included" surprised us for good. Works great, the guide is very solvent includes (from Freeview postcode, Canal +, Ono and Imagenio as options) and, above all, maintains the simplicity of a command.
Part of recommendations has not yet had time to show his quality, but suggests ways. We can write programs to warn you, but this part needs work, allowing an individual program note - this episode of Game of Thrones - but not "every time there is an episode of this series."
S Health: say it is possibly the Samsung software with more potential. Has caught the explosion of I quantified before it reaches the general public and is to be positioned in the big business that there are about technology and fitness.
What we have is a system input that integrates information that can grasp, they add external devices and we have to manually enter. The Galaxy S4 has the necessary sensors act as both pedometer as thermometer for detecting the moisture in the environment.
Many burger for as little exercise I fear
Our height and weight as we introduce the principle - although there is a possible integration with scales automatically take both the selling Samsung as an accessory as other - while the meals we can add searching in a database in which are documented generic dishes (burger 180 grams) and some suppliers (McDonalds burger).
The activities can also manually enter the (one hour spinning, 30 minutes of basketball), through the pedometer and expects future through a heart rate monitor and Samsung accessories line (talk about pressure measurement and blood glucose, something already included in the application) and other parties that will be compatible.
With this information the service poses a burn calorie goals and ingest function to guide us in our weight and height. In its current state S Health falls short compared to other solutions (Nike +, Adidas miCoach, Fitbit, Endomondo) but the potential is very high and it is clear that Samsung is going to go for it, with your own bracelet or is it clock) and accessories line.

Group Play: the proposal here is that someone shared through wifi connection you create with other users who have the same application (which today are required to have a Galaxy S4). The examples so far Samsung has are to "listen to the same music," that whoever believes Wifi hotspot.
This is possibly the most striking of Group Play, but really I see more potential in the idea of ​​sharing images / presentations and everyone to see the changes you are making one of the users. At the moment it is more a statement of intent (by limited experience and the expectation of being surrounded by users with the Galaxy S4) than useful, something that will be where it is integrated more devices and systems.
Notifications Touchwiz
Touchwiz on the Galaxy S4: the Samsung interface layer follows a continuity with respect to that seen in their latest models, with little change: if you liked will still feeling comfortable, if I did not hardly going to change your mind.
Among the new highlight in the notification bar activated options expands and allows access to all on a single screen. It is one of the features I value most in interface changes added to Android and I look and on any system customization.
Another fine work is the lock screen for some - including a server - is critical in relation to the usability and productivity with the phone. It is highly configurable so far as to show us, how to unlock (several types, warning us of the security level of each) and the applications that use unlock and start following it. All this is amplimente configurable, including the message can indicate the terminal owner.

That added an attempt to organize the configuration options (Connections, My Device, Accounts and "More") reflecting a growing increase in complexity. My balance with Touchwiz is that adds small usability improvements which comes in handy for the approach regarding Android Samsung pure, very oriented to many applications, services and features and therefore increase the complexity of the experience.
Smart Stay, so "easy" lock mode, S Drive, S Voice: There are many more features, several of which already knew them from other members of the Galaxy range. Almost all include some small improvement, for example Smart Stay that monitors when we are looking at the phone to keep the screen on works now much better and adds "Smart Pause" that applies technology to stop the video playback.
Mode "easy" - already met with the s3 - in turn presents a home screen designed for novice users while lock mode is particularly useful to disable certain types of messages (calls, notifications, alarm, etc. ..) and program the lock (every night of such a time to such other) while creating a "white list" of contacts that can get through (would you put the number of the office here ...?)
In any case, none of them I can see as a killer app or are close to perfection solve your use case. Without going any further S Drive does not quite solve the step navigation order address (that means good) to open Google Maps with it and run without user intervention (which is what we need to go to wheel), nor to open applications like Spotify if this is to really listen to music.

Samsung Apps and Samsung Hub: scenario fall within the pursuit of "independence" of Koreans, which offer both a content and applications market alternative to Google Play. In features they do not really see anything difference, if any good news that introducing a point of competition for other ways to buy software, books, music, movies, etc ... and Samsung promotes a common and interesting strategy discounts.
Inside the Hub would check especially the whole part of "learning" as it reflects a growing interest in the market Samsung education and their integration with technology. In any case, Samsung Hub has two fronts to improve short and medium term: one is to improve the front page with the content that recommended (the most popular) with custom criteria (which is introduced in all its products, especially those linked to television), the other is to think of models which do not involve the purchase of the digital item and explore DRM subscription / flat rate both in music and in film and television.
Software in the Galaxy S4, a balance: my impression is that there is everything, features that help enhance the experience, others purely for effect and will remain in oblivion all the years of using the terminal and others with potential but not yet mature.
However I think there is a further balance to make. Considering myself an advanced user, with the Galaxy S4 I felt a bit overwhelmed by the number of new services and applications (each with its own name marketiniano, abounding "S Stuff and Smarts something"), each configurable and your learning curve. I can not even imagine the time for an average user to investigate and learn how to use all this, if any gets it.
It is clear that Samsung's policy is to give many options and let the user choose (no more to see their portfolio of phones and tablets, with all possible sizes), but in order to take care of the user experience on this software leads to confusion and the feeling of too much "work" to who handles the phone.
You may what to me is not very useful - scroll Smart put her head - for another is the solution that takes years waiting, but by the way they impact negatively on the experience of all by way of overloading with options. I would prefer to bring in only two or three new options, which would really put all the focus and they were definitely differentials.

Camera
The rear camera of the Samsung Galaxy S4 offers a maximum resolution of 13 megapixels (4:3), but the important thing is that the manufacturers - not quite understand why when the processors are transparent - not usually share: Sensor model. In this case we have the Sony Exmor RS maximum aperture of f/2.2, the latest generation of the best manufacturer that is photography.
A few weeks ago, and delve into the technical aspects and see various samples of how far the s4 with his camera. Our experience has confirmed much of what was anticipated: the outdoor experience is outstanding and gives us one of the best qualities of the market, but indoors is at the average level of high-end smartphones.

Put another way, S4 camera is remarkably high (meaning that we are competing with smartphones) and a marked improvement over that of S3 and Note 2, but low light indoors and there are models that take advantage, especially Nokia with the Lumia 920 while outdoors it can be in the league of the best but not above them. In any case, next week we will have a Super Engadget smartphones comparative reference to clear any doubts with iPhone 5, HTC One, Xperia Z, Lg Optimus G, Blackberry Z10 and the Lumia 920 at stake.
Improved camera comes with new modes and options, but not as many as at the interface so this time I do not think anyone will overload. The proposed interface will be familiar to those who have tried the Galaxy Camera with mode dial to the right (you can change it to see them all on the screen at once) and configuration access to the upper left.

Among the new modes offered by the Galaxy S4 highlight the Drama (multiple shots to take a picture with the same individual mixed cut in them), "Sound and shot" (add sound for a few seconds), "Best face" (for several captures and can choose the best of each individual face appears in them separately, as we have seen in several terminals this year) and "Delete" to remove an "intruder" that appears in the shot, but not very useful because you have to choose a priori (using the same technique of taking several shots and choosing a part of each).
We also have "animated picture" that takes multiple images and detects movement of a portion of it to finish exportable forming a GIF animation and the "Dual Camera" that allows integrating a decision made with the front so that the photographer runs overprinted in the snapshot (in this case imagine that the idea is to attack the niche travelers who want to get next to a monument or dads who want to appear next to their infants).
Of course we have the night mode, the HDR, sports mode to decrease the exposure time, panoramic ... a good camera that you are comparing with the rest of the sector and as a partner with Snapseed can delight demanding smartphone users image quality.
Here are some examples to whet your appetite while camera arrives comparative

Try a sunset. By contrast so marked chose HDR mode and then applied some editing with Snapseed.

No macro mode, but that does not prevent the S4 behaves well in small distances.

Example of Dual Camera with S4 mode. You can choose other frameworks, the heart included. No need to comment on the beauty of the models.

Different ISO for still image indoors anticipates will make noise as lower as available light

Good daylight time on camera showcasing s4

Daela has been given voluntarily to test the portrait with the Galaxy S4. She comes very pretty, but certainly saturated pink camera (uncut)

We see that there is light ... but there was very little. In low light indoor camera S4 suffers - like all - and up the ISO to the point of putting a lot of noise.

Another example of low light in which we test the Galaxy Camera. Not bad, but tad trepidada (here as it has done is slow down your exposure, a steady hand will help.
We have also tested the video recording with the s4. An example of low light interior with enough contrast

And another example outdoors

In both quality is 1080p as an option (to check it must be indicated in the menu Youtube)
Performance and battery
What should we expect from two gigabytes of RAM and quad core processor and next-generation GPU Qualcomm? Basically everything goes smooth and works without "lag" whatsoever. Did you get the Samsung Galaxy S4? Undoubtedly, within three days of intense testing has not made us wait for anything. For lovers of the data we leave you with detailed benchmarks that have made our fellow Engadget Android.
The fact is that this fluidity is also observed in the terminal micros immediately preceding model Qualcomm (Z Xperia or LG Optimus Pro) and other even less powerful, which indicates that the hardware has long exceeded requirements that require the latest versions of Android.

So why do we need so much power? Server even demanding games like Need for Speed ​​Most Wanted (which gives Samsung through its app store to the first 100,000 buyers of the terminal in Europe) we see a yield differential with similar experiences in other phones.
If anything could barruntar today that more power should be accorded more likely to be compatible with future versions of Android more demanding, but there's no guarantees. Anyway, the S4, yes, a "bicharraco" with all the power he has been able to inject Samsung, as shown in the results of the benchmarks.
As for autonomy, the 2600 mAh are noted for good, reflected in further evidence that Samsung has optimized their consumption good software. The tests we have done not only with our profile of normal use (very intense, many applications, active sync, notifications constant, heavy use of email, Internet, music and social media, 80% brightness and wireless connectivity, 3G and GPS NFC assets) but even a step further, by that test the terminal with more intensity.

In this scenario the Galaxy S4 "almost" reaches the end of the day (at 20:00 we called recharge), which is more than you can tell other competitors in its class that we tested. For a normal user do not use so intense, there should be no problem getting to the full day.
In any case, we are left with the desire to be tested Octacore micro version of the Samsung Exynos S4, not because they add some power but above all for the greater autonomy granted on paper. The European and U.S. S4 comes with LTE in Spain can not change and still take advantage of this extra no other should be differential Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy S4, the opinion of Engadget
If you came here you may have noticed that we liked the terminal. If the question is whether the Samsung Galaxy S4 is an excellent smartphone, the answer is yes, we have no doubt who will do with it will be very satisfied.
If the question is whether it is the best on the market, this time the answer depends on what attributes we value most. S4 is differential in the quality of the screen, the power, the experience at hand for a terminal that gives five inches and, with nuances, in autonomy. The camera is in line with what other high ranges offering some indoor superior design and craftsmanship and would place it below other terminals clearly that we like much more on these points, as the HTC One or the iPhone 5.

His proposal differentiation through software applications and services is blurred by the overabundance and complexity it adds, although some aspects are well resolved and others have great potential (not forgetting those left in pure sensationalism and probably using the first time and ready).
In the Spanish context and most American countries we wish more access the eight-core Exynos version, which would have added an extra autonomy instead of barely usable LTE, but Samsung's bet with operators - and imagine that the availability of buses - tipped the balance will team with Qualcomm.
Do you have this year Samsung the best smartphone of the year? Two years ago I was very clear that the S2 it was, in 2012 I had my serious doubts (by competition from three major teams, the HTC One X +, the iPhone 5 ... and the Note 2, Samsung itself), in 2013 I think it is very difficult to pinpoint a single terminal with everything we've seen. Besides those already mentioned have proposals on the table as interesting as Xperia Z and other competing heavily in the high-end price as Nexus 4 and LG Optimus G.
Besides 2013 is much ahead and we have to look very serious betting, there are Nokia, Apple, BlackBerry, Huawei, ZTE, Motorola?? ... Well we can not rule out further attempts to Sony and HTC not forget that Note 3 does not not miss the appointment.
Photo Gallery
(Click on an image to enlarge)

In any case the cards are on the table. Samsung Galaxy S4 is all this that we have had and an experience that I will continue trying to analyze. But mostly it's time to talk users, have fulfilled expectations Samsung?
8.5
Diseño7.5
Pantalla10
Rendimiento9.5
Cámara7.5
Software8
Autonomía8.5