Samsung GALAXY S4 – Features and Specifications

Samsung Galaxy S4

Once upon a time, mobile phones were used to make and receive calls and short messages. They were just calling machines. But not anymore. These days, with these marvelous gadgets becoming smarter and smarter, they are more like a personal assistant we can carry around in our hands or pockets. They connect us to our world, help us capture our thoughts and precious moments and share them or store them, they take care of our schedules and tasks, they help us in our travels, they keep track of our health, they keep track of the weather conditions for us, and in dull moments, are amply fitted to regale us with books, articles, blogs, songs, and even movies and news from around the world. Whew! No wonder we can no longer imagine our lives without our precious mobiles.

And no wonder also that, for its latest released smartphone – GALAXY S4, Samsung boldly chose the tag line of ‘Life Companion.’

But can a mobile really be a Life Companion?

Well, according to Mr. JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung “The GALAXY S4 brings people together, makes everyday living better and sets the standard in mobile innovation.”

And according to Mr. Vineet Taneja, Country Head – Samsung Mobile and Digital Imaging, “The Galaxy S4 is a device that enables us to do more, it’s a companion that helps us experience life to the fullest and makes our life simpler and richer… That’s the promise of the Samsung Galaxy S4.”

Okay, I say, well then let’s take a look at the special features with which GALAXY S4 seeks to prove true to its promise.

Ways In Which S4 Helps In Capturing And Sharing Life’s Special Moments:

Big or small, life is filled with numerous moments that one may want to cherish forever. And Samsung GALAXY S4 comes equipped with several very interesting and useful features to help the user capture their precious moments and store and share them easily and conveniently. Let’s take a look at these:

1. Dual Shot: To take a combined picture by shooting simultaneously from rear camera (13 Megapixel) and front camera (2 Megapixel). Various frame effects and shooting modes available to blend the two pictures.

2. Drama Shot: To record action by capturing continuous time-lapse image.

3. Sound & Shot: To record the sound of the moment while clicking a picture.

4. Animated Photo: To take a series of shots, and choose a particular part of the photo to move while the others stay still.

5. Other Camera Feautures: Eraser, Night, Best Photo, Best Face, Beauty Face, HDR (High Dynamic Range), Panorama, Sports

6. Viewing Pleasure: Not just recording, S4 seeks to make viewing the images fun too with its Full HD Super AMOLED display and 5-inch large screen with 441ppi.

Ways In Which S4 Helps To Connect and Share Life’s Pleasures

So far, mobiles and computers have been blamed for cutting people away from real social life. They have somehow trapped our social circle in the online Web. Even when we meet face to face, it often happens that our eyes focus more on the gadgets in our hand than on our friends.

Samsung GALAXY S4, on the other hand, claims to be designed for strengthening the bonds of friendships and relationships. This it does by offering various ways to ‘share and experience’ stuff like games, songs, pictures etc together and to get entertained together. Here’s how:

1. Group Play: Allows an easy sharing of games, photos, music and documents with people close by without any Wi-Fi AP or cellular signal. That is, users can connect easily and directly with people near them to share, co-create and play games music, pictures and documents instantly.

2. Share Music: To sync multiple phones to play the same song on all of them and enhance the joy of music.

3. Share Screen: To share the phone’s screen with other users of S4 without having to download and upload files to their device.

Ways In Which S4 Helps You Do More, More Easily

A true friend, or a companion can understand the look in your eye, isn’t it? Similarly, Galaxy S4, aiming to prove itself a worthy ‘Life Companion,’ can also detect and understand the commands of a user’s eyes, face, voice and hand motion. As a result, one can do several things on S4, without even touching its screen. Here’s how:

1. Air Gesture: S4 understands several gesture commands that don’t require touching the screen. For example, using the Air Gesture, one can easily change the song being played by just a wave of the hand.

2. Air View: Enables previewing emails and pictures etc. by hovering the finger over the screen.

3. Samsung Smart Pause: To control the screen with just a turn of head. For example, if you just turn your head sideways while watching a video, the video will be paused instantly, and resume when you turn back to it.

Ways In Which S4 Helps in Maintaining Good Health and Healthy Lifestyle

In this world of ever increasing stress and pollution, maintaining a good health requires care and discipline. It’s too easy to slump out of an exercise routine, even more easier to fall into a diet catastrophe. More often than not, the only thing that keeps people on a healthy routine and diet are constant and careful watch kept by a loved one.

GALAXY S4, like a good companion, also proposes to help you stay in good health. Here’s how:

S Health: To help the user stay up-to-date with latest health information from around the world. The S4′s sensors also contribute towards monitoring the user’s health, food, exercise, sleep routine etc.

Ways In Which S4 Ensures User Comfort

The truest companion is one with whom one can be totally comfortable with. Let’s see how S4 takes care of the user’s comfort. Besides the voice, gesture and motion commands that add ease and comfort to the use of S4, there are also some special features aiming to enhance this comfort even more. For example:

1. Samsung Adept Display: For a comfortable viewing experience from whatever angle you are looking at the screen.

2. Samsung Adapt Sound: Provides an optimal level and type of sound, personalized for each user to add to the pleasure and comfort of audio entertainment

3. Glove Friendly: S4 is capable of auto adjusting touch sensitivity that helps it to respond to the commands of even a gloved finger. So no need to remove your hand from a glove in a freezing weather just to be able to answer a call.

Other Content & Services

1. Samsung Hub: Acts as a single entry for all Samsung content services making accessing these service quite easy and convenient. Instead of several different apps, it’s just one Samsung Hub that can be used to browse through a variety of content across services like games, books, videos and learning content. Samsung Hub uses an integrated search. That is, when you search for something, the results delivered will be a combination from across all services like books, games, videos etc. The content can also be purchased and managed from here using the Samsung account.

2. Samsung Apps: Providing an easy access to a wide variety of applications, included the popular apps on Google Play and a special selection of best apps chosen by Samsung.

3. Samsung WatchON: A special feature that can turn the GALAXY S4 into a universal remote control.

4. ChatON: Samsung’s messaging service offering various ways to communicate with friends and loved ones. It’s not just to exchange free text messages, but also comes with a high quality mVoIP/Video Chatting service.

These were some of the special features the Samsung GALAXY S4 comes loaded with to serve the user as a companion. Let’s take a quick look at its specification as well. And also the accessories available for it.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Dimension: 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm, 130g

Screen and Display: Samsung GALAXY S4 uses Corning’s new Gorilla® Glass 3 with Native Damage Resistance™. This provides S4 with improved damage and scratch resistance. S4 has 12.7cm Full HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) display, 441 ppi

Processor: 1.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor + 1.2 Ghz Quad Core Processor

OS: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)

Memory: 16GB User memory + microSD slot (up to 64GB) 2GB RAM

Battery: 2,600 mAh

Camera Main (Rear): 13 Mega pixel Auto Focus camera with Flash & Zero Shutter Lag, BIS

Sub (Front): 2 Mega pixel camera, Full HD recording @30fps with Zero Shutter Lag, BIS

Video: Codec: MPEG4, H.264, H.263, DivX, DivX3.11, VC-1, VP8, WMV7/8, Sorenson Spark, HEVC

Recording & Playback: Full HD (1080p)

Audio: Codec: MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AC-3, apt-X

Network: 2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE): 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz 3G (HSPA+42Mbps): 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (HT80) GPS / GLONASS NFC, Bluetooth® 4.0 (LE) IR LED (Remote Control), MHL 2.0

Sensors: Accelerometer, RGB light, Geomagnetic, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer, Temperature & Humidity, Gesture

Google Mobile Services: Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google PlayStore, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads, Voice Search

Additional Features: Group Play: Share Music, Share Picture, Share Document, Play Games, Story Album, S Translator, Optical Reader, Samsung Smart Scroll, Samsung Smart Pause, Air Gesture, Air View, Samsung Hub, ChatON (Voice/Video Call, Share screen, 3-way calling)

Price: Rs 41,500/-

Accessories

1. S View Cover: A flip cover with a magnetic strip allowing the user to do several things like receive calls, check date, time etc. without opening the front flap.

2. Flip Covers: Also available are classic flip covers in different colours.

3. Back Covers: Covers protecting the back and rims of S4 and enabling a firm grip on the device.

4. Charging Options: For more charging options, wireless charging Pad & Cover combo, extended battery kit, 9000mAh power pack are available.

5. Others: Also available is a premium range of Samsung headsets and docking stations

So, you might wonder, considering all this, do I find Samsung GALAXY S4 fit to be a Life Companion?

Oh, well, I say, considering all these exciting features and specifications, and considering my experience with SIII, I’m pretty sure that once I have S4, it’s going to be my Life Companion alright. My hands have that thing about them you know. Once they get attached to a great gadget, they don’t like putting it down! And when it comes to S4, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna feel a real tight bond to its company. It’s very likely going to become my constant companion, sharing, saving, regaling and enhancing the moments of my life. At least till the next best thing comes along, that is!