All about Samsung Galaxy S4

[dawheat]

I do find the reviews amusing - the phone seems excellent and in many ways the class of the field. If the plastic build quality doesn't bother you (personaly I like my Note 2), then I'd buy it due to the advantage of a 5" screen over 4.7" in a thinner and lighter body.

Still I can't go backwards in screen size from the Note 2 - if the Note 3 comes with a similar 1080p screen, thinner, lighter, and faster - I'm already sold.

 

[lopri]

Or is that WAY too simple?

Who knows.. maybe the author will investigate and reveal the truth.

 

[Axon]

Engadget has posted their review of the GS4. The verdict? A predictable upgrade with half-baked software implementations. What a joke, but at least they're trying. Maybe they should do what Apple does and buy these firms and really integrate their software into their products instead of licensing them. Not even Samsung can afford to spend $12B every year on marketing to keep sales up. And that AMOLED screen. My G-d is it awful. BTW, I'm waiting for that S Ex software. Come on, Samsung, I know you can do it.

That's exactly what it is - predictable - its just predictably awesome. When the S3 launched, the criticism was focused on the amount of RAM, the CPU, and the screen. Now Samsung addressed those issues directly. And the phone still sucks? One way or the other, people.

Complaints regarding the "feel" of the phone I ignore as the #firstworldproblems they are. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybDKfGEw4aU

 

[MrX8503]

It depends if you care about the materials of which your phone is built from. I personally prefer metal. If you're getting an SGS4, you're surely getting it for the hardware.

 

[s44]

It depends if you care about the materials of which your phone is built from.

The S4 does have the best glass. Premium materials!!!@!1!eleven!

Did you read the article? They liked the screen as did the verge....

As I said in the other thread, there's a hilarious disconnect between the flavor text (trying to will HTC ahead) and the actual review details, which show an awesome device that just doesn't look the way the press likes.

 

[ChronoReverse]

Well I'm definitely getting the GS4 since I broke my One X. It'll in a case anyway (http://www.spigen.com/cell-phone/samsung/galaxy-s4-cases/galaxy-s4-case-neo-hybrid.html) so it'll be plenty grippy.

Any lag resulting from S-features or Touchwiz will be excised when I put in Cyanogenmod so it'll be a smooth.

 

[Red Storm]

It depends if you care about the materials of which your phone is built from. I personally prefer metal. If you're getting an SGS4, you're surely getting it for the hardware.

This is not true. I avoid metal because I find it inferior. It's generally heavier and much more prone to easy scratches.

 

[poofyhairguy]

This is not true. I avoid metal because I find it inferior. It's generally heavier and much more prone to easy scratches.

And dents!!

I have dropped my SGS2 like 50+ times and at worst the plastic back flew off. I dropped my aluminum transformer once and there is this huge dent in the corner.

Metal is cool if its like steel and the idea is your phone could go to hades and back and still work.

If metal is "this looks cooler but dents easier" then forget it.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

And dents!!

I have dropped my SGS2 like 50+ times and at worst the plastic back flew off. I dropped my aluminum transformer once and there is this huge dent in the corner.

Metal is cool if its like steel and the idea is your phone could go to hades and back and still work.

If metal is "this looks cooler but dents easier" then forget it.

Well if people aren't worrying about phone shattering, then they shouldn't be worried ab out dents right? And if you're worried about dropping your phone 50+ times, maybe it's better to get a case? I dropped my SGS2 a few times. It's got scratches. I guess what do you mean by dent. My iphone takes drops in the office. Drop it in the parking lot? Even plastic phones will get scratched up.

 

[dawheat]

The S4 does have the best glass. Premium materials!!!@!1!eleven!

As I said in the other thread, there's a hilarious disconnect between the flavor text (trying to will HTC ahead) and the actual review details, which show an awesome device that just doesn't look the way the press likes.

I agree - both phones are great and we as the consumers benefit. I'm a Samsung guy, but I'm willing to give HTC rose-tinted glasses in this gen. Otherwise Samsung may have no competition in the Andriod ecosystem to keep them honest and keep moving forward.

 

[s44]

Good news: Verizon preorders open tomorrow. $200AR on contract, $650 for those of us with unlimited who are buying outright.

Bad news: May 30 release confirmed

 

[Red Storm]

Well if people aren't worrying about phone shattering, then they shouldn't be worried ab out dents right? And if you're worried about dropping your phone 50+ times, maybe it's better to get a case? I dropped my SGS2 a few times. It's got scratches. I guess what do you mean by dent. My iphone takes drops in the office. Drop it in the parking lot? Even plastic phones will get scratched up.

Metal phones don't need to be dropped to get scratched.

Good news: Verizon preorders open tomorrow. $200AR on contract, $650 for those of us with unlimited who are buying outright.

Bad news: May 30 release confirmed

Dammit.

 

[Axon]

Well if people aren't worrying about phone shattering, then they shouldn't be worried ab out dents right? And if you're worried about dropping your phone 50+ times, maybe it's better to get a case? I dropped my SGS2 a few times. It's got scratches. I guess what do you mean by dent. My iphone takes drops in the office. Drop it in the parking lot? Even plastic phones will get scratched up.

This is what has always been so strange to me about "build quality." If you drop your phone from your hand and it impacts either concrete or asphalt, something's getting scratched or dented. These things are not made of adamantium.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

This is what has always been so strange to me about "build quality." If you drop your phone from your hand and it impacts either concrete or asphalt, something's getting scratched or dented. These things are not made of adamantium.

I think there's a difference between "build quality" which is perceived by the user by holding a product, squeezing it, bending it. Then there's durability which refers to regular wear and tear, sitting in your pocket with keys, dirt, getting dropped, splashed, etc.

 

[Skurge]

This is what has always been so strange to me about "build quality." If you drop your phone from your hand and it impacts either concrete or asphalt, something's getting scratched or dented. These things are not made of adamantium.

No, built quality is about Panel gaps and videos about how phones are made didn't you know.

The fact that when you drop the One, the speaker grill comes off, doesn't matter as much as the fact that is has microscopic panel gapes, cause people look at the back of their phone all day long.

My Nexus 4 was a step up from my Galaxy Nexus in premuim feel and "build quality". That has worn off and now I'm just worried about cracking the glass back if I accidentally bump into the corner of my desk with the phone in my pocket.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

No, built quality is about Panel gaps and videos about how phones are made didn't you know.

The fact that when you drop the One, the speaker grill comes off, doesn't matter as much as the fact that is has microscopic panel gapes, cause people look at the back of their phone all day long.

My Nexus 4 was a step up from my Galaxy Nexus in premuim feel and "build quality". That has worn off and now I'm just worried about cracking the glass back if I accidentally bump into the corner of my desk with the phone in my pocket.

The trick is finding a good compromise between build quality and durability. I think the HTC One X was a good compromise. Plastic yet solid feel. Samsungs are plastic and cheap feeling, kinda like Logitech mice. That's why they add weights to the mice to make it feel better heh.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Well if people aren't worrying about phone shattering, then they shouldn't be worried ab out dents right? And if you're worried about dropping your phone 50+ times, maybe it's better to get a case? I dropped my SGS2 a few times. It's got scratches. I guess what do you mean by dent. My iphone takes drops in the office. Drop it in the parking lot? Even plastic phones will get scratched up.

I have gone through like 4 cases with my SGS2. I am pretty rough with my phone (well my dog aced one).

I don't mind scratches, scratch the plastic all day. "Wah its not shiny now!" I don't care.

But denting really worries me. On my Prime the dent actually forces a gap between the screen and the device because it has reformed into a shape that is not conducive to being packed together.

My plastic SGS2 would flex on impact, but always go back to its old form. Aluminum does not do that.

So what would terrify me is something like a One that is unibody aluminum. If people think its gap is bad now, let me use that phone for a month (and drop it like 3 times per my average) and it will have some dents that will make that gap a chasm.

 

[MrX8503]

I'd still take metal over plastic even with it being more prone to denting and scratches. Plastic doesn't help much with drops considering the screen is glass. The GS3 shattered in a drop test by Android Authority.

This is not true. I avoid metal because I find it inferior. It's generally heavier and much more prone to easy scratches.

The 5 is pretty light for its size.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I'd still take metal over plastic even with it being more prone to denting and scratches. Plastic doesn't help much with drops considering the screen is glass. The GS3 shattered in a drop test by Android Authority.



The 5 is pretty light for its size.

Good point, screen is always the weakest link.

 

[Apex]

So what would terrify me is something like a One that is unibody aluminum. If people think its gap is bad now, let me use that phone for a month (and drop it like 3 times per my average) and it will have some dents that will make that gap a chasm.

3 Times a day average? That's impressive! That's even more than my wife drops her phone.

 

[poofyhairguy]

3 Times a day average? That's impressive! That's even more than my wife drops her phone.

No lol I drop it like three times per month...

 

[Skurge]

I'd still take metal over plastic even with it being more prone to denting and scratches. Plastic doesn't help much with drops considering the screen is glass. The GS3 shattered in a drop test by Android Authority.



The 5 is pretty light for its size.

That's why it's scuffs and chips so easily. The aluminium on the 5 is very soft. The frame on the 5 is also much weaker than on the 4/S. We do a lot screen replacements on iPhones/iPad and alot of the iphone 5s have bent frames from heavy drops whereas that is very rare on the iPhone 4/S.

The problem with aluminium phones is when you drop them, damage to the body is often worse and permanent. You can replace the the display on an iphone, but there is nothing you can do about dents in the metal. You don't really have that problem with plastic.

People criticized the iphone 4 for it's glass, but if something happened to it, it was pretty cheap to fix and could be fixed. You can also get a new battery door for the S3/S4 if it got damage (highly unlikely) Not the case with the iphone 5, but you can replace the screen. The HTC One, you are pretty much screwed if you drop the thing.

 

[MrX8503]

That's why it's scuffs and chips so easily. The aluminium on the 5 is very soft. The frame on the 5 is also much weaker than on the 4/S. We do a lot screen replacements on iPhones/iPad and alot of the iphone 5s have bent frames from heavy drops whereas that is very rare on the iPhone 4/S.

The problem with aluminium phones is when you drop them, damage to the body is often worse and permanent. You can replace the the display on an iphone, but there is nothing you can do about dents in the metal. You don't really have that problem with plastic.

People criticized the iphone 4 for it's glass, but if something happened to it, it was pretty cheap to fix and could be fixed. You can also get a new battery door for the S3/S4 if it got damage (highly unlikely) Not the case with the iphone 5, but you can replace the screen. The HTC One, you are pretty much screwed if you drop the thing.

I still prefer metal and glass because plastic feels like shit. I don't care if it dents and scratches. A drop with a plastic phone causes permanent damage too.

The band on the 4 is stainless steel, while the 5 is all aluminum. There's a reason why Apple did this. The band on the 4 is a simple shape and easy to manufacture. The 5 has a unibody design to achieve thinness. Aluminum is malleable and stainless steel is too difficult to work with for unibodies.

I prefer the two piece glass stainless steel band sandwich design, but Apple probably couldn't achieve the thinness they desired with so many pieces.

 

[SAWYER]

I'm glad I don't obsess over materials of a phone, that would suck.

 

[Red Storm]

The 5 is pretty light for its size.

I did say generally not always, but everyone here knows it's lighter because it's a much smaller device. If it were plastic it would be even lighter.