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Samsung Announces New Flagship Galaxy S 4 Competitor to Apple's iPhone
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Ugly. Seriously look at the position/size of the logo, the openings for features (like camera), The size in proportion to the top and bottom, the wonky, badly proportioned bevelled edges. Seriously not the look deserving of a "flagship" phone.
SGS4 is essentially the engine of drag racer placed into the chassis of an old Skoda.
HTC One and Sony Experia Z are the only 2 decently designed Android phones currently available. I'd opt for one of these, even if they have less features and slower CPUs.
From my experience (using a Galaxy S2 right now), ALL the components in Samsumg phones apart from the CPU are cheaper and lower quality than those in the iPhone. The iPhone is slow as hell (on paper) but the quality of the OS (as in it runs faster, the SDK predominantly uses C++/O-C/etc and it's optimised mostly where it matters and therefore requires less CPU speed), battery life, connection speeds, etc, decent MUSIC apps like Cubasis and Garageband, more than makes up for this inadequacy.
PS: "Fragmentation" is really not an arguement in regards to iOS vs Android anymore. iOS suffers from "fragmentation" (almost as bad if you're a developer having to cater for all manner of screen proportions and sizes).Plus there are many older devices that no longer work with or run newer apps (like iPad1, iPhone3). The only platform without ANY "Fragmentation" right now is the Blackberry Playbook.
SGS4 is essentially the engine of drag racer placed into the chassis of an old Skoda.
HTC One and Sony Experia Z are the only 2 decently designed Android phones currently available. I'd opt for one of these, even if they have less features and slower CPUs.
From my experience (using a Galaxy S2 right now), ALL the components in Samsumg phones apart from the CPU are cheaper and lower quality than those in the iPhone. The iPhone is slow as hell (on paper) but the quality of the OS (as in it runs faster, the SDK predominantly uses C++/O-C/etc and it's optimised mostly where it matters and therefore requires less CPU speed), battery life, connection speeds, etc, decent MUSIC apps like Cubasis and Garageband, more than makes up for this inadequacy.
PS: "Fragmentation" is really not an arguement in regards to iOS vs Android anymore. iOS suffers from "fragmentation" (almost as bad if you're a developer having to cater for all manner of screen proportions and sizes).Plus there are many older devices that no longer work with or run newer apps (like iPad1, iPhone3). The only platform without ANY "Fragmentation" right now is the Blackberry Playbook.
I must be in the minority. I appreciate Apple's aesthetic - always have. But I don't really buy my phones based soley/mostly or even significantly on how it looks (unless it's amazingly hideous or form factor doesn't work for me). I care about how the phone works.
At the end of the day - my phone is usually in a case. And it comes down to - does the phone do what I want and is it the best choice for me.
At the end of the day - my phone is usually in a case. And it comes down to - does the phone do what I want and is it the best choice for me.
No he's not.
Well because just because I want a bigger screen, it doesn't mean I want to throw everything else I love about the iPhone away:
Better design
Better build quality
Better OS
Better Apps
etc etc
How can you say that AMOLED is better than LCD? The colours are terrible and inaccurate, the screens are dim, and everything has a green cast. The only thing they're better than LCD at is black level. One day OLED screens will be the better choice, but they're not there yet.
Samsung has better display technology than the pentile AMOLED they used in their flagship S4. It's called Super AMOLED Plus and is much better. Look it up. Pentile is cheaper, and they used it to keep the cost down in their "flagship".
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Apple hasn't yet decided to compete in the larger format smartphone battle, and the S III sales are a fraction of iPhone 5 sales. Apple's battle is more public perception that they aren't "innovating" at all or fast enough. In Apple's 3.5 - 4 inch smartphone niche, only Nokia, in my opinion, matches Apple's industrial design.
Samsung, on the other hand, now has to directly compete the S IV against more stylish Android models from HTC and Sony. Based on a image I saw of the S IV side by side with the HTC One, Samsung comes up short, and buyers do appreciate a good looking device.
I consider the S IV a missed opportunity for Samsung, whatever the internals, though I also believe that Samsung can market the hell out of it.
The best phone ever is the one you prefer!
The best phone ever is the one I prefer!
I'm kind of tired of dick measuring threads, although I still read them... Don't know why... It's like looking in your tissue after you blow your nose I guess... You know you'll be disgusted, but you still look...
My post is exactly what I mean. Samsung has a bunch of software features that are not standard with Android, so to get a new version, Samsung needs to make sure that their software works with the new Android version before it can be pushed to the GS4. Typical Android. iPhone updates go to all iPhones models that are supported, not just a certain group of them. Most of the features might be ported to the GS3, but of course it will more than likely be buggy or not fully supported on the "old" hardware. I do not think iphone is perfect, but it is leaps and bounds better than the Android ecosystem. I know scores of people between work and personal life that have switched to iPhone after making what they call is a mistake going with Android. They all said similar things as to the switchover, they just want a phone that works, not needing to manage applications that are running or resources on the device.
Samsung features are gimmicky. So you can blip a playlist to someone else's GS3 by touching them together. Really? How many people actually are standing next to each other when they are thinking about a playlist? I can wave my hand over the phone to change tracks? Useless if you keep your phone in your pocket. Not to say it is totally useless. Maybe if you are handling raw chicken in the kitchen and need to change tracks, you don't have to touch the screen.
I also understand that people will always buy the latest and greatest, even if it is a few months later, but 99+% of people will not do that and cannot afford to.
You are entitled to your opinion of my post and I am entitled to my opinion. How about you act like an adult instead of just calling my post silly.
Nexus 5... My eggs are now in this basket. Well, I have one egg in the "lets see what iOS7 looks like" basket.
Everything added to this phone seems gimmicky. Don't get me wrong, I feel the same way about most of what Apple has been adding to the iPhone. This should be enough to put some pressure on Apple though, which is a good thing for everyone.
I don't see Apple's hardware getting much better. What I want are new and exciting ways I can use the phone every day that I can't now...
I want to use it as a wallet. That's huge for me. Not Passbook, which is a monumental disappointment IMO. Most of the stores I go to don't even have the scanners necessary for Passbook. Asking retailers to add this equipment for one OS and this equipment for another is really holding things back. Physically scanning something with (sometimes) added equipment is the opposite of the way we should be going - it needs to be more seamless. I think Apple needs to get on board with NFC and let's get this thing going.
And I want to use it as a remote control. I know you can do this to some extent (Apple TV, TiVo, etc) but I hope to see the day when electronics manufacturers will put out an app for each of their devices allowing you to control that device from your phone or iPad. Why do I still need 3 remotes for one television set? Just give me apps and let me run it all from my iDevice.
That's where I think the revolution needs to happen. Give us new and practical ways to use the phone every day. Not gimmicks or half-baked functionality we can already get from existing apps.
I'd also like to add... Apple really needs two (or three if you count the low cost phone) phones. Half like the phone the way it is, the other half want a larger screen, those people are migrating more and more to Android. Just make everyone happy and put out a 4" and a 5" phone. I think we're still 2-3 years off but I think it'll happen. Apple has been at the top and at some point they'll become desparate to stay there.
I don't see Apple's hardware getting much better. What I want are new and exciting ways I can use the phone every day that I can't now...
I want to use it as a wallet. That's huge for me. Not Passbook, which is a monumental disappointment IMO. Most of the stores I go to don't even have the scanners necessary for Passbook. Asking retailers to add this equipment for one OS and this equipment for another is really holding things back. Physically scanning something with (sometimes) added equipment is the opposite of the way we should be going - it needs to be more seamless. I think Apple needs to get on board with NFC and let's get this thing going.
And I want to use it as a remote control. I know you can do this to some extent (Apple TV, TiVo, etc) but I hope to see the day when electronics manufacturers will put out an app for each of their devices allowing you to control that device from your phone or iPad. Why do I still need 3 remotes for one television set? Just give me apps and let me run it all from my iDevice.
That's where I think the revolution needs to happen. Give us new and practical ways to use the phone every day. Not gimmicks or half-baked functionality we can already get from existing apps.
I'd also like to add... Apple really needs two (or three if you count the low cost phone) phones. Half like the phone the way it is, the other half want a larger screen, those people are migrating more and more to Android. Just make everyone happy and put out a 4" and a 5" phone. I think we're still 2-3 years off but I think it'll happen. Apple has been at the top and at some point they'll become desparate to stay there.
I haven't understood why things have to be made of metal to be good build quality. I thought that was more of if it's well put together, doesn't come pre-scratched etc.
I like the build quality of my iPhone 5 (but have seen others that I'm not that impressed of) and I have also tried friends S3's and thought they fealt nice also, even though they are made of polycarbonate (if I'm not mistaken, I don't think it's "plastic junk").
If they made a cheaper iPhone with the same technical specs and iOS but with a polycarbonate body instead of alumininium and it was considerably cheaper, I would be happy to buy one when it's time to upgrade.
There's a big difference between what you wrote earlier and what you just wrote. If you had written the above, I wouldn't have called your post silly. If you can't see the difference - then that's your issue. I stand by my original comment.
I agree with some of what you said. Some of it is just FUD and/or ignorance (the definition not as some epithet) and also anecdotal evidence. I can tell you about the dozens of friends and colleagues who've made the switch from iOS to Android and never looked back.
More like Apple is really going to have to innovate so we can see new useful features on the Samsung devices the year after...
I want that size screen on my iPhone damn it!!! You know what they say about guys with big phones! JK 
I kid I kid
I kid I kidThis is basically a Galaxy S IIIS. Not much to respond to, other than release a 5S.
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Sounds like the iPhone 5 launch
The iPhone 5 was a significant leap in performance and a completely new construction.
However, people were left feeling cold because
1) it was still rectangular
2) the screen was only a bit bigger
So until Apple comes out with a spherical phone or something, it's all pretty much going to be the same from here on out.
The GS4 looks identical to the GS3, but bigger. At least Apple brings most of the new software features to older devices.... you really think Samsung is going to do the same for the GS3? The hardware is certainly capable of it.
Based on my previous experience with samsung, I'd say not. Sorry GS3 owners, you're officially kicked to the curb now. Good luck getting any updates with these new "smart" features without rooting your phone.
Some of the comments here are like looking at the SI swimsuit edition then going to a bar full of cute, but not pro model, co-eds, and declaring they are all fugly. It's a failure to discern fantasy from reality. Only in people's heads can revolutionary products be churned out year after year. There is no concept of production steps & time.
I think there is some brand loyalty issues going on too; a repeat of the idiotic PC vs Mac war of the 90s. People need something to cheer for. Personally I root for the home sports teams. Companies have to show me product I can enjoy or enhance productivity or I bolt. I don't love them, I don't expect them to love me.
The UI lag has nothing to do with Java or garbage collection, it has to do with how the two systems deal with the graphic subsystem. iOS gives all the precedence to the input mechanism, Android does not
- 5" display, 1080p display in a package SMALLER than the original S3.
- World's first handset with an Octa-core CPU.
- Better camera, with features never seen in a phone.
- World's first handset with LTE Roaming.
Explain to me how this is an S progression?
Either read the thread or do some research. Samsung has already said they will be bringing as many of the software features they can to the S3 that isn't hardware reliant.
And how is this any different than a previous model iPhone not running Siri?
Further - as I posted before. I buy a phone for what it can do when I buy it. Not for something that MIGHT be added to it later. People have incredible sense of either entitlement or lack the ability to enjoy what they have instead of always needing something better RIGHT NOW.
Wow.
Another plastic phone, still a rip off, and crappy android OS. Oh and still using a Pentile display - no thanks.