Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has become the new flagship smartphone from Samsung, replacing the year-old Samsung Galaxy S3. The novelty has become even more productive than the truly "geeky" (in a good way) smartphone Samsung Galaxy Note II.
Appearance
The first thing that strikes you when you first get acquainted with the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 is that the developers of the Korean company managed to significantly improve the performance of the device and increase the display diagonal without increasing the size of the smartphone body and its weight. The model is made in the style traditional for the Galaxy line - the edging is pronounced, the corners of the case are rounded, the appearance is neutral. Initially, the smartphone will be delivered in two colors - black and white, and later models of other colors (Pebble Blue, Titan Gray, Sapphire Black, Garnet Red, La Fleur Ceramic White and La Fleur Garnet Red) will go on sale. Thus, each user can choose the device to his liking.
The Galaxy S4 is 0.7 millimeters thinner, 0.8 millimeters narrower and three grams lighter than its predecessor, the Galaxy S3. At the same time, the display diagonal of the Galaxy S4 model is larger by 0.2 inches. Despite the large dimensions in the hand, the device is very comfortable.
Display
The Galaxy S4 boasts a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD). The matrix is made using Super AMOLED HD technology and has a pixel density of 441 ppi. It is almost impossible to see individual pixels with the naked eye. The display features wide viewing angles and excellent contrast.
Compared to the display of the Galaxy Note II, the diagonal of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 smartphone does not look large. But the display of the iPhone 5 model looks obscenely small compared to the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 smartphone. One can talk about the advantages of a large diagonal for a very long time, but the main thing is that the larger the display, the more information on it can be available without using scaling.
The color reproduction of the display is at the highest level. Even at the default settings, the display produces vibrant and rich colors. The smartphone uses the color profile of the Adobe RGB display, which accurately reproduces all shades. The user will receive calmer tones by activating the "Video" mode in the display settings. The Adapt Display system will automatically adjust the image parameters. In the display settings, this system is activated when the "Display Optimization" mode is turned on. There is only one drawback in the display - the maximum backlight brightness is 275 cd / m2, but in direct sunlight the display remains well readable. The minimum display brightness is 10 cd / m2 and allows you to read e-books with comfort for your eyes, even in pitch darkness.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 uses Gorilla Glass 3 to protect the display, which is even stronger, thinner and harder than Gorilla Glass 2 and Gorilla Glass.
"Filling"
The Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 smartphone is based on the energy-efficient Exynos 5 Octa processor with a 28-nanometer process technology. The processor is built using big.LITTLE technology. When not much processing power is required, four slow (1.2 GHz) but low power Cortex A7 cores (LITTLE cores) work. When the load on the processor increases, slow cores no longer fully cope with the load and more computing power is required, more powerful and power-hungry Cortex A15 computing cores (big-cores), which operate at a clock frequency of 1.8 GHz, come into operation. When the load on the processor decreases, the Cortex A7 cores take over again and the Cortex A15 cores are shut down. Responsible for the "picture" is the PowerVR SGX544MP3 graphics core, which is capable of providing full-fledged work with all modern games. The RAM in the smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 is two gigabytes. This amount of RAM is the most optimal to ensure a high level of performance and great versatility of a smartphone.
The amount of internal memory will depend on the modification of the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500, and will vary from sixteen to 64 gigabytes. There is support for microSD memory cards with a capacity of up to 64 gigabytes.
Wireless communication of the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 smartphone is provided by the Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac module with support for the Wi-Fi Direct function, as well as DLNA, Bluetooth version 4.0 and NFC. The device has a built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS support. The microUSB connector of the smartphone supports USB Host and MHL 2.0 functions, while USB-A and HDMI adapters must be purchased separately. The smartphone has an IrDA (infrared) port that allows you to remotely control various household appliances. In addition to the usual proximity, light and position sensors, the smartphone is equipped with a hygrometer, barometer and thermometer. If you use a special accessory, the smartphone can measure the heart rate. The smartphone does not have an FM radio module, which will greatly upset all fans of on-air programs.
Autonomy of work
The Galaxy S4 is equipped with a 2600 mAh (9.88 Wh) battery. Battery voltage is typical at 3.8 V. Compared to the Galaxy SIII, the battery has a capacity of 2100 mAh, while the Note II smartphone has a battery capacity of 3100 mAh.
In a talk mode on a single charge, the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 smartphone will work autonomously for fourteen hours, while using the Internet - nine hours, and while watching a video - ten hours. Thus, we can safely say that with active use, the smartphone will work without problems for one day, and if you use its capabilities in moderation, then for two days.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 has an excellent 13MP camera with a resolution of 4128 x 3096 pixels. The camera has a flash and supports the autofocus function. The functionality of the camera has increased, the interface has received several new proprietary "chips". For example, now, during or after shooting, the user can apply one of the previously specified effects at any time.
In addition to the automatic shooting mode, which is the main one, the camera has twelve additional modes.
The HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode in the smartphone has a slightly unusual name "Rich tone". When shooting in this mode, photos have a wide dynamic range and are characterized by a reduced level of contrast and a lot of fine details in light and dark areas. To bring back clarity and contrast to photos, you will need to work with a photo editor. This feature allows you to take excellent pictures in conditions where there is a significant difference in brightness in the frame. At the same time, in this mode, the smartphone camera can take two pictures at once - one with the HDR function, and the second without it.
An interesting innovation is the Dual Shot mode, when the front and rear cameras take one single shot. The essence of the mode is that the user, photographing something with the main camera, selects the area of the picture, into which his photograph taken with the front camera will be inserted. Shooting is done at the same time, so you get one photo taken with two cameras. The function is very convenient when you do not want to be only a photographer, but also want to be present in the frame. A function with a similar principle of operation is provided for video filming, it is called Dual Video and can be used both in classic video filming and in video chat.
For fans of experiments, the smartphone provides various interesting functions. For example, a user can take a photo with sound (the time interval for sound recording is specified in the frame settings and is not one second). The smartphone has a Drama Shot or "Dynamics" function. When shooting with this function, the smartphone camera takes a series of shots, automatically detects which of the subjects moved during shooting, and composes the clearest and most expressive frames into one shot, which shows a moving subject in the dynamics of its movement.
In the camera settings, there are such modes as "Beautiful face", "Best face", "Best photo", "Sports", "Panorama" and "Night". The "Eraser" mode is interesting.Thanks to this mode, when photographing in a crowded place, the user can not be afraid that other people will get into the frame, since the smartphone camera independently detects moving objects and retouches (erases) them without deteriorating the quality of the pictures.
The quality of the pictures taken with the main camera of the smartphone will appeal to both amateurs and photography professionals. The former will be able to take high-quality photos without any problems, while the latter will find a lot of room for creativity and experimentation in the camera settings.
It makes no sense to compare the quality of photos taken with a smartphone camera with the quality of photos taken with a good camera, but the quality of photos taken with the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 is simply excellent. Due to the high resolution of the images, they can be viewed both on a personal computer monitor and on a large TV screen, with no deterioration in the quality of the images.
Using the main camera of the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 smartphone, you can record videos in Full HD resolution. Regardless of the level of illumination, the video is of high quality, there is almost no noise and strobe effect. When shooting at night, the smartphone camera can illuminate itself with the help of a powerful LED flash, but not longer than one minute. After one minute of video recording in the dark, a message appears on the smartphone screen with the text "The backlight LED is off, the device temperature exceeds the limit value", which means that the flash has overheated, since the bright LED has generated a lot of heat during operation.
A video camera, just like a camera, has a large number of settings, the most interesting and unusual of which are the recording of fast and slow motion video. The deceleration can be done by 2, 4 and 8 times. Since such functions are difficult to implement, the maximum resolution for video recording with acceleration or deceleration effects is 800 x 450 pixels.
Software
The Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 smartphone runs on the latest version of the popular Android 4.2.2 operating system. The new version of the OS has some interface changes, in addition, the Korean company has installed its proprietary TouchWiz user interface in the smartphone.
Many users blame the slowness of the interface in the Android operating system, the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 does not have this problem, the user has an almost instant response. The interface has tremendous possibilities in the field of personalization and customization. The control panel alone contains more than twenty icons responsible for various functions, and the settings menu is so large that it is divided into 4 separate tabs. For those users who do not want to understand the numerous settings, the "simplified" mode is provided, when most of the settings are set "by default".
The smartphone is preinstalled with a set of applications standard for Android devices. The device supports, like the Galaxy S3 and Note II, the display of two windows on the display at once. The list of programs working in windowed mode, the user can now edit. To access these programs, just hold down the "Back" button and wait until a panel with programs that can work in windowed mode pops up. The Galaxy S4's video player can be positioned (minimized) anywhere on the screen.
Many Samsung smartphone owners are familiar with apps like S Memo, S Voice, and S Planner to help you create illustrated notes, voice control, and schedule accordingly. New apps include Photo Reader, S Health, and S Translator.
S Translator is a voice translator that can greatly facilitate the stay in another country for every tourist. You say a phrase, choose the language into which it should be translated and the program reads your phrase in the selected language.The program also recognizes and translates the answer of the interlocutor into your language, while the translation can be either voiced or presented in writing. Of course, the program does not always accurately identify the words and produces an accurate and correct translation, so the developers still have something to work on. For now, the program can only work with English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Korean and Portuguese. They promise to support the Russian by November 2013.
Photo Reader recognizes and translates written text. To make a translation, you should take a picture through the program using the main camera and press the translate button. Translation of text with successful language recognition occurs instantly, but it is worth noting that successful language recognition does not happen every time.
All people who monitor their health and play sports will definitely like the S Health app, which helps to keep track of consumed and consumed calories, measure pulse, weight, blood glucose levels, and count the distance traveled during the day. It is clear that for some tasks it will be necessary to purchase separate accessories - a bracelet and scales that pair with a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Using Air View and Air Gestures technologies, you can flip through music, web pages or photos, reject or receive phone calls, and turn off the blocking by flicking your palm in front of the screen.
Smart Pause disables video playback when the user is not looking at the screen and activates video playback when the user's attention is focused on the display again. With the Smart Scroll function, you can turn pages by tilting the device back and forth.
Accessories
It is also worth noting that Samsung has prepared a number of accessories for the smartphone. For the smartphone, covers of different formats ("bumper", "notebook" and "pocket") will be produced, as well as a cover with a special window S View, which opens access to information about time, messages, calls, notifications, without opening the cover.
A set of wireless charger with an additional cover (plus 2 millimeters to the thickness of the device) and a spare battery in a compact plastic case will go on sale.
A compatible bathroom scale and a heart rate wristband will be on sale specifically for the S Health app.
Competitors
The rivals of the Galaxy S4 are Sony Xperia Z and HTC One smartphones, and a little later the Lenovo K900 model will enter the battle. The Sony Xperia Z model has such advantages as a dust and moisture resistant case, a stylish design. The disadvantages of the flagship from Sony are its not the best display and a little overpriced. The HTC One has an excellent design and display, but is equipped with a 4-megapixel camera made using proprietary UltraPixel technology. The Lenovo K900 model is in no way inferior to the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 smartphone, and in some characteristics it surpasses the Korean device, for example, the K900 model has a steel case, a screen with a larger diagonal and a more efficient processor from Intel.
conclusions
The Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 can be safely called one of the most successful in recent years. The smartphone rightly deserves the title of the flagship model, as it combines the best qualities that a modern smartphone can possess, it uses the newest and most useful programs and has a top-end high-performance "stuffing" that can satisfy the needs of even the most demanding users.
