Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: Top of the Phone Chain

By Vincent Funaro, Christian Post Reporter Friday, June 14, 2013

Samsung impresses with its recently released Galaxy S4 smartphone, as the device easily solidifies the company's place at the top of the phone chain.

The Galaxy S4 does it all. In terms of features and specifications, it soars ahead of competitors such as the iPhone 5 and HTC One.

Those who appreciate innovative technology will experience love at first site with the Galaxy S4. Samsung started on its road to improve the exterior design, as this device looks much sharper than any of its predecessors, stealing a bit from rival Apple's playbook. The bezel is smaller and the outer rim is lined with metal making it glossier and grander. The actual face of the smartphone does not deviate too much from the S3 featuring the trademark home button and Samsung logo at the top.

The Galaxy S4 performs most basic tasks with ease. Allowing users to basically run as many applications as wanted without the smartphone lagging while multitasking. And even while users are running just about everything they can possibly need to use at one time, surprisingly enough, the battery life holds up. The 1080p HD display provides impeccable picture, and the processor makes for a much faster experience than what is found on previous iterations.

The main additions this time around are the much talked about Smart Stay and Smart Scroll features. Smart Scroll, as advertised, is meant to follow a user's eyes while they are reading a web page and will automatically scroll down when they reach the bottom while reading. The only problem is this feature is based more on head movements. The sensor follows how a user tilts their head and scrolls up or down based on the direction it moves in. So if users are on a bumpy train or bus, this feature is a pain to use.

Smart Stay is a bit more efficient as it pauses video when a user looks away from the device and plays it again once their eyes return to the screen. This reporter had trouble getting it going at times, but once the feature was enabled, it proved to be a bit more useful than Smart Scroll, which still needs some kinks worked out of it. Another con with the eye sensory features is that they only work on select apps and most of them are not yet compatible with them.

The Air Gestures seem to function more efficiently on the Galaxy S4. By simply moving a hand around one can scroll up and down and go back to previous web pages. This is great for those who hate using their touch screen with dirty fingers. This feature is certainly not a game changer, but it makes for the first step in what could be some seriously innovative technology in the future.

The Galaxy S4 also comes with a Universal Remote feature labeled WatchOn. This works well as the settings easily adjust to any television or set top box. Apps that perform similar functions are available in the market, however, no downloading is required for WatchOn as it comes pre-installed on the Galaxy S4. The feature also lets users stream live TV right onto their smartphones in case they need to leave the room for something.

Samsung also upgraded the camera this time around by giving the S4 a 13-megapixel rear shooter that takes photos and captures beautiful video. This component is definitely a step up from the cameras found on the S2 and S3, but it still does not compare to the camera on the iPhone 5 with its advanced lenses. This might be the only department where Samsung is lacking.

In the conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the finest smartphone on market at this time. However, loyal Apple fan who just can't bring themselves to jump ship should wait for the next iPhone to drop and skip the 5. This will give the company a chance to catch up to what Samsung is doing with the Galaxy S4.