Samsung's Galaxy S4 powerhouse
This is the Samsung Galaxy S4.
It's got a stunning 5-inch HD display LTE, a monster Quad-core processor and a terrific 13-megapixel camera.
It's got a ton of other features besides and all of those together make this one of the top smart phones you can get.
I'm Jessica Dolcourt for CNET and let's see what it's got.
The all-plastic Galaxy S4 looks a lot like the Galaxy S3 but it has larger screen and details that make it look just a little bit more high-end.
It runs Android 4.2.2, which is already packed with features and layers its own touch voice interface on top.
Get ready for some highlights starting with settings.
You see those one touch icons in the notification tray, now you can toggle on and off even more of them.
You can even add at their order and make them appear in its hot 5 controls.
If Android gets too overwhelming, you can also turn on the strip down easy mode.
Websites, games and video all look really great on the 5-inch
1080p HD AMOLED display, [unk] part to the phone's 1.9 GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor.
Its AMOLED screen delivers rich colors and deep blacks but it's also extremely reflective and harder to read outside.
The S4 comes with Gorilla Glass 3 cover glass and an extra sensitive screen once you operate the device with a cloth-covered hand.
Do you wanna control your phone with your eyes?
You can, sort of.
New features do like you scroll the screen up and down when you tilt it
and you can pause and resume video when you look away from the screen and look back.
Something called air viewable preview items like extra browser tab or photo in the gallery when you hover your finger over the screen.
The S4's 13-megapixel camera and 1080p HD camcorder are really great.
And then 2-megapixel front facing camera, it's not that bad either.
Of all of these new settings, dual shot is definitely my favorite.
It will insert photos or video using both the front and rear cameras
into the same frame.
There's also a mode called Drama that arranges an action sequence all-in-one shot in an animated photo mode that moves a portion of the scene and freezes the rest.
Sound and shot is one mode that adds a 9-second voice caption to your photo but it only plays back on a Galaxy S4 device.
Now, the bottom with all these fancy tools is that you really have to plan out in advance when you're gonna use them.
So, I just wanna take in most of my photo and video in a regular or automatic mode.
Image quality was
really good in outer and well lit situations and I could even crop photos that it took from far away without losing very much detail at all.
Video was also really crisp.
Here's the neat feature.
You can use the S4's IR blaster to control almost any TV and DVR player.
After you click set up, you'll have access to several remote control interfaces.
I actually did use it at home to surf life TV listings, launch Netflix shows and program my DVR.
By now, you should have a sense of just how deep the Galaxy S4 features go.
But here's
the thing.
Even if you never explore them all, the S4 is still a really great phone.
It isn't as eye-popping as the HTC One but it does do all the important stuff well and you can get it from almost any carrier.
The Galaxy S4 starts at $200 on contract for the 16-gigabyte model and goes up from there.
So, there you have it folks.
The power packed Samsung Galaxy S4.
For even more details, read my full review at cnet.com.
Android 15: See New Features in Action
Up Next
Android 15: See New Features in Action
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Ultimate Good Lock Tips and Tricks
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Ultimate Good Lock Tips and Tricks
Google's Pixel 8A Is Here: What's New and Different
Google's Pixel 8A Is Here: What's New and Different
Living With Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 3 Months Later
Living With Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 3 Months Later
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
The Missing Piece to Apple's Eco-Friendly Mission
What's the Future of Phones? Expert vs. AI
What's the Future of Phones? Expert vs. AI
We Revisit the iPhone 15 Pro Max, 7 Months After Its Launch
We Revisit the iPhone 15 Pro Max, 7 Months After Its Launch
Xiaomi 14 Ultra Review: The Best Camera Phone I've Ever Used
Xiaomi 14 Ultra Review: The Best Camera Phone I've Ever Used
Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
Apple to Talk AI in June: This WWDC Is a Big Deal
Tech Shows
The Apple Core
The Apple Core
Alphabet City
Alphabet City
CNET Top 5
CNET Top 5
The Daily Charge
The Daily Charge
What the Future
What the Future
Tech Today
Tech Today
Cooley On Cars
Cooley On Cars
Carfection
Carfection
The Apple Core
The Apple Core
Alphabet City
Alphabet City
CNET Top 5
CNET Top 5
The Daily Charge
The Daily Charge
What the Future
What the Future
Tech Today
Tech Today
Cooley On Cars
Cooley On Cars
Carfection
Carfection
Latest News
Android 15: See New Features in Action
Android 15: See New Features in Action
If Apple Makes Siri Like ChatGPT or Gemini, I'm Done
If Apple Makes Siri Like ChatGPT or Gemini, I'm Done
Bose SoundLink Max Review: How Does It Compare to the Cheaper SoundLink Flex?
Bose SoundLink Max Review: How Does It Compare to the Cheaper SoundLink Flex?
Hands-On With Huawei's Pura 70 Ultra
Hands-On With Huawei's Pura 70 Ultra
I Tried Three Fitness Apps to Help My Postpartum Recovery
I Tried Three Fitness Apps to Help My Postpartum Recovery
How Many Times Did Google Say AI at I/O 2024?
How Many Times Did Google Say AI at I/O 2024?
I Tried Google's Project Astra
I Tried Google's Project Astra
Everything Google Just Announced at I/O 2024
Everything Google Just Announced at I/O 2024
Google Introduces Gemini AI Upgrades to Gmail and Chat
Google Introduces Gemini AI Upgrades to Gmail and Chat
Google Brings Multistep Reasoning to Search
Google Brings Multistep Reasoning to Search
Android 15: See New Features in Action
Android 15: See New Features in Action
If Apple Makes Siri Like ChatGPT or Gemini, I'm Done
If Apple Makes Siri Like ChatGPT or Gemini, I'm Done
Bose SoundLink Max Review: How Does It Compare to the Cheaper SoundLink Flex?
Bose SoundLink Max Review: How Does It Compare to the Cheaper SoundLink Flex?
Hands-On With Huawei's Pura 70 Ultra
Hands-On With Huawei's Pura 70 Ultra
I Tried Three Fitness Apps to Help My Postpartum Recovery
I Tried Three Fitness Apps to Help My Postpartum Recovery
How Many Times Did Google Say AI at I/O 2024?
How Many Times Did Google Say AI at I/O 2024?
I Tried Google's Project Astra
I Tried Google's Project Astra
Everything Google Just Announced at I/O 2024
Everything Google Just Announced at I/O 2024
Google Introduces Gemini AI Upgrades to Gmail and Chat
Google Introduces Gemini AI Upgrades to Gmail and Chat
Google Brings Multistep Reasoning to Search