Samsung Galaxy S4: A specifications review

Well, the wait is finally over. Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy S4 (I9500) at a swanky event in New York City. Internally, it improves on nearly all the hardware specs of the Galaxy S3 while also bringing some new software elements to the equation. Samsung’s strength over the years has proven to be hardware and now the company is foraying into giving users baked-in features that would have required an app download or two. On paper, the S4 looks like a tasty dish, but we wish the design had been updated a touch more. However, it does look better than the Galaxy S3 when put side-by-side. Of course, that’s just my preference. Let’s break down the specifications of the newest Samsung flagship. OS – Android 4.2.2 with TouchWiz on topThe Samsung Galaxy S4 is the first phone to launch with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the latest version of the OS. However, you would be hard pressed to see any of the stock UI elements here. Instead of the dark, neon-lit interiors of stock Android, TouchWiz goes for a bright, vibrant and peppy (to the point of cartoonish at times) outlook. However, don’t think it’s all just a reimagining of the stock UI. There are some nifty additions to the interface, which Samsung claims will improve the overall user experience. The homescreens look much cleaner now. The notification bar has high transparency so the notification icons for battery, signal strength and, of course, all the alerts look like they are floating on the screen. It’s an easy way to lighten up the UI without actually shedding any weight. TouchWiz here is not all that different from the one running on the Galaxy S3. The app drawer looks the same, but there are some changes inside some of the core apps. The Settings page, for example, now has a tabbed interface, which if you don’t notice will leave you frustrated that you can’t scroll. On second thoughts though, the tabbed interface is a great way to quickly spot what you want to change, instead of scrolling and trying to find the right setting. Samsung has taken Air View and Smart Stay to the next logical step and enhanced their functionality. However, we can foresee users getting confused by the plethora of software features in the phone. Thankfully, they are easily accessible through the two-finger drag on the notification bar. Click here for full story