Samsung Launches Galaxy S4: The Best Android Phone Yet?

In a fairly subdued event in New York city yesterday, Samsung has lifted the lid on its fourth-generation Galaxy S smartphone. Already the largest manufacturer of smartphones in the world, Samsung is looking to cement its place at the top of the ladder with a new flagship.

Galaxy S4 — Specifications

The Galaxy S4 will unsurprisingly lead the way in terms of specs: 8-core CPU (in certain markets), 2gb of RAM, 16gb of internal storage, 5-inch super AMOLED screen, 13-megapixel BSI-CMOS camera, and Android 4.2.2 as standard. That screen, in particular, looks to be the killer feature. It is huge, bringing the S4 to the edge of the increasingly popular “phablet” market, and should provide excellent viewing of movies and other media, boasting 1080p quality. On top of this, Samsung has introduced a number of new software features, such as simultaneous photo capture (using both the front and rear cameras), and the ability to perform certain screen navigation tasks by hovering a finger over the screen.

The Comparison: Galaxy S4 vs iPhone

As with all high-end smartphones, comparisons with the iPhone are almost inevitable. And while the S4 appears to follow the standard Android manufacturer tactic of compensating for perceived usability and app fragmentation issues with powerful hardware and interesting features, such comparisons may well be more apt than usual. The S4 is undoubtedly an exciting phone, but when placed side-by-side with its predecessor, the S3, it becomes apparent that the new model is only an incremental upgrade. In doing this, Samsung appears to have taken a leaf straight out of Apple’s book – the Cupertino firm has become well known for offering slight upgrades, for example the iPhone 4S, as a placeholder between larger launches. It seems as if Samsung, finding itself leading the competitive smartphone market, has decided to follow Apple’s example and use its reputation and brand loyalty to take the pressure off its product line. Only time will tell whether such a gamble will pay off.