Samsung Galaxy S4: Preview
We take a look at what's in store for the next big smartphone release of 2013 - Samsung's Galaxy S4
The release of Samsung’s new flagship, the Galaxy S4, is only days away and the device promises to be something special, but what exactly can smartphone fans the world over expect when the device is finally revealed in NYC on March 14?
To try and find out, we’re taking a look what we know (and what we think) the device will bring to the table when it goes on sale.
The successor to the Galaxy S3 has been a long time coming but rumors suggest it will be worth the wait when it goes on sale in April/May. We’re looking at a device that ups the ante in virtually every department when compared to its sibling and, more importantly, to Apple’s iPhone 5.
The device is rumored to feature a quad-core ARM A15 chip, rather than the monster 8-core we were told to expect, but that isn’t necessarily a hardship, because the A15 is also a massive piece of kit. Each processor core will reportedly be clocked to 2GHz, giving the Galaxy S4 speed to burn and we can expect lower power demands too, which means less charging and more uptime. Overall, the Exynos 5450 Quad chipset looks set to be more than good enough to keep up with the next generation of competitors.
Fronting the device will almost certainly be a five-inch, full HD screen but we’re unsure whether it will be a Super AMOLED Plus or something new. One thing’s for sure, we’re expecting a pin-sharp display with a pixel density in the region of 440PPI, which will make Apple’s iPhone 5 look lackluster in comparison.
Camera tech is something that Samsung has almost always got right and there shouldn’t be any deviation from that rule in the Galaxy S4. We expect to see a high-end, 13-megapixel autofocus camera with an LED flash and some good augmentations too, such as HDR, Panorama and possibly even Google’s PhotoSphere (or Samsung’s version thereof).
Owing to a recent arrival at the FCC we’re expecting the device to feature wireless charging as standard, but we don’t expect the peripherals to be included – as always it’ll be hand-in-pocket time if you want the latest and greatest tech.
The device will offer the latest data technology though, such as 4G/LTE and 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which is a massive improvement over the 802.11g tech currently employed by hardware manufacturers. This new wireless standard can deal with speeds in excess of 300Mb/s – so the device’s network capabilities should more than keep pace with its architecture.
Lastly, we expect the Galaxy S4 to feature an updated design, with a brushed aluminium frame holding the usual plastic back plate in place. That’s one improvement we’ve been crying out for, so kudos, Samsung...should it prove to be the case.
