Gadgetory

so the same thing always happens when a new device launches the media gets review units ahead of the official launch and we get to use them while we write our review then the press embargo lifts every outlet posts their reviews and videos at the same time writers and commenters go back and forth and it's a huge frenzy of opinion and buzz for about a day and then it all goes away sure there's some follow-up coverage but after that initial blast almost no one revisits the device to see how well it's aged because we're all onto the next big thing already so let's do something about it let's have a look at a device after a couple of weeks after release and when it's not shiny anew anymore I'm Hina Ravenna with now this is the samsung galaxy s4 and this is episode 24 of after the buzz love it or hate it Samsung's Galaxy s4 dominates the market more than almost every phone out there you'll hear a lot of people in the tech media complain about it and still you'll see it in the hands of a lot of people on the street if you're still wondering if this phone is worth your money after being in the market for more than three months you've come to the right place now hardware is a topic of much discussion when it comes to Samsung phones we all complain about the excessive use of plastic and all the fingerprint smudging in the hyper glaze and still I'll admit that this phone has aged better than almost every other phone that we've reviewed no matter if it's made of aluminium or glass and glass and stainless steel it isn't scratch proof don't get confused but since the battery door is replaceable the scratches do have a solution and if you buy the phone in white for example covering those scratches is actually much easier now that said this is not a rugged phone so we do recommend that you buy a case if your hands are slippery or if you just give it a lot of Ruffins of usage some people also complain about this phone being too light or feeling too cheap and they're kind of right but I actually like it because it's made one hand and usability possible with a 5-inch display and actually the display is where it's all about till this day I find this to be one of the best displays in the market even with new competition the color accuracy in detail in this AMOLED panel is state-of-the-art then the 1080p resolution is just awesome overall if you're in the market for a thin and light phone with a good display this device is still worth your money software is more of a polarizing story but since this phone is more about its software it is actually a big deal some people like TouchWiz but I do feel that it's dated its appearance is fake and toy like and I just find that convoluted when compared to new and more simplistic you wise in 2013 now that's said and just like with the Galaxy Note lineup if you want to enjoy the benefits of a galaxy phone you just can't replace the wrong or by a google edition of this phone after the buzz is about telling you what'll really be useful on this phone and what won't so here's the verdict most of the software enhancements are gimmicks and like in the case of air gesture for example you'll require more of an effort to move your whole palm in the air to slide a photo than to simply slide your finger the display or smart scroll where it's easier to scroll with your fingers than to have to look at the bottom of the display for the device to scroll down this is the reality of almost all motion and gesture services aside from the smart screen features but your mileage may vary here these are just my personal opinions based on my usage still being fair to Samsung I'd rather have these features when my hands are dirty then to not have them at all now what makes this phone important for me are things like the multi window supports this should really be an industry standard of OEMs keep pushing phones to be bigger I want to do more with a big display than just to see things bigger and Samsung nails it perfectly and it even solves some bugs that I hated from the note 2 with third-party keyboards features like airView that we love them the note 2 are still here to some degree sadly not as extensive this phone is also loaded with a lot of apps out of the box the watch on remote control is surprisingly simplistic and great and the range of the IR blaster is awesome honestly it's superior than what I expected I'm also really into fitness and s health is a really complete service that seems compelling but sadly in a world of social media the fact that I need to have a galaxy phone to use it just makes it not very attractive for me other services like the Samsung hub and the Samsung Apps and the yes translator etc are all good things to have but I'd stick to the Google Playstore services if I were you since probably your next phone won't be a galaxy and it's best to not be stuck in the Galaxy ecosystem you don't need to and if you notice that I haven't talked about s voice here well that's because I really have nothing positive to say about it it is the same thing a little faster but the same thing overall Samson crammed everything but the kitchen sink here some of the features you'll use and some you probably won't depending on your needs I just like the fact that they're there it's better to have them than to not have them at all I guess my only concern is the fact that Samsung has been really terrible in updating their legacy phones from last year to newer versions of Android and newer versions of TouchWiz and that could mean that this phone will be revamped soon and really TouchWiz is getting old and daily use there is a lot to liken some things that couldn't prove it's more powerful than my old no.2 in galaxy s3 and still I find it odd that it's sometimes stutters here and there within TouchWiz still for hardcore gaming the Snapdragon 600 is a champ in every way so I do recommend this phone for gamers and especially because you have a removable SD card to pack your media it does run hot at times but the plastic makes that less annoying that if this phone are made of aluminium which is another point in that favor its battery is also good it won't go past the full day of hardcore use but if your user just tougher than mine which I find it tough to believe you can always swap the battery which is also great to have the camera is probably one of its highest points and no you don't have optical image stabilization and yes though life photography is not the best thing for this phone but still I found this to be the best Android camera I've ever used then this is not the first 13 megapixel shooter I've been using since I also have the Xperia Z L and before that I had the Galaxy camera still the level of detail I see in these photos and the color accuracy is just awesome and good lighting as much as I'm a fan of the iPhone 5s photos um I can say this camera is actually superior HDR may be too slow for my taste but I do recommend you hold that phone a little longer while taking an HDR photo because the results are superb the fact that Samsung also bundled the Galaxy camera auto modes the UI and just about everything or really what makes the camera on this film great it's the little things like being able to pause a 1080p video recording and then continue the video without having to record two separate clips and then figuring out how to snap them together is really what makes the camera on this phone awesome when it comes to video as well internet speeds over data and Wi-Fi are as expected from a flagship smartphone there is nothing to complain about here though I wish I could say the same about phone calls to the state there is no galaxy phone that has ever impressed me and this phone is sadly on the list caller say that I sound okay and I wish I could say the same about them but the fact that there is a target on the UI to enhance the audio on the earpiece when you're on a phone call and the fact you have to press it everytime is a clear indicator that Samson really needs to go back to the drawing board in this department now one thing I will admit is that calls for with a speakerphone are quite good the speaker on this phone is very loud probably one of the loudest I've heard this year but obviously these are not stereo speakers you can use this for music and it sounds good but don't expect this to be so much easier so bottom line what I still recommend that you buy a Samsung Galaxy s4 after a couple of months in the market the answers absolutely it is still one of the most popular phones out there and even with samsung's choice of construction materials I find that the added features when it comes to the software and the replaceable ones in the hardware when it comes to storage battery and the battery cover will give you more for your money when compared to other smartphones in the market if you don't mind the plastic and you want a phone without compromise when it comes to the cameron the overall user experience this phone still toughs my personal list of devices that I'd purchase even now that we know everything about the iPhone 5s and other competitors for the Fall that's it for today is after the bus thank you very much for joining me if you have any questions or any particular comments about your experience with the galaxy s4 please leave it in the comments down below also please subscribe to our YouTube channel and also follows in your social network of choice I'm Hyneman better you can follow me on twitter and Hein underscore d better see you next time