[RANT] Are any of you disappointed with the Galaxy S4?

[Shocky]

I think the specs are pretty impressive. Personally, I would have like them to take out all the physically buttons on the front, it would look so much cleaner, and I would have liked better materials used in the construction.

As of right now, I don't see the need to upgrade, but I am sure I will get the itch sooner or later.

It terms of hardware it's a massive upgrade, much more so than the S3 was over the S2.

I know allot people don't like the materials used or the home button though, but with the S2/3 still selling like hotcakes I don't think Samsung have much reason to change it.

 

[sean76]

For one thing any nay sayers have to remember that were in the S4 threads over here, so for the most part...People are going to side with liking the S4, compared to not liking it!

Same as what happen with the iphone 4 & 4s, and HTC ONEx and x+...& the following excepted it!

Now will Samsung sell the same amount of S4's as they did S3's...No I doubted!
Most of those so called gimmick features are useless to me and a lot of users. And to those saying why fix what Isn't broken? You wan't a good analogy?

Why make sequels to movies? Why not just leave it at one movie, I mean why doesn't Marvel just release IronMan 1 every year in the movie theaters? Who needs to see 2, or number 3 this year? The movie already has a following and people liked it, why try and fix what isn't broken and release sequels that a different & possibly better?

Answer is you try and upstage the previous movies by making the sequels better and by retaining your original and well as attracting new audience members...Other wise whats the point. I could go on for a week about how the movie industry uses this analogy, the next one should always be better...Same as Nike, do any of the Air Jordans look the same year after year...No people line up to buy the brand new one's that differ from the previous years release...

It's all about retaining your audience, as well attracting new members...Sorry guys and gals, Samsung missed the boat on bringing that to the table this time.

 

[Shocky]

What is it you don't like about the S4 sean76? based the information we have?

Is it just the design? because it can't be the hardware as that's a massive improvement over the S3.

What exactly were you expecting?

 

[Njd4]

I understand that the quad core version will be 1.9 GHz whereas the Octa core one will be 1.6 GHz.. anyone know then if the Octa core will still be faster?

Also, will the UK version have 4g?

Or do the US get 4g instead of Octa but we get Octa but miss out on the 4g?

I'm assuming that O2 will stock the S4 as Samsung's flagship device but apparently they are the only UK carrier not to have confirmed they'll stock it yet!

I hope so as I bought out of my orange contract to join O2 due to orange's poor reception where I live!

Many thanks.

 

[XplosiV]

All versions will be LTE but not just region specific LTE, "multi-region" LTE so your S4 will be compatible on ALL existing LTE networks worldwide.

As for Samsung missing the boat. How so? Clearly have have been inspired by apps etc and are aiming to make things like reading and health aspects easier to use, what's this if not innovative and responding to consumer demand / diversity? Add into that other existing technology from other Samsung products like the note series, and imo the "samsung missed the boat" quote, just sounds unfounded and thoughtless.

 

[Shocky]

I understand that the quad core version will be 1.9 GHz whereas the Octa core one will be 1.6 GHz.. anyone know then if the Octa core will still be faster?

Also, will the UK version have 4g?

Or do the US get 4g instead of Octa but we get Octa but miss out on the 4g?

We don't know which is faster yet, we have to wait until users and reviewers get their hand on them.

Unsure if there will be two versions in the UK or not but I doubt it, there's no reason for us to miss out on Exynos 5 5410, after-all the LTE version for Europe and the UK uses Exynos 4 4412 and not Snapdragon.

 

[sean76]

What is it you don't like about the S4 sean76? based the information we have?

Is it just the design? because it can't be the hardware as that's a massive improvement over the S3.

What exactly were you expecting?

Ok what you have to remember is right now we're going to single me out and use me as an example.

These phones cost what, anywhere from $550-$650 off contract right. I go through a few phones per year (more...lol) and because of carrier contracts and what not I have to buy a phone at retail from time to time if I've exhausted all other possibilities.

If I own an S3, which I did in the past...I liked it a lot, just got a little bored of it and grew tired of touch wiz. But lets just say I still had it since last year and was looking to get a new phone now? Would the S4 really impress me enough to spend $650 on a new phone and retire my S3? No way! It looks exactly like the S3!

Now remember we're using me as an example here...Would some disagree and buy it anyway? Of course they would, but to me for someone who owned an S3 there's really not enough change to buy the S4. The screens are both nice, there roughly the same thickness, we haven't heard whats so different about processors (they kept quite on that) and my biggest gripe is that they are using the same old shinny cheap plastics time and time, after time! Enough already with the shinny plastics, time to graduate to better materials like the rest of the smart phone industry! If anything is worth a look at, it's the camera! Samsung does put awesome cameras on they're phones and it looks like they improved nicely in that regard...However if that's the case I'd buy a $650 camera and keep my S3...You catch my drift?

If you like the S4 and are happy with what Sammy has did...Grab it man! Keep me in the loop and let me know how the difference compares to your S3. I'll be skipping this one, but definitely be paying attention to what former S3 owners like and dig about the S4 if they pick one up. Maybe there cheers will be enough to make me change my mind Weirder things have happened!

 

[XplosiV]

Going from flagship to flagship you'll be hard pressed to find anyone impressed with the upgrades. However, skip one and get one two years later will be much more satisfying as the jump and advancements are that much bigger.

 

[sean76]

Going from flagship to flagship you'll be hard pressed to find anyone impressed with the upgrades. However, skip one and get one two years later will be much more satisfying as the jump and advancements are that much bigger.

Agreed...As I've stated more then a few times, someone coming from an S2 will be overjoyed by the new S4!

 

[davoid]

Until I hold one myself I'll reserve judgement on whether it feels cheap or not.

Aren't you due an upgrade soon?

 

[Shocky]

"snip"

Sorry but I do have a hard time relating to users who look to buy

 

[CoronaDoug]

I have the S3 and don't use really any of the gimmick features. With the S4 Samsung has become king of gimmicky software features. Many of them Google offers already. This is almost as non-google of a phone that you can get. Seems like Samsung is taking the steps to integrate their own OS in the future.

 

[sean76]

Sorry but I do have a hard time relating to users who look to buy £450+ phones based how they look and the materials used.

If you don't like the design then fine, don't buy one, that is as subjective as you can get and is no indication of how good the device is or how successful it will be

As for touchwiz, I use Nova launcher so it doesn't really matter to me, but there are millions of S3 users out there happy with touchwiz so it wouldn't be in there best interest to change it. If you don't like touchwiz then don't use it.

Also there are advantages to using plastic, it's more likely to survive a fall undamaged, it's doesn't scratch as easily and a scratches are less noticeable, it's lighter and doesn't interface with the signal strength of the device.

Anyway, I havent decided on buying it yet, I always wait for the reviews.

If things don't work out i'll probably get the Xperia Z.

Now your talking...That Z looks pretty darn good, I'm paying very close attention to Sony at the moment. They may very be the next big manufacturer to surprise a lot of us.

 

[Hadron]

Aren't you due an upgrade soon?

SIM-only, so I upgrade when I feel like it. With the flip side being that as I buy unsubsidised I take care over my purchases

I'm patient. I'll wait until I can handle both the S4 and the One myself, and we have real-world experiences of both handsets available, and then I'll see. Maybe by then we'll have more info on whether the Motorola X is likely to become a reality in time to enter consideration...

 

[nigsy]

I love the way people are slagging it off.
Any one got one yet so they can give a more subjective review other than it doesn't look nice, it's modeled the same as the S3 (Seeings though the dimensions are different, don't get that), it's not the HTC one??

As someone else has said the only phone that is in the ballpark with the S4 is from Sony, that will be interesting.

I guess as I have over 12 months left on my S3 contract, I'll be waiting for the S6!

 

[sean76]

I love the way people are slagging it off.
Any one got one yet so they can give a more subjective review other than it doesn't look nice, it's modeled the same as the S3 (Seeings though the dimensions are different, don't get that), it's not the HTC one??

As someone else has said the only phone that is in the ballpark with the S4 is from Sony, that will be interesting.

I guess as I have over 12 months left on my S3 contract, I'll be waiting for the S6!

Skippin the S5?

 

[Ken7]

It isn't the internals that bug me, it's the exterior look and the fact that Samsung didn't bother to change ANY of it. We pretty much got what we expected in terms of specs which is awesome. But liked I said earlier had the Galaxy S4 had the looks of the HTC One it would be the best thing ever.

And if it did look like the HTC One, some would say "Yawn, looks just like the HTC...boring". Aesthetics are very personal and kind of silly to condemn Samsung for going with what is obviously an appreciated design by many.

 

[Ken7]

What is it you don't like about the S4 sean76? based the information we have?

Is it just the design? because it can't be the hardware as that's a massive improvement over the S3.

What exactly were you expecting?

Maybe some were looking for a triangle form factor?

I agree, it is a substantial upgrade in hardware. I think people would complain no matter what they did. It's the nature of the beast.

BTW, I really like the idea of getting less fingerprints on the screen. Swiping without touching is a great idea as is tilting to scroll.

 

[AntimonyER]

Maybe some were looking for a triangle form factor?

Good to go

 

[markyboy81]

Good to go

If only Dwight Shrute had done the presentation!

 

[rcsrich]

I really wish people would stop equating plastic with "cheap". plastics are able to absorb impact better than most metals & are in general lighter, which makes them a good choice for something like a smartphone. I don't know enough about the internals of the S4, but the S3 is plastic on the outside (great for absorbing impact) , but the internals are all part of a metal subframe that is rigid- I think the design make sense (and also allows for an easily removable battery).

It's a matter of choice- some people will always prefer the metal and glass feel of phones like the HTC One & iPhone 5, which tends to be colder with sharper edges, while others prefer the warmth & rounded contours of a plastic/polycarbonate phone like the S3 or HTC One X.

Either way, most people nowadays will switch their phones in two years, even sooner if not on a contract, so does it really make sense to build a phone "for the ages" whatever it's made out of?

Final point: It's a phone with a 5" screen that is about as thin as and only very slightly heavier than an iPhone 5- It's hard to see how they achieved that without making the thing out of Styrofoam!

Additional thought: as manufacturers start rolling out flexible screens, making phones out of rigid materials like metal & glass will make less & less sense. How amazing will it be to be able to put a phone in your back pocket & sit & it just bends if needed- totally cool.

 

[bonerp]

this thing will still sell like hot cakes. The spec is great (better than my laptop!), but the design/lack of premium feels needs improving! I've a N2 and was interested in seeing this as the screen is back to N1 size.

As for the moans about screen, its a phone - get a grip, its not often you'd notice the difference.

 

[Ken7]

Good to go

Bummer get it in & out of your pocket.

 

[rcsrich]

this thing will still sell like hot cakes. The spec is great (better than my laptop!), but the design/lack of premium feels needs improving! I've a N2 and was interested in seeing this as the screen is back to N1 size.

As for the moans about screen, its a phone - get a grip, its not often you'd notice the difference.

I know, it's pretty hilarious- I have a laptop with a single core 1.6 Ghz Turion & 2GB of RAM- the thing has trouble streaming HD video from the web...

If you'd asked me in 2005 when I bought that laptop that a phone in 2013 would have it whipped, I would have probably laughed at you.

 

[nigsy]

Skippin the S5?

Still got over 12 months on my contract...reckon I'll miss the S5 and be in time for the S6