NOOK HD Tablets-Now with Google PlaySamsung Galaxy S4
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: 6580454
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Its laundry list of features require time and effort to truly master, but the Galaxy S4 is the top choice for anyone looking for a big-screen, do-everything smartphone.
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Where to buy
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 |  | In stock Free Shipping! | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/13/2013 |
 | | In stock Get free shipping on orders over $25! | as of 05/13/2013 |
CNET editors' review
Samsung Galaxy S4 price range: $199.99 - $689.99
- Reviewed by: Jessica Dolcourt
- Reviewed on: 04/23/2013
The good: The Samsung Galaxy S4 has Android 4.2.2, a fantastic camera, a powerful quad-core processor, and software solutions for just about every scenario -- including working as a TV/DVR remote. It's also comfortable in hand and has NFC, a user-replaceable battery, and a microSD storage slot.
The bad: Its screen is dimmer than competitors', its plastic design gives it a cheaper look than its rivals, and we found the Galaxy S4's power button turned on at undesirable times. Not all camera modes work as promised, and a long list of software features can quickly overwhelm and confuse.
The bottom line: Its laundry list of features require time and effort to truly master, but the Galaxy S4 is the top choice for anyone looking for a big-screen, do-everything smartphone.
User reviews
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The Samsung Galaxy S4 wins for now.
by MCTW1 on March 31, 2013
Pros: Everything about this phone.
Cons: Nothing about this phone
Summary: A lot of people are complaining that it is plastic. Plastic does not break as easy. People get cases for high end exterior phones that are plastic so what is ...
Summary: A lot of people are complaining that it is plastic. Plastic does not break as easy. People get cases for high end exterior phones that are plastic so what is the big deal. This phones specs are incredible and at the best of any phone on the market. Whether this phone is an iphone killer, probably not. The iphone 5s is due out some time this year and no matter if it has anything new, people are going to buy it. Every argument any apple fan has against androids is flawed. However a lot of fandroids have no idea what they are talking about. Overall the Samsung Galaxy S4 will come out as the best phone with the HTC One close behind. Although HTC One looks amazing, HTC phones usually have some flaws especially with battery. Whether some software is useless or not it is always easy to turn off and the battery on the S4 will meet expectations.
7 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best of the lot in 2013 with HTC One
by piyushxgupta on April 25, 2013
Pros: Removable or Changeable battery
Good HardwareCons: Requires Root to get rid of bloatware
Summary: I have read a lot about HTC one and Galaxy S4 comparison and they are only natural as these represent 2 best smartphones of 2013.
Yes, I take that HTC ...Summary: I have read a lot about HTC one and Galaxy S4 comparison and they are only natural as these represent 2 best smartphones of 2013.
Yes, I take that HTC One has great looks, beats audio and fresh design... but what you need to give away for that is ability to change or upgrade the battery.
Any battery however good is it charges for 500 cycles if all the connections remain proper.. For a smartphone, its easy to achieve these cycles in 18 months or so..
Do I want to replace a 700 USD phone in such a short time.. sorry, I don't.
Moreover, if you look at some suppliers they give fatter batteries with replaceable covers. SO if you are on the move then it makes sense to change the 2600 mAH battery with 5000 mAH and still retaining reasonable looks, thanks to super slim structure of S4.
Come to the other difference, HTC One has LCD screen and it is common to have dead pixels in LCD after some time. AMOLED screens have no recorded problems like this.
Yes, the audio requires improvement but the included ear-phones house woofer and speaker to get a much rounded sound. Who listens to music or takes calls with speakerphone generally?
Now the plastic, well its much more likely that your phone will survive a drop if its plastic rather than polished metal design.
At the end it will come to personal preference, I have some bad exp. with HTC and their is a huge developer community doing things for Samsung, I fear being left out of exciting customizations like I did with my Dell Streak..
GS4 is for me..5 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The Current King of the Smartphones!
by aycockonxion on April 10, 2013
Pros: 5" screen, 13MP camera, LTE, 8 core processing, 2 GB RAM, wireless charging.
Cons: Price and availability is unknown.
Summary: When the S4 was announced, I was slightly underwhelmed at the time, but once it sank in, I realized that I was more and more impressed. When it becomes available, ...
Summary: When the S4 was announced, I was slightly underwhelmed at the time, but once it sank in, I realized that I was more and more impressed. When it becomes available, it really will stand alone in a category all it's own as the premier smartphone. It's silly that there are people posting reviews that say something to the effect of "don't get me wrong, it's an awesome phone with amazing features and upgrades... but it's such a let down." Give me a break. This phone is the very definition of innovation and it is exactly what reasonable people expected from the next iteration of the best smartphone on the planet.
7 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Simply King of the Smarphones ever!!!
by ismsdjoe on April 1, 2013
Pros: True HD Screen diplay, 5 inch screen size, eye pause, eye track
Group play, S hub, story album, amazing camera features, removable battery and external microSD card support up to 64, wireless charging capability, S beam and universal remote controlCons: Nothing on Samsung Galaxy S4.
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S4 is the best smartphone ever and Samsung is a true innovation company in this planet.
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S4 is the best smartphone ever and Samsung is a true innovation company in this planet.
4 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The S in S4 stands for Super-phone
by societyofosiris on April 26, 2013
Pros: Design, Features, Software, Sensor Array, Interface, Fluidity, Settings (well organized), Quick Functions, Swappable Battery, Expanded Memory (64GB), USB Connectivity, Translation, etc.
Cons: Battery (I need more power Scotty!), OCR function (Still needs work)
Summary: A feature-rich high-octane Super-phone that caught everyone's eye at a party last night. Before long people were approaching me to see the techno-wizardy that Samsung had packed into the ...
Summary: A feature-rich high-octane Super-phone that caught everyone's eye at a party last night. Before long people were approaching me to see the techno-wizardy that Samsung had packed into the handset. The bilingual party goers were enthusiastic with S Translate claiming it wasn't perfect but left Google translate in the dust. The photographers of the group were impressed with the camera and various modes on offer. Oohs and aahs came when I showed off the eraser and Sound Shot features.
This person clearly never picked up a Galaxy S4. I have now used the device for 15 hours and have yet to experience any crashing, hanging or sudden reboots.
Updated on Apr 26, 20132 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This phone is a pleasure to use despite a few flaws.
by disappointedidealist on April 25, 2013
Pros: 4.2.2 runs great out of the box, and I think it's the best operating system out there. No hiccups in battery life, call quality, or camera use. The gimmicky features didn't do much to blow me away, but S Memo and S Health are nice features.
Cons: CNET summarized it well. Even as an experienced Android user (2.3 and 4.2 on the Nexus 7), there is quite a learning curve. The plastic I could do without, but mine will soon have an Otterbox. Hoping the power button is better under a case as well.
Summary: The most common complaints I've seen about the S4 is that it's too much like the S3 (it's very similar, but I feel the minor improvements do ...
Summary: The most common complaints I've seen about the S4 is that it's too much like the S3 (it's very similar, but I feel the minor improvements do warrant an upgrade - especially with the S3 still running you $100), and the plastic exterior. The plastic does feel slightly cheap, but most all phones use a case even with Kevlar backing. The plus side is the removable battery and SD card option, which you don't see on phones without a plastic backing (the iPhone and HTC One). If you're in the market for a new phone, particularly an Android (or if you're willing to try something that isn't running iOS) I'd definitely say to give this a try. As I stated, the learning curve is steep, but it's worth the journey.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Worth the Upgrade from the GS3 and even NOTE 2!
by NJbadboy on April 27, 2013
Pros: Camera, Speed, Android 4.2, Feel, Weight, Features GALORE, too many to list.
Cons: None so far...
Summary: Got this device and can't put it down. I am an avid smartphone user and get almost everything that comes out. Had the GS3 left that for the Note ...
Summary: Got this device and can't put it down. I am an avid smartphone user and get almost everything that comes out. Had the GS3 left that for the Note 2 (currently also own an iPhone 5).
At first I thought I was going to miss the 5.5" screen of the Note 2, but after using my S4 I am adjusting very quickly, due to most of the features included and the screen quality.
Air View is great, being able to "peek" at info without touching your device.
Air Gesture is another useful feature as if your reading an article and eating, you can move the page with a flick of the hand (or finger). Even better when driving, because you can wave the screen to answer the call.
The camera, while megapixels aren't always everything, this phone definitely beats the Note II and GS3. I have been looking for a great android phone camera to rival my iPhone 5 and I think I have found it. The new features, Drama mode to stitch pixs together, as well as dual camera to put urself in a picture are EXCELLENT. The ability to do sound and shot also is another plus.
The overall look (even thou not premium compared to the HTC ONE) is definitely a step in the right direction as its not a plain black or white. The subtle aluminum bezel makes a nice addition.
The new features as part of Android 4.2, such as customizing ur notification shade quick settings and putting personalized text on ur lockscreen, in addition to the much welcomed, music player widget on the lockscreen. FANTASTIC!!
Battery Life, so far I am averaging about 14-16 hours on med-heavy use which is acceptable for the screen size/quality.
Overall very satisfied with my purchase at full price, really contemplated over the last week with getting the HTC ONE, but it's the little things that matter sometimes; a feature having it, just in case one day you decide to use it. Battery percentage in status bar, quick settings in notifications, traditional app drawer are all to be appreciated. This phone is fast overall, you will not be disappointed...1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Really nice phone
by chris_hamm on April 15, 2013
Pros: I like it very much
Cons: nothing to say
3 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Could have been a great phone but has show stoppers...
by ertem0 on May 3, 2013
Pros: Display, features, dual cam, everything about the hardware
Cons: Customer policies:
1) (minor) Boot loader locked. Not that I was going to root, but then why buy Android? No!
2) (MAJOR) But even worse, T-Mobile said that they would SIM unlock it but they refused, AFTER I paid the full price ($660+)Summary: It is a very nice phone and I was looking forward to using it. I would have bought a carrier unlocked GSM version directly from Samsung, but they do not ...
Summary: It is a very nice phone and I was looking forward to using it. I would have bought a carrier unlocked GSM version directly from Samsung, but they do not offer one. (Just on principle, I will never again buy any carrier locked phone.)
Knowing that T-mobile is now supposedly (!) separating phones and plans (and as I already have two T-Mo lines) I ordered it from them - AFTER twice (phone to customer service and then E-chat) making sure they would immediately unlock it as soon as I paid the full price.
Today T-Mo replied that they would not SIM unlock the phone that I have paid full price for. So much for the new enlightened T-mobile.
It's going back.
(I posted the entire exchange at http://can.ertem.com/tmo.html )
mce1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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No Spellchecker? Hahaha Seriously Samsung?
by Andy4504 on May 13, 2013
Pros: Best Android Camera I've seen to date
1080p AMOLED Screen
High Capacity Battery
Fairly fast and responsive.Cons: No Spellchecker!!! Lol Even Stock Android has Spell checker, it's almost as if Samsung went out of their way to eliminate it.
TXT/MMS message font is HUGE! You can read it from across the room, even when set to 'Tiny'.Summary: Some Very dissapointing Software. Not nearly as bad As Apple, but seriously!
Wow, look, a 2 million pixel screen, that you can fit 3 sentances on.
Probably one of the ...Summary: Some Very dissapointing Software. Not nearly as bad As Apple, but seriously!
Wow, look, a 2 million pixel screen, that you can fit 3 sentances on.
Probably one of the worst messaging apps I've ever seen. (And it appears to be modeled after iPhone, go figure.) You copy junk, you get junk I guess...
Anyway, enough venting... It really is the best option of what is available. At least if a camera matters to you... If not, perhaps the HTC One is the real winner.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: 6580454
- Bottom Line: Its laundry list of features require time and effort to truly master, but the Galaxy S4 is the top choice for anyone looking for a big-screen, do-everything smartphone.
General
- Product Type Smartphone
- Width 2.75 in
- Depth 0.31 in
- Height 5.38 in
- Weight 4.6 oz
Cellular
- Operating System Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Display
- Diagonal Size 5 in
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Samsung products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Samsung
- Address:
105 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 - Phone: 1-800-726-7864
- Fax: 1-973-601-6001
