Samsung Galaxy S 4 (GSM)
Phone Scoop Review
May 10, 2013 by Eric M. Zeman
The Galaxy S 4 performs very well on AT&T's network. Here is Phone Scoop's review of Samsung's 2013 flagship Android smartphone. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
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Marvelous!
I've had this phone for about 2 months and so far the only complain I have is about the battery life... it's not as bad as I expected, but it's not that good either. Sometimes it will get me through the entire day and still make it home with 24/30% (and I'm a heavy user). On some rare ocassions I've had to recharge before the phone shuts off.
I'm impressed with the processor. It runs smoothly!
I have quite a few games installed (N64oid, PSP emulator, GBA, etc.) and playing games doesn't seem to consume much battery. I've started playing with a full charge and after an hour of playing it has brought the phone to 97/98%. LTE is more battery consuming than any other application I've tested.
Screen resolution is beyond incredible!
HQ videos on YouTube look amazing, even pictures taken and transferred from older phones look killer in the S4.
Hardware is fantastic too!
I don't see why phonescoop review rated it so low on hardware quality... I've dropped my S4 quite a few times and the screen doesn't have a single scratch, nor the back panel. The phone performs as good as new!
The sensors are another thing I liked. At first I didn't though I'd need them, so I disabled them. Once I had time to spare I turned 'em on and tried them, now they're on the whole time.
- Being able to scroll on web-pages, gallery and other apps without touching the screen is very neat. Specially if you've been eating Flammin' Hot Cheetos and have dirty fingers.
- Eye Scroll is good, though it may take a lil' time to get used to it.
- Smart pause is good too, though this one may have to be turned off if you're doing something else and need to be turning your head off the screen very often.
You can even hover your hand over the sensor while the screen is off and it will give you your phone status. Time, messages, calls, e-mails, notifications, etc.
This is the best phone I've had so far... and I had an iPhone 4S and a couple Motorola's before.
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great phone
Carrier: AT&T
Perfect size, beautiful screen, speaker sounds great good quality sound. Really fast
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awsome device!
Carrier: T-Mobile
This device is packed full of amazing things! The display is clean crisp and beautiful! The sound can be adapted to your personal hearing and the experience is truly awesome. It has so many features like air scroll scrolling without touching the device. Smart view which pauses video when you turn away from the screen. Answer or reject a call by voice and much much more. This device is truly the best smartphone available today. Take the time to learn all its capabilities and you will be amazed. New and awesome technology will keep you amazed at the possibilities. This device won't disappoint! I love everything about it. Simply awesome.
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Samsung Galaxy S 4 for T-Mobile
Carrier: T-Mobile
What can I say? Samsung has out done themselves yet again. First with the Galaxy S, then Galaxy S2, S3 and now the S4. Each time improving on the previous.
I had exchanged the Iphone 5 for this phone because I find that Android is a much better operating system and easier to use and to navigate through the menus. I also like how easy it is to synch with my gmail.
I was skeptical on getting this phone and getting the S3 instead. boy am I glad decided on the S4
Although it is slightly larger, its not as big as the Note2 which is nice.
Now as for using it on T-Mobile....
I live in Austin, Tx., and I noticed that LTE (4G) is sketchy in the area right now and it keeps switiching between LTE and HSPA+ alot. But thats my only issue, which will get better with time, I'm sure.
Other than that, the phone is fantastic.
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Beast of all Beast phones!
Carrier: AT&T
Fabulous phone. The phone is sleek, easy to use, BEAUTIFUL SCREEN! Clear and crisp. Camera....super
clear (13mp). sound quality, call quality....great. Really, I have no complaints except that fact I have to learn about the advance features on the phone! Otherwise, GREAT smartphone.! :-)
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My Review and Thoughts
Carrier: AT&T
I got the S4 with my recent upgrade. I was looking at either the S3 or S4.
Pros;
The screen is brillant and beautiful. i can read every letter and see every icon on the screen, the amoled screen just amazes me.
Battery Life. I'm a medium heavy users. Texting, web surfing, video watching, app using user. Not only does the 4G lte make downloading them fast, but the battery will hold up under heavy usage. i normally dont have to charge it but about every 2 days ( i dont always do this). I do charge mine every night, but its the only contact to the world i have.
Its Features:
Samsung has a ton of apps that come with the phone and most of them are worth having, and the one i dont use will definitely be useful to another. Keis Air and Samsung Link are awesome and fairly easy to setup.(Keis air is a little more difficult but given the time, its worth it.) this phone also has 5ghz WiFi. so when i'm at home my router connects at 150 mbs (remember connect not transfer speed).
Cons:
(not many and they are more pevs to me then cons)
the screen at the edges seem to pick up dust, dirt, and the like will stick.
Air Gestures and Hand Gestures
they are nice to have, but they take a good time to read and understand, and conquer how to use them. they are worth it once you learn them, its learning that has a bit of a curve.
All in all, great phone for the money. I got mine on a trade deal thru my local retailer.
Samsung You Guys Still Got it Rockin.
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Samsung Galaxy S4 review
Carrier: T-Mobile
Very nice phone, no complaints at all except it's a bit bigger than I am use to. As a matter of fact it's humungous...other than that 5 out of 5.
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my latest endeavor
Carrier: T-Mobile
So I have been using the galaxy s4 for about a month now and I have no complaints. I came from the galaxy s3 on verizon and had no complaints with them either. The biggest reason for the switch was to save money. I was spending too much on verizons network and with t-mobiles truly unlimited and wifi calling, I figure I can make it work.
Pros: Screen is clear and bright, speakerphone works great, connects with all my bluetooth devices, processor is fast and snappy, calls are clear (as they were with the S3), i love wifi calling in my house, and battery life is really good with moderate use.
Cons; Battery life with heavy use, better have a spare battery or plug in.
Overall, I am very happy with this phone and the network. I am really happy they added hangouts and replaced google talk. I was close to going to the HTC One but I really didn't like the build. People talk about the plasticity of this phone and I would say hogwash. Its no different than any other phone. I bought a seidio case for it and if it falls, it will be protected. Get a good case.
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Pretty Sweet
Carrier: AT&T
I recently switched from the Note 2 and I am pleasently surprised. I had concern reducing the screen size along with a smaller battery. I have found that althought the display is smaller it does make the S4 easier to use even though I have large hands. A few tricks I have found that may be helpful to other users. The Airview needs to be enabled in the phone settings, not just the notications screen along with the hovering to work. You can also create your own vibration pattern instead of the one that comes with the phone. The blocking feature is awsome. This option allows you to turn calls, notifications ect off during specific times, but also allows you to add specic contacts or groups that will be exempt from blocking. When set up, you can still get calls or notifications from people that may need to. I have found that the AT&T 4G LTE etremely fast compared to Verizon. I had the Note 2 on Verizon and I see about a 10 Mbbs faster speed with AT&T getting speeds up to 34Mbbs.
Pros: Display is very good even in bright light
Battery life gets me through an entire day of
moderate to heavy use and still be in the green
when I go to bed which is about 16 hours a day
with LTE on.
Very customizable, and yes you can change
the "Lifes Companion" message on the lock
screeen.
Cons: The camera options are not what they advertise
To the point, the eraser function only works
taking a photo if there is movement during the
photo. Also the ability to take your picture with
a group of others puts a stamp type outline on
your photo. Otherwise the camera is very good.
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My first impressions
Carrier: AT&T
Just picked up this phone yesterday after jonesing all month for it. i have followed the galaxy progression of phones since rejoining att about a year ago. went from the S2 skyrocket to the S3 and now the S4. my primary comparison will be to the S3. Have not had an opportunity to fully dig into the phone and play with it but some things jumped out at me right away. and here they are...
The screen is very sharp and vibrant. photos taken on my S3 (8.0 megapixel cam) seem sharper and crisper on the S4. and photos taken on the S4 itself? fuggetaboutit!.
Touch screen is nice and responsive. hovering your finger over the screen to get info on a widget or preview an email is pretty cool. also love that the stock keyboard adds a number bar (0-9) above the keyboard, removing the need to switch to symbol mode to enter passwords and email addys. makes the typing experience more seamless and fluid.
The infrared remote is a welcome feature. found my TV just fine. DVD player was found but doesn;t control it very well. needs the ability to enter specific model numbers for devices.
Android 4.2.2 seems more refined then 4.1 on s3. the settings menu is redesigned into a tabbed format which can throw off some but is easy to get used to. the drop box is much more customizable, allowing you to add and remove quick toggles. it seems to really be designed with user customization in mind. also re-added is the ability to use custom text alerts for individual contacts, a feature available on the S2 skyrocket, missing on S3, Back on s4.
VERY thin. compared to the s3 this thing is at least half as thick. then again i have an otterbox on the s3 and i refuse to remove it. so i do not know for sure.
Battery life seems decent, though i have not had adequate opportunity to stress test it.
Speaker is louder than S3.
1.9 Quadcore makes multi tasking a breeze. no lag while running at least 8 apps at a time.
a decent improvement over the S3. Highly Recomend it.
