Smartphone wars reach new high - Samsung Galaxy S4
Tuesday, March 19, 2013Posted by
Sureshkumar
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There is not a single generation in the entire history of humanity who would have seen so much of change in their life time. Things change so rapidly that, it is really hard to imagine our past .
I Still remember the time when I was in college. My father used to send me around 2000 ruppees every month. And trust me most of the money would end up being charges to the daily phonecalls. Cell phone was a very big luxury back then . Even they charged for incoming calls. I remember waiting in the queue for that daily morning calls. Every day it used to cost me around 10 bucks minimum just to say hi. It was a major source of income for the small shops which used be around numerous mills. near Erode .
The biggest revolution in mobile telephony was by the Ambanis. They brought the mobile phone telephony to new level . Selling one for less than 500 bucks. Everyone who was anyone bought a Reliance handset. At one time in Salem there was even free Reliance phones being distributed if you shop for more than 2000 Rupees .
I remember seeing the first color display mobile. It was a motorola handset by one of my friend ! People would envy him and flock around him to see color display in a mobile handset. Technology was moving very rapidly indeed. Before I moved out of collage, most of my friends were having decent Camera mobiles.
Android and iPhone
Apple was truly a pioneer in many aspects . Touch screen was nothing new. They were there even before color displays
The biggest revolution in mobile telephony was by the Ambanis. They brought the mobile phone telephony to new level . Selling one for less than 500 bucks. Everyone who was anyone bought a Reliance handset. At one time in Salem there was even free Reliance phones being distributed if you shop for more than 2000 Rupees .
I remember seeing the first color display mobile. It was a motorola handset by one of my friend ! People would envy him and flock around him to see color display in a mobile handset. Technology was moving very rapidly indeed. Before I moved out of collage, most of my friends were having decent Camera mobiles.
Android and iPhone
Apple was truly a pioneer in many aspects . Touch screen was nothing new. They were there even before color displays
Experts give their verdict on the latest iPhone killer - and say it could even OUTSELL Apple's handset
- New device features five-inch 1080p screen that has the ability to react to its owner's eyes
- Slightly smaller than the Galaxy SIII at 69mm wide, and 7.9mm thick
- Also features a translator, multipurpose 13 megapixel camera and voice recognition software
- Experts say handset could be the first to outsell an iPhone
Samsung last night delivered its most threatening answer
to the iPhone yet with its latest smart phone complete with a gallery of
never-before-seen technology.
In a much-hyped public event, the technology giant
introduced the Galaxy S4 with an array of new features, including knowing when
the user is looking at the screen.
Experts described the launch as a 'major milestone' for
Samsung, and predict the S4 could even outsell the iPhone.
Scroll down for video demo
Swiping technology: Many of the new phone's features
react to your finger, whether it's touching the screen or not
Display: People interact with the Samsung Galaxy S4,
during the unveiling event at New York's Radio City Music Hall
Versatility: Samsung prides the Galaxy S4 on being a
'life companion' that will 'improve the way most people live every day'
'I believe the Samsung Galaxy S4 could be an important
milestone for the Korean company, as it could be the first smartphone to
outsell an iPhone,' said Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst with IDC.
'The Samsung Galaxy S4 can be a game changer for Samsung,
and I believe for the first time that this device has the potential to outsell
the next generation of iPhone - assuming that Apple will incrementally improve
the next version of the iPhone.'
The launch event at New York's Radio City Music Hall -
which featured a live orchestra, bubbly master of ceremonies and even a tap
dance number - was streamed on Samsung's YouTube channel.
The Galaxy S4, which crams a 5-inch 1080p screen into
body slightly smaller than the S III's, will go sale globally in the April to
June period.
The S4 is 69mm wide, 7.9mm thick, weighs just 130 grams
and is encased in polycarbonate.
GALAXY S4 AT A GLANCE
Slightly thinner than its predecessor, the Galaxy S4 will
go on sale next month.
The skinny but durable handset includes such special
features as voice-recognition text messaging, translator software that can
recognize 9 languages and an incredible touchscreen technology that toggles
some features just by waving your finger.
It uses apps like Samsung's WatchOn to bring on-demand
video straight to the phone.
The cameras on each side of the S4 can be used in sync
with each other, planting the photographer inside the photo he or she is
taking. It also has an erase feature.
The phone also utilizes HomeSync, a way to store data on
a cloud - and beam a photo across the world to be viewed on the home TV.
Speaking of television, the smart phone can double as the remote.
The newest features involve different options for
navigation.
If the phone senses someone is looking at the screen, the
user can tilt it forward or backwards to scroll up and down a Web page.
That feature falls slightly short of what some consumers
may have expected after the New York Times reported that the phone would be
able to scroll automatically by tracking readers' eyes.
But what it can do is sense when it has someone's
attention.
When a video is playing the stream will automatically
pause if the person looks away from the device and it will restart when the
eyes come back to the screen.
Texting while driving will be a thing of the past, as the
smart phone's voice recognition feature has the capability to dictate, reply,
forward and save messages using only verbal commands.
The same voice recognition can be seen in the translator
feature, which can understand nine languages.
Samsung has also made efforts to combat the issue of
messy fingerprints, with a screen that now senses fingers hovering just above
the screen, and applications that react.
The Mail application shows the first few lines of an
email when a finger hovers above it in the list, and the Gallery application
shows an expanded thumbnail.
Users can control some other applications by making
gestures in the air above the phone.
In the browser, you can command the screen to scroll up
by swiping from top to bottom a few inches from the phone.
Pride: JK Shin, Samsung's president and head of IT and
mobile communications, shows off the Galaxy S4 in each of its two colors
A new way to browse: The Galaxy S4 has different options
for navigation. If the phone senses someone is looking at the screen, the user
can tilt it forward or backwards to scroll up and down a Web page
Touchless: Samsung has also made efforts to combat the
issue of messy fingerprints, with a screen that now senses fingers hovering
just above the screen, and applications that react
Giving it a whirl: Guests at Radio City Music hall try
out the new Samsung Galaxy S4 after the live unveiling event
Unveiling: Shin presents the new Samsung Galaxy S4
Pricing mystery: Samsung did not say what the phone will
cost, but it can be expected to start at $200 with a two-year contract in the
U.S.
The Camera application can now use both the front and
rear cameras simultaneously, and can insert a picture of the photographer even
as he or she is capturing the scene in front of them.
It also has an erase feature, which allows the phone to
take several pictures of a subject, then create a composite of the images to
remove an unwanted photobomber.
SAMSUNG'S GALAXY S4 - WHAT THE CRITICS SAY
'Perhaps not the out-and-out game changer some were expecting, the Samsung
Galaxy S4 is, on first impressions at least, certainly a new dominant force on
the Android smartphone scene.'
Luke Johnson, Trusted Reviews
'It's a bit of a shame that Samsung announced the phone without giving a price or release date, but at this point, with Samsung the global sales and innovation leader in smartphones, it can do pretty much whatever it wants.'
'It's a bit of a shame that Samsung announced the phone without giving a price or release date, but at this point, with Samsung the global sales and innovation leader in smartphones, it can do pretty much whatever it wants.'
Jordan Crook, TechCrunch
'Is it a major step up from the Samsung Galaxy S3? Probably not for many. But there's certainly enough that's new to promote it above being the Samsung Galaxy S3S.'
'Is it a major step up from the Samsung Galaxy S3? Probably not for many. But there's certainly enough that's new to promote it above being the Samsung Galaxy S3S.'
Rik Henderson, Pocket Lint
'Viewing angles are great, colours pop on the Super AMOLED display, and the bezels on the device have been slimmed to the point where the screen feels even larger and more immersive.'
'Viewing angles are great, colours pop on the Super AMOLED display, and the bezels on the device have been slimmed to the point where the screen feels even larger and more immersive.'
David Pierce, The Verge
'The company isn't quite at the level where fans will
wait in line for the phone, but the Samsung fanboys are starting to grow as
vocal - if not more so - than the Apple faithful.
'At this point, the Galaxy S4 is a runaway train,
something Samsung couldn't stop even if it tried. The rest of the industry
better watch out.'
Roger Cheng, CNet
In the U.S., the S4 will be sold by all four national
carriers - Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA - as well
as by smaller ones US Cellular and Cricket.
Samsung did not say what the phone will cost, but it can
be expected to start at $200 with a two-year contract in the U.S.
JK Shin, the executive in charge of Samsung's mobile
communications division, promised the money would be well spent for a 'life
companion' that will 'improve the way most people live every day.'
A tale of two smartphones
SAMSUNG GALAXY S4
Height: 136.6 mm (5.38
inches)
Width: 69 mm (2.72 inches)
Depth: 7.9 mm (0.31 inches)
Weight: 130 grams (4.59 ounces)
Touchscreen: 5in
Pixel density: 441 per inch
Display: 1920-by-1080 pixels
Network speeds: 3G and 4G LTE Lite
Camera: 13 megapixel in back-facing camera, 2 megapixel in front-facing
Width: 69 mm (2.72 inches)
Depth: 7.9 mm (0.31 inches)
Weight: 130 grams (4.59 ounces)
Touchscreen: 5in
Pixel density: 441 per inch
Display: 1920-by-1080 pixels
Network speeds: 3G and 4G LTE Lite
Camera: 13 megapixel in back-facing camera, 2 megapixel in front-facing
Voice recognition: Can translate nine
languages and utilizes voice-activated tools that can dictate, reply, forward
or save text messages
Built-in apps: Video chat;
internet browser; Gmail; Google Talk, Google Play Store; infrared LED; Google
Maps; YouTube
Processor: 1.9GHz quad-core processor or 1.6GHz octa-core processor
Internal memory: 16GB; 32GB; or 64GB
Other memory: Data stored in Samsung's HomeSync - a household cloud service
Battery: 2,600 mAh
Operating system: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Processor: 1.9GHz quad-core processor or 1.6GHz octa-core processor
Internal memory: 16GB; 32GB; or 64GB
Other memory: Data stored in Samsung's HomeSync - a household cloud service
Battery: 2,600 mAh
Operating system: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
APPLE IPHONE 5
Height: 123.8 mm (4.87
inches)
Width: 58.6 mm (2.31 inches)
Depth: 7.6 mm (0.3 inches)
Weight: 112 grams (3.95 ounces)
Touchscreen: 4in
Pixel density: 326 per inch
Display: 1136x640 pixels
Network speeds: 3G and mobile 4G
Camera: 8 megapixel in back-facing camera 1.2 in front-facing
Width: 58.6 mm (2.31 inches)
Depth: 7.6 mm (0.3 inches)
Weight: 112 grams (3.95 ounces)
Touchscreen: 4in
Pixel density: 326 per inch
Display: 1136x640 pixels
Network speeds: 3G and mobile 4G
Camera: 8 megapixel in back-facing camera 1.2 in front-facing
Voice recognition: Siri upgraded to
allow spoken recommendations for films or restaurants. Possible to update
Facebook status by voice command
Built-in apps: FaceTime; video
editing; Safari internet browser; email; Apple maps; no YouTube as standard
Processor: A6 chip said to be twice as quick as A5.
Internal memory: 16GB; 32GB; or 64GB
Other memory: Purchases stored in Apple’s iCloud servers
Battery: 1,400 mAh
Operating system: Apple iOS 6
Processor: A6 chip said to be twice as quick as A5.
Internal memory: 16GB; 32GB; or 64GB
Other memory: Purchases stored in Apple’s iCloud servers
Battery: 1,400 mAh
Operating system: Apple iOS 6
Smart: The screen reacts to movement, and a video will
automatically pause if you're not looking at the phone
Advancement: Presenting the phone on Thursday, Mr Shin
said the device will serve as a life companion to help its owner lead 'a richer
and simpler life'
That bold promise set the tone for the kind of flashy
presentation associated with the showmanship of Apple, the company that Samsung
has been trying to upstage.
Apple contends Samsung has been trying to do it by
stealing its ideas - an allegation has triggered bitter courtroom battles
around the world.
In the last two years, Samsung has emerged as Apple's
main competitor in the high-end smartphone market.
At the same time, it has sold enough inexpensive low-end
phones to edge out Nokia Corp. as the world's largest maker of phones.
The Galaxy line has been Samsung's chief weapon in the
smartphone fight, and it has succeeded in making it a recognizable brand while
competitors like Taiwan's HTC Corp. and Korean rival LG have stumbled.
Samsung has sold 100 million Galaxy S phones since they
first came out in 2010.
That's still well below the 268 million iPhones Apple has
sold in the same period, but Samsung's sales rate is catching up.
Superiority? The new Galaxy S4 offers a touchless
interface and various security and visual upgrades
Research firm Strategy Analytics said the Galaxy SIII
overtook Apple's iPhone 4S as the world's best-selling smartphone for the first
time in the third quarter of last year, as Apple fans were holding off for the
iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 took back the crown in the fourth quarter.
One way Samsung and other makers of Android phone have
been one-upping Apple is by increasing the screen size.
Every successive generation of the Galaxy line has been
bigger than the one before.
The SIII sported a screen that measures 4.8 inches on the
diagonal, already substantially larger than the iPhone 5's 4-inch screen. The
S4's screen is 56 per cent larger than the iPhone's.
In a Wednesday interview, Apple Phil Schiller declined to
discuss whether Apple is considering enlarging the screen on the next model of
the iPhone, which is expected to be released later this year.
He said Apple remains confident that the iPhone 5 is the
most useful and elegant smartphone available, hailing it as 'the most beautiful
consumer electronics device ever created.'
Samsung believes the S4 will set the new standard.
Apart from the larger screen and upgraded processor, the
S4 has a battery that's 20 per cent larger than that of the SIII.
Samsung didn't say if that translates into a longer
battery life - the added capacity might be gobbled up by the bigger screen or
other internal changes.
The S4 comes with a built-in infra-red diode, so it can
control an entertainment center as a universal remote. This is a feature that
has showed up in Android tablets before.
When several S4s are in close proximity, they can link up
to play the same music, simultaneously - perfect for headphone dance parties