The South Korean company Samsung was able to achieve tremendous success through the release of the Galaxy line of devices. More specifically, the brightest moments were seen in sales of models such as S2 and S3. In five months, the second model sold around the world in the amount of twenty million pieces. The total circulation exceeded sixty million. Impressive, isn't it? Well, what did the follower expect - a Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 smartphone? Today we have to talk about him.
Brief Specifications
Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500, the price of which was more than ten thousand Russian rubles, got a five-inch screen, a good camera with a resolution of 13 megapixels, an processor with eight cores, two gigabytes of RAM and a battery capacity of 2600 milliampere-hours. An unexpected drawback was the presence of an operating system of the Android family of only version 4.2.
Exterior
Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 16GB is made in the classic candy bar form factor. Vibrant changes compared to previous models, we will not see. This is all the same appearance that the Galaxy S3 or Note 2 had. And indeed, many other devices are similar to this flagship in appearance. Should a potential buyer be offended by the fact that he pays that kind of money for the lack of "chips" in the exterior? Probably yes. Nevertheless, the device diverges really vigorously, and no one pays much attention to the fact that the design is literally roughly copied.
Mass and overall parameters
Earlier, many believed that, compared with the same Galaxy S3 model, the dimensions of the device will increase, as the screen diagonal will increase. However, it turned out that the device, on the contrary, has become thinner. With its 130 grams, the smartphone reaches a height of 136.6 millimeters, and in width and thickness, respectively, 69.8 and 7.9 mm. All characteristics have improved, including the battery, and this should be taken into account when talking about the mass-dimensional characteristics. We can say thank you to the Koreans for having walked along a number of parameters, making the phone more powerful, but the overall dimensions did not worsen, but even changed for the better.
Minuses
Which of the disadvantages? Oh, the Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 16GB can't boast of good workmanship. This shortcoming becomes an event that brings into the picture, if not harmony, then at least a strict balance. Already how many “Samsung” are struggling with this problem - the problem of plastic, and something they can’t do to come up with a way to resolve the shortcoming. At the same time, to complain about the unreliability of the design will not work. Here we have not ordinary plastic, but polycarbonate. This allows you to bend the lid without visible consequences (of course, unless particularly zealous). Its coverage, by the way, has undergone a number of qualitative changes. Among them is a mask of scratches that appear with the help of special drawings. The coating is applied in such a way as to wipe as slowly as possible. On the side there is a metal edging, at first glance. In fact, this is not metal, namely plastic. Here it is easy to scratch, unfortunately.
Color and build quality
From the very beginning, the device was available in two colors. It is dark gray and white. Of course, the traditional dark gray color looks more presentable. However, everything solves the question of taste. A little later, the manufacturer promised to launch other color schemes, about five pieces. And here, each user will have the right to decide which color to choose for him. There are no complaints about the build quality of the smartphone. The back cover of the device is adjacent to it very tightly. Despite this, removing it is quite simple.
Controls, ports, sockets
Galaxy S4 GT-I9500, the firmware for which was released shortly after the device’s debut, is equipped with an indicator of missed events, which is located above, above the screen, on the front side. If there are missed calls or messages, it will blink blue. The central key is made mechanical, and the side elements are touch-sensitive. On the side, on the left side, you can find a paired key, which is designed to adjust the volume. It is medium in stiffness. Using during a conversation is quite convenient. On the opposite side is the button for locking. At the top there is an infrared window and a jack for wired headphones. There is also a second microphone, and the first is located at the bottom. The bottom also has a MicroUSB standard connector.
Screen
In this model, we are expecting a five-inch (or rather, 4.99-inch) display with a SuperAMOLED matrix. The screen resolution is 1920 by 1080 pixels. The density is 441 dots per inch. Many tend to think that screens with such a matrix have excess brightness, which leads to the display of unnatural colors. However, this is not quite true. In the case of the subject of our review today, the buyer himself can configure the display options that are best suited specifically for him. In this area, the South Korean developer, in general, offers users the most flexible configuration option.
Offline work
Galaxy S4 has a 2,600 milliamp-hour lithium-ion battery. Compared with its predecessor, this parameter has been improved by five hundred units. But the energy consumption of the screen has decreased significantly. In theory, we should have gotten more work time thanks to these two changes. But we did not take into account the processor. Here we add numerous additional functions, sometimes absolutely unnecessary and delusional. Thus, the battery life remains virtually unchanged.
Communications
Bluetooth works stably both when transferring files (it is carried out, by the way, at speeds up to 24 Mbps), and when connecting wireless headsets. In the USB connection mode, we are expecting small changes. The developers banned the simultaneous operation with USB and bluetooth. When wired, the device continues to charge. In GSM networks, the EDGE standard is used for data transfer. The operation of the Wi-Fi module does not cause complaints. We should also praise the Koreans for the built-in NFC module.
Conclusion and reviews
What do the buyers of this unit say? If you had experience working with the S3 model, then the new product is unlikely to surprise you. But she will not disappoint. Buyers will get special emotions except from a bright design when buying a device with the appropriate color scheme. Users note that one of the advantages is the small size compared to its predecessor with improved performance. If in previous models the Koreans focused on technical specifications, then this time they decided to change the line of behavior and highlighted the chips of the device.
Are they needed? Not always. Especially those that are built into the software. Not every customer, judging by the reviews, liked them. But they load memory and drain the battery. Does it then make sense from them? Absolutely none. At least positive. Camera resolution has increased, and the quality of photos has become even better compared to the previous model. Although many people take it as a standard. As a result, we get that nothing special S4 does not stand out from its predecessor. Yes, the characteristics have improved, but not so much as to throw the previous device into the stove and run headlong after the new one. Take, for example, the same battery. Let's see if the Korean company succeeds in continuing the line.