One problem Android enthusiasts have that Apple fans don’t is deciding what device to buy. There are 3 main competing devices in 2013: the Xperia Z, HTC One and the Galaxy S4. So, you need a reason why the Galaxy S4 is best? Well I’m going to give you 10.
1. The screen
The Galaxy S4 sports a Super AMOLED full HD screen. The Xperia Z and HTC One both use LCD screens instead. So what makes the S4’s AMOLED better? Well, AMOLED technology means that each pixel controls itself and doesn’t need a backlight. This in turn means the screen can achieve a much darker black than any other screen. The other main advantage of AMOLED is that it uses less power due to it shutting of pixels for unused colours.
2. The Speed
The Xperia Z is out of the running on this one, only having a Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5 GHz quad core, and the HTC One has a 1.7 GHz quad core Snapdragon 600 which is impressive. The Galaxy S4 runs the same Snapdragon 600 processor, but has been clocked at a higher speed of 1.9 GHz, making it the faster phone.
3. The expandable memory
Now this might seem like a very obvious feature but it is something the HTC One is lacking. Some people will argue that the HTC is available in 32 and 64 GB which is more than enough memory, but it still takes away some freedom of choice you get with the S4. A heavy user might want to use 2 separate memory cards: one for films, one for music. I know I could easily fill a 32GB card with music, never mind films that are over 1GB each. Another advantage to being able to expand the memory is that it’s cheaper to buy a 64GB card than it is to buy the 64GB HTC One.
4. The space age technology
This is an area where the S4 really excels. Samsung really went to town with space age features when it was designing the S4, it would take a long time to discuss all of them in depth so we will just look at a couple. Firstly Air Gesture allows you to move objects on the screen without actually touching it, all you need to do is wave your hand over the top and you can scroll down pages, switch photos and accept a call.
Another S4 feature is the Smart Scroll; this is where the S4 really steps up its game. The device can look at your eyes and determine where about you are looking on the screen, this is mostly used for reading. So if you are reading a news article or looking at a website it knows when you have reached the bottom of the page or if you move back up to the top it then moves the screen depending on this, so it will actually scroll the page as you read.
5. The accessories
This is our specialist area. Samsung have designed some really useful accessories and app-cessories. Firstly let’s look at the S Band, this is the app-cessory I am most excited about. This new fitness band is to be used with Samsung’s very own S Health and uses a 3D sensor to measure how active you are and your sleep efficiency. It keeps a record of you goals and data throughout the day on your S4 using Bluetooth and don’t worry its waterproof.
Another health related app-cessory Samsung has released is the Body Scale. These look like ordinary scales but they are in fact smart scales that can send a record of your weight to your device and show your weight history. It supports 4 users so it is something your whole family can use.
The last accessory I will mention is the S View cover this is a Samsung Galaxy S4 case with a built in window. When the cover is closed it shows you a smaller display including the time/date, media player, calls and texts. When you open the cover it fully unlocks the phone. Not only does this look and work great, it also saves battery life as the covered part of the phone completely shuts off meaning less power usage.
6. The battery
Comparing against the HTC One and Xperia Z. the Galaxy S4 has the better battery life. This is mostly due to the S4’s battery having a higher capacity of 2600mAh (compared to 2300mAh in the One and 2330mAh in the Xperia Z). This gives it a 14 hour talk time – 1 hour longer than the HTC One. Other reasons include the AMOLED screen mentioned earlier and the power saving Galaxy S4 accessories. Another advantage to the S4 battery is that it’s removable so you can ideally have two batteries and be charging one while using the other.
7. The camera
The Galaxy S4 has a 13MP camera and the HTC One only has a 4MP camera, but that doesn’t tell the full story. The HTC One uses something called Ultrapixels – basically, instead of having a large amount of small pixels like on the Galaxy S4, it has a smaller number of larger pixels. This means that the HTC One will take better photos in lower light, while the Galaxy S4 in low light will produce better images, especially when zoomed in.
The S4 has a few extra tricks up its sleeve with added camera features. You can shoot an image with sound which can be used in messages. You can also use both front and back facing cameras at the same, this feature is good if you are the dedicated camera man for the night but still want to be in the photos, or if you want to record your ride on a rollercoaster (no matter how good your grip I don’t recommend this).
8. The sensors
The S4 carriers a total of 9 sensors. Some of these already appear in other phones like the HTC One and Xperia Z but two that they don’t have are the thermometer and humidity sensors. I am always checking the weather using various apps but even the present weather status on most apps is inaccurate. With these new sensors you can get an accurate reading no matter where you are.
9. The remote
Have you ever lost your remote to your TV or just can’t be bothered to get up and fetch it? Well the S4 has a built in Infrared Blaster meaning you can control almost anything that would normally be controlled with a remote control (handy I know). The HTC One has this feature too, but I like Samsung’s app better and the Xperia Z doesn’t have this.
10. The charging
The last reason I am going to give you is the wireless charging feature. This is another feature the HTC One lacks, whether they believe no one uses it or they just forgot about it, I don’t know but I think it again adds choice. Some people like wireless charging and Samsung has released its own wireless charging pad, which of course we stock.
So hopefully there are 10 solid reasons why the Galaxy S4 is the best Android device, if anyone can think of any others than please comment below and share them with the world.