The launch event is over and the countdown begins once again – this time, for the actual release of the Samsung Galaxy S4.
The launch event is over and the countdown begins once again – this time, for the actual release of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Samsung announced its new flagship phone, the Galaxy S4, at an “Unpacked” media event in New York City on Thursday, and as it turns out, most of the rumors of weeks and months past turned into reality.
The Galaxy S4’s spec sheet is led off by a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch. While there’s nothing new about such a display size and resolution, Samsung has made the Galaxy S4’s display unique by allowing users to operate it even when wearing gloves. Under the hood, the Galaxy S4 will be powered by an eight-core, 1.6 GHz Exynos processor or a quad-core, 1.9 GHz Snapdragon.
Although, Samsung wasn’t too specific, it’s assumed that the Exynos-powered variant will be offered to international customers, while the one running on a Snapdragon will be sold in the US. Samsung didn’t mention either which Snapdragon processor would be used, but chances are it will be either a 600 or an 800.
Other basic specifications include Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of the box, a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera and a 2,600 mAh battery. The phone will measure 7.9 mm thick and weigh only 130 ounces, making the Galaxy S4 a bit slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, the Galaxy S3.
Unique features include dual-video capture that makes use of both rear and front cameras, Dual Video Call, Smart Pause (which stops videos if the device detects you’re looking away from it), Smart Scroll (for eye tracking-based display scrolling) and the same Air View feature found on the Galaxy Note 2, this time utilizing a user’s finger rather than the S Pen.
The Galaxy S4 will be released by six carriers in the United States sometime next month, namely AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, Cricket and U.S. Cellular.