Tech Smash Kev

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It’s the end of 2014 and some of you might be wondering why we’re doing a review on a device that is almost two years old. Let me try to answer that for you: it’s difficult to give an honest and accurate review on almost any device after a week or two of use. Often users are so excited during the first few weeks of owning their phone, that it makes it hard to think about any negative aspects. With that said, let’s get on to the review!

Design

Samsung went with a very minimalist approach to its design of the Samsung%20Galaxy%20S4, Black Mist 16GB (AT&T)Samsung Galaxy S4. The S4 comes in white, black, red, and purple. Depending on your carrier, you may be limited to specific colors. Outside of the colors available, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is somewhat lacking in design. The body of the S4 is all plastic, which is one of the biggest complaints about the Galaxy S line. Samsung tried to add a sleeker design by adding a metallic accent (paint on plastic) around the rim. However, after a year of use I have noticed that the metallic finish is starting to chip away around the charging port. Although I do not use the headphone jack at all I would expect the same outcome.

I do like the sleek, and slim look of the power, and volume buttons which add a good look to the S4 overall. I originally thought I would have issues knowing when I am pressing up or down on the volume button since it is one solid bar, but I have yet to run into any issues.

The S4 weighs in at 4.59 oz, which is slightly lighter than the Samsung%20Galaxy S III, Blue 16GB (Sprint)S III. I have heard some complaints from users that the S4 is too light; some users worry that they are going to drop the device because it’s so light in their hand. I have had similar concerns when holding the S4, however, putting on a case has dissolved those concerns. The device fits great in my hand and I am able to reach about 95% of the phone’s screen area.  To get to the top right corner, I do have to change the phones position or use my other had. The only time I find this an issue is when I am trying to access the quick settings which requires dragging down from the top of the screen.

With that said, I am not overly impressed with the design of the Samsung%20Galaxy%20S4, Black Mist 16GB (AT&T)S4. Samsung improved their design slightly when comparing the S4 to the S III, but not by much. However, most users do not buy the S4 because of its sleek design. S4 users are looking for a high performing tech package with great features.Design90%

Hardware and Display

As mentioned above, users buy the S4 because it’s packed with great hardware and features. With its quad-core processor and 2 MB of RAM, the average user will have plenty of power to do just about anything they need to. I have yet to run into an issue with processing power, but when I am running a processor intensive application the device tends to get hot very quickly. At times it gets so hot that I fear the device might get damaged, but that hasn’t stopped my Clash of Clans domination yet!

One of the best-selling points of the Samsung%20Galaxy%20S4, Black Mist 16GB (AT&T)S4 is its ability to add additional storage. The S4 allows you to add up to 64 GB of external storage which is a huge benefit. After only 6 months of use i noticed that the external storage has came in handy. However, for the typical user, 16 GB of storage is plenty. Unless you take a crazy amount of pictures and videos, and never want to transfer them to your computer. Whether or not you need the extra storage space, it’s nice to have the option. (I can smell the jealousy of iPhone users from miles away)

The S4 has a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 2 megapixel front facing camera. Which, at the time of its release, blew away the HTC ONE M8 (4 megapixels), and iPhone 5 (8 megapixels). In addition, the S4’s camcorder shoots 1920 x 1080 (1080p). After playing around with the camera I have been very impressed with the picture quality, however there are times that fast moving objects start to blur. I have also noticed that you need to be extra still when taking pictures in its default mode. Without absolute stillness, many of your pictures will be a little blurry. Some notable camera features include auto-focus, touch to focus, digital image stabilization, face detection, smile detection, exposure compensation, white balance presets, panorama scenes, and voice activation.

When it comes to the display, the S4 has an eye popping 1080×1920 pixel resolution, and a 441 ppi pixel density. Don’t ask me why a 5 inch display needs to have a 1080p resolution, as the naked eye can’t tell the difference on such a small display, but what does matter (to our eyes) is the how sharp and rich the image is on the display. The Samsung Galaxy S4’s HD AMOLED display has sharp and vivid colors, which make games, photos, and videos look great.

Here is a quick overview of the S4’s specs:

OS	Android (4.4.2, 4.3, 4.2.2)
Dimensions	5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches (136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm)
Weight	4.59 oz (130 g)
Screen Size	5.0 inches
Screen Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels (1080p)
Pixel Density	441 ppi
Camera	13 megapixels
Camcorder	1920×1080 (1080p) (30 fps)
Front-facing Camera	2 megapixels
System Chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 APQ8064T
Processor	Quad core, 1900 MHz, Krait
System Memory	2048 MB RAM
Built-in Storage	32 GB or 64 GB
Storage Expansion	microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC up to 64 GB
Stand-by Time 3G	17.00 hours
Stand-by Time 4G	15.4 days (370
Capacity	2600 mAh

Hardware and Display98%

Interface

Currently, the Samsung%20Galaxy%20S4, Black Mist 16GB (AT&T)Samsung Galaxy S4 is running Android 4.4.2 KitKat, but is anxiously waiting for Android 5.0 Lollipop. Along with Android 4.4.2, the S4 runs Touch Wiz as its user interface. The UI is relatively easy to navigate but looks a little outdated.

One major benefit to the S4’s interface is its settings shortcuts. Rather than having to navigate through the settings menu, users have the ability to customize their shortcut menu. Samsung allows you to have up to 15 shortcut icons on the shortcut menu, which makes life a little easier when you need to turn on or off different features.

If you are new to the smartphone world, or Touch Wiz is a little too much for you, users have the ability to turn on “Easy Mode”. While in Easy Mode, users are given standard applications on their home screen. Users are also limited to 15 applications on their home screens, and all but two of the applications are preset.

Touch Wiz allows you to have up to 7 home screens which can hold up to 16 applications a page. I don’t see why one would ever need this many applications since you have the ability to use folders, but they’re there if you want them. Samsung also allows you to remove any unused pages, and lets you can decide which page is your default home page. If you are one that likes to use widgets, the S4 has a large amount of widgets to choose from, which can be used in place of applications on your home screens.

Other than having an bit of an outdated look, Touch Wiz and Android 4.4.2 lifts the S4 to another level. Customization is one of the S4’s strengths, and Samsung helps make customization easy. Other devices struggle in this category, unless your device is rooted and you have custom ROMs installed.Interface92%

Features

Features are one aspect that the sets the S4 apart for almost any other phone. After over a year of use I have yet to use every feature available. Yes, the motion, hand, and voice commands are cool, but there are only a few that I feel are needed. Below is a list of features I use most.

Quick Glance– When the screen is off, reach towards our device to see importation information like missed calls/texts, battery power, and notifications. You have the ability to pick and choose what information you want to see.

Direct Call– If you are in the middle of texting someone and want to call them, simply bring the phone to your ear and the S4 will call the person you are texting.  

Smart Alert– Get a vibration alert to notify you if you have missed any calls or messages since the last time you picked up your phone.

Mute/Pause– Turn over the device to mute incoming calls, message alerts, and alarms. You can also cover your screen with your hand instead of Turing the device over. This is extremely useful in meetings.

Information Preview– Preview information, extend text, or enlarge pictures by hovering your finger over the text, notification, or picture.

Blocking Mode– Allows you to turn on or off notifications, calls, and messages from specific people during times you set. We all hate getting calls in the middle of the night so this becomes extremely useful. You get to pick and choose when your phone rings depending on who is calling you.

There were other features like smart pause, smart rotation, and smart stay that are great in theory; but I found that the features only worked about half the time.

The list of features available goes on and on, but as mentioned above there are only a handful of features that you will likely actualy use. Samsung does a great job of providing a laundry list of features, and gives its users the ability to turn them off if needed.Features98%

Overall

Overall, the Samsung%20Galaxy%20S4, Black Mist 16GB (AT&T)Samsung Galaxy S4 is a great device, and still out-performs some of the newer smartphones on the market today. The S4 is packed with great hardware and has a ton of features. I put the S4 in my list of top 3 Android Smartphones. However, for those interested in an alternative sleek and sexy phone without the long list of features (you may or may not use), then the HTC ONE or iPhone might be better options.

What makes the Samsung%20Galaxy S4, Black Mist 16GB (AT&T)S4 even more appealing is its price. Since the Samsung%20Galaxy S5, White 16GB (AT&T)Samsung Galaxy S5 is currently available, the price of the Samsung%20Galaxy S4, Black Mist 16GB (AT&T)S4 has been dramatically reduced. Currently Amazon has the S4 available for $0.01 with a two year contract, and $459.99 without a two year agreement for most carriers.Overall96%

Samsung Galaxy S4 users, what are your thoughts? Has the S4 met your expectations? Do you feel a need to upgrade your phone because the S4 is outdated? Let us know in the comment section below. 

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The Samsung Galaxy S5 is one of the hottest phones on the market today. Through its performance, design, and great features, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is amongst the top contenders. Although Samsung did not make too many advancements from the Samsung Galaxy S4, there are still some key features that are worth considering.

Design

Samsung has never been one to blow users away in terms of design. Similar to the S4, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is made of plastic. Samsung has indicated that their plastic design allows them to improve in durability, price, and weight. Compared to the S4, the greatest design difference is the phone’s back panel. Samsung implemented a dimpled design on the back panel of the Samsung Galaxy S5. This dimpled design is a discreet change from the S3 and S4, and provides a different look and feel. Because of the Samsung Galaxy S5’s textured back, you do not have to constantly wipe down your phone with a cloth to clean all those little fingerprints and smudges your phone gets throughout the day.

The S5 has a metallic looking border around the phone, but sadly the border is plastic like the rest of the phone. You will need to keep a case on the phone since it is easy to chip away the paint along the edges. After just one drop a nice crack and chip was present on the phone. At least the screen was still good to go! Samsung also changed up the bottom  of the phone by implementing a charging cover. This cover is extremely flimsy and after a few months use was broken off by normal day to day use. 

At the end of the day, the S5 is surprisingly similar to the S4 in its design, which isn’t a bad thing; but we would have liked to see Samsung take a bit more of a premium approach to design, as Apple and HTC have been doing. If you can see beyond some of the Galaxy’s design woes, through the smudges is an incredible device worth considering. Design82%

Hardware and Display

Similar to the S4, Samsung has done a great job packing the S5 with hardware. The Samsung Galaxy S5 has a 2500 MHz Quad Core processor and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. Samsung did not upgrade the system memory, leaving the S5 with the same 2048 MB of RAM as the Galaxy S4. While disappointing, 2 GB is more than what most everyday users need. As with past Samsung phones, you have the option of choosing how much built-in storage you would like with options of either 16 GB or 32 GB. However, one of the Galaxy’s competitive advantages is its ability to expand the storage by inserting a Micro SD. It’s worth noting that this feature is relatively limited without “rooting” your phone. (hacking your phone to give you full access to the device) Without rooting, the SD card is primarily available to store music, movies, and photos. Only certain apps are able to be carried over to the SD card.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 also has a 16 megapixel rear facing camera and a 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera. The Camcorder shoots staggering 4K resolution video. As with past models the camera comes with a plethora of different features, such as phase detection autofocus (no that’s not a typo for “face”), digital image stabilization, geo-tagging, and ISO control. Samsung did not improve the display of the Samsung Galaxy S5 in terms of display resolution compared to the S4, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With a 1080×1920 resolution and 432 PPI pixel density, it’s hard to justify improving screen resolution when the existing offering with the S4 is  in full HD.

The screen is bright, vivid, and clear. However, as many have noticed, Samsung made some changes to the way that colors are processed and displayed on the screen. The phone has received quite a bit of criticism regarding having a slight green tint. It’s hardly noticeable (I have yet to see it) and don’t think you should really allow this to impact your buying decision.

Dimensions	5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 inches
Weight	5.11 oz (145 g)
Screen Size	5.1 inches
Screen Resolution	1080 x 1920 Pixels
Pixel Density	432 ppi
Camera	16 Megapixels
Camcorder	3840×2160 (4K) (30 fps)
Front-facing Camera	2.1 Megapixels
System Chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974-AC
Processor	Quad core, 2500 MHz, Krait 400
System Memory	2048 MB RAM
Built-in Storage	16 or 32 GB
Battery talk time	21 Hours
Stand-by time	16.2 days
Capacity	2800 mAh

Samsung has never been one to stray away from packing their phones with hardware. Like the predecessors of the S5, Samsung always finds ways to improve the hardware of their phone. Simply put, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” because when it comes to the S5 it’s whats on the inside that counts.  Hardware and Display98%

Interface

Samsung is running Android 4.4 KitKat and the latest TouchWiz interface providing extra functionality. You will notice a different look and feel when comparing the operating system of Samsung Galaxy S5 to the S4. For example, the settings menu is slightly different from previous iterations. If you are an S4 user, it takes some getting used to in order to know where things are. It took me a bit to understand how to get to the different settings menus. Unlike other Android devices, Samsung sticks with its heavy use of TouchWiz. Some feel Samsung does not incorporate KitKat as much as users would like. 

Update: For some carriers the S5 is now running Android 5.0 lollipop. This upgrade uses a little less TouchWiz and incorporates more of Android 5.0. 

With the Samsung Galaxy S5, you no longer have a limit of home-screens. The amount of home screens depends on the amount of content you want displayed. The more content you have, the more home screens you will have. The interface is amazingly smooth when scrolling through pages and the touch screen is quick to respond to every action. Samsung has implemented My Magazine, which some have really enjoyed. After trying to use My Magazine, I ended up removing it from the home screen for added real estate. I also found that there are much better news feeds available in the Google Play Store.Interface92%

Features

As with past Samsung devices, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is jam-packed with different features. Some of the most noticeable are the fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, and one hand mode. The fingerprint scanner is a great security feature that was added to the Samsung Galaxy S5. You can also use the fingerprint scanner to verify your Samsung account and pay for items via PayPal. The only thing I would like to see is the ability to sign into different applications as well such as Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, and Google hangouts. 

The addition of the heart rate monitor is great for those that are active and use products such as Fitbit, Nike+ Fuelband, or heart rate watches. This is a great feature, but not likely especially useful to the average consumer. The question is, how often do you really check your heart rate? With many people now using advanced machines that include a heart rate monitor, the monitor built into the S5 becomes less needed. When using the monitor you need to make sure you are very still. I found that the slightest movement would either give a bad reading or not give a reading at all. 

Although the Samsung Galaxy S5 is .1 inches larger than the S4, that .1 inches make a difference especially if you thought the S4 was already large for your hands. If you have normal to small sized hands, you might find yourself having to use both hands trying to perform everyday tasks. To remedy the problem Samsung has added one-hand mode to the S5 that is extremely helpful when you are in situations where you only have one hand.

As with the S4, Samsung offers motion and hand gesture inputs that allow you to do things such as scroll by waving over the screen. While on the surface these appear to be really ‘cool’ features, there are only a handful that are actually used. One that is really helpful is Air View. This allows you to read texts, and enlarge pictures without actually selecting the text or picture. Simply hover your finger over the text or picture and it appears right before your eyes. Move your finger away and the the text or picture goes away. It feels like magic!

Although there are a ton of gimmicky features available in the Samsung Galaxy S5– such as motions and gestures– there will be many that you don’t use or only use one in specific situations . For example, the S Beam is a really cool feature that allows you to share photos, videos, and music with other Samsung Galaxy owners by simply touching the back of your phones together. Many Samsung Galaxy S5 users do not need this feature since you can simply email or text the many of the things needed. These features do, however, provide some great “showoff” moments to our Apple Fanboy counterparts.Features95%

Overall

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is an amazingly versatile phone that is packed with different options and features. A strong feature-set has always been one of Samsung’s biggest strengths. Although, you might not use all the features in your everyday life, Samsung does a great job of providing features that cater to a to a huge audience, and allow the ability to turn off features you do not use.

You can spend hours upon hours trying to figure out all the little things the Samsung Galaxy S5 can do, and you’re unlikely to be disappointed by the device from a features perspective. But as with other Samsung devices, the biggest criticism is its design. Samsung has its reasons sticking with a plastic body, but there is still plenty of room to come up with a better, more unique design. With that said I give you this challenge: if you own or have owned a Samsung Galaxy S5 please share with us your thoughts, and tell us what you like or dislike about the Samsung Galaxy S5 in the comments below!Overall93%

It’s finally here! The wait is over for the lucky few who were able to get their hands on the Samsung Galaxy S6. Since its unveiling at Mobile World Congress, Samsung enthusiasts have been anxious to see the Six Appeal of the S6. Well, we were able to get our hands on one, and here are our initial thoughts. 

Disclaimer: This is a ‘first impressions’ article; we will have a in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 after we have some time to play with–I mean, operate it more sufficiently. 

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Design 

For years, smartphone owners–especially those who are not owners of a Samsung device–have judged past Samsung phones by their covers. Some have taken a look at the phone and tossed it aside because of its overall cheap feel and design. I don’t think foresee that happening with the S6. The S6 is completely redesigned and you can tell that Samsung worked hard to incorporate some of the feedback they’ve received over the years.  Samsung has completely done away with the plastic body and incorporated a full glass body with a metal border. While the glass body does provide a superior look and feel, it does have its drawbacks. First, the phone is difficult to hold on to. The glass body makes the S6 slick and engenders the desire to constantly hold it with two hands. Because the majority of the phone is made out of glass, you definitely feel a need to be more protective as it seems the device will shatter much easier, compared to the durable plastic of yesteryear. Also, it’s nearly impossible to hold the phone without leaving fingerprint smudges all over the device. While this may not be a problem for some, if you are OCD, it might be a little difficult not to carry a glass cloth and impulsively wipe down your phone after every use. Don’t even get me started with ketchup fingers…

Functionality 

Another noticeable change is the location of the speaker and headphone jack. If you were to look at the bottom of the S6, you might mistake it for the iPhone 6. Only the USB port and loudspeaker distinguish the two. Samsung took a few pages out of Apples’ book, and it was a smart decision. The speaker placement makes a difference when comparing the volume of the loudspeaker to past models. You no longer need to cup the back of the phone when watching videos or listening to music. 

The display of the S6 is one of a kind. Just when you think Samsung could not come out with a better display, they do. Images and videos are crisp and the colors are vivid. The screen gets surprisingly bright, and could be considered (for some) too bright. I have kept the brightness on past devices on the brightest setting, but with the S6 I haven’t had the same need.

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Overall, I have been highly impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S6. First impressions are crucial, and so far the S6 has lived up to the hype. With its new design, updated hardware, and exciting features it’s unlikely you will be disappointed. However, all great things have their faults, and the S6 will be no exception. Though I have only spent a day with the S6, I have no doubt that it will be more successful than the regrettable S5.

For those who have had the chance to play around with the S6, what are you initial thoughts? What do and don’t you like? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.