Galaxy S4 Design

[worknman]

It's a fair assessment to state the S3 and S4 look alike.

It's a fair assessment to say they look alike, but it's also a fair assessment to say that this should be completely irrelevant when choosing a phone. Why should phone manufacturers feel the need to completely change the design of their flagship every year, just to appease shallow people who think a phone is a goddamn fashion accessory?

 

[Podunks]

So you realize when you listed battery, CPU, RAM, etc that none of those have to do with design, right? I mean, you gave the definition, I'm surprised that it seems beyond your comprehension.

The definition of battery, RAM, or comprehension can be found in the same place as design.

The S3 and S4 look alike, fanboy, that was the person's point as it is mine. The items you listed do not have anything to do with said complaint; the users simply stated the devices look too similar to one another and he thought that lazy on Samsung's part. No one said anything about the internal specifications of the devices until you brought them up, which was entirely irrelevant.

No need to get your panties in a bunch whenever someone isn't singing the GS4's praises. It's a fair assessment to state the S3 and S4 look alike.

My apologies for using words with more than one syllable, but you've proven your skill with a dictionary, so I'd expect you will triumph in the face of adversity.

Wow. Another grade schooler. You obviously have not fully emotionally matured, as you can not get your point across without flaming and insulting. "Fanboy," how trite.

So you are going to sit here, and tell me that the entirety of the device and the components therein having nothing to do with the design of the device?
Smart.

Also, I merely stated that I felt it was innovative. Don't like it? Shut up and move on.

 

[Paul627g]

Well, to this, I have one response:

(screaming like Sam Kinison)
IT'S A PHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These things don't need to be 'beautiful'. You're not going to have sex with it. Why do you give a flying f**k what the design on the plastic is like? Please tell me, because I really need to understand this seeming lack of logic and common sense that people appear to have when it comes to inanimate objects. It is the opinion of lots of folks that the HTC One is heavier, has sharper edges, and is less comfortable to hold than the S4, and is no more/less durable, yet some STILL say the HTC One has a superior design.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!

So you realize when you listed battery, CPU, RAM, etc that none of those have to do with design, right? I mean, you gave the definition, I'm surprised that it seems beyond your comprehension.

The definition of battery, RAM, or comprehension can be found in the same place as design.

The S3 and S4 look alike, fanboy, that was the person's point as it is mine. The items you listed do not have anything to do with said complaint; the users simply stated the devices look too similar to one another and he thought that lazy on Samsung's part. No one said anything about the internal specifications of the devices until you brought them up, which was entirely irrelevant.

No need to get your panties in a bunch whenever someone isn't singing the GS4's praises. It's a fair assessment to state the S3 and S4 look alike.

My apologies for using words with more than one syllable, but you've proven your skill with a dictionary, so I'd expect you will triumph in the face of adversity.

Wow. Another grade schooler. You obviously have not fully emotionally matured, as you can not get your point across without flaming and insulting. "Fanboy," how trite.

So you are going to sit here, and tell me that the entirety of the device and the components therein having nothing to do with the design of the device?
Smart.

Also, I merely stated that I felt it was innovative. Don't like it? Shut up and move on.

While I'm all in for a healthy debate over the latest and greatest to hit the streets I'm not going to allow the cheap shots of anyone's intelligence or childish remarks continue.

So that being said anyone who wants to continue circumventing the language filter and insult one another can reap the actions I will take upon them for doing so.

Let's get back to the discussion.

Thanks
Paul627g
Forums Moderator

 

[chuckh0308]

Lots of confusion over materials, definition of "build quality," etc. I have not touched the One or the S4, but there have been quite a few reports of misfitting parts, loose buttons, gaps, and so on with the One. Aluminum does not mean "build quality" if production is rushed to the point where things are just slapped together. This seems to fit with my previous experience with HTC. Not that I that it was horrible, just that I thought that attention to detail was lacking. On the other side of the spectrum is my Galaxy Note 2, which I can't find a single build quality fit/finish issue with. Not one, it's absolutely perfect. Everything fits perfectly, it's solid, there are no creaks or groans, and so on. On top of that, plastic is a MUCH nicer material to touch and hold than aluminum is. I would put a case on it anyway, so that doesn't matter to me other than I find it odd that so many people are as excited as they are JUST about the aluminum. BTW, IMO, the iPhone is one of the most uncomfortable and awkward phones to hold that has ever been made. Feels like a very flat, sharp edged box.

I'd also note that if the One or a variation thereof ever makes it to Verizon, I will consider it as a replacement for our iPhone 4. I don't dislike the One, I just get tired of the "oh it's so great because it's aluminum" garbage. Aluminum is a pretty material, but that doesn't, in itself, make it better.

 

[Eric Kane]

Lots of confusion over materials, definition of "build quality," etc. I have not touched the One or the S4, but there have been quite a few reports of misfitting parts, loose buttons, gaps, and so on with the One. Aluminum does not mean "build quality" if production is rushed to the point where things are just slapped together. This seems to fit with my previous experience with HTC. Not that I that it was horrible, just that I thought that attention to detail was lacking. On the other side of the spectrum is my Galaxy Note 2, which I can't find a single build quality fit/finish issue with. Not one, it's absolutely perfect. Everything fits perfectly, it's solid, there are no creaks or groans, and so on. On top of that, plastic is a MUCH nicer material to touch and hold than aluminum is. I would put a case on it anyway, so that doesn't matter to me other than I find it odd that so many people are as excited as they are JUST about the aluminum. BTW, IMO, the iPhone is one of the most uncomfortable and awkward phones to hold that has ever been made. Feels like a very flat, sharp edged box.

I'd also note that if the One or a variation thereof ever makes it to Verizon, I will consider it as a replacement for our iPhone 4. I don't dislike the One, I just get tired of the "oh it's so great because it's aluminum" garbage. Aluminum is a pretty material, but that doesn't, in itself, make it better.

You'll be impressed with the S4 when you pick it up, especially if you can place it side by side with the S3. Its a beautifully designed device and feels very comfortable in the hand.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4

 

[TheLibertarian]

Wow. Another grade schooler. You obviously have not fully emotionally matured, as you can not get your point across without flaming and insulting. "Fanboy," how trite.

So you are going to sit here, and tell me that the entirety of the device and the components therein having nothing to do with the design of the device?
Smart.

Also, I merely stated that I felt it was innovative. Don't like it? Shut up and move on.

Grad schooler? You attack any user on this forum if they voice a negative opinion re: the S4. Calling you a fanboy seems accurate considering your previously described actions.

I did not say the components have nothing to do with design. The original user you quoted did not say that either. You're adamantly trying to argue a point that was irrelevant to the original post. Whether the device is innovative or not as also not brought up, until you. You clearly has misread both the post you quoted and what I've rewritten. Easy, killer.

The user you quoted said the S3 and S4 look similar and he thought that lazy on Samsung's part. Where, in his brief post, is he referencing anything that has to do with the internal hardware?

The devices look similar, plain and simple. Calm down, take a deep breath, and read before your rage.

Shut up and move on? Your maturity beams through your posts.

Enjoy!

FYI- I don't have either the S4 or the One, but your posts are everything that is wrong on this forum. You're rude and attempt to be a wisea** when you disagree with someone, and you attack anyone whose opinion differs from your own. Just be happy with your S4 and Lamborghini mmkay?

 

[jpullins]

Me personally I don't think it look that much like a S3. As a owner of both the S3/S4 I have come to the conclusion that the S4 looks like a more elegant Samsung fascinate aka S1 on Verizon right down to the pattern on the back of the device. If you like I can take a pic of both phones since I still have the fascinate.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Android Central Forums

 

[Cattails_r_Edible]

When your phone lags so much, I guess the design is the least of your worries!

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 2

 

[Podunks]

Grad schooler? You attack any user on this forum if they voice a negative opinion re: the S4. Calling you a fanboy seems accurate considering your previously described actions.

I did not say the components have nothing to do with design. The original user you quoted did not say that either. You're adamantly trying to argue a point that was irrelevant to the original post. Whether the device is innovative or not as also not brought up, until you. You clearly has misread both the post you quoted and what I've rewritten. Easy, killer.

The user you quoted said the S3 and S4 look similar and he thought that lazy on Samsung's part. Where, in his brief post, is he referencing anything that has to do with the internal hardware?

The devices look similar, plain and simple. Calm down, take a deep breath, and read before your rage.

Shut up and move on? Your maturity beams through your posts.

Enjoy!

FYI- I don't have either the S4 or the One, but your posts are everything that is wrong on this forum. You're rude and attempt to be a wisea** when you disagree with someone, and you attack anyone whose opinion differs from your own. Just be happy with your S4 and Lamborghini mmkay?

Guess you missed this huh... V

While I'm all in for a healthy debate over the latest and greatest to hit the streets I'm not going to allow the cheap shots of anyone's intelligence or childish remarks continue.

So that being said anyone who wants to continue circumventing the language filter and insult one another can reap the actions I will take upon them for doing so.

Let's get back to the discussion.

Thanks
Paul627g
Forums Moderator

And I own a Windows phone thank you. =)

 

[JHBThree]

Yeah, funny how when Apple barely changes the design of their phone it's all "oh don't fix what isn't broken" and that kind of thing but it's suddenly a bad thing when Samsung does it. Luckily I can disregard the BS from these people as what it is and focus on what's important.

I've not ever heard anyone say that in regards to apple. I've actually heard the opposite, even with the 5.

If Apple doesn't do anything to the design of the 5 when they update it this summer, you can bet it will get the exact same criticism the S4 is getting.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

[Gathomblipoob]

I've not ever heard anyone say that in regards to apple. I've actually heard the opposite, even with the 5.

If Apple doesn't do anything to the design of the 5 when they update it this summer, you can bet it will get the exact same criticism the S4 is getting.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

Agreed, and with all that criticism of the iPhone 5S and the S4, they'll sell like hot cakes.

 

[JHBThree]

Agreed, and with all that criticism of the iPhone 5S and the S4, they'll sell like hot cakes.

They will, but it will definitely give people some pause.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

[Gathomblipoob]

They will, but it will definitely give people some pause.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

Most people who buy these phones aren't as geeky as we are and don't hang out on cell phone forums. They won't care as much whether a phone is an incremental update or not, especially if they're due for an upgrade from their carrier.

 

[dtblair24]

Just played with them both at the store. I have been very impressed with the premium look of the HTC One. But the S4 actually felt really good in the hand. Even though it is plastic, it's a bit more ergonomic and more comfortable in the hand.

In my limited in store test run...I couldn't tell much of a difference with the screens. They both blew my GS3 out of the water.

The GS4 actually had some lag. How is this even possible with the horses this thing has under the hood? I blame it on the software and possibly all the crap and settings that att had running.

The HTC One is definitely sexy but it is kind of sharp and not quite as comfortable to use. This is going to be a tough decision to make.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

 

[JHBThree]

Most people who buy these phones aren't as geeky as we are and don't hang out on cell phone forums. They won't care as much whether a phone is an incremental update or not, especially if they're due for an upgrade from their carrier.

True. The problem comes when you have the S3 and S4 next to each other on display, with one being twice the price.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

[AlphaVictor87]

Well i really didn't want to post in this thread again but after playing with both the phones in store i have to just put in my comment... but only as my OPINION. I'm sure others won't agree with this.

When i felt the HTC One it felt... well actually kind of cheap somehow, again just my opinion but wasn't say on par with the iPhone i think if thats what people are comparing it to. It could also be the weight throwing me off since both the One and S4 were lighter than my 4s. The white plastic edge around the entire phone really offsets the nice aluminum unibody back of the phone. From the front or back the phone looks great, but when you incorporate the sides in the picture it just didn't give me that "premium" look that everyone else has been talking about. The slanted edges of the phone made me feel like i could easily drop it and being aluminum i would be holding this thing with a death grip. Yes lots of people put cases on their phones and i would agree i would want a flat edge case to put on this phone. Thought the screen was a good size, but thats coming from an iPhone 4s, so either phone's screen is huge. I've really gotten used to the home button so i felt kind of "lost" on the HTC One. I know theres a home button, but being off to one side like that is just, well something you'd have to get used to, nothing terrible about it, if i was getting this one i could deal with it. The buttons being so flush with the rest of the sides i could easily see me missing them a lot. and yes i'm a right handed phone user so they were a bit awkward to use with the right hand only but again i could get used to it. Great screen, the camera quality looked really nice, i wouldn't have any complaints with it. I looked at blink feed for a second but being that i wouldn't use it, i just kind of skipped over it. The software was very smooth, however AT&T had what they called a "demo" mode running so some things were working while others weren't and it kept going back to the video it wanted to play so it was kind of annoying.This also happened with the S4 but i'll get to that.

Picking up the S4 just as i thought i loved it immediately. It felt like it belonged in my hand. The weight of the phone threw me off like the HTC One, but just something i'd have to get used to. The flat sides are what i was expecting unlike the slanted sides of the One. I saw lots of smudges all over the back, but i'm pretty anal about keeping my phone clean anyways, so i'm sure i'll be wiping it on my shirt multiple times a day. It'll get annoying but i'm going to assume its because of the plastic. I could see the camera sticking out the back a little being a problem, but because i have my phone on silent most of the day and vibrate on, i put it on a pad or makeshift stand so that should be off my desk so thats something i could deal with. With the plastic i felt like i didn't have to grip it as hard as the HTC one and i wouldn't have any issues holding it. So glad i'm going to go caseless for this phone! I really like the metal/silver plastic band around the outside of the phone (i say both because i've seen multiple sources saying plastic and some saying metal). The screen was beautiful!!! so bright and big and very responsive. I didn't notice any lag at all. Again with this phone AT&T had some demo crap running so things like airview were not working even though that was one of the things on the "demo" video it was talking about. But the swipe to change pictures etc was working so i guess i'm not sure what was up with that. and yes the air view setting was on. As this was just a store demo phone, i'll wait till i get mine in person later this week to really test everything out.

So you can take this as biased or not. I was really trying to give the HTC One a shot here by picking it up and playing with it, and giving an honest opinion on any deal breakers or not. Honestly, the only real "deal breaker" would be the slanted edges and flush buttons. The sides can be fixed with a case, but that may make the button problem worse depending on the case. So really for me its just a matter of opinion on phones and i have more positives for the S4 for myself than i do for the HTC One.

But being that this is an S4 Design thread plus the fact that i'm getting an S4, i'm so excited to get this phone later this week!!! Its a beautiful design, all the buttons were great and responsive, easy to hold reach everything. This is going to be a hell of a week waiting for it! Haha

 

[Eric Kane]

Well i really didn't want to post in this thread again but after playing with both the phones in store i have to just put in my comment... but only as my OPINION. I'm sure others won't agree with this.

When i felt the HTC One it felt... well actually kind of cheap somehow, again just my opinion but wasn't say on par with the iPhone i think if thats what people are comparing it to. It could also be the weight throwing me off since both the One and S4 were lighter than my 4s. The white plastic edge around the entire phone really offsets the nice aluminum unibody back of the phone. From the front or back the phone looks great, but when you incorporate the sides in the picture it just didn't give me that "premium" look that everyone else has been talking about. The slanted edges of the phone made me feel like i could easily drop it and being aluminum i would be holding this thing with a death grip. Yes lots of people put cases on their phones and i would agree i would want a flat edge case to put on this phone. Thought the screen was a good size, but thats coming from an iPhone 4s, so either phone's screen is huge. I've really gotten used to the home button so i felt kind of "lost" on the HTC One. I know theres a home button, but being off to one side like that is just, well something you'd have to get used to, nothing terrible about it, if i was getting this one i could deal with it. The buttons being so flush with the rest of the sides i could easily see me missing them a lot. and yes i'm a right handed phone user so they were a bit awkward to use with the right hand only but again i could get used to it. Great screen, the camera quality looked really nice, i wouldn't have any complaints with it. I looked at blink feed for a second but being that i wouldn't use it, i just kind of skipped over it. The software was very smooth, however AT&T had what they called a "demo" mode running so some things were working while others weren't and it kept going back to the video it wanted to play so it was kind of annoying.This also happened with the S4 but i'll get to that.

Picking up the S4 just as i thought i loved it immediately. It felt like it belonged in my hand. The weight of the phone threw me off like the HTC One, but just something i'd have to get used to. The flat sides are what i was expecting unlike the slanted sides of the One. I saw lots of smudges all over the back, but i'm pretty anal about keeping my phone clean anyways, so i'm sure i'll be wiping it on my shirt multiple times a day. It'll get annoying but i'm going to assume its because of the plastic. I could see the camera sticking out the back a little being a problem, but because i have my phone on silent most of the day and vibrate on, i put it on a pad or makeshift stand so that should be off my desk so thats something i could deal with. With the plastic i felt like i didn't have to grip it as hard as the HTC one and i wouldn't have any issues holding it. So glad i'm going to go caseless for this phone! I really like the metal/silver plastic band around the outside of the phone (i say both because i've seen multiple sources saying plastic and some saying metal). The screen was beautiful!!! so bright and big and very responsive. I didn't notice any lag at all. Again with this phone AT&T had some demo crap running so things like airview were not working even though that was one of the things on the "demo" video it was talking about. But the swipe to change pictures etc was working so i guess i'm not sure what was up with that. and yes the air view setting was on. As this was just a store demo phone, i'll wait till i get mine in person later this week to really test everything out.

So you can take this as biased or not. I was really trying to give the HTC One a shot here by picking it up and playing with it, and giving an honest opinion on any deal breakers or not. Honestly, the only real "deal breaker" would be the slanted edges and flush buttons. The sides can be fixed with a case, but that may make the button problem worse depending on the case. So really for me its just a matter of opinion on phones and i have more positives for the S4 for myself than i do for the HTC One.

But being that this is an S4 Design thread plus the fact that i'm getting an S4, i'm so excited to get this phone later this week!!! Its a beautiful design, all the buttons were great and responsive, easy to hold reach everything. This is going to be a hell of a week waiting for it! Haha

No one can fault you for going to the store and giving each phone a try. Glad you're excited about getting the S4, though. You're going to love it. I managed to get 6 hours of on screen time on it during my first charge cycle. That's by no means the standard as it will be lessened by more usage, but it's excellent as I've only been able to get that kind of battery performance out of the Note 2 and the Razr Maxx HD.

 

[Wilbur]

True. The problem comes when you have the S3 and S4 next to each other on display, with one being twice the price.

I expect many future S4 owners will be like myself. I'm coming off a 2-year contract in June. I purchased a Droid Charge which was the 2nd 4G phone offered by Verizon right on the heals of the HTC Thunderbolt. I think they were released within weeks of each other. While an inexpensive S3 32Gb is very tempting I expect to have the S4 for another 2 years so why not upgrade to the better of the two? Plus I can afford it. I like the fact that the S4 looks very similar to the S3. They both look great. I like the design of Samsungs. The plastic has held up like a champ with my encased Droid Charge and I expect it to do the same with the S4.

As far as the price issue. That's always going to be the case. The previous generation phones will always be marked down to emtpy out their stock to make room for the newer generation. I choose to dig deep in the pocket and buy the best at the moment of purchase.

 

[omniusovermind]

Most people who buy these phones aren't as geeky as we are and don't hang out on cell phone forums. They won't care as much whether a phone is an incremental update or not, especially if they're due for an upgrade from their carrier.

Bingo. HTC's biggest problem isn't going to be quality vs quality, it's going to be fighting against the entrenched name branding of Samsung and Apple. If I had a penny for every average soccer mom or dad who said something like "I need a new phone but I don't know what to get. I've heard of Samsung phones or iPhones though. What do you suggest?" I'd be rich. I hear this ALL the time when I listen to tech podcasts that have public call-ins.

Kevin touched on something as well. As much as this may irritate you and me, there are a LOT of people out there who WILL buy a phone mainly for how trendy it is within their social circles, or how it looks. Seriously. That's it. Don't believe me? Have a teenage daughter who is heavily social then come back to me. I'm a techie dad and she knows it. Still won't listen to a thing I say when it comes to phones though. It's all about fashion over function. To those people a smartphone isn't just an electronic device, it's also part of a fashion accessory package.
In that regard I think HTC probably made the cleverest strategic choice by choosing to go with an iPhone look and feel. It was probably their best hope to compete because they can't compete on brand awareness with the non-techy general public. Take a look at how many people use the Nexus 4 over at XDA compared to the general populace. None of my coworkers even know what Nexus phones are, including android users, and I work directly with 200 people within a circle of about 1k people. Heck, most of them have never even updated for software updates in a year or more and are still running what came out of the box. Last person I talked to has the original Note and he just kept dismissing the OTA notifications. The guy before that didn't update his S3 until I showed him all the JB features he was missing. People don't even clear their phone's app caches for crying out loud. /facepalm

Phones sell based on how well they work but also - whether you like it or not - how "popular" the brand awareness is and how "cool" they look. Welcome to the glorious first world and our enlightened society. Now pardon me while I go get a Big Mac from Walmart and turn on the TV for this week's episodes of Honey-Boo-Boo and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

 

[Gathomblipoob]

Kevin touched on something as well...

Heh. You confused me for a second because my name is Kevin as well.