Does Samsung's Galaxy S4 make the iPhone 5 look lame?
Samsung's new smartphone raises the bar in terms of hardware and it packs in a ton of new features. Will it force Apple to respond with a beefed up iPhone?
With the introduction of the Galaxy S4, Samsung is making Apple's iPhone look like yesterday's hot smartphone. But will that be enough to make Apple respond when it releases its next iPhone?
With a massive marketing campaign, a 5-inch screen, 13-megapixel camera, and a host of new software features on top of Google Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, the S4 could attract a following at the iPhone's expense, even at a high price (Samsung has not yet revealed pricing). The S4 will also be more widely distributed than the iPhone, with 327 carriers in 55 countries carrying the device starting in April.
Based on specs, the S4 outclasses the iPhone 5.
(Credit: Lynn La/CNET)On the software front, the S4 includes a number of built-in apps that are lacking or less robust on the iPhone, such as Drama Shot, which turns a string of photos into a time lapse; Dual View, which lets S4 owners use both the front and rear cameras at the same time, which can also be used during video calls; and S Voice Drive, which takes voice commands while driving, turns up the size of text, and works over Bluetooth with Bluetooth-enabled cars. In addition, motion-detection technology lets users control features, such as pausing a video, with face movements.