Samsung unveiled its much anticipated flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, to the South African market at an event in Sandton, Johannesburg tonight.
Director of mobile communications for Samsung SA, Craige Fleischer, says they are setting a new benchmark with the Galaxy S4. "We are very fortunate to be number one in the market and it's all thanks to the superstar that is the S3.Fourty million S3 devices have been sold - setting the stage for the S4."
"All the innovative features of Galaxy S4 were developed based on the insights and needs we found from our consumers all around the world. Following the successful GALAXY S series, this phone is yet another great proof point of people-inspired innovation. At Samsung we'll never stop pursuing innovation conceived by people so we can inspire them in return." added Fleisher.
In a world first, Samsung also announced that it will be providing Pan African customers with a 24-month Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) warranty to cover screen and liquid damages to the Galaxy S4 at no extra charge.
"This warranty is yet another way Samsung is showing its commitment to customer service by introducing it as standard on the Galaxy S4 and will be extended to other Samsung devices in the months to come, " says George Ferreira, VP and COO of Samsung Electronics Africa.
The ADH will be incorporated into the existing 24-month standard factory warranty on the Galaxy S4. After purchasing the device, customers will need to register it through the Samsung e-Warranty service at www.samsung.com.
In the event of damage, the customer will then be able to take the device to an authorised Samsung Service centre. The Samsung Service centre will replace the screen or board free of charge with no incident fee having to be paid by the customer. This warranty will cover only screen and liquid damages. Customers will be limited to two incidents per 24-month period that can be two screen, two liquid, or one incident of each.
Specification fest
The handset slimmer and lighter (at 130g and 7.9mm) than its predecessor the Galaxy S3, featuring and 5-inch, full HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) display, with 441 ppi. It is powered by a 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor and runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy S4 also supports HSPA+ 42 Mbps. A LTE version, which will be launched later this year, will support up to Hexa-band which allows it to function in all LTE coverage areas as well as enabling global LTE roaming.
It is available in two colours at launch (Black Mist and White Frost) but Samsung says additional colour options will follow later in the year.
The S4 also features eye-tracking technology along with 'Smart Pause' and 'Smart Scroll' which allow users to control the screen using just their eyes.
The 'Air Gesture' feature also allows enables the user to change a music track, accept a call or scroll up and down a Web page with a wave of their hand - without touching the screen.
The S4 has a 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and features 'Dual Camera' and 'Dual Video Call' (which allows the user to show friends what they are looking at while on the video call). It also allows the user to choose various frame effects to combine the two pictures taken by the front and back cameras into a single image.
Among the 12 shooting modes available are 'Drama Shot' (which creates a continuous time-lapse) and 'Sound & Shot' which records and stores sound and voice along with the photo.
New 'S Health' software also uses a combination of sensors built into the handset to monitor the health of the user. "Users can easily check their health conditions using food diary, exercise diary and sleep monitor to stay fit and healthy," says Samsung, adding that certain functions are only enabled by specific accessories.
Aimed at making international travel easier, the 'S Translator' feature provides instant translation, using text or voice translation on applications including email, text message and ChatON. This instant translation is possible both from speech to text and text to speech and ensures that you can rely on the correct information whilst abroad.
The 'Group Play' function allows the sharing of music, photos and games without WiFi or cellular signal. The feature enables users to connect directly with others to share, play and co-create content and entertainment instantly. Its 'Share Music' option allows users to have the same song playing on multiple phones in sync.
The S4 also has an IR sensor that allows it to function as a universal remote control for TV and entertainment systems.
High expectations
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has been one of the most anticipated Android smartphones of 2013, following the release of HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and its biggest competitor, Apple's iPhone 5.
World Wide Worx MD, Arthur Goldstuck had many praises for the Xperia Z, but said that the Galaxy S4 would definitely give it a run for its money. "Samsung has been marketing the living daylights out of the S4 and other manufacturer's struggle to compete with that."
Apple shares have recently come under pressure, as the market has started to see the company as ordinary and lacking innovation. Its second quarter results were released on Tuesday, after the market closed, and its share price lost 0.54%, to $403.95, in after-hours trade. Apple sold 37.4 million iPhones in the quarter, compared to 35.1 million in the year-ago quarter.
Apple has also promised more innovation. CEO Tim Cook said in a statement: "Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software and services, and we are very excited about the products in our pipeline."
Availability
Samsung says the S4 will be available from all mobile networks on Saturday, 27 April at 10am. Cell C has already released tailored packages for the device.
The S4 will be available on the Straight Up 100 for R399 per month, which includes 100 minutes, 100 SMSes and 1GB of data, topped up from 100MB.
Customers can purchase a Straight Up 200 package with the S4 for R499 per month, which will include 200 minutes, 200 SMSes and 1GB of data, topped up from 200MB.
The device is also available on the Straight Up 400 and 800 packages for R649 and R899, respectively.
Samsung says the S4 will retail at R8 499.
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