Samsung does like every other vendor and reveals a flagship smartphone for 2013 at the Samsung Unpacked event-- the Galaxy S 4, the biggest and most powerful smartphone from the Korean company yet.
Looking a like a cross between the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note 8, the Galaxy S 4 is a massive 5-inch handset (up from the 4.8-inch Galaxy S III), with a glove-friendly 1920 x 1080 Super AMOLED touchscreen featuring 441 ppi pixel density.
Like previous Galaxy S models construction is in plastic with a 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9mm chassis weighing 130g. Inside are some fairly impressive specifications-- 1.9GHz quad-core/1.6GHz octa-core (depending on region) processor, 2GB RAM, 16/32/64GB internal storage (expandable via microSD slot), 2600mAh battery and a 13MP rear-facing camera.
Connectivity options include wifi 802.11ac, IR blaster, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0+ME and MHL 2.0
The OS of choice is Android 4.2.2, as reskinned with a number of interesting (or gimmicky) software additions-- "Air Gestures" (allows screen axeikkubf without actually touching the display), "Air View" (lets users preview emails, calendar appointments, image galleries or videos by hovering a finger), "Smart Pause" (stops video if the viewer's eyes drift away), beefed up S Health features, Group Play (allows multiple Galaxy S 4 users to sync content with each other) and a variety of photo-enhancement apps.
Samsung also takes advantage of the Unpacked event to reveal a flurry of Galaxy accessories. These include a Bluetooth game controller (complete with expandable device-holding clamp), the Jawbone-style S Band fitness tracker and even a Samsung-branded body scale able to sync with S Health software.
The Samsung Galaxy S 4 will be available globally from Q2 2013 in either "Black Mist" or "White Frost" colours.
