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Galaxy S4 apps and software
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The Galaxy S4 is real, and has a 5-inch touchscreen, a massively powerful processor and a 13-megapixel camera. But who cares about hardware — these days we’re all about exciting new apps! Click play on the video above to check out the S4’s coolest apps and software treats.
Group Play is an interesting new app that lets S4 owners connect their phones using NFC or Bluetooth to share photos, videos, documents, or play multiplayer games. You can also share music, making it play from every phone.
S Health, meanwhile, is a calorie counter and pedometer app that monitors your movements throughout the day. Those interested in using a mobile to achieve peak physical fitness will be excited to learn that Samsung is also making an S Band wristband accessory that collects data and syncs with your phone.
As per pre-launch rumours, the S4 tracks your eyes! Smart Pause will automatically stop a video when the phone detects your head has moved away, while Smart Scroll waits for you to be watching the screen, then lets you move up and down a page by tilting the phone.
Air View lets you do things like preview a video clip or image by hovering your finger over the screen, without actually making contact. You can also make broader hovering gestures, like waving your whole hand in front of the screen to navigate the S4’s interface.
Check the video for more information on loads of S4 camera tricks, and the power to control your telly using your phone.
The S4 is powered by Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Although Samsung has stuck its own TouchWiz interface over the top, that’s the latest version of Android, so you’ll have access to thousands of apps via Google Play if you get sick of Samsung’s offering.
Samsung seems to have focused more on software than on hardware, as design-wise the S4 is very similar to its predecessor. Are these new apps good enough, though? Or do some of them seem a bit pointless? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.
