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Samsung’s next flagship smartphone is here.
Samsung took the wraps off the Galaxy S4, the much awaited successor to the S3, at an event in New York tonight.
The handset, which has a 5-inch display, will be available on 327 carriers in 55 countries, starting in April. The company did not provide a price.
It packs new features like simultaneous shooting from dual cameras, “smart” scrolling and pausing that works by tracking eyeballs, health tracking, and a built-in language translator.
The phone will come in both black and white, which the company is calling “black mist” and “white frost.”
Sarah Tew/CNET
As expected, the S4 has got an onslaught of new hardware and software features. Here’s a quick rundown:
Hardware:
Display: 5-inch, 1920 x 1080, with Gorilla Glass 3
Processor: 1.9 GHz quad-core processor OR 1.6 GHz Octa-Core processor (depending on the market)
Weight: 130 grams
Thickness: 7.9mm
Rear camera: 13 megapixels
Front camera: 2 megapixels
Storage: 16/32/64 GB internal, with a MicroSD slot for expansion
Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Gesture, Geomagnetic, Gyro, NFC, Proximity, Temperature and Humidity, and RGB light.
Bluetooth: Version 4.0
IR LED
Battery: 2,600 mAh
Samsung
Software
OS: Google Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Drama Shot: Turns a string of photos into a timelapse.
Dual View: This lets S4 owners use both the front and rear cameras at the same time, which can also be used during video calls.
Group Play: Lets people share media between one another without Wi-Fi. Also syncs up music playback between devices.
Story Album: Pulls together photos you’ve taken and can be turned into photo albums.
S Health: Uses the S4’s onboard sensors to track and estimate personal fitness.
S Translator: Translates voice or text within certain applications, and works offline.
S Voice Drive: Takes voice commands while driving, and turns up the size of text. Works over Bluetooth with Bluetooth-enabled cars.
Samsung Optical Reader: Scans business cards and QR codes for text.
Samsung WatchON: Uses the built-in IR to control other electronics like TVs and set top boxes.
Smart Pause: Pauses video playback when it detects that you’re not looking. The same technology works for scrolling up and down on a Web page, or e-mail.
Meet the stunning Samsung Galaxy S4 (pictures)
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Along with the S4, Samsung also debuted a new version of its S View cover that includes a slit to show relevant data, even when the rest of the device is covered up.
The event brings to a close a major push by Samsung to tease the S4, which included television spots and tweets, including one that teased an image of the front of the device. Unofficially, a string of leaks showed off quite a bit more of the device in photos and videos of some of the new features in action.
The S4’s unveiling comes less than a year after the debut of the S3, which Samsung showed off for the first time at an event in London last May.
For CNET’s complete hands-on first impressions, go here.
CNET’s video hands-on with the S4:
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Introducing Samsung’s Galaxy S4
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