The Samsung Galaxy S4 is here, and we've given you our first impressions, but what of yours? A phone's success is ultimately dictated by how many of you are prepared to fork out for it. If consumers no likey, then hard luck young squire, but never shall you joust your way to sales success in this realm.
Let's see what you had to say on Facebook and in the comments.
Too big, too plasticky
Many of you think the S4 is too large, and were disappointed to find that it's made of plastic, just like its predecessor. "If plastic phones is your thing then it's great," said Howard F Smith Jr, with Muhammad Omair Tanveer adding, "Plastic? Please no."
Late8 agreed, saying, "Design is still dull, plasticky and cheap looking. Come on guys this is a £400++ phone and it looks like a Fisher-Price toy again!"
Doesn't improve enough on the S3
Many of you thought the S4 didn't offer anything particularly impressive enough to jack in your Galaxy S3s.
"Nothing making me want to switch from the S3," said Matt Dualor Chambers. Kieran Sampson agreed, saying, "I am currently using a GS3 and I don't feel that the GS4 adds enough (for me) to warrant getting an S4."
Feeling underwhelmed and disgruntled was certainly a theme among Samsung fans. "We, loyal Samsung lovers, have been betrayed by Samsung! The worst phone of 2013," opined a crestfallen Rohaan Manzoor.
"I feel there is something missing from this device and I am not sure what. This time last year when the SIII was announced I couldn't wait to buy it and it was the same with the Note II," said iam a wp7 (who would also like to change his username -- sorry about that, duder).
Juliet Purcell saw the S4 launch as an opportunity, however, saying, "Maybe when the S4 comes out I'll be able to afford an S3!!" That's the spirit, Juliet.
Not a worthy rival to other Androids
Others of you thought the S4 wasn't a worthy a rival to existing Android phones. "I'd rather save £300+ and buy the Nexus 4," said Pete Sherriff.
"Sony and HTC release solid builds. I've been all Samsung until now. Not anymore..." was Paul Bedford's contribution. "HTC One wipes the floor with it," said Alan Goodwin.
"This has to be one of the most underwhelming phone releases ever. After seeing the stunning new offering from HTC last month I was waiting for this to be released to make up my mind what to buy but nothing about the design of this phone screams premium," said commenter amazontreefrog.
A little love for the S4
Not all of you were being negative Nellies though -- there was also plenty of enthusiasm and excitement to be found. In our Facebook poll, more of you thought it was ace than were disappointed by it.
"I was hoping for a new design, but now I'm glad they've stuck with the known formula and just polished it. Other than that it looks to be a great phone!" said Paweł Leszczyński, with Crispin Norman declaring it "an awesome piece of innovation! Apple have been eaten alive tonight by the Galaxy S4!!!!!"
What do you think of the S4? Hit play on our hands-on preview below, and let me know in the comments or over on our Facebook page.
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Comments 36
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iam a wp7 15 March, 2013 17:42
Cnet famous :D I think we will all eventually come round to liking the device. I just think we were all expecting a bit more.
flyingacedude 15 March, 2013 17:53
I was expecting more exotic materials in the shell like Unicorn horn. I also hoped for a 96 mega pixel camera with a SLR lense and a 62 inch screen. The technology is all there so I don't see why they don't do it.
Instead we get a plastic (makes me sick just thinking that anyone would use plastic for anything, euugghhh) case with a poxy 12 mega pixel camera and a slightly larger screen. Exactly what a rational person might expect to get from a slightly newer model of a phone...
iam a wp7 15 March, 2013 17:54
13mp camera my friend, not 12.
billfred 15 March, 2013 18:05
Am I the only one who didn't forget just how ugly the S3 is.
anonymous 15 March, 2013 19:27
You can hate on this device all you like, its still going to be the flagship android phone of 2013 and the best selling andriod device too by a long way, why? Because its technically the best phone in the world
anonymous 15 March, 2013 19:40
I really can't decide what phone to get now. They all have their pros and cons and none of them seem to be perfect. I'm trying to find a phone where specs outweigh the price. Maybe I'm asking for too much from a phone. HTC One, One X, GS4, GS3, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 or Nexus 4?
anonymous 15 March, 2013 19:52
Personally I will be waiting for the Note 3 and yes I like large phones for now my year old s3 will do me fine
anonymous 15 March, 2013 20:25
Still prefer my Note to the S3 so I doubt I'll be trading up to the S4
anonymous 15 March, 2013 20:28
Samsung are facing the same problem Apple did a few years ago. Their product is about as good as it can get with a phone. No one needs 8 cores or 2Gb RAM in a phone but they need to make it better than the last one as there isn't anything else left to inovate.
Samsung were making Apple look bad with their phones improving so much. Now they are at the same sort of level. They are both more than fast enough, bright enough, light and thin enough. Thats ignoring the morons that hate one of the other for no rational reason of course.
Why upgrade?
Dave Phipp 15 March, 2013 21:50
I'm glad I got a nexus 4! galaxy 4 not worth the money in my opinion. I think Samsung could lose ground to HTC and Sony however much like apple they do have a loyal fan base who will probably queue to buy it just because it's the new Samsung. I don't think any of the big 3 have done enough to justify the extra cash (compared to nexus 4) but I would choose the Sony if I had to have one.
Choccie Milk 15 March, 2013 22:00
Completely agree with billfred we've sort of got used to it and become immune to the fact that the Galaxy S3 is very ugly. It wouldn't really be a problem if they'd stuck with the same design if it was a good design in the first place but they stuck with an incredible ugly design.
Late8 15 March, 2013 22:44
Some people shooting those who say its plasticky down need to think.... The Nokia , HTC and Nexus devices are made of plastic, but feel much more solid and higher quality.
As I said before the Samsung plastic is the cheap nasty stuff that is used in kids toys.
The Nexus 4 for example has a really nice feel for a cheap, high powered, full android phone. It's glass and plastic are well made and put together.
My S2 went creaky in less than 6 months! Samsung really need to up the design and quality now, not the processor or pointless feature number.
coolcity 15 March, 2013 23:27
It is plasticky and not in a nice way, there's no getting away from that. The sort you would expect in a cheap car rather than an executive model.
I can't understand the excuses, i.e. plastic means it's light and thin - yet it's a number of years now since Motorola's V3 sported an aluminium battery cover.
Strangely, Sony's flagship Xperia S also has a plastic cover yet the smaller Xperia P is a one-piece metal design and far better value. For top-end though the Xperia Z would be my choice but none of these high-end smartphones offers good value for my money.
Samsung are simply mirroring the successful formula that Apple found with their endless reincarnations of the iPhone. You either fall for it or you don't.
CaptainPicard 15 March, 2013 23:39
I agree with billfred the Galaxy S3 had a very ugly design it looks asymmetrical.
The enthusiasm, comments & opinions about the Galaxy S4 on tech sites are very fatigue compared to the aftermath of the S3 launch - it will probably be a success but I just don't see the excitement.
Jon Jones 16 March, 2013 00:09
I think plasticky is fine. The removable battery cover allows for two things that so many phones lack like the iphone 5 and the HTC One lack.... A removable battery, and expandable memory. These are not minor upgrades. They are game changers. My GS2 has two extra batteries, several micro SD cards and I can go on a weekend camping trip and listen to music, read a book, take pictures, record video, use the GPS for hiking, all weekend long. And if your phone has a micro SD card, I could share gigs of movies and pictures from the weekend, in a few minutes all where there is no cell service.
anonymous 16 March, 2013 03:01
Sony, Man [or Woman for that matter]!
When are we going to see Xperia Z with Win8? Your Droid rivals are coming up with screen displays that try to look like live tiles. Now, you, come up with the real thing! OK?
Joffre Arteaga 16 March, 2013 04:21
Samsung Galaxy S4 the Musical
anonymous 16 March, 2013 05:35
The problem with Samsung, they got carried away, now is the decline of their phones. No seems to be making a phone for the rest population. I have the s3, it needs some much cleaning up to make it more friendly.
anonymous 16 March, 2013 08:00
I just got myself sony experia z 2days ago! Absolutely stunning device to use and it don't seem to be getting mentioned a lot n e where! If any one is due an upgrade check it out!! Build quality is stunning, beautiful screen! Hmmmm loves my phone :)
anonymous 16 March, 2013 08:08
I wonder if we all REALLY need the massive amount of memory in some phones? The race to be bigger and better means phones are being released far too quickly for us mere mortals who have to wait out a 12,18 or 24 month contract. Not all of us have the money to buy a Nexus 4 outright and we rely on contracted phones which seem to be out of date the minute our old contract ends. I'd also like a battery which didn't leak faster than a sieve. This stuff means more to me than fancy apps I'll most likely try once and never use again. I still have a old Note which is perfect for my use and to be honest my kids have the Huwaei Ascend phones which are bloody excellent for the money
anonymous 16 March, 2013 09:35
Personally, I buy a device for the hardware, specs and OS, and NOT the perceived prestige the external aesthetics give me. I really couldn't care less what YOU think my device looks like, or whether or not YOU think it looks cheap. Seriously, I'm just not that shallow.
Considering the specs, I'm thinking it's time to replace my S2 with the S4.
anonymous 16 March, 2013 11:07
I agree with all the above who said the s3 was ugly. It was the type of phone you had to feel to recognize how good it was. The s4 on the otherhand is a much much improved design. All lines are symetrical. They've managed to make the screen larger wilst decreasing the overall size( brillliant) ive always been an iphone user but after weighing the competition( HTC ONE, XPERIA Z, NEXUS4,Z10 et all), i declare the samsung galaxy s4 my next phone.
Kieran Sampson 16 March, 2013 11:51
I don't DISLIKE the S4. I just don't £400 like the S4 when I have an S3 already.
anonymous 16 March, 2013 13:13
Consumers. More fickle than a fickle thing having a fickle attack.
anonymous 16 March, 2013 14:54
To all iPhone users who have issues with plastic phones. Picture that metal iPhone in your mind. Really let that stylish image wash over you. Such a stylish device is one of a kind, right? You love your iPhone, and your iPhone loves you. Now, open your eyes and look at the phone in your hand. Does it have a rubber/plastic casing? Case closed.
99% of iPhone users I see on the street every day have their iPhone in rubber/plastic cases, making the phone look way worse then any plastic phone out there.
anonymous 16 March, 2013 15:03
I was expecting more. The HTC One looks better as a quality product and the Sony Z is waterproof. I can't see much that the S4 would give me over these. I'm waiting for the Note 3.
anonymous 16 March, 2013 15:09
@anonymous 16 March, 2013 14:54
Get a life- I'm an android user and I get fed up of people (mainly on Samsung topics- what is it with some people!) having a go at iphones. Personally most people I see with iPhones don't have cases and I think why on earth don't they. I'm using a Motorola Razr at the moment precisely because it is drop proof, water resistant. and has a great battery. If the S4 had those I'd go for it. For the moment I'm waiting.
anonymous 16 March, 2013 17:54
The S4 looks like a good phone and probably the most advanced feature wise on the market at the moment. But for me it is nexus, I'm not keen on manufacturers skins on android.
I'm due an upgrade in November so a new nexus should be available around that time and I'll be keeping an eye on what Google are doing with Motorola.
anonymous 16 March, 2013 18:09
I can't see the point of upgrading to the S4 if the S3 is supposedly getting the software upgrade. You might as well keep the S3 and get a sim only deal
anonymous 16 March, 2013 18:53
waited too long for this phone. Disoppointed and let down. S4 (SSSS) is nothing but another S to S3.I am little concerned about the HTC One camera and non-removable battery but i am going to go with HTC One.
Meleagru 16 March, 2013 19:29
If plastic is the only negative comment you can make about the S4, then it must be a pretty damn good phone.
Right now the Nexus 4 more than does it for me. I'll hold off upgrading until phones are a little more durable. Specs have superseded software by over a year now.
CaptainPicard 16 March, 2013 21:11
I don't think Samsung is going after the "premium" phone market with the Galaxy S4 - they might genuinely want this phone to be a "plastic toy".
It's rivals, HTC, Sony, BlackBerry and Nokia are all going after iPhone users & people that want a premium looking phone, Samsung just wants to sell an expensive phone with really cool gimmicks & powerful gaming machine - and it could actually work.
mch 17 March, 2013 02:44
it has upgraded in every department and added more functions too.
bigger and better screen but less to hold,less to hold and bigger battery 2600ma.
faster cpu and less power hungery. more ram and faster ram
better camera 13mgp.
it will have global 4g lte!!!!!!!that's a big upgrade
gorilla glass 3! twice as good as gg2.
nfc,sensors.......
and so many new functions it takes too long to write.
hoover ,s,translate,dual camera use, picture with sound,team game play,s health, eye scroll,there is more than could write now. it is the smartphone right now. you guys making it sound an easy thing to do.
as for build quality, if I-phone has top build quality even every 1 in 4 I-phone glass shattered(a poll found out) thand sam has great quality.... it is durable ,light, cheap to replace even with an aluminium coverthat they sell.
anonymous 17 March, 2013 10:08
OK... Here's what I see in the S4; it's ugly, it's too big, it's specs are completely pointless and are there just because Samsung wants to increase the size of the spec-sheet. They should have gone with the idea of a Samsung Galaxy S3+ or s'min like that. I'll probably go with the hTC One X
illiad 17 March, 2013 10:35
Too big?????????????? If you have a S3 you will NOT see the difference unless you get a measure out!!!
Plastic?? do you know they make engines out of plastic now?? polycarbonate is the proper name.. they make military aircraft windows out of it!!
Ugly?? much thinner and more sculpted than that big block that is iphone... ROFL ROFL
anonymous 21 April, 2013 19:08
Not much really is there in S4 to get rid of S3.
Bigger screen again. Big innovation...not. Samsung lost the ideas on improving the phone.
Apple have let them lead shortly so they can spit out all the "innovations" of theirs and leave them bleeding because they cant copy Apple when Apple is not leading the way.
Now with iPhone 6 everything will get back to normal.