The internet has been buzzing about this phone for months. First a teaser by Samsung, then a lavish
- Smart Pause and Smart Scroll- Have you ever been forced to look away from your screen at a pivotal point in a twerk video? The smart pause feature actually senses when you look away from the screen and pauses the video you are viewing so you don’t miss a beat. I have no idea how but it works. It actually pauses and restarts when you look back. Presently the phone has a slight delay in pausing but that would likely be corrected after the phone memorizes the owner. The smart scroll is also genius, it follows your eye movement and scrolls accordingly. Since every user doesn’t read the same this can be tailored to your natural speed in the settings menu. You can go as far as telling the device to match your head tilt or the tilt of device to begin scrolling.
- Erase Camera Mode- If you have seen the commercial then you are aware of how cool this feature is. With this camera mode you may delete objects that appear in front of your subject. This is not an editing tool this is a camera mode which means it only works if you have it on while taking the photo. You simply pinpoint the person or thing you are trying to capture and the camera takes 5 consecutive photos removing any ‘moving ” objects from the front of the screen. This is a great tool for tourists who find themselves being photo bombed by pedestrians wandering through a shot.
- Dual Camera Mode– We all have used the front facing camera but with the S4 you can use it with the back camera simultaneously. You can choose whether to be the star int he big picture or a commentator in the corner its your choice. The best part is you can move the location of the smaller image so as not to disturb the larger image or to make the pic more interesting.
- Air Gesture– I had my doubts about this feature until I got the hang of it. Using this you can scroll, flip and control your smart phone without laying hands on the screen. This is a great feature for wet nails or dirty hands. It lets you navigate through your phone without compromising your screen with whatever you’ve got your paws into.
- Easy Mode– With all the new tricks and tweaks it is hard to get rolling using the new features. Easy mode simplifies your adjustment to the phone by using bigger icons and loading up the home screen with your favorite apps for easier use. The phone also explains each new feature when in use and offers tips on how to perform the functions for optimal use. For instance if you are attempting a camera mode and the picture isn’t quite right you receive a display message that tells you why and offers a quick solution.
- App Recovery– One of the most annoying thing about changing phones it recovering your apps. When I set up this phone the first time with my email info it found all the apps on my exhibit and downloaded them onto the S4 in no time.
In barely one week, I was able to utilize most of the new features but not all. This device is hands down one of the very best on the market right now. It is billed as an extension of self and is worthy of that moniker. though there are some issues you may want to look out for. The battery life is awesome but the phone does heat up after prolonged use. It really gets super hot so if you are a talker take advantage of a great head set or hands free device. You may also ant to note that some features may not be readily available when you first turn it on. When I first got the phone several of the camera features were unavailable but thankfully a factory reset restored everything quickly and easily. Even the glitches on this device are minor, Samsung has thought of everything. This could be the official killer of that their phone with the fruit on it. You know the one everyone used to want, way back when…