As part of the review, Samsung provided a few accessories that demonstrate the capabilities of the Galaxy S4.
S View Cover
This is a must-have accessory for all S4 owners, transforming your S4 into a different experience. The flip case offers protection for your smartphone as well as allowing you to interact with the smartphone within the see-through window view. When there are incoming calls, you can see the caller and take the call without opening the flip.
With the S View case, you no longer need to use the power button to turn on and off the screen. Simply close the flip and the S4 turns off the screen, and open the flip to wake it up. Best part of all is: you can still use the rear camera when you fold back the case, unlike the normal flip cases.
Wireless Charging Pad
This accessory demonstrates Samsung's advancement in their consumer technology. To make it happen, you need the charging pad and the charging rear case. It takes a much longer time to complete the charge as the charge current is merely 650mAh. During charge, the pad emits a soft electrical pulse that is audible in a quiet environment. Charging on your bedside is not a good idea unless you are a heavy sleeper.
The charging pad must be powered by the higher-rated 2A charger which is included in the package. When used with an incompatible charger, the LED will blink in orange.
A small issue is that you would not be able to enjoy the wireless charging and the S View at the same time. To do wireless charging, you would have to swap the rear casing, adding hassle to the entire experience.
New Charger's Rating
The Galaxy S4's charger is rated 2A, and gets your S4 fully charged in little over 2 hours. And despite the S4's larger battery capacity of 2600mAh, the battery does not last any longer than the earlier models. For my kind of use, it can get by the day, but at times when I was bored and kept using the phone, the battery will drop by half within 3 hours. Using a lower-rated charger simply means it takes longer to complete the charge.
In the upcoming posts, I will share about the new camera shooting modes, and how it works (or not) in real life situations.
Labels: Android, Phone, Review, Tech
