Should You Upgrade to the Galaxy S4?
This will be a tough decision to be honest. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a fantastic device and it’s a step above the Samsung Galaxy S3 when it comes to the overall specifications. I always come back to “what is most important to you?”. Do you need the latest and best that is to offer on the market or are you more concerned with getting value for your money? If you are concerned with “keeping up with the Joneses”, by all means consider the S4, it will definitely not disappoint! Personally I am more concerned with getting the most bang for my buck. I consider myself an average wireless consumer, the specifications available on the Galaxy S3 are more than adequate.
Features not available compared to the S3 –
- No FM Receiver
- No USB
Additional features:
- Infrared
- Sensors: Humidity & Thermometer
- Dual camera record
- Sound & Shot
- Wireless charging
Upgraded features:
Front camera quality –
- S3: 1.9 Megapixel
- S4: 2.0 Megapixel
Rear camera quality –
- S3: 8 Megapixel
- S4: 13 Megapixel
RAM –
- S3: 1,024MB
- S4: 2,048MB
Screen resolution –
- S3: 1,280 x 720 pixels
- S4: 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Screen size –
- S3: 4.8 inch
- S4: 4.99 inch
Battery Capacity –
- S3: 2,100 mAh
- S4: 2,600 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S3: Processor
The Galaxy S3 uses the Exynos 4 Quad processor which is clocked at 1.4GHz and is based on the ARM Cortex-A9 architecture. The Galaxy S4 outdates this with the Exynos 5 Octa processor which is the first smartphone to boast an 8-core chip. It consists of four Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.6GHz for performance while the remaining four are Cortex-A7s clocked at 1.2GHz for less demanding tasks and power saving.
The RAM on the S4 has been doubled from 1GB to 2GB
Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S3: Storage
The situation is unchanged when comparing the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models plus a microSD card slot.
S4 vs Galaxy S3: Cameras
The Galaxy S3’s 8Mp camera stood with top contenders during 2012. The Samsung Galaxy S4 rose to the challenge with a 13Mp rear facing camera and a 2.1Mp front facing camera that is capable of recording video in Full HD 1080p rather than 720p.
Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S3: Software
Samsung Galaxy S3 is currently running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy S4 will ship with version 4.2.2 and both have Samsung’s TouchWiz interface.
The Galaxy S4 is boasting new features including Smart Scroll, Smart Pause and Air Gesture to name three. We have heard that the Galaxy S3 will be updated with some of the new features, there is however no update regarding the proposed updates to be made.
Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S3: Battery
The Galaxy S4’s battery is larger at 2600mAh when compared with the Galaxy S3’s 2100mAh battery. The battery life on the S4 is till undetermined, more tests will be required to make a fair comment.
Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S3: Screen
The Galaxy S4 has a 5in screen, meaning it will be slightly larger than the Galaxy S3’s 4.8-inch display. S4 users will have the privilege of enjoying the SuperAMOLED technology responsible for the popularity the S3 gained during 2012.
Specifications:
