Many of you probably know me as a hardcore, Apple device guy. For the most part, the only mobile device I carry with me at all times is my iPhone 5 and the only tablet I use is an iPad Mini. However, because I am also a tech guy and love different gadgets, I’m also open to using devices from other brands if the opportunity arises. For instance, a few months ago, I had the opportunity to check out the then newly released BlackBerry Z10. Now, I have been given the chance to thoroughly check out the Samsung Galaxy S4 which as you know, is a direct competitor to the iPhone 5 in both sales and popularity. I am not an Android user at all, aside from my brief time spent with a Galaxy Note 10.1. This means that much of the Galaxy S4 is foreign to me but I think this is a good thing as this allows me to take the perspective of those who have also only known Apple’s embrace and are thinking of switching over to an Android device. Obviously the Galaxy S4 would be an obvious choice for a switch, again because of its popularity. For the sake of my review, I’m slitting this up into sections with the first part being that of a thorough look at the hardware.

Design and Build

Like with most Samsung phones, the Galaxy S4 is mainly built from polycarbonate plastic. However, unlike the Note 10.1 I used, it’s actually not bad here. In fact, despite the entire rear panel being plastic, it doesn’t feel as flimsy or soft like it did on the Note 10.1. The body also doesn’t exhibit any flex at all which was something I was worrying about when it came to a plastic body. This means that the new Galaxy S4 feels much more solid and “premium” than the previous Galaxy S phones and was not what I was expecting at all. I was actually quite surprised (in a good way) with what I had in my hands.

As a small disclaimer, Samsung’s PR firm sent me a white Galaxy S4 16gb unit connected to the Sprint network along with their S-View cover and a pack of TecTiles. With that out of the way, let us take a look at the hardware from the perspective of someone who has never owned a Galaxy S smartphone before.

To start things off, yes, this Galaxy S4 is white. If I had a choice between the black Galaxy S4 or the white one, I probably would have gone with the white too. It’s more of a personal preference in color and it’s not because white is better than black. The white on the Galaxy S4 isn’t quite as white as the white Apple uses for their iPhone 5 or iPads. The white Samsung uses is more of a pearl white which actually looks pretty nice. If you look closely at it, you’ll see that there is a diamond like crosshatching pattern to it so it’s not just a smooth white. It’s an interesting pattern that adds character to it.

Samsung breaks up the sea of white however with a silver metal band that has a brush aluminum look to it. Yes it does remind me a bit of the current iPhone in respect to this design element, but I also think it looks pretty good and helps separate the different components of the Galaxy S4.

Obviously the biggest element of the new Galaxy S4 is the screen. Here, Samsung has increased the screen size to a whopping 5-inches. It is huge in comparison to my iPhone 5 and take a bit to get used to. It is a Full HD Super AMOLED touchscreen display. My first reaction was, wow that is large. But after turning it on, my attention quickly turned to how awesome the screen looked. The display is so sharp and bright with colors that just pop out at you. I was also really surprised by how smooth everything looked with no detectible jaggies around any of the edges and how solid all the colors looked. I was quite impressed by this.

Looking at the rest of the Galaxy S4 face, you’ll find a physical home button which is unlike many other Android phones right now that are touch based. I will say that this makes it a bit easier of a transitional element for anyone who may be moving over from an iPhone. There are also 2 touch buttons flanking the home button that you can not see until they are lit up and you do this by touching the screen. Right side button is a back button while the left side is a menu button. Up top on the face you’ll find the ear speaker, front facing 2mp camera, and an array of sensors (3). There’s also a hidden LED notification light off to the left which is still something I wish I had on the iPhone 5.

Moving on to the outer edge of the Galaxy S4, we find the power/standby button off to the left, which is a bit disorienting for me as I’m use to having this button up top. The volume rocker is on the left side of the phone which is similar to that of the iPhone. Rounding out the edge we find a standard micro-USB charge/sync port, a tiny mic hole at the bottom, the audio jack up top, and an IR blaster which I’ll explain what that does in a future post.

Now, the rear is mainly where Samsung take a lot of criticism due to the fact that Samsung still insists on using plastic. There is a large, removable polycarbonate plastic battery cover. It’s this piece that non-Samsung users complain about. There isn’t much in the back to look at except for the 13mp camera, LED flash, and the small speaker hole towards the bottom. Popping off the cover, you find that it is pretty thin and flexible but it doesn’t feel that way when it is attached to the device. Underneath, you find the removable battery, Sim slot, and the microSD slot. Not sure how I feel about having the microSD slot buried underneath the back cover instead of integrated on the outside for easier removal. I guess it doesn’t matter much if you don’t plan on removing the card often.

One of the biggest questions here as an iPhone 5 user is, does the Galaxy S4 take some time to get used to because of its larger size?  Yes it does. It is much larger than an iPhone 5 so one handed warriors will need to adjust the way they use it. That’s not to say it isn’t possible to use certain aspects of it one-handed. Texting one-handed should be a problem but trying to reach an icon way up in the top corner requires a stretch or the use of your other hand. It’s not much harder to hold the Galaxy S4 however thanks in part to how thin they kept it. The larger real estate is welcome however when it comes to viewing media on it.

Final Thoughts

I’ve been a hardcore iPhone user for the past few years. I’ve never really thought about ever switching to Android or even picking up an Android device until recently. That’s because the pace at which Android phones have been improving has been staggering. Samsung leads the pact with their Galaxy S4 packing in it everything you could possibly want in a smartphone. It has a large screen, it’s almost as thin as an iPhone 5, and it has a rather large 13mp camera. Bonus features include the IR blaster and expandable storage via microSD.

I have never been one really to like Samsung smartphones, but I can honestly say that the Galaxy S4 is actually quite good, from a hardware perspective despite the use of plastic. It’s solid, light weight, and has a gorgeous screen. I’ve always complained about the phone being too large, but having finally had a chance to handle one for a few days, it’s really not that bad and still quite usable with one hand.

Would I buy a Galaxy S4? That’s a tough question, but what I can say is that currently, there are only a handful of really great Android phones I would consider buying and the Galaxy S4 is surely at the top of the list. Samsung has definitely stepped up their game from back in the days and I no longer have that misconception that all Samsung products are cheap. The Galaxy S4 really shows how far they’ve come.

Stay tuned for software impressions soon.