Samsung Galaxy S4: Die ersten Reviews sind online

Während Samsung nun auch in Deutschland die ersten Blogger mit Exemplaren des Samsung Galaxy S4 ausstattet, gehen in den USA bei den großen Techblogs die ersten Testberichte online.

Auch wir werden euch natürlich mit einem ausführlichen Test des neuen Samsung-Flaggschiffs versorgen, aber zuvor schauen wir erst einmal darauf, was die US-Kollegen denn von dem Galaxy S4 halten. Wie zu erwarten war, ist es weniger das euphorische “Samsung hat das Rad neu erfunden”-Gejohle – stattdessen ist die Rede davon, dass man das Galaxy S3 sehr sinnvoll verbessert habe. Nicht selten wird resümiert, dass das HTC One vielleicht generell das bessere Smartphone ist, definitiv ist es das jedoch in Sachen Design. Einige Software-Features wurden bemängelt, weil sie a) nicht sonderlich wichtig wären oder b) nicht zuverlässig funktionieren. Unter dem Strich bleiben aber solide Bewertungen, die in dem Galaxy S4 allesamt ein Spitzen-Smartphone sehen. Aber schauen wir nun mal auf die Resümees der einzelnen Blogs:

The Verge:

The Galaxy S4 is a very good phone in most respects — it has a stellar camera and solid battery life, blistering performance and an impressively useful complement of software features. It’s a technological achievement — there’s no question about that.

Engadget:

The design doesn’t feel fresh, especially not next to the HTC One, but we can’t deny that it’s an improvement over the GS3. On the plus side, it has better battery life, the same smooth performance and beautiful display, and a few diehards will like its inclusion of microSDXC and a removable battery cell.

Phandroid:

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is everything we expected it to be: a stellar combination of hardware and software that builds upon the already framework built by previous entries in the Galaxy lineup. For those already owning the Galaxy S3, however, the changes and enhancements really don’t warrant an upgrade at this time. For those that don’t fall into that category, the Galaxy S4 is a fine choice if you are looking for a brilliant display and excellent photo capture capabilities.

Phonearena:

However, it’s the flawless implementation of all the features that makes the Galaxy S4 the superb smartphone that it is. Design-wise, the latest Samsung flagship is nothing special. It looks OK and is comfortable to hold. We’re more than happy to see that Samsung has managed to make the smartphone even smaller than the GS III, which is a remarkable achievement, considering the bigger screen.

Android Central:

If you’re looking for an Android phone that performs well across the board, ticks every feature box you could possibly imagine and is available on just about every carrier on the planet, the Galaxy S4 is an easy recommendation

Pocketnow:

The Galaxy S 4 is, instead, exactly what it needs to be – and nothing more. It’s a device that offers just enough improvement over its immediate predecessor to justify its existence.

TechCrunch:

At the end of the day, it’d be foolish to think that the Galaxy S4 isn’t a top-notch phone. Where specs, performance and software innovation are concerned, the company is clearly making strides…The Galaxy S4 features are impressive — there’s no denying it. But very few of them work perfectly enough for it to feel natural.

Slashgear:

The end result is a device like the HTC One, which in some ways feels more suited to how smartphone owners are actually using their phones. The GALAXY S 4 is a safe, capable, and solid option, and though Samsung’s flagship is perhaps no longer necessarily the best Android device on the market, it’s still a tremendously polished phone with plenty to satisfy the crowds eagerly awaiting it.

BGR:

Packing all of these features into a phone does make for a complicated device, and there are various functions that very few people will even use, or discover. But the concept is a good one and since Samsung can’t rely on third-party software the way that Apple can, it’s smart to try to make the Galaxy S4 a phone you can just pick up and be happy to use right out of the box — and it’s easily the best Android phone I have ever used.