Samsung Galaxy S4 Design

In my week spent walking around with the phone, I was really hoping for more people to stop and say, “Wow, is that the Galaxy S4?” But not once did this happen, and that perhaps sums up the design of the phone succinctly. Without a closer inspection, the latest Galaxy simply fades into the hoard of GS3 handsets already floating around out there (side note: my time with the Galaxy S4 opened my eyes to just how popular, in fact, the Galaxy S3 already is).

But Samsung meant it this way. They didn’t set out to design a phone that re-imagined the look of their flagship, rather they set out to create a phone that was at once smaller, more powerful, and smarter than last year’s model while at the same time increasing the overall display size by 0.2 inches. The 5-inch display of the GS4 is noticeable, but the size in your hand is not so much.
                  
The Galaxy S4 measures in at 5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches. Compare that to the Galaxy S3, which features a 4.8-inch display and measures measures 5.38 x 2.78 x 0.34 inches, the iPhone 5, which features a 4-inch display and measures 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 inches, and the HTC One, which features a 4.7-inch display and measures 5.41 x 2.69 x 0.37 inches. The Galaxy S4 weighs a paltry 4.59 ounces, a little over half an ounce heavier than the iPhone 5 and 0.10 ounces lighter than the GS3.

A removable backplate serves a two-fold purpose: access to a removable battery as well as SIM and microSD card slots and as a means to attach a variety of accessories, from wireless charging plates to flip covers and more. It’s nice to see a company thinking of the benefits of retaining a removable rear plate design, but with increasing battery life and the decreasing cost of internal storage, there is a reason why many manufacturers have moved on. In the end, we wouldn’t have faulted Samsung for keeping the Galaxy S4 sealed, but having the removable battery cover was a small plus.

But all of this beauty in design falls victim to one flaw, and it’s the same that Samsung has been dealing with for the past several years. Build quality and materials simply do not feel as premium as the phone really is. It’s a bit misleading. The Galaxy S4 definitely operates as a world-class smartphone, but in your hand and pocket it feels plastic-y and a bit cheap.

We would have loved to see Samsung take some initiative in this area and upgrade to aluminum casing or perhaps a more innovative material like ceramic or polycarbonate, but alas, maybe that will come with the Galaxy Note 3 or Galaxy S5. For now it seems Samsung is set in its current design language.

Source:- http://phandroid.com/2013/04/24/samsung-galaxy-s4-review/