All about Samsung Galaxy S4

[s44]

Any ideas how much for the normal Iphone 4 16GB Black. Sorry I cant view it on my iPhone for some reason. Thanks ;D

Didn't you say 4S in the other thread?

Anyway, apparently it's £104.60 for the regular 4.

 

[jpeyton]

One stat I recently found amazing was how much of a leg-up Samsung has on every other smartphone player in the industry in regards to supply chain.

The BOM on a GS4 is around $240, and the BOM on an iPhone 5 is around $200. But a full $140 of the GS4's BOM goes back into Samsung's pocket, because they make so many key parts of the phone.

Now with HTC forced to delay their product launch because of component shortages, you can appreciate how good Samsung has it.

 

[StrangerGuy]

One stat I recently found amazing was how much of a leg-up Samsung has on every other smartphone player in the industry in regards to supply chain.

The BOM on a GS4 is around $240, and the BOM on an iPhone 5 is around $200. But a full $140 of the GS4's BOM goes back into Samsung's pocket, because they make so many key parts of the phone.

Now with HTC forced to delay their product launch because of component shortages, you can appreciate how good Samsung has it.

If they actually sold 100M S4s like they predicted they would easily exceed the revenue of entire Intel just from one product line alone, while profit wise it would be a curbstomp. Vertical integration around the end device is the new x86 quasi-monopoly.

 

[lopri]

Cameras.. Fight! (Galaxy S4 v. The One v. iPhone 5)

http://www.mobile-review.com/review/samsung-galaxy-s4-camera.shtml

 

[lopri]

All I can say about the "UltraPixel" is that I hope the dude's got a defective unit..

Edit: Short-distance shots look great (like the watch shot), but scenery is pretty bad. Very noisy.

 

[ChronoReverse]

What makes you say that? We already knew that there would be less detail in outdoor images because it has a third of the pixels of the GS4 sensor.

But take a look at some of the indoor ones and see what a blurry mess the GS4 camera is:
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/image/samsung/galaxy-s4-camera/add/in/02-sgs4.jpg
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/image/samsung/galaxy-s4-camera/add/in/02-htc-one.jpg


The biggest kicker is that the HONE's highest resolution is 4:3 but this guy took pictures in the cropped 16:9

 

[lopri]

Not just less detail but they look so dark. Like it's just about to rain or something.

 

[s44]

The biggest kicker is that the HONE's highest resolution is 4:3 but this guy took pictures in the cropped 16:9

Pretty sure it's the other way around: 4mp is ONLY when you shoot 16:9.

 

[ChronoReverse]

Pretty sure it's the other way around: 4mp is ONLY when you shoot 16:9.

Oh? I got it backwards then. That's a pretty strange design choice.

 

[GTRagnarok]

But take a look at some of the indoor ones and see what a blurry mess the GS4 camera is:
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/image/samsung/galaxy-s4-camera/add/in/02-sgs4.jpg
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/image/samsung/galaxy-s4-camera/add/in/02-htc-one.jpg

That one screams camera movement to me. It's definitely a bad shot. Even the S3 is better in that example even though the S4 clearly has a better camera, judging from all the other photos.

So the One trades detail for better low light performance. IMO, it's not a good tradeoff but it comes down to what you primarily shoot with your phone's camera.

 

[gorcorps]

Oh? I got it backwards then. That's a pretty strange design choice.

It's a strange design choice for the max sensor res to match the ratio of the screen? Why?

 

[ChronoReverse]

That one screams camera movement to me. It's definitely a bad shot. Even the S3 is better in that example even though the S4 clearly has a better camera, judging from all the other photos.

That happens because you can't hold the camera still for the longer shutter time because of the less sensitive to light sensor.

 

[s44]

It's a strange design choice for the max sensor res to match the ratio of the screen? Why?

Because portrait mode is now totally useless.

 

[Dari]

Heh heh. Yes, it's better in literally every way. Except price. And the fact that you have to wait another month.

Do note that you can either sell your current i4S or trade it in (if good condition) to Carphone Warehouse for £200.

I doubt it. They probably have the clout to get better-binned chips... (Cf. the One camera fiasco.)

They are fabbing the Qualcomm chips...

 

[Dari]

One stat I recently found amazing was how much of a leg-up Samsung has on every other smartphone player in the industry in regards to supply chain.

The BOM on a GS4 is around $240, and the BOM on an iPhone 5 is around $200. But a full $140 of the GS4's BOM goes back into Samsung's pocket, because they make so many key parts of the phone.

Now with HTC forced to delay their product launch because of component shortages, you can appreciate how good Samsung has it.

Something like that works when you have rivals-turned-customers helping subsidize your capital spending. But, then bad things start to happen. Like when your competitors don't want to do business with you anymore and you have to rely on your own brand. For example, all the Japanese television makers have left Samsung for tv panels from LG and Taiwanese manufacturers. Now, it's only Samsung and Chinese manufacturers (until they eventually bail). You can easily see the end result of this in 4K panels. There is Samsung, LG, Sharp, and Taiwanese manufacturers. The Japanese firms are either using Sharp, LG or the Taiwanese manufacturers. This helps lower the cost for everyone. LG's 84" 4K television is selling for $15k. SONY's (which uses the same panel) is selling for $20-$25k. How much is Samsung's 85" 4K television selling for? $40K. That is ridiculous. Also, as of last week, LG became the largest television panel producer in the world, bypassing Samsung because everyone has abandoned Samsung.

So, yeah, vertical integration works. But it is extremely expensive. That is why Samsung chose to source manufacturing for competitors to lower costs. But, when your customers abandon you and your shareholders start to grumble about high capital expenditures, you will have no choice but to start outsourcing yourself. This can lead to shrinkage. I don't think Samsung will be an exception to this rule.

 

[krumme]

What makes you say that? We already knew that there would be less detail in outdoor images because it has a third of the pixels of the GS4 sensor.

But take a look at some of the indoor ones and see what a blurry mess the GS4 camera is:
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/image/samsung/galaxy-s4-camera/add/in/02-sgs4.jpg
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/image/samsung/galaxy-s4-camera/add/in/02-htc-one.jpg


The biggest kicker is that the HONE's highest resolution is 4:3 but this guy took pictures in the cropped 16:9

Well there is something wrong, and HTC will have to have this years disapointment for camera. I had hoped for at change in the stupid Mpix race, but this will bring us backwards.

1. For a starter the lens of the HTC One, is very bad or faulty. Look at the picture here:
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/image/samsung/galaxy-s4-camera/add/zoom/01-htc-one.jpg

Look at the sharpness on the top right corner. The corner is very unsharp and its incredible big. I have seen it on other review sites. This is not going to work. Period. It makes the pictures on a screen lager than ipad mini look outright bad.

2. Then there is the dynamics. The larger pixels should have given us an enormous boost, very much needed for the bad dynamics of phone cameras. Take the same picture above. Do you think its punchy? - its nearly outright flat to a degree i even doubht they physically have big pixels, but on the other hand there is so few details ???

One is only good indoor, without blitz, and at night shots. The first one is very important, but that cant cover the disapointment i have for it.

The S4 kills all the other phones. It have the highest Mpix. Samsung knowledge shows. What a bad situation. This is not what we wanted for the development.

Anyone saying One have 2.0 aperture or something like that can kill me , look at the pictures. Dont zoom. Judge them as they are. I have tried on new pls, ips and oled, and come to the same result.

 

[lopri]

It's an interesting dynamic. Maybe an expert can explain for me but why a lens that sees more light than human eyes in darkness don't treat daylight the same?

 

[bgstcola]

It's an interesting dynamic. Maybe an expert can explain for me but why a lens that sees more light than human eyes in darkness don't treat daylight the same?

There's a difference between sensitivity and dynamic range. The eye has a way greater dynamic range than any camera.

 

[Skurge]

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one-review-912p8.php

Seems the Camera is a mixed bag. Seems like Nokia's brute force approach is the only one that has worked so far and I would get an android in the blink of an eye if it had a PureView camera in it.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Something like that works when you have rivals-turned-customers helping subsidize your capital spending. But, then bad things start to happen. Like when your competitors don't want to do business with you anymore and you have to rely on your own brand. For example, all the Japanese television makers have left Samsung for tv panels from LG and Taiwanese manufacturers. Now, it's only Samsung and Chinese manufacturers (until they eventually bail). You can easily see the end result of this in 4K panels. There is Samsung, LG, Sharp, and Taiwanese manufacturers. The Japanese firms are either using Sharp, LG or the Taiwanese manufacturers. This helps lower the cost for everyone. LG's 84" 4K television is selling for $15k. SONY's (which uses the same panel) is selling for $20-$25k. How much is Samsung's 85" 4K television selling for? $40K. That is ridiculous. Also, as of last week, LG became the largest television panel producer in the world, bypassing Samsung because everyone has abandoned Samsung.

So, yeah, vertical integration works. But it is extremely expensive. That is why Samsung chose to source manufacturing for competitors to lower costs. But, when your customers abandon you and your shareholders start to grumble about high capital expenditures, you will have no choice but to start outsourcing yourself. This can lead to shrinkage. I don't think Samsung will be an exception to this rule.

LOL.

You think Samsung actually gives a hoot to super-high end TVs, as if the TV market now is anything than a saturated low-margin commoditized business. Heck the Japanese are bleeding money like no tomorrow for years precisely because of their TVs.

 

[Cappuccino]

Can someone remember, when the S3 was release did they have contracts without paying upfront for the phone? so just paying monthly instead?

 

[poofyhairguy]

Can someone remember, when the S3 was release did they have contracts without paying upfront for the phone? so just paying monthly instead?

Not at launch, but usually within a year Amazon wireless will have a deal where its 99c with contract.

 

[krumme]

LOL.

You think Samsung actually gives a hoot to super-high end TVs, as if the TV market now is anything than a saturated low-margin commoditized business. Heck the Japanese are bleeding money like no tomorrow for years precisely because of their TVs.

Vertical integration works for Samsung because they use it to create products with tangible consumer benefits, instead of cost reductions. They can do that for fx. the S4, and have succeded also in lesser more saturated markets with fx. their 9 series ultrabooks.

Samsung is also strong as a cooperation because they are quick to abandon business areas before the growth and margins crumble to the bottom. And they are quick to adapt their huge production technology to new growth business. Its not an innovative company, but its extremely agile for its size.

 

[krumme]

Review:
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-S4-Review_id3280

"The top-notch performance and general lack of issues continue to be among the Galaxy S's strongest sides. "

"The Galaxy S4 comes with a wonderful display! Similarly to many high-end Android handsets this year, its diagonal measures 5 inches. The resolution is, of course, 1080 x 1920 pixels. With a pixel density of 441 ppi, it's obvious that the display is incredibly sharp and detailed. It's still a Super AMOLED screen, though, which means that the inherent pros and cons of the technology are all present here.

As before, this Super AMOLED screen by Samsung uses a PenTile matrix, but the manufacturer has tweaked the technology a bit, adding an additional green subpixel to each pixel. This, combined with the high pixel density means that you won't be able to notice the pixelization problems observed with the early PenTile screens. On the screen of the Galaxy S4, everything is smooth and free of graininess."

 

[Dari]

LOL.

You think Samsung actually gives a hoot to super-high end TVs, as if the TV market now is anything than a saturated low-margin commoditized business. Heck the Japanese are bleeding money like no tomorrow for years precisely because of their TVs.

Television was what made them a household name. Now they are losing that market to other innovative companies. It shows in the price for their 4K tvs and their non-existant OLED television. Even Samsung buys FHD television panels from Sharp in the 40" range. There is another television firm, Westinghouse, that does business with Samsung. Their 110" 4K television? It's $300K. It appears as if Samsung and its partners have priced themselves out of the market. Since Samsung is not known for making quality products, who will buy their expensive crap?