SamsungGalaxy S4 5 inch UK SIM-free (unlocked) Smartphone (Quad Core 1.9GHz, 2Gb RAM, 16Gb storage, 4G, WLAN, BT, Camera, Android 4.2.2) - Black Mist

I bought the Galaxy S4 to replace my ancient Blackberry 9780 in October. I spent ages reading articles comparing it with other smartphones like the HTC ONE and the iPhone 5S, and the S4 always came in the top two or three... Some reviewers preferred the HTC ONE due to its attractive styling and better speakers (neither of which I particularly care about) or more recently the LG G2 (because it's newer and has a marginally bigger battery). The iPhones were always further down the ratings and I probably wouldn't consider one myself until they improve the battery life. Overall, the S4 seemed to be the best option for me and three months on I'm still very happy with it.One of the main reasons I chose the S4 is its battery life which performed better than most of its rivals in the tests. My old Blackberry used to last over 3 days on a single charge and I really hate the way most new phones need charging every few hours. And while the newer LG G2's battery does last slightly longer than the S4 in some tests, the LG G2's back is sealed (the iPhone and the HTC are also sealed) so you can't replace an aging battery or upgrade the memory cards. I really like being able to open the S4 if I need to - I've added a 32gb memory card which is enough for some music and apps etc.In a typical day I use the S4 to listen to music for about an hour, check emails, Facebook, read a bit of news on the bus and maybe check Google Maps occasionally. I've switched on power-saving and turned off most of Samsung's gimmicky new features like facial recognition, gestures, smart scrolling, etc and the phone always has at least 55% battery left when I get home which is adequate. My flat mate has an iPhone 5S and he can never go anywhere without his phone charger as the battery is flat before the end of the day.The S4 is quite big compared to some smartphones - and my old Blackberry - but I've grown to like the screen and it's great for reading articles and emails and for watching the occasional youtube clip. The S4's `Super AMOLED' screen displays colours crisply, but then again most smartphones have good screens these days. Samsung also boasts about the screen's tough `Gorilla Glass'. I'm not sure if this is just another marketing gimmick, or if it actually is stronger than other screens, but I've combined it with an Otterbox Commuter case. The case does add a little bulk but I prefer to protect the phone in case I accidentally drop it on a night out (who actually buys phone insurance anyway?)The S4 also does quite well on price - I got the SIM-free version on Amazon for about £400, and it's still selling for less than the HTC ONE (£436) and the latest iPhone (£600+) while the new LG G2 costs about the same (£400).The articles all say the S4 has one of the fastest processors around and the phone is quick to navigate and flick between screens. It also has one of the best cameras and I find it good enough for most occasions. It's not great in low light though. I don't really use it to record video but that seems fine too.In terms of the S4's software, I'd prefer to have the stock version of Android, rather than Samsung's 'TouchWiz', but you can turn off or hide most of its annoying features and customise lots of its settings. If you're feeling brave you could try replacing TouchWiz with a custom Android operating system like Cyanogen. The custom software doesn't come with Samsung's built in apps which I don't use and otherwise can't be turned off.In summary, I'd say the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the best phone right now although the newer LG G2 might be worth considering if you don't mind not being able to open it.

Excellent phone, I returned a Sony Xperia Z1 which had a few issues, such as too heavy, plastic protection on screen which you cannot remove (without voiding warranty)and scratches easily. Plus one or 2 other issues, like poor viewing angles, and a pain removing covers to charge it. So I decided to go with the Samsung S4 instead, yes..it's more plasticy, but without doubt it has the best screen on any phone.I prefer having a separate home button in the lower bezel, which the Samsung phones incorporate, so in effect you gain more usable screen area. Considering this has a 5" screen it's a lot smaller and lighter than some of the competition, you want a phone to be light and not too big, otherwise it becomes a real pain.This phone has the best screen on any current phone, the contrast, and real black backgrounds is truly impressive, something you cannot attain on other phones due to the requirement of a backlight, with a backlight blacks will appear a shade of grey, and in poor light conditions the difference is very noticeable.The S-View feature works very well, so it's great that I can answer a call without having to open the case, the case I use on my S4 is the Spigen Armor View at £35 on Amazon. Excellent case giving full protection, and it works great with the S-view feature.The S4 has worked perfectly, with good battery life too, and IME lasts longer than the Xperia Z1 I had previously. It truly is a very good phone, showing no signs of any lag in use, and the best screen technology available today.However for anyone buying this phone, I suggest they make sure they buy it from Amazon themselves, and not from one of the Amazon market traders. Sure I can see the temptation in buying it from a market trader for less than £400, while Amazons current price is £459, seems a no brainer right... but you may be wrong!, only go with the cheaper option, if your not too concerned about warranties. Many of these cheaper deals are grey imports, and will NOT be covered by the Samsung UK 2 year warranty. So your only option if your phone goes faulty is to return it to the trader who sold it to you, or to post it back to Samsung in the region of the world where the phone originated from..IOW.. expect some hassle. Your Choice.If something looks too cheap, there's often a reason why.

For my first android phone, I had a Samsung Galaxy Ace....... not good, the screen was too small and I struggled to get to grips with the touch screen, things worked sometimes and not others, it was slow at loading Facebook and it kept saying short of memory, delete some aps to enable updating. I nearly gave up and considered going back to the 'normal' phone... that was until I decided to go for this Galaxy S4 after reading the reviews. What an amazing difference!! Obviously the screen is bigger, but it is so much brighter and easy to see. But the best thing for me it the speed which it operates. Facebook loads in seconds and it makes life with an Android so much more pleasureable. I now use it a lot more than I did, I am not a big phone user, but the times I wanted to check on something, it was a major head banging exercise with the ACE. Now I can use this without any stress.The photos are so much clearer too with the bigger megapixel size.Also, they have a Easy Screen for first time users, the icons are big and everything is clear and easy to find. You can switch between Easy and Advanced... but I am not there yet.My only bugbear is the updating of Apps.... there is such a lot of it going on! Virtually every day there are updates which need approval, now as I said, I am not a massive phone user and I just use it for a few things, I just wish I could delete the things I don't need and just update what I use. I only use Whatsapp, Facebook, Viber, Camera and some text Messages so the rest is just a pain for me, but nonetheless, I still love this phone and that is the only reason I only gave it 4 *