Samsung Galaxy S4 Unveiled: Tech Specs Boast Enhanced Display, Faster Chips And More Connectivity

Samsung Mobile President JK Shin introduced the smartphone to an eager crowd of press and tech enthusiasts, culminating weeks of speculation about the fourth-generation Galaxy S series device.

“We have taken technology and innovation further to help us get closer to what matters in life: To help us leave a richer, simpler and more fun life," said JK Shin, president of Samsung's IT and mobile communications division. "We imagined the possibilities, explored new directions and listened to you to understand what a smartphone should provide to us in our lives."

The Galaxy S4 has a host of exciting features -- some confirmed from rumors, some that we could have hardly imagined.

"What if we could record sound while taking pictures? How great an experience would that be?" Shin asked the packed crowd. "Wouldn't it be convenient if a smartphone wanted to scroll up or down or even pause, just by looking at the screen.

"What we will show you tonight is the innovation that improve the way people live every day and help them live in the way they aspire to," he continued. "For each of us, life is a journey. What we ... is a device that can join us on this journey. A device that can enable us to do more, a companion to help us explore life to the fullest.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Samsung Galaxy S4."

For now, let’s start with the basics. The most important things Samsung fans have been looking forward to about the Galaxy S4: What size are its display and dimensions? What kind of processor does it contain? How much battery life and storage does it have? What’s its connectivity? What’s it camera like?

We have all the tantalizing S4 specs right here.

Dimensions

Ryan Biden, director telecommunications and marketing at Samsung America, helped explain some of the tech specs of the Galaxy S4.

The S4 is streamlined to be the best of both worlds -- slimmer yet stronger. Its 136.6 mm length and 71.8 mm width accommodate an expansive screen, while its 7.9 mm breadth rivals the ultra-thin iPhone 5. Enthusiasts expected the phone to have a screen wide enough to provide easy multimedia interaction while being compact enough to fit comfortably in a hand or pocket. It’s safe to say Samsung has succeeded by sticking to its usual formula.  

Display

The Galaxy S series is known for its large screens, and the Galaxy S4 is no exception. The device has gotten a more than 1-inch upgrade from the Galaxy S3, featuring a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD Super AMOLED Display. Boasting an intense 441 ppi pixel density, the Galaxy S4 screen will provide crystal clear imaging and play back.

Connectivity

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available with 3G and 4G LTE, as well as TD-LTE, which means it's fast and truly accessible. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 compatible at very fast download speeds. And it has an infrared function for TV-watching and Samsung's own proprietary system that lets you automatically stream photos to your home and/or TV as soon as they're taken.

Also, you can transfer from almost any phone with any operating system to the Galaxy S4 -- it just takes the desktop program Samsung Smart Switch to back up your phone information and load it directly onto the phone. 

Battery And Storage

The S4 features a power-packed 2,600mAh battery that provides 500Ah more juice than the battery in the S3. The new phone is also sold with 16 GB with options to expand to 32 GB and 64 GB.

Camera

Samsung has really upped the ante with the S4's 13-megapixel camera that rivals many point-and-shoot cameras, and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. And the company's new dual-camera action means photos and videos can be shot from both front- and rear-facing cameras simultaneously. Even better, if people walk in or out of your shots from either camera while you're filming, you can easily remove those unintended passersby with just a few taps.

If that's not enough, the camera features the imaging technology “Samsung Orb.” Based on 360-degree panorama called "Photosphere" introduced on Android 4.2, the mechanism similarly allows for panorama imaging as well as 3-D-like photography.