Samsung Galaxy S4

AndroidPit | Johannes Wallat

But the Galaxy S4 certainly isn't a bad bet. However, for those who want an expandable storage drive and a removable battery, it would be right up your alley.

Expert Reviews | Christopher Minasians

(...) it's still a lot of phone for your money. It still feels quick, battery life is good and the camera is excellent.

Alphr | Jonathan Bray

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is one of the world's best smartphones – but, unlike its predecessor, it isn't the best... The screen isn't as impressive as the competition's panel, performance isn't flawless as benchmarks, and most of the Galaxy's touchless features are destined for deactivation.

IT PRO | Khidr Suleman

Samsung's Galaxy S range continues to set the bar higher with every refresh. The Korean firm has optimised performance, added support for multiple apps, boosted the display and shaved off weight. Once Knox is activated, it could become an enterprise favourite.

MSN Tech | David Phelan

This is a big, glamorous and enormously powerful phone, stuffed with so many features you may be lost as to where to begin. But once you've got to grips with it you'll find much to enjoy.

Pocket-lint | Ian Morris

As always, the sign of a good gadget is one that we don't want to give back. Our review SGS4 is being returned tomorrow, and the truth is that we're really going to miss it. It is, therefore, a product we heartily commend.

Mobile Choice

Rivals take note; this is the phone to beat.

Stuff | Sophie Charara

Seriously, at times you'll wish you could high five your phone, although at others you'll find yourself taking the easy route and prodding the screen rather than taking the time to consider whether you've already got the Air features turned on and whether they're compatible with the app you're running.

T3 | David Phelan

Is it the best Android smartphone yet? Well, it lacks the gorgeous and demure styling of the HTC One, and the Sony Xperia Z edges it for photo skills, but the combination of power and innovation put it towards the top of the tree, a branch or so below the HTC One but outgunning all other rivals.

phoneArena | Ray S

If you're the kind of geek who's always running benchmarks on their phone, trying to squeeze every possible bit of performance out of it, then chances are you'll fall in love with the Galaxy S4, which is one of the fastest, if not the fastest Android phone around.

VentureBeat | Devindra Hardawar

At this point, Samsung is in such a charmed position that the Galaxy S4 is already a guaranteed success. Now that Samsung's a mobile leader, I just hope it doesn't get lazy. It's figured out how to build a killer phone - now it needs to learn how to build a tasteful phone.

TechSpot | Andrew Kameka

he Galaxy S 4 is an advancement of an already good formula that still has room for some improvement and maturation. As of now, it's still an intriguing upgrade that builds on an engaging, albeit familiar, foundation.

Trusted Reviews | Luke Johnson

It's a true high-end powerhouse and undeniably one of the best phones on the market right now, albeit one that will relies a little too heavily on brand appeal and past successes rather than innovation and eye-catching design. Yes, it might not be the most stylish handset on the market, but nor is it a dog.

TechRadar | Gareth Beavis

The Galaxy S4 is a stunning smartphone that won't let you down for a variety of tasks. It's not as good overall as some competitors, especially when you factor in the design, but we love the S4 and would be proud to have it in our pocket.

TechnoBuffalo | Todd Haselton

Its similarities in form and style to the Galaxy S3 give us pause in recommending it as an upgrade though. Despite the software enhancements, it seems awfully, awfully similar. it offers a removable battery and expandable storage, but you're getting those at the sacrifice of incredible design.

The Boxed (UK) | Editorial Team

We cannot think of any other phone that has so many different abilities and uses. Many of these you will probably hardly ever use as you would not need them on a day-to-day basis, however, it does showcase what is to be expected from future higher-end smartphones.

ITProPortal | Sascha Segan

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a million ideas and needs to share all of them, right now, and it doesn't matter if five of them are ridiculous because you're going to think the next five are brilliant. And wow, that call quality is tremendous (remember, these are phones with which, you know, you phone people up).

The Telegraph | Matt Warman

The S4 is a superb device that does more than any previous mobile phone, but doesn't force any of its features upon its users. It is rivalled only by the HTC One.

Wired UK | Dave Oliver

Samsung has set the new standard.

CNET UK | Andrew Hoyle

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the most powerful phone we've ever tested and its bold, Full HD screen is the best in the business.

Engadget | Brad Molen

The Galaxy S 4 is a solid improvement over the GS3, and the best Samsung device we've ever used, but we'd love to see Samsung come up with a fresh design.

NotebookCheck | Florian Wimmer

Nevertheless, it is easily justifiable to be every bit as impressed by Samsung's new Galaxy S device as by its predecessors because the Galaxy S4 is something like a giant Swiss army knife. Ranging from the remote control for a Smart TV and a fitness coach to a travel guide, the Galaxy S4 is capable of replacing numerous other devices and services that we use in our daily lives

Australian PC World | Ross Catanzariti

The Samsung Galaxy S4 looks almost identical to its predecessor but includes a better display, an improved camera and a huge amount of software features and functions, many of which are gimmicks. This is an excellent and overall outstanding smartphone, but there are a few annoyances.

Which?

The S4 is a large device but as long as that doesn't put you off, then this is the phone to buy. [subscription required for full access to review]

PC Pro | Jonathan Bray

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is one of the world's best smartphones - but, unlike its predecessor, it isn't the best. It's a close-run thing, but the HTC One stays on top of the A-List, and Samsung's contender debuts in second place.

Eurogamer | Damien McFerran

The S4 doesn't make the same kind of splash as its forerunner then; the genuinely new features it showcases are too gimmicky to be of any real use, leaving the phone with a selection of technological advancements that are impressive but not quite as mind-blowing as they would have been twelve months ago. The best Android money can buy? Possibly, but the competition is definitely within striking distance.

Digital Versus | Romain Thuret

Fast, powerful and surprisingly intelligent in its interactions with the user, the GS4, a sort of GS3 on testosterone, sometimes even over-extends itself with features that are part-innovation, part-novelty. But the overall experience is top-notch and rather unique in the world of smartphones. Bravo.

Digital Trends | K. T. Bradford

Despite lackluster battery performance, the newest Galaxy is everything a flagship smartphone should be.

International Business Times | David Gilbert

... expense aside, the Galaxy S4 is by any measure a great smartphone. It is thin, light and features a superb camera along with a high-resolution 5in screen.

What Hi-Fi?

We've no doubt that existing Samsung users will be hugely attracted to the S4 - if you're looking to upgrade from the S3 or S2, the company's new flagship is more powerful and comes with all the benefits of nifty new features and 4G connectivity. But we can't ignore the performance issues - so if you're looking for the best overall smartphone, there are alternatives that deliver a much more impressive and intuitive experience.

The Inquirer | Alastair Stevenson

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is one of the best smartphones made by Samsung in recent years, offering users all the key strengths of the Galaxy S4, but coming with a beefed-up, more robust design.

PC Advisor | Chris Martin

The Galaxy S4 is a great phone with outstanding hardware and performance, but it's not flawless. We're disappointed with the build quality considering the handset costs a fair bit more than its rivals and while the S4 is packed with features we find a lot of them to be gimmicky.

The Gadget Show

What you won't find here are any surprises whatsoever, or anything as beautiful as the HTC One. What you will find however, is a massive, powerful Android smartphone that succeeds in spite of some of the frivolous extras Samsung has spent time, money and manpower, and likely the best super-sized phone on the planet right now.

V3 | Alastair Stevenson

The Galaxy S4 showcases the best and worst of Samsung, featuring a great display, speedy processor and number of useful productivity apps that are let down by poor build quality, battery life and a bloatware-infested Touchwiz user interface.

Know Your Mobile | Richard Goodwin

This has to be one of the biggest, most feature-rich, handsets ever released. The Galaxy S4 has everything in buckets plus a whole load more. It's powerful, takes great shots and videos, has a gorgeous display and features some previously unseen UX technology that really adds to overall user experience.

What Mobile | Alex Walls

Samsung's new flagship has arrived but aside from some knockout specs and intriguing software offers, it doesn't feel like anything new.

AnandTech | Brian Klug

At the end of the day, the Galaxy S 4 is an evolution of the Galaxy S 3 in pretty much all of the areas you'd expect it to be. Whether or not that's what you wanted in a new Android smartphone is going to vary from one person to the next. The good news is that you at least have a choice.

Ars Technica | Florence Ion

Samsung definitely has another hit on its hands.

The Verge | David Pierce

The Galaxy S4 is fast and impressive, but it's also noisy and complex.

Gizmodo UK | Brent Rose

The S4 is far from a bad phone. In fact, were it not for the HTC One, it would be the best Android phone you can buy. And one can't help but think that had Samsung poured all of its innovation into maximising the practical user experience - instead of highly ignorable gimmicks - it might have taken the crown.

AllThingsD | Walt Mossberg

If you're a nut for lists of new features, love Samsung or crave an even bigger display, the Galaxy S 4 may be for you. It's a good phone, just not a great one.

TechCrunch | Jordan Crook

As Samsung continues to push the edge of technological innovation, it needs to take a quick breather and, first, think about what truly solves problems for consumers and, second, think about how to take high-level technology and make it easy to use and understand for the user.