" Samsung Galaxy s4 - “Life partner! All the secrets and a detailed story about the operation of the phone, photos of the cases!” Appearance and ease of use

No matter how simple and clear the smartphone operating system may seem, it still hides many useful options that are not on the surface.

For example, hidden Samsung capabilities Galaxy S4 allows you to instantly access various options, manage special settings or improve the quality of multimedia.

Instant Access Features

1. Go instantly to “Settings” Samsung Galaxy S4 is possible if you drag the status bar with two fingers (the area of ​​the desktop that shows the signal level in the network and battery charging).
2. You can access the home theater remote control using the Watch On function, which is located on the notification panel. It turns out that a remote control is built into the device. This requires:
   1. synchronize your TV with your smartphone;
   2. find the “Watch On” application in the menu;
   3. open “Settings”, where you will find the remote control.
3. You can quickly turn on the camera if you open “Lock screen widgets” in the settings and do visible camera. Then, when using a locked device, you only need to slide the lock screen to the left.

Screen and multitasking settings

Secrets of the Samsung Galaxy S4 include the ability to change the dimensions of the multitasking panel, that is, it can be made more compact using a pop-up keyboard. To do this, select Qwerti keyboard (near the spacebar) in the message dialing menu.

Next, the keyboard is marked with a “+” sign. From now on, when typing a message, you will simultaneously be able to carry out other manipulations, such as viewing a playlist. There is a possibility in this smartphone change the color and font of personal data on the screen saver.

Useful Feature Settings

1. Useful features include enabling a special blocking mode, then the user will not be disturbed by anyone or anything (calls, notifications, alerts, messages, etc.). To do this, you need to go to “Settings”, find “My Device” there and turn on “Lock Mode”. This way the phone will remain silent. Although you can make a list of exceptions that will not be subject to restrictions.
2. The smartphone has a function to turn Wi-Fi on and off according to a personal schedule. So you need to find “Connection” in the settings, open “Wi-Fi”, where select “Advanced” and “Wi-Fi Timer” - set the operating time wireless internet.
3. Interesting functions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 include changing the parameters for viewing videos, namely they can be zoomed in and out like regular photos (with finger movements). In addition, you can adjust the brightness of the video by scrolling on the left; you just need to hold your finger there for a few seconds.
4. Samsung Galaxy S4 provides the ability to customize sound quality to suit the user's individual needs. To do this, insert the headset and open “My Device” in the settings, where you select “Sound”, then “Adapt Sound”. Then you just need to pass the test, indicate the number of heard sound signals. Then the smartphone will do everything itself.

Adjusting the equalizer while talking on the phone will improve the audibility of the interlocutor.

Hello everyone!) I have long wanted to write a review about my favorite phone, Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500. I'm thinking of writing in detail about technical specifications there is no particular point, this information is full on the Internet, I’ll tell you specifically about how it showed itself in practice.

Before it, I had a Samsung Galaxy S plus I9001 and an IPhone 5. The first one served faithfully for two years, but it was crushed by a car, and I probably wouldn’t have replaced it for a long time. Even then, I was sure that I would not switch to Apple and would definitely buy Samsung again, but it so happened that I got the iPhone almost for free, well, I don’t think I was. In general, after six months I got really bored with it and that’s how I got the S4.

The device was purchased in September 2013, for almost six months of active use the phone almost never let down.

I'll list the downsides right away:

After 4 months the battery swelled. I read before purchasing that there was a defective batch. But they replaced it in service center Under warranty there were absolutely no problems, I didn’t even have to send it in for diagnostics, everything took literally 20 minutes. Moreover, the old battery was made in China, and the new one was made in Malaysia. And I noticed the difference in charge retention literally from the first day, it began to work at least twice as long. So I don’t know if it’s a minus or even a plus to consider that it’s swollen)

Chips do not work stably

Maybe it's just me, but the proximity sensor is constantly buggy. It does not turn off the screen when talking and holding it to the ear, a reboot saves the day, but this repeats about once a month

Gets very hot during heavy gaming rear end

Now the advantages:

Design and appearance, at least I really like it

Very fast charging! 1.5 hours if you don’t use the phone, 2 hours if you talk, listen to music, surf the Internet

Android, which is a plus for me - the ability to customize the device for yourself, constantly change something, the phone simply does not have time to get bored

The camera is excellent, there is absolutely no need for a camera, no one needs everyday professional photographs, and the phone’s resolution is quite enough to view pictures on a computer and TV

OTG support, if anyone doesn’t know, this is the ability to connect to a phone usb flash drive, computer mouse, keyboard, game joystick

Huge selection of cases, which is not available for all brands

Large, but moderate screen. Despite its size, the phone is comfortable to hold in your hand, you can write a message with one hand without any problems

The presence of absolutely all possibilities - creating and editing documents, working with archives, cutting music, creating videos, editing photos, games, applications, the endless expanses of the Internet, everything you need in one small device. I haven’t seen any phones with similar functionality yet.

The screen doesn't tire your eyes

Surely I missed something, forgot something, because this phone never ceases to amaze me every day, and all its advantages are simply impossible to list at once. The most important thing for me is that the phone does not glitch, does not freeze, it works smoothly and stably, minor temporary glitches do not bother me, this is common to everyone electronic devices. I recommend this brand and this particular model to everyone, I have never regretted this purchase!!!)))

I don’t see any point in uploading more photos taken with the camera, since when uploading, the resolution changes and the photo is compressed, so little of the original quality remains ((By the way, I write some reviews from this same sgs4

Mini version of the flagship model: not only reduced, but also trimmed

Top-of-the-line family mobile devices Samsung Galaxy S is growing. In addition to the main smartphone, which itself, as is known, has two varieties based on different hardware platforms, the Korean company also produces a smaller version called the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, and a protected version of the Galaxy S4 Active for people leading an active lifestyle. , and even the “pure” Google Phone Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition - a version of the same smartphone, only now with modified software. By the way, the Koreans are not unique in this: Taiwanese HTC is also going to release its “mini” and “maxi” models soon. We have already reviewed in previous reviews almost all of the listed variations on Galaxy theme S, and even managed to test an expanded 6.3-inch “monster” called Galaxy Mega. Now it comes to a smaller version of the company's top smartphone.

That’s right: according to the proprietary nomenclature, the model being considered today not only officially belongs to the Galaxy S line, but is also a smaller version of the Galaxy S4 model, as eloquently evidenced by all the branding and even the name itself. However, users looking for a modern smartphone with powerful flagship hardware, but with a small (normal) screen diagonal, will be disappointed: the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini is not only reduced in size, but also greatly reduced in functions and capabilities, completely different , a separate independent model. So, as before, such people still have no alternative (at least if we take the products of large manufacturers) Apple iPhone with its miniature, by today's standards, dimensions and top-end filling - well, or look at the “Chinese” ones, like Xiaomi Mi2S. As for the hero of today's review, the level of its filling turned out to be an order of magnitude lower than that of the company's flagship. There is a different SoC, a reduced set of proprietary user interface capabilities, a smaller battery, a simpler camera, and so on. Thus, the buyer should not be deceived: this is not a reduced-size Samsung Galaxy S4, but a completely different model in all respects, which only for marketing reasons (read: to increase sales) received from the creators a “foreign” name that it should bear , in general, not at the right time.

In the pictures: Samsung Galaxy Mega, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

By the way, this is not the first attempt of this kind by the Koreans: during the triumphal march around the planet of the previous flagship model, the Galaxy S3, Samsung made exactly the same attempt to satisfy diverse user tastes by releasing a smaller Galaxy version S3 - S3 mini. The model was not in great demand on the market, which is understandable: those who were looking for top-end hardware in a standard rather than spade-shaped case, having learned that there was a completely different, weaker platform inside, lost interest and turned away, and those who, in general - anyway, naturally, they chose according to the principle “the more, the better.” There are fears that exactly the same fate will befall the successor of this strange tradition, the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, because nothing has changed in the manufacturer’s behavior this time either: the small body of the S4 mini does not contain the soul of the large S4, and that says it all.

But our task is not market forecasts, but a scrupulous description of any device that comes into our test laboratory, which is what we will do. Let's make a reservation right away: we have come across a model that works with only one SIM card and does not have support for fourth generation networks (LTE). There are other modifications (for example, the model number that supports LTE is GT-I9195, but on Russian market it will not be presented); in our case, the model number is designated as GT-I9190, and this is what our story will be about today.

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S4 mini (GT-I9190)

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 1.7 GHz, 2 Krait 300 cores
• GPU Adreno 305
• operating room Android system 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• Touch display S-AMOLED, 4.3″, 960×540, 256 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 1.5 GB, internal memory 8 GB
• Support microSD cards(up to 64 GB)
• Data transfer (3G) HSPA+ up to 42/5.7 Mbit/s (download and upload)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4 + 5 GHz), point Wi-Fi access, Wi-Fi Direct
• DLNA, IR port
• GPS/Glonass
• Accelerometer, geomagnetic sensor, gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor
• Camera 8 MP, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 1.9 MP (front)
• Battery 1900 mAh
• Dimensions 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94 mm
• Weight 107 g

	Samsung Galaxy S4 mini	Samsung Galaxy S4	Samsung Galaxy Mega	Sony Xperia V
Screen	4.3″, S-AMOLED	4.99″, S-AMOLED	6.3″, PLS	4.3″, VA
Permission	960×540, 256 ppi	1920×1080, 441 ppi	1280×720, 233 ppi	1280×720, 342 ppi
SoC		Exynos [email protected] GHz (8 cores)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 @1.7 GHz (2 cores, Krait 300)	Qualcomm MSM8960 @1.5 GHz (2 cores, ARMv7 Krait)
GPU	Adreno 305	PowerVR SGX544MP3	Adreno 305	Adreno 225
RAM	1.5 GB	2 GB	1.5 GB	1 GB
Flash memory	8 GB	16/32/64 GB	8 GB	8 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD
operating system	Google Android 4.2	Google Android 4.2	Google Android 4.2	Google Android 4.0
SIM format*	Micro-SIM	Micro-SIM	Micro-SIM	Micro-SIM
Battery	removable, 1900 mAh	removable, 2600 mAh	removable, 3200 mAh	removable, 1700 mAh
Cameras		rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP)	rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (1.9 MP)	rear (12 MP; video - 1080p), front (0.3 MP)
Dimensions	125×61×8.9 mm, 107 g	137×70×7.9 mm, 130 g	168×88×8 mm, 199 g	129×65×10.7 mm, 120 g

* The most common SIM card formats are described in a separate material.

Appearance and ease of use

What is the Galaxy S4 mini, what is the Galaxy Mega - in appearance they are exact copies“standard” Galaxy S4, only with changed dimensions. Apart from the size, then in detail, even in the smallest detail, all the new models in the series are absolutely identical in appearance and design of the cases. The same plastic back covers, metal-look rims along the side perimeter, a common front panel with a recognizable mechanical hardware middle key, and even the shape and location of the speaker grilles, buttons, camera windows, flashes and logos - everything matches perfectly.

And again, the developers from Samsung once again simply produced a clone of their own previous product, only changing its dimensions and inserting another board inside.

As for the dimensions, the smartphone has become noticeably smaller and lighter than the regular Samsung Galaxy S4, but in terms of thickness, it even surpasses the original.

• Samsung Galaxy S4 mini – 124.6×61.3×8.94 mm, 107 g
• Samsung Galaxy S4 - 137x70x7.9 mm, 130 g
• Samsung Galaxy Mega - 168x88x8 mm, 199 g
• Sony Xperia V - 129x65x10.7 mm, 120 g

The body materials of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini are only plastic, there is no metal here. The metal-looking rim that runs along the entire side perimeter of the device is also made not of metal, but of plastic that mimics metal. The material is soft, it easily leaves dents after any impact; we saw such dents on the rims of the Galaxy S3, the Galaxy S4, and now the Galaxy S4 mini.

For obvious reasons, a smartphone of such small dimensions by today’s standards fits comfortably into the palm of any size, even a woman’s, and holds well there. It looks nice and quite stylish, the side bezel and speaker grille shine with chrome, in general the smartphone looks quite neat, although inexpensive and discreet.

Back cover Smooth, glossy, gives reflections in the sun's rays and instantly collects fingerprints. The stains instantly cover the entire back wall, so you have to wipe it on your knee all the time, fortunately the area is small. A network of small scratches quickly forms on a smooth surface, so those who are neat will have to think about purchasing a cover from the very first minutes.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini has a classic candy bar form factor. The back cover here is removable and is standardly secured with several plastic latches. Under this thin cover there is a battery compartment: the battery is also removable, and only by removing it you can get to the memory card and SIM card slots. The structure and location of these slots here differs from that of both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mega: in the first, the connectors are laid out above the battery, and in the second, they are assembled one under the other. In the mini version of the smartphone, none of the slots are visible under the cover - both of them are hidden even deeper, under the battery, so there can be no talk of any hot swapping. Even to get the memory card, you will have to remove the battery, which is not very convenient, but this arrangement is due to a lack of space due to the small size of the device and the rather large battery, which occupies most of the internal space smartphone.

Both slots are simple in design and do not have spring-loaded gripping mechanisms, so inserting and removing both cards requires an awkward up-and-down pull. However, it is the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini connectors that have special open spaces, so you can always push a stuck card with something sharp from the other side. The SIM card here is used in Micro-SIM format, the memory card can expand the built-in memory by 64 GB.

The front panel is completely covered protective glass, under which not only the display is hidden, but also the front camera window and sensor eyes. The auditory speaker is covered with a chrome grille. Below the screen there are three hardware buttons in a row: two touch-sensitive on the sides and one mechanical in the middle. All buttons are sensitive to touches and presses - there are no problems with this. The touch buttons have a white soft backlight, the duration of which can be adjusted at the discretion of the owner in the corresponding settings section.

The remaining elements and connectors are scattered as usual along the narrow edges of the device. Both connectors - 3.5 mm audio output to headset and Micro-USB - are located at the top and bottom, respectively. The outputs and connectors are not equipped with plugs - the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini model does not have protection from dust and moisture. The Micro-USB connector here, unfortunately, does not support connection mode external devices using a USB host (OTG), so you can’t connect a flash drive or a keyboard and mouse to your smartphone. All other members of the Galaxy S family, up to the Galaxy Mega, had excellent support for the OTG mode, and it’s strange why the Galaxy S4 mini was deprived - this is just one of those noticeable and significant differences between the mini version and a normal, full-fledged top-end flagship. Likewise, there is no way to display the image on a monitor or TV via MHL.

It's good that they left it infrared port— it is embedded in the upper end of the device and serves, first of all, for working with household appliances as a remote control. Among the smartphone software there is a convenient program called WatchOn - it recognizes almost any, even quite old equipment, easily managing, for example, the domestic Beeline TV set-top box or a Phillips TV from ten years ago. All settings are already included in the program; there is no need to train it, so even if the remote control is lost long ago, any smartphone from the Galaxy S family equipped with an infrared port can restore its former comfort.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini also has mechanical keys on the sides of the device: on the left is the volume rocker, on the right is the power/lock button. The keys are made in the same style as the rim of the case - it looks like matte, roughly sanded metal. The keys are small, but have a fairly soft stroke and are easy to touch.

The device comes to the market in two colors, each of which, traditionally, is given a romantic name: in this case it is “White Frost” and “Black Mist”. In our “black” version, the smartphone’s coating is actually not that black—it’s rather a silver metallic with a fine black mesh applied to it. The front part of the case under the glass is also not black, but dark gray, and it also has a barely noticeable dotted texture that ennobles general form devices. The same applies to the white color version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini.

Screen

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini is equipped with a touch screen made using Super AMOLED technology. In numbers, the physical parameters of the smartphone screen are as follows: screen dimensions - 53x95 mm, diagonal - 109 mm (4.3 inches), resolution - qHD (960x540 pixels), pixel density is 256 ppi.

The display brightness has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. Multi-touch technology allows you to simultaneously process up to eight touches - at least that’s what we were able to measure with the AnTuTu Tester program. The first five are easy to identify, but larger number Simultaneous touches cause difficulties and delays in perception of the screen. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear.

Detailed examination using measuring instruments conducted by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The smartphone screen is covered with a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface and, judging by the reflection of bright light sources in it, has a very effective anti-glare filter. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (in this case very effective), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.

When manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was about 240 cd/m², the minimum was 12 cd/m². Despite not the highest brightness value, even in bright daylight You can use a smartphone because OLED screens have less reflection from dark areas compared to a typical LCD screen. You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the brighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. Low brightness mode allows you to use your smartphone even in complete darkness without any problems. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the right of the front speaker). You can make adjustments to the operation of this function by moving the adjustment slider from −5 to +5 units. Below, for three conditions, we present the screen brightness values ​​at three values ​​of this setting - at −5, 0 and +5. In complete darkness in automatic mode brightness is reduced to 12, 20 and 30 cd/m² respectively, in an artificially lit office the brightness is set to 85, 140 and 225 cd/m², in a brightly lit environment (corresponding to outdoor daytime lighting, but without direct sunlight) - increases up to 290 cd/m² for all three correction values. In principle, the result of this function is as expected. When brightness decreases, modulation appears at a frequency of 240 Hz. The figure below shows the brightness versus time for a brightness setting value of 50% (blue curve) and average brightness at 100% (red straight line):

It can be seen that the modulation has a large amplitude, so at medium brightness values ​​the flicker can be seen - hardly just by looking at the screen, but with rapid eye movement or in typical tests for the presence of a strobe effect, the flicker is visible to the naked eye. How this affects the comfort of work depends on the individual characteristics of the user.

This smartphone uses a sAMOLED matrix - an active matrix based on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red, green and blue in equal quantities, which is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

The screen has very good viewing angles - the white color noticeably changes hue only when deviated at large angles, the black color remains just black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is simply not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is very good. Switching the state of the matrix elements is actually carried out instantly, so the response time can be equated to 0. The gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal any blockage in either highlights or shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is from 2.27 to 2.33 V depending on the selected profile, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2:

On a separate page in the screen settings section, you can select one of four color correction profiles: Dynamic, Standard, Professional photography And Movie. In addition to this, there is an "Optimize display" mode in which manual profile selection is locked and the phone apparently selects the profile itself by analyzing the current image. In case of profile Dynamic The gamma curve has a slightly S-shaped character; for the three remaining profiles it practically does not deviate from the power law dependence. Note that the brightness of image fragments changes dynamically in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images and increases for dark ones. When selecting a profile Dynamic this effect is slightly more pronounced, and when the mode is turned on Auto tuning screen brightness The dependence of brightness on the lightness of the image becomes even stronger. For example, let’s compare the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time (horizontal axis) during the transition between shades of 25% and 75% (by the numerical value of the color) when turned off (green graph) and on (red graph) Auto tuning screen brightness:

It can be seen that the brightness of the dark shade (25% or (64, 64, 64) in the 8-bit RGB representation) practically does not change, while the brightness of the light shade noticeably decreases when this mode is turned on. As a result, the dependences of brightness on hue (gamma curves) that we obtained may not correspond to the gamma curves of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on the entire screen.

Color gamut for profiles Dynamic And Standard very wide:

When selecting a profile Professional photography(for the uninitiated it sounds more solid than Adobe RGB V Samsung case Galaxy S4), the coverage is slightly tightened (here the black line is the Adobe RGB space coverage, the white line is the measured coverage):

When selecting a profile Movie The coverage is tightened even more, but still remains wider than sRGB:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In case of profile Movie with maximum correction, the color components are already slightly mixed together:

Note that on wide-gamut screens, the colors of regular images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. However, a visual assessment showed that when choosing a profile Movie saturation is noticeably reduced, and colors become close to natural. Without correction, in profiles Dynamic And Standard the colors are unnatural - for example, the faces of white-skinned people have a pronounced carrot tint.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is not ideal, but, in general, acceptable. Color temperature in profiles Dynamic And Standard significantly higher than 6500 K, in the remaining two - closer to 6500 K, while in the region of the gray scale from white to dark gray this parameter does not change very much. (Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not of great importance, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.) The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E), despite the pandemonium of values, remains below 10 units, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device:

In total, we have the best screen in its class, the quality of which has no complaints.

Sound

We liked the sound of both speakers of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini. Surprisingly, this little thing turned out to be equipped with very high-quality speakers that produce loud, clear and smooth sound over the entire range - although high frequencies still predominate. However, why be surprised: after all, the dimensions of this “mini” are almost similar to the dimensions of a “normal” iPhone, and the sound of that one is excellent. “Baby” now has to be called a device that is quite normal in size only in comparison with the now fashionable “shovels” - we hope our readers will forgive us for this.

As for the auditory speaker, the timbre and intonation in the voice of a familiar interlocutor are quite recognizable, the sound is pleasant to the ear and saturated with the entire spectrum of frequencies. In other words, lead telephone conversations by using Samsung smartphone The Galaxy S4 mini is comfortable and nothing causes irritation.

All sound effects when playing melodies with a standard player are combined with a technology called SoundAlive - however, some of them, such as the expansion of the virtual stereo base, are only available with connected headphones. The same applies to the sound optimization function.

The external speaker grille located on the back of the smartphone has one rod bent outward to raise the body above the surface, but the sound is still half-muffled when the device is lying on a table with the screen facing up.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini is equipped, like most modern smartphones, with two modules digital cameras. The front camera here has a 1.9-megapixel matrix and shoots at a default resolution of 1280x720. The quality of the resulting photos can be judged by the test image below.

The main rear camera is equipped with an 8 megapixel sensor, just like the Galaxy Mega. By default, the camera shoots in widescreen mode, and the maximum resolution that can be set is 6 megapixels with an aspect ratio of 16:9, then the photos are 3264x1836 in size. Users of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini will receive such pictures with out-of-the-box settings. Below are several test shots taken in various conditions with factory settings.

	The sharpness is decent. The work of the sharp on wires and poles is noticeable.
	Good sharpness at a fairly long distance.
	The backgrounds are quite sharp, the trees are well detailed.
	In artificial light, the camera shows good results.
	Simulation of low light and flash operation.
	Same conditions, but flash disabled. It can be seen that the flash performs its task quite well.
	In very low light the flash also copes so far. And it does a great job of correcting color rendition.
	The camera is not suitable for shooting in almost complete absence of light.
	Under the same conditions, flash significantly improves the result.

Despite its 8 megapixels, the camera is quite sharp. It also copes quite well with noise. The camera performs software processing very moderately and competently, although sometimes traces of it can be seen. Judging by the test pictures taken (although they may not be enough), there is, perhaps, almost nothing to complain about. The only unpleasant thing was filming the test bench in the dark. Here, of course, manufacturers are faced with the question of how best to ruin the picture in such a situation: with noise or severe underexposure. Probably, the second one is still better, but, as can be seen from the test image, in almost complete darkness the camera cannot even really focus. It looks like the camera has a software limit on light sensitivity - ISO 1000, and I think that makes some sense. Although such restrictions are not always necessary at all.

Overall the camera is quite good. Sharpness combined with reasonable software processing give a very decent result for 8 megapixels.

The camera can shoot video; by default, it does so in its maximum resolution - 1080p. Below are a couple of test videos filmed stationary and in motion. Videos are saved in an MP4 container (video - AVC [email protected], sound - AAC LC, 128 Kbps, 48 ​​kHz, 2 channels).

• Video No. 1 (31.7 MB, 1920×1080)
• Video No. 2 (44.5 MB, 1920×1080)

The set of camera control settings is standard for modern Samsung smartphones. There are quite a lot of them, all of them are divided into three columns: for photography, for videography and general. The icons are drawn clearly and large, and are quite visible in the bright sun. Various options for preset values ​​in the settings are combined into ready-made shooting modes that should be used in a given situation.

In the general settings, you can control the volume button during shooting: it can operate zooming, releasing the camera shutter, or controlling video shooting. That is, if you wish, you can control shooting without touching the screen if you set all the necessary settings in advance and use the hardware volume button. It is also worth noting the ability to take photos while recording video.

Software

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini runs on the Google Android software platform version 4.2.2. On top of the standard OS interface, the company installed its own user interface, called TouchWiz 5.0 (Nature UX). Everything here is arranged exactly the same as in the older models of the family, with the exception of some of the functions - the “Smart Screen” section, for example. From the list of features included in the “Smart Screen” set of the original Galaxy S4 (smart wait, smart rotation, smart pause, smart scroll), only one has been left here - smart wait. True, in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, for some reason they even gave this function a different name - “Smart Shutdown”. Although the idea is the same: the screen remains on while you look at it (your eye movements are tracked front camera). “Multi-window” has also disappeared - this smartphone cannot simultaneously use two applications on one screen. But the set of control capabilities using movements and gestures (for example, calling the current number is carried out automatically when you bring the device to your ear) remained practically untouched: most of the functions of the “big brother” were preserved in the mini version.

The notification panel traditionally has a navigation bar at the top that allows you to instantly jump to the most popular functions. The icon strip can be customized to the user's taste. In general, Samsung’s implementation of the menu in the notification panel is one of the best on the market: just look at the brightness slider that is brought here, with which you can quickly and smoothly adjust the brightness to the changing environment, without delving into the depths of the main settings.

A lot of additional applications are initially pre-installed. Most of Samsung's own proprietary applications are combined separately from Google services account, so to use them you will also have to create an account in the company’s services. The S Travel (Trip Advisor) application provides the user with information about the locality in which he is located and recommendations designed to help the smartphone owner get an even more vivid experience. S Translator app provides voice translation of text emails and SMS messages. Samsung ChatOn Messenger allows multiple users to chat and transfer media files to each other. Samsung function Link also allows you to share files between various devices Samsung. The Group Play application has been implemented, which allows you to play one track on several mobile devices or play multiplayer games. The program is available on a number of Samsung smartphones, including Samsung Galaxy S4, S4 mini, Galaxy Mega 6.3 and 5.8. Convenient program WatchOn, mentioned above, has now also become standard on all Galaxy smartphones equipped with an infrared port.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern networks 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA, 5 GHz Wi-Fi band is supported, but for some reason the use of NFC technology is not provided here. There is also no support for fourth-generation LTE networks - recall that this is a limitation of the specific modification of the GT-I9190 that we tested. The radio part of the tested smartphone is stable; no spontaneous signal losses or dropouts from the telecom operator’s network were noticed. The virtual keyboard interface is, of course, a bit small compared to models with larger screens—you'll have to get used to typing. Not here and now present by default in virtual keyboard top-end Samsung devices have an additional top numeric row - on the Samsung Galaxy S4 it allows you not to switch to get to the numeric keys.

There were no freezes or spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing. You can restart your smartphone yourself by long-pressing the power key and selecting the appropriate item in the pop-up menu. When you bring it to your ear, the screen is blocked by the proximity sensor. The light sensor controls the screen brightness level automatically. But for some reason the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini did not provide any kind of light sensor for incoming events - it’s a shame.

Performance

The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini is based on a single-chip system (SoC) Qualcomm Snapdragon 400. The central processor here has two Krait 300 cores operating at a frequency of 1.7 GHz. It is assisted in processing graphics by the Adreno 305 video processor - everything is exactly the same as the Galaxy Mega, only it has a larger screen and a different resolution. Random access memory The device has 1.5 GB, and the storage, accessible to the user For loading own files, initially amounts to approximately 5 GB of the nominal 8 GB internal memory. There is also the possibility of expanding memory using microSD cards, but connecting external devices via OTG (USB host) is not provided here.

To get an idea of ​​the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini platform, let's move on to the tests. To begin with, let's give comparative results, obtained using the AnTuTu database itself. The performance turned out to be almost two times lower than that of the company’s own flagship - that’s the difference between regular Galaxy S4 and its mini version. Even one of last season's oversized crowd favorites, the Google Nexus 4, easily outperformed the new product in terms of performance.

A noticeable lag behind the top models of the market can be seen not only in the AnTuTu benchmark, but also in other tests. This result is absolutely expected, because while flagships have long been based on 4-core processors, in the mini-flagship we have a 2-core one (albeit with very fast cores). It is logical that in terms of performance, the hardware system of the new product turned out to be closest to the already forgotten hero of the past - the Sony Xperia V, which was popular in its time (since it is also based on a dual-core processor). For convenience, we have summarized all the results we obtained when testing the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini smartphone in popular tests into tables; details are below.

What is curious: all the results turned out to be almost identical to the results of the Samsung Galaxy Mega - another model in the family, built on exactly the same platform, but with a completely different screen (in size, resolution and even production technology).

As for testing the graphics subsystem in the cross-platform 3DMark test, the test subject also showed a not very high result - 5726 points.

In the Epic Citadel gaming test, the results of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini's graphics subsystem are quite good - this is due to the power of the Adreno video core coupled with the low screen resolution. However, the results here do not reach the flagship of the S4 family.

	Samsung Galaxy S4 mini (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400)	Samsung Galaxy S4 (Exynos 5410 Octa)	Samsung Galaxy Mega (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400)	Sony Xperia V (Qualcomm MSM8960)	Google Nexus 4 (Qualcomm APQ8064)	LG Optimus G (Qualcomm APQ8064)
Epic Citadel, High Performance (more is better)	55.2 fps	59.9 fps	58.1 fps	47.7 fps	54.8 fps	56.7 fps
Epic Citadel, High Quality	53.1 fps	59.3 fps	56.9 fps	43.5 fps	52.9 fps	56.3 fps
Epic Citadel, Ultra High Quality	49.0 fps	46.5 fps	33.3 fps	28.4 fps	37.4 fps	50.6 fps

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, the results depend significantly on the browser in which the tests are run, so the comparison can only be truly accurate on the same OS and browsers, and this is not always possible. In the case of devices running on operating system latest versions Android, we always try to use Google Chrome, although the results of the same tests in a standard browser (if the manufacturer leaves it in the firmware) are often better than in Chrome. In browser tests Samsung results Galaxy S4 mini, by the way, is very good - almost twice as good as last year's Google Nexus 4.

In the screenshots: test results in a standard browser

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it.

According to the testing results, the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, unlike its top-end compatriots Galaxy S4 or Galaxy S4 Active, was not equipped with all the necessary decoders, in this case audio decoders, which are necessary for full playback of most of the most common files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, even in it you will first have to change the settings, switching from hardware decoding to software or to a new mode called Hardware+(not supported by all smartphones), only then will sound appear. All results are summarized in a single table.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3	Hardware+
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	plays fine with decoder Hardware+	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	plays fine with decoder Hardware+	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹

¹ MX Video Player only played sound after switching to software decoding or a new mode Hardware+; The standard player does not have this setting

We didn’t find an MHL interface in this smartphone (in fact, the MHL adapter in the Samsung version couldn’t even be connected to this smartphone due to incompatible connectors), so we had to limit ourselves to testing video output on the device’s own screen using the standard player. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: Resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). The results of this test are summarized in the table:

File	Uniformity	Passes
Screen
watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4	not playable
watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4	Badly	a lot of
watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1280x720-60p.mp4	Fine	few
watch-1280x720-50p.mp4	Fine	few
watch-1280x720-30p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1280x720-25p.mp4	Fine	No
watch-1280x720-24p.mp4	Great	No

Note: If both the Uniformity and Dropout columns are rated green, this means that when watching movies, there will most likely be no or no amount of artifacts caused by frame spacing or dropouts visible. will not affect viewing comfort. "Red" marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

In terms of frame output, the playback quality of video files is very good, with the exception of “heavy” Full HD files with 50 and 60 fps. However, in any case, uniform alternation of frames is a relatively unstable state, since some external and internal background processes lead to periodic failure of the correct alternation of intervals between frames and even to the skipping of single frames. The brightness range displayed on the screen slightly does not correspond to the original one: in the shadows, a couple of shades of gray are indistinguishable from black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed (for video in the range 16-235). In general, if anyone wants to watch videos on such a small screen, they can do it without any problems.

Battery life

The capacity of the battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini is small by today's standards - 1900 mAh. But one should, of course, take into account the relatively small screen in size and resolution, as well as the size of the case itself, into which it would be difficult to fit a larger battery. As a result, the smartphone demonstrated very good durability battery life in popular modes of use: reading books, watching YouTube videos and playing 3D video games.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted 16 hours 35 minutes until the battery was completely discharged, and continuous viewing of videos from YouTube in high quality(HQ) with the same brightness level via home Wi-Fi network the device spent 12 hours 30 minutes - excellent indicators of a true long-liver. To a large extent, this was probably due to the small size of the screen compared to modern “shovels”. In game mode, the smartphone lasted a decent 4 hours and 25 minutes.

Bottom line

The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini smartphone has occupied an unusual and rather narrow niche in the mobile device market. On the one hand, he is burdened with the responsibility of his family affiliation with the highest, top family of the popular Korean brand. And the abbreviation S4 in its name, so to speak, obliges... On the other hand, given its modest performance and a lot of restrictive differences from a truly top-end model (lack of OTG, MHL, indicator light, stripped-down software, etc.), and besides If the external data is not too outstanding, you can easily find dozens of less famous devices on the mobile market with similar performance, more attractive appearance and rich functionality, but at a much lower price.

At this moment official price on the Galaxy S4 mini is set at 19,990 rubles - at least that’s what they are now asking in Svyaznoy stores for a model with support for two SIM cards. The “single-carrier” version of the smartphone, which we reviewed in today’s review, is not yet officially sold, and it can only be found from “gray”, uncertified supplies. However, the purchase price in this version will not be much lower: for the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini (GT-I9190) model they are now asking about 17 thousand rubles. Perhaps the official price of the model with support for one SIM card will drop a little when the device passes certification and officially reaches our market. But still the price will be around 15 thousand - no less. Is this device worth the price? Of course, this is a very inflated price. And 15 thousand is a bit much for a device with such characteristics, and I don’t even want to seriously think about 20 thousand. For that kind of money, the “mini” model can only be bought by an ardent fan of this brand, and even then by someone looking for something unusual. It seems that Samsung's price appetite has begun to grow faster than the popularity of its products. This brings to mind the sad thoughts that increasingly, not everyone, but only wealthy segments of the population, can consider purchasing products from this company for themselves. Did we think a couple of years ago that we would soon be talking about Samsung products like this?

Secret codes on Samsung Galaxy S4 allow you to access hidden menus and functions contained in the Galaxy S4. You won't find them in the traditional settings menu, of course. Using them, you can check the functionality of the equipment and the performance of the smartphone’s hardware. Using secret codes, you can conduct a vibration test on your smartphone and check its operation. various sensors(proximity sensor, accelerometer, magnetic sensor), speaker, camera, touch screen and etc.

Secret code for access to check the hardware capabilities of the Galaxy S4

Below is an example of using a secret code in Samsung Galaxy S4. If you have hardware problems with your Galaxy S4, you can do various tests with this code and find the reason.

To do this, follow these steps:

The first thing you should do is open the keyboard and enter the secret code *#0*# .
You will see a screen with many tests that you can use to check various hardware parts of the phone, such as sensors, speakers, screen, etc.
To return to home page use the "Back" button.

This is one of the ways to use the secret code in Samsung Galaxy S4. There are many other secret codes that exist in Galaxy S4.
Below is a list of secret codes. You can try it for yourself and see if the hidden code works or not.

List of Galaxy S4 secret codes

The following list are secret codes that have been tested to work on the Galaxy S4 and should work across the entire Galaxy line of devices.
*#0228# Battery status (RSSI reading,ADC).
*#0011# Service menu.
*#1234# Check the phone software version.
*#12580*369# Check software and hardware information.
*#7780# Reset to factory settings.
*2767*3855# Full reset to factory settings (do not dial the number if you have no problems).

Attention! All secret codes given are for informational purposes only, you use them at your own peril and risk! The site administration is not responsible for the possible consequences of your incorrect actions as a result of their use. If you don’t understand what you’re doing, it’s better not to enter or press anything on your smartphone.

If you know any more hidden secret codes, share them with other participants in the comments. Thank you.

I hope that the information in this article was useful and necessary for you.