The Galaxy S4 is the best selling Android ever with about 80 million units sold, thanks to the gorgeous large display at a time where more and more people were beginning to upgrade to the latest and greatest phones. Fun to look at 8 years later, and I'll make sure to get a Galaxy S3 video done soon! Join the discord! --- discord.io/91tech
I absolutely agree! I have had the s2,s4,s7,S10,s20 and the s4 was always my most favorite. My gf had a S1,s3,s8,s9 so I was able to try all those versions too.
My uncle still uses a Samsung Galaxy S4 in 2021 and he does not want to upgrade because he likes his Samsung Galaxy S4 so much in 2021 and it still going strong
@@22b_gc8 my uncle lives in india we dont have no carrier apps in india and he does not mind about the software features on his old phone and new apps in 2021 is still working and he did get the battery replaced and now he is happy with his phone so he doesn't want to upgrade his phone yet I think he will upgrade his phone in 2028
@@dondwane2270 yeah he is only doing it to save some money for our home and car insurance too in india so that's why he does not want a another phone because its expensive but still he still likes it in 2021
@@SukhwinderKaur-ty1nf i assume that his S4 might be running lollipop. And in about 3 years Lollipop will turn 10. I don't think it will be a smooth sailing till then, unless he uses it only for .... Calls.
The S4 was my first Samsung Android smartphone. I had other android phones, and other smartphones. This is also one of the few to have TWO modem radios. So you could use data and call on 3G!
IDC what others say. Here is my list of stuff I miss and want to see again: - Expandable Storage - IR Blaster - Removable Battery - Compact devices - No Notches or Punch holes - Headphone Jacks
I remember the S3 being the peak technological device. It blew my mind that it's competitors were able to play gta 3, a game that 10 years before needed a dedicated computing unit. And now I'm playing 3ds games on my s8.
For real. For me it was the note 2 and the xcover. I would go to tech stores and play on them for hours while my mom was shopping. I wanted one of those so bad. Never got them tho. They were just too expensive for eastern Europe at that time. I could get them now tho. I can’t find a good xcover tho. I want to custom rom it and use it as a work phone.
Maybe I’m just weird, but I still don’t understand this whole obsession with “it feels premium” when it comes to phones in the last 5 years or so. By now, pretty much everyone phone feels ridiculously uncomfortable to hold in the hand due to being huge slabs of metal and glass. I remember phones like the Moto X and Nexus 5 getting praised for their builds because they were actually comfortable to hold and companies/reviewers cared about ergonomics. I’d personally much rather have a phone that’s comfortable to hold and well build even if it isn’t metal. I feel like the conversation has shifted from “feels good in the hand” to “feels expensive” which I personally think is kinda dumb since you’re meant to hold these things , but that’s just me lol I’m probably the only one who feels that way
That’s honestly an interesting and fair comment. I think it partially comes down to people wanting the phone to feel like the amount of money they paid for it, and plastic for nearly as much as an iPhone back in the day definitely seemed a bit much to some. But I totally understand where you’re coming from here
I feel a premium phone should also cater to the ergonomics of it. A person should be enjoying the comfort as well as the premium look; but yes the whole conversation has shifted to looking expensive rather than being comfortable. They forget that there are people with small hands.
I try to think of it as both, but honestly even if metal is heavier and in some cases may not feel as comfortable as plastic, I just want my phone to be more durable so I value having a metal phone more. If metal phones could wirelessly charge and do everything else glass back phones can do, I would be very happy.
Yeah, i hate this glossy back trend. Not only you are required to baby the phone every time but it is almost impossible to maintain without a case or a skin. I don't care if it's plastic or glass unless I can use it without any worries.
Oh, I remember how I read about Samsung Galaxy S4 in some smartphone magazine and was so obsessed with getting one. I compared it with HTC One by specs in the same magazine and thought Samsung was clearly the winner: it had more Megapixels, more cores, better Antutu score... In the end, I never got one, but memories live till this day.
I still use mine. The reception is still good, as good as newer phones AFAIK. The camera is not "horrible". The pictures are good enough for casual use. Bloatware is of no consequence, use the useful and ignore the rest. Phone batteries generally don't last long but in my S4 are easily replaced. The rule about upgrades is "Unless an upgrade ENABLES a key function that could not be done before, don't! ". Newer phones, at best, only provide incremental improvements. I'm happy with mine. Cheers.
the air gestures were pretty gimmicky but I ABSOLUTELY LOVED how you could pick up phone calls with them. It was very useful when you were eating and had the phone lying on the table. Someone would call and you'd just do the motion gesture thingy and you could either reject the call or pick it up and it would automatically turn it on speaker. genuinely a cool feature. I also love how you could hover your hand over the device when it was turned off and it would light up and show you the time and notifications for a moment, much like how always-on displays work now. Some of the air gesture features were really cool!
The S4 was the first smartphone my grandmother accepted and used until recently (the phone died) and she still tells me how kuch she loved it. It truly was a legend of a device
Still rocking my S4 from 2013 as my only phone. This thing has been a boss. The IR blaster has came in handy for old TV's where the remote was lost. I've even controlled heat pumps with it. Have only replaced the battery once this whole time. Screen still mint without any burn in that I can see. Have been through a few screen protectors. More apps are now starting to drop Android 5, but 90% still support it surprisingly. Facebook, all the messaging and banking apps, youtube, netflix google maps and most everything are still supported and working fine. I'll probably install LineageOS when more apps ditch Android 5. Its performance still beats the heck out of the real cheap phones.
Loved this era of smartphones,i still have my S4 in it's original box in like new condition.The only downside to this and the S3 and S5 is that the shiny plastic frame would start to peel without a case and sometimes even with a case if it was a cheaper one
@Windows 10X It was an incredible looking phone, but I and many others had issues with it. My dad had to return his, mine died after barely using it 6 months. On top of that, the battery life was just awful all throughout its lifespan. I was having issues even day one. Upgraded to the 5S after.
I do still remember the time when my dad was getting a new phone for my mom back in 2013, and he asked me which Galaxy device he should get for my mom. The decision was between the Galaxy S2 or Galaxy S4, definitely the S4, the modern design and specs upgrade really sets it apart. But unfortunately the motherboard on the S4 died back in 2019, still loved that phone. 😢
One of the best galaxy S! Beautiful, compact, many features like battery replacement, ir blaster, gestures. I would like companies to make compact phones like this.
my older brother in India still uses a Samsung galaxy s4 in 2021 and he still likes it in and he is enjoying his phone and he use it with lineage os 18.1 and he did get the battery replaced and now its going strong in 2021 no need to upgrade for him :)
The s4 is still the most worth it samsung phone I have ever bought, great screen at that time, removable batt, sd car, lots of accessories available, not made out of glass, ROMS etc. It also had a Thermometer which I never thought Id use and would miss on my future phones.
Yeah no, the UI was absolute Trash even at the time, it looks ugly af, Snapdragon 600 + 16GB of internal storage + 2GB of RAM is absolutely pathetic for 2021 standards, hell even for 2016 standards its essentially crap lmao. Get your head out of your ass smartphones have come a long way since then.
@@Generationalwealth94 looks like you are the one who's head is in someones ass. And yea I already had upgraded 7 times since the s4 if thats what bothers you. Also sorry but the one that I had was not the base model s4.
@@hanekawayui5514 Okay, so what's your point? Smartphones really don't need SD card these days since internet plans keep getting better + even budget phones have 128GB and something like the Galaxy A32/A52 have FAR superior plastic builds compared to the S4 or even the S5. it was a great phone for it's time but smartphones really weren't very good at that point.
I think 4.7-5.2 inch screen is the perfect screen size for a smartphone. The fact that many phone screens are pushing 7” these days is freaking nuts! That’s literally the size of a small tablet!
my dads friend has an s3 and still uses it. He works for a telecom company. He has about 3 different battery banks that he carries around with him. His wife and children all have the latest iphones, but his phone is the most interesting by far.
Oh this phone was so much fun to mod, loved the custom ROMs that the big dev community made. Sucks that I got stuck with the Canadian model, where there were alot of incompatible ROMs
I have like 20 of the Sprint models I got from an auction a couple years ago, depending on what type of ROM it is most of it's pretty compatible and I actually have one S4 for every version of Android both stock and TouchWiz (Android 4-5 for TouchWiz and 4-11 for lineageOS/CyanogenMod)
I absolutely loved this phone when it came out in 2013. It was an awesome phone back then. One of the big reasons I loved it so much was that it replaced my absolutely horrible LG Revolution smartphone. I hated that phone. It was the buggiest, poorest running phone I ever owned with the worst battery life ever on a phone. The Samsung Galaxy S4 was breath of fresh air, and the first of three Galaxy S models I have owned. I currently look forward to upgrading to a Samsung GS21 Ultra as soon as I can.
my s4 felt so high tech back then. it was my first samsung phone and i loved how i could do a lot of things with it, including using it as a remote control for the TV, aircon, etc.
S1 and S2 aged like milk. By the time the S4 came out they were already old news pretty much. Compare it to these days where the S8 is still a pretty nice phone.
I remover my S4 being my second phone ever, and I fucking loved it. I got it used from my dad, and I had it for a few years, until the battery died. I miss that phone…
I had my s4 as my main phone from 2013 to 2020.. I replaced it with the Note 20 ultra.. It's absolutely a monster upgrade to what I'm used to, but the S4 I still use as a aux mp3 player with Spotify to play music to jam with on my drums... Solid phone for the time, and lasted YEARS
I said it last year, and I'll say it again. This phone is fantastic. Slap a custom ROM on it, and I'd even say that it's 100% usable if you need to, especially up to Android 9. Android 10 made it a little slower but it's still usable.
The S4 was my first flagship and back then, it was so fun to use. I hated all the bloatware but at least Samsung learned lessons from that. I used it until I was wowed by the HTC One M8
this was the best samsung phone i have EVER owned, and i've had the s, s2, s4, s6, s7, s9, and s20+ i do adore my s20+ but i sorely miss my headphone jack... ;; the only real issue i had with my s4 was the charging port got fucked up after a long time
My grandma still uses the easy mode of her older Samsung phone. It was super useful for her who just needs it to make calls and take some photos. It's a shame there isn't any similar 1st party option in newer phones, it could be a very appealing selling point
btw the samsung galaxy s4 is supported by Lineage OS, so you can install Android 11 on it, if you want. it's pretty snappy because Android 11 isn't any heavier than Android 5. Also plastic is the perfect material for a smartphone. If you drop it you can easily replace the parts that break (though plastic is also less likely to break than glass). I'm not sure if mentioning iPhones this much helps. IPhones and Android phones are really two different products: once you've invested in the Apple ecosystem leaving requires a colossal effort. The main competitors for the Samsung S4 were from companies like HTC.
@Weenie Hut Jr's I’m only listing a few, clash Royale, clash of clans, dragon mania legends, zombie catchers, faily brakes, steppy pants, sim city, and sims FreePlay!
I used this phone in the lates 2016's and it was awesome, back in the day it wasn't that bad, I remembered getting it back in 2014 and it was a beast along with the LG G2.
I was a fool and was unaware that walmart, sold these replacement batteries. I ended up buying a galaxy J200 or something like that as a replacement, it was the worst decision I ever made😅
24 seconds ago! Also before watching, my guess is that third party ROM's are mentioned to be used, as they improve the experience a huge amount. I did so on my old s5
Lineage OS is definitely a huge factor for keeping the S4 modern, although I doubt many would want to try to genuinely use the phone nowadays lol. Pretty cool phone though.
I'm actually still using one as a backup line (after that recent Verizon outage earlier). It was NOS in box, from Amazon. Although the battery is degrading, it still works even though VoLTE is mandated. $15 per month prepaid plan, unlocked. It still has Android 4.4, which IMO has a better UI and performance than 5.1 yours is running. I don't have any accounts linked to it for obvious reasons, but for basic tasks, such as calls, messages, and browsing, it works fine. Also doubles as an IR remote.
buy an external charger for it if you can find one they work great and come with a battery you can charge them seperate from the phone and swap in when one dies so you charge the dead one while the one you use is full
What I really like S4 is the air gesture. It is really great when the phone is docked or you have a dirty fingers. I really hope that some phone will implement this feature again....
I remember that! I had the regular version but I actually found the Black edition back cover on Amazon and used it on my phone. I even still have it and boot it up for some nostalgia
Yes! That was what I had, so much nicer than the regular S4, much more similar to the Note 3… Also the black wallpapers and sound were great, I even carried them on to the S7…
I remember when my mom got her's in 2013! It was a huge upgrade from her HTC Amaze that she had at the time and it was one of the first Android phones I ever personally used! I still have it and it runs decent on Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat!👍
The phone that got me off the apple. Been Samsung ever since. Miss the IR blaster and the Group play app that allowed you to play the same song over multiple samsung phones.
I remember first seeing the Note 3 release and was dying to get my hands on one of them. Now, I have a note 10 and never regretted purchasing it one bit. I love every aspect about this phone and I'm still learning from it. Edit: If you haven't as yet, please do a video like this on the Galaxy Note 3.
Great vid, the S4 was my 1st in the Samsung galaxy series which I 1st got in Nov 2013 and was my phone till March 2015. Tbh for its time it was a great phone def much better then my previous smart phone. It was fast, better battery life(not compared to recent smart phones like galaxy S10 or S20 but for the 2013-2014 era it was pretty good). I remember thinking when I 1st saw S4 and thinking "wow thats the biggest phone ive ever seen", my friends where even commenting about the size of that phone compared to say Iphone 4S for example. Even in the last few months of having the S4 in early 2015 it was still holding up pretty well. I ended up upgrading to a Note 4 just cause i was ready for a change plus due to for an upgrade so figured "why not". I currently use a S20 but it all started for me with the Samsung Galaxy Series almost 8 yrs ago with the S4 .
I used this phone on and off up to maybe 2016 but it was in a kinda rough place by then 😂 fantastic phone though. I remember once the Note 3 came out though I upgraded right away lol.
gave mine to my mom and it was used until late 2018 it still works but not in use since its so out of date but i miss the days when i never had to charge my phone and i had 3 batteries that could charge faster than i could use them and swap in 2 seconds
Honestly it depends so much on each individual seller it’s really impossible to test properly. I’d recommend finding one with a very good seller rating, or potentially an OEM battery if possible as they’re typically best
@@91Tech That's the biggest problem with eBay batteries but usually the model numbers are identical in performance. How long does the new battery last on that S4 running RUclips all day?
@@gvi341984 don't do it. I've bought many "new" batteries for my Galaxy Note 4 and they're bad if not worse than the battery I swapped out. The battery still drains very fast and I barely noticed a difference. I mean Im pretty sure these "new" batteries were also made the same year that these smartphones came out which was a long time ago and they have degraded as well.
This was my first ever phone to use way back in 2015 my father bought this as my graduation gift and still one of the best gift i’ve ever had now my phone is nowhere to find and I hope I can bring back those times.
The software maybe old but compared to iphones the old software can still get 90% of apps used daily by most people. And if not you can sideload APKs or as you said you can rom it. Granted I'm not saying it can be used day to day but as a spare phone it is definitely a compelling option
I got the S4 Black Edition! Better build with leathery and awesome selection of black theme wallpaper! But still wishing its a google play edition with stock android! Got awesome feature like able to measuring surrounding temperature and humidity. Sadly it get hot for no reason when using. Broke it after a year of use. Still an awesome phone!
I know, Some people missed stuff that in this year already Gone. Like: No Notch or Punch Hole Display Audio jack Compact Size Ir Blaster and more But in my opinion, today is about up to date. Stuff that I mentioned above feel obsolete for today
Mine is still working! The charging port had to be replaced a couple of times, and it needs a new battery but the amoled screen is still gorgeous! I use it to play music / RUclips in the background.
@@carlsouthern I use it for calling texting playing among us and do other basics too on my phone and watch videos and take photos also Web browsing on lineage os on my Samsung galaxy s4 that's what I use on my primary phone
Absolutely loved this phone back in the day. Really wish it could have held up these days, as when I was shopping for my current phone, the nostalgia of the s4 had me seriously looking into the newest Galaxy flagship. In the end, I went with the v60 thinq, and I'm glad I did
I still think the S5 was one of the best galaxy phones ever sold. Waterproofing with a changeable battery, IR blaster, SD card, MHL support, it had alot packed into it
Ah, the good old days of smartphones, when every new one was exciting. Now they're all exactly the same and I just can't get excited for them, especially since they're all just giant phablets now.
Yea I have to keep reminding myself my phones perfectly fine and I’m not missing out on anything because phones are all the same. I say this because I used to really love tech as a hobby until the later years
I would love a Galaxy Basic or Galaxy Retro that imitated the older body styles. I mean, a home button may be a downgrade to some, I know people clinging to buggy, dying phones due to having home and back buttons on their S6/7 It would be great for seniors. Pack in Easy Mode and a feel that feels like an older Galaxy but works and runs like a modern phone.
The Galaxy S4 is the best selling Android ever with about 80 million units sold, thanks to the gorgeous large display at a time where more and more people were beginning to upgrade to the latest and greatest phones. Fun to look at 8 years later, and I'll make sure to get a Galaxy S3 video done soon!
Join the discord! --- discord.io/91tech
Hi 91tech can you do a OldOS app review?
Nice review as always, any interest in doing this type of video on older Xperia's? Would be nice too.
@@e.n85784 the first versions had 600 and exynos counter parts, the newer models (LTE-A) korean versions had Sd800.
Me right here amd it was my last samsung flagship
The phone was best at the time, i don't what is the big issue about the plastic is about
"It's not 2013 anymore"
Me, watching this on my s4: Wait really?
Doesn't matter, I still use a Galaxy Note 4 as a secondary device
at least y’all get to say “i’m rockin a flagship”
I inherited my galaxy s4 from my sister
@Sarp Yılmaz my s5's 3g capability sucks now! Too slow! Yours working fine still?? Its also laggy now,one day I'll try installing a custom rom
How's the S4? I just got a new phone, before this I used the S2. It was a pain. Managed to slap Android 7 LineageOS on it, but it ran horribly slow...
Out of all of the Samsung Galaxy Devices that I have owned, the Galaxy S4 was my all-time favorite. I sure wish that I could use it today.
Same, i bought the galaxy s4 in 2016
@@hisyamyahya8 I sure wish that it could still be used today.
And them Samsung went backwards up with the S5. Thicker bezels than the S4, why? Luckily they fixed that with the S6.
@@ARUclipsChannelwithNoName i think because of water resistance
You can...
This phone used to be the envy, the talk of the town back when I started high school.
Yesss
no it wasn't. Everyone wanted Iphones
@@Aj-me8mo not in his country. Most of the world isnt really big in iPhones at all
@@StarmenRock It's mostly UK and USA where you'll find the most Apple fans.
@@avillagerplayingminecraft5833 exactly, and for some reason that is really ironic and hilarious
I had almost every Galaxy S (2,3,4,5,7,9) but my sweet spot as always been the S4. Those 1920x1080 pixels in 2013 were awesome.
I absolutely agree! I have had the s2,s4,s7,S10,s20 and the s4 was always my most favorite. My gf had a S1,s3,s8,s9 so I was able to try all those versions too.
I had S2 S3 S5 S8 S10 and I kinda feel like i missed something magnificent by skipping S4.
My S4 stopped accepting sim card. So i'm buying a new old stock S4.
@@flybobbie1449 i had this issue too, use a q-tip and some isopropyl alcohol to fix it.
@@regav62 You know nevber thought to try and clean contacts.
My uncle still uses a Samsung Galaxy S4 in 2021 and he does not want to upgrade because he likes his Samsung Galaxy S4 so much in 2021 and it still going strong
Well soon enough his carrier or the apps he might use will make him upgrade.
WOW THAT'S AWESOME HE
SAVED LOADS OF MONEY
BY NOT HAVING TO BUY NEW
PHONES ALL THAT TIME AND I WISH I COULD HAVE
BEEN THAT WISE 👍
@@22b_gc8 my uncle lives in india we dont have no carrier apps in india and he does not mind about the software features on his old phone and new apps in 2021 is still working and he did get the battery replaced and now he is happy with his phone so he doesn't want to upgrade his phone yet I think he will upgrade his phone in 2028
@@dondwane2270 yeah he is only doing it to save some money for our home and car insurance too in india so that's why he does not want a another phone because its expensive but still he still likes it in 2021
@@SukhwinderKaur-ty1nf i assume that his S4 might be running lollipop. And in about 3 years Lollipop will turn 10. I don't think it will be a smooth sailing till then, unless he uses it only for .... Calls.
The S4 was my first Samsung Android smartphone. I had other android phones, and other smartphones. This is also one of the few to have TWO modem radios. So you could use data and call on 3G!
oh yeah. back then you couldnt use data and call together. so wild to think about it now
IDC what others say.
Here is my list of stuff I miss and want to see again:
- Expandable Storage
- IR Blaster
- Removable Battery
- Compact devices
- No Notches or Punch holes
- Headphone Jacks
Same, for the removable battery part I truly miss, I always have kept my lucky 2$ bill there for you know luck, now I'm hiding it in my phone case
Some Xiaomi phones still have IR 😬
@@Novistador96 ugh who wants to buy a Huawei or Xiaomi…
@@samuelsciranka8820 here in southeast asia Xiaomi is one of the best-selling android smartphone alongside with Realme :)
I remember the S3 being the peak technological device.
It blew my mind that it's competitors were able to play gta 3, a game that 10 years before needed a dedicated computing unit.
And now I'm playing 3ds games on my s8.
It's even crazier if you think about the fact that the newest flagship phones are way faster than the PS4 pro! It just blows my mind
For real. For me it was the note 2 and the xcover. I would go to tech stores and play on them for hours while my mom was shopping. I wanted one of those so bad. Never got them tho. They were just too expensive for eastern Europe at that time. I could get them now tho. I can’t find a good xcover tho. I want to custom rom it and use it as a work phone.
Maybe I’m just weird, but I still don’t understand this whole obsession with “it feels premium” when it comes to phones in the last 5 years or so. By now, pretty much everyone phone feels ridiculously uncomfortable to hold in the hand due to being huge slabs of metal and glass. I remember phones like the Moto X and Nexus 5 getting praised for their builds because they were actually comfortable to hold and companies/reviewers cared about ergonomics. I’d personally much rather have a phone that’s comfortable to hold and well build even if it isn’t metal. I feel like the conversation has shifted from “feels good in the hand” to “feels expensive” which I personally think is kinda dumb since you’re meant to hold these things , but that’s just me lol I’m probably the only one who feels that way
That’s honestly an interesting and fair comment. I think it partially comes down to people wanting the phone to feel like the amount of money they paid for it, and plastic for nearly as much as an iPhone back in the day definitely seemed a bit much to some. But I totally understand where you’re coming from here
I feel a premium phone should also cater to the ergonomics of it. A person should be enjoying the comfort as well as the premium look; but yes the whole conversation has shifted to looking expensive rather than being comfortable. They forget that there are people with small hands.
I try to think of it as both, but honestly even if metal is heavier and in some cases may not feel as comfortable as plastic, I just want my phone to be more durable so I value having a metal phone more. If metal phones could wirelessly charge and do everything else glass back phones can do, I would be very happy.
Why would i pay $1000 for plastic?
Yeah, i hate this glossy back trend. Not only you are required to baby the phone every time but it is almost impossible to maintain without a case or a skin. I don't care if it's plastic or glass unless I can use it without any worries.
Oh, I remember how I read about Samsung Galaxy S4 in some smartphone magazine and was so obsessed with getting one. I compared it with HTC One by specs in the same magazine and thought Samsung was clearly the winner: it had more Megapixels, more cores, better Antutu score... In the end, I never got one, but memories live till this day.
Though both phones use the same processor, the snapdragon 600, which at the time was a high end processor.
@@MsMRkv I mean the Exynos version as it was the only one in my region.
I had the htc one back in the day. What an absolutely amazing phone. Build quality was stunning and I still miss those front facing speakers...
I didn’t the same thing but was going to get the HTC one but they didn’t have it in red when I went to the store so I got the S4. Ahhh middle school.
100, I was just the hdjxjmehxiuf
My Dad used it so hard that the motherboard burnt out
@Windows 10X yep
same, mine died a few years ago from the same problem, i miss that thing...
most s4 get mobo burned because of low free storage
same. mine boots up stays on the Samsung logo for less than a minute then just turns off again. i have all my old art on that phone 🥲
same, but for me its the battery too
i only switcj when they released the S6
I still use mine. The reception is still good, as good as newer phones AFAIK. The camera is not "horrible". The pictures are good enough for casual use. Bloatware is of no consequence, use the useful and ignore the rest. Phone batteries generally don't last long but in my S4 are easily replaced. The rule about upgrades is "Unless an upgrade ENABLES a key function that could not be done before, don't! ". Newer phones, at best, only provide incremental improvements. I'm happy with mine. Cheers.
the air gestures were pretty gimmicky but I ABSOLUTELY LOVED how you could pick up phone calls with them. It was very useful when you were eating and had the phone lying on the table. Someone would call and you'd just do the motion gesture thingy and you could either reject the call or pick it up and it would automatically turn it on speaker. genuinely a cool feature.
I also love how you could hover your hand over the device when it was turned off and it would light up and show you the time and notifications for a moment, much like how always-on displays work now.
Some of the air gesture features were really cool!
The S4 was the first smartphone my grandmother accepted and used until recently (the phone died) and she still tells me how kuch she loved it. It truly was a legend of a device
And it's still one of my favorite phones ever.
Still rocking my S4 from 2013 as my only phone. This thing has been a boss. The IR blaster has came in handy for old TV's where the remote was lost. I've even controlled heat pumps with it.
Have only replaced the battery once this whole time.
Screen still mint without any burn in that I can see. Have been through a few screen protectors.
More apps are now starting to drop Android 5, but 90% still support it surprisingly. Facebook, all the messaging and banking apps, youtube, netflix google maps and most everything are still supported and working fine. I'll probably install LineageOS when more apps ditch Android 5.
Its performance still beats the heck out of the real cheap phones.
Using Note 4 on Android 6 and feel same way. I don't know why, but I love old Samsung TouchWiz sooooo much.
i am using samsung a5 2014
i use this phone call ,youtube,chrome etc
Loved this era of smartphones,i still have my S4 in it's original box in like new condition.The only downside to this and the S3 and S5 is that the shiny plastic frame would start to peel without a case and sometimes even with a case if it was a cheaper one
I'm glad you kept the music for 91 Tech intro.
The S4 was truly an amazing device when it came around. I remember regretting the purchase of my IPhone 4S when I saw how cool this thing was!
@Windows 10X It was an incredible looking phone, but I and many others had issues with it. My dad had to return his, mine died after barely using it 6 months. On top of that, the battery life was just awful all throughout its lifespan. I was having issues even day one. Upgraded to the 5S after.
@Windows 10X Galaxy S2 was better
@@androidoneiu5206 your name is wrong its UI not IU
@@ChrisRaptisMGS_Greece yes I know
This phone is so nostalgic this reminds me of my dads phone back in live 2013 📱
Great phone! Oh and great filming keep up the good work!
I do still remember the time when my dad was getting a new phone for my mom back in 2013, and he asked me which Galaxy device he should get for my mom. The decision was between the Galaxy S2 or Galaxy S4, definitely the S4, the modern design and specs upgrade really sets it apart. But unfortunately the motherboard on the S4 died back in 2019, still loved that phone. 😢
My mother still uses hers and when I go back to help with it it's crazy to see how much time has helped technology
One of the best galaxy S! Beautiful, compact, many features like battery replacement, ir blaster, gestures. I would like companies to make compact phones like this.
Will the infrared work with any television?
14:10 crazy how they brought that back lol
It was Flagship Phone back in 2013. And my Phone's Specifications almost identical with Galaxy S4
Damn, that's rough.
maybe your current processor has more cores, is more power efficient and optimised for later versions of Android and the battery is newer
@@cabbageroll3 lol i have j3 2018 but they didn't change the specs at all still same as yours 😔
my older brother in India still uses a Samsung galaxy s4 in 2021 and he still likes it in and he is enjoying his phone and he use it with lineage os 18.1 and he did get the battery replaced and now its going strong in 2021 no need to upgrade for him :)
Very good
The s4 is still the most worth it samsung phone I have ever bought, great screen at that time, removable batt, sd car, lots of accessories available, not made out of glass, ROMS etc. It also had a Thermometer which I never thought Id use and would miss on my future phones.
Yeah no, the UI was absolute Trash even at the time, it looks ugly af, Snapdragon 600 + 16GB of internal storage + 2GB of RAM is absolutely pathetic for 2021 standards, hell even for 2016 standards its essentially crap lmao. Get your head out of your ass smartphones have come a long way since then.
@@Generationalwealth94 looks like you are the one who's head is in someones ass. And yea I already had upgraded 7 times since the s4 if thats what bothers you. Also sorry but the one that I had was not the base model s4.
@@hanekawayui5514 Okay, so what's your point? Smartphones really don't need SD card these days since internet plans keep getting better + even budget phones have 128GB and something like the Galaxy A32/A52 have FAR superior plastic builds compared to the S4 or even the S5. it was a great phone for it's time but smartphones really weren't very good at that point.
@@Generationalwealth94 "at that time", sorry I have no time arguing about old phones vs latest budget phones. Have a nice day.
@@hanekawayui5514 😂😂😂
I think 4.7-5.2 inch screen is the perfect screen size for a smartphone. The fact that many phone screens are pushing 7” these days is freaking nuts! That’s literally the size of a small tablet!
@@Carahato it’s weird because on phones that are all screen and very slim bezels, the smaller screen phones feel too small.
@@Carahato It could be. Some of those cases (Otterbox defender, etc) are pretty bulky and add extra size to the phone
@@Carahato Ahh, nice
I remember when I had this phone and then got the 5s a few months later because it had touch ID
Hi leafinflames I like your tech videos
5s is my current phone
@@azfnation5286 I only made one and it wasnt good
It's amazing to see how far phones have come in 8 years
my dads friend has an s3 and still uses it. He works for a telecom company. He has about 3 different battery banks that he carries around with him. His wife and children all have the latest iphones, but his phone is the most interesting by far.
must be painful to use in 2021 lol
I had an S4 and it was one of the best phones I ever owned. Absolutely fell in love with it back in 2013. I had an iPhone 4 before upgrading to my S4.
Damn i remember back in the day , i wanted this phone so bad , now i have a s8+
The s8s had such a bad burn in problem
Still having this device and still better than most cheap phones!
It’s not 2013 anymore and I’m not in my late teens. Feels strange. Life feels slower after 20 but time passes faster.
I still use my s4 and still loving it
Oh this phone was so much fun to mod, loved the custom ROMs that the big dev community made. Sucks that I got stuck with the Canadian model, where there were alot of incompatible ROMs
I have like 20 of the Sprint models I got from an auction a couple years ago, depending on what type of ROM it is most of it's pretty compatible and I actually have one S4 for every version of Android both stock and TouchWiz (Android 4-5 for TouchWiz and 4-11 for lineageOS/CyanogenMod)
there's GPE edition too which is hella dope
I absolutely loved this phone when it came out in 2013. It was an awesome phone back then. One of the big reasons I loved it so much was that it replaced my absolutely horrible LG Revolution smartphone. I hated that phone. It was the buggiest, poorest running phone I ever owned with the worst battery life ever on a phone. The Samsung Galaxy S4 was breath of fresh air, and the first of three Galaxy S models I have owned. I currently look forward to upgrading to a Samsung GS21 Ultra as soon as I can.
I'd really love to see a Note 9 in 2021 video! I still have mine from launch and it is seriously still a powerhouse that it was when it launched!
Currently watching this video on my note 9. 3/24/2022
my s4 felt so high tech back then. it was my first samsung phone and i loved how i could do a lot of things with it, including using it as a remote control for the TV, aircon, etc.
Do you have access to an iphone 2G or galaxy S2? If so I'd love to see a 2021 video about them!
There's one about the iPhone 2g
I have a galaxy S2 that I got from somewhere with a brand new screen but it did not come with a battery.
S1 and S2 aged like milk. By the time the S4 came out they were already old news pretty much. Compare it to these days where the S8 is still a pretty nice phone.
@@Generationalwealth94 i have a galaxy s1. it aged even worse than milk
My brother had this phone and it was great for its time
I remover my S4 being my second phone ever, and I fucking loved it. I got it used from my dad, and I had it for a few years, until the battery died. I miss that phone…
I had my s4 as my main phone from 2013 to 2020.. I replaced it with the Note 20 ultra.. It's absolutely a monster upgrade to what I'm used to, but the S4 I still use as a aux mp3 player with Spotify to play music to jam with on my drums... Solid phone for the time, and lasted YEARS
I said it last year, and I'll say it again. This phone is fantastic. Slap a custom ROM on it, and I'd even say that it's 100% usable if you need to, especially up to Android 9. Android 10 made it a little slower but it's still usable.
The S4 was my first flagship and back then, it was so fun to use. I hated all the bloatware but at least Samsung learned lessons from that. I used it until I was wowed by the HTC One M8
this was the best samsung phone i have EVER owned, and i've had the s, s2, s4, s6, s7, s9, and s20+
i do adore my s20+ but i sorely miss my headphone jack... ;; the only real issue i had with my s4 was the charging port got fucked up after a long time
My grandma still uses the easy mode of her older Samsung phone. It was super useful for her who just needs it to make calls and take some photos. It's a shame there isn't any similar 1st party option in newer phones, it could be a very appealing selling point
A classic. Unfortunately you can’t get Lineage if you have a locked bootloader
I think i rooted my Samsung galaxy s4 and installed TWRP then I changed the stock ROM to lineageos android 10 that's how OP Samsung Galaxy s4 is lol
@@blazeehd6164 Unfortunately i cant because AT&T locked my bootloader
Exactly the same is happening with my galaxy S8
You don't need it.
You could use it normally to male basically everything in Android 4.3 or 4.4.
2013 era is really best phone era damn i still remember how people used to compare iphone 5s vs samsung s4 vs htc one m7,now htc is dead
I'm watching this on a S5 which is still my everyday phone!
With lineageOS it is still very good to use, got one too as „side-phone“
I want too
btw the samsung galaxy s4 is supported by Lineage OS, so you can install Android 11 on it, if you want. it's pretty snappy because Android 11 isn't any heavier than Android 5.
Also plastic is the perfect material for a smartphone. If you drop it you can easily replace the parts that break (though plastic is also less likely to break than glass).
I'm not sure if mentioning iPhones this much helps. IPhones and Android phones are really two different products: once you've invested in the Apple ecosystem leaving requires a colossal effort. The main competitors for the Samsung S4 were from companies like HTC.
Ik it's an Android video, but Man o man the slate black 5 still looks gorgeous.
Yup yup. Only knock was the scuffgate. But if had no scuffs and looked brand new, then it looked amazing. Best iPhone design ever.
My favorite phone of all time. Something about the S4 makes it magical, I don't know how to describe this.
now i want a s4
I had the S5 and remember being amazed at its crazy tech and huge AMOLED screen!
i played a lot of mobile games on this phone when i was younger, i miss it
@Weenie Hut Jr's I’m only listing a few, clash Royale, clash of clans, dragon mania legends, zombie catchers, faily brakes, steppy pants, sim city, and sims FreePlay!
Tech youtubers now: Iphone 13
this guy: Samsung Galaxy S4 in 2021
respect.
I legit held on to my s4 since launch, I eventually upgraded to an s21 later. I was MORE than due for an upgrade.
Do you like your S21?
@@grxgghxrpxr Of course! I'd be lying if I said I didn't.
I used this phone in the lates 2016's and it was awesome, back in the day it wasn't that bad, I remembered getting it back in 2014 and it was a beast along with the LG G2.
Samsung s3 was my first smart phone then I switched to apple iPhone 📲 both great smart phones!
You will switch back to android again
@@pacificseventy2596 how do u know what he will do? Maybe ios does everything he needs ?
I remember i had this and i went out to get that extra battery/battery pack and i remember how easy it was to switch out batteries.
I was a fool and was unaware that walmart, sold these replacement batteries. I ended up buying a galaxy J200 or something like that as a replacement, it was the worst decision I ever made😅
24 seconds ago! Also before watching, my guess is that third party ROM's are mentioned to be used, as they improve the experience a huge amount. I did so on my old s5
Lineage OS is definitely a huge factor for keeping the S4 modern, although I doubt many would want to try to genuinely use the phone nowadays lol. Pretty cool phone though.
@@91Tech I certainly wouldn't rather have an S4 over my S9 🤣
I'm actually still using one as a backup line (after that recent Verizon outage earlier). It was NOS in box, from Amazon. Although the battery is degrading, it still works even though VoLTE is mandated. $15 per month prepaid plan, unlocked. It still has Android 4.4, which IMO has a better UI and performance than 5.1 yours is running. I don't have any accounts linked to it for obvious reasons, but for basic tasks, such as calls, messages, and browsing, it works fine. Also doubles as an IR remote.
buy an external charger for it if you can find one they work great and come with a battery you can charge them seperate from the phone and swap in when one dies so you charge the dead one while the one you use is full
The best thing is that if you would compare S4 display to one fitted in the iPhone 11, Galaxy S4's one would be a winner
How can you say it if you say if you would?
@@AlexLaslau what
but in what factors?
@@jeja6801 Resolution, contrast, colour reproduction.
@@rwbmal yikes bestie the way you’ve never seen either screen in person 💀💀💀
What I really like S4 is the air gesture. It is really great when the phone is docked or you have a dirty fingers. I really hope that some phone will implement this feature again....
You forgot to mention the special black edition which came with that sort of leather back panel and deeper black bezels
I remember that! I had the regular version but I actually found the Black edition back cover on Amazon and used it on my phone. I even still have it and boot it up for some nostalgia
Yes! That was what I had, so much nicer than the regular S4, much more similar to the Note 3… Also the black wallpapers and sound were great, I even carried them on to the S7…
I remember when my mom got her's in 2013! It was a huge upgrade from her HTC Amaze that she had at the time and it was one of the first Android phones I ever personally used! I still have it and it runs decent on Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat!👍
The phone that got me off the apple. Been Samsung ever since. Miss the IR blaster and the Group play app that allowed you to play the same song over multiple samsung phones.
Group video too
I remember first seeing the Note 3 release and was dying to get my hands on one of them. Now, I have a note 10 and never regretted purchasing it one bit. I love every aspect about this phone and I'm still learning from it.
Edit: If you haven't as yet, please do a video like this on the Galaxy Note 3.
It's always been strange to me how much better the s4 looks compared to the s5. Really want to know what happened there.
Ip67 happened
@@MsMRkv adding rubberized rings doesn't explain why they made it square and gave it a bandaid texture.
Great vid, the S4 was my 1st in the Samsung galaxy series which I 1st got in Nov 2013 and was my phone till March 2015. Tbh for its time it was a great phone def much better then my previous smart phone. It was fast, better battery life(not compared to recent smart phones like galaxy S10 or S20 but for the 2013-2014 era it was pretty good). I remember thinking when I 1st saw S4 and thinking "wow thats the biggest phone ive ever seen", my friends where even commenting about the size of that phone compared to say Iphone 4S for example. Even in the last few months of having the S4 in early 2015 it was still holding up pretty well. I ended up upgrading to a Note 4 just cause i was ready for a change plus due to for an upgrade so figured "why not". I currently use a S20 but it all started for me with the Samsung Galaxy Series almost 8 yrs ago with the S4 .
I used this phone on and off up to maybe 2016 but it was in a kinda rough place by then 😂 fantastic phone though. I remember once the Note 3 came out though I upgraded right away lol.
gave mine to my mom and it was used until late 2018 it still works but not in use since its so out of date but i miss the days when i never had to charge my phone and i had 3 batteries that could charge faster than i could use them and swap in 2 seconds
I actually kept using a Galaxy S4 as my main phone for 6 years, until a week ago!
S3, s8 and s10 has the best design till this day.
gold s6 edge+
@@trillmixin6999 yes i forgot about s6 edge +. The first implementation of double edge screen and yes it's beautiful phone.
@@trillmixin6999 yes i forgot about s6 edge +. The first implementation of double edge screen and yes it's beautiful phone.
My cousin uses still uses this before upgrading to iPhone 11
Will you ever test the longevity of these ebay batteries? Would love to see how well they do a not a lot of video exist in testing
Honestly it depends so much on each individual seller it’s really impossible to test properly. I’d recommend finding one with a very good seller rating, or potentially an OEM battery if possible as they’re typically best
@@91Tech That's the biggest problem with eBay batteries but usually the model numbers are identical in performance.
How long does the new battery last on that S4 running RUclips all day?
@@gvi341984 don't do it. I've bought many "new" batteries for my Galaxy Note 4 and they're bad if not worse than the battery I swapped out. The battery still drains very fast and I barely noticed a difference. I mean Im pretty sure these "new" batteries were also made the same year that these smartphones came out which was a long time ago and they have degraded as well.
This was my first ever phone to use way back in 2015 my father bought this as my graduation gift and still one of the best gift i’ve ever had now my phone is nowhere to find and I hope I can bring back those times.
everyone has one of these in their drawer or cupboard
The software maybe old but compared to iphones the old software can still get 90% of apps used daily by most people. And if not you can sideload APKs or as you said you can rom it. Granted I'm not saying it can be used day to day but as a spare phone it is definitely a compelling option
ill never missing this phone :D
I got the S4 Black Edition! Better build with leathery and awesome selection of black theme wallpaper! But still wishing its a google play edition with stock android! Got awesome feature like able to measuring surrounding temperature and humidity. Sadly it get hot for no reason when using. Broke it after a year of use. Still an awesome phone!
I know, Some people missed stuff that in this year already Gone. Like:
No Notch or Punch Hole Display
Audio jack
Compact Size
Ir Blaster and more
But in my opinion, today is about up to date. Stuff that I mentioned above feel obsolete for today
S9 is best for it
Mine is still working! The charging port had to be replaced a couple of times, and it needs a new battery but the amoled screen is still gorgeous! I use it to play music / RUclips in the background.
I'm still using the Samsung galaxy S4 in 2021 with lineage os 18.1 android 11 on my Samsung Galaxy S4 in 2021 so I don't need to upgrade
Just out of curiosity, is it your primary device? If so what do you do with it?
@@carlsouthern I use it for calling texting playing among us and do other basics too on my phone and watch videos and take photos also Web browsing on lineage os on my Samsung galaxy s4 that's what I use on my primary phone
You use the exynos variant right?
@@baoquoc3710 yes I do I have an exynos model of the Samsung galaxy S4
Absolutely loved this phone back in the day. Really wish it could have held up these days, as when I was shopping for my current phone, the nostalgia of the s4 had me seriously looking into the newest Galaxy flagship. In the end, I went with the v60 thinq, and I'm glad I did
Using the Samsung Galaxy S1 in 2021
I still think the S5 was one of the best galaxy phones ever sold. Waterproofing with a changeable battery, IR blaster, SD card, MHL support, it had alot packed into it
Ah, the good old days of smartphones, when every new one was exciting. Now they're all exactly the same and I just can't get excited for them, especially since they're all just giant phablets now.
Yea I have to keep reminding myself my phones perfectly fine and I’m not missing out on anything because phones are all the same. I say this because I used to really love tech as a hobby until the later years
I brought a new phone few days ago, for the 1st time in maybe 7-8 years, i don't have a boring black phone!
Nowadays you just need to depend on specs that you need
God, this phone reminds me how much I really want that removable back... back.
I'd rather prefer a lighter plastic phone tbh...
But the frame should be real metal.
Like the Galaxy note 4.
@@-ThatGuy- Yeah!
@@-ThatGuy-if you hold on the hands of the s20 fe, note 20 or s21, i'm sure you will change your mind.
Custom rom and it's a great compact phone.I love the original IPhone se,but I miss the drag and drop file system
🙂 back when Samsung phones had a physical home button
Josh’s thumbnails make any old device look tempting to buy 🤣
Nice B-roll!
I would love a Galaxy Basic or Galaxy Retro that imitated the older body styles. I mean, a home button may be a downgrade to some, I know people clinging to buggy, dying phones due to having home and back buttons on their S6/7
It would be great for seniors. Pack in Easy Mode and a feel that feels like an older Galaxy but works and runs like a modern phone.
oh, my S4 has Lineage OS 18
1000th comment!!! Besides that I'm watching this on my s4 right now Great video Dude!
I am using my old s4, well trying to on wifi. It is sooooo sloooooow, any ideas how to help. Plus can not get twitter on it