Samsung GALAXY S4 ‘Mama Review’ with TELUS

Personal Device

It was almost 3 years ago when I got my first smart phone a Samsung GALAXY S. Samsung GALAXY line-up was fairly new to the market and at the time had a very promising feature ahead. As technology changes daily my old GALAXY S quickly seemed to feel like I was being limited. Samsung has come along way and today I hold a new Samsung GALAXY S4 powered on the TELUS’ 4G LTE wireless network. And it has changed my world.

S4 Appearance

My first impression of the GALAXY S4 is the size of the screen, which meant I no longer needed to squint to read the fine print. The Samsung GALAXY S4 shows a brilliant 5” Full 1080p HD Super AMOLED screen with a slim bezel that maximizes your screen’s real estate. The GALAXY S4 5” smartphone fits in my pocket and is not as awkward as I expected when a call comes through to hold to my ear. The colours on the 5″ screen compared to my original GALAXY S are incredibly crisp and clear. Samsung GALAXY S4 comes with the option of having black or white. Personally, I love the white which gives my smart phone a pop in my black wallet case.

Glancing at the S4

Samsung GALAXY S4 is android based which gives me comfort and familiarity because my tablet is also Android based. Setting up my Samsung GALAXY S4 was effortless, good thing mama is always short on time. Once I logged into my Samsung account (which I forgot I had) it quickly carried over the contacts I had saved to my original GLAXAY S. Note to self: Be sure to save contacts to the actual smartphone not the SIM card. This makes switching between phones smooth. I did lose a few contacts who were saved on my SIM Card because I switched carriers. 

I have been extremely impressed with the battery life of the Samsung GALAXY S4. The battery life of the GALAXY S4 seems to take me through my day from beginning to end without plugging in. My typical day with my Samsung GALAXY S4 includes, social media tweets, camera snaps of my busy children, email checks, a quick children’s game (for them not me), texting between play dates and a call or two. Having the confidence that when I am on the road I will have enough battery juice to get me threw my day, makes a worry-less day and to me is pure success.

S Apps

Samsung GALAXY S4 comes with some new apps (to me) that I personally found made my life easier. We know the importance of making mom’s life easier. Happy mom = happy family!

• The Story Album allows to you to see your picture gallery through albums. I love having memories from our adventures right there in front of me. I find myself lost in time scrolling though them. Being lost in time well smiling over your family, is a good thing to be lost doing.
• S Travel allows you to pick a location and view hot spots to eat, stay and adventures to book. It is our dream and goal to travel as a family. With apps like S Travel I can dream and list the possibilities with the swipe of the screen.
• The S Health feature allows you to track your workouts, calorie intake, and weight levels to lead a healthier lifestyle. Which will be prefect for all the New Year’s resolutions that will be kicking into high gear in the weeks to come. Including mine to make health my number one priority for my whole family. S Health is always in my face which makes me accountable.
• S Planner has been helping me achieve my goal of getting organized. Allowing me to send calendar tasks to my family, also setting reminders that notify me right from my phone. Making lists and memos has never been easier with S Planner. I can cross of my lists as I go with the tip of my finger. See picture to the right. I am in love with this app!

Say Cheese!

Samsung GALAXY S4 camera comes with a flash in comparison to my original GLAXAY S this is life changing. Although I have a wonderful Canon camera which I love to break out and capture my children with. Having a camera with a flash on my smartphone to grab a moments notice is priceless. Samsung GALAXY S4 camera comes with some new features you maybe interested in.

• Dual Shot lets you snap a photo of what’s in front of you and a photo of yourself at the same time, so you can share what you see and your reaction in the same photo. This feature I find fun, but at the same time not a feature I will use often if any. My reaction behind the lens is usually comical and I understand this is the point. But not the comical I am willing to share.
• With Drama Shot, the camera takes a sequence of action photos, then strings them together into a single picture, letting you tell an entire story with a single photo. I love this feature. My four children are always on the run and my house is as busy as it gets. Capturing a string of pictures is very comical but at the same time pulls my heart-strings.
• And with Eraser Shot, you can remove background elements and unwanted intruders from your photos. With four kids I find this feature really helpful. Capturing them in action is rewarding but at times someone always pops in the frame to share the spot light.

Overall, I am extremely impressed with the pictures I have snapped from my Samsung GALAXY S4. Having a camera in my pocket makes capturing those off the grid moments in a flash, simple.

Getting to know my Samsung GALAXY S4 has been a very positive experience for me. There is still so much to learn on the GALAXY S4 it is jam-packed with features to make mom’s life easier. 

Simply motion your hand at the GALAXY S4 to accept calls, change music, or browse the web and photos with Air Gesture. This can be a positive feature but in the world of toddlers I am thinking I will stay clear of Air Gesture for a few months longer.

We haven’t even touched on S Voice. S Voice can be used on your GALAXY S4 but also the main feature of the GALAXY Gear we had a chance to experience too. S Voice works wonders for my husband’s commands in his man voice, he talk’s clear and deep. For me it requires some patience’s on my behalf. Either I don’t talk clear enough, slow enough or a combo of the two for the S Voice to clearly understand my command. I also think it takes some time to get comfortable with S Voice for the experience to be smooth.

Overall, I am still a very proud owner of a Samsung GALAXY smart phone and I am so glad they keep getting better with time.

Thanks to TELUS for the chance to experience the Samsung GALAXY S4. Plus experiencing TELUS’ 4G LTE wireless network which has been fast and hasn’t let me down once during my journey.

What’s your smartphone of choice and why?

Thank you for reading In R Dream!