Galaxy S4 Variants, Of all the , Which One is for You?

As of now, Samsung has launched as many as 5 major variants of its Galaxy S4 flagship so it can be a bit of a headache to decide which one is worth buying for you.

So for the sake of comparison and to make the decision a bit easier to make, here’s a table comparing the features of all the existing Galaxy S4 versions:

	GS4 original (octa-core)	GS4 US (quad-core version)	GS4 mini	GS4 Active	GS4 Zoom
Availability	Released	Released	Coming soon	Coming soon	Coming soon
OS	Android 4.2.2	Android 4.2.2	Android 4.2.2	Android 4.2.2	Android 4.2.2
Dimensions	136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm	136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm	124.6 x 61.3 x 8.9 mm	139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1 mm	125.5 x 63.5 x 15.4 mm
Weight	130g	130g	107g	153g	208g
Screen size	5 inches	5 inches	4.3 inches	5 inches	4.3 inches
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Not specified	Corning Gorilla Glass 2, Water and dust resistant	Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	540 x 960 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	540 x 960 pixels
Processor	1.6Ghz quad-core Cortex A-15, 1.2Ghz quad-core Cortex A-7	1.9Ghz quad-core Krait SnapDragon 600	1.7Ghz dual-core SnapDragon 400	1.9Ghz quad-core Krait SnapDragon 600	1.5Ghz dual-core Cortex A9
RAM & storage	2 GB, 16/32/64 GB	2 GB, 16/32/64 GB	1.5 GB (3G model), 8 GB	2 GB, 16 GB	1.5 GB, 8 GB
Card slot	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rear-camera	13 megapixel, LED Flash	13 megapixel, LED Flash	8 megapixel, LED Flash	8 megapixel, LED Flash	16 megapixel, 1/2.33” sensor size, Xenon Flash
Video	1080p Full HD	1080p Full HD	1080p Full HD	1080p Full HD	1080p Full HD
Front-camera	2 mp, Full HD	2 mp, Full HD	1.9 mp	2 mp, Full HD	1.9 mp
Connectivity	Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, IR Blaster, USB-OTG, NFC	Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, IR Blaster, USB-OTG, NFC	Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, IR Blaster, NFC	Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, IR Blaster, USB-OTG, NFC	Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, IR Blaster, USB-OTG, NFC
Battery	2600 mAh	2600 mAh	1900 mAh	2600 mAh	2330 mAh
Price	Rs. 60,990	Around the same as S4 Original	$630	The same as S4 Original	Unannounced

It’s worth nothing though that the GS4 i9505 quad-core SnapDragon version is the phone targeted mainly towards the American market so finding it may prove to be more difficult than you’re thinking. Also the Octa-core version edges it (even if slightly) in benchmarks. Its worse when it comes to battery life though and the i9505 may be more expensive due to shipping costs, duties and taxes imposed while importing.

The GS4 Active is distinctive in a way from the others because of its tough build and waterproof & dust resistant nature. Also it looks better than the regular Galaxy S4. The Galaxy Zoom, however, is for people who mainly take photos using their phone cameras. It’s basically the Galaxy Camera at its heart but with phone capabilities. It’s not very portable and suitable for usage as your normal smartphone, though, due to its huge lens.

It all then comes down to the user, what do they want. It is important to keep your needs in check while buying the suitable version of the phone.