SYNAPSE CIRCUIT: 2013: A REVIEW. PART ONE: THE YEAR OF SAMSUNG.

The Majestic Galaxy Note 3!

The Galaxy Round... ...the shape of things to come...

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT:
2013: A REVIEW.
#Technology2013 #Samsung #GalaxyS4 #GalaxyNote3

Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! How are you? I hope that I have helped you in choosing gifts this Christmas as I am sure I have done last year!

Here I am looking at what I see as the highs and lows of 2013’s world of Tech!

PART ONE: THE YEAR OF SAMSUNG.

GALAXY S4 & GALAXY NOTE 3: WINNERS OF HANDSETS OF THE YEAR.
SAMSUNG: BEST MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR.
SAMSUNG: BEST INNOVATORS OF THE YEAR.
BEST MOBILE PHONE DESIGN OF 2013: Galaxy S4.
BEST PHABLET OF 2013: Galaxy Note 3.
I think it is pretty safe to say that Samsung has practically sewn up this year for mobile technology – let alone audio / visual. The Galaxy S4 is undoubtedly a great handset that surpasses the iPhone 5S easily! The 5” Super AMOLED full HD 441 ppi screen is awesome! The 13MP camera is fantastic for photos and video. And despite the reservations expressed by some over TouchWiz I think it’s the most developed of all the Android skins: it works! The quad-core CPU shifts! Now about the design... ...yes, you probably think that the design award should go to HTC but as beautiful as the One is I think it is not very practical. The fact that the Galaxy S4 packs so much in and can retain a removable battery is very, very remarkable indeed! Sure, the design is not as flash in its outer appearance but it is designed for practicality / usability. It’s perfect in its minimalism.

The Galaxy Note 3 has yet to be bettered by any manufacturer! Apple doesn’t have a reply! Well, not yet at least... Once again, you can remove and replace the battery! The camera is superb – recording 4K video 30 frames per second and full HD at 60 fps and the S Pen is an outstanding way to interact with this beautiful device! Come on... ...what’s there not to like about this superlative handset? The size?! It’s only 5.7”! Yes, size matters because I am seeing more and more women using this device! Lol! It’s true! On my travels I am seeing women on public transport whipping out their Galaxy Note 3 devices like it’s second nature! And that’s how it should be! I feel so left out because I would love to have a Note 3! My contract with my Note 2 finishes this time next year, so at this rate I am looking at a Note 4 or 5! 

There’s already talk of the S5 and Note 4 making an early appearance next year; the CES 2014? Who knows for sure? You can never quite tell what Samsung is going to do! I have heard that they aren’t very pleased with the over 40 million sales of the S4 and would like to sell even more so the pressure is on for the Galaxy S5! We’ll see... But when I do the research and talk to the mobile phone outlets in the UK (naturally I can’t go to each and every shop) the Galaxy S4, S4 Mini, Note 3, S3 and S3 Mini come out as the top sellers then it is a scramble between the HTC One and Sony Z1. Then, of course, it’s the Google and Motorola handsets that are currently flying out of the stores! The Nexus 5 and Moto G handsets are flying out the retail outlets that stock them! Gosh!

What I don’t want is for Samsung to feel pressured into using metal for the S5 – especially if it means a non-removable battery! The only way I could live with a non-removable battery handset from Samsung is if they upped the ante on the battery duration! If the future battery could last at least 3 days on a single charge with reasonable usage then I wouldn’t care too much about not being able to remove the battery! However, what I would care about is a dent or a scratch if I were to drop the metallic handset accidentally! I have seen battered iPhones and they do not look nice at all!

I would prefer Samsung to use rubber! I am serious! A rubber skin that can easily be replace when worn out! And because the display would be flexible I wouldn’t need to worry about a cracked screen! Please, Samsung! Are you reading this????

INNOVATION
Y’know, I get the feeling that the CEO of Samsung, Kwon Oh Hyun, wakes up and thinks to himself, ‘I dreamt of this model and I want it out there now!’ I have lost count of the amount of devices that Samsung has put out this year alone! It is staggering! I particularly loved the S4 Zoom! The S4 Zoom is another Samsung handset that I would have loved to have as I enjoy taking pictures on my weekend treks! I can only imagine what the S5 Zoom will be like! I wonder how much of those units were sold. All I know is that they sold out in one retail outlet upon release! I know there is scope for this kind of device! I do think that Samsung is capable of delivering a better camera experience than it has done so far – not that I am complaining! But I know that the best is yet to come!

Tablets... Well, we know that Samsung has the technology to usurp the iPad specs as shown with the Samsung Nexus 10 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 tablets. Sales of Samsung tablets are up as, like their handsets, they have a great range in tablets. I personally would like to see HD resolution as a base standard! Samsung faces a lot of competition from Android manufacturers of the 7” variety! Rumour has it that Samsung are on the verge of unleash tablets of a “professional” nature! What that entails is anyone’s guess... I don’t want to speculate as I am often disappointed at the end result!

Will 2014 be Samsung’s year yet again? I think it will be! Who can stop them?

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this instalment of 2013 in review!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

Take good care!

Thank you for watching and reading!

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