Wired has recently made the seemingly premature statement that the World Wide Web (which is not to be confused with the Internet because that's something entirely different) is dead. Seems hard to believe, but that's the claim. Apparently we can blame the existence of this rotting digital corpse to the rise of the app, whether it's birthed from Apple or Android.
Imagine a world without the web. Nah, no matter how strong the argument may be, it just doesn't seem plausible for a good many years. Still, when that Web-less world comes into being, will the Samsung Epic 4 have played a role? It's certainly not going to be the final nail in the coffin, but it could be a knot in one of the pine planks.
If you haven't guessed yet, we're going to discuss the latest Galaxy S phone from Samsung, the Epic 4. While this is the bulkiest of the Galaxy S phones, it just might be the most robust and feature-rich.
Seems the creative minds at Samsung were working overtime when they tagged "4" to the Epic name, which likely represents two things: 4G support and a 4-inch screen. Good work guys!
Those are facts though. The 4-inch screen is a Super AMOLED display with 16 million colors and a WVGA resolution -- all of which looks great in direct sunlight. Also, you have access to Sprint's 4G WiMax network and you pay for it whether you access or not.
Standout features on the Epic 4
Quickly becoming the new standard in smartphone features, the Samsung Epic 4 is capable of being a Wi-Fi hot spot for up five devices. Another of the popular standout features on the Epic 4 is the proximity sensor, which turns the screen off when you hold the phone up to your ear (this is a fantastic feature for those who wish to be as discrete as possible because they're talking on the phone in areas where driving while talking is illegal).
As far as entry on the Epic 4 is concerned, you have three options: You can use the very tactile slide-out QWERTY, the Android virtual keyboard, or the Swype keyboard if you turn that on. Navigation consists of seven home screens and/or four dedicated touch keys under the display for menu, home, back, and search.
Around the edges you'll find the usual: 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, Micro-USB port, volume rocker, etc. You'll also find a forward-facing camera and an LED flash. The camera itself is 5.0 megapixels.
As a media phone, you'll get access to Samsung's upcoming Media Hub store and you'll get updates from your most beloved social networks -- Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (wait, does anyone besides musicians use MySpace anymore?) -- from the Feeds & Streams feature. Buddies Now is Samsungs favorites type of list, allowing you to call, text, or comment on updates of those people.
Undressing the Samsung Epic 4
Underneath all this Epic 4 richness is a 1GHz Hummingbird Cortex A8 processor and an Android 2.1 OS with Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 interface. But, alas, this package don't come cheap: it'll cost you $249.99 with a new two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Also, you'll have to shell out $10 per month for its 4G data whether you have access to it or not. Samsung is trying to justify this cost by pointing to 4G speeds, unlimited data, and the mobile Wi-Fi hot spot (which is an additioinal $29.99 a month). Are we getting taken advantage of or is it more like a dude in high school scoring a teacher?
If you're interested in dimensions, the Samsung Epic 4 measures 4.9" x 2.54" x 0.56" and weighs 5.46 ounces.
