The Galaxy Cries “Meh” For The S4 - Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

So, there was this big event yesterday. It was called "Samsung Unpacked"… you may have heard of it? If you didn't, don't worry, it was weird. That said, there seems to be this massive tidal wave of negative sentiment crashing against the release of what is next in line in one of the hottest series of Android phones on the market… the Galaxy S line of Android phones. I'm feeling all "ranty" so I'm going to speak on this a little. Bear with me please.

What the hell? Really folks? Yes, I'm speaking to you, other tech pundit and reviewers guys and gals. Those of you who yell "Huzzah!" from the mountaintops at every incremental change that Apple makes to its phones. Those who speak about minor internal changes to their devices like they're the latest innovation. Those who love to take shots at the fact that there are dozens of Android handsets on the market which tend to confuse consumers, stifle the accessories market and lead to multiple OS versions with staggered update rollouts… you know, the "f" word: fragmentation. Samsung has created a line of products which, for the most part, answer those complaints and yet you seem to yearn for a complete annual redesign of the phone, when that would help prolong the existence of a weak accessories market. You can't have it both ways folks, no matter how much you try. What happened to your defense of the iPhone 5? Don't those same supporting arguments apply here? The battery is bigger and so is the screen (ahem, full 1080p anyone?) and yet that doesn't seem to be enough. The camera specs are better, and they've even added an infrared port so you can use it as a remote control without having to connect to the same wifi network. I can't tell you how long I've been saying that IR ports should be added back to devices- and not just for messing with people's heads and changing the channel on them from a distance with your phone then pretending you're clueless about what's going on. Come on now, I know I'm not the only person who did that with my Handspring Visor Edge or Sony Clie?

Look, I'll parrot those iPhone 5 arguments… if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Let's face it, the Galaxy SIII is a great device; although I'm a huge fan/user of the Note 2. Being that the SIII is so awesome, why take a huge turn, blow it all up and go in a different direction? You don't go to the same restaurant for that one dish you love and expect them to completely revamp it? So, why would your favorite gadget be any different? Sure, it's different in that as the technology advances, so should that device, or brand, but if the tech hasn't moved that far and the device is a winner, why the need to start over? Go ahead and order another… you know you want to and you know it'll be delicious.

The only thing I ever poo poo'd about the iPhone 5 was the screen size and drama around Apple maps and the lightning port. I do think that Apple should've gone bigger with the screen and I'll keep saying that. I still think they got it wrong with the aspect ratio, but I also understand who they're making that phone for. Let me be clear about something here… Samsung's Galaxy SIV looks to be a best of a phone and I look forward to reviewing it once I get my hands on it here at myfoxla.com and I hope you're able to cut through all of the internet noise and give it a chance when it comes to market. It may, or may not, be the phone for you but if you listen to all the fanboys online you may end up missing out on a great tool that will keep you interested for the next two years when you upgrade… though you should consider paying full price and going for an "off-contract" price but that's a whole other rant for another time.