Samsung had labeled their new mobile phone brainchild, the Galaxy S4, a "Superphone", and a "Life companion". We won't bore you with many of the technical details, but suffice it to say, it's got a massive screen, is as fast as many entry-level laptops, and has improved integration with Google. But hey, this is a photography blog, so let's get to the camera. The Galaxy S4 Superphone Life Companion Hyper Mega Mobile has some neat tricks up its sleeve.
Eraser - Like a mobile "spot removal", this tool can take numerous shots of the same scene and then automatically remove unwanted objects or people from the background. No word on how it works yet, and if the mobile version of Adobe Photoshop will do any better. Time will tell.
Dual camera - Samsung plans to integrate the front and back camera to create various photo effects. According to Digital Photography Review Mobile:
Video and still images can be recorded with the front and rear cameras simultaneously. With a tap you can insert a small version of the the front camera's image (typically this is video or still of yourself) into the main footage that is being recorded with the rear cam. In still image mode you can choose from a variation of insertion formats. The front image can be inserted in a heart-shape or distorted with a fish-eye effect, for example.
Sound confusing? It does to me. It also sounds a little hokey and redundant. However, Samsung is also planning a nifty feature where your video chat buddy can see both you and the scenery around you, and doodles can be made on the screen. Here again, let's wait until Samsung rolls out a final release of the phone to judge.
Drama and Sound Shot - Drama shot takes rapid-fire images - 100 of them in 4 seconds, according to Samsung - and composites them together into a sort of motion collage. This could be intriguing for dance and sports photography since motions are highly fluid, but I expect people will find creative uses for it in other areas. Sound shot is basically just a sound memo that you can attach to photos, which has been around in various guises since the early 2000's.
Story Album - Automatically adds your photos, arranged by date and time, and places them into an album. It might serve Samsung well to be able to translate these albums into Facebook or Flickr when the phone hits stores.
There you have it. Think it's enough to warrant an upgrade based on camera alone? Before you rush to the store, check out what the HTC One can offer you. More importantly, always try before you buy!