Nokia Lumia 928 vs Samsung Galaxy S4

Introduction:

Trying to dethrone a king is a tough task to accomplish, especially when its lineage has been around for what might seem to be ages. Well, that’s exactly what we’re seeing here in this comparison, as we take the newly minted Nokia Lumia 928 against the magnitude of star power behind the Samsung Galaxy S4. Arguably the two best handsets for their respective platforms, the Lumia 928 might seem insignificant against the imposing presence of Sammy’s flagship, but the true test to find a winner is to pit the two head-to-head in each category.

Design:

Looking at the two, it’s not surprising that their designs are iterative, but if we have to pick, we’ll give it to the Nokia Lumia 928 by just a smidgen. Sure, the Galaxy S4 is thinner and lighter, but it just simply doesn’t come off as the more stylish device between the two – even more when it still, you know, looks like the Galaxy S III from afar. In contrast, the Lumia 928 still employs the distinct design characteristics of past Lumia devices, but we appreciate its more solid build quality, so if the two were accidentally dropped, we’d feel more confident that Nokia’s prodigy would handle it better. Furthermore, there’s just this stylish appeal with its hard lines and tapered design.


Even though the two feature distinctive power buttons and volume controls, the Galaxy S4’s set seem to be the more responsive – whereas it’s lacking with the Lumia 928. Taking a peek around the bezels of the two smartphones, they’re packing all the same ports and buttons. To be specific, they include the standard mic, noise-cancelling mic, 3.5mm headset ports, and microUSB ports. With the latter, though, the Galaxy S4 offers the useful functionality of video-out. And finally, the S4’s feature set is strengthened by the addition of an IR blaster, which doubles for a universal remote.

Being high-end devices and all, it doesn’t surprise us that they’re packing some serious cameras. On the Lumia 928, it tucks away an 8.7-megapixel PureView camera, which features Carl Zeiss optics, an f2.0 lens, optical image stabilization, and a Xenon flash. Oppositely, the Galaxy S4 also has an impressive camera, a beefy 13-megapixel one that features an LED flash and digital image stabilization. And of course, they both can shoot video in 1080p resolution. Finally, there’s the matter of front facing cameras as well – it’s a 1.2-megapixel one with 720p video recording on the Lumia 928, and a 2-megapixel one with 1080p video recording on the Galaxy S4.


Display:

At the heart of these two titans, they both pack AMOLED panels that showcase all the lovely qualities that we adore about the display tech – like their oversaturated colors, wide viewing angles, and deep black reproduction. However, the higher resolution of the Samsung Galaxy S4’s 5-inch 1080 x 1920 Super AMOLED display simply outshines that of the 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ 768 x 1280 AMOLED panel on the Lumia 928. Frankly, the difference in detail superiority is instantly evident as we take notice of the sharpness associated with the Galaxy S4’s display. Indeed, the two are unique amongst other things for their super sensitivity, which allows us to interact with them with glove on, but yet again it’s the Galaxy S4 showing its depth with its new capacitive panel that allows us to hover over the display with our finger.

Interface and Functionality:

Again, it’s arguable as to which of the two platforms is the more preferable between the two – so it ultimately comes down to personal preference. However, if we’re talking purely about functionality and depth, there’s no shortage of it with the TouchWiz Nature UX experience of the Galaxy S4, as it boasts an array of features (sometimes too much) that goes beyond the normal means of what we expect to find. From its Air Gestures to the deep personalization aspect of Android, it merely points to the fact that the experience is by far more developed – especially when Google’s services are deeply intertwined with the platform. On the other hand, the Windows Phone 8 experience of the Lumia 928 is likable too, especially with the dynamic look of the interface with its live tiles, but it’s basically outgunned in terms of the sheer number of neat futures that Android has to offer.



Of course, each handset has its own take when it comes to the set of core organizer functions, but with Google Now on the Galaxy S4, it’s miles ahead of what the Bing experience has to provide on the Lumia 928. Sometimes we forget that Windows Phone 8 has its own voice service, but it pales in comparison to what Google Now delivers.

Although there’s more real-estate to work with on the Galaxy S4, we actually find ourselves typing considerably better using the on-screen keyboard of the Lumia 928. Honestly, it’s the killer auto-correct feature of the Windows Phone 8 keyboard that helps it to be the biggest differentiator between the two.




Processor and Memory:

Now here’s a perfect example of how processors don’t really dictate performance, as we have a dual-core versus a beefier quad-core one. Even though it’s not as imposing as the quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor coupled with 2GB of RAM on the Galaxy S4, the dual-core 1.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus processor with 1GB of RAM on the Lumia 928 handles itself nice. For the majority of things, the performance is pretty instantaneous with similar tasks, but there’s just a tiny bit more consistency seen with the Lumia 928. Every now and then, we see the Galaxy S4 stalling with certain operations, but it’s never negatively impacting the performance.

Gladly, we accept the fact that the two offer an ample 32GB of internal storage, but it’s the Galaxy S4 continuing to show off its flexibility, by having on board an always useful microSD card slot to complement its existing storage capacity.

Internet and Connectivity:

Comparing the two, the web browsing experiences are similar on the surface, since they feature fast page loads thanks to their 4G LTE connectivity – and smooth navigation controls and instantaneous page rendering. However, the main difference is found with the added functionality sprinkled onto the Galaxy S4, as we’re able to rely on its Air View, Air Gestures, and Smart Scroll features to deepen the experience.



World travelers shouldn’t have issues sticking with either device, mainly because they’re both global ready. Likewise, they pack along pretty much the same set of connectivity features – the listing consists of aGPS, Bluetooth, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and NFC. However, we gain wireless charging with the Lumia 928, while the Galaxy S4 brings forth easy video-out functionality and an IR blaster.

Camera:

Wow! It’s surely a battle of the cameras with these two, since they’re not messing around whatsoever with the arsenal inside of them. Previewing the same photos taken with each, it’s a tough call in making a final call on which one is the superior snapper, as they produce some sharp looking photos that have a profound amount of detail and clarity when conditions are ample with lighting. However, when it comes to low lighting shots, it’s the Lumia 928 that’s showing off its superiority. Mainly due to the combination of its f2.0 lens and optical image stabilization, its shots are remarkably more detailed and brighter – while also being less prone to blurring, unlike its rival. Additionally, the Xenon flash of the Lumia 928 works exquisitely well too, since its color reproduction maintains a vibrant look when compared to the duller tones put out by the Galaxy S4’s LED flash.



Despite its win in the still image department, we’re going to have to stick with the Galaxy S4 when it comes to 1080p video recording quality. Simply, its quality stands out more between the two for its sharper details, gradual exposure, and faster focus adjustment. Well, the Lumia 928 does a pretty good job too, even more when its optical image stabilization helps to keep things steady, but its jittery exposure and color balance makes for some of its distractions.

Nokia Lumia 928 Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy S4 Sample Video:



Multimedia:

Visually, we’ll hand it to the Windows Phone 8 stock music player for having the more appealing interface. At the same time, though, the Lumia 928’s internal speaker is moderately louder with its output, which puts it slightly ahead of the sharper tones out of the Galaxy S4.


Visually speaking, the Galaxy S4’s display makes for the more enjoyable video watching experience. It’s not bad on the Lumia 928 as well, but there’s also the secondary set of features on the Galaxy S4, like Smart Stay, that really complements the entire video watching package.

Battery:

Without being too demanding, we’re able to get a solid one-day of normal usage out of the two smartphones, but for power users, just be aware that constant charging is something that’s going to be necessary to keep you at a sufficient battery level.

Call Quality:

This one is a clear winner for the Nokia Lumia 928, as we had a better time comprehending our callers, which is mainly attributed to the stonger volume output of its earpiece and speakerphone. In addition, its noise-cancellation feature is spot on, since it's able to mute any background disturbances, such as wind, so that our callers are presented with our natural sounding voice.

Conclusion:

For their respective platforms, it’s a no-brainer that the two are at the head of their class, but when pitted against one another, it all boils down to personal preference. As we’ve seen, they deliver the goods on where it matters the most, but when we throw in pricing to the mix, it’ll make people think twice about making a final decision. Currently, the Galaxy S4 is selling for $200 on-contract through Verizon – while the Lumia 928 comes out from the gates with an aggressive $100 price point. Indeed, you’re going to spend double the money picking up the Galaxy S4, but the cost difference is highly justified, since the Galaxy S4 is boasting an insane amount of features that drastically puts it way ahead of what the Lumia 928 has to offer.

Overall, if you care about having a diverse features set and a deeper apps ecosystem, the Galaxy S4 is going to be your go-to handset. However, if you’re on a budget and love taking photos primarily, then it’s a no-brainer decision to pick up the Lumia 928. Whatever the choice, you won’t regret the decision.

Nokia Lumia 928 vs Samsung Galaxy S4: