Galaxy S4 LTE-A reinforces market lead

Samsung Electronics new Galaxy S4, which uses Long Term Evolution-Advanced technology, has reinforced its lead in the market.

Released in June, the latest in Samsung’s Galaxy series is the first phone in the world to allow users to experience the world’s fastest mobile Internet services.

The release of the Galaxy S4 LTE-A reflects the world’s largest mobile phone maker’s position at the forefront of the smartphone market, and particularly in LTE models. It unveiled the Craft, the world’s first LTE mobile phone, and Indulge, the world’s first LTE smartphone, in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

“The introduction of the Galaxy S4 LTE-A demonstrates Samsung’s desire and ability to provide consumers with technological innovations that take advantage of the increased network speeds to deliver richer and fuller experiences,” said Shin Jong-kyun, CEO and president of Samsung’s IT and mobile communications division.

According to SK Telecom, through which Samsung released the new Galaxy model, the number of subscriptions for the LTE-A service has surpassed 150,000 in just two weeks since the service launched on June 26.

The figure accounted for almost 30 percent of the telecom carrier’s new subscribers and customers replacing their smartphones.

The LTE-A model provides Internet service with a maximum speed of up to 150 Mbps, which theoretically allows users to download an 800-megabyte movie in 43 seconds.

Despite the improved Internet speed, there is no extra fee charged ― a main attraction to customers, according to the telecom firm.

Other smartphone makers are also expected to roll out their own LTE-A models in the latter half of this year, but Samsung’s Galaxy model is expected to enjoy a significant first-mover advantage.

The network is based on “carrier aggregation,” which integrates two LTE bandwidths together.

The LTE-A handset boasts of some new functions that were not available on previous Galaxy models.

The “Image on” function analyzes patterns of images on a Web page and then displays relevant one-minute video clips on the smartphone screen.

A high-resolution digital media broadcasting service delivers unparalleled clarity and viewing experiences for on-the-go consumption of live television programs or sporting events.

Running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocking 2.3 GHz, the handset features a 2,600-mAh battery, Adreno 330 GPU with a speed of 450MHz, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera.

“Samsung will continue to maintain its leadership in the smartphone market by introducing a wide array of models that meet the needs of customers,” Shin said.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)