I first got this phone 2 years ago and was in love with it's screen size (upgrading from an iPhone 4S), however there were a few issues right off the bat. First off, the iMessage program on the iPhone prevented my phone from receiving texts.. which was not something I was made aware of. After this was fixed, it was smooth sailing for a year or so. Then the overheating battery issues came about. The phone would be searching for service or updating a batch of programs and my pocket would start feeling like it was on fire... this would also drain my battery significantly. I downloaded some applications that help cool down the phone, but this was a huge bummer for me up front.
Anyway, it's lasted for the 2 years that I needed it to, and now it's time for a new phone!
Had the original Galaxy and was hesitant to have to jump to another new phone. I was pleasantly surprised with the S4 and have loved it. It ran circles around my daughters iPhone when it came out. Loved the phone so much, also got one for my son. I have replaced the battery once but that's because it finally had to be charged daily after 1.5 years. That's pretty much expected.
What has been somewhat disappointing is the latest Android release, 5.0.1. It appears things have slowed down just a bit, perhaps due to the age of the S4 not being able to handle more complex code. Don't get me wrong, things still work pretty fluid, but it definitely is slightly slower than before.
Truly won't mind using this S4 for 3 years or more!
It's an excellent phone. Good sound quality. Also like to use it for listening to music during exercise, moreso than my iPod. Wish the battery life were better.
I have always loved the S series. But the best part of the Verizon s4 is that it is internationally unlocked on purchase as all of the 4G phones offered by Verizon are, apart from that this device has excellent features and cant forget the Lollipop Update! The large screen looks gorgeous and the 1080p icons adds to it's beauty.
I dont care for the password timeout , it's too short. i dont care for the phone call screen (keypad screen shows first), i use my contacts not the keypad, the keypad should be a secondary option. i dont care for the pop up on charging my phone, i use the cable and outlet adaptor that came with the phone but eveytime i charge my phone i get the popup and the phone charges very slow.
Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Durable, Realistic color