Though the Samsung Galaxy S4 excelled in previously reported performance test, hands on tests of the Galaxy S4 reveal a much more average phone; at least when it comes to battery life.

When compared to other devices such as the Motorolla RAZR MAXX, the iPad mini, the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the Galaxy S4 wound up right in the middle in regards to talk time, Web browsing and video playback.

Samsung Galaxy S4: Talk Time

With the screen off the Galaxy S4 lasted minutes under 14 hours of talk time with the display off and processor idle. That' a 3 hour improvement over last year's Galaxy S3.

The Galaxy S4 received a 500mAh upgrade from the Galaxy S3's notoriously weak battery. Similar to the S3, consumers can choose from two separate S4 processors: 1.4 GHz quad-core Exynos 4 or 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon.

Samsung Galaxy S4: Web Browsing

Also an improvement on the S3, Galaxy S4 users can surf the Web for 8 hours and 42 minutes. Users can browse the Internet an extra two hours on a slightly larger display (5-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD Super Amoled display).

Samsung Galaxy S4: Video Playback

Galaxy S 4 users can watch up to 10 hours and 16 minutes of video on the crystal-clear 5-inch screen. The Galaxy S4 beat out the iPhone 5 and HTC One by only a few minutes. However, the Motorolla RAZR MAXX takes the cake with an incredible 16.5 hours of video playback.

Samsung Galaxy S4: Overview

All in all, smartphones are a personal choice. Go to the story, feel the phone in your hand. Compare the specs and decide what's best for you.