The tech world is rife with rumors and leaks about Samsung's Galaxy S4, which the manufacturer is expected to unveil at their "unpacked" media event in New York on Thursday. And why wouldn't they be? It's exciting to see cool new hardware with crazy new features that you can and maybe will buy.
Smartphone news is generally less exciting when viewed from the gamer's gaze. A single new iteration of a new phone rarely generates major advances in mobile gaming. If you've somehow come to expect the S4 to suddenly make Android into a great gaming platform, I would stop holding my breath now.
iOS is the superior platform for smartphone and tablet gaming at this point: It's not up for debate. Gaming on Android is catching up, but the accessibility of the App Store and the quirky nature of making games compatible with the many versions of the platform make it less appeal for designers looking to make interesting games at minimal cost.
In case you need proof, here are a few of the fantastic games available on iOS that Galaxy S4 adopters still won't be able to play:
"Infinity Blade": The game that led the charge for "AAA" mobile game development, both "Infinity Blade" and "Infinity Blade II" pushed the boundaries of what an iPhone or iPad could do. There aren't many "iOS" classics, but the original has to be one of them. Though both games are pretty old at this point, neither one has made its way to Android.
"Wordament": Microsoft's MMO Boggle game made the jump from Windows Phone to iOS, but not Andoid. Word games may be a dime a dozen on all smartphone systems, but this is definitely one of the best. If you're an Andoid user and a fan of the genre, then you are missing out.
"Super Crate Box": Vlambeer's square-intensive score-chaser is one of iOS' most addictive. Technically, "Super Crate Box" is available on certain Android devices: PlayStation certified tablets like the Wikipad and Sony smartphones can grab the game on PlayStation Mobile. That's a very small percentage of the general Android population though: Most users will have to pick the game up for Windows or Mac. If you haven't tried it, you should download it for free right here.
"Hundreds": The newest game from the people who made "Canabalt," one iOS' first "endless runner" games, Hundreds was designed to push the limits of multi-touch gameplay on smartphones and tablets, and it's only available on iOS. That's not to say that an Android device can't handle the game, but it does say something that wants to focus on design decided to eschew the multi-headed platform.