Samsung Galaxy S4 has started rolling out and it is colliding head-on with the current Apple crowd darling - the iPhone 5.

While some analysts believe that Apple will surely hold up against the strong Samsung push, via the GS4, there are just too many compelling reasons for consumers to fall in love with the latest Galaxy - among them big screen that delivers crisp image and video rendering and faster processor for snappy operations.

But beyond the spectacular hardware and software specs that Samsung has deployed with the GS4, three practical reasons emerge as likely the chief attraction of the Jelly Bean 4.2.2 smartphone.

The Galaxy S4 is cheaper and more accessible

Part of Samsung's strength is its market flexibility, a fact that is reflected by the friendlier price of its product lines, which its premium devices like the GS4. Unlocked, the unit can cost above the $600 mark anywhere in the world but with Samsung's increasing intrusion in numerous markets, partnerships with local telcos and distributors come into play.

As a result, the GS4 can go low at around $150 in the United States, for instance, due to network subsidy. Plus with retailers like Walmart and Best Buy vying for buyers' attention, the GS4 price point is shrunk a bit further.

The same is not applicable to the iPhone 5, which remains stuck on $US199 with contract. There is no way a mark down will happen without a say from Apple and that would only take place with the arrival of its replacement, the iPhone 5S. Buyers, however, should not expect any discount below $US99. And even tag is less of a magnet compared to the plummeting price of the GS4 sibling, the Galaxy S3, which can go as low as $50 or even free.

Top notch after-sale support for the GS4

Once upon time, Samsung is routinely assailed for its lacklustre gadget support. But the company effectively reversed that perception with the arrival of the high-end Galaxy smartphones.

True, the general Galaxy software environment still has a big room for improvements but the South Korean tech giant is fast catching up. This reality is seen lately in the accelerated dispatch of Jelly Bean updates for all of its flagships, past and present. Though considerably limited by the generally fragmented update process of Android, Samsung is delivering and testament to that is its dominance of the global smartphone market in the past two quarters.

With this, owners of and future buyers of the GS4 are quite assured that they'll soon experience the new magic that is within the Key Lime Pie (or Jelly Bean 4.3) as soon as the new Android build is let out by Google for dispersion.

The GS4 offers more user flexibility

Even at the onset, critics pounced on Samsung for building a cheap-looking flagship on the GS4. Brushing the criticisms aside, Samsung instead points to the advantages that the very design of the GS4 offers.

The body-make attracts less scratches and dents and is more likely to withstand cracks and breakages thanks to its casing that is a mixture of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and polycarbonate material.

One big bonus is the removable back cover, a feature that allows GS4 users to move around with a fully-charged extra battery, which they can slide in as soon as the phone runs out of power juice.

On the other hand, iPhone 5 users will have to depend solely on the unit's stock battery plus the trouble of bringing their charges with them at all times, praying at the same time that a power outlet would come handy when needed.