It's good to be king, especially when Samsung knows that it reached the top position after some early missteps. Now comes the hard part -- staying on top. If the Galaxy S III was Samsung's crowning achievement, the Galaxy S 4 is the first defense of the throne.

Arriving on the heels of one rival's flagship and a few months before the expected unveiling of another's, the Galaxy S 4 will prove whether Samsung is continuing its trend of advancement or becoming just as predictable as the old guard that it mocked. So naturally we must ask: just how good is the Samsung Galaxy S 4?

The original LG Lucid was behind the curve when it launched on Verizon Wireless last year. It had 4G LTE, but it was running an outdated version of Android at a time when users were clamoring for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Lucid 2 arrives just over a year later and is thankfully closer to what's expected of a modern smartphone.

The Lucid 2 has 4G LTE, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, plenty of software additions courtesy of LG, and a favorable price for someone looking for a new Android smartphone (free with a two-year contract). Is it favorable enough? You may be surprised to learn how tall the new Lucid can stand.

With more than a month having passed since the Galaxy S4's grand unveiling, Samsung and its partners are gearing up for the device's availability next week by sharing launch information for the US. By the end of next month, the Galaxy S3's successor should be available through...