Mobile Def

It wouldn’t be a new Samsung super phone launch without some weird and wonderful accessories to go with it – but for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Android smartphone, the South Korean company’s really gone for broke. Wireless weighing scales and console gamepads, anybody?

The Samsung Galaxy S4 goes on sale in the UK on 26 April, and when it hits you’ll be able to pick one up with wide and slightly surreal array of official first party accessories. There are a few covers to choose from, including a pouch, a kaleidoscopic selection of flip covers and a particularly clever S View Window case, which has a small panel cut away so you can still see notifications through it. There’s also a Qi wireless charging pad, so you can drop the Galaxy S4 on it and it’ll start filling up with power right away.

Then there’s the fitness accessories. There’s a heart rate monitor for runners that pairs with the Samsung Galaxy S4, and even a wireless weighing scale which connects via Bluetooth and messages your phone with your weight. It’s the S Band that’s really got our attention though: the waterproof wrist strap works much like a FitBit or a Nike FuelBand, logging your steps, and even measuring how much you moved while you slept. Given the craze for these sort of smart pedometers right now, we could see the S Band being a huge hit.

Last but not least, there’s the Samsung Game Pad, a gaming controller that looks eerily like an Xbox 360 gamepad or Nvidia’s Project Shield. You can drop the Samsung Galaxy S4 into the top and it connects via Bluetooth with one tap, for when touchscreen controls just won’t cut it. Interestingly, Samsung says the device supports phones up to 6.3-inches in size; given even Samsung’s giant Galaxy Note 2 isn’t so large, it does make us wonder what else the tech company has in the pipeline.

Unfortunately, we haven’t landed price tags for all the Samsung Galaxy S4 accessories just yet, but we’ll update as soon as we do.

Is Samsung smart or just out and out crazy? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.