I also have the "S4" and think to replace it for LG or HTC, but I'm not sure, because there are many good cell phones on the market.
The same thing with life, I think the brand doesn't really matter since we know that most of these things are made in China nowadays. To me, it's not what phone you have but what you do with the phone.
The vanity appeal of smartphones has already lost its luster. I mean there was a time when having an iPhone was a status quo. Now, that time has passed. I know a lot of people who have iPhones and well, they're just regular people who want to look cool.
But to answer your question, I currently have an LG-E440. It's a pretty basic phone but I can do what I need with it. Read e-Books, make phone calls (duh!) and download most of the Android apps that I need.
I think any phone's appeal has to do with the apps you can install on it.