Finally, Samsung announces their greatly anticipated flagship of the year – the Galaxy S5. Although quite a different scenario with regard to the leaks that we have heard, overall the new flagship doesn’t seem to be a breakthrough, except some funky software features. Thus, we have compiled a list of some of the greatest as well as some samsung features of the new Galaxy S5.
Things that I love about the new Galaxy S5
1. The Camera
The camera is always a deal breaker when it comes to Samsung’s flagship portfolio. The S5 comes with a massive 16MP camera that sport an awe-inspiring focus time of 0.3 seconds. The focusing time is crucial in any camera and Samsung is no loser in this aspect. I remember the first days with the Nexus 5 – getting annoyed with a very high focusing time.
The camera which sport an HDR mode brings a considerable difference with shots taken otherwise. And not to forget about the 1080p video recording at 60fps. Samsung claims to have built its own camera sensor that owes to take brilliant shots in all scenarios.
2. Heartbeat Sensor
I’m not certain how an optical heartbeat sensor is going to help you at the end of the day, but this is really an innovative move. Your smartphone can now be your fitness assistant. We can also expect Samsung to build an SDK for developers that would enable creating apps for the new Gear Smartwatch.
3. Water and Dust Resistant
The new Galaxy S5 is resistant toward (IP67 certified) dust, water, sweat (and scratches too J). Now you can take pictures in the pool or record a 4K video footage underwater though it comes with strings attached. The S5 is water resistant only up to 1 meter and 30 minutes. So you may have a hard time showing off your phone to your buddies by putting it into a large tank or a deep pool.
4. Android 4.4.2 with TouchWiz UX
Samsung pushed in the latest Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) to the Galaxy S5. The most-impressive part here is the new TouchWiz UX that they have built on top of KitKat. The icons and everything really look fancy yet beautiful and colorful. Something that I didn’t like about Android KitKat is its less “colorfulness” and Samsung seems to have overcome that. Also the new interface allows better navigations between apps and menus.
5. Fingerprint sensor
Finally, here’s one of the leaks coming true. Though most of the leaked facts about the Galaxy S5 were untrue, it did not happen with the Fingerprint sensor. Now you can swipe your finger over the home button to unlock the screen and do much more. Albeit Samsung says it’s tightly secured, we have to wait and watch how much the fact turns out to be true. Samsung in partnership with PayPal has included an option to pay online with just one swipe.
6. Improved power-saving mode
Samsung has integrated a 2800mAh battery into the S5, which claims a whooping talk-time of 21 hours. Though the rating may seem a bit mediocre, it comes with an ultra power-saver mode. Samsung says you’ll get around 24 hours of usage with just 10% remaining battery. They achieve this by deactivating every not-in-use feature they can and by tweaking the display a bit. Though mostly a software feature, it is quite impressive whatsoever.
7. Extreme download speeds by fitting together LTE and Wi-Fi
Another “better to be said than used” feature of the Galaxy S5 is its ability to combine LTE and Wi-Fi data streams to turbo boost your download speed. I don’t think that a great deal of users will find this useful since carriers are charging a lot for LTE data traffic. In addition, you cannot browse the web using this mode and not all websites will support this download feature.
8. 128GB external memory support
One of the cool features of Samsung’s Android flagships is its support for external storage, and this time they made it better with the S5, providing a whooping support up to 128GB. If you have a class 10 128GB MMC, well you can literally carry your world with you. However, it’s a bit pointless for Samsung to release a 16 GB variant for a pricy flagship like the S5.
9. USB 3.0 support
One of a kind, the new Samsung galaxy S5 supports USB 3.0 that would enable better data transfer via cable and as some say – faster charging. (We are still uncertain regarding the charging aspect though.) This means you’ll get better download speeds while you are tethering your phone via USB. You will also be able to seamlessly stream the 4K videos in your laptop or PC.
10. 4K video @ 30fps
Similar to the Note 3, S5 supports 4K video capture at 30fps. You can also record 1080p videos at 60fps; maybe you can capture some quality “slo-mo” videos to amaze your friends with it. And yes, you can take some shots while recording a video, not something that we haven’t seen earlier.
11. S Health 3.0
The new S Health 3.0 comes with some great tweaks. As mentioned earlier, there is a heartbeat sensor. You can track your fitness and with the new Gear Fit wristband, you can see in real time how much you have burned in a run. It will also guide and train you in achieving your workout targets.
Things that I hate about Samsung Galaxy S5
12. No 2K Screen!
The leaks about Samsung’s new flagship created a big hype on the web. Everyone had expected a 500+ ppi display with 2K resolution in the Galaxy S5, which turns out to be a big disappointment. Although you (your eyes to be exact), won’t be able to distinguish between the pixel density of a 2K display and a 1080p display on a 5.1 inch panel, the leaks really ruined the bliss. Albeit they have improved the display overall, still we feel it as the same display on the S4.
13. Mediocre RAM (We expected at least 3GB)
2 GB of RAM is not bad for a phone in this day, but not so good for a Samsung flagship of this time. For instance, there was a great separation between the Galaxy Note 2 and the Galaxy S4 – in performance, display and almost anything. However, we see the specs to be similar when comparing Note 3 and the Galaxy S5. Samsung could have added a 3 GB RAM since it matters spec wise.
14. Poor Design with thick bezels
The leaks about Galaxy S5 made an impression that there would make a breakthrough in design. But we ended up in the same line of design, nothing quite pleasing. Just by looking at the phone, you could say it’s a Samsung S series phone. The plastic back looks good; however, it is nowhere near to something amazing. Though a metallic back would create a good impression, not this time. The thick bezels of the phone make us opt for the LG G2 or the upcoming Sony Xperia Z2.
15. Note 3 still rules
Although Galaxy S5 looks good in the eyes of some, I would still consider going for the Galaxy Note 3, for its extra-added features like the S pen and a quite-larger screen. The increase in performance isn’t noticeable and we are yet to see the Benchmarks. A new variant is expected to arrive soon, which will sport a more powerful Exynos SOC. Nonetheless, Note 3 has more RAMand the S pen brings more (artistic) possibilities.
16. FM Radio?
Okay, I know this is not a big deal, but, I’ve seen a lot of fans complaining about the Galaxy S5 not having a built-in FM radio app. I guess this can be fixed with some minor tweaks, but I’m sure people will miss the usual Radio app that comes along with TouchWiz. However, FM radio is never a facet for benchmarking such a great phone.
Do you feel there are some more facets that make you love or hate the new Galaxy S5? Let us know through the comments section right down below!
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