Samsung Galaxy S5, Black 16GB All about &review
Design
Display .5.1 -:inch full 1080p Super Amoled HD display
Speakers Dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers; HDR Microphone
Sensors-: Geomagnetic; accelerometer; barometer; gyro; RGB Light; Fingerprint
Scanner, Heart Rate Sensor
Network and Connectivity
Cellular connectivity :- 4G LTE (1900 MHz) with availability in limited markets; 3G (800/1900
CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A frequencies
Networking Wireless-N (802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.0 with profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, GAVDP, GOEP, HFP, HID, HSP,
MAP, OBEX, OPP, PAN, PBAP, SPP; Wi-Fi Hotspot: 10
Near Field Communication NFC technology enables communication between NFC-enabled smartphones
Business Enterprise-Ready; On-Device Encryption; VPN-Ready
GPS For navigation and location-based apps
Ports Micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port with mobile high-definition video link (MHL)
for USB or HDMI connection (optional cable required for HDMI connection); 3.5mm
stereo audio jack
Multimedia
Audio formats AAC, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WMA/ASF, 3GA/M4A, WAV, WMA, QCP;
MP3/MP4/Music Tones; Music Player; Ringtones, Polyphonic; 72-note poly
Video formats .AVI, WMV/ASF, FLV, MKV, MP4/3GP, WEBM; Video
Player; Video Streaming
* THE SCREEN
- that is the very first thing you will notice
when you look at the S5. Samsung has found its niche with AMOLED screens, which
are BRIGHT & SATURATED. Everything almost literally jumps out at you, and
sometimes even too much so. I had to switch to the "natural" setting,
as the "vivid" and even "standard" profiles are too
saturated(and FAKE) for me. It's better as a demo unit to draw you in, but for
everyday use, I recommend switching to the natural profile.
FACTS: The Galaxy S5 has a
5.1-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with Full HD resolution - 1080 x
1920 pixels or ~432 ppi pixel density, plus Gorilla Glass 3 to protect the
screen from scratches.
* The Look
Galaxy S5 has a more squared-off
edges look than the S4, which is more squared off than the S3, but all three
are not as angular as the S2. In terms of roundness-to square-ness, it goes
from the S3 - S4 - S5 - S2 (the original S just looks like an iPhone 3GS).
Check out my images for an easier comparison. The S5 is the tallest and widest,
but not the thickest of the Galaxy S's. The best thing I can say about this is
it's an evolution. Beauty is subjective, so judge for yourself. The front side
is almost the same as any other Galaxy phone: You have the physical Home
button, flanked by the "back" and "menu" capacitive
buttons. Probably the most improved aspect of the design is in its
functionality - it is now dust-proof, and water-proof up to 3 feet!
FACTS: The dimensions are
5.59" x 2.85" x 0.32"(142cm x 72.5cm x 8.1cm), and weighs 5.11oz(145g).
* The Feel
- Samsung Galaxy S5 has taken a lot of flack
for making the Galaxy S line so cheap looking and feeling with its plastic
bodies, for being the top Android phone maker. HTC has been known to have the
best craftsmanship with their all-metal One phones. Perhaps Samsung feel they
are so dominant that they don't have to spend more to mass-produce metal
phones, but since they don't want to come off as too arrogant, so their
compromise is a dimpled, faux-rubber backside like the Nexus 7(2012) and its very
own Galaxy Note 3. It definitely gives a better feel - it doesn't slip and
slide in your hands or pockets anymore - but it cannot compare to the feel and
craftsmanship of the HTC One(both the m7 and m8). It is on the right track
though, so let's hope that rumored luxury "F" line or next year's S6
will continue to get better.
* How it Runs
Galaxy S5 is fast, fast, FAST! With a
2.5gHz Snapdragon 801, it has the fastest processor out there right now. It
terms of real speed, I cannot say if it is faster than the HTC One m8 or the
Sony Xperia Z2, but it is definitely up there. When you touch an app icon to
launch it, it launches nearly instantly. To really see how this phone flies,
just open the gallery app and scroll through all your photos and you'll see
what I mean. Usually the gallery is where most phones stutter as it tries to
load all your photos and albums - but NOT the S5!
* The Camera
- FINALLY! Samsung has
decided to make a decent camera, and not just as an afterthought. This 16mp
camera is really awesome, so much better than the S4. I would always get washed
out images with my S3/S4/Note 2, but with the S5, it actually looks like it's
from a decent point-and-shoot dedicated camera with crisp, bright, and
saturated images. Low-light shooting is also vastly improved, although not as
good as the new HTC One m8. 16mp means 5312 x 2988 -resolution images, so you
can actually blow them up or crop them down without fearing the dreaded
pixelation monster. There are a myriad of other cool and useful camera features
that I will save for you to find out(like macro and "Google Street
View" modes :]). And lastly, the focus is quick, quick, QUICK! Nearly
instantaneous focus allows you to capture those hard-to-capture moments easier.
A definitely thumbs up to Samsung for paying attention to the camera and its
functions
.
* Software
I'm still trying to figure out
everything, as there is A LOT of stuff under the hood. Samsung's TouchWiz user
interface this time around is A LOT less intrusive though, as much as can be
without being totally stock Android, I guess. The layout and iconography are
flatter and simpler, and for the better in my view. There is also a new sensor
on the back, just beneath the camera lens. It is a heart-rate
monitor/pedometer, and it comes with its own health app called S Health. There
is a new battery-saving mode which can save you precious minutes when you're
caught in a bind. All in all, I think this version is a lot nicer-looking, more
responsive, and better than the precious S phones.
The ultimate question is whether
this phone is a worthy upgrade over the S4. As my review title suggests, it is
an evolution, an incremental upgrade over the S4. So with that said I cannot
whole-heartedly recommend it if you already have a good phone, or even over the
S4. But I do feel this upgrade is more vast and much better than from the S3 to
the S4, so in that sense Samsung has done a much better job this year. If you
are switching from an older phone that was made at least 2 years ago, then I
would tell you jump right in and try the S5 - it will not disappoint you. But
for those with already a good phone, and/or say you just finished year one of
your 2-year contract, then I would say think hard before you make the leap. For
my money, I think the Note 4 and S6 will be the bigger upgrades more worth
waiting for.
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