Samsung goes “back to basics” with the Samsung Galaxy S5, looks to connectivity, imaging, biometrics and sensors for the win
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is official and –
not to dampen the mood too much – it looks quite a lot like its predecessor, the
Galaxy S4.
The handset itself is bigger and has a 5.1in Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080
pixel display, placing it right between the S4 and Note 3, with regards to
overall size and weight. Despite plenty of claims to contrary, the Galaxy S5 is
– surprise, surprise – constructed almost entirely out of plastic. The only big
change with regards to visuals is the dimple effect back panel, which we presume
was added to aid grip.
Inside you have A LOT of new technology
and sensors, tallying nicely with the myriad rumours we heard about biometrics
playing a big part in the next Galaxy handset. True to the rumours, there’s a
fingerprint scanner located inside the Home button, and a heart rate monitor on
the back just under the camera port. The handset is also water and dust
resistant with IP67 certification – which probably means there’ll be no Active
version this time around.
“We’ve decided to go back to basics with
the Galaxy S5 and focus on the features and things that matter the most to our
customers – namely the camera, ability to view and download data and content
quickly and their health and wellbeing,” said Simon Stanford, Vice President of
IT & Mobile division, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland. “People want a
smartphone that
enhances and enables their mobile life. The Galaxy S5 represents just that, and
we’re excited to see the response to our latest flagship smartphone device.”
Samsung Galaxy S5 Design
Exact measurements are 142.0 x 72.5 x
8.1mm and the handset weighs in at 145g, making it heavier, thicker and larger
than the Galaxy S4. The edges of the device feature the same familiar silver
accents we saw aboard the Galaxy S4 and Note 3, but sadly no new build
materials.
The Galaxy S5 will be available in a range
of colours including Charcoal Black, Shimmery White, Electric Blue and Copper
Gold. Samsung says the overall design of the new Galaxy S5 is “glam” in its
press release, which, if we’re honest, just makes us think of this guy.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Specs & Hardware
With regards to overall spec and hardware,
the Galaxy S5 is definitely one of those handsets, like the iPhone 5s, which
will divide opinion. Samsung has bumped up the processing power, added in a
slightly larger 5.1in display and kept the RAM at 2GB. Internal storage is the
standard 16/32GB.
While Samsung was pretty coy about the
exact processor details some sources have done a bit of digging and reports now
indicate we're looking at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core chip clocked at
2.5GHz with 2GB of RAM and an upgraded Adreno GPU.
Samsung Galaxy S5: Key Specs
- Display: 5.1” FHD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080)
- Processor: 2.5GHz Quad core application processor
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 16/32GB
- SD: Up To 128GB
- OS: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
- Connectivity: WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac HT80, MIMO(2x2); Bluetooth®: 4.0 BLE / ANT+; USB: USB 3.0; NFC; IR Remote
- Camera: 16MP (rear), 2.0MP (front)
- Battery: 2800mAh
- Sensors: Accelerometer; gyro; proximity; compass; barometer; Hall; RGB ambient light; Gesture(IR); Finger Scanner; Heart rate sensor
Many were expecting 3GB of RAM to match
the Galaxy Note 3 and it would have helped boost performance a bit more.
Shame.
Another annoyance is that Samsung appears
to have made the same mistake with storage that it made with the Galaxy S4. The
16GB Galaxy S4 only had around 9GB of user-available storage by the time
TouchWiz had muscled in on things, but now with the 16GB Galaxy S5 that's down
to 7.86GB, according to Android Central.
Other notable additions include support
for 128GB microSD cards, plus
super-fast connectivity with global LTE support and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
HT80, MIMO (2x2). Samsung has also included something called “download booster”
which leverages both LTE and Wi-Fi connections to speed up sizeable downloads of
over 30MB.
The battery is still removable, which is
sure to produce an audiable sigh of relief from many Samsung fans. It's been
upgraded from the Galaxy S4's 2,600mAh to 2,800mAh. And Samsung's new Ultra
Power Saving mode, where the display reverts to black and white when your
battery gets below 10%, is likely to ensure you get even more juice from the
S5.
The big changes, or the one’s Samsung
wants you to take notice of, are under the hood or hidden in plain sight. Things
like the fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor and improved imaging and super
fast network connectivity
are the “Big Talking Points” according to Samsung. Whether consumers feel that
way, however, is another thing entirely.
Samsung Galaxy S5: Exynos vs. Snapdragon
As predicted there’s going to be more than
one version of the Galaxy S5 at launch. We know that the UK, as well as most of
Europe, will be getting the Snapdragon 801 version, and the reason for this is
LTE. At launch Samsung confirmed the Galaxy S5 as carrying the Snapdragon 801.
In a quieter launch some 24-hours later, Samsung told Engadget that certain
markets around the globe – those with little to no LTE – would be getting a
different version of the handset; one with a 2.1GHz octa-core Exynos
processor.
Samsung did exactly the same thing with
the Galaxy S4; different chips for different regions and markets. We never saw
the Exynos version in the UK, and that will almost certainly be the case this
time around as well.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Camera
The camera aboard the Galaxy Note 3 was a
very capable shooter, as was the setup on the Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S5 looks to
takes thing a step further with the introduction of a 16MP sensor and Selective
Focus, a feature which allows you to adjust the focus of a shot after the image
has been taken just like you can do aboard Nokia’s new Lumia handsets and the
famed Lytro camera. Samsung has also improved the auto-focus speed, too – you
now only have to wait 0.3 seconds – meaning rapid capture is on the cards.
There’s also HDR Live mode – a means of
previewing an image with full HDR processing applied to it before you’ve
actually captured the image. All the usual Galaxy camera app settings we know
and love are present and accounted for too, as well as few added extras like
Virtual Tour Shot and Shot & More. The Galaxy S5 can also shoot video in 4K
– 3840 x 2160 pixels – resolution, although if you’re going to be doing a lot of
this it’s probably worth investing in a 64GB or even 128GB microSD card.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Sensors & S Health 3.0
We’ve already seen the Gear 2 and Gear 2
Neo, and Samsung’s S-Health application is nothing new. The Korean tech giant,
like every other big tech firm at present, seems hell bent on making sure your
body is in tiptop condition. To do this Samsung has packed the Galaxy S5 out
with a myriad of sensors including a heart rate monitor and pedometer, which, in
conjunction with S Health 3.0 and the company’s new Gear smartwatches, will
conspire to make you healthier whether you like it or not.
“It provides a comprehensive personal
fitness tracker to help you monitor and manage your behaviour, along with
additional tools including a pedometer, diet and exercise records, and a new,
built-in heart rate monitor. You can further customise your experience with an
enriched third party app ecosystem and the ability to pair with next generation
Gear products for real-time fitness coaching,” said Samsung in a statement to
the press.
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