So, with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S5, it’s clear that 2014’s battle of the flagship smartphones has officially begun. The Galaxy S5 was shown off last night at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to plenty of interest. While some features of the new Galaxy smartphone
are definite improvements over its predecessor, the Galaxy S4, there are some aspects about it that we found disappointing. And there are still some things we don’t know about Samsung’s new flagship Android smartphone.
Let’s take a closer look at the Galaxy S5, shall we?
The Good
Water Resistant Body
The Galaxy S5 is IP67 certified as water and dust resistant. Samsung wisely took a page from Sony’s playbook and decided to make its flagship offering hardier and better protected from the elements. The Galaxy S5’s microUSB port has an attached cover to keep out water and you can also submerge the phone in 3 feet of water for about 30 minutes without any issues.
This is definitely a welcome upgrade from the Galaxy S4. After all, if you’re expected to pay a considerable amount of money for a phone, it’s not too much to expect that the phone is also well-protected.
Textured Back
Samsung has also decided to move away the glossy, sleek plastic that all Galaxy S phones have sported so far. The Galaxy S5, instead opts for a soft textured finish on its back (still made of plastic though) that it calls the “Modern Glam Look”. The look of the back panel, with its dimpled surface, is similar to what we saw on the original Nexus 7 tablet. Samsung will also be offering the Galaxy S5 in multiple colour variants such as charcoal black, shimmery white, electric blue and copper gold.
Even though we wanted a lot more in terms of a design refresh, there’s no denying that the S5 does offer a better, and slightly different, look and feel from its predecessors. The different coloured versions will also let consumers pick and choose a Galaxy S5 that’s more in line with their aesthetic sensibilities.
Fitness Focus
By launching the Galaxy S5 with a built in heart-rate sensor, and also the new Fitness Band and the Gear 2, Samsung is betting heavily on the fact that users are looking for better ways their phones can help them improve their health. The Galaxy S5 will also come with an array of fitness apps that will help users keep an eye on their exercise programs and how much they’re walking or running.
By focusing on fitness, Samsung hopes to attract buyers who have been considering the iPhone so far for their fitness needs. This is a bold but smart strategy by Samsung and also opens up the doors to its wearable hardware.
The Bad
Everything Old is New Again
There’s just no way to sugar-coat it, is there? For all the talk of the “Modern Glam Look” and soft textured back, the Galaxy S5 is one of the most boring looking high-end smartphones out there. And then, there’s still the complete reliance on plastic which just appears to be a boneheaded design decision considering the fact that the loudest complaints against the Galaxy S3 and the S4 was the use of plastic when other flagships were going for more premium materials like aluminium and carbon fiber.
At this point, whether you want to buy the Galaxy S5 depends quite heavily on if you’re willing to put down a lot of cash and overlook a boring looking plastic phone.
Dude, Where’s My Innovation?
Ok, I’m not saying that the Galaxy S5 is underpowered. After all, a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and a 1080p display cannot be considered underpowered in any dimension. But there’s nothing really amazing about the Galaxy S5’s hardware, is there? The Galaxy S4 had a 1080p 5-inch display, which means that although the S5 has a screen that’s 0.1 inches larger, it also sees a drop in pixel density. The S4 and the S5, both have 2GB RAM in a world where the Note 3, launched last year, has 3GB. There is a bump in processor clock speeds, so thankfully, that’s something different but the battery only gets a bump up of 200mAh.
So, really, if you’ve found it in you to complain about how the iPhone 5 and the 5S, are essentially the same, you will find the same reasons to do so again in the case of the Galaxy S5.
Giving You the Finger
As Samsung is wont to do, after Apple introduced the fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5S, the feature has magically found its way on to the Galaxy S5. Now, if it worked properly, we would probably let off after some light ribbing but, if the reports from many different journalists from MWC are accurate, the fingerprint scanner on the S5 is quite inconsistent. The reports state that it is almost impossible to use the fingerprint scanner when holding the phone in one hand and that it restricts you to slowly swiping your finger in a straight motion.
Quite frankly, if it’s a pain to use the Galaxy S5’s fingerprint scanner then it will quickly become an unnecessary feature that nobody uses.
The Unknown
The Camera
Samsung has upgraded the Galaxy S5’s camera with more megapixels (16MP) and, what they call, ISOCELL technology. Samsung claims that this camera has the fastest autofocus speed in the world (0.3 seconds) and also boasts of a selective focus feature that lets you focus on one subject while blurring out the rest. The camera is also capable of shooting Ultra HD 4K videos (3840 x 2160 pixels).
Now, all of this sounds great on paper and if the camera performs to its potential, then it would be one of the absolute best in the market. However, we can’t really say how good it is until we actually get to test it.
The SoC
The Galaxy S5 that was shown off at MWC had a 2.5GHz quad-core processor but we’re not sure if it’s a Snapdragon 800 with a higher clock speed or a Snapdragon 805. Also, like the S4, Samsung could actually launch an S5 with an Exynos chipset in India. At present, there’s not enough information to do anything besides speculate.
Price and Availability
Last year, the Samsung Galaxy S4 was launched in India in late April. We expect the Galaxy S5 to hit India in early to mid April but again, there’s no official word on it. Similarly, the Galaxy S4 was launched Rs. 41,500 last year. We expect the S5 to be priced thereabouts, but maybe a little more expensive. Again, until we can only speculate until Samsung releases more information.
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