Samsung Galaxy S5 Specs Review
The Samsung Galaxy S5 features specs that basically outclass the current line-up of high end smartphones.
With a new processor, larger display, and tweaked camera the handset has a significant advantage over devices such as the Nexus 5, iPhone 5s and HTC One. Full lists of specs are now available for the Galaxy S5. See them here. Here is what we think of them.
Display
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The Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution. There really isn't much of a difference here from the Galaxy S4 aside from the slight bump in size. The resolution is the same and the ppi might be a little bit lower. Other than that, not much of an improvement here.
Processor
The Galaxy S5 packs a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 2GB RAM. Judging from numbers alone, the smartphone should be extremely fast and efficient, however, Samsung's devices normally lag even with the best of components. This has to do with the software which is bloated. Either way, it will still be fast enough to impress most smartphone enthusiasts.
Heart Rate Monitor
Samsung took a cue from Apple by incorporating a Heart Rate Monitor into the GS5. The component is built into the back of the device and was added to enrich the life of the user as they will now be able to monitor their fitness better. Apple's M7 chip was added to the iPhone 5s for the same reason. The monitor on the S5 is a nice little addition and adds more significance to S Health.
Fingerprint Sensor
Samsung to no surprise, decided to add a fingerprint sensor to the Galaxy S5 following in the footsteps of Apple. The company promises that its version will be more useful than the one found on the iPhone 5s. These will probably become the standard in the smartphone market which basically drains the wow factor from Samsung's incorporation of one.
Camera
This is probably the best part of the Galaxy S5 as its camera will be 16-megapixels and will feature Selective Focus, HDR (High Dynamic Range) and the fastest autofocus on the market. Samsung seemed to get it right in this department even if it was lack luster in others.
Dust and Water Resistant
A small flap on the USB port makes the Galaxy S5 Dust and Water resistant, but not water and dust proof. This is a bit disappointing as I expected the device to be more like the Active line. Samsung will probably release an S5 version that is proof sometime in the near future. The resistance is definitely a plus, but not enough to impress all the way.
Software
The Galaxy S5 comes with Android 4.4.2, KitKat pre-installed and the latest version of TouchWiz. It also features Kids Mode which blocks children from accessing content only for adults with the click of a button and a download booster that allows for extremely fast downloads. The booster is quite appealing while the rest are just extras that are nice, but seem a bit unnecessary. TouchWiz appears to be the same as it's always been.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is not all that exciting based on the specs and design. It appears to be a Galaxy S4 with a better camera, which just isn't enough to make the jump to the new version. At this point, it's pretty difficult to get people excited about any kind of hardware, but a 4k display would have been nice. Either way, the S5 is still a solid device that will get plenty of attention in the months to come.
