Korean electronic giant Samsung unveiled the new iteration of its Galaxy phone, the Galaxy S5, during a recent media event in Barcelona.
In a stark contrast to the rumours, the S5 doesn't have a 4K screen, it doesn't have a 3-sided display that tracks your head movement, and surprise surprise, it's not metal! It is more of a minor design and upgrades rather than a revolutionary ones.
So, here's how the new Galaxy S5 is summed up:
Design
Looks almost similar to the S4 but slightly bigger and heavier. Remember iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S? They are pretty identical, so, yeah what's the big deal, right.
The plastic back panel is a textured matte finish, with 4 choices of colours.
Specifications
The Galaxy S5 sports newer processor, bigger battery, and a slightly larger display. The 0.2GHz bump in processing power shouldn't make a lot of difference. Samsung claimed the new device will provide 20% better battery life than the Galaxy S4.
The Galaxy S5's 5.1-inch display uses the same 1920-x-1080-pixel resolution as the GS4's 5.0-inch screen. Samsung claimed the S5 includes a new advanced auto-brightness system that adjusts colors based on the lighting in your environment.
Camera
The S5 has a new 16MP camera, up from 13MP in the S4. The camera can auto-focus in 0.3-second and you can expect speedier photo taking.
The live HDR preview mode is a new feature and it allows you to check out how HDR mode will look on an image before you press the shutter button.
User experience
It is dust- and water-resistant. And it has a heart rate monitor and fingerprint scanner. Not sure if this one will work, but let's just see when the phone goes on sale.
The USB 3.0 interface should allows for faster charging and data transfers, while the new Download Booster mode that combines LTE (4G) and Wi-Fi should make for faster data transfers.
Would you upgrade?
In a stark contrast to the rumours, the S5 doesn't have a 4K screen, it doesn't have a 3-sided display that tracks your head movement, and surprise surprise, it's not metal! It is more of a minor design and upgrades rather than a revolutionary ones.
So, here's how the new Galaxy S5 is summed up:
Design
Looks almost similar to the S4 but slightly bigger and heavier. Remember iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S? They are pretty identical, so, yeah what's the big deal, right.
The plastic back panel is a textured matte finish, with 4 choices of colours.
Specifications
The Galaxy S5 sports newer processor, bigger battery, and a slightly larger display. The 0.2GHz bump in processing power shouldn't make a lot of difference. Samsung claimed the new device will provide 20% better battery life than the Galaxy S4.
The Galaxy S5's 5.1-inch display uses the same 1920-x-1080-pixel resolution as the GS4's 5.0-inch screen. Samsung claimed the S5 includes a new advanced auto-brightness system that adjusts colors based on the lighting in your environment.
Camera
The S5 has a new 16MP camera, up from 13MP in the S4. The camera can auto-focus in 0.3-second and you can expect speedier photo taking.
The live HDR preview mode is a new feature and it allows you to check out how HDR mode will look on an image before you press the shutter button.
User experience
It is dust- and water-resistant. And it has a heart rate monitor and fingerprint scanner. Not sure if this one will work, but let's just see when the phone goes on sale.
The USB 3.0 interface should allows for faster charging and data transfers, while the new Download Booster mode that combines LTE (4G) and Wi-Fi should make for faster data transfers.
Would you upgrade?
The Galaxy S5's user interface has not been changed drastically and is seen to be more of a refinement.
If you've been using Samsung's flagship phones for a while, the Galaxy S5 looks like a little step forward from the previous generation, but not a total rebirth of a new one. Until we see the slab and feel it with our own hands, I think it is too early to tell if a S4 owner should upgrade.
Source: Computerworld
