Samsung Announces Galaxy S5: Initial Thoughts
by Joshua Ho on February 24, 2014 2:04 PM EST- Posted in
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Every year Samsung launches a new Galaxy S flagship smartphone, and as always, Samsung puts the best platform that can be bought in their devices. The Galaxy S5 is no exception, as the MSM8974AC, or Snapdragon 801, powers the Galaxy S5. The 8974AC is the 2.45 GHz bin of the MSM8974AB, a slightly massaged MSM8974 that first launched with the LG G2 and other devices in the summer of 2013. As a recap, the MSM8974AB increases the clock speed of the Hexagon DSP to 465 MHz from 320 MHz, and the LPDDR3 RAM clocks go from 800 MHz to 933 MHz. What really matters though, is that GPU goes from 450 MHz to 578 MHz from 8974 to 8974AC. I definitely have to point to Anand's piece on the Snapdragon 801 for anyone that wants to know more.
The other portion of the hardware story is the camera, which is probably one of the biggest areas for OEMs to distinguish themselves from the pack. Samsung seems to be playing it safe this year with a straight upgrade from 13MP to 16MP by increasing sensor size, and pixel size remains at 1.12 micron side edge length. It is notable that the camera sensor seems to be in a 16:9 aspect ratio, which would make it possible for both photos and videos to keep the same interface without odd reframing effects when going from photo preview to camcorder functionality. Optics are effectively unchanged from the Galaxy S5, as the focal length in 35mm equivalent remains at 31mm, the aperture remains at F/2.2. The one area where there could be a notable improvement is the promised ISOCELL technology, which physically separates pixels better to reduce quantum effects that can lead to lower image resolution and also increases dynamic range, although this will require testing to verify the claims made by Samsung. Samsung has also added 4K video recording for this phone and real time HDR to extend the dynamic range of the camera.
The Galaxy S5 has 2GB of RAM, also not too surprising given the 32-bit ARMv7 architecture of the 8974AC.
The display is a 1080p 5.1” panel, which makes this phone around the same size as the LG G2. Samsung has definitely improved AMOLED, but first impressions are unlikely to tell much when it comes to the quality of calibration and other characteristics of the device. In all likelihood, this will continue to use an RGBG pixel layout in order to improve aging characteristics as the various subpixels age at differing rates. I would expect max brightness to increase, although this may only show in very specific conditions such as extended sunlight exposure and low APL scenarios.
The industrial design seems to be an evolution of the Note 3, with a texture that looks similar to that of the Nexus 7 2012. However, whether the stippled texture will actually avoid the long-term issue of a slimy/oily feel is another question that will have to be answered after the hands-on. While we're still on the point of the hardware design, the Galaxy S5 is IP67 rated, which is why the microUSB 3.0 port has a cover for water and dust resistance.
The fingerprint sensor is a swipe-based one, and Brian has voiced displeasure over swipe sensors like those found in the One max. I personally think that there could be some issues with ergonomics, as Samsung places the home button very close to the edge of the phone, which would make it rather difficult to swipe correctly over the home button, especially if the device is being used with one hand.
As always, Samsung has included removable battery and a microSD slot for those that need such capabilities, although now that Samsung is following Google guidelines regarding read/write permissions, the utility of the microSD slot could be much less than previously expected. For the battery, things are noticeably different as Samsung has gone with a 3.85V chemistry compared to the 3.8V chemistry previously used by the Galaxy S4. With a battery capacity of 10.78 WHr, this means that it has 2800 mAh. For reference, the Galaxy S4 had a 9.88 WHr battery with 2600 mAh.
As always, Samsung has put TouchWiz on top of their build of Android that will ship with the Galaxy S5, and it mostly looks the same. There are definitely some new features though like My Magazine, which seems to be a way of presenting multiple sources of information using a scrollable list of tiles with images on them.
There might be a trend here in the paragraphs, and while some may see it as a tic, it’s probably more representative of the consistency that Samsung is bringing to the table. “As always” means that people know what to expect, and while it may not be nearly as exciting to the tech press, average people live and die by what’s relatively familiar, not what’s new and exciting. The addition of new features and consistent improvements to performance without compromise relative to the previous generation is definitely something to be applauded, and with review units, hopefully it will be possible to see how the GS5 stacks up against the competition.
At any rate, the phone will launch with blue, black, white, and gold colors. It launches April 11 in 150 countries.
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nos024 - Wednesday, February 26, 2014 - link
If anything, I wish they take out some features and improve the battery life.Simpleas - Sunday, March 2, 2014 - link
Samsung as usual has so many awesome features under the hood as well as out.I'm loving that the Galaxy S5 has IP67 certification, USB 3.0, Heart Rate Monitor, ISOCell Camera (Best), Simultaneous LTE + Wifi downloads, Ultra power saving mode capable of going 24 hours on 10% battery. Better display, Better Battery, Better Processor. And I love it. Can't wait for what they have in stock for the note 4. Samsung is king as usual. Kudos
petergreyhill - Monday, March 3, 2014 - link
Samsung does not make mistakes in design - everything is deliberate, defects will occur statistically in any high volume product but there are really no design flubs or shorts.As far as evolution vs revolution goes, most american reviewer yawned and ridiculed the "phablet" and the big screen S4 - as the public quietly purchased millions of each mode.
My family owns the N, N2, S4, and N3 - and there have been zero defects, zero disappointments, zero breakages, and total appreciation for the power, speed, capacity, and feature sets. The Galaxy phones however are not really aimed at uninformed, average, call and email folks - that would be the iphone. The Galaxies are targeted more for the business class, professionals, managers and extremely busy folks who appreciate solid high performance phones with a ton of time management and productivity tools. As an added bonus you get a very large very hi def display for content consumption - so I cannot image why anyone would prefer watching films, tv, and videos on a four inch 720p display over a very big bright 1080p crystal clear display....specs only support the argument.
High end is a total package and not giving up performance in any arena.
RodSerlingLives - Tuesday, March 4, 2014 - link
It is very hypocritical to generalize iPhone users as uninformed. A Samsung Galaxy S-Series is the iPhone of Android devices in terms of marketing and consumer buy patterns. There are plenty of capable devices with similar or better specs that can accomplish the same things. The best high end phone, is the one that helps you accomplish what you need to on a daily basis, whether it be an iPhone or a ZTE Grand Memo.faisan01 - Wednesday, April 2, 2014 - link
Brand new latest Samsung Galaxy s5 cost 350 dollarBrand new Samsung Galaxy s3, s4 and Note 3
Brand new Apple iphone 5, 5c, 5s, 16gb, 32gb, 64gb 23ct Gold
Contact for Prices::::
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faisan01 - Wednesday, April 2, 2014 - link
Brand new latest Samsung Galaxy s5 cost 350 dollarBrand new Samsung Galaxy s3, s4 and Note 3
Brand new Apple iphone 5, 5c, 5s, 16gb, 32gb, 64gb 23ct Gold
Contact for Prices::::
SKYPE Call & Chat : hassan.inc1
BBM CHAT 24HRS: 2AE599E1
WhatsApp CHAT 24HRS :+60162784239
ritwik - Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - link
For me this device is an OK device, when I compare the device with my Huawei's Honor 6 I find there are a a lot of features which are superior in my device in comparison to Galaxy S5, and my device came at a much better price in comparison to S5. You can check the price for both the device here: http://goo.gl/4wojuW