The biggest expectation of the MWC 2014 had to be Samsung’s Unpacked 5 event where they were expected to announce the successor of Samsung Galaxy S4 and they did announce it – Samsung Galaxy S5. While a lot of people weren’t convinced about the lack of design change from Samsung Galaxy S3 to Samsung Galaxy S4, even more people joined the skeptical lot as Samsung pulled a Samsung out of the hat and introduced the Samsung Galaxy S5 in a design and specs not so different from the predecessor – Galaxy S4.
FoneArena is live from Barcelona and we were there at Samsung’s really packed Unpacked event. After the unveiling, we were able to get a quick hands on with the device and in the short time, we compared it with the Samsung Galaxy S4. You can check out the quick hands on comparison video right below.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KwqG4oxRLA
Design wise, the Galaxy S4 wasn’t a big step forward from the Galaxy S3, but it did something others couldn’t even think of – Samsung Galaxy S4 came with a bigger 4.99inch display in a body smaller and thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S3. The Galaxy S5 doesn’t do anything of the sort and is bigger and thicker than the Samsung Galaxy S4 and houses just a 0.1inch bigger display in the form of a 5.1inch Full HD Super AMOLED display.
The design language isn’t necessarily a step forward as the Samsung Galaxy S5 looks more like a Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 than a flagship device. Samsung used to use glossy plastic back and it drew a lot of criticism from the mobile reviewers and they did something worth sticking on to with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in the form of a faux leather back. They used it in Samsung’s mid-range Galaxy Grand 2, but as to why they dropped it for a perforated back on the Samsung Galaxy S5, I would never understand. The back of Samsung Galaxy S5 was the target of Internet memes, especially the gold color one where it was compared to a band aid.
As a silver lining, Samsung Galaxy S5 is water and dust proof with IP 67 certification. This is a good thing, but it has been on the Sony range of flagships for more than a year now. The microUSB 3.0 on the bottom side of the phone is covered with a flap. Samsung managed to achieve dust and water proofing despite having a removable back cover with user replaceable battery and a microSD card – this is something worth noting. The battery has been bumped up a little to 2800mAh from 2600mAh in the Galaxy S4. These are the changes that one can see outside the phone.
On the inside, the Samsung Galaxy S5 packs the latest 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor alongside a 2.1GHz Exynos Octa Core variant. The 3GB RAM from the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is missing in the Galaxy S5 and it comes with the same 2GB RAM as the Galaxy S4. Galaxy S5 will be available with 16/32GB internal storage options along with a microSD card slot. Samsung Galaxy S5 runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat out of the box with a layer of toned down TouchWiz.
One of the biggest improvements from Samsung Galaxy S4 to Samsung Galaxy S5 is the camera module. Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with a 16MP ISOCELL camera unit against the Galaxy S4’s 13MP unit. The new sensor captures more details and comes with a dedicated image processing chip to make it the smartphone with the fastest auto-focus camera. Like the Galaxy Note 3, the Galaxy S5 can now record 4K UltraHD videos at 30fps. The front camera is the same 2.1MP unit and Samsung doesn’t seem too keen on changing it.
In addition to the regular upgrades, Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with a Heart Rate monitor sensor right next to LED flash.
If you already own a Samsung Galaxy S4, there is not much of a reason to upgrade expect for a better camera. Samsung Galaxy S5 will be available globally across 150 countries on April 11th and the pricing details will be announced when the launch day nears.
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