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Samsung Galaxy S5 review: a solid improvement, but don't rush to upgrade
Now that I've been testing it for a few days, let's see if the Galaxy S5 lives up to all those promises.
Where to buy Samsung's Galaxy S5
As some of you will probably know, today marks the global launch of Samsung's Galaxy S5 and wearable Gear range. And, as is the case with nearly all flagship phones, everyone wants a piece of the action. The GS5 is no different, so with high demand expected, it's up to mobile networks and retailers to make sure your new handset goes through their checkout. There's a ton of different talk, text and data allowance combinations available, but what better metric to start at than price? Head past the break for a table outlining where you can hunt down a GS5, and at what cost -- one spreadsheet you hopefully won't mind looking at on a Friday.
Samsung's Galaxy S5 is trickier to repair than its ancestor
An easily expandable phone isn't always an easily repairable phone. If you need proof, take a look at iFixit's newly completed teardown of the Galaxy S5. While Samsung's latest flagship gets some kudos for its removable battery and microSD slot, it's considerably tougher to take apart than its GS4 predecessor. You now have to remove the display if you want to replace any of the internals, and the removal process is especially tricky; part replacements are only easy once you're past this daunting hurdle. There aren't any surprises under the hood, although it's worth noting that Samsung is using a Maxim heart rate sensor chip and a Synaptics fingerprint reader. From all indications, the GS5 is still easier to fix than some phones we know -- it's just not the walk in the park that we saw last year.
C Spire will carry the Samsung Galaxy S5 in May
C Spire customers had to wait months after the initial launch to get the Galaxy S 4, but they won't have to be nearly so patient with the Galaxy S5. The southern US carrier has revealed that it will be carrying Samsung's Android flagship in May, just weeks after the biggest networks get their turn. While there's no mention of pricing so far, it won't be surprising if the GS5 costs the same $200 on contract that we've seen at the largest providers. The relatively quick launch may not have an immediate effect outside of C Spire's core markets, to be sure. Still, it suggests that Galaxy fans nationwide won't have to leave their favorite regional carriers just to get Samsung's latest and greatest in a timely fashion.
Samsung Galaxy S5 comes late to Verizon, but on a 2-for-1 deal
Verizon often takes its sweet time getting the latest phones, and Samsung's new alpha dog, the Galaxy S5, is no exception -- AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint all nabbed it first. However, at least Big Red's sweetening the pot on the 5.1-inch, Full HD, Snapdragon 801-equipped handset. While it's now on pre-order at $200 for a two year deal or $600 sans contract, you can get a second GS5 (or other select models) for "free." The only catch is that you'll need to sign up for another two-year plan, so the phone is essentially half-price with two contracts. Still, you'd be able to chuckle at your Windows Phone-using pals, who'd pay the same price for essentially last year's model.
Samsung's Galaxy S5 doubles as a baby monitor, if you have a Gear watch
The Galaxy S5: powerhouse smartphone, fitness guru... baby monitor? Yes, you read that right. SoyaCincau has learned that Samsung's jack-of-all-trades Android flagship includes a "baby crying detector" mode that uses the phone as a listening station. If your child is upset, the GS5 sends a vibrating alert to your Gear watch (needed for the feature) that urges you to come to Junior's aid. You probably wouldn't want to lean on the detector too often -- Samsung certainly doesn't think it's a wise idea, as you can see from the massive legal disclaimer pictured here. Still, it could come in handy if you don't have a dedicated monitor and occasionally want to keep tabs on your tyke while you run around the home.
Galaxy S5 hits stores early in Korea, as carriers try to dodge sales suspension
South Korea's major carriers have pulled their Galaxy S5 launch date forward to, well, today, despite Samsung's efforts to keep the native networks in line with the global launch date on April 11. According to a statement received by Bloomberg, Samsung is "very puzzled." "SK strongly asked form an earlier release of the product by we delivered our stance that the global release date of April 11 remains unchanged." In South Korea, recent illegal discounts from carriers led to the government regulator slapping a 45-day ban on new customer sign-ups. Carriers apparently already have the GS5 in stock for both marketing activities and to cover their pre-orders on launch day.
Sprint gets the Galaxy S5 and Gear smartwatches April 11th, pre-orders go live today
Sprint's getting the Galaxy S5, too. And like fellow underdog T-Mobile, the carrier plans to offer Samsung's flagship handset for no dinero upfront on its Easy Pay plan. Which means, you still have to pay, but just in 24 monthly increments. Those pre-orders begin today for folks visiting Sprint's retail stores -- that is if you can still find one that isn't shuttered -- and begin shipping on April 11th. And to sweeten the pot a little for those that aren't entirely sold on the GS5, Sprint's even tossing in zippy 4G LTE for subs that live in Spark markets, as well as a "free" Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 for qualifying Framily (ugh, that word!) members. Though note you'll have to open a separate two-year agreement to get it. But there's even more Samsung gadgetry on the way. On the same day the GS5 becomes available, Sprint will also add Samsung's new line of Gear smartwatches -- the Gear 2/Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit -- to its portfolio. As a relatively low-end impulse buy, you'll be able to get the Neo and Fit for $200, while the more "luxe" Gear 2 will go for $300.
T-Mobile to offer the Samsung Galaxy S5 for no money down, pre-orders begin March 24th
Looks like the embargo is officially up on Samsung Galaxy S5 pricing. After AT&T revealed earlier today that it'll sell the new flagship phone for $200 on-contract, T-Mobile chimed in to say it will offer the device for no money down, with pre-orders beginning next week, on March 24th. Of course, anyone who knows anything about T-Mobile's UnCarrier pricing plans knows that doesn't mean "free" -- it means you're committing to 24 subsequent monthly payments. So, if you're already sweet on the GS5's Band-Aid-like stylings, and know you prefer T-Mo, you'll want to sign up first thing on Monday.
Samsung's Galaxy S5 won't be considered a medical device in South Korea
Samsung's shiny new Galaxy S5 packs quite a stats punch with built-in sensors and the help of S Health, but the monitoring of vital signs could lead to regulatory issues. Officials with South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety had been reviewing the handset, and today it ruled that Samsung would not be forced to get formal approval as a medical device. The GS5's heart-rate sensor subjects it to stricter regulations under current laws due to the fact that it monitors organ function. In order to clarify the requirements, Korean regulators will rework the parameters in regards to how it classifies everyday gadgets for fitness use. This could lead to a similar process to that of the US, where consumer pulse sensors are not subject to approval from the Food and Drug Administration. S Health was approved as a "cardiology signal transmitter" by the FDA in the States back in January and originally debuted alongside the Galaxy S III in 2012. Back then, it monitored glucose levels and blood pressure with body composition tallied via a Bluetooth-equipped scale. However, those functions weren't a part of S Health when it finally debuted stateside on the GS4 -- despite another lot of health-minded accessories that were available abroad.
Spritz's speed-reading tech shows up to 1,000 words a minute, makes its debut on Samsung devices
Two weeks ago, we were so busy getting hands-on with the new Samsung GS5 and Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch that an exclusive app for the two devices flew completely under our radar. That "app," as we call it, isn't really an app at all: it's Spritz's speed-reading technology, and if all goes according to plan, it will soon be embedded into loads of websites, apps and wearables devices. For now, though, the tech is making is debut on the GS5 and the Gear 2, with a public SDK set to come out in a few weeks.
AT&T's Galaxy S5 gets FCC approval, just like you knew it would (update: T-Mobile and Verizon too)
Samsung already made it clear that the Galaxy S5 would reach AT&T when it launched globally in April. Still, it's nice to know the flagship is on track for an on-time arrival, right? The 5.1-inch phone just surfaced in a fresh set of FCC documents, which show a GS5 variant with AT&T-friendly LTE bands (2, 4, 5 and 17) and support for ANT+ sensors (handy for wireless heart-rate monitors and the like). Predictably, the phone also includes GSM, GPRS, EDGE and UMTS, for when you can't manage a 4G signal. That still leaves lots of questions -- how much will it cost? How good is this thing? -- but we suppose we'll just have to wait until April 11th to find out. Update: Sure enough, a T-Mobile version of the GS5 has also surfaced at the FCC. Update #2: And here's the Verizon version too. Enjoy. Update #3: A few days later, Samsung has also passed another CDMA model through the FCC; this one's most likely destined for relatively small carriers, such as US Cellular.
Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with premium app subscriptions worth over $600 (updated)
After powering the world's most retweeted tweet, Samsung has also revealed a suite of app-based upgrades that future GS5 owners will receive, free, alongside their new smartphone. While Evernote and LinkedIn's premium services only extend to three months, we have no complaints about six free months of the Wall Street Journal and year-long access to Bloomberg's Businessweek. The Galaxy S5 will also include a year of Runkeeper Premium, as well as limited-time premium services for Map My Fitness and Skimple. There's no Dropbox this time, but there is 50GB of free cloud storage -- for six months -- from Box. Also, in case you forgot about the Galaxy S5's heart-rate sensor, you'll also pick up a year's subscription to Lark's personal wellness app, which will plug into (and monitor) all your health metrics... until you're ready to pay another 36 bucks to extend the service. But then, who can put a price on good health? Update: Samsung has provided us with more details about Gifts. Dropbox will be included after all, providing you with 50GB of free storage for two years. That alone bumps the package's total value up to $600. For a full list of Galaxy S5 upgrades, make sure to hit this link.
Samsung debuts its first Galaxy S5 ad during the Oscars and turns sponsorship dollars into all-star selfies
In case you hadn't heard, Samsung's newest phone is coming. At the Oscars, the Galaxy S5 just got a huge shot of publicity, both in a 30-second ad segment and the not-so-casual presence of its big bro, the Note 3, throughout the award ceremony. We hope you like Hollywood stars and selfies, because Ellen's going to be tweeting a whole lot of them. That's your sponsorship dollars at work, Samsung, even if DeGeneres apparently switched back to an iPhone backstage. Update: Oh, and that ensemble picture being taken in the shot above? The real thing is now the most-retweeted post, ever. [Picture via @Buzzfeed]
Why did Samsung play it safe with the Galaxy S5's processor?
Of all the phone manufacturers out there, Samsung seems to have a particular talent for creating an anticlimax. Our first thought when holding the Galaxy S5 was that we'd been through all this before a year ago, with the equally underwhelming launch of the GS4. Our disappointment jibed with the reactions of other bloggers around us at Mobile World Congress and with many readers' comments on our hands-on article. Folks seemed to forget about the phone after five minutes and switch their attention to Samsung's new smartwatches, especially the delectable Gear Fit. First impressions aren't everything, however. A phone's charm can take a while to sink in, and you only have to look at the Galaxy S3 for proof of that. (I reviewed that handset many moons ago, and must admit that I never expected it to do as well as it did.) As add-ons go, the swipe-based fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor may not be astounding now that we've had the HTC One Max and fitness gadgets like the Withings Pulse, but they might prove their utility in time. Even if they don't, the GS5 has other redeeming features, such as its 1080p AMOLED display, phase-detection autofocus and basic water resistance, and it comes at just the right time to win over GS3 owners whose contracts are coming to an end. But the anticlimax is there nonetheless, and it most likely stems from a suspicion that Samsung's vast scale and manufacturing strength isn't being fully exploited. Like Apple, but unlike most other phone makers, Samsung has control over many different technologies that go into a smartphone, including the memory, display and -- most importantly -- the processor. It showed us glimpses of this cross-discipline expertise with the global versions of the Galaxy S2 and S3, whose in-house Exynos processors brought extra speed and graphics just when Android needed it, and it did something similar with the big-screened, stylus-equipped Galaxy Note series. But the GS5, like the GS4, seems much less distinctive, and so perhaps what we should be asking is this: Why isn't Samsung able to muster its in-house resources to create something truly different? And that, at least, is a question we can begin to answer.
Samsung's Galaxy S5 is coming to Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile
Long gone are the days of prepaid carriers being stuck with low-end smartphones. Need proof? That's easy: Sprint has announced that both Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile will carry Samsung's Galaxy S5 in the second quarter of the year, or sometime around the worldwide launch in April. Neither wireless brand is giving out prices at this stage, although it's safe to presume that the brand new, Spark-compatible flagship will carry a premium. Even so, its presence should be welcome to Boost and Virgin customers who've had to go without high-end Galaxies.
Samsung details the Exynos processors inside the Galaxy S5 and Note 3 Neo
Samsung has been hinting at new Exynos processors for both a Galaxy S5 variant and the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, and today it's detailing the two CPUs in earnest. The GS5's expected chip, the Exynos 5422, is primarily a speed bump of the eight-core Exynos 5 Octa we saw last July; it boosts the clock speeds of the Cortex-A15 and Cortex-A7 cores to 2.1GHz and 1.5GHz respectively. The processor also delivers support for running all eight cores at once, and can handle both 2,560 x 1,600 displays as well as 4K video recording. The Exynos 5260 (aka Exynos 5 Hexa) destined for the Note 3 Neo isn't quite so glamorous, dropping to two 1.7GHz Cortex-A15 cores and four 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 cores. However, it still has many of the features of its bigger sibling -- it can run all six cores at once and use the same screen resolutions. Not surprisingly, it doesn't have the horsepower to record 4K video. Both of the new Exynos designs are either in production or will be by the end of the first quarter, so you can expect to see them in shipping smartphones relatively soon.
Samsung quietly reveals a Galaxy S5 variant with an eight-core processor
So that's Samsung's new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5. The company makes the majority of the components itself, but what happened to those home-grown Exynos processors? Well, Samsung tells us that the GS5 will come in two variants, one with the 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chip (the model that we tested out at MWC), and another with a 2.1GHz octo-core Exynos 5 processor. Samsung did the same with the Galaxy S4 last year, but we didn't pick up any huge differences in performance when we compared the two phones. The LTE-capable GS4s never left Korea, however, so we'd predict a similarly limited roll-out for any Exynos-powered GS5s.
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. the competition: the battle of Android flagships has new contenders
Samsung has just outed its shiny new Galaxy S5 at Mobile World Congress, but you may be curious how it stacks up against flagships from other outfits. Well folks, we've lined it up side-by-side with the Sony Xperia Z2, LG G Pro 2 and HTC One on the other side of the break. While the GS5 and Xperia Z2 appear to be neck and neck, it may come down to those standout features to see which handset gets the edge. Of course, a new HTC flagship is on the way next month, so we'll have to take stock all over again once the details are revealed. If you're anxious to see how the GS5 matches up with your current daily driver, you can add in that model and tally the numbers with our Compare tool.
Samsung Galaxy S5 launching on April 11th in 150 countries
Samsung has just announced that the Galaxy S5 will be available starting April 11th in 150 countries. Over here in the US, it'll be available on Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, MetroPCS and U.S. Cellular. Ma Bell is going one step further, offering up the Gear 2 and the Gear Fit smartwatches as well. If you'd rather go elsewhere for your mobile needs, retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam's Club, Target and Walmart will have the GS5 plus all three of Samsung's newly announced wearables. As for our friends across the Atlantic, UK providers EE, Three and Vodafone UK have jumped aboard the GS5 bandwagon, as have retailers Phones4u and Carphone Warehouse. Though it hasn't been announced, we expect other carriers such as O2 will support the phone too. No word on pricing just yet, but we expect we'll find that out closer to the phone's April launch date.
