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A look back at Samsung's Galaxy S lineup
Earlier this week, Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S10 (and S10+), the company's latest and greatest Android flagship. Somewhat obviously, the S10 is also the tenth-generation Galaxy S, which means it's been ten years since the very first Galaxy handset. Considering this momentous occasion, we thought we'd take a look back at the history of the Galaxy S line and see just how far Samsung has come in the past decade.
Pretend you have Project Ara with this modular smartphone case
As awesome as Project Ara is, we've yet to hear a solid timeline nor pricing info for Google's ambitious modular smartphone. But we bring you good news: For those who lack patience and want to try the next best thing, you may want to consider the Nexpaq, a modular case for the iPhone 6, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6 Edge and many more devices to come. Admittedly, we were a bit skeptical with this project's claim upon receiving the startup's pitch, but after meeting two of the co-founders in Hong Kong, we know they mean business.
Samsung reportedly mulls leadership change amidst disappointing Galaxy S5 sales
Samsung's mobile division is in trouble. Consumer interest in the company's newest smartphones is falling hard and fast, and with it, profits are declining precipitously. This past October, Samsung divulged that profits from their mobile division plummeted by 74% year over year. Company-wide, profits fell by 60%. With that backdrop, it's perhaps not surprising that to read new reports relaying that there are calls for a leadership shakeup within Samsung's mobile division. According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, current Samsung Mobile chief J.K. Shin may be shuffled out and replaced with B.K. Yoon, who currently oversees Samsung's appliance and TV unit. If Mr. Yoon, 61, is given the nod to take over the mobile division, he could be well-positioned to help Samsung compete in the so-called connected home-a hot corner of tech that aims to link home appliances to the Internet. Mr. Yoon has been one of the main proponents of the company's push in this direction, and signed off on Samsung's acquisition earlier this year of U.S. connected-home startup SmartThings. The decision isn't final, these people say, and Mr. Yoon's takeover of the mobile division, while expected by many within the company, isn't a done deal. Samsung currently finds itself in a precarious position. They're getting crushed at the high-end by Apple and on the low-end by more affordable handsets. Additionally, despite their best efforts, the company has failed to come out with a killer feature to effectively lure in iPhone owners. What's more, with Apple's new iPhone models both sporting giant screens, Samsung, in one fell swoop, lost its more important longstanding differentiating feature. Adding to Samsung's woes, the Journal writes that the company manufactured 20% more Galaxy S5 units than they did S4 units. But with demand for the S5 failing to meet expectations, inventory began to pile up quickly. This, in turn, prompted Samsung to spend even more money on advertising in order to boost demand. So far, that solution doesn't appear to be working. In all, Samsung sold about 40% fewer Galaxy S5 smartphones than expected, with about 12 million units sold to consumers in the first three months since April compared with about 16 million units for the preceding flagship phone, the Galaxy S4, according to people familiar with the matter. Only in one major market did Samsung sell more Galaxy S5 smartphones than it did the S4: the U.S., Samsung's biggest market, one of these people said.
Samsung reportedly sold 4 million fewer Galaxy S5s than Galaxy S4s
There have been a few signs that not all is well in Samsung's mobile division, with the company pledging to make fewer new devices, as well as its chief taking a pay cut. If the Wall Street Journal is to be believed, the cause of this unrest is all down to faltering sales of the Galaxy S5, which has apparently sold 4 million fewer phones than its predecessor. According to the report, the company is still riding high in the US, but saw sales in China drop by 50 percent compared to the Galaxy S4. Considering that Samsung was so confident that the device would be a blockbuster that it increased production by 20 percent, it could now have as many a 4 million unsold devices sitting in warehouses. The paper's sources believe that the drops will trigger a leadership re-shuffle, with mobile chief JK Shin getting pushed, with his duties handed over to TV & home appliance chief BK Yoon.
What the deceptive Samsung "wall-hugger" ad doesn't tell you
I have to admit that of all of Samsung's TV ads, I kinda like the "wall-hugger" ad seen below. It's funny, and quite realistic if you've ever walked through an airport and seen people desperately seeking a charge before they get on their flights. While watching the ad the other day, I noticed that the phone of the young woman showing that she has a full day of usage available on 10 percent of a charge also notes that the phone is in Galaxy S5 Ultra Power Saving Mode. Being an all-out Apple fanboi, I smelled that something was rotten in Samsung-land, so I googled "Galaxy S5 Ultra Power Saving Mode" to see exactly what that entailed. The best response was from a Galaxy S5 fan site (who knows, perhaps it's owned by Samsung) appropriately named GalaxyS5Guide.com. Let's see what the Galaxy S5 Ultra Power Saving Mode gives those smug Samsung fans: Samsung claims that Galaxy S5 ultra power saving mode can provide up to 24 hours of stand-by with 10% battery. Don't confuse this 24-hour standby time with the standby in specifications. This 24 hours standby means you can turn on all network connections, and receiving all notifications. While in the hardware specification sheet, the 390-hour standby means voice only. With the Galaxy S5 ultra power saving mode on, S5′s display will show only black and white colors and offer access to a certain set of applications. The ultra power saving mode also shuts down all unnecessary features in your S5. No other mainstream smartphones provide this feature yet. Some users definitely will find this feature is a life-saver. Yeah, I don't know about you Galaxy S5 owners, but I bought my iPhone 5s for its high-resolution Retina color display. Frankly, I don't think that "black and white colors" are going to cut it in Apple-land, where everything is colorful and happy. And it also shuts down "all unnecessary features in your S5" -- hmmm, I wonder what those could be? How exactly does Samsung provide all of this amazing battery life in ultra power saving mode? In addition to measures in power saving mode, Galaxy S5 ultra power saving mode saves additional battery in the following ways: Change the screen from color to grayscale; Limiting the number of usable applications; Turning off mobile data when screen is off; Turning off WiFi and Bluetooth So, let me get this straight. If I put my amazing Galaxy S5 into ultra power saving mode, I'll see everything in grayscale, I'll only be able to run a few apps, mobile data will be turned off when the screen is off, and WiFi and Bluetooth are totally disabled. In other words, not only do I have a boring grayscale device in ultra power saving mode, but I can only run a few apps. What apps are those? In ultra power saving mode, you'll have access to some basic apps, like the ability to send text messages, make phone calls, and browse the web with Samsung's browser. You can add some other apps available when your Galaxy S5 is in ultra power saving mode. Of course, the apps are limited to some stock apps only. This includes, Phone, Messaging, Internet, Calculator, Google+, ChatON, Memo, Voice recorder and Clock. So I can't use Twitter or Facebook, take photos or shoot video, edit documents, write posts and upload them to the TUAW CMS, or do anything else very productive? I think I'll take my iPhone 5s and just carry a couple of big battery packs with me, thank you. And almost 15 million people have watched this video on YouTube? Must be a lot of Galaxy S5 users who are wishing they'd waited for the next iPhone to appear... Gee, I can attach an external battery pack to my iPhone and don't have to pop the cheap plastic back of my phone to do it... Here's the original video for your viewing pleasure. By the way, is anyone up for asking the FCC to ban this deceptive ad from TV?
Samsung sees its lowest profit in two years as smartphone sales languish
When Samsung took the time to update investors ahead of its upcoming quarterly earnings report, it warned 'weak demand' for phones and an increased marketing spend could hit the company hard. That report hit today, and it's as bleak as the company expected. In its second quarter, Samsung posted profit of 6.25 trillion won ($6.1 billion), down from 7.77 trillion won ($6.96 billion) last year, its lowest quarterly profit in two years. Smartphone sales contributed the majority of its revenue, but the Samsung's flagship phone, the Galaxy S5, languished as the iPhone continues to fly of shelves and Chinese brands cut directly into its low-end business.
Journalist picks up Galaxy S5, discovers it is, indeed, larger than the iPhone 5
In a shocking turn of events that is sure to send ripples through the technology world for years to come, Business Insider's Jim Edwards has confirmed that, as has long been rumored, there are smartphones out there with displays larger than that of the iPhone 5. "Until recently, I was a loyal Apple customer," Edwards writes in a new exposé that is sure to send Apple stock tumbling and iPhone users questioning their faith. Everything changed when he decided to examine something called a Galaxy S5. But what exactly is a Galaxy S5? It turns out it's a smartphone, and not only that, it's made by a company that appears to be completely separate from Apple. Clearly puzzled by the discovery, Edwards pushed the device's power button and found that the screen was actually -- brace yourselves -- larger than the screen of the iPhone 5. "The big screen makes a huge difference," he explains. "When I went back to my old iPhone I was struck by how bizarrely small it is." Indeed. Further testing confirmed Edwards' "Larger Screen" theory, and officials currently estimate the display on the device to be as large as 5.1 inches, though that has yet to be firmly nailed down. Curious as to what such a screen could be useful for, Edwards began testing the Galaxy in a number of ways. "I can actually see my pics once I've taken them now," Edwards claims, referencing his inability to actually view photos on the impossibly tiny 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5. But what about video? Can this so-called Galaxy S5 play those as well? Edwards claims it can. "On the Galaxy, video just plays." That sounds pretty slick, especially once Edwards reminds us what video is like on the diminutive iPhone. "First you can't see anything because the screen is small," he once again notes, puzzled as to why Apple would even bother putting such a minuscule display on a smartphone. "Instead of just playing the video on the screen, the background goes black and then the video boots up in full-screen mode. The experience is... OK." A shocking account. Edwards clearly has Apple's number here. Why would anyone want to watch a video on the entire screen? It's a pointless feature. Obviously, if you have a big-screen gadget like Edwards' new Galaxy S5, you'll surely want to use the massive display real estate to watch videos in a tiny window embedded on a mobile web page. For Apple to just assume we want to watch the videos in as large a format as possible is presumptuous, and, if I can speak personally here, a bit insulting. He goes on to speak of something called "Swype," but as he accurately points out, "iPhone users have no idea what this is." He's right, and frankly I have to admit that I didn't even understand this part of his article because it literally blew my mind. "You swish your fingers across the board instead of pecking out letters one by one." I don't even know how to process that level of majestic amazingness. To wrap things up, Edwards brings things back to the key point of it all -- which we never really left to begin with -- and that's the fact that the Galaxy S5 is, again (again, again... again) bigger than the iPhone 5. "Size matters," he says succinctly. Quite. "The Galaxy S5 isn't perfect, but it's probably better than Apple's iPhone are right now," Edwards adds at the very end. I don't really think he's giving himself enough credit here. "Probably better" is the understatement of the century. Clearly Samsung is prepared to dominate Apple's smartphone business in every conceivable way once Edwards' discovery of the larger screen hits the mainstream. Years from now, when electronics archeologists look back on when smartphones really evolved, we'll remember the day that Jim Edwards discovered the Galaxy S5 and showed us all the light.
8-month-old iPhone 5s outselling Samsung's flagship Galaxy S5
The walls may be starting to close in on Samsung bit by bit. Not too long after the company announced that profits declined by 24% during the past quarter comes a research report from Counterpoint which found that the eight-month-old iPhone 5s sold more units in May than the recently released Samsung Galaxy S5. Reuters reports: Research firm Counterpoint's survey of 35 markets accounting for nearly 90 percent of global sales found that sales for the eight-month-old iPhone 5s stood at 7 million in May, compared with about 5 million for Samsung's flagship Galaxy S5, which was in just its second full month of sales after a late March release. Looking ahead, the future looks even less rosy for Samsung on the smartphone front. The company has historically failed to incorporate any compelling features into its flagship Galaxy line to sway iPhone users to switch. What's more, the one lingering advantage of Samsung smartphones -- larger displays -- may be completely neutralized once Apple's next-gen iPhone is released. What's more, iPhone users are much more likely to stick with the iPhone than other smartphone owners are likely to stay with their current handset. Over time, this proves advantageous for Apple even if they currently have a lower marketshare count than competitors. Furthermore, while Apple has impressively been able to shield the iPhone from the perils of commoditization, the same can't be said for the vast array of Android handsets out on the market.
Galaxy S5 beat out by iPhone 5c in its Great Britain debut
Sales of the iPhone 5c may have been a disappointment to many, but the European launch of the Samsung Galaxy S5 proved that Apple's colorful plastic handset still has an edge on the competition. According to sales data from Kantar Worldpanel, the Galaxy S5 came in third place on the Great Britain sales charts behind the iPhone 5s, and -- I hope you're sitting down -- the iPhone 5c. That's pretty surprising, considering the smartphone OS marketshare distribution across Europe greatly favors Android, with over 73% of the region devoted to Google's platform and iOS scrounging up just 16.6% for itself. Of the European consumers who adopted the new Galaxy phone, 17% were former Apple customers, while the vast majority were existing Samsung users. Apple's recent decision to introduce an 8GB variant of the iPhone 5c with a slightly lower price seems to be paying off, at least in the United Kingdom. [via Cult of Mac]
Samsung's Galaxy S5 mini keeps the sensors but not the specs
Samsung has revealed the smaller-sized update to its latest flagship smartphone: the Galaxy S5 mini. While it's often expected that the company will scrimp on sensors to save on price, the S5 mini includes many of the same features as its sibling, including waterproof certification, power-saving modes, a heart rate monitor, fingerprint scanner and support for Samsung's wearables. As expected, there's also a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, Android 4.4, 16GB internal memory (expandable up to 64) and 1.5GB of RAM, which match what we've seen in years past. The display is a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED panel, which is powered by a 2,100mAh battery, with the cameras enjoying in 8- and 2.1-megapixel resolutions. The company expects the S5 mini to go on sale in Russia from "early July," but there's no word on when it'll spread to other countries. Samsung plans to expand sales globally, though, offering the device in Charcoal Black, Shimmery White, Electric Blue and Copper Gold.
Galaxy S5 LTE-A is Samsung's first phone with a QHD display and Snapdragon 805 chip
Samsung has just announced a special variant of the Galaxy S5 for its home market. The phone -- simply dubbed Galaxy S5 LTE-A -- plays host to the manufacturer's first 2,560 x 1,440 display, which produces an even higher pixel density than the LG G3 (577 vs. 538 ppi) due to the use of a slightly smaller 5.1-inch panel. We're also seeing the first appearance of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 chipset (rather than an in-house Exynos processor), which is accompanied by 3GB of RAM and is built to handle 4K video playback and faster graphics in general. This chip supports LTE-Advanced too, which will apparently deliver data speeds of up to 225Mb/s to stunned, jaw-dropped customers on South Korean networks. Meanwhile, there's no word on whether this variant is headed to the West, or whether it's the fabled Galaxy S5 Prime that has been rumored for so long. But even if this is a Korea-only product, it can still be seen as a test-run for the global release of the impending Galaxy Note 4, which will almost certainly pack many of the same specs and components.
Is this Samsung's Galaxy S5 Prime?
When a $600 smartphone isn't considered "premium," then we're all in deep, deep trouble. That's the problem facing Samsung's Galaxy S5, however, with scores of people hoping that an even more expensive version of the flagship is lurking just around the corner. The folks over at PhoneArena are showing off an image of what purports to be the "Galaxy S5 Prime," apparently packing a QHD display and some spec bumps to ensure it remains a few Snapdragon model numbers ahead of its immediate rivals. The other big alleged difference is that the handset will come with an aluminum body, in the hope of luring back any customers who are drawn towards the HTC One's shinier chassis. Naturally, there's no proof that such a device actually exists, but the images do show some subtle differences compared to the regular GS5 we know today: The optical blood pressure monitor appears to sit behind the same glass panel as the camera sensor, and there's no speaker grille on the lower-left quarter of the rear case. All in all, we're going to file this in the "we'll believe it when we see it" box, since even Samsung wouldn't be crazy enough to replace its flagship just months after launch, would it?
Samsung and Iberia team up to put boarding passes on smartwatches
You wouldn't instantly associate Iberia with cutting-edge technology, but the Spanish airline is a paragon of modernity. The Madrid-based business already lets you print your own luggage tags, and now it's teamed up with Samsung to bring boarding passes to your smartwatch. A forthcoming update to the Iberia Android app will enable you to cross the skybridge with just a Gear 2 -- assuming, of course, that you've already got a Galaxy S5 (or another compatible device) stashed in your pocket.
Samsung is stealing away iPhone owners, but that's only half the story
With the release of Samsung's Galaxy S5, there is bound to be a whole lot of people upgrading their current devices to the new Android flagship. CNET recently ran a story on the number of iPhone owners switching teams for the Galaxy S5, citing stats from UK trade-in site CompareMyMobile. According to the company's data, which tracks upgrade intent while providing trade-in quotes for customers, almost 38% of people upgrading to the Galaxy S5 are current iPhone owners. If this were the whole story, it would be bad news for Apple, but it's not. It's really only half the story. I contacted CompareMyMobile to get the other half, and the full data set offers a much clearer picture. For starters, Apple users aren't the only ones looking for a change; Out of all Samsung device owners looking to upgrade, 29.32% are doing so for an Apple device. That leaves a much slimmer percentage in the green for Samsung. But that's not all. There's another important stat to consider, and that is overall churn. According to the company, the most traded-in brand is -- surprise! -- also Samsung, with 40.44% of trade-ins coming from Samsung owners. Apple follows with 26.16. So while the percentage of Apple users seeking out Samsung's new flagship phone may appear high on its own, the number of Samsung owners jumping ship for Apple -- which, remember, is a much higher percentage than iPhone users -- is higher still. It's also important to remember that these numbers pitch and sway like waves in a hurricane, and when the next generation of iPhone debuts it's certain to bring iPhone trade-in numbers up substantially once again. But for anyone thinking that the Galaxy S5 is somehow the oft-whispered iPhone killer, it's important to get a glimpse of the bigger picture.
Defiantly plastic: designing the Galaxy S5
"Our major aims were usability, friendliness and a more humanistic design. We wanted something with a pleasing feel ... and better grip. If we used metal, [we felt] the designs felt heavy and cold," explains Senior Product Designer Dong Hun Kim, pointing to why Samsung still plays in polycarbonate. "But with plastic, the texture is warmer. We believe users will find [the device] both warmer and friendlier. This material was also the best at visually expressing volume, better at symbolizing our design concepts." The design concept for Samsung's Galaxy S5? Modern and flash -- and boy, that blue GS5 is certainly flashy. In the middle of a design library deep inside Samsung's "Digital City" in Suwon, Jeeyeun Wang, Samsung's principal user experience designer continues, putting it to me this way: the smartphone is no longer a cold slab of technology; "it's a fashion product now."
Daily Roundup: Galaxy S5 review, Sony's Shuhei Yoshida on VR and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Developer Edition coming soon to Verizon
Samsung released Developer Editions of the Galaxy SIII and S4, so it's not a huge surprise to see a similarly-equipped Galaxy S5 appear on the company's website. The listing reveals that a CDMA-capable version with Verizon branding will land at some point in the future, but fails to elaborate further. What we do know is that it'll be available in black with 16GB internal storage, and we'd guess that it won't be offered under subsidy -- but that's a small price to pay for an unlocked bootloader. There's no word on if AT&T will get a Developer Edition S5 of its very own, but we wouldn't be shocked if one popped up in the next few days.
The Galaxy S5, along with Samsung's wearable lineup, heads to AT&T
A whole lot of Samsung is about to come to AT&T. Today, the carrier announced that pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S5 will begin tomorrow both online and in stores, with shipping to start in early April. Pricing is set at $200 with a two-year contract, though it's also available for a monthly fee with AT&T's Next plans. (US Cellular customers, incidentally, will also be able to pre-order the GS 5 tomorrow for $200 on-contract.) And that's not all: tomorrow, AT&T will also put Samsung's trio of wearables up for pre-order. This includes the $299 Samsung Gear 2, the $199 Gear 2 Neo and the $199 Gear Fit. Shipping for those devices will also begin in early April.
Samsung Galaxy S5 will cost £69 in the UK on Three
It's a big day for Three as it becomes the first UK network to reveal how much it'll charge for the Galaxy S5 when it lands on April 11th. The handset will set you back £69 up front on a variety of two-year deals, the cheapest priced at £38 a month for 2GB data, while £44 a month gives you all-you-can-eat texts, minutes and data with an additional 2GB for tethering. No other UK network has tipped its hat thus-far, but we'll keep harassing them until they break down and tell us everything.
Weekly Roundup: Galaxy S5 hands-on, Engadget's 10th birthday and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
