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Samsung’s latest phone, the Galaxy S5, is packed with novel features that make it an evolutionary upgrade over its predecessor, the S4. The improved hardware, extra battery life and impressive camera make the S5 worthy of your consideration if you’re in the market for a new phone.
Design
The S5 runs Android 4.4.2, Kitkat and has a 5.1 inch full HD screen that presents bright and vivid colors to please those who are looking for a quality display.
The back of the phone is cased in a matted, dimpled plastic that hides fingerprints well. Those who aren’t fans of the look can invest in a cover to mask the appearance.
Battery Life
The S5 has a powerful battery that is rated at 27 hours of use and 20 days of standby time. The large HD large screen, fast processor and advanced features of the phone make the long battery life even more remarkable. In my heavy testing the S5 battery life lasted longer than I expected, never leaving me stranded with a dead phone.
The back cover is removable so you can switch out the battery for another one, should you find you need more juice.
Ultra Power Saving Mode
If you find yourself running low on power and don’t have a power cord or spare battery handy, you can activate Ultra Power Saving Mode which transforms your colorful screen into black and white to conserve battery power. Ultra Power Saving Mode also restricts your access to six of your most essential apps (you must make the Sophie’s Choice which apps are the most essential to you) and turns off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
This mode promises to give you up to 24 hours on 10% battery. \
Storage
The S5 comes with 16 GB of storage. You can add up to 128 GB of storage with a microSD card.
Water and Dust Resistant
If you’re headed to the beach or pool this summer you can worry a bit less about bringing your phone with the S5. The phone is liquid and dust resistant, with IP67 certification for submersion in water to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.
The headphone port isn’t covered but the charging port has a flap which must be opened to gain access to it. If you don’t have access to a fingernail, paperclip or earring, or don’t want the hassle of having to open the flap when you want to charge your phone, you may want to consider a wireless charging pad.
Speaker
The phone comes with a small, single speaker on the back which can make for some interesting case designs:
The sound is better than you would expect from a small, single speaker. Those who want a richer sound may want to connect headphones or a speaker to their S5.
Camera
Smartphone cameras are becoming more sophisticated and the S5 brings worthy competition. The phone comes with a 16-megapixel rear and a 2-megapixel front camera, both capable of taking HD video.
The camera has a wealth of features, including panorama and Fast Auto-Focus. You can also activate HDR and use included filters to enhance your images. The powerful features of the app also have a downside: the app is slow to open. Once you have the app open and ready to go you can take shots quickly.
Here’s a gallery of photos taken with the S5:
One of the coolest features of the S5 may be Selective Focus which allows you to have the camera focus on one object while blurring everything else in the photo. Here’s an image I took using Selective Focus:
Note that the images taken using Selective Focus use a massive amount of space on your phone. Be sure to move your photos off of the phone or you will rapidly run through the 16 GB of space on the S5.
Selective Focus seemed to be very selective about when it will work. I took quite a few shots where I got a notice that Selective Focus wasn’t available because the subject was not detected, though the photo was saved anyway. Photos also take a long time to process using Selective Focus so it would be tough to get an action shot using this feature.
Flickr Album
To include images from the S5 in this article, I compressed them to make sure your computer didn’t stall while trying to load this page. But I do want you to be able to appreciate the full brilliance of the photos, including the Selective Focus feature, so be sure to check out this Flickr album to see S5 images uncompressed:
Wonder of Tech Samsung Galaxy S5 Images Flickr
Buttons
The bottom edge of the phone has a physical home button, a touchback button, and a touch multi-task button that shows you which apps are open. The Menu button is gone and has been replaced with three on-screen dots instead.
The power button is on the right side of the phone with the volume rocker button placed on the left.
S Health
Your S5 can function as a fitness tracker, measuring your steps, movement and calorie intake. By using the included S Health app you can have your phone record how many steps you have taken during the day with the built-in pedometer. You can map your runs with the GPS feature and log your calories consumed during the day.
You can sync this information with a Samsung account or keep it on your phone if you don’t want to create an account.
Note that you have to be carrying your phone for it to record your movement. If you play a sport, such as racquetball or rugby where you’re unlikely to have your phone on your person, you can link S Health with Samsung wearable devices, including the Gear 2 and Gear Fit.
Heart Monitor
The S5 has a nifty feature on the back of the phone, a heart rate monitor. Press any finger on the flash of the phone and the S Health app will record your heart rate.
In addition to measuring your current heart rate, you can also see graphs of your heart rate over time. Note that this monitor isn’t guaranteed to be medically accurate, so don’t depend on it if you have a serious health issue.
Fingerprint Scanner
The S5 puts your fingers to even more good use with a fingerprint scanner you can use to unlock the phone instead of using a passcode. You can also use your fingerprint to log into your Paypal account.
My Magazine
Swipe your home screen to the right and you’re greeted with My Magazine, a Zite-like service that brings you articles of interest to you. You can add topics, such as News, Business, Style, and add social media accounts, including Twitter, Google Plus and Flickr.
Kids Mode
If you have little ones who are prone to cause mischief on your phone, you’ll appreciate the Kids Mode feature of the S5. When you download this app you’ll be able to restrict your kids to your approved apps and media.
You can create individual profiles for each child and add up to 30 apps to each profile. Kids Mode is passcode protected so you can be sure your children don’t wander outside their virtual fence.
Kids Mode comes with some built-in apps and features that your child will probably enjoy exploring. The graphics are fun and interactive but may be a bit too childish to satisfy teenagers.
You can see the most frequently used apps over the past week and month, as well as how long your kids spend playing games. Parents can set a daily playtime limit for each profile.
Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is available in:
- Charcoal Black
- Shimmery White
- Copper Gold
- Electric Blue
The phone is currently on sale on the Verizon website for $99 with a two-year agreement and $599 without an agreement.
Pros vs. Cons
The S5 has many features that may appeal to you and make it a phone worth considering.
Pros
- Brilliant, large screen
- Advanced camera features
- Water and dust resistant
- Battery Life
- Kids Mode
- Heartbeat Monitor
- Fingerprint Scanner
Cons
- Single speaker
- The flap that covers charging port
- The camera can be slow to open
- Plastic back cover
Your Thoughts
Which features of the Galaxy S5 would you use most? Do you like that the phone is water and dust resistant or would you rather do without the flap? Do you like having Kids Mode on your phone? Let us know in the Comments section below!
Hmmmm. Very intriguing indeed! My iPhone 4s is due for an upgrade, and I’d been holding out for the 6. But this phone has made me think. I especially love the camera features. I’m a photo nut, but I don’t always have my DSLR with me, having to resort to my iPhone. And I like that it’s water and dust-proof. Seems like a good trade-off to me.
So, what to do, what to do!
Hi Carol, Yes, if you’re looking to upgrade you should check out the S5. If you know someone who has one you can test it in person to see if you like it. Coming from an iPhone 4S, you will really appreciate the larger screen size of the S5 as well as the other features such as water and dust resistance.
Hi Carolyn,
This sounds much better than my S2, so they seem to have fixed some of the problems. The processor is too slow on mine and I seem to be always recharging the battery. Being able to change the battery easily would be a good advantage. I think the cameras are backwards! I would want the good one on the front. My phone just told me it’s 16C outside, it seems warmer! I might mow the lawn later…
Hi Mike, Yes, you would really enjoy the camera on the S5. I could see you making good use of the HDR and Selective Focus features. The battery life of this phone is really amazing too.
Feel free to use any of my images here or on Flickr and edit them for your blog if you wish.
Front cameras are mostly for video chats and selfies so I’m fine with the better camera being on the back of the phone!
I thought the front of the phone was the part facing away from me! lol
Hi Mike, I’m glad you asked. Yes, the front of the phone is where the screen is and the back of the phone is where the flash is. 🙂
Battery life and good camera features are pluses. I like the sound of that finger print scan for security. Thank you for the review!
Hi Leora, Yes, both of those are great reasons to get this phone. The fingerprint scanner can be very handy, much easier than typing in a passcode!
I’ve been planning since few weeks to get hands on Samsung galaxy S5 or atleast for my brother but I’d have to wait for few days to order for some reasons.
Thanks
Hi Samir, I hope you and your brother enjoy using your new S5’s!
Samsung galaxy s5 is latest launched Cell Phone in Market & There is much demand of This new Samsung galaxy s5 Phone in Market. I’m a Samsung galaxy s4 User & s4 is also one of the Best & useful Cell Phone But let’ see what audience give feedback for Samsung galaxy s5.
Hi Monika, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, the new features of the S5 are very cool though some people won’t find them enough to upgrade from the S4. I would say there is no one killer feature of the S5 over the S4, but a combination of very cool features instead.
Hi Carolyn,
Truly nice post!!!!
This is a very informative post about mobile phone!!! 🙂
I am also using note 2 but Samsung s5 has amazing features and i love heart monitor apps that are helpful for me and I will sure to purchase s5
Thanks for sharing have nice day
Keep it up
Hi SmithLopez, I’m glad you like the article and the S5. When I heard about the heart rate monitor I wanted to check it out and then after I tested it I became very curious about my heart rate. I ended up checking it quite frequently with the S5 and had fun with this feature.
Interesting phone come up with unique and advance features. Also the dark-side of this phone is not having a unique design. But i think people may love it for it’s unique charms.
Hi Surajjagoori, Yes, the advanced features of the S5 are very cool. I really enjoyed using them and see how they could be very useful to many people.
You’re right, most smartphones don’t have a unique design these days, though the gold and blue colors of the S5 look interesting. I tested a white S5 though, and I haven’t seen the blue and gold in person.
Hey Carolyn,
I think we’re approaching this topic the wrong way, you’re asking the wrong question!
the S5 features sounds amazing, but these features can be easily beaten in just few months from now,
so i don’t think its about the phone, it’s about what do you personally need it for !
if you’re in the construction business for example and you take your phone with you to work then you won’t need an S5 and it would be a total waste of money, and it won’t be the best phone for you!
Do you really need that 16 megapixel rear and a 2 megapixel front camera?
if you do, then the S5 is the best phone for you!
Best,
Mitch.
Hi Mitch, My approach for phone reviews is that no one phone is the perfect fit for everyone. You know best which features are important for you. So I try to describe what makes each phone I review unique so readers can decide if the phone is a good fit for them.
You’re right, new phones are released constantly so getting the latest phone will only give you satisfaction for a short time. As many people purchase a phone while signing up for a two-year contract, the purchase becomes an investment of time and money. Finding the best phone for you is challenging so I try to give pros and cons for each phone I review.
I respectfully disagree with you about the benefits of the S5 for someone in construction. The fact that the phone is dust and water resistant would be very useful in construction. Having a smartphone with a quality camera can be very handy for someone in the construction to take pictures of the project and share them with others. The large and sharp screen would also be helpful to view designs and plans.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us, Mitch.
This might be the big thing when it comes to specifications but I would personally not prefer this as there is nothing new and the skeleton is the same boring Samsung Galaxy type with no extra ordinary feature.
Hi Rameez, No one phone fits everyone and it sounds as if the S5 isn’t a good fit for you. The S5 does have innovative features, such as the heart beat monitor, fingerprint scan and camera tools. But if those features aren’t important to you and the upgraded specs don’t matter to you, then the S5 isn’t the right phone for you!
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for the sweet review, I’ve been wanting to upgrade my S2 for a while now and I think I might have found the phone which will replace it. The battery life is insane!!!! I also love the screen size and the storage size. Up to 128GB is crazy!! I will never need to bring a USB or hard drive to work/school.
Hi Peter, Yes, you should take a look at the S5 when it’s time to upgrade your S2. You’re right, the battery life is very impressive and the microSD slot will come in very handy for you. The large and sharp screen will be a positive for you too.
Hey Carolyn,
nice post and yes, Samsung galaxy S5 is an amazing android phone loaded with lots of amazing features. Finger print scanner make it different from others. With latest android vesion (KitKat) having good screen size make it better than others. hTC One M8 is also good option have same features as of Samsung galaxy S5 and we can also go for it. Thanks for sharing this post with us.
Hi Sudipto, Yes, the S5 has a lot of features that make it a compelling phone. I haven’t tried the HTC One M8 yet, but I have tried other HTC One phones and have been very impressed.
You are right to an extent as I am pretty bored with the monotonous theme of Galaxy S5 that resemble my old galaxy S but the features you mentioned are noteworthy and one may overlook the design for them.
Hello Carolyn,
A lovely post if i must say… The samsung s5 has some great features that looks incredible to get our hands on.
I am sure that the price is as high as the features are 🙂 .
It has a good Picture quality from what i can see here…
Thanks for dropping a nice review on the Samsung s5, it was indeed interesting to read.
Do have a wonderful weekend ahead…
Hello Carolyn,
Well I guess it’s been an year since the last time I’ve purchase a mobile, I’m still using samsung galaxy s3 and I guess I’d have to consider it for an upgrade.
Cheers!
Hi Rajkumar, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re right, there are those who want to upgrade every year. But if your phone is still working well for you, you may want to save your money and consider waiting a while. Upgrading yearly can get expensive, though I certainly understand the temptation of new tech!