Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung Galaxy S5 Hands-On Review

Samsung’s latest flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S5, has some big shoes to fill to be considered a fitting replacement for the very popular Galaxy S4.  The topics that I will cover in this full review are the look and feel of the phone, screen clarity and size, camera features and image quality, and the software features.  These are the hardware and features that I find important when selecting my next smartphone.

The first thing that jumps out at you when you see the back cover of the Samsung Galaxy S5 is the dimples that cover the polycarbonate removable back cover plate.  While some of the color options might make you think of other items (white cover with dimples – golf ball and gold cover with dimples – Band-Aid), the GS5 feels very comfortable in your hand and does not feel like it is going to slip out.  Other than the dimpled back cover, the GS5 does not look all that different from the Galaxy S4.  One great feature that Samsung designed into the GS5 is the fact that it is IP67 dust and water resistant.  This means that with back cover securely attached and the charging port cover closed, the GS5 can withstand being submerged in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.  This should easily cover the occasional run through the washing machine or accidental cannonball in the pool with the GS5.

When you first see the large 5.1” super AMOLED display on the Galaxy S5 you will be blown away at the bright and vibrant colors, crisp whites, and deep rich blacks.  This is possible thanks to a 1080 x 1920 screen resolution with a pixel density of 432 pixels per inch.  The clarity of the display even holds up when you are looking at it from an angel.  This makes the Galaxy S5 the perfect phone for sharing pictures and video with a group of friends or family.  Samsung also covered the entire display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3.  Stunning images pass through the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display while providing exceptional damage resistance to scratches and bumps that occur during everyday use.

While the overall design of the phone and the impressive screen make the Samsung Galaxy S5 a top contender for smartphone of the year, the thing that impresses me the most about the GS5 is the camera hardware and software.  The GS5 is sporting a 16MP primary camera and a 2.1MP front facing camera.  The primary camera in the GS5 can replace just about any point and shoot camera that I have ever used and rivals some of the image I’ve seen from some professional DSLR cameras.  While the camera hardware supplies the great images, these would not be possible without the very impressive Samsung camera software.  Digital image stabilization is one example of how the software on the GS5 enhances the capabilities of the image capturing hardware.  We have all had to stretch or reach to get that perfect picture which throws off your ability to hold the phone steady resulting in a blurry picture.  The digital image stabilization in the GS5 compensates for the movement and captures the perfect picture you were stretching to get.  The HDR or High Dynamic Range mode on the GS5 is one feature that you might turn on once and never turn back off.  HRD mode helps you capture images in less than perfect light conditions like you spend tons of time and effort adjusting settings on your camera and setting up additional lighting sources.  Because most of the pictures taken with a smartphone happen inside or in less than optimal lighting conditions, the GS5’s HDR mode takes all of the worry out of not getting a quality picture.  

While the camera is fantastic on the GS5, it might not be something you use every time you interact with your smartphone like the operating system and the user interface.  While some that use other devices (iPhone…cough, cough) might remember the Android operating system as hard to navigate and learn.  The last few versions of Android have taken leaps and bounds to ensure that even the newest smartphone user feels comfortable picking up an Android phone and using it.  The GS5 comes out of the box running Android version 4.4 which is codenamed KitKat.  Yes, like the popular candy bar.  The Android KitKat OS is layered with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface to help add some small features that might improve your experience using the GS5.  One of those software features on the GS5 is called Ultra Power Saving Mode.  You would be interested in using Ultra Power Saving Mode when you are hours away from being able to charge your smartphone but you only have a very small percentage of your battery life left.  When you turn on Ultra Power Saving Mode, your GS5 jumps into action converting the display from color to black and white and turning off any unnecessary features allowing your GS5 to keep you connected.   Layered in the Samsung TouchWiz UI is also a set of features called S-Health.  S-Health enables your GS5 to become a tool to monitor and manage your health and wellbeing though collecting information like your heart rate as well as helping you track workout information.  One of the most useful features in S-Heath is the integrated pedometer that will track the steps you take daily to help you know how close you are to your fitness or activity goals each day.

All of these are great reasons to go out and buy the Samsung Galaxy S5 today.  With the multiple color options available on great carriers like Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and AT&T, the Samsung Galaxy S5 gives you the ability to have a great phone with great styling that is packed with great features and hardware.