The Samsung Galaxy S5 – Is It Worth It?
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time (again) for a new Samsung Galaxy phone to be released. On April 11th (or right now if you live in South Korea) phone enthusiasts in over 100 countries will be able to get their hands on what may be the hottest phone of the year. At 5.59 by 2.85 inches and boasting a quad-core 2.4GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built in storage (expandable up to 128GB with a microSD memory card) the Galaxy S5 is a very impressive phone.
One of the S5’s greatest features lies in its durability. It was made to meet International Protection marketing standards against water and solids. In English, it’s highly resistant to dust and while not perfect, is somewhat waterproof. If your phone in 3 or so feet of water, there’s a slight chance it’ll fry, but some protection is better than none at all. Another new feature on the S5 is the addition of a fingerprint scanner. Unlike Apple, Samsung is allowing developers to create apps that use the scanner, however, whether or not it will be better than Apple’s attempt at a finger print scanner remains to be seen.
The S5 also comes with a 16 megapixel camera rear facing camera (complete with Autofocus, Phase detection, High Dynamic Range mode and digital image stabilization), and a 2.1 megapixel front facing camera. The S5’s camera also has selective focus, a feature available on most DSLR cameras – a major step towards making separate, more expensive camera equipment obsolete.
At launch, the S5 will be available from AT&T, MetroPCS, Sprint, T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, and Virgin Mobile.
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**AT&T Next 12 & Next 18
Verizon, despite being confirmed as a carrier for the S5 at launch, has declined to release any details on the device. It should also be noted that while Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile are contract free (meaning you will have to pay the full price of the phone), that they’re both owned and operated by Sprint and that they will run on the same network.
Do You Need It?
If you’ve recently sprung for an S4 or aren’t eligible for an upgrade yet, you don’t need a new phone just yet. (If you have an S3 and it’s in your budget, feel free to splurge though). If you have an iPhone, the decision is purely up to you. The argument of iPhone vs Android boils down to preference and (in my opinion) isn’t a debate that can be settled with shiny new features. No matter what you choose, Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is a highly anticipated phone sure to boost profits and break wallets in the very near future.
Sources:
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Samsung-Galaxy-S5_id8202
http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxys5/
http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-s5/
http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/27/5552346/samsung-galaxy-s5-goes-on-sale-early-in-korea
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/galaxy-s5-specs-release-date-price/#!BEy1a
http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/26/the-fingerprint-scanner-on-the-samsung-galaxy-s5-will-be-accessible-by-developers/
http://www.trustedreviews.com/samsung-galaxy-s5_Mobile-Phone_review
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s5-fingerprint-scanner-first-impressions-488516
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/03/27/samsung-galaxy-s5-vs-galaxy-s3-what-buyers-need-to-know/
http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/28/samsung-galaxy-s5-coming-to-boost-and-virgin/
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Water-proof-or-water-resistant-Can-your-new-Galaxy-S5-or-Xperia-Z2-truly-swim-or-is-secretly-afraid-of-the-water_id53205
http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=13730
http://www.wirelessweek.com/news/2014/03/us-carriers-roll-out-pricing-details-samsung-galaxy-s5
Photo Credits:
http://www.itcomchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/s5-water-proof-2.jpg
http://www.androidcentral.com/sites/androidcentral.com/files/styles/large_wm_brw/public/article_images/2014/03/galaxy-s5-colors-6.jpg?itok=SpVaBNJt
http://www.androidcentral.com/sites/androidcentral.com/files/styles/large_wm_brw/public/article_images/2014/02/gs5-camera-hero2.jpg?itok=rDCrOyRw
