Having just announced the Galaxy S5, Samsung fans are undoubtedly joyous about the new flagship. We like the new styling, which pinches a bit of cool from the Note series. There are also the typical litany of features packed in, but what’s changed? The device is clearly updated, but is there enough to get excited about? We give a quick overview of what’s new!
The S5 has some features the S4 just doesn’t, which almost takes away from it being a simple update. An included heart rate monitor is fancy and clever, and ushers in an era of fitness monitoring. In a previous post, we noted the inclusion of a heart rate monitor might be Samsung’s way of accepting their limitations in wearables — or wearables in general.
When it comes to specs, though, the playing field is leveled. The screen is pretty much the same, as the S4 packed a 5-inch, 1920×1080, 441 ppi compared to the S5’s 5.1-inch, 1920×1080, 432 ppi. The SoC gets a significant bump, too, as the 2.5GHz processor replaces the 1.9GHz powerhouse from the S4. The 2GB RAM remains the same on both, though.
The battery also gets s slight boost, going to 2,800mAh from 2,600mAh. The camera also gets more megapixels, 16 compared to 13 from last year. The first shooter remains the same, with a 2.1MP camera replacing the 2MP from last year. A natural LTE category bump exists as well, but we doubt yo’ll touch the 150/50 top end it can provide. A MIMO antennae on the GS5 is nice, too.
Dimensionally, it's a touch taller at 5.59-inches. The S4 was 5.38 inches, and a bit slimmer too. At 2.75-inches, the S4 is a touch more svelte than the 2.85-inch wide S5. In regard to how thin the devices are, there isn’t much change — the S5 is 0.32-inches, while the S4 is 0.31-inches. The S5 is also a bit heavier, checking in at 5.1 ounces, whereas the S4 was just over 4.5 ounces.
The S5 doesn't come in quite as many colors just yet, but look for that to change as the device ages. It comes with Android 4.4 out of the box, too, making it both current and top of the line. Samsung did take away the 64GB option for the S5, but a microSD card should help with that. All in all, a pretty decent upgrade for the Galaxy S lineup.