Samsung Galaxy S5
The main trends of the last few years have been to increase the diagonal of smartphone displays and equip them with increasingly high-performance hardware platforms. Fortunately, it has become clear to leading smartphone manufacturers that increasing the display is not a panacea, and the use of increasingly powerful hardware platforms leads to a rapid decrease in the battery life of smartphones, rather than their greater functionality. When developing the Samsung Galaxy S5, the developers gave priority to the case, making it resistant to moisture and dust, integrating a fingerprint reader, developing energy-saving software, and additional functionality. The phone turned out to be really very multifunctional, but, nevertheless, whether the developers paid due attention to the main characteristics of the smartphone, being distracted by additional functions, this review will help you find out.
Contents of delivery
The Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone comes in a small cardboard box. In addition to the smartphone itself, it contains a headset with vacuum-type barns, a USB cable, an AC adapter, a warranty card and a small advertising brochure.
Appearance and ergonomics
Model Samsung Galaxy S5, unlike its predecessors smartphones Samsung Galaxy S4 and Samsung Galaxy S3, from the start of sales will be presented in four body colors - white, black, gold and blue. In the future, smartphones with pink, gray and other body colors will go on sale. This review deals with a model with a gold-colored case. However, it should be noted that the back panel changes its color to light beige in bright light.
Externally, the device is very similar to other smartphones of the Korean manufacturer, as it is made in the corporate style. The only thing that distinguishes the Galaxy S5 from the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 smartphones is the less beveled corners of the case, which makes it seem more "square". The design of the device's body has been complemented by elements that have proven themselves in the Note line devices, in particular in the latest Note 3 model.
So in the manufacture of the case of the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone, glossy plastic was not used, which many Samsung device owners criticized for being impractical. However, the body did not become metal. In the manufacture of the battery cover, one of the varieties of soft-touch plastic was used, which is very pleasant to the touch.
Most of the front panel of the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a touchscreen display. The front side of the device is completely covered with a tempered protective glass with slots for a mechanical Home button and a communication speaker. The manufacturer's logo is applied under the communication speaker, and on the sides of the communication speaker there is a light indicator of missed events, a "peephole" of the front camera with a resolution of two megapixels, as well as a proximity sensor and a light sensor. Below the display is the aforementioned mechanical Home button, on either side of which there are two touch buttons - Back and Menu.
The home button has a soft and fairly short stroke, protrudes slightly above the surface of the protective tempered glass, and therefore can be easily found “blindly”. A metal frame surrounds the Home button. An interesting and functional detail is the fingerprint scanner built into the Home button, due to which the button is also covered with a protective glass designed to protect the scanner, ensuring its full operation.
Around the perimeter of the body there is an edging made of plastic, painted to match the color of the body, with a varnish coating and several recesses that improve the grip of the smartphone.
On the right side edge there is a recess that helps to remove the battery cover and the power / lock button. The power button is located in the same place as other smartphones of the "S" line, almost does not protrude above the surface of the side edge, but, despite this, it is easily found "blindly".
In the upper part of the left side edge there is a coupled volume control button for the multimedia speaker, slightly protruding above the surface of the side edge. It is convenient to press this button when holding the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone in the right hand, both with the thumb of the left hand and with the index finger of the right hand.
In the middle of the lower side edge there is a micro-USB 3.0 port, which is covered with a plastic plug with rubberized insulation on the inside, which prevents water from entering the port contacts. To the right of the micro-USB 3.0 port is a small microphone hole.
On the upper side of the smartphone, there is an infrared port, a noise canceling microphone and a 3.5 mm audio output.
With regard to the ergonomics of the case, the Galaxy S5 is almost identical to the predecessor model Galaxy S4, since the dimensions have not changed much, the shape of the case has not changed significantly, and the controls have remained completely in the same places. Significant changes in ergonomics include changes in the functionality of the "Menu" button. Now, when working in applications, it does not open the menu, but the manager of running applications.
Special attention should be paid to the battery cover of the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone. As mentioned earlier, the back panel surface is not glossy, as in the earlier models of the line, but has a soft-touch coating designed "like natural leather". This solution looks really much better, it is much more practical, since it does not instantly become covered with a mass of small scratches, which is typical for glossy plastic, and also delivers quite pleasant tactile sensations. Holding the smartphone in hand, the back panel feels soft and a little rough.
It is also worth noting the rather unusual textured pattern of the battery pack cover in the form of rows of dents, by which one can judge that the designers wanted to give the new model some elements of uniqueness.
To summarize the above, it should be noted that when developing the design of the Galaxy S5 model, Samsung adhered to the corporate design, whether someone likes it or not. The ergonomics of the device remained at the usual high level. Also, the manufacturer did not abandon the removable battery cover, so that the user has the ability to quickly replace the battery when necessary. Well, one cannot fail to note, as always, the high build quality of the smartphone body - no backlashes or squeaks were noticed, the parts fit each other just perfectly - it's not for nothing that the smartphone complies with the IP67 protection standard.
Dust and water resistant
The Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone became the first flagship model that meets all the requirements of the IP67 standard, indicating that the device is not afraid of immersion in water to a depth of one meter and for a period of no more than 30 minutes, or exposure to dust. That is, diving with a smartphone in a pocket of swimming trunks is still not worth it, but it will quite calmly withstand immersion in the bathroom or under running water from the tap, survive your fall under heavy rain or the impact of accidentally spilled on it, for example, tea or coffee. With all of the above, once again I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the battery cover of the smartphone remains removable.
After each immersion in water or just after the smartphone is exposed to water, it is still better to wipe it off the remaining moisture, and then open the battery cover and check that no water has spilled onto the battery to avoid further contact with the contacts, since the IP67 standard does not guarantee 100% body tightness.A thin rubber rim that runs along the perimeter of the inner surface of the back cover prevents water from entering the battery contacts, as well as the contacts of a microSIM and microSD memory cards.
Screen
Samsung Galaxy S5 is equipped with a 5.1-inch OLED touch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, made using Diamond Pixels technology. The pixel density is respectively equal to 432 items per inch. It is fair to say that this is one of the best displays for smartphones, with the widest viewing angles and excellent color reproduction. Protects the display and the entire front panel with a protective tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
As in other flagship models from Samsung, in the display settings of the Galaxy S5, the user can choose one of five matrix modes: "Standard", "Dynamic", "Adapt Display", "Cinema" or "Professional photography". Each of the modes has its own settings, and only in the "Adapt Display" mode, the display automatically adjusts its settings to the environmental conditions, and this is especially helpful when working in bright ambient light.
The "Standard" mode is the closest to reality, it is in it that the reference color gamut sRGB is provided almost 100%, the color temperature is 6800 Kelvin, and the gamma curve is almost flat (ideal).
The brightness of the matrix backlight can be set from 2 cd / m2 to an impressive 698 cd / m2. Accordingly, the minimum brightness of the backlight ensures comfortable work with the smartphone in complete darkness, and the maximum ensures perfect readability even when working in bright ambient light.
"Iron"
Only a modification of the Samsung Galaxy S5 based on the system-on-chip Exynos 5 Octa, operating on the big.LITTLE technology, which ensures the rational use of the capabilities of all eight processor cores, is supplied to Ukraine. Of the eight cores, four Cortex A15 cores clocked at 1.9 GHz and the other four Cortex A7 cores clocked at 1.3 GHz. Cortex A7 cores are energy efficient and perform well when processing resource-intensive processes. If the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone needs more performance, then four powerful Cortex A15 cores come into play. Graphics processing is provided by the Mali-T628 MP6 video chip supporting the OpenGL ES 3.0 graphical interface. The RAM in the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone is two gigabytes, which is quite enough to ensure a high level of multitasking. The permanent memory is sixteen gigabytes, however, if necessary, it can be expanded by means of a microSD memory card with a capacity of up to 128 gigabytes.
The Exynos 5 Octa chip is currently one of the highest performing mobile devices on the market. Its capabilities with a margin are sufficient to carry out any task. In the synthetic benchmark AnTuTu Benchmark, the Samsung Galaxy S5 SM-G900H scored 38,500 points, beating devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Sony Xperia Z Ultra, Xiaomi MI3, and some other flagship models from competing companies.
Of course, under high load, the case of the Galaxy S5 smartphone heats up significantly, but the heat that is released does not create much discomfort when using the device, since the plastic on the back panel does not have high thermal conductivity. The heat level can be felt much better through the protective tempered glass on the front panel than through the back panel.
Cameras
Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S5 is equipped with two cameras - front and rear. The rear camera has sixteen megapixels, a 1 / 2.6-inch ISOCELL sensor and an f / 2.2 aperture. The use of the new ISOCELL sensor has significantly improved the quality of photography, especially in HDR mode. Now photos taken in HDR are saved instantly.
In good ambient light, the Samsung Galaxy S5's main camera captures images that rival those captured by some mid-budget compact cameras.
When working in HDR mode, the camera does a great job with backlighting.
There are no complaints about the operation of the Macro mode either.
The picture quality is significantly reduced if you shoot in poor ambient light without a flash.
I would like to pay special attention to such an interesting mode as "Extended focusing".When activated, the user, as usual, takes a picture by pressing the camera shutter, and the camera captures far and near objects. The fun begins later. The user is shown the taken picture and is prompted to select far focus, near focus, or select the panoramic focus option, on which the entire scene is focused.
The front camera of the smartphone Samsung Galaxy S5 has a resolution of two megapixels, it takes pictures of the corresponding quality. However, it does an excellent job with its primary task - to provide high-quality video communication. The user can of course also take selfies.
The main camera of the Galaxy S5 smartphone can record video in HDR mode up to 1080p. The recording speed is sixty frames per second.
It is also worth noting that the main camera of the phone supports UHD video recording with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The recording speed is equal to thirty frames per second. An additional effect such as HDR is not available when recording UHD video.
Just like the Galaxy S4 camera, the Galaxy S5 camera has a Time Laps mode, and can also record accelerated video and slow-motion video.
The list of camera settings available to the user is very extensive. Some of them (the most popular and frequently used ones) are available from the viewfinder interface, and some are in a separate menu.
Fingerprint scanner
Samsung, just like Apple, decided to take care of the security of the data that owners of Galaxy S5 smartphones will store on their devices, and equipped the model with a fingerprint scanner, built into the mechanical Home button.
Activating and configuring the scanner is straightforward. To do this, enter the corresponding item in the smartphone settings menu, scan a typo of one, two or three fingers, which will be used to unlock the device.
If the idea of equipping the Galaxy S5 smartphone with a fingerprint scanner is good, then its implementation is a little "pumped up". The problem is that the scanner recognizes the fingerprint only if you slide it straight over the scanner, and if the finger is slightly shifted to the side, the scanner simply does not recognize it. Because of this feature of the scanner's operation, unlocking the smartphone by holding it with one hand is very inconvenient, since you can slide your finger over the scanner five times until the smartphone is unlocked. In a hurry, such a nuance of the scanner's work begins to unnerve, but in other cases everything is very good. There is a hope that the company will improve this detail, and everything will work much better, because even now, with the "correct" use, the scanner works very quickly.
Samsung is seeing the fingerprint scanner as a big step towards safer contactless payments, as evidenced by its agreement with PayPal. However, now it remains unknown when the PayPal service will come to Ukraine and whether it will come at all, and therefore for domestic users the scanner remains only a means of increasing information security.
Heart rate monitor and S Health app
With the launch of the Galaxy S5, Samsung is introducing an update to its wellness program, S Health 3.0.
The main changes in the branded application concerned design and functionality. The application interface has become more pleasant to look at. Possibilities for measuring ambient temperature and air humidity, which were not very popular, were removed. Instead, the developers have implemented more useful for people who lead an active lifestyle and go in for sports, a heart rate monitor and an "Exercise log" (for example, running and cycling). The S Health app records such indicators as the distance traveled, the time it was covered, and the number of calories burned.
The heart rate monitor in the Galaxy S5 model is located on the back panel under the camera next to the flash and is covered with a protective glass. In order to measure the pulse, a photo sensor and an LED are used.In order to measure the pulse, you need to activate the corresponding function in the S Health program and put one of your fingers on the above-described sensor.
Of course, the heart rate monitor of the Galaxy S5 smartphone has a certain error, which is within the acceptable range. The heart rate monitor of the phone, of course, does not reach the accuracy of measuring the heart rate with special chest sensors, but there is room for improvement.
However, in fairness, it should be noted that through the ANT + protocol, you can connect special branded accessories to your smartphone, one of which is a heart rate monitor. All Samsung branded accessories can be purchased separately.
Software
The Galaxy S5 smartphone is running the Android 4.4.2 operating system and has a proprietary TouchWiz interface, which has undergone minor changes, mostly affecting the design. According to the latest design trends, graphical interfaces have become more "flat". The functionality has hardly changed. TouchWiz, as before, allows you to create up to 7 desktops and place folders, widgets and, of course, application shortcuts on them.
The main menu also remains the same.
Some of the properties have affected the settings of the smartphone, they are now displayed not in the form of a "list", but in the form of a "tile" of icons. Although, if desired, the user can return them to the "list" view.
The new view of the settings menu allows you to find the necessary items faster, since the user can use the search or manually move frequently requested items to the top of the icon canvas.
The notification panel has also been slightly modified - two new buttons have appeared on it. The first button is called "S Finder" and takes you to the phone's search engine. The second button is called “Quick Pairing” and allows you to quickly pair your Galaxy S5 with other devices via Bluetooth for data transfer.
In general, the sensations from using a smartphone (in terms of interface) are the same as from using its predecessor, and the changes can be called cosmetic rather than functional.
Multimedia capabilities
The standard music player, as well as the entire smartphone interface as a whole, has been transformed. At the same time, all changes are mainly related to design, rather than functionality. The look of the player's interface has become much better, and the background of the interface now directly depends on the color of the cover of the track being played.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 sounds good. A multimedia speaker can be characterized as loud, but the sound reproduced by it lacks fullness of sound, which is why there is not always a desire to use it to dry music. There is almost no extraneous noise. In the bundled headset, the sound is also quite good, and if you connect third-party high-quality headphones, it is absolutely excellent. There are many sound settings in a smartphone, and therefore, having experimented, the sound of a smartphone can be easily adjusted according to your own preferences and the type of music that is played most often. The volume reserve is tolerable, mainly you have to listen to music at a volume of 11 points out of 15 possible.
The standard video player of the Galaxy S5 model plays video files of all popular formats, including such massively widespread ones as avi and mkv. However, in fairness, it is worth noting that, like the mid-budget smartphones made in China, the Galaxy S5 has problems with sound reproduction in Dolby AC3 format. The above problem is solved by installing any third-party video player from the Play Market application store, for example VLC or MX Player.
Remote control
The infrared port built into the upper side edge of the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone allows you to use the device as a remote control for household appliances that support remote control, such as a TV, air conditioner or video player.
To perform this function in the application menu there is a special utility called Smart Remote.Control of not only Samsung equipment is supported, but also the mass of other well-known manufacturers.
# Wireless communication (telephony, GPS and Wi-Fi)
The Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone, designed for the Ukrainian market, supports 3G and EDGE networks, and also has built-in modules for wireless data transmission Wi-Fi, Bluetooth version 4.0 and NFC. The latter supports the Android Beam and S Beam protocols.
The Galaxy S5 did not have any problems with the operation of the mobile Internet; the speed of the EDGE connection was maximum for the operator's network capabilities.
In a Wi-Fi 802.11n network, the smartphone provides the highest possible data transfer rate and works as expected, stable, without any signal loss. It is also worth noting the support of the 802.11ac standard by the Wi-Fi module. It should also be noted that the Wi-Fi module of the Galaxy S5 smartphone has two antennas working on the principle of "Multi-Input Multi-Output" (MIMO) and allowing you to double the connection with precise access.
Navigation capabilities are provided by the built-in GPS + GLONASS module. Even the first search for satellites takes place in a matter of seconds. On average, a smartphone finds up to 25 satellites, of which it connects to the majority. No problems were found with either car navigation or pedestrian navigation.
The speech quality of the communication speaker of the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone is at a high level. The noise cancellation system works perfectly, cutting off all extraneous sounds and ensuring good audibility of the interlocutor. The communication speaker of the smartphone is so strong that during a conversation it is enough to set its volume to an average level for comfortable communication. The vibration motor installed in the smartphone is strong, and therefore it will be problematic to miss an incoming call while holding the smartphone, for example, in a pants pocket.
Autonomy and power saving modes
The autonomous operation of the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone is provided by a removable rechargeable battery with a capacity of 2800 mAh. With the active use of the multimedia capabilities of the device, including working on the Internet, always-on Wi-Fi, navigation, calls, several hours of listening to music, games and other "joys", the charge is enough for one working day.
With moderate exploitation of multimedia capabilities, the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone can work up to two and a half days. As you can see, there was no significant increase in autonomy, although the device has a battery, the capacity of which is 200 mAh more than that of the predecessor smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4.
Several new and interesting power saving modes have appeared in the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone, one of which is the "Advanced Power Saving Mode", which makes the display of the device black and white, turns off all unnecessary wireless connections and minimizes all programs that consume (according to the program) a lot of power, providing thus maximizing energy savings.
In the "Advanced Power Saving Mode" mode, in fact, the user can launch only six programs, three of which are standard - calls, browser and SMS-messages, and the other three can be added from a very small list, including "Calculator", "Clock", "Dictaphone "," Notepad "," Google+ "," WhatsApp "and" ChatON ".
This mode will be very useful if, for example, there is very little battery charge left, and there is no opportunity to recharge the smartphone, but you need to take a very important call within the next few hours. According to the program, with a charge of 15% and with the "Advanced Power Saving Mode" enabled, the smartphone can work for up to one and a half days. In practice, this is not the case, since if you continue to actively use the smartphone, it will continue to discharge, although not as quickly as before turning on the special power saving mode. The claimed battery life will be ensured if you turn on the smartphone display just to see the time.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is charged via the new micro-USB 3.0 port, which, although now larger, provides faster data transfer speeds. Special thanks to the port developers for maintaining compatibility with micro-USB 2.0 ports, which is very important given their mass distribution. Charging the battery from 20% to 100% lasts no more than one hour and forty-five minutes (when using the supplied micro-USB 3.0 cable port).
conclusions
The Samsung Galaxy S5 model is a worthy successor to the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone, which is able to carry the title of the flagship of the "S" line throughout 2014. The phone is balanced and boasts a host of new features that set a new bar in the capabilities of devices such as smartphones. It is very important that the manufacturer did not sacrifice important specifications and capabilities of the smartphone for the sake of introducing new functions, since not everyone may need a heart rate monitor, and a high-quality display, high-performance hardware platform and a camera should be in any flagship device. Also, it should be noted once again that the body of the Samsung Galaxy S5 complies with the IP67 standard, indicating that the device is not afraid of water or dust. All of the above advantages and the absence of significant disadvantages should be the driving force behind the sales of the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone.
