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Samsung Galaxy S5 Revealed




After rumors and the occasional leaks this morning, Samsung has finally unveiled the Galaxy S5.  The redesign (which Samsung is calling modern glam look) includes new colors, a new style of back cover, an improved camera, and better battery life.  Read on for the basic run down on today's announcement.

Galaxy S 5

The current colors shown are black, white, copper gold-ish, and blue. The front still has a home button with a fingerprint scanner and the capacitive buttons.  The back is a perforated material that is reminiscent of the original Nexus 7.  Overall, it looks like the Galaxy S4 melded with the Nexus 7 (2012) back.

Other things of note:

  • The first phone equipped with a heart rate sensor. 
  • Included is connectivity with the Gear 2,and  Gear 2 Neo which are smart watches as well as the Gear fit which is a fitness band.  
  • The GUI has been redesigned to have a less cluttered look.
  • 5.1 inch Full HD Super Amoled Screen.   (1080p)
  • 2.5ghz Snapdragon 801 (Krait) with custom Adreno 330 GPU
  • Custom Hexagon™ QDSP6 for ultra-low power applications
  • Local contrast enhancement.  Super Dimming. (should be brighter in the sun, and dimmer in the dark)
  • Removable Battery is 2800 mah for 10hours of web surfing with LTE or 12 hours for video playback.
  • IP67 Water and Dust resistant
  • Fingerprint scanner - adds private mode for pictures, payments, and other items.
  • Kids mode, which allows a simpler GUI controlled by parents.
  • Wi-FI MIMO - 801.11 ac /Full LTE Coverage with download Booster (1GB in 30 seconds claim)
  • Updated S Health app on the Galaxy S5.  Compatible with ANT+ 
  • SD Card slot
  • Android 4.4.2


Camera

  • 16 Megapixel. (0.3 sec Fast Autofocus)
  • Fast Auto focus 
  • Video HDR - Samsung has improved HDR and it now works with Video as well
  • Selective Focus -  You can selectively blur out elements in your pictures.

Fitness
Gear 2 Neo

Gear 2
Gear 2 Smartwatch

  • All technology is now built into the main "watch" unit with  makes the bands interchangeable.   
  • Home button added.   
  • Customizable interface. 
  • Calls, messages, heart rate monitoring.  
  • 4Gb's of memory and now has a stand alone music player. 
  •  IR sensor to control your TV.
  • Apps! SDK will be released to developers to create more apps.
  • Enhanced battery  that lasts up to 3 days.
  • Water and dust resistant.
  • Gear 2 has a camera, the Neo does not.



Gear Fit:

  • Super Amoled curved touchscreen.  
  • Weight: 27grams.  
  • Swappable watch straps in different colors. Black, Grey, Orange.  
  • Hypo-allergenic.  
  • Instant notifications.   Reject call, control alarm, quick message reply.  
  • Compatible with 20 devices.  
  • Heart rate sensor. Pedometer.


Overall, the Fit seems like an interesting device while the Gear received some nice improvements with the IR sensor and app support.  Prices have not been announced yet and I suspect that they will play a huge role on the success of these devices.

Honestly, the Galaxy S5 is disappointing in the looks department so far.  Maybe it's different in person when held in your hand, but I expected better.  The new sensors are great additions and the camera sounds great. Simplifying Touchwiz is a great idea, but it would be even better to remove most of it like Motorola did with their Blur system. The water resistance while keeping a removable battery and SD card slot is a great achievement.  I'm looking forward to testing the device in the future.

What do you think, my dear readers?  Will you be upgrading?


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