7/7/2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Android package [Review]

http://betanews.com/2014/07/04/samsung-galaxy-s5-the-whole-android-package-review/ 1/10

By Brian Fagioli Published 3 days ago Follow @brianfagioli

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Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Androidpackage [Review]

It is hard to get excited about an Android smartphone nowadays. There are simply too many

similar devices on the market. Slightly faster processor? Slightly larger screen? Yawn. At this

point, Android is simply evolution rather than revolution. Hell, Google I/O 2014 was rather

boring. While the proposed changes to Android "L" are nice, it is hardly anything to get excited

about.

Instead, it seems that true innovation is coming from the manufacturers, rather than Google.

There have been many cool additions to Android by Samsung, LG and HTC to name a few.

Samsung in particular has enhanced the OS immensely with its tweaks and features. Sadly,

many critics have lambasted that manufacturer for cluttering the user experience with too

many features. While I understand the "less is more" philosophy, I refuse to fault any company

for being too ambitious. For the past couple weeks, I have been testing Samsung's ambitions

with the Samsung Galaxy S5 (Verizon) and I would like to share that with you.

Specs

Screen -- 5.1 inch Full HD AMOLED Corning

Gorilla Glass 3 Touch Screen Display

Dimensions -- 5.59 (H) x 2.85 (W) x 0.31

inch (D)/ 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm

Weight -- 5.11 oz/145 g

Verizon Network: LTE Band 13/4 (700/1700

MHz), CDMA/1xEVDO Rev. A (800/1900 MHz)

Global Network: EDGE/GSM

(850/900/1800/1900),

HSPA/UMTS(850/900/1900/2100)

Operating System -- Android 4.4, KitKat &

TouchWiz

Memory -- 16GB on board memory + 2GB RAM/Supports up to 128GB microSD Card (sold

separately)

CPU -- 2.5GHz Quad Core Processor

Battery -- Standard 2800 mAh Lithium Ion Battery

Camera -- 16MP AF with Flash and Zero Shutter Lag Rear Facing Camera

WiFi -- 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4GHz/5GHz, MIMO

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7/7/2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Android package [Review]

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Impressions

This is the first Samsung smartphone that I've had any

extended time with. However, I have had experience with

TouchWiz by using the company's tablets. I thought that most

Android phones are pretty much the same, but lately I have

seen a lot of people using Samsung devices. Hell, Best Buy

even has a dedicated section of the store for the products. I

generally believe where there is smoke there is fire, so I

assumed I must be missing something about Samsung's

phones. I had to find out for myself.

After I received the phone and unboxed it, nothing happened.

I mean, the phone was in the box, but no unicorns flew out of

the box and certainly no rainbows or fireworks. No, inside of

the box was just a white smartphone. It looked like most

Android phones except, there was a slight protrusion on the bottom face. Oh right, a

hardware button. Yuck! Physical buttons are archaic and stupid right?

Wrong. One of the most endearing features of the Galaxy S5 is that physical button. In the

past, I avoided physical buttons, opting for on-screen variants instead. Unfortunately, this

proved to be an annoyance as I would constantly hit the buttons in error. This happened most

often while playing games, as my fingers would wander as I became immersed in the fun. Of

course, this would ruin that experience and prevent me from truly enjoying the game. This

does not happen on the S5.

But wait, that physical button has a trick up its sleeve -- a fingerprint reader. Yes, much like

Apple's iPhone 5s, you can unlock the device using your finger. However, unlike Apple's

solution where you just hold your finger on the reader, Samsung makes you swipe your finger

in a downward motion. You must teach the device by swiping downwards multiple times until

it approves you. Then, it should recognize your finger.

At first, it only recognized my fingerprint about 50 percent of the time. However, the more I

used it, I learned the best ways to slide my finger -- the speed, the direction -- and now it

works almost flawlessly. It works so well, that I don't know if I can ever go back; entering a pin

or password is archaic.

7/7/2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Android package [Review]

http://betanews.com/2014/07/04/samsung-galaxy-s5-the-whole-android-package-review/ 3/10

Continuing the trend of having modern features, the S5 has a micro USB 3.0 port on the

bottom. This means that when transferring files between the phone and a USB 3.0 supported

PC, you should realize faster speeds. Don't worry though, you can still connect the older and

smaller 2.0 cables, so your existing chargers will not go to waste. My only complaint about the

port is that the door can be hard to open. You have to stick your fingernail in to pry it open,

which is tedious. I am fearful that it could break over time.

But wait, why does the USB port need a door? For the water-proofing, of course! Yes, the

Galaxy S5 is water-proof -- well, water resistant I should say. In theory, you should be able to

splash the phone or drop it in a shallow pool without destroying it. I will take Samsung's word

on it though -- I can't bring myself to test it in practice. You could test a bullet-proof vest by

wearing it and having someone shoot you, but is that worth the risk?

7/7/2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Android package [Review]

http://betanews.com/2014/07/04/samsung-galaxy-s5-the-whole-android-package-review/ 4/10

Sadly, Qi wireless charging is not supported out of the box. You need to buy an accessory -- a

replacement battery door that increases the thickness of the device. Unfortunately, that extra

thickness will prevent most cases from fitting, which is a major annoyance.

As an alternative, I bought a third party Qi sensor from Amazon for $9.00 that enables

wireless charging using the stock battery door. It sort of worked -- it would charge for a few

seconds, stop and then charge again. I feared this cycle would ruin the battery, so I quickly

removed it and decided to forget about wireless charging on the S5. This was tragic as I love

that feature.

You will have to charge it daily too. Battery life is passable, but not at all class-leading. The

Droid Maxx remains the undisputed king in this regard. If I take it off the charger at 8am, it will

need to be plugged in again around 6pm. This is with rather average usage -- no video

streaming at all. This is totally acceptable for me, but heavier users may want to invest in an

extra battery.

7/7/2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Android package [Review]

http://betanews.com/2014/07/04/samsung-galaxy-s5-the-whole-android-package-review/ 5/10

Longtime Android users like myself have been mourning the slow death of micro SD slots and

removable batteries by many manufacturers. Samsung however, has stayed true by offering

both. The Galaxy S5 is no different -- the back can be removed so you can access the battery,

SIM card and micro SD card -- awesome.

On the rear of the device is a peculiar sensor that has been quite ballyhooed in commercials

for the Galaxy S5. Yes, it can read and display your heart rate. However, without having a

doctor do any calibration testing, how am I to know that it is working correctly? According to

the S5, my resting heart rate seems to hover around 80 bpm. As per a Google search, it seems

to be considered healthy.

My favorite aspect of the Galaxy S5 however, is the camera. The 16MP shooter takes wonderful

photos, and can easily serve as a full time camera. Not only does the camera take beautiful and

vibrant photos, but fast too. Nothing is worse than missing a shot because of shutter-lag and

Samsung should be commended for the implementation.

Videos are equally as good and 4K shooting is available. However, I was disappointed with

some limitations of 4K shooting. For one, you are limited to 5 minute videos, regardless of

available space. This means you will have gaps in recording as you must restart at 5 minute

intervals. Also, you cannot take simultaneous stills while shooting in 4K. It must be noted

though, that my complaints do not exist when shooting in 1080p or 720p.

7/7/2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Android package [Review]

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Consuming media on the device works great. Watching videos on the beautiful screen is a

pleasure. However, the rear mono speaker is a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it

works fine for TV and movies, but music reproduction through the speaker is simply average.

With that said, it does get rather loud, which is good for a small gathering or having fun at the

beach.

Hacking

It took a while, but root has been achieved on the Verizon Galaxy S5. The solution is pretty

epic too, as infamous hacker geohot released an easy to use APK, called "towelroot". This

means no PC or clunky ADB commands are needed -- you can root from within the device.

Once rooted, you can install a SafeStrap recovery, which lets you have fun with alternative

ROMs. While there are not many ROMs available, there are a few quality offerings that will

easily remove bloat, including Verizon's pre-installed apps.

Conclusion

Before using this phone, I assumed people were buying Samsung Galaxy devices as zombies

due to clever marketing. However, it soon became clear that Samsung's massive market share

is well deserved. The screen on the S5 is vibrant and enjoyable and all of the company's

enhancements to Android are beneficial. In other words, TouchWiz is great -- detractors are

just simply wrong.

Sure, the HTC One has a better build quality and the LG G3 has a better screen. While both of

those devices are great, the Galaxy S5 is simply a better all-around package. The fingerprint

unlocking on the S5 in particular, renders any comparative shortcomings with those devices

moot -- it is that good.

The Galaxy S5 is highly recommended and since it has been on the market for a couple of

months, you can find some pretty good deals if you want to buy it. Do you already own it? Tell

me your thoughts in the comments.

Photo credit: Brian Fagioli (taken with Nokia Lumia Icon)

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7/7/2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Android package [Review]

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• Reply •

Marty • a day ago

see more

Have the S5 (Verizon - not rooted) for about 2 months now. Love it, including the Touchwiz

interface.

A few things, however, drive me up the wall, literally and tempt me to through it out the

window while driving:

a) Visual Voicemail: coming from an iPhone that's a feature I got so used to, I never spend

a second thought of not having it. Now, with Android and Verizion I am supposed to pay for

it? Seriously? Not me, so I switched to Google Voice. So far so good, only: every reboot

tells me that I have new voicemails, only to find out they're actually old ones, and the

integration into the dialer was done so half-halfheartedly it ticks me off a great deal!

b) Notifications: again, coming from an iPhone I am sooo used to my notifications on the

lock screen. S5? Nothing, nada. I measly top-line indicator, telling me stuff, nothing even

remotely as comfortable as the iPhone. But no problem, right? Android has lots and lots of

stuff out there, so there should be a quick replacement of the lockscreen, right? Wrong:

lockscreen is - locked (in place), cannot be replaced. Even if it could be replaced, I'd use

my fingerprint unlock - a killerfeature as mentioned above. So, on to NiLS and its

Notification panel - it's nice and sort of works, about 9 out of 10 times. The one time it

• Reply •

bpryor • a day ago

"Hell, Best Buy even has a dedicated section of the store for the products. I generally

believe where there is smoke there is fire,"

Do you realize that Samsung pays big bucks for this - it's marketing.

• Reply •

SamwiseGalenorn • 2 days ago

So the battery is replaceable. Excellent. A cellphone with an irreplaceable battery is

unacceptable to me.

You mentioned that this phone has to be recharged nightly. Eh...

What I'd like to see is a cellphone with a humongous battery that needs to be charged once

a week for normal usage. Now that I'd buy, even at the expense of a light phone.

Patrician_1 • 2 days ago

It really is getting annoying reading the author's myriad opinions on smartphones, which

seem to change hourly. It is no wonder some of the people here comment about payola, as

there is just not that much difference between phones, and most who review them stretch

to make small differences appear from the background.

When comments such as this - " Oh right, a hardware button. Yuck! Physical buttons are

archaic and stupid right?" are found, it is only due to boredom that I continue reading. The

author seems to be of legal age, but also seems to forget that less than 15 years ago most

phones did not much more than allow voice communication. That all the functionality that

has been built in today is possible should STILL be a thing of wonder to all but the most

jaded.

Samsung phones are usually of the best quality [ I used to sell phones, and Samsung was

always among the best - from the start they did not seem to suffer the kind of growing

pains some other companies did, such as the exploding batteries of LG and Kyocera.]

Getting worked up over the fact that a Samsung phone uses hard plastic rather than metal

is showing that either the author feels that phones SHOULD be abused, or that somehow a

little aluminum is going to somehow better the performance of the internal components.

Neither should be true. [BTW, I would think that a plastic case might be better for reception,

as it would allow for the better placement of the multiple antennae used in such phones. No

one wants their phone in a near-Faraday cage.]

What is archaic and stupid is becoming so visceral about something which should be a

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7/7/2014 Samsung Galaxy S5 -- the whole Android package [Review]

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• Reply •

cerebral pursuit - giving an unbiased review of a particular piece of telephone equipment.

1

• Reply •

John Valletta • 2 days ago

I foundout if you slide your thumb sideways unlocking one handed becomes a breeze by

that i mean set up with your thumb horizontally then of course slide down sincerely try it

• Reply •

UglyStuff • 2 days ago

"

Dimensions -- 5.59 inch (H) x 2.85 inch (W) x 0.31 inch (D)

Weight -- 5.11 oz

"

Adoption of the metric system in the US is still a long way away, it seems...

1

• Reply •

Mihaita Bamburic • an hour agoMod UglyStuff

We'll make sure to (also) include metric measurements. As a European, I

understand where you are coming from.

• Reply •

Patrician_1 • 13 hours ago UglyStuff

Inertia is a bitch...

• Reply •

Slavic • 2 days ago

"You could test a bullet-proof vest by wearing it and having someone shoot you, but is that

worth the risk?"

Sorry, Brian, but it's a flawed logic. Of course, I would prefer to test such vest on the

mannequin or simply look at the result after the test. Also, do you remember the watch

shops where the water-proof mechanical watches were placed in the aquarium filled with

water, and every visitor could see how they work. Quite trivial, yes? I suppose that

Samsung could provide us with the same show, at least, in the company stores.

• Reply •

Abbie Corinne • 2 days ago

Honestly, Samsung Galaxy S5 is a REALLY good mobile. Everything is

really great in Samsung Galaxy S5, But as it is with every device, there

are some flaws, the external speaker quality is really poor. Secondly

it doesn't support 4G LTE, which is not expected for a device of this

range. Other than this, I liked the device a lot.

How to Root Galaxy S5 All Models On Android 4.4.2 KitKat

2

• Reply •

John Valletta • 2 days ago Abbie Corinne

Im using 4g lte right now on my S5

• Reply •

Jim_f • 2 days ago John Valletta

Supposedly here in Ft Walton Beach, FL we have just been introduced to

4G XLTE. I don't know what it is suppose to do and haven't noticed a

difference. I believe the broader band will allow more devices access to the

system without slowing it down. In addition it supposedly has a positive

impact on WiFi?

• Reply •

Ryan Bacon • 2 days ago Abbie Corinne

It supports 4g LTE........

2

This comment was deleted.

• Reply •

Nostromo • 2 days ago virginiacferguson

That's what she wants you to believe.

John Valletta • 2 days ago Nostromo

Wait till the tax man comes around

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• Reply • 2

• Reply •

tkjazzer • 2 days ago

please write an article on how to navigate with a stylus

1

• Reply •

ERY DICE • 2 days ago tkjazzer

Check out Youtube, there are always tutorials there. Good luck

• Reply •

Richard Saunders • 3 days ago

see more

"Instead, it seems that true innovation is coming from the manufacturers, rather than

Google."

I think Google intends for this to happen, hence the licensing model (Apache license based,

so that OEMs can make big changes and keep the source changes to themselves.) Some

view it as a weakness, but it is really a strength, and a very powerful one. Little story:

I know of an exchange student who came over here during the 80's, and when she was

taken to a US store to buy school supplies, she was blown away by the sheer number of

choices. She had to ask my uncle which pen was the "best" pen because she really

couldn't decide. He kind of showed her how things work here by asking everybody around

which pen they preferred (with each offering their own input) and she still just didn't get it.

You see, in Russia (at least, at the time, not sure if it is this way still) there was only one of

*everything* and that one was (according to what she was made to believe) the BEST in

the world. When she came here, she really didn't understand the concept of product

differentiation and competitive advantage. (She later accused my uncle of taking her to a

staged event so that they could show her up, which is actually a common propaganda

technique the communist block used on foreign visitors to impress them...poor girl didn't

• Reply •

Zibri (http://www.zibri.org) • 3 days ago

I am very happy with my Note3 but I don't agree with you yawning. Evolution is what

everyone is doing right now. Nothing is really revolutionary. Smartphone and phablets are

slowly replacing PCs among general users who usually only do some emailing and casual

gaming.I don't love Samsung very much but I do love their amoled screens.

• Reply •

snow755 • 3 days ago

i think the samsung S5 is one of the fastet smart phones of 2014 un less you no any other

smart phone that is faster

• Reply •

snow755 • 3 days ago

i this got the samsung S5 and vary happy with it i used two be a iphone 5s user not any

more i have the SM-G900R7 version

1

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