MWC 2014: Samsung Galaxy S5

GSMArena team, 24 February 2014.

Introduction

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is official - and it's not what we expected. Rumors got a few details right, but not the whole picture, obviously. After so many updates and sequels to the S4, it's perhaps not all that surprising that the S5 feels like a small step forward.

Samsung Galaxy S5 at a glance:

• General: 2G, 3G and 4G LTE connectivity


• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone


• Dimensions: 142 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145 g


• Display: 5.1" 16M-color Super AMOLED HD capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (431ppi)


• Chipset: Snapdragon 800 MSM8974-AC


• CPU: 2.5GHz Krait 400


• GPU: Adreno 330


• RAM: 2GB


• OS: Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)


• Memory: 16/32GB storage, microSD card slot


• Still camera: 16 megapixel auto-focus camera


• Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording


• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 3.0 with MHL, GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, Infrared port


• Battery: 2800mAh


• Misc: Fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, humidity sensor, temperature sensor

The screen grew up only a bit and it kept the 1080p resolution rather than going to QHD. The camera update also shows restraint - a 16MP shooter with 1080p video capture, not the 20MP/2160p monster some rumors saw coming.

Samsung does maintain the clockspeed advantage with a rare Snapdragon 800 chipset and while the fingerprint scanner was no surprise, the heart rate monitor certainly is.

TouchWiz was a bit of a surprise too. We got pumped up for a brand new flat version of Samsung's custom UI, but the reality is closer to what we saw on the new Galaxy Pro tablets.

Samsung Galaxy S5

The back of the device is a new iteration of Samsung's leather-like plastic, with what looks like perforated holes. It only looks like it though, the Galaxy S5 is IP67 certified - we don't expect to see a Galaxy S5 Active.

Like we said, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is in part what we expected and a bit of a surprise. What is it though that sets it apart from the Galaxy S4 Advance with the leather back?

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