Galaxy S5by Samsung
PROS
- A waterproof phone is just plain cool. Submerge it for up to 30 minutes in three meters of water and it'll survive.
- The screen's color is accurate, vivid, and bright. It's a screen you'd expect to find on a top-of-the-line smartphone.
- Performance issues need not apply; the Galaxy S5 is a fast and reliable device.
CONS
- TouchWiz still exists, and while it's cleaned up a bit, it still smells of bloatware.
- The overall design of the S5 feels cheap thanks in part to its plastic back.
- The well-intentioned fingerprint scanner doesn't always work on first swipe.
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LIST PRICE$499
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$224.50Buy
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Name | Galaxy S5 | Galaxy Note 5 | Xperia Z3 | Galaxy Note edge | Desire Eye |
Manufacturer | Samsung | Samsung | Sony | Samsung | HTC |
Techwalla Score | |||||
List Price | $499 | $696 | $450 | $806 | $459 |
To be honest, appearance has never been a strong characteristic of Samsung's Android-powered products.
To be honest, appearance has never been a strong characteristic of Samsung's Android-powered products.
My biggest complaint with [fingerprint] scanners like these -- which HTC also has on its supersize One Max, by the way -- is that they can o…
My biggest complaint with [fingerprint] scanners like these -- which HTC also has on its supersize One Max, by the way -- is that they can often be inaccurate.
The S5 makes an attempt to match the iPhone's security measures with fingerprint recognition. The system doesn't seem quite as detailed as A…
The S5 makes an attempt to match the iPhone's security measures with fingerprint recognition. The system doesn't seem quite as detailed as Apple's, and seems less inclined to recognize your print first time but in general it seemed to work pretty well.
The Galaxy S5 may not feel as premium but it is water resistant, has an outstanding screen (if you choose the right settings) and battery li…
The Galaxy S5 may not feel as premium but it is water resistant, has an outstanding screen (if you choose the right settings) and battery life that stands head and shoulders above Apple's phone.
The display here is a surprising improvement over the S4. The difference is easy enough to see with the naked eye, especially when you put t…
The display here is a surprising improvement over the S4. The difference is easy enough to see with the naked eye, especially when you put the two devices side by side.
A 5.1-inch, 1920 x 1080-pixel AMOLED display? Yes, please. The Galaxy S5's screen pairs an explosion of rich color with crisp detail.
A 5.1-inch, 1920 x 1080-pixel AMOLED display? Yes, please. The Galaxy S5's screen pairs an explosion of rich color with crisp detail.
Make no mistake: this is a very good phone. And Samsung did nearly all the important things well. With a great screen, great battery life, a…
Make no mistake: this is a very good phone. And Samsung did nearly all the important things well. With a great screen, great battery life, and a good camera, the S5 leaves me with few reasons not to recommend it — and the waterproof body is a fantastic bonus. But I don't love anything about this device.
The display is incredible. I say that with the caveat that the displays on all flagship Android phones today are incredible. They're all aro…
The display is incredible. I say that with the caveat that the displays on all flagship Android phones today are incredible. They're all around 5 inches, and they all have full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080). Colors really pop on the Galaxy S5's Super AMOLED screen, although it tends to give whites a slightly bluish tinge.
Multitasking is a breeze as well, with no stutters found in the new recent apps screen, but I could have done without the smooth yet lengthy…
Multitasking is a breeze as well, with no stutters found in the new recent apps screen, but I could have done without the smooth yet lengthy fade transition between apps.
Though unassuming and perhaps predictable, the Galaxy S5's physical hardware is a considerable improvement on previous models, with Samsung …
Though unassuming and perhaps predictable, the Galaxy S5's physical hardware is a considerable improvement on previous models, with Samsung finally figuring out how to do plastic right.
The removable plastic back does have a couple of significant virtues: You can swap in a spare battery or pop a memory card into the MicroSD …
The removable plastic back does have a couple of significant virtues: You can swap in a spare battery or pop a memory card into the MicroSD slot for affordable storage expansion.
The camera is spectacular, easily on par with the iPhone 5S camera and the Nokia Lumia 1020 camera, two of the best on the market.
The camera is spectacular, easily on par with the iPhone 5S camera and the Nokia Lumia 1020 camera, two of the best on the market.
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