Samsung is moving on to evolution after revolution... again.
Our verdict
Powerful, durable, with a new interface. It's a shame that Samsung didn't take the design of its new device further.
Device characteristics
- Built-in memory: 16 GB
- Main camera resolution: 16 Megapixels
- Battery talk time: 21 hours
- Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Processor: Quad-core (4 Cores)
Samsung Galaxy S5 can be described in one word: evolution.
The camera has been improved for clearer and faster shooting. The S5's fitness capabilities have been improved over the past with a more powerful S Health app and a built-in heart rate sensor. A fingerprint scanner has also been added to the most secure Galaxy phone yet.
The battery capacity is larger, the screen is wider and brighter, the processor is faster, and the design has also been changed.
The list of device characteristics is definitely pleasing: 2.5 GHz quad-core CPU, 2 GB of RAM, removable battery capacity 2800 mAh, 16/32 GB of internal memory (expandable up to 128 GB using a microSD card slot), one of the brightest screens in the world, 5.1 inches, and biometric functions have been added.
However, when you first pick up the Galaxy S5, it will be difficult for you to highlight any one feature that will attract a potential user.
There's a lot of that that doesn't matter, since Samsung has as many fans as its rival Apple, and many of them won't hesitate to choose the new Galaxy without looking at its competitors.
But now you can forget about it. , which has more, much more features for that, has been released.
The S6's design is more impressive: its metal-and-glass body makes it look more iPhone-like than previous Samsung models. But the S5's design is definitely an improvement over its predecessors.
The newest phone is more powerful, but it lacks a microSD card slot and a removable battery, and it's not waterproof. If all this is important to you, then it is better to buy the S5, since prices have fallen.
It's a wise price choice, but if you're shocked by the cost Samsung Galaxy S5, then, apparently, you did not pay attention to the previous flagship models. In fact, in some countries it costs a little less than before. Prices have dropped relatively recently, with the SIM-free option now costing £370 in the UK.
As you understand, offers with contracts are now available almost everywhere; in this version, the Galaxy S5 has the same price as the HTC One M8, but it is cheaper than the iPhone 6.
Samsung took note of feedback from Galaxy S5 users, but focused not on anything new, but on what makes the phone special for the consumer.
The company promised a "stylish" and "shiny" design, a camera that works the way you want it, and water resistance.
A small hint - there is information that it will probably be released in February Samsung version Galaxy S5 Prime with more RAM, faster processor and QHD display.
However, this announcement was withdrawn (possibly due to problems encountered during the creation of the new screen), and only the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A version appeared in South Korea. It features a Snapdragon 805 CPU, a WQHD display, and all the high-end features you could want. In short, this is an amazing phone and I wish Samsung would sell it worldwide.
You could always look at the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, a smaller phone that has the same power as the Galaxy S5 but with a lower 720p screen resolution. It has metal edges, as Samsung again focused on light weight rather than weight and ergonomics.
This phone has high power, a sky-high price and a low-resolution screen and premium design that rivals the new iPhone 6.
But if you want something smaller, there's the Galaxy S5 Mini. It's the same as its bigger brother, but has slightly fewer features. It's not as powerful, but it has an aesthetic design and a heart rate sensor. This is a great choice if you don't want to spend a lot of money.
But enough of the comparisons: let's look at one of the key questions Samsung needs to answer with the Galaxy S5: is it good enough for the market to compete with the latest high-end smartphones?
The simple answer, which you can give in a second, is no, because the design is not on the same level as Apple and HTC.
While this is only a small part of the story, under the hood Samsung is upping its game by adopting the latest technology solutions and optimizing them so that they don't drain your battery quickly.
Is this phone good enough to challenge Apple on the best-selling lists? Yes, but this is largely due to the marketing policies they pursue throughout the world. But even this won't lead to huge sales of the new phone.
Samsung needs this to be the last phone to speak the same design language (as the Alpha and Note 4). The Galaxy S6 should be the dawn of a new era for the South Korean company, a device whose design will make consumers crave it.
And the new iPhone 6 was a real winner by betting on design. If buyers haven't fallen in love with the S5's big screen, then their desire for an Apple is growing stronger (though there are probably plenty of great Android phones you'll be considering before then).
Samsung recently reported that it sold 40% fewer S5 phones than the Galaxy S4 at the same point in the device's lifecycle.
The South Korean giant responded to these developments with plans to take a closer look at the smartphone's strategy and focus on pricing rather than high-end devices.
What does it mean? Well, tentatively, we can expect some price reduction in the near future, which will make the Samsung Galaxy S5 more attractive.
Importantly for this review, there seems to be very little talk about the Galaxy S5, but that's not bad for a company that was accused of introducing useless innovations to last year's model.
I've always been cautious when talking about Samsung phone design. The Galaxy S2, the company's first breakthrough, was mostly made of plastic but was one of the few five-star phones.
Thus, year after year, Samsung failed to bring something new, some kind of wow effect, while other competitors stepped into the battlefield with confidence.
HTC is the leader here with its metal unibody One M8, while Apple has strengthened its position with an improved design, the best since the iPhone 4, and has taken a big step forward with using iPhone 6.
Sony's efforts in developing the Z line were rewarded with the release of the Xperia Z3 with a modern design, and even Nokia managed to play with aluminum and give some of its devices a premium look.
All this makes me wonder: why does Samsung refuse to give customers what they want... called a metal body?
Presumably, there are several reasons: the cost of production is too high, especially in the volume in which Samsung produces them; the company likes the lightness of its devices; making a waterproof device from metal can be quite difficult.
However, none of these reasons have anything to do with reality, since Apple does everything the same, but with metal phones. Devices that have a certain weight are better than lightweight ones, and the Sony Xperia Z line seamlessly combines metal and water resistance.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is definitely more solid than the Galaxy S4 and looks more ergonomic thanks to its wider bezel, better grip and ridged battery cover.
However, it doesn't look like a cutting-edge smartphone. With its metal frame, it looks very similar to the Galaxy Note 3 and S4, and I'm subconsciously starting to look for the S Pen.
Samsung Galaxy Alpha is an interesting offer, having a polycarbonate body and metal frame similar to the Nokia Lumia 930. It seems Samsung didn't think to do the same with the S5 - it has little resemblance to the new concept that could boost its sales.
Its back panel is also underwhelming. While I feel like it would be a bit harsh to compare it to a sticky plaster, it does give off a "medical" feel, especially the white color.
The blue and copper options seem more attractive, but still aren't as exciting as the HTC One M8.
Despite the large screen, Samsung still does a great job with proportions. Although the body has become larger, this is not something incredible. But if you switched to this device after old iPhone, you may find it a little difficult to manage.
Those who were already fans of the Samsung Galaxy line will find a lot to like. The home button, which includes a fingerprint sensor, is large and easy to press, and the start button, located on the right side phone, raised a little higher for easier pressing.
The same can be said about the volume control button on the right. Since the device has grown in size, I find it a little difficult to reach this area when I want to change the volume level while listening to music while walking.
One of the key changes to the Galaxy S5 is its water resistance; it's IP67 certified, which means you can spill a little water on it, but it's not recommended for swimming.
It's also dust-resistant, which makes the exposed headphone jack even more impressive, since the S5 doesn't need a cover to cover the port.
The USB 3.0 connection, which some may find superfluous, is the same one used in the Galaxy Note 3 for faster charging when using standard microUSB cables that have a higher IP protection class and some rigidity.
The gap meant for you to stick your fingernail in there is quite small, and this may be the only thing that irritates those who want to get their hands on the best Galaxy phone without caring about its water resistance.
The touch buttons are still located next to the home button, but they are now slightly different. The menu button has been replaced with a multitasking button, which seems to be Google's favorite on Android 4.4.
You can still use it as a menu button with a long press, but it doesn't work intuitively and is hard to reach on the right side.
It's not a bad system, and the physical home button, even less necessary than before, is still a nice touch.
Another victory in the design of the Samsung Galaxy S5 is its removable battery. It's mostly for peace of mind given the S5's battery life, but if you're worried about it breaking, it's a good option.
This also means that the ugly FCC stamp will be visible and you won't need a special tool to remove the SIM card, and it's also easier to insert a microSD card.
The lid is a cause for concern if you're considering it from a waterproof standpoint, as it can sometimes be difficult to make sure all the fasteners are seated when closing.
A warning message appears on the screen to remind you of this, but you may have to check a few times before you're sure everything is locked.
If you look underneath back panel, you will see that the battery is protected by a thick rubber coating, which means that if you drop the phone in water, you will be a little confused by the large amount of water in the phone, but it will probably be fine.
I began to worry when I noticed that sand had clogged up in the home button, but after an hour or two, it disappeared from there, although this made me think about its dust resistance.
Overall, the design of the Samsung Galaxy S5 will likely be the part that receives the most criticism, and for good reason.
When it sits in your hand, you don't feel like it's a premium device like many other high-end smartphones on the market, and while many talk about high quality The polycarbonate used in it still pales in comparison to its competitors.
Yes, it's lighter, and probably more rigid (you're less likely to need a case for the Galaxy S5, for example), but that's Samsung's biggest problem, something it tried to fix with the Galaxy S6.
Key Features
Last year, it was difficult to talk about all the new elements of the Galaxy S4, since most of them brought practically nothing new except technological gizmos.
Things like Air Browse still exist, they are still in the settings, and this is a complaint against Samsung, which still has not removed them.
Although the company has tried to make the Galaxy S5 phone more useful while maintaining what customers use every day. Let's now look at the new features:
S Health
One of the most obvious things about the Samsung Galaxy S5 is the heart rate sensor located on the back panel next to the camera.
It is designed in such a way that you can get more out of your daily activities using the so-called “quantified self” applications that reflect all the data about your daily activities.
S Health 3.0 is a nice update and fills in a lot of fields that other apps don't have. You can install the best features that S Health offers, such as My Calorie Counter, which is a calorie counting tool, but it's best used with the main app for convenience.
The pedometer, like on most phones, is largely useless because it sets the number of steps you should take each day, which you can only do if you glue the Galaxy S5 to your thigh.
It's not as precise as something you put on your wrist or on your shoes, and Samsung has put a lot of effort into developing wearable gadgets that seem to be more about novelty than utility.
You can track your exercise progress on your phone as it adds data to a centralized system. Again, there are better apps for recording your runs, such as Adidas MiCoach, Runkeeper or Endomondo, but this is also a good app for new runners, although it does not take into account the purpose of your run.
New to S Health this year on the Galaxy S5 is a heart rate sensor located on the back of the monitor next to the camera, giving you the ability to measure your heart rate whenever you want.
But here's the thing: why do you need it? It's one of those elements that seems to be there just because Samsung was trying to think about what it could add to the S5 that would feel new and interesting.
And it, by and large, worked. But it's not nearly as reliable as a wrist- or chest-mounted gadget (I found it was able to get my heart rate every 3-4 tries), and it also begs the question of when you'd want to use it. .
Ideally, you remember that you want to take your heart rate when you wake up, when you are relaxed and able to take your heart rate at rest.
And maybe it will also be useful in certain moments tension throughout the day so that you can find out the required fitness time, provided you use the application correctly.
But, in fact, you should remember to do it at the right time, meaning your average heart rate will depend on what you do during the day.
I know one person who has heart problems. I asked her what she thought about this feature. She said the feature is actually useful for those who need to measure their heart rate throughout the day or just check how fast their heart rate gets under stress (though it's not good enough for medical purposes).
Thus, S Health is an excellent application for those who have certain medical conditions and do not require very accurate data ( Galaxy sensor S5 is not intended to replace related medical equipment). But for the rest of us, this thing falls into the "low heart rate competition in the pub" category.
Samsung, like many other big phone makers, tries to do everything possible to extend the life of the battery, since it usually runs out at the end of the day.
As you all saw in the battery graph, the Galaxy S5 is a great choice if you want to spend more time away from charging your phone, and this new tool allows you to feel more confident when the battery starts to run low.
This feature starts working when you activate it, not all the time. The screen turns black and white, the power is reduced, and you have access to a limited number of applications - 6 that you choose.
The selection isn't that wide (so you don't waste battery life when you really need it), but it does include Twitter and an Internet browser. This surprised me.
In this mode, the phone will only consume power when the screen is active, which means you won't receive background notifications, etc. It's not a good idea to use the browser or other battery-hogging apps in this mode, as it will immediately lose all meaning.
For example, at 7% charge I activated this mode, the phone told me that the battery would now last for 21 hours. An hour later I decided to see how much was left again. However, I spent 3 or 4 minutes using the browser and then checked a couple of messages on Twitter. As a result, only 2% of the battery remained.
However, the good thing is that if you have 100% battery then you will laugh as in this mode it will last for many days if used wisely.
In fact, I advise using this mode wisely. Don't do anything that drains your battery, just use your phone as a way to make a call or send a text message when you're not at home and really need the remaining battery power.
I was quick to call this mode useless when I first encountered it in Barcelona, and to say that you might as well just turn off your phone. But it's actually a good idea, and it works better than the similar feature on the HTC One M8, which doesn't set the screen to black and white.
The transition from normal to saving mode will take about 15 seconds, which is a bit long and tedious, so be prepared to simply activate it and put the phone in your pocket. If it was faster, then I would just turn the phone on and off as needed. Unfortunately, this is not an option.
Camera and selective focus
I'll go into more detail about the camera later in this review, but here are some high-end specs that are worth talking about now, as it's one of Samsung's biggest achievements.
Selective focus (or background focus, depending on what you want to call it) is a big thing for smartphone makers this year, as Sony, LG and HTC have joined Samsung in giving photo-capturing the ability to " pro-effect” by defocusing the background with a bokeh effect, but keeping the subject in place. Nokia started doing this back in 2013.
HTC brings this to life better than most, adding a proper sensor to give the greater depth of information needed for this effect.
Unfortunately, Samsung seems to be the worst at this task, as the method used here often fails.
Once you have turned on the camera, you need to select Selective Focus on the left side. Then, hope that the subject you want to shoot meets all the parameters of S5, as I often encountered a message that the effect could not be applied because the object in the foreground was not found.
The phone takes several pictures and then processes them, again, not quickly. Then you go to the gallery and click on the icon to start processing the image, which will take a few more seconds. And, if everything is in order, then you can select blurred foreground or background, but there is no option to save both options.
In general, this is a very clever feature, Samsung did a great job and deserves respect, but HTC did a great job with it in its One M8. It's a shame that the South Korean company did this later.
Fortunately, the rest of the camera's features are better refined, with a more powerful sensor and instant autofocus being the main things users are looking for.
It seems the company hasn't done enough work on the software's shortcomings, as the camera is slow to start up, especially from sleep mode.
I also noticed that the autofocus is fast, but the photo isn't always sharp, so Samsung's claim that the phone is great for taking all sorts of images isn't entirely true.
If there is good lighting and you know what you want to photograph (and the camera is ready to shoot), then this is a good system... but most of the time this is not the environment we use the camera in.
In addition to biometric features on the phone, this is a topic that can be infuriating, as many companies install it just for the sake of it.
Apple did this for the first time with TouchID (accuracy issues aside) and companies in the industry quickly began doing the same.
HTC One Max had a scanner on the back huge phone, but it was impossible to reach him. Samsung has at least placed it on the home button, which is more conveniently placed, but it's not as accurate as Apple's version.
It's not bad, and definitely the second best on the market, but the Galaxy S5 asks you to swipe vertically down instead of the usual swipe gesture.
The good news is that you can swipe your thumb from side to side on the button and it will work, but the accuracy is poor. Only one out of 7-8 attempts will be successful, and if your hand is a little crooked, then you will easily exhaust all 5 attempts.
I found that it started to perform worse after just a few days, as there is the ability to add up to three fingerprints in there, I deleted my first attempt and tried again, sliding my thumb down and from corner to corner. The sensor seemed to like this better and the accuracy of unlocking the phone improved.
I usually deleted the last attempts when problems arose, but I watched for subsequent deterioration in performance, and most users would not think of making new prints. As I said, by making the same fingerprint in two different ways, I saw changes in accuracy, but perhaps there is more to it than that.
Download accelerator
A download booster is one of the best ways to destroy your traffic if you leave it enabled. I'm kidding, it won't hurt you if you have 4GB of extra data.
The idea is simple: you have 4G, but you are connected to Wi-Fi assistance and want to download a file from the magical cloud world of the Internet. Instead of using one speed, the forces are combined to create super speed.
If something happens to one connection, the second will take over the load and continue downloading, which means that when downloading files that weigh more than 30 MB, you will have enormous speed.
One thing that is not clear is whether you can use high-speed downloads when the LTE/4G connection is disabled. The app says that only super-fast next-generation mobile connections are available, but the icon at the top of the screen still says 3G.
However, this doesn't work, so we can assume that this is another Samsung bug.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S5's display is one of the best on the market and the best feature of the phone. You can talk all you want about incremental innovation, but if a phone has a big battery, a great camera, and good screen, then this is the winner.
I like what it offers - it's brighter than LCD panels at full power looks more saturated than HTC One M8. Plus, it can be darker than others (Samsung knows many of us read in bed) but still be crisp.
According to DisplayMate, the Full HD Super AMOLED display is 22% brighter than the Galaxy S4 without requiring more power. Now you can go ahead and see what this amazing screen can do.
But here's the bottom line: the days of Super AMOLED displays being a colorful mess are over. Samsung has loaded the Galaxy S5 with all sorts of settings so you can find the exact balance of what you like. And features such as an adaptive display are necessary so that even in bright light, the information on the screen is clearly visible.
Unfortunately, this last mode cannot be used with all applications, only with the main ones such as browser, gallery.
Good brightness, high clarity and better color reproduction (by most accounts) will impress all but the highest standards seekers, and if you spend a lot of time watching movies, surfing the internet or just flipping through photos, then this 5.1-inch 1920 resolution screen ×1080 will be the best choice.
It's unfortunate that the best option exists on both the LG G3 and the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A version, since it's what makes the screen crisp and bright and can improve even the best display. But such technology fans always want something more.
If you're wondering which Samsung phone to buy, it's worth noting that the Note 4 also has an improved display, one of the best recognized on the market according to DisplayMate.
Interface and performance
The interface on the Samsung Galaxy S5 has improved quite a lot compared to the S4 and previous versions of the Galaxy family.
This is mainly due to the new circular badges and geometric layout that makes everything look a little more premium and fluid. You could argue that it's a bit skeuomorphic based, but it does hint that it's trying to emulate Apple, although I don't think so.
At least I hope not. I don't want to write about any more court cases.
Screen lock takes first place. Now it displays the weather and a pedometer with the number of steps taken.
There's also a camera shortcut icon in the corner, making it easy to access the app without having to unlock your phone (though it can be difficult to get into if you press the icon incorrectly). This is an especially useful feature if you have a fingerprint screen lock.
One of the best parts of the new home screen is the increased speed in TouchWiz. I wasn't the only one who noticed a lag in the interface, but S5 users say it's faster.
Animating transitions between desktops is still a little slow, as pages get stuck on top of each other, but this is minor.
The notification bar is one of the features that has undergone a significant change, it now has the rounded font I mentioned earlier and looks much nicer.
The settings menu is the same but has been divided into more sections to provide more fast access to what you want. Although, if you are already familiar with Android, it will take some time to get used to it.
Android Lollipop was launched not long ago and Samsung has already started implementing it in the Galaxy S5. The update brings new features including LockScreen, overhead notifications, MirrorLink and an improved fingerprint sensor, as well as elements of the new material design in the form of the TouchWiz interface. But at the time of writing, many people are still waiting for an update for their phones.
Returning to the phone itself, it's worth noting Samsung's clear tendency to collect news on other devices and continues to do so on Flipboard with My Magazine living on the left side of the main home screen.
The app basically takes Flipboard articles and integration methods and displays them in different categories, and it's not exactly the most impressive improvement.
Once you've opened it, you'll be asked to select topics that might interest you... but what are "News and Featured Articles"? What news does the “Sports” section cover? It's impossible to determine, so I was instantly faced with an excess of content that didn't interest me.
If you dig a little deeper, you'll find that Flipboard's Magazine has its own interface that allows you to set up custom channels, etc., which is much better.
Flipboard's Magazine interface
This is a very controversial thing about Samsung, and My Magazine needs a lot more work to be worthy, but let me turn it off for now.
The quality of news collected from most sources is not very good and intuitive, but I can see in the not too distant future that the application will find content that interests me. So it would be good if Samsung received this message.
But that doesn't mean Samsung doesn't have other new features that I like: like the Toolbox icon, which looks like a floating circle on the screen, it lets you select five apps that can be accessed by tapping on it, no matter where you are in phone.
I don't want it to be activated all the time, but you may run into situations where you need quick access to things like a calculator or voice recorder, and this is a great way to do it.
Multi-window mode is still everywhere, but I suggest you turn it off. The thing is, if you're trying to watch a video, the main app won't let you do so... you can only preview some videos, and the one you choose can only be viewed in the second half of the screen.
The same thing repeats with the internet browser and apps and it's really annoying when you don't want it to happen.
Overall, I'm a little disappointed with the Galaxy S5's interface. There's power: a 2.5GHz CPU from Qualcomm's excellent 801 chipset, which was a market leader at launch and remains impressive now, but I still found a lot of slowdown in some places.
The camera app takes a long time to launch, high-powered games like Real Racing 3 have low frame rates, many cars freeze (although a reboot fixed the issue somewhat), and opening the gallery takes a very long time if you have cloud storage.
It seems Samsung has not optimized its software in these areas, as when used such additional features like RR3, the phone overheats, this indicates that the phone cannot wake up from sleep mode effectively.
I've also seen more than one instance where the S5 freezes and crashes from apps, ranging from Facebook to Gmail to SwiftKey. But we've now received a software update that has improved the situation somewhat, so it's not as bad as it was in the beginning.
This disappointment is compounded by the fact that when tested on GeekBench 3, the phone scored a respectable 2909, slightly better than the HTC One M8.
It should be noted that HTC, unlike Samsung, has added a "high power mode" that allows these apps to get better performance. The same is true on both iPhone models, which means that these days, the differences between high-end smartphones are disappearing.
There's very little difference between these four phones in terms of overall speed, but the speed issue in games does matter. Gallery loading speed has been an issue on a number of Samsung models, so I doubt this will change. But for a phone with a fast camera, something has to change.
I'd like to pay particular attention to memory, given that Samsung has come under fire for the weight of its operating system in the Samsung Galaxy S4. Of the 16 GB of internal space, you will get more than 11 GB for personal use, which is comparable to the best on the market.
This has been helped by the fact that Samsung has removed some of the less essential apps and made them available for download from its app store, meaning you have more control over the internal space.
Battery and essential features
Here's what I'm saying: The battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S5 is amazing. If you don't want to continue reading, I don't blame you.
There are two reasons for the improvement: the first is that you now get a larger battery capacity of 2800 mAh, which obviously extends the life of the device. Secondly, you also get a fast Snapdragon 801 processor that handles everything more efficiently and saves battery life.
On top of it all, the screen is also much more efficient at the same brightness as the Samsung Galaxy S4, which quickly drained its battery.
This needs to be put in context: in our video battery drain test, when watching video for 90 minutes at full brightness, the Galaxy S5 only lost 16% of its charge, which is comparable to the iPhone 5S, which has a slower processor, smaller screen and fewer pixels .
It beats the 23% drop of the HTC One M8, which, if you read this review, is good device in terms of battery life, so now you know how happy I was when I saw more impressive results.
In fact, only LG (of the major manufacturers) seems to be more adept at optimizing the battery life of its devices, so it's surprising that it couldn't beat Samsung with the LG G3, but then it has a QHD display that's hard to beat.
The Samsung Galaxy S5's battery was so good that I started thinking about all the things that were eating up the battery pretty quickly, so I checked the Maximum Power Saving Mode again. The phone survived an hour or two of shooting, playing Real Racing 3 (that's what really eats up the battery) and 2 hours of video before 25% was left.
This figure has been surpassed by several other phones recently, such as the rival Sony Xperia Z3, but it's still the best.
These two power saving modes (maximum saving mode and normal) work quite well. Normal power saving mode also has the option to turn your screen to black and white, meaning you won't have to worry too much about the battery (again, you won't want to be looking at your phone all the time, which will also save battery).
There's no way to reduce the power consumption of these apps, but perhaps it's a feature Samsung will add later.
Required Features
It's worth recalling that at the heart of the Samsung Galaxy S5 there is still a phone with some best features On the market.
For example, the company has combined social networks with contacts. The smartphone has plenty of decent apps and widgets (we're still glad the flashlight widget is only one icon in size) and generally knows how to get the best out of its credential-based phones.
Calls
Making calls with the Samsung Galaxy S5, as with most of its Galaxy brethren, is a pleasure. It gives clear and crisp sound. The reason we moved this item to the "essential" category is simply because most phones do a good job of it, but Samsung is still at the top in this regard.
There are still old familiar touches, like the ability to see the last message you exchanged with someone you're calling, and the ability to call back or send a message when a call is on hold.
The Galaxy S5's network coverage is more than acceptable, although not the best I've seen. This is a bit disappointing because I expected more clarity from the phone's cell tower connection with a polycarbonate body.
Still, this phone does a great job of calling other people, and if that's what matters to you (other than perhaps the amount of money spent on such a high-end smartphone), then things could be a lot worse.
Messages
Phone messaging has come a long way in recent years, with apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger pose a real problem for today's SMS.
Luckily Samsung stuck with its messaging app and doesn't force you to use Hangouts on Android 4.4, which Google is trying to get more people into by insisting on using the text messaging app when you download it for the first time.
In the new TouchWiz interface, Samsung has added another smart feature in the form of priority senders at the top of your mailbox. This means that the people you communicate with most often will always be accessible with a single tap in an open app.
The keyboard on the Galaxy S5 gives me mixed feelings. I always check the quality of the keyboard like this: Do I want to download SwiftKey (one of the best keyboard apps on Android Play Store) or not, or I can work with what I have.
In this case, I think you could continue to use the Samsung keyboard as long as you don't have to use a lot of commas. It only has one proper visible lettered stop key, which means you'll find yourself pressing it over and over again in frustration.
The keyboard should also suit your style, but remember, there were times when it refused to enter a word I typed that wasn't in the dictionary.
Yes, I'm almost praising this keyboard because Samsung does add some terrible options, but you'll probably still be happy to try out some of the other features. It's still not that good compared to the rest of the market.
Browser
Like most smartphones today, Samsung offers a choice of two browsers: its own and Google Chrome. If you use the latter as a desktop browser, then you probably won't want to change it because it stores all your history and passwords.
That would be a shame, because Samsung has delivered a really nice option that not only looks good, but is also very fast.
The interface is clear, with URLs and navigation keys that move out of the way as you start scrolling through web pages. It has all the standard Chrome features like Incognito and Desktop mode, so you won't miss anything when switching between them.
The bookmarking system works intuitively, and saved pages work great in Pocket style.
As you might have guessed, most Android smartphones have the best browsers available today, but Samsung's solution of having a loading bar at the top of the page is very good.
Kids mode
You can argue about its necessity, but for those who want to protect their children from smartphone entertainment, Kids Mode on the Galaxy S5 will be useful.
It's a standard procedure: you activate it, enter a code, show a photo of the child and set his age, so your boy or girl will know that it was made especially for them.
You can then select the apps they can use (which look like gifts on the home screen... "Dad, look, it's Escape Zombie Land! Thank you!" "Uh... sorry, give me the phone. It's not for kids." ), and you can also set the amount of time for games.
From being able to click on the landscape and find hidden treasures to drawing, recording your voice or watching pre-approved media. This is a good app and worth considering and adding to the others.
I'm trying to pretend that I'm not accidentally playing this mode for half an hour during testing. I can't. There is an application that allows you to record your own voice and play it backwards, like a robot.
Camera
The camera on the Samsung Galaxy S5 is one of the most powerful on the market, having Isocell and 16 megapixels.
It has a number of other features that will appeal to many, such as real-time HDR mode that allows you to see how your photo can be improved before you shoot.
But the more interesting thing that attracts the attention of Samsung buyers is the fast autofocus, which can adjust image clarity in 0.3 seconds.
It's fast and there's no doubt that he can really set it up that quickly. However, I received a couple of criticisms before talking about it.
I already mentioned this, but for some reason the camera can take a few seconds to load, which is a little longer than the competition. If you're trying to use a quick snapshot from the lock screen, it can take even longer because it's easy to think you've only clicked an icon when in fact you've gone quite far.
The camera takes 3 seconds to start recording, which means if you're trying to catch a sudden moment, you'll probably miss it.
The autofocus I already mentioned is fast and will often focus on exactly what you want, especially if the composition is chosen correctly. However, there were a few occasions where I had to wait to take a photo and the autofocus was lost even though the subject was still blurry.
This is an unusual situation - I wiped the lens or went into the settings to see what was wrong, but found nothing.
At least the HDR mode works well, and it's great to see it alongside Selective Focus as one of the main options. You do get some of the best shots with real-time HDR, and they don't take very long to process, which is a plus.
Selective focus on a mixed picture. On the one hand, it can work in macro mode, which means you can take multiple photos at close range and the background will be blurred. This is what you wanted (some competitors can't do it).
On the other hand, the device told me too often that it wouldn't accept the image I took, and the photo couldn't be edited once it was taken.
The resulting result was not blurry enough for me. If you compare it to the HTC One M8, which has a weak sensor but a fast shutter speed, better defocus and takes better low-light photos, it's a minor feature for Samsung... or at least it seems so.
But if it sounds like I'm against samsung cameras Galaxy S5, then I apologize. This is wrong. It's a good and powerful sensor, but it requires a bit more effort to get amazing images.
The larger sensor takes a little longer to process photos (we're talking nanoseconds for regular photos in automatic mode) and the autofocus isn't as sharp as I'd like, but line up your shot and you'll definitely get a better image.
If you're trying to photograph under candlelight, the S5 is a better option. If you have a stunning landscape, you'll get better color reproduction with the S5.
However, the modes are a bit redundant, as before there are no GIF animations, I don't even find myself wanting to use any of the modes.
Samsung has been bulking up on these modes since the overly complicated S4, and it really helps. Touch Up's beauty mode never fails to intimidate me, and while I love the Virtual Tour, I can never find the time to want to walk through my home.
It's one of only a few devices on the market that has the ability to record 4K video, but I think we won't need such a feature for at least a year or two. In addition, it will of course require more memory to shoot in this high-format resolution.
The Galaxy S5's camera is competitive because it's powerful - it's not as good as the Nokia Lumia PureView sensor, but again, it's more adaptive than the HTC One M8 if you're willing to put the time into it.
That said, the One M8 is the better option for everyday photography and the sharpness is actually comparable to many of the S5's shots, but they didn't turn out as nice as I thought they would look when viewed on screen.
Examples of camera photos
Now let's look at some additional shots to show how the S5 handles fast-moving scenes.
Another clear shot - S5 performs well in bright light
Media
We've almost reached the point where very little new can be done with the phone in terms of playing music, watching videos and playing games.
Music
Samsung doesn't have the same engineering as HTC or Apple in terms of dedicated audio output amplification, meaning your headphones will have to work less to eliminate output noise from your ears.
However, the Galaxy S5 is so loud that I'd be surprised if there wasn't something on the software side to enhance the sound.
The sound output, especially when paired with headphones, is amazing. I hear every little detail, every bass.
The music player interface is simple and clear - you can view all the music that the S5 collects from all over the phone at once. You can choose an album, song and playlist, plus a musical mood.
This has never been something I've used properly - no one wants a playlist that builds from slow music to upbeat music - but it's a good way to listen to music with some semblance of progression.
The sound coming out of the single speaker on the back of the phone isn't quite as powerful as the HTC's Boomsound or the Xperia Z3's front speaker, but it's quite good for most purposes if you lay it down on a table and let the sound travel.
In short, the sound produced by the Galaxy S5 is very good, whether you're listening to a radio broadcast or the built-in music player. And the ability to switch between tracks in the notification panel or from the locked screen is a very useful feature.
Video
The Samsung Galaxy line has always been one of the best for watching movies. Every year the Note comes out with new improvements, and in the next version S this will be standard technology.
A lot has changed since the S3, and DisplayMate has found these changes in movie viewing - the S5 is almost perfect with its colors and white balance. I couldn't agree more.
The test showed that the iPhone 6 is the same in color and screen quality as the S5, and the Note 4, with its QHD screen, simply blows the mind when it comes to clarity. But this does not mean that the S5 has a bad display.
Thanks to the infinite contrast levels of the Super AMOLED Full HD display, everything looks deep and rich, and if you're watching Netflix on the way to work, a bright morning won't interfere with your viewing even in direct sunlight.
OLED displays were previously unsuitable for this. This is an amazing achievement by Samsung and they should be applauded for it.
The video player is very easy to use: it shows the video first in a small window before you want to watch it in full size by clicking on it.
The only problem is if you have multi-window mode enabled, as I mentioned earlier: split screen is annoying and cannot be removed unless you disable this option.
Also make sure you are only viewing local content. If you add to Dropbox, you will have access to a huge number of movies that would be difficult to accommodate if you downloaded all your content.
It would be nice to see social apps, something that pulls together videos of friends posted on Twitter and Facebook, anything possible to see more content on that screen.
Games
Gaming on the Galaxy S5 should be very enjoyable, but as I said earlier (I'm starting to worry that I'm repeating myself), games that require power sometimes stutter.
Clearing the cache by rebooting seems to resolve the issue. If you're going to play casual games, the S5 has a large screen that makes it easy to do so.
But be careful when using the GPU, especially in sleep mode, as the enjoyment may be marred by low frame rates.
Gallery
Samsung makes it possible to view Picasa/Google+, Facebook and Dropbox content from the gallery, but, unfortunately, all this is quite slow and clogs up the internal memory.
Opening a gallery that doesn't have much content isn't a problem, but if you have a microSD card, things slow down significantly and you have to wait a few seconds before the selected image opens.
This may not seem like a big deal, but if you can't quickly look at the photos, it becomes annoying.
Competition
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is definitely a phone you can't count out, but how will it stack up against the competition?
Remember, you're going to pay quite a lot of money for it, so does it have enough power to be the best?
The obvious threat to the Samsung Galaxy S5 is the HTC One M8. Their specs are very similar: both have a Snapdragon 801 CPU, a microSD card slot, 2GB of RAM, a Full HD display and excellent Android 4.4.2 (updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop soon).
However, there are a few differences: The Samsung Galaxy S5 has a much more powerful camera, although it's not something you'd want in daily use.
The One M8 takes faster, more focused photos, but you'll find them to be of inferior quality if you open them on a larger screen.
HTC has put a lot of effort into refining the design - it's amazing how nice the aluminum body can feel in the hand, but Samsung still uses boring plastic. Even the fact that it's waterproof doesn't make up for my disappointment every time I pick it up.
What new can the iPhone 6 offer that its predecessors didn't? Actually, a lot. Best design. Faster processor bigger screen, higher resolution. In short, he solved many of the problems that his predecessors had.
But is it better than the Samsung Galaxy S5? Depends on what you're looking for. The S5 is more rugged, IP67 certified, and has a larger and more impressive clear screen with excellent color reproduction.
However, it does not have the quality of an iPhone, and we will never get an answer to the question of which is better than iOS or Android. The iPhone 6 has a simpler OS than TouchWiz (and we're not even talking about the weird Magazine on the home screen). Other versions of Android, like the ones on the LG G3, are better and worth a look.
Sony has done very well in the world of smartphones, from the Xperia Arc to the new Xperia Z3, on an upward trajectory.
It has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU (unlike what we saw on the Z2), a microSD card slot, and it's much more water- and dust-resistant. It's much better than the Z2. Even though it doesn't quite work for 99% of users, it gives a feeling of reliability and confidence.
Both have a large, bright screen and the ability to record 4K video, although this feature is essentially useless. They have different designs: a modern metal body for the Xperia Z3 and a plastic body for Samsung.
The improved Z3 has a larger battery capacity and a brighter screen than its predecessor. The contract model is priced the same as the S5, so it just depends on whether you like the stylish Sony or not.
Samsung Galaxy S6, as you already know, is the successor to the Galaxy S5. Spoiler alert: we like him. You saw a lot of criticism in this review towards the new device, especially regarding the design.
The device has a new proprietary Exynos 7420 processor clocked at 1.4GHz and 2.1GHz, along with an impressive 3GB of RAM. MicroSD has been replaced with a larger memory capacity of 32, 64,128 GB. It also has an amazing 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 and a density of 577 pixels per inch.
On the back is its main advantage - a 16-megapixel camera that can take truly amazing photos, no matter where you are.
Samsung made a strange choice by removing the water resistance that the Galaxy S5 had, but the company has addressed the issue with the fingerprint sensor, making it better than the Galaxy S5.
So it turned out a little bigger. You'll have to pay £599.99 for the 32GB version or £640 for the 64GB version.
Conclusion
Something while writing this review made me think that Samsung simply MUST introduce a new premium model next year.
Now we have it, in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, which is iPhone competitor 6 in screen size and resolution, but not in power.
Another interesting hardware feature is download acceleration: the Galaxy S5 can simultaneously download data via Wi-Fi and LTE, increasing speed. This works if the remote server supports multi-threaded uploading of files from an arbitrary location. But since completely unlimited tariffs Since there is no LTE in our country, you need to use Download Booster with great caution: the speed gain will be noticeable only when downloading large files, and they will quickly use up the available gigabytes.
Display
The display of the Galaxy S5 has grown to a diagonal of 5.1 inches, while the body has also increased compared to the S4 - thicker frames had to be made due to water resistance. This is a FullHD matrix, made, as you might guess, using Super AMOLED technology with Pentile (reduced number of green subpixels). Pentile is clearly visible due to its peculiar moiré pattern in light areas. However, if you don’t look closely at the screen and don’t know about Pentile, you’ll hardly notice anything: rather, what catches your eye is the richness of the colors and the highest contrast.
The screen remains highly readable even in direct sunlight: at the same time, colors change using a special algorithm: they become completely unnatural, but the contrast increases even more. And this is the most important thing: it is important to see at least something in such a situation, and not try to process photos for printing.
Software
A proprietary Samsung TouchWiz shell is installed on top of Android 4.4, which, no matter how much it is scolded, does not greatly change the logic of the interface of the operating system itself. Unlike “bare” Android, there are many improvements here. The most interesting of them are familiar from the Galaxy S4 - for example, the eye tracking function: while you look at the screen, it does not turn off.
There is a multi-window mode: for example, you can split the screen into two parts and display data from different applications in them: browser and email client, YouTube, Hangouts, and so on.
Galaxy S5, which incorporates all the latest technical achievements. It looks like this year could be the most popular smartphone, he has everything for this. There were a lot of rumors about what it would be like, but compared to the S4, new flagship The company has made great strides forward. So let's start our review of the Samsung Galaxy S5.
In terms of appearance, the smartphone looks more rectangular, closer to the Note 3 than the Galaxy S4. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is almost 6 mm longer and 3 mm wider than the S4 and weighs 15 grams. more. The smartphone case is completely protected from moisture and dust and is certified to the IP67 standard, which means that the phone can be completely immersed in water and is absolutely dust-proof. The phone is equipped with a fingerprint scanner located on the button under the screen and note that the sensor can also be used to securely enter any application on the smartphone, and not just to enter the main menu of the phone. On the back there is a sensor that detects your heartbeat.
The material of the case has not changed, it also remains plastic, but its texture is good, so it’s pleasant to hold it in your hand. The smartphone is also equipped with an IR infrared port, with which you can control all appliances in the house, that is, you will have one control panel. The phone has a compass, gyroscope, accelerometer and barometer.
Smartphone size: 142 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145 g
There is a sensor on the back of the phone that detects your heartbeat when you place your finger on it.
Processor and software
The Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone is a super-efficient device, it uses four nuclear processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5 GHz and Adreno 330 graphics chipset.
The Android flagship operates on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system with a new version of Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz interface. The interface has been changed and improved to become more understandable. The settings menu has been completely changed and some applications have been updated.
Very nice icons, light and a little airy. The menu has become nicer.
Children's mode (Kids Corner) looks very high quality and has a large number of customization options
Memory
The smartphone has 2 GB of RAM. Internal memory is 16 or 32 GB, which can be expanded using microSD memory cards (up to 64 GB).
Screen
What can we say, the image on the Samsung Galaxy S5 screen has excellent qualities: large viewing angles, bright and saturated colors, fading in the sun is very low. The smartphone is equipped with a 5.1-inch capacitive touch SuperAMOLED HD screen with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, a density of 431 (ppi) pixels per inch and color rendering of 16 million shades. The display is covered with Gorilla Glass 3.
Samsung Galaxy S5 is equipped with a camera with a resolution of 16 MP (1/2.6”) and a new autofocus system, capable of recording video with a resolution of (3840 x 2160) 4K UHD at 30 fps and video with a resolution of 1080p at 60 fps. With. The additional front camera has a resolution of 2.1 megapixels and is designed for video communication.
The picture quality is excellent for a top-end smartphone.
Pictures from the S5 camera.
We can now say that the quality of the pictures is higher than on the Samsung Galaxy S4. The camera in this phone will not disappoint anyone.
Communication capabilities
The smartphone supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 BLE / ANT+, USB 3.0, IR, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, 3.5 mm audio jack, .
Networks: EDGE/GPRS/GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), WCDMA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz), LTE
Battery
The new smartphone is equipped with a removable battery with a capacity of 2800 mAh, which is slightly more than on the Galaxy S4.
The capacity of this battery is easily enough for a day of use under average load. The smartphone also has a special Ultra Power Saving mode; when it is turned on, a black and white image is shown on the screen, while you can only make calls and send messages, while the Internet is turned off. The manufacturer says that with 10% of the remaining energy, the smartphone can work for another whole day.
Price
It is expected that prices for the Samsung Galaxy S5 will start from 29,990 rubles for the 16 GB version.
Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone video review:
Samsung releases new flagship smartphones every year. GALAXY S5 is the main model of 2014, which incorporates the latest achievements of Korean technology. Moreover, it is the main one not only in the Samsung line, but also among all Android smartphones in general, given the company’s dominant position. No other manufacturer can compete with Samsung in terms of the number of devices sold. But quantity and quality do not always coincide, let's take a closer look at the GALAXY S5 model, which we managed to get before the start of sales, and understand how high quality it was and whether it is worthy of a purchase.
At the moment there are two undisputed leaders in the smartphone market - and. They achieved these results largely due to marketing efforts. But the products of each company are also very interesting. However, the approach is completely different. If Apple focuses on design and ecosystem, then for Samsung features are at the forefront.
The new GALAXY S5 is no exception to this rule. The main interest remains in the technical parameters. There are a lot of new things here compared to last year. A fingerprint scanner has appeared, moisture protection has been added, and there is a new energy saving mode (see the photo below for how it works). And these are just the main changes, there are a lot of small modifications, especially in software.
But the appearance of smartphones is not traditionally a strong point of Samsung’s mobile division. In this they are inferior not only to, but also to other Android manufacturers -, etc. Let's see how fully the Koreans were able to take into account the errors of previous versions in the new flagship.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Network: EDGE/GPRS/GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), WCDMA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz), LTE
- operating system: Android 4.4.2 (Kitkat), interface
- Processor: Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 @ 2.5 GHz
- Memory: 16/32 GB, 2 GB RAM, support for microSD memory cards (up to 64 GB)
- Display: 5.1” FHD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080), 432 ppi
- Camera: main 16 MP (1/2.6”), flash, UHD@30fps video recording, front 2.0 MP
- Communications: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac VHT80, MIMO(2x2), Download Booster (LTE + WiFi), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 BLE / ANT+, USB 3.0, IR port
- Other: Heart rate monitor, IP67 water and dust protection, new power saving mode
- Battery: 2800 mAh, removable
- Dimensions, weight: 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm, 145 g
- Recommended price at the start of sales (April 11): from 29,990 rubles
DESIGN, ERGONOMICS
The appearance of the GALAXY S5 is what was discussed the most after the official announcement in Barcelona. And in general the opinions were not at all positive. Indeed, the new Samsung flagship turned out to be very controversial in design and materials. The body is plastic and back cover rubberized and with a texture either like a plaster, or like the interior of a Lada, or like a . In any case, against the backdrop of a cool exterior Apple flagships, HTC, Sony and others, this Samsung design looks cheap. The explanation for this is very simple: Koreans do not use metal and other refinements in mass-produced models. A premium version will appear later, but for now we have what we have. In my opinion, appearance is the main drawback of the GALAXY S5.
The flip side of the external simplicity of the GALAXY S5 is practicality. The smartphone, like its predecessor, is well balanced. True, due to moisture protection it was necessary to use additional seals, as a result both the dimensions and weight increased (compared to ): 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm, 145 g. The frames around the screen could also be smaller. The record holder for this was released last year, but it does not have moisture protection. Samsung had to increase the frames due to the rubber layer (the same one was in). The next generation of Sony (model) got rid of this drawback due to a new frame design. The Koreans went the route, and as a result, the frames are not only larger than those of Sony, but even larger than those of last year’s GALAXY S4. This is a fee for moisture protection. The speaker should also be included here; it is quieter and of lower quality compared to the GALAXY S4 (not to mention the HTC One).
Left Samsung GALAXY S5, right Samsung GALAXY S4
Top Samsung GALAXY S5, bottom Samsung GALAXY S4
An important addition to the new flagship is protection against moisture and dust according to the IP67 standard. This means that the model can withstand immersion in water to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. Samsung has previously used IP67 in the GALAXY S4 Active and a number of less expensive models. We tested the new product during water procedures and are completely satisfied with the result. You won't be able to make calls underwater (and is that really necessary?), but otherwise the device can withstand everything up to complete immersion. In my opinion, this, along with the fingerprint scanner, is the main advantage of the GALAXY S5 and a serious blow to Sony (considering that Samsung smartphones are much more popular).
Samsung followed the path of Apple and not only offered its flagship in gold color, but also built a fingerprint scanner into it. It is located in a mechanical button under the screen (which is much more convenient than the sensor on the back under the camera of the HTC One Max). In addition to the function of unlocking the device, it also works when making purchases on a smartphone to protect the owner; it can be used to hide personal data. If you do not want to touch the button, then in this case you need to swipe it with your finger. Unlike the test samples, the function worked correctly in our device. An important, necessary and useful innovation.
Another interesting feature of the GALAXY S5 is the heart rate sensor. The sensor is located behind the camera and is combined with the flash. If you put your finger on it, you can see your pulse within a few seconds. Of course, there is software that allows you to monitor your health. This works with low accuracy and is unlikely to be of practical value. In particular, for the same person, the scanner at the same moment shows a completely different pulse. About the same situation as was with thermometers in old phones (for example, Pantech G670).
The controls are the same, the only changes are in the key block under the screen. The Home button with a pair of touch pads on the sides remains in place, the controls are still convenient and well thought out. The Koreans finally removed the button that was responsible for the auxiliary menu, replacing it with a much more relevant task manager. The screen lock and volume keys are located in places that are easy to press.
Initially there will be several colors available: , and . Subsequently, the range is likely to be expanded, as could be seen in previous years. Plastic case Made from polycarbonate, it still has a collapsible design and is one of the few flagships with a removable battery. To prevent the smartphone from getting wet, the microUSB port is protected by a plug. But regularly opening it up for charging is inconvenient; as an option, a case is offered that supports wireless charging.
Comparison of dimensions of Samsung GALAXY S5, HTC One Dual Sim and LG G2:
SPEED AND RUNNING TIME
Samsung GALAXY S5 is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 801 with a frequency of 2.5 GHz. It is noted that the new version guarantees faster processor performance by 14%, graphics by 28%, and camera sensor performance by 45% compared to the Snapdragon 800. Interestingly, the processor modifications are different. Qualcomm has moved two chipsets that previously belonged to the Snapdragon 800 into the Snapdragon 801 category - these are MSM8974-AB and MSM8974-AC. The first of them received the Sony Xperia Z2, the second - the Samsung GALAXY S5. They differ from Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 in the frequency of processor cores and graphics accelerator. Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor frequency - 2.26 GHz, QS 801 (MSM8974-AB) - 2.36 GHz, QS 801 (MSM8974-AC) - 2.45 GHz. Adreno 330 graphics frequencies are 450, 550 and 578 GHz, respectively.
Samsung is expected to soon introduce a version of the GALAXY S5 with an eight-core processor with a frequency of 2.1 GHz. Most likely, it will not be the new Exynos 6, but the Exynos 5422. This chip, in fact, is an overclocked version of the Exynos 5420, which is used in the GALAXY Note 3. Only now the frequency of the four productive Cortex-A15 cores has been increased from 1.9 to 2. 1 GHz, and economical Cortex-A7 - from 1.3 to 1.5. The important point is that all eight cores can work simultaneously. The new chip supports displays with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and video recording in 4K resolution. Its mass release will begin before the end of March, so there is a high probability that the Exynos version of the GALAXY S5 will appear on the market in the coming months.
As for the Qualcomm version of the GALAXY S5, it demonstrates good performance, but the amount of RAM of 2 GB looks strange. Even in last year’s version it is 3 GB, similar to the recent Sony Xperia Z2. In general, everything works quickly, but sometimes there are stutters. Considering our sample wasn't jam-packed with programs and content, this isn't the most pleasant surprise. In benchmarks, our hero looks confident and demonstrates good results. In my opinion, the reason for the stuttering is purely software; Samsung's proprietary interface does not always work smoothly. By comparison, HTC Sense on a less powerful hardware is smoother.
Now about the operating time. The battery capacity has increased, now instead of 2600 mAh, as in the GALAXY S4, it is already 2800 mAh. Samsung talks about 12 hours of video playback and 10 hours of Internet browsing. In our tests it still worked for about a day with average use, there are no big changes here. The smartphone plays video (Full HD, maximum brightness, Wi-Fi on) for more than 10 hours. The result according to AnTuTu Tester is 566 points. In general, nothing special. Much more interesting is the new special Ultra Power Saving mode, when the smartphone shows a black and white image on the screen, while it only allows you to make calls and send messages, turning off the Internet. It is stated that with 10% of the remaining energy the device can last a whole day. In our tests it turned out a little less, but comparable. This is a very interesting feature of the Samsung GALAXY S5.
CAMERA
Samsung announced its ISOCELL photo sensor technology last year, but only now admitted that such matrices are used in the new flagship GALAXY S5 smartphones. As you know, the quality of photosensors is determined by the amount of light that the pixels located on them capture. Under market pressure, manufacturers increase the number of pixels, thereby reducing their sizes, making it more difficult to obtain high-quality photographs. Current photosensor technologies focus on increasing the light absorption of each individual pixel. Until recently, BSI technology did an excellent job of this, but as pixel sizes get smaller, its use becomes less and less effective.
ISOCELL technology forms a physical barrier between adjacent pixels, isolating them (ISOlated CELL, isolated cell). Isolation allows pixel LEDs to receive up to 30% more photons, minimizing unwanted electrical interference between pixels. Compared to BSI technology, ISOCELL pixels reduce noise by approximately 30%, resulting in higher color accuracy and richer, more contrasty images, even in low light.
In practice, we have a powerful 16 megapixel module with the ability to shoot UHD video. Compared to the GALAXY S4 (and Note 3), the software and interface have been significantly updated. The camera has become noticeably faster - focusing, HDR, etc. On the other hand, there are now fewer modes, they need to be downloaded separately. In particular, there is no separate night mode, and in Auto the quality of the pictures is not the highest. In other conditions, the quality is roughly comparable to the GALAXY S4 and Note 3, sometimes a little worse. Most likely this will be fixed in future updates. But even now it is one of the best mobile cameras with excellent detail, high speed (the stated focusing and shooting time is only 0.3 seconds) and many settings.
What's interesting about the settings is the improved HDR mode, which allows you to see in real time what the photo you plan to take in this mode will look like. In its Windows Phone models, Nokia offers an interesting application in which you can change the focus even after the photo has already been taken. Now you can get the same opportunity in Samsung. The idea is simple: after a frame is taken, you can change it and “blur” the desired area, without having to reshoot the object again.
Sample photos of Samsung GALAXY S5 maximum quality(16 MP):
SCREEN
The screen of the new product has increased to 5.1”; it is an FHD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) matrix with a density of 432 ppi. The specimen is very nice, has excellent viewing angles and performs well in the sun. I liked the display in the Samsung GALAXY S5, and there is slight progress compared to the S4, our expert Mikhail Kuznetsov will tell you in more detail.
Comparison of Samsung GALAXY S5 (left) and S4 (right):
The screen of the Samsung GALAXY S5 is, as usual, the brightest detail of this smartphone. The diagonal has grown to 5.1 inches, which with Full HD resolution provides a high pixel density of about 432 ppi. Despite the PenTile subpixel structure, it, like its predecessor GALAXY S4, can hardly be blamed for image blur. Small fonts or thin outlines practically do not suffer from pixelation, unless you equip yourself with a magnifying glass or microscope. Obviously, the screens of the two generations are generally quite similar, but we found a few interesting nuances.
For example, compared to the GALAXY S4, the screen of the new S5 is approximately 18% brighter. We are talking about the brightness of the white fill across the entire screen at maximum brightness in the smartphone settings. The indicator has increased to 332 cd/m2, and this brightness margin can already be considered quite sufficient for most scenarios. More importantly, the anti-glare properties of the screen have also improved. In direct sunlight, the Samsung GALAXY S4's screen backing gives off a bluish tint, while the GALAXY S5's screen remains close to black or neutral gray. The same thing happens with the image: the GALAXY S5 screen demonstrates excellent viewing angles, where any significant distortion begins only at the very end, when the eye rests on the smartphone exactly from the side. Let me remind you that on the GALAXY S4 screen the image acquired a blue-green tint even at a not very wide angle. In general, there has been some progress in the behavior of the image on the GALAXY S5 screen under different lighting conditions or from different angles.
Another strong property of the screen has not been lost - the incredible contrast of the AMOLED display, which gives a breathtakingly deep image. Formally, the concept of contrast ratio is not even applicable here, thanks to the ideal black color. It's a pity, but you can really feel this advantage in the dark, since in a bright environment the screen still reflects part of the incident light. Nevertheless, in this parameter, the GALAXY S5 screen, like other types of OLED, is far ahead of conventional LCD displays.
The gamma curve of the screen is close to optimal, the average value is 2.3. In practice, the differences from the reference gamma 2.2 are invisible, shadow detail does not suffer.
Color reproduction, as usual, depends on the selected screen mode. There are several options to choose from: “Dynamic”, “Standard”, “Professional Photography” and “Cinema”. The “Dynamic” mode is overly saturated, which not everyone will like - after all, the colors are fairly distorted.
"Standard" mode combines a cool-toned image with an average color temperature of about 7600K and bright, rich colors. This is a setting in the spirit of “classic” AMOLEDs, where color profiles were not provided.
Professional Photography mode is an attempt to emulate the expanded Adobe RGB color space that is sometimes used by professional photographers. The attempt is not very successful: the compliance of the color gamut with the Adobe RGB standard is rather conditional, since the green color (which is the main difference between Abobe RGB and sRGB) is greatly shifted in hue. At the same time, the white balance is not bad - the color temperature ranges from 6500K to 7000K, but in general the deviations are low.
The Cinema mode, as usual, offers the most adequate color reproduction. The color balance here is almost identical to the previous mode. The average color temperature is about 6700K, and the color gamut exceeds the sRGB standard only in the green area.
Analysis of colors within the color gamut shows acceptable results, and the average error on 24 ColorChecker targets is only 3.58 units. Consequently, in the “Cinema” mode the image has fairly natural colors, the saturation of which, compared to other modes, is within reasonable limits. This option is really good for watching videos and photos. The “Cinema” color profile is the best way to dispel misconceptions about the “broken” color reproduction of AMOLED screens, which are still passed down from old memory.
In addition, there is also an adaptive display mode, which automatically selects settings based on the content - be it photos, text or games. Typically, it uses the "Standard" profile as a base, and the colors are muted less often than they should be. Therefore, in everyday use, you can get by with a single profile that suits your taste best.
In general, the Samsung GALAXY S5 screen continues the traditions established in previous generations. There have been no radical improvements, but there is a progressive evolution. For example, the new generation has more effective anti-glare and wider viewing angles. Color rendition, as before, strongly depends on the selected screen mode: the user is offered 4 options for taste and color, in addition to the adaptive mode. Everyone can choose an option to their liking - either calm and natural colors, or, conversely, the most “flashy” ones. It would not be an exaggeration to say that, unlike the design, the screen of the Samsung GALAXY S5 is unlikely to be the subject of heated debate. Most likely, the vast majority will agree that he is very good. In any case, from a technical point of view there is little to complain about here.
COMMUNICATIONS, MEMORY
Communications have also been improved. MicroUSB 3.0 is used, and everything you need is also there: NFC, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0. In the event that you urgently need to send something quickly, and the amount of data is large and amounts to more than 30 MB, the Download Booster function is activated, when the device sends data directly via Wi-Fi and LTE. Support for Wi-Fi 802.11ac with 2xMIMO is declared.
The memory is also in perfect order: the built-in volume is 16 or 32 GB, plus there is a compartment for microSD, where you can install up to 64 GB inclusive, i.e. the total volume is up to 96 GB. For most users this will be enough.
SOFTWARE, INTERFACE
Samsung GALAXY S5 runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with a new version of the proprietary TouchWiz interface. The latter has undergone many changes, has become a little faster, but overall it has not changed radically. New effects and animation have appeared. What remains is the Korean beauty. The gurgling sounds and familiar melodies, unfortunately, also remain. But there are new wallpapers, some very nice.
Samsung sees its new interface as simpler and cleaner. In particular, the settings menu has been completely updated. Now this is the only vertical list with bright large icons in the style of Simbian or (iOS7). In my opinion, this looks like an attempt to collect everything in one place at once. The result is a mess of styles that you need to get used to. However, if desired, this can easily be changed with third-party launchers (like a case with covers).
Compared to the GALAXY S4, the interface has changed noticeably. The widgets section was moved from the menu to the main screen settings, a new unlocking effect and desktop changing animation appeared, and the S Finder and “Quick Connect” buttons were added to the notification center. Most applications have been updated - gallery, player, phone, messages, etc. The S Health fitness application (version 3.0) has been significantly improved, which now takes into account heart rate. Knox security functionality has been enhanced.
The new economy mode, which I have already mentioned, deserves a separate discussion. With one touch, you change the screen image to grayscale, limit the number of available applications, disable background work, and disable all communications such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. As a result, you get a simple dialer with basic capabilities. Other manufacturers have nothing like this, the opportunity is interesting and useful.
As I wrote above, two more interesting functions are the unloading accelerator and fingerprint user authorization (Finger Scanner). I am sure that GALAXY S5 owners will like them. Also interesting are the different operating modes - private and children's. As always with Samsung, everything can be customized and changed. In general, the functionality of the company's software now has no equal in Android. If the Koreans do something else with the design and content, we will get a great shell.
List of subscriptions and services that the owner of Samsung GALAXY S5 receives for free:
- Wall Street Journal: 6 month subscription ($160);
- Linkedin: 3 month subscription ($75);
- PayPal: $50 off in-store purchases with PayPal;
- Skimple: 6 month subscription ($42);
- Lark: 1 year subscription ($36);
- Bloomberg BusinessWeek+: 1-year subscription ($30);
- Bitcasa: 1 TB for 3 months ($30);
- Runkeeper: 1 year subscription ($20);
- Evernote: 3 month subscription ($15);
- Cut the Rope 2: $10 credit;
- Blurb: $5 off;
- EasilyDo Pro: unlimited download ($5);
- Flick Dat: no download limits ($2);
OPINION HI-TECH.MAIL.RU
GALAXY S5 is an evolution of the line. Accordingly, the wildest expectations were not justified. Here you will not find metal in the case, there are no breaks in the camera or screen, there is still no FM radio, and the same amount of RAM. The latter is quite strange, given the 3 GB of RAM in last year's Note 3. At the same time, the size, weight and frame around the screen have increased slightly.
On the other hand, the device turned out to be solid and balanced. A fingerprint scanner has appeared (which also works well), a new energy saving and moisture protection mode is interesting. The latter is full-fledged IP67, and not splash protection, as our tests have proven. The software in the GALAXY S5 has been improved and supplemented, but this is still a controversial point - on the one hand, it is very functional, on the other, it is not the most stylish and smooth (like HTC Sense, for example).
In most respects, the GALAXY S5 is comparable to its predecessor (performance, battery life, features, design, etc.). There are both pros and cons to this. If everything is clear about the shortcomings, then the traditional advantages of Samsung are a removable battery, a memory card slot and a hardware Home button - all this remains in the new flagship. Unfortunately, the typical design remained (only the back cover was made not glossy, but soft-touch). Therefore, fans of Samsung products will be pleased.
In the high price segment of Android smartphones, the Samsung GALAXY S5 does not have many competitors - these are Sony and HTC. In my opinion, the devices are close, but still different. Samsung is practical and functional, but also more fashionable and stylish. So the choice between them is primarily a question personal priorities. An indirect alternative is also , which has fallen in price and can now be a good buy for lovers of large screens.
Detailed testing of one of the most anticipated smartphones of the new season
Of course, one of the most long-awaited and anticipated new products among mobile devices of the coming year should be considered the next update to the flagship line of Samsung smartphones - the Galaxy S5. The new product does not need any special introduction - in recent years, the Korean company Samsung Electronics has managed not only to become scandalously famous due to countless lawsuits with rival American Apple, but also to occupy, along with it, one of the leading places in the world market for the sale of tablets and, of course , smartphones.
From left to right: Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S4, Apple iPhone 5s
By the way, in recent years the Koreans have firmly accustomed users to the idea that Samsung always has two flagship smartphones on the market at the same time. They are representatives of two top product lines moving in parallel courses - Galaxy Note and Galaxy S. Not so long ago there was another update to the line of tablet phones - the Samsung Note 3 smartphone, about which we wrote so much at one time, went on sale. Now it’s time for a series of smartphones to be updated with a more “civilized” design.
Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S4
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The Galaxy S series smartphones have always been very different from their semi-tablet counterparts from the Note line precisely in size - they were quite elegant devices in terms of dimensions. However, with the release of the Galaxy S5, it must be admitted that the distance separating them is shrinking more and more. Moreover, not only the sizes of each successive representative of the Galaxy S line are becoming larger, but also in the Note line they are consistently decreasing. Galaxy Note 3 has become the smallest among its brothers, and the Galaxy S5, on the contrary, has acquired such large dimensions that it’s time to think: what, exactly, is the difference between the modern representatives of the two lines? Their performance is absolutely the same, the design is similar, the price is the same, and we have already said about the sizes. Is the whole difference now just the presence or absence of an electronic pen?
Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3
In any case, you shouldn’t expect a special technological breakthrough from the new flagship of the Galaxy S line. New technological discoveries have not yet been made, but everything discovered has already been put into practice, and now they are sharpening, finishing, polishing - improving functionality. And we’re not just talking about Samsung devices - the entire market as a whole is now waiting for something new. This, by the way, is clearly visible in the example of the last two world IT exhibitions, held at the beginning of the year in Las Vegas and Barcelona. The products of the Korean company are no exception: in terms of hardware and technology, the new flagship is not much different from the previous one (Samsung Galaxy S4) - now the focus is on improving functionality. Ultra-fast data transfer capabilities, an updated camera control program interface, a wide selection of fitness applications, a heart rate monitor, a fingerprint scanner, as well as agreements with the world's leading content and service providers to pre-install a host of various applications with a long-term prepaid subscription - that's what , which is what Samsung is now working on. Gigabytes and gigahertz somehow suddenly faded into the background, which is probably for the better. Surprisingly, the Koreans didn’t even add RAM to their new flagship - the Galaxy S5 still has 2 GB of RAM, although the new product still has some changes in hardware.
Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S5 (model SM-G900F)
| Samsung Galaxy S5 | LG G2 | TCL Idol X+ | Lenovo Vibe Z (K910) | Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (N9005) | |
| Screen | 5.1″, Super AMOLED | 5.2″, IPS | 5″, IPS | 5.5″, IPS | 5.7″ Super AMOLED |
| Permission | 1920×1080, 432 ppi | 1920×1080, 424 ppi | 1920×1080, 440 ppi | 1920×1080, 400 ppi | 1920×1080, 386 ppi |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (4 Krait 400 cores) @2.5 GHz | MediaTek MT6592 (8 cores ARM Cortex-A7) @2.0 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (4 Krait 400 cores) @2.2 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (4 Krait 400 cores) @2.2 GHz | |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Adreno 330 | Mali 450MP4 | Adreno 330 | Adreno 330 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 3 GB |
| Flash memory | 16 GB | 16/32 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16—64 GB |
| Memory card support | microSD | — | — | — | microSD |
| operating system | Google Android 4.4 | Google Android 4.2 | Google Android 4.2 | Google Android 4.2 | Google Android 4.3 |
| Battery | removable, 2800 mAh | non-removable, 3000 mAh | non-removable, 2500 mAh | non-removable, 3050 mAh | removable, 3200 mAh |
| Cameras | rear (16 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP) | rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP, video 1080p) | rear (13 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP, 1080p video) | |
| Dimensions | 142×73×8.1 mm, 145 g | 139×71×8.9 mm, 143 g | 140×69×7.9 mm, 120 g | 149×77×7.9 mm, 147 g | 151×79×8.3 mm, 168 g |
| average price | T-10725078 | T-10505130 | T-10632117 | T-10516952 | T-10545574 |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 offers | L-10725078-10 | ||||
- SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC), 4 Krait 400 cores, 2.5 GHz
- GPU Adreno 330, 578 MHz
- Operating system Android 4.4.2 Kitkat
- Touch display Super AMOLED, 5.1″, 1920×1080, 432 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
- Supports microSD memory cards up to 128 GB
- Networks 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE Cat.4, up to 150/50 Mbit/s)
- Bluetooth 4.0 BLE/ANT+
- USB 3.0, OTG, MHL
- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac HT80, MIMO (2x2), Wi-Fi hotspot
- NFC, infrared
- GPS (A-GPS), Glonass
- 16 MP camera, autofocus, LED flash, UHD video (4K) 30 fps
- Camera 2 MP (front)
- Accelerometer, gyroscope, distance sensor, compass, barometer, Hall sensor (magnetic field), light sensor, gesture sensor (infrared), fingerprint scanner, heart rate sensor
- Dust and moisture protection according to IP67 standard
- Li-ion battery 2800 mAh
- Dimensions 142×72.5×8.1 mm
- Weight 145 g
Appearance and ease of use
As already mentioned, the new model of the Galaxy S series has become significantly larger in size than the previous one. It feels like the smartphone in your hand has finally crossed that invisible line called “a little more and it will be too much”: now the device has become really bulky and surprisingly heavy. For the breast pocket of a shirt, for example, this is now certainly an inaccessible guest, although, of course, people who are firmly decided to follow the path of life with a “shovel” at the ready, in sizes new Galaxy S will not feel anything unusual. Still, it is smaller than the Galaxy Note 3, although the difference is already minimal. And yet, it is still not clear why it was necessary, with almost identical screens, to make the new model so much larger than the previous one. On the Galaxy S4, for example, the side frames are only 3 mm wide, but on the Galaxy S5 they suddenly grew to 4 mm, the same goes for the top and bottom parts of the frame - they also suddenly became much wider, although the screen itself is practically the same size. changed.
As for the appearance, here the developers clearly adhere to a single design line: metal and leather, leather and metal - they are now used in all the company’s mobile devices (including numerous wearable gadgets). It’s just a pity that at the exorbitant prices at which current flagships are sold, the company was greedy to provide real leather - maybe then these devices would look truly stylish. But no, as in previous times, ordinary molded plastic is used here to create the appearance that the back wall of the smartphone is made of leather. The texture on the plastic is different from that of the Galaxy Note 3: here they used a kind of pseudo-embossing, as if a pattern of numerous dots was pressed into the leather. It looks nice and fresh, at least better than the glossy plastic that has adorned the surfaces of all Galaxy S and Galaxy Notes for a long time.
As for metal, there is none here either: the shiny “chrome” rim around the entire perimeter of the case (exactly the same as on previous models, only with a different pattern) is a coating on plastic, not real metal. This bezel, by the way, has also become much wider and even thicker, adding bulk to the smartphone as a whole.
The surface of the rim is quite slippery - due to it, as well as due to its considerable mass, it is rather inconvenient to lift the device from the table surface, since the fingers do not feel a confident grip.
The back cover is easily removed from the case and just as easily put on - it is traditionally attached to several plastic latches, with a barely noticeable ledge for hooking with a fingernail. Under the cover are hidden slots for SIM cards and memory cards, located in a “sandwich” one above the other.
Below there is a compartment for a removable battery - it supports the cards, but the memory card can still be replaced “hot”. The device uses only one SIM card, Micro-SIM format; a microSD memory card can be used here with a capacity of up to 128 GB.
On the back of the smartphone there is a square window for the camera module, it is quite large in size, and there is an LED flash next to it. Below in the recess you can see the eyes of the sensor for measuring the pulse. The heart rate sensor chamber is recessed into the body, and it also has its own backlight - a small LED element illuminates the blood vessels of the finger applied to the camera, while it counts heartbeats. Even lower is a hole for sound output from the ringing speaker with a slightly curved rod, and the whole thing is decorated with a silver chrome-plated company logo.
The front panel has not undergone significant changes - this is a completely recognizable element of all Samsung mobile devices. It stands out, first of all, for its elongated mechanical key under the screen, which this time has received additional functionality. This button is also responsible for scanning a fingerprint - now no one can blame Koreans for not having a golden smartphone with a fingerprint scanner. Unlike the iPhone scanner, here you can’t just put your finger on it: you need to move it along the key, and even at the right speed - if you rush, you can fail. In this regard, the iPhone scanner looks preferable: not only do you not need to move your finger, but you can also place your finger on the button at any angle, which allows you to hold the device with any comfortable grip. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S5 scanner, you will have to hold the device with one hand and swipe the sensor with the other, which is very tedious, and most users will most likely simply disable this function.
The touch buttons next to the mechanical ones have a bright white backlight with an adjustable glow time, which is commendable. Above, above the screen, you can see a longitudinal slot in the protective glass for sound output from the earpiece; next to it you can see the eyes of the front camera and sensors. There is also an LED alert indicator that lights up in different colors depending on the charging status and incoming events - its functions can be configured: disabled or enabled individually.
There are two buttons on the side faces of the device: on the left - volume control, on the right - power and lock. The large metallic keys of all Samsung smartphones have a soft stroke and distinct pressing, they are perfectly located blindly, and in general, in this regard, the products of the Korean company are one of the best on the market.
At the top end, a headphone jack (3.5 mm) and an infrared transmitter eye, which serves to control various equipment as a remote control, are comfortably located next to each other. The corresponding proprietary software called Smart Remote moves from model to model - naturally, it is also available here. The functionality of the Smart Remote program is excellent: it is not only capable of connecting a smartphone using an infrared port with any equipment, but can also act as an interactive program guide.
At the bottom end, the USB 3.0 connector is covered with a metallized cover with a rubber gasket - it protects the smartphone from dust and moisture getting inside. Yes, yes, the new flagship of the Galaxy S line has finally acquired dust and moisture protection according to the IP67 standard. In principle, the previous model also had it, but there it was a separate branch of the line called Galaxy Active. The protection in the Galaxy S5 is arranged in the same way as there: a rubber gasket is glued to the inner surface of the back cover, and the connectors are closed with special plugs. It’s nice that every time you put on the back cover or remove the plug from the Micro-USB connector, the smartphone itself reminds you to close the protective covers (the reminder can be turned off).
And finally, about the best part: now the Galaxy S line has a new color - gold. In addition to this, there are three more colors on sale that have previously graced Samsung’s flagship devices (for example, the Galaxy S3). By tradition, they were given romantic names: Charcoal Black (black), Sparkling White (white), Electric Blue (light blue) and Copper Gold (golden). For additional jewelry, in particular a keychain or strap, no fastenings are provided.
Screen
The Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone is equipped with a Super AMOLED touch matrix. The screen dimensions are 63x113 mm, diagonal - 5.1 inches, resolution - 1920x1080 pixels. Such a parameter as the pixel density per inch is equal to 432 ppi here - the pixel density is very high.
The outside of the screen is covered with protective glass. The thickness of the side frames from the edge of the screen to the edge of the body is approximately 4 mm; the frames are not very narrow; they were smaller in the previous model.
The display brightness can be adjusted manually, or you can use automatic adjustment. Multi-touch technology here allows you to process up to 10 simultaneous touches. The screen can be operated with gloved hands, and it becomes more sensitive to any touch, so the settings prudently leave the option to disable this function. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear.
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A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the brightness of reflected objects, there is a very effective anti-glare filter that is superior in reducing reflection brightness to the screen filter of Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy S5, then they can be distinguished by size):
Due to the slight difference in the color tone of the reflection and frames, it is difficult to visually assess the amount of reduction in the brightness of the reflection, however, statistics from the graphics editor show that the S5’s screen is indeed slightly darker than that of the Nexus 7. The ghosting of reflected objects is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, maybe a little better than Google Nexus 7), therefore fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of ordinary glass.
When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 340 cd/m², the minimum was 2 cd/m². Despite the not the highest brightness value, you can use the smartphone even in bright daylight, as an effective anti-glare filter helps out. You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the brighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. For example, when outputting white on half the screen, the maximum brightness with manual adjustment increases to 360 cd/m². Low brightness mode allows you to use your smartphone even in complete darkness without any problems. Works automatic adjustment brightness by the light sensor (located to the right of the front speaker). You can make adjustments to the operation of this function by moving the setting slider away from −5 before +5 units. Below, for three conditions, we present the screen brightness values for three values of this setting - for −5 , 0 And +5 . In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness is reduced to 4, 9 and 16 cd/m², respectively (generally a bit dark), in an office illuminated by artificial light (approximately 400 lux) the brightness is set to 100, 180 and 270 cd/m² (acceptable ), in a brightly lit environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - increases to 420-425 cd/m² for all three correction values, which is above the maximum for manual adjustment and should be sufficient to ensure legibility in the sun. In principle, the result of this function is as expected. When brightness decreases, modulation appears at a frequency of 240 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for three brightness settings:
It can be seen that at maximum brightness there is practically no modulation (the amplitude is insufficient for flicker to be visually distinguishable), but at medium and low brightness the relative modulation amplitude is high, so image flickering can be seen in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, this flickering may cause increased fatigue.
This smartphone uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix based on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:
(For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.)
For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer calculates the screen resolution based on the green subpixels; based on the other two, it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is similar to that in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some unevenness of contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. For example, when displaying a black-and-white map every pixel (the original can be taken from here), the vertical lines look uneven, and the horizontal ones are low-contrast and separated not by white, but by a greenish gap. A fragment (the original photo is available at the link) of the macrophotography reveals the reason:
It can be seen that the vertical lines have a black gap and that the sum of the colors of the subpixels can be considered white, but due to the red subpixels on one side there is some unevenness of the lines. In the case of horizontal lines, there is neither a white gap (there are green subpixels) nor a black gap (there are red and blue subpixels). However, these artifacts are of purely academic interest, since in mobile use it is extremely difficult to visually distinguish such small details. As a result, the resolution margin cancels out the “features” of the PenTile RGBG matrix.
The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color acquires a slight tint when deviated to relatively large angles, but the black color is simply black at any angle (although the reflection from bright objects has a bluish halo that is more elongated horizontally, which is why there are black areas in the light may lighten slightly and acquire a “metallic” tint). So black that the contrast parameter is simply not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. For comparison, here are photographs in which Samsung screens The Galaxy S5 and the second competitor displayed the same images, with the screen brightness set to approximately 210 cd/m². There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:
One can note the excellent uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture (in mode Standard):
Color rendition is clearly not bad, but despite all the conventions of forced color balance in the camera, set to 6500 K, it is clear that the colors of the S5 are clearly “cooler” and have too high saturation. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen. White field:
The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed was doubled compared to the previous two photographs), but in the case of Samsung the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. And a test picture:
It can be seen that the colors did not “float” on all screens and the brightness of the Samsung S5 at an angle is noticeably higher.
Switching the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the turn-on (and, less often, turn-off) front, there may be a step (or two) 16.7 ms wide (corresponding to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is what the dependence of brightness on time looks like when moving from black to a shade of 25% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back:
In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects, but in normal use these artifacts are almost impossible to see. Quite the contrary - dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high clarity and even some “jerky” movements.
The ability to customize color rendering is implemented on the page with a selection of profiles, one of which involves some kind of automatic adjustment (profile Adapt Display):
In case one of the three fixed profiles is selected, except the profile Dynamic, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals according to the numerical value of the shade of gray, the gamma curve did not reveal any blockage in either highlights or shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is 2.28-2.30, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2 , while the real gamma curve practically does not deviate from the power-law dependence:
For profile Dynamic The gamma curve has a slight S-shape, which increases the apparent contrast of the image. Let us recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images and increases for dark ones. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely slightly does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen. This image dynamism increases when you select the option Auto tuning screen brightness. Below are the dependences of brightness on time obtained when switching from a black field to a white field and back with the option turned off and on Auto tuning screen brightness:
In the second case, the brightness begins to decrease after some time. The picture is slightly darkened, but energy is saved a little.
Color gamut for profiles Dynamic, Standard And Professional photography very wide and almost covers the Adobe RGB gamut:
When selecting a profile Cinema The coverage is tightened to the sRGB boundaries, but still remains a little wider:
Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:
In case of profile Cinema with maximum correction, the color components are already slightly mixed together:
Note that on wide screens color gamut Colors in regular images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. This can be seen in the photographs above. However, a visual assessment showed that when choosing a profile Cinema saturation is noticeably reduced, and colors become close to natural. The screenshot taken after selecting this profile is shown below:
Unfortunately, the most recognizable shades - skin, for example - still remain slightly oversaturated.
The balance of shades on the gray scale is not ideal, but, in general, acceptable. Color temperature in profiles Dynamic And Standard significantly higher than 6500 K, in the remaining two - close to 6500 K, while in the area of the gray scale from white to dark dark gray this parameter does not change very much. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) over most of the gray scale remains below 10 units, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, and also does not change much:
(The darkest areas of the gray scale can in most cases be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
To summarize: the screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and a very effective anti-glare filter, so the smartphone can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is acceptable, and in bright light it is even recommended to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works more or less adequately. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating and a color balance close to standard (if you select the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let us remind you about the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color, excellent uniformity of the white field, less drop in image brightness than LCDs when viewed at an angle. Disadvantages include screen brightness modulation, which appears at medium and low brightness values. For users who are particularly sensitive to flicker, this may cause increased fatigue. However, overall the screen quality is very high.
Sound
In terms of sound, the smartphone is approximately the same as the Galaxy S4. The sound is moderately bassy, not deprived of low frequencies, clear throughout the entire range, but not so loud - there were louder devices (HTC One or Oppo Find 5, for example). The sound output grille here is cut into the back wall, so the sound is muffled when the device is lying on the table. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, making telephone conversations on the Samsung Galaxy S5 quite comfortable.
To play music, the device offers a choice of three pre-installed players: Google Play Music, Yandex.Music and Samsung’s own player. All sound effects when playing melodies with a proprietary player, they are combined with a technology called SoundAlive - however, some of them are only available with connected headphones. The same applies to the sound optimization function. There are a lot of different virtual effects, they are combined into a matrix of squares, you can experiment for a very long time.
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Camera
Samsung Galaxy S5 is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 16 and 2 megapixels. The front camera takes pictures with a maximum resolution of 1920×1080, and also shoots video with the same resolution.
The main rear camera is equipped with a new 16-megapixel module with ultra-fast autofocus (focusing in 0.3 s), stabilization, single-section LED flash and the ability to shoot video in UHD resolution (4K). In addition to one fancy feature - 4K video recording - it also uses another: like the latest Sony Xperia Z2, there is a selective focus feature that allows you to highlight a certain part of the image, leaving the background blurred. That is, now you no longer need to use special lenses to create a shallow depth of field (DOF) effect.
When shooting in automatic mode, which is set by default, photos are 5312x2988 in size. I really liked the design and organization of the new camera control interface. Here, as in the case of the audio settings menu, everything is divided into equal cells, each of which is always visible, interactive, their drawing is clear, the entire menu is clearly visible even in the brightest sunlight. In general, the camera control settings menu turned out to be perhaps the best on the market in terms of ease of access to all functions and overall clarity.
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The camera can shoot video in UHD resolution (4K), with a choice of several resolutions up to a maximum of 3840x2160. The settings are traditional for the latest top models mobile market There are also slow and fast shooting modes. Examples of test videos are presented below.
- Video No. 1 (189 MB, 3840×2160, 4K)
- Video No. 2 (58 MB, 1920×1080, 1080p)
- Video #3 (123 MB, 3840×2160, 4K indoors)
- Video No. 4 (71 MB, 1280×720, slow motion)
- Video No. 5 (4 MB, 1920×1080, accelerated)
Examples of photographs with our comments are presented below.
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The sharpness of the photo is good. |
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The sharpness across the frame is also quite good. |
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Small parts worked out quite well. |
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The camera doesn't cope so well with backlight, but the exposure is well chosen. |
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On thin lines you can notice small waves from the noise reduction - but only upon closer inspection. |
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In low light conditions, noise can be seen, although it is relatively small. |
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The camera handles shadow noise well. True, the detail suffers a little from this. |
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The camera does macro well in low light, but it's worth using a focus lens due to the relatively long shutter speeds. |
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In good lighting, the camera does macro photography well. |
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Another example of a good macro. |
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The text is well done, but a little damaged. However, it is possible that the camera works more accurately with smaller text. |
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Panorama stitching is almost perfect. Only dynamic objects suffer, which is quite natural. |
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Lighting ≈1300 lux. The camera does a very good job. |
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Lighting ≈460 lux. The situation remains virtually unchanged. |
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Lighting ≈240 lux. Noise becomes noticeable, especially its processing. |
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Lighting ≈240 lux, flash. The flash noticeably improves the situation, almost returning the original resolution. |
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Lighting<1 люкс. В темноте камера не справляется. |
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Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка. И в темноте вспышка отрабатывает очень хорошо. |
First of all, it is worth noting that now the camera has a 1/2.6″ format sensor, and not just a higher resolution, while previously smartphone cameras were only awarded with 1/3″ format matrices (not counting Nokia), or even less, Until Sony decided to install a 1/2.3″ format sensor in the Xperia Z1. So Samsung, following Sony, began a slow but steady movement towards improving the quality of images. And, I must say, the result is already noticeable to an inquisitive eye.
Firstly, you can already see good work with noise. Their processing still leaves much to be desired, but if you do not look at the images pixel by pixel, then noticeable strong color noise in the shadows is practically not visible. Of course, this is the result of the noise reduction, but the higher resolution allows it to work more subtly, and the increased sensor size slightly reduces the likelihood of strong noise. Of course, we won’t go into discussions about pixel size (like HTC) and the supposed qualities of the camera that follow from this, but enlarging the sensor definitely brings its benefits. Secondly, image detail has improved, which is also due to the higher resolution and larger sensor.
I would like Samsung to further improve the noise reduction, then the camera can be compared with ordinary compacts. Although even without this, she shows herself very worthy, and it is clear that they worked hard on her. The camera optics operate quite smoothly across the entire field of the frame and in all plans. Of course, it would be strange to see a flagship with shortcomings in such places, but we have already encountered this. Sharping can only be found if you know where to look. The only thing that really cannot be called ideal is the work of the noise reduction - such a processing result looks very archaic in photographs of a modern flagship.
Based on the results of shooting the stand, we can conclude that the actual resolution of the images may not be the highest, but we have already stated that in this case this is far from the main characteristic, especially in the vicinity of such values, since the resolution can be high, but not quite natural. However, the camera resolution is quite decent. It is also worth noting the good performance of the flash and the sensor, which works quite consistently in different lighting conditions.
In general, the camera is made very well, almost at the level of compact cameras. Of course, there is something to work on, and in general there is room to strive. But even in its current form, it is well suited for shooting documentary and feature stories.
Telephone and communications
The developers place special emphasis on the communication capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S5: the smartphone operates in the fifth generation of Wi-Fi 802.11ac networks with support for 2x2 MIMO mode - in this mode, data can be received and transmitted in two streams, that is, up to two times faster than in the first generations of 802.11ac compatible devices. In addition, the device provides support for a large number of 4G (LTE) frequencies and speeds corresponding to the LTE Category 4 standard - up to 150 Mbit/s. With a SIM card from the domestic operator Megafon, the smartphone in practice confidently finds and works with the LTE network.
In addition, the smartphone supports the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band and the NFC standard. As a standard, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels; there is a Wi-Fi Direct mode. The navigation module works with both the GPS system (with A-GPS) and the domestic Glonass. The speed and quality of operation of the GPS module is not satisfactory: the system works quickly and flawlessly, the navigation module finds the first satellites almost instantly, and even indoors.
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No spontaneous reboots/shutdowns were observed during testing. The screen of the smartphone is large, so drawing letters and numbers on virtual keyboards is quite comfortable to control. It’s very convenient that there is a dedicated top row with numbers - you don’t have to switch the layout every time. But the layout itself and the location of the keys are not the same as others: instead of just pressing the dedicated button with the image of a globe, here you have to switch language layouts by scrolling sideways on the spacebar, which is certainly less convenient. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. There is support for continuous writing by sliding, but there is no option to move the keyboard closer to one of the edges, as on the Galaxy Note series tablets.
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OS and software
The system uses the latest version of Google Android software platform 4.4.2 (Kitkat) and the proprietary graphical user interface TouchWiz, the appearance of which has undergone changes. He became, according to the new fashion, more “flat”, which clearly benefited him, although the traditional Asian clumsiness remained. The appearance of the settings menu has changed: now all icons look like exactly the same circles and they are arranged in the form of a single long list. But, of course, the display of the menu can be changed, leading to the old view with vertical tabs. In this case, there will no longer be four of them, as before, but as many as six. In general, I liked the new look of the interface and the settings menu more than the old one: everything is neat, orderly, symmetrical, working with various subsections of the menu has become more intuitive. The menu of installed applications has not undergone significant changes, but now you can display a special button on the home screen, which, when clicked, opens a context menu with quick access to the most popular applications. The notifications menu received two additional dedicated oval buttons for quick access to searching throughout the smartphone and enabling the function of quickly connecting to familiar devices.
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To the various ways to lock a smartphone, another one has now been added: you can lock the screen using a fingerprint, the scanner of which is built into the central key under the screen. To successfully memorize the texture of your fingertip, you need to swipe the sensor at least eight times, after which you will also have to come up with a standard digital code in case your finger remains unrecognized after five attempts. It’s a shame when the developer also imposes restrictions on the personal password you create: an attempt to limit yourself to a digital password failed - you need to alternate numbers with letters.
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By the way, the issue of security has been strengthened in the Samsung Galaxy S5 by another innovation: now, due to the appearance of the “Children” mode, you can open access only to certain permitted programs, after which you can safely entrust the device to a child for 30 thousand rubles to play with.
Speaking of games, it is worth noting that we tested games such as Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt 8 on the smartphone - we did not find any problems with playing them.
Another specific operating mode has been added to the smartphone, which the developers themselves talked a lot about at presentations. In fact, this is a regular energy-saving mode that any built-in program for saving energy in mobile devices has, it’s just that Samsung brings its smartphone to the point of complete “exhaustion” in this mode. When the maximum power saving mode is activated, not only all network interfaces are disabled, but also the graphical interface of the shell becomes black and white, and the number of applications allowed to run is strictly limited. Naturally, in this mode, the smartphone can “work” much longer (who would doubt it), but this work will be carried out within a very limited framework.
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One of the central applications pre-installed in modern top-end Samsung smartphones, which developers constantly remind you of, is a program for monitoring your own health called S Health. The program has a wide range of health-promoting functions: pedometer, exercise recording, nutrition monitoring, etc. Now the application has not only received the new version S Health 3.0, but has also acquired additional functionality in the form of a dedicated hardware heart rate counter. In principle, some programs have previously tried to count heartbeats using an ordinary smartphone camera, but now a whole block with a small camera and backlight has been allocated for this. You need to put your finger on the recess in the back of the smartphone, and then the program will count your pulse. Naturally, this data is stored, processed and displayed in the form of graphs and tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
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Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S5 hardware platform is based on a single-chip quad-core system (SoC) Qualcomm Snapdragon 801. The new platform has the functionality of the Snapdragon 800 with a slightly higher frequency of processor cores: the Snapdragon 801 can operate at frequencies up to 2.45 GHz, while the core frequency of the previous The chip version was limited to 2.36 GHz.
The processor here is supported in graphics processing by the same Adreno 330 video accelerator, but here too there is an increase in frequencies: the GPU is already overclocked to 578 MHz instead of 450 MHz. About 12 GB of RAM (out of 16) are initially available for the user's needs in the device; the amount of RAM here is 2 GB - in this regard, surprisingly, no expansion occurred, while Sony equipped its newest flagship with three gigabytes random access memory. MicroSD memory cards are supported in this model; you can also connect external flash drives, keyboards and mice using a special adapter in OTG mode.
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Since the most powerful and most productive of the competing serial platforms is now SoC MediaTek MT6592, the configuration of which includes eight full-fledged processor cores [simultaneously] operating at frequencies up to 2 GHz, it is logical to include its results in the comparison first of all. Let us remind you that we recently released a review of the powerful TCL Idol X+ smartphone, which is built on the maximum version of this platform. Also, naturally, it is worth adding to the comparison the results demonstrated in the same tests by the previous version of the Qualcomm platform - Snapdragon 800, on which all the top smartphones of last year run. However, the most important battle today will still not take place, because the main competitor of the hero of today’s review, the flagship smartphone Sony Xperia Z2, also built on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, has not yet reached our test laboratory. In the near future, we will definitely compare it with the Samsung Galaxy S5 data obtained today.
To get an idea of the performance of the platform of the smartphone under test, we will conduct a standard set of tests.
For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.
Testing in MobileXPRT, as well as in the latest versions of AnTuTu 4.x and GeekBench 3:
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The results of testing are as follows. As for the competing MediaTek MT6592, the latest Qualcomm system (Snapdragon 801) coped with it in all respects. In general, this is not at all surprising, considering that the previous version of Snapdragon 800 coped with it. As for the comparison with the Snapdragon 800, according to the results of all tests, there was practically no real increase: the same maximum 35K points in AnTuTu, and in other benchmarks the difference is negligible - within the margin of error.
By the way, as for these very resulting figures: since the smartphone being tested today is a landmark device, and the rest will be compared to it throughout the year, it is probably worth recalling the fresh balance of power. If you rely on the numbers of the popular AnTuTu benchmark, it looks something like this: eight MediaTek MT6592 cores with a frequency of 2 GHz demonstrate 31K points in this test (26 thousand points for the eight-core Zopo 998 and THL T100S with a lower frequency of processor cores - 1.7 GHz), and about 35 thousand - for top smartphones such as LG G2, Sony Xperia Z1, Acer Liquid S2 and now Samsung Galaxy S5, built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800/801 hardware platform. Two main conclusions emerge as a result of all these comparisons: TCL Idol X+ is the first smartphone on the MediaTek platform, which managed to come close to the leading solutions from Qualcomm, albeit at the expense of twice as many processor cores. And second: the new version of the top Qualcomm platform brought virtually no increase in performance, although this microscopic superiority allowed it to gain an even stronger foothold on the podium as the undisputed leader among platforms for mobile devices. According to the above, the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 platform is currently one of the most powerful smartphones on the planet.
When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).
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Results of testing the graphics subsystem in the Epic Citadel gaming test, as well as Basemark X and Bonsai Benchmark:
The lag in the operation of the Mali-450MP4 video subsystem is still noticeable: this video accelerator produces approximately 47 fps in those test modes in which the Adreno 330 produces 60 fps.
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Browser cross-platform tests:
As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can be truly correct only in the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.
Playing video
To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it.
With video playback, things are not as smooth as we would like for the Samsung Galaxy S5. Amazingly, this is one of the rare smartphones in which the popular MX player flatly refuses to run with the Hardware+ decoder, and most often only this option saves the situation when the standard player cannot play the audio track of a file. That is, in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S5, in order to normally play three of our five test files (MKV), you will have to use a software decoder (at least for audio decoding - video can be decoded in hardware) - neither Hardware nor Hardware+ , nor, of course, the decoder of a standard video player are capable of playing these types of files with sound that are common on the network. And this is an obvious drawback, because we have a solution with an excellent large and high-quality screen in all respects and maximum performance, which could become an excellent multimedia assistant. By the way, similar problems occur with the Galaxy Note 3 - we hope that with the release of updates for MX Player the situation will somehow change. By the way, the top smartphones from LG and Sony always have complete order in this table, because even with their own hardware they are able to play all the presented files, not to mention supporting all modes of the MX player.
| Format | Container, video, sound | MX Video Player | Standard video player |
| DVDRip | AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL SD | AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL HD | MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3 | ||
| BDRip 720p | MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3 | plays normally, sound only with software decoder (Hardware+ is not supported) | The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹ |
| BDRip 1080p | MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3 | plays normally, sound only with software decoder (Hardware+ is not supported) | The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹ |
¹ sound in MX Video Player was played only after switching to software decoding (mode Hardware+ is not supported); The standard player does not have this setting
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Additionally, the MHL interface was tested. To test it, we used an LG IPS237L monitor that supports direct MHL connection using a passive adapter cable from Micro-USB to HDMI. Let us recall that Samsung has implemented its own version of this interface at the physical level. As a result, to connect an external device via MHL, you need to use special adapters or connect standard MHL adapters through simple passive adapters. In this case, we carried out the test using a proprietary Samsung adapter, and output via MHL was carried out at a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels at a frequency of 60 frames/s.
When the smartphone is in portrait orientation, the image is displayed on the monitor screen in portrait orientation, while the image on the monitor is inscribed within the height of the screen, and wide black fields are displayed on the right and left. In this case, the actual resolution on the monitor screen is, of course, lower than the resolution on the smartphone screen. When the smartphone is in landscape orientation, the image is displayed on the monitor screen in landscape orientation, while the image on the monitor fits within the boundaries of the screen and exactly matches the image on the smartphone screen. The exception is the start screen, which is displayed only in portrait orientation:
Sound is output via MHL (in this case, the sounds were heard through headphones connected to the monitor, since there are no speakers in the monitor itself) and is of good quality. At the same time, at least multimedia sounds are not output through the loudspeaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume is controlled by buttons on the smartphone body. In principle, in the smartphone settings you can select the sound output mode - stereo or surround. However, in our case, the monitor only received stereo sound, so there was no choice. The smartphone connected via MHL is charging.
To test the output of video files on the screen of the device itself, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In our tests, we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware” mode, since there were a lot of artifacts in the “Hardware+” mode. The results of this test (block entitled “Smartphone screen”) are summarized in the table:
Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.
According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is high, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals, and there are no skipped frames. The smartphone can even display files with a resolution of 4K up to 30p inclusive. However, uniform alternation of frames is a relatively unstable state, since some external and internal background processes lead to periodic failure of the correct alternation of intervals between frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in the original resolution (adjusted for some PenTile features). The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed. However, dark scenes may not look very good, as the darkest shades vary too much in brightness and color tone, which can lead to compression artifacts being too noticeable.
With a monitor connected via MHL, when playing a video with a standard player, the image of the video file is displayed only in landscape orientation, while only the image of the video file is displayed on the monitor, and only information elements and virtual controls are displayed on the smartphone screen.
The results of the monitor output tests are shown in the table above in the “MHL (monitor output)” block. The output quality is very good. When playing video files with Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels) on the monitor screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, maintaining true proportions, and the resolution corresponds to Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the monitor is equal to the standard range of 16-235, that is, all shade gradations are displayed in shadows and highlights.
The conclusion is typical: an MHL connection can be used for games, watching movies, displaying web pages and other activities that benefit from multiplying the screen size. True, you will have to purchase an adapter specifically for Samsung or find an appropriate adapter.
Battery life
The lithium-ion battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S5 has a capacity of 2800 mAh, which is good by modern standards, but not a record one. Accordingly, in terms of battery life, the device showed very good results, which we traditionally summarized in a comparative table.
| Battery capacity | Reading mode | Video mode | 3D Game Mode | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 | 2800 mAh | 17:20 | 12:30 pm | 4 hours 30 minutes |
| TCL Idol X+ | 2500 mAh | 12:30 pm | 7:20 am | 3:00 am |
| Lenovo Vibe Z | 3050 mAh | 11:45 am | 8:00 am | 3 hours 30 minutes |
| Acer Liquid S2 | 3300 mAh | 16:40 | 7:40 a.m. | 6:00 am |
| LG G Flex | 3500 mAh | 23:15 | 13:30 | 6 hours 40 minutes |
| LG G2 | 3000 mAh | 20:00 | 12:30 pm | 4 hours 45 minutes |
| Sony Xperia Z1 | 3000 mAh | 11:45 am | 8:00 am | 4 hours 30 minutes |
| Samsung Note 3 N9005 | 3200 mAh | 22:30 | 14:00 | 4 hours 45 minutes |
Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted until the battery was completely discharged for more than 17 hours, and when continuously watching videos from YouTube in high quality (HQ) with The device lasted 12.5 hours at the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network; in 3D games mode, the smartphone lasted 4.5 hours, decent for such a screen, and really pleased with such stability: its predecessor Galaxy S4 at first overheated greatly and with these tests were performed poorly, and only with a firmware update the situation returned to normal. With the new flagship, no problems in this regard have been found before the start of sales, and by the way, the device heats up significantly less than its predecessor.
Bottom line
Summarizing the Samsung Galaxy S5 review is both easy and difficult. It’s easy, because, perhaps, no one needs to explain why the flagship smartphones of the Korean company are deservedly among the best on the market. And it’s not just the combination of top-end technical characteristics and maximum performance that makes them stand out, there’s also something else. It seems to us that the company is one of the few who are not ashamed to spy on the desires of users. For most manufacturers, this always remains only unfulfilled pretentious promises and slogans, but in practice, no matter how much users cry about something, they will never get it. But the Koreans have a completely different point of view on this matter; they readily satisfy any desires of customers. Want a removable battery? - Get it. Need a memory card slot? - For God's sake, we don't feel sorry! Suddenly fell in love with the golden color? - So, we now have a golden smartphone. And with such simple actions, coupled with high-quality products and huge production volumes, the Korean company managed to climb to the very top of the mountain, pushing many along the way, and simply throwing some off the cliff. Those who know how to adapt survive, and this is what Koreans do best.
As for the hero of today's review, we can say with confidence that he has become a worthy successor to the flagship line. An excellent screen, powerful hardware, complete technical equipment, good battery life and maximum functionality, several added features like a heart rate monitor and a fingerprint scanner - all this is worthy of praise. Although, it is worth admitting that the fifth Galaxy S did not have so many noticeable innovations that it could rightfully be called a completely new model, in terms of design and appearance (in this regard, by the way, there was even a kind of decline: the smartphone has become heavier, larger, rougher - everyone admits this). It’s even surprising that the Koreans didn’t call this model Galaxy S4s - such a “letter modifier”, which has already become generally accepted, denoting an improved version of the model, would be more appropriate here. But all this is just a little confusing.
But what’s really depressing is how much Samsung jacks up the prices for its top-end smartphones. It seems that the Koreans no longer remember that prices can sometimes be varied somehow - they reached the 30,000 mark with the previous flagship and now put the same price tag on all subsequent models as a matter of course. The tricky thought in the minds of entrepreneurs is obviously this: “They will complain the first time, but the next time they will be happy that they did not raise the price even higher.” This, by the way, is what happened: now users are happy that the price of the new flagship at the start of sales was not raised higher than the previous one. This is very alarming, and of course, against this background, it is difficult to recommend such a device for purchase: it is certainly very worthy, but for many, Samsung products may already be unaffordable. Did we think five years ago that we would talk like this in the future about the products of this Korean company?
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