Samsung Galaxy S5 Smartphone Review

Every year we are greeted with a new flagship Galaxy device from Samsung and this year we have seen the incoming of Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S5 has the same monotonous design that has become the fulcrum of Galaxy smartphones but for a flagship device there needs to be more that meets the eye.

Same old design; same old - Galaxy S5 borders on the same design ethics of sleek frame, curves on the side and metallic framing on the sides. However, the S5 feels a lot more slimmer than S4 even with its bigger size and that seems to be the only saving grace as far as looks are concerned. The front is somewhat backed up by matte perforated plastic finish.

Bright, crisp but high saturated colors - The S5 sports a 5.1 inch crisp, bright display but with its fair share of high color levels. The company has opted for Corning Glass 3 display on its smartphone and with that you have assurances of no scratches even with rigorous usage. The bezel space is well balanced with the display and makes for a good viewing experience. The refreshed TouchWiz UI is simple, less cluttered and good to look but still heavily loaded to take up lot of storage space.

Same old Exynos mania hits India - One thing that remains unclear is Samsung’s fascination with Exynos chipsets and that too for India. That said, the octa-core packed on the S5 is truer than the one on S4. The eight cores function together and with 2 GB RAM that translates into top-end performance (highlighted in fig).

Playing games like Subway Surfer and more demanding titles as Asphalt 8 was a lag-free experience, with minor heating observed. You also have a USB 3.0 port that means faster data transfer and charging time. The in-built speaker placed at the back is average and the positioning feels rather odd if someone wants to use the speakerphone option.

Some more features - The other addition on the S5 is Fingerprint scanner which accepts 3 user profiles but the overall experience is rather clumsy. Unlike AppleiPhone 5S where you have to press on the Touch ID, with S5 you have to slide your finger down. There is a heart rate sensor at the back which offers real-time health reading via S Health app and the results are quite accurate. You can check your heart beat by placing a finger on the sensor and that works well too.

Spot on camera; functional power options - The phone comes with a 16 MP rear camera. Images taken during daylight offer crisp detail and during low-light we did observe noise but definitely better than others. The battery life has improved drastically; S5 will easily run its course for more than day.

Bottomline: S5 offers top performance but the overall build betrays its value.

Price: RS 51,500Key Specs:

Key Specs: 5.1 inch Super AMOLED 1920x1080 pixels display, Android 4.4 KitKat OS, Exynos octa-core CPU, 2 GB RAM, 16 MP rear and 2 MP front cameras, 2800 mAh battery

Pros: Bright display, Water and dust resistant, Cameras, Power saver modes, Top performer

Cons: Still plastic retains value, Looks and same design

S. Aadeetya