Samsung Galaxy S5, White 16GB (AT&T)..
Special Price Samsung Galaxy S5, White 16GB (AT&T) By SamsungMost helpful customer reviews
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
An Evolutionary Step Forward That Still Offers Plenty To Love
By J. Gebauer
The Samsung Galaxy S5 offers more of an evolutionary step forward in Samsung's S series smartphones than a revolutionary new phone. There are plenty of new features and advances with the S5 but those who already own a S4 likely will not be rushing to get the S5. I'm coming from an iPhone 4S so the S5 offers a lot of new features for me and provides plenty to love.
FEATURES & UPGRADES FROM S4:
1. SIZE: The S5 is slightly larger at 5.59" x 2.85" x 0.32" and weighing in at 5.11 oz compared to the S4 at 5.38" x 2.75" x 0.31" and weighing at 4.59 oz. The S5 is lightweight and feels good in my hand.
2. DURABILITY: If there is one new feature on the S5 that is a game changer it's got to be the IP67 certification. IP67 certified means the S5 has total protection against dust and can survive being underwater for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1m or less. In order to be protected against water the S5 has a little plastic plug to cover the charging jack on the bottom of the phone. This needs to be in place and the back must be properly snapped into place to prevent water damage. I'm not about to test the IP67 certification however the guys at TechSmartt performed 2 water tests on the S5 that can be viewed on YouTube. First they let the S5 sit in pool at a depth of 1m for 1 hour, not 30 minutes. Second they sent the S5 through a normal wash cycle in a washing machine while in the pocket of a pair of jeans. In both tests, the S5 survived and functioned perfectly afterward.
The durability of the S4 came under fire after many people reported cracked screens after minor drops. Samsung stuck with a plastic back for the S5 but did improve upon the durability of the smartphone. In separate drop tests again conducted by TechSmartt, the S5 faired better than the S4 and better than the iPhone 5s. However the S5 didn't fair as well as the durably built HTC One M8. The tests are a decent indication but should also be taken at face value since there is no way to ensure each phone fell the same way.
3. SCREEN: The S5's new screen is nothing short of stunning. The S5 screen is 5.1" which is slightly larger than the 5.0" screen on the S4. The resolution remains 1080 x 1920 pixels so the pixel density is slightly less at 432 ppi. The screen does look noticeably better than the S4's screen and has richer colors, better contrast, whiter whites, and blacker blacks than my iPad 3 when viewing identical images.
Displaymate who extensively tests smartphone screens said the S5's screen is "the best performing smartphone display that we have ever tested." Displaymate's tests indicted the S5 screen is 22% brighter than the S4 and 13% brighter than the Note 3. The S5 also has outstanding color accuracy. In addition it features a Professional Photo Mode that provides an accurate calibration to the Adobe RGB standard, this is a rare feature in consumer displays.
4. CAMERA: The S5 sports a 16MP camera rear camera up from 13MP in the S4. The front facing camera remains pretty much the same at 2.1MP. The S5's 1/2.6" sensor is larger being closer in size to sensors from P&S cameras than smartphones. The AF is also speedier with the S5 due to its hybrid use of phase detection and contrast detection AF. The S5 is the first camera on a smartphone to use phase detection AF, which is commonly found in DSLR cameras. Other smartphones only use contrast detection AF that simply focuses by measuring the contrast between nearby pixels. This type of AF tends to be slower and not work well if shooting in situations where there isn't much contrast. Phase detection AF however focuses by comparing the actual light received by sensors.
COMPARING S5 & 5s IMAGES: Comparing daytime images shot with the S5 against images of the same subject shot with the iPhone 5s, the Samsung's images disappoint in spite of being 16MP vs 8MP with the 5s. At 16MP the S5's resolution is 2988x5312. The images are therefore at a 16:9 ratio. The iPhone 5s's resolution is 2448x3264. The images are therefore at a 4:3. When viewing images shot with the iPhone at 100%, they look sharp across the frame, even in the corners. Images shot with the S5 when viewed at 100% look oversharpened and blotchy. The center sharpness is passible but the edges are soft and the corners have absolutely no detail. If downsizing the images from the Samsung S5 so the lower number, 2448, is the same as the iPhone's the center sharpness between the 2 camera's images is almost indistinguishable but the edge sharpness and corner sharpness from the iPhone 5s blows away that from the Samsung S5.
COMPARING S5 & 5s CAPTURE TIME: Both the S5 and the 5s are speedy when it comes to focusing and taking pictures. Holding the S5 in one hand and 5s in another, pressing the shutter buttons at the same time, then turning to take a picture of a new subject, pressing the shutter buttons again, and repeating this process several times, the iPhone 5s is a split second faster than the S5. It's not substantial enough to make big difference for most applications but worth knowing. The images from both cameras when doing so were in focus.
5. VIDEO: The S5 will shoot 4K videos with a resolution of 3840x2160 compared to 1080P videos with the S4. Videos look great with S5 and the stabilization works very well. Sometimes when recording the screen will look at little jiggly but in playback the video looks smooth. I have no way to test its 4K capabilities.
6. PROCESSOR: The S5 is a very snappy smartphone. This is due to the new Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 chip. It features a quad core, 2500mHz processor which speedier than the quad core, 1900mHz processor in the S4. The S5's memory remains the same at 2GB.
7. STORAGE & EXPANSION: The 16GB S5 from AT&T has 10.85GB of free storage space on the phone after KitKat and the preinstalled apps. I read complaints from some S4 owners stating that only 9GB was free on their new phone after the OS and preinstalled apps. If that was the case, Samsung/Google/AT&T trimmed down a bit for this phone.
I love that the S5 along with other Android smartphones allow storage expansion through a microSD card slot. This can be used for music, videos, books, pictures, and other files. It is also possible to move downloaded apps, not preinstalled apps, to the microSD card. To do so, go to Settings, Application Manager, SD card, and then select the downloaded app you want to move to the microSD card. The S5 will allow up to a 128GB micro SD card that is double the 64GB with the S4.
8. BATTERY & CHARGING: The S5 features a 2800mAh battery which is slightly larger than the 2600mAh battery in the S4. The S5 has good battery life ratings. The talk time of the S5 is rated at 21 hours while the standby time is 16.2 days. Being a new phone, I've been using it quite a bit. Even at that, I find that I only have to charge the S5 every 1 1/2 days. The S5's battery life is significantly better than my iPhone 4s which I had to charge at least once a day and better than my wife's 5s which has to be charged every day. Charging the S5 using the USB 3.0 Micro cable provided, the phone charges at a rate of 1% per minute with it slowing down slightly when the phone hits 80%. I'm able to fully charge the S5 when the battery is at 20% in about 1 1/2 hours.
9. CONNECTIVITY: The S5 features USB 3.0 connectivity for speedier transferring of files compared to USB 2.0 with the S4. It also features wireless AC. Wireless is extremely fast with the S5 if you have an AC router. It is about 4-5x faster than the wireless N on my iPhone 4s.
10. HEART RATE SENSOR: One of the more talked about additions to the S5 is the heart rate sensor on the back of the phone. The heart rate sensor seems to be accurate from what I know about my normal heart rate. I haven't had any wild readings thus far. The phone has simple How To tutorial if using for the first time. The mistake I made the first few times using it was pressing too hard on the sensor. The result was an error message. The sensor only requires a little touch from your finger.
My complaint with Samsung's "S Health" app which the heart rate sensor is part of is that you are unable to use the heart rate sensor while using the exercise portion of the app. Sadly, that is when I'm most likely to use the heart rate sensor; when I'm running, walking, or hiking. Hopefully Samsung will change this in a future update. If the heart rate sensor is a feature you will use make sure you purchase a case with a large enough opening for your finger to touch the sensor. Some of the cases I've read about have a cut out only the size of the sensor. This makes it extremely difficult to get your finger in the opening in order to touch the sensor.
11. DOWNLOAD BOOSTER: One new feature of the S5 that is omitted from the AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint versions is Download Booster. Download Booster provides simultaneous LTE and Wi-Fi downloading if you need files in a hurry. I have a wireless AC router which provides super fast download speeds with the S5 but it would have been nice to have the feature just in case. If you do want Download Booster you need to purchase an unlocked version of the S5.
12. FINGERPRINT SCANNER: Another very talked about new addition to the S5 is its finger scanner to unlock your phone, make payment via PayPal, and purchase content with Samsung services. The S5 requires you to swipe your finger, starting above the home button and moving down through the center of the home button. With the iPhone 5s you simply place your finger on the Touch ID button. The fingerprint scanner works from any angle with the 5s. The design makes the 5s easier to unlock than the Samsung because it can be done with one hand whereas the design on the Samsung requires me to use both hands, one for holding the phone and the other to swipe my finger. With the Samsung you can assign different fingers to perform different tasks, like right pointer finger to make PayPal payment.
My wife has the iPhone 5S so I've setup both and unlocked the phones with both. Both are easy to setup. The Samsung allows you to register 3 fingerprints whereas the iPhone 5S allows 5. Here is where I buck the trend of all the tech writers complaining about the reliability of the S5's fingerprint scanner. While I prefer the design of the iPhone's fingerprinter scanner, the S5 more reliably scans my fingerprint to unlock the phone. The only time I've had a problem unlocking my S5 with the fingerprint scanner is while I'm running; I just can't get a smooth enough swiping motion. Outside of running, the fingerprint scanner on the S5 unlocks my phone on the first try 90-95% of the time. I haven't needed more than 2 tries. The iPhone in comparison only unlocks the phone on the first try about 75-80% of the time and sometimes I need 3 tries to do so.
13. ULTRA POWER SAVE MODE: This is a great feature to have if your battery is getting low. Switch on the Ultra Power Save Mode to maximizes your remaining battery life. This feature switches to a black and white mode, turning off all colors. It also restricts background data and allows only low power communications like texting, calling, and AT&T's internet browser.
I've started to use the Ultra Power Save Mode overnight to conserve battery life, no sense in letting the battery drain as the phone just sits there for hours. I still receive texts and calls. After I disable the mode in the morning I have to update my email and weather. Switching to Ultra Power Save Mode, the battery only depletes by 1% overnight! Not in the Ultra Power Save Mode the battery loses 5-15% overnight.
INSTALLED APPS:
AT&T Family Map, AT&T Locker, AT&T Mobile Locate, AT&T Navigator, Beats Music, Calculator, Calendar, Camera, ChatON, Chrome, Clock, Contacts, Device Help, Drive, DriverMode, Email, Flipboard, Gallery, Gmail, Google, Google Settings, Google+, Hangouts, Internet, Keeper, Maps, Memo, Messages, Messaging, Mobile Hotspot, Mobile TV, Music, My Files, myAT&T, Phone, Photos, Play Books, Play Games, Play Movies & TV, Play Music, Play Newsstand, Play Store, POLARIS Office 5, S Health, S Voice, Samsung Apps, Settings, Smart Remote, Usage Manager, Voice Recorder, Voice Search, Wallet, YouTube.
PROS:
1. Amazing looking screen. Displaymate says the S5 screen is "the best performing smartphone display that we have ever tested."
2. IP 67 certified. Protection against dust and water immersion up to 1m.
3. According to drop tests from TechSmartt the S5 is more durable than S4 and iPhone 5s.
4. Professional Photo Mode for screen that calibrates it according to Adobe RGB standards.
5. Uses a hybrid between phase detection and contrast detection for accurate and speedy AF.
6. Shoots 4K videos.
7. Very fast processor. The S5 is snappy.
8. 10.85GB of free storage space on new 16GB phone. Allows storage expansion up to 128GB through microSD card slot.
9. Heart rate sensor that is easy to use and seems to be accurate. The sensor is good for those who exercise or benefit from closer monitoring of heart rate for health reasons.
10. Features wireless AC connectivity. 4-5x faster than wireless N.
11. Fingerprint scanner works more reliably for me than iPhone 5s.
12. Good battery life. Rated at 21 hours of talk time.
13. Ultra Power Save Mode maximizes battery life. Great if battery is running low or for overnight use.
CONS:
1. Has plastic back instead of more durable aluminum unibody like the HTC One M8.
2. Too many cooks in the kitchen. Google, Samsung, and AT&T have similar preinstalled apps that can't be uninstalled. Each company is obviously fighting for your attention but in the end it creates not as fluid of a user experience compared to Apple which designs the phone and OS and doesn't allow AT&T to put their garbage on the phone. I don't need multiple ways to check email, play music, watch movies, or get on the internet.
3. Disappointing image quality for a 16MP camera. Not as good as the 8MP camera on the iPhone 5s. Daylight images are oversharpened, blotchy, have soft edges, and no detail in the corners.
4. Design of fingerprint scanner requires me to use both hands unlike iPhone 5s which I can unlock with one hand.
SUMMARY:
Samsung's new flagship smartphone the Galaxy S5 is a wonderful phone. I've only had iPhones up until now but was seeking specific features, features that the S5 had. I love having the larger 5.1" screen. It is fantastic looking, having more vibrant colors, better contrast, and whiter whites and blacker blacks than my iPad 3. Another feature that sold me that the iPhone 5S is lacking is wireless AC. It provides very speedy downloads and internet experience. Of the upgrades from the S4 the IP67 certification and increased durability have to be the most significant. The S5 has very good battery life, is very snappy with its 2500mHz quad core processor, and the Ultra Power Save Mode is a nice addition.
While the camera focuses and captures images very quickly, its image quality is disappointing for a 16MP camera. I could do without the bloatware from Samsung and AT&T. I love that I can cheaply pick up a 32GB microSD card to store pictures, music, videos and even transfer apps onto, something I couldn't do with an iPhone. Having used the fingerprint scanner in the iPhone 5s and S5, I prefer the fingerprint scanner with the Samsung because it works more reliably for me. I highly recommend the Samsung S5 for anyone looking to upgrade or in the market. It may not be revolutionary enough to make S4 owners jealous but still is a mighty impressive phone.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
Evolutionary NOT revolutionary!
By rpv
Oh, Another year, another set of phones from manufacturers! I have been hooked onto get the latest phone every year syndrome and love reviewing specifics. Disclaimer, I love Android and have been using from very early days. I will not call Samsung Galaxy S5 as revolutionary, but it is certainly evolutionary. If you have an older phone more than 2 years old, absolutely get this. I love Samsung Galaxy S5 from its competitors for few reasons - removable battery, microSD card support and the maturity of the product. I have been using a S5 for past couple of days and have ordered a unlocked one from my local store. There are so many variants already in the market. So do check local specs. For example, in china market dual SIM S5 is available.
Galaxy S5's back plate has a perforated dot pattern and a excellent matte finish. As a result, the phone looks far more sophisticated than its past designs despite its plastic build. Its surface feels nice to the touch without being too rough or too slippery. I really do _not_ care about the plastic, in fact the lightweight nature is what I care. Some people make a huge deal out of it. A high quality plastic is good for lightweight and I go with lightweight than a heavy phone in the pocket. A reputed tech site called recently Samsung as the “undisputed king of the Android smartphone space”. True indeed. With the plethora of devices in tablets/phones, they have iterated so much that they can produce truly stunning products.
If you care for weight, the Galaxy S4 is lighter than S5. (please see my stats below). In fact pixel density is slightly higher in S4 due to a 0.1in size difference. So get an S4, it is cheaper and still same phone that came out last year. If you care for heart rate monitor, fingerprint scanner, and water proof, get the S5. Otherwise literally similar set and you can save a lot by getting S4 now. Last year when S4 came out it was a great phone. It still is, though S5 came out now. Obsoletion is in the mind of the us, not on the devices.
In my opinion, following are key specs to consider when you buying a phone. Most of others are standard or does not matter at all. First size,weight and resolution are part of look and feel. RAM/CPU part of performance. external Storage is part of expandability. Camera is obvious! SAR (Specific Absorption Rating) is an often ignored, but I feel essential to making a buying choice. Manufacturers don’t advertize or mention SAR prominently.
phone parameters: size, weight, resolution, ppi, RAM, ext Storage, camera, CPU, USA SAR rating
Samsung Galaxy S5: 5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 in, 145 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.1 in, 432 ppi, 2 GB RAM, microSD upto 128 GB!, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, MSM8974-AC Processor: Quad core, 2500 MHz, Krait 400, 0.63 W/kg (head), 0.82 W/kg (body)
Samsung Galaxy S4 (Intl version): 5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 in, 130 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.0 in, 441 ppi, 2 GB RAM, microSD, up to 64 GB, 13 MP/2MP, Exynos 5 Octa 5410 CPU, Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7, 0.85 W/kg (head), 1.55 W/kg (body)
HTC One M8: 5.76 x 2.78 x 0.37 in, 160 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5 in, 441 ppi, 2 GB RAM, microSD upto 128 GB!, 4 MP (rear), 5 MP(front for selfies), Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, Quad core, 2300 MHz, Krait 400, 0.94 W/kg (head), 0.83 W/kg (body)
LG G2: 5.45 x 2.79 x 0.35 in, 143 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.2 in, 424 ppi, 2 GB RAM, no ext Storage, 13 MP/2.1 MP, Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800, Quad-core 2.26 GHz Krait 400, 0.50 W/kg (head), 0.69 W/kg (body)
Google Nexus 5: 5.43 x 2.72 x 0.34 in, 130 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 4.95 in, 445 ppi, 2 GB RAM, no ext Storage, 8 MP/1.3 MP, Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800, Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400, 0.92 W/kg (head), 1.23 W/kg (body)
Apple iPhone 5S: 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in, 112gm, 640 x 1136 pixels, 4.0 in, 326 ppi, 1 GB RAM, no ext storage, 8 MP/1.2 MP, Apple A7, Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based), 1.12 W/kg (head), 1.18 W/kg (body)
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 N9000: 5.95 x 3.12 x 0.33 in, 168 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.7 in, 386 ppi, 3 GB RAM, micro SD upto 64 GB, 13 MP/2MP, Exynos 5 Octa 5420, Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7, SAR: 0.24 W/kg (head), 0.72 W/kg (body)
Nokia Lumia 1520: 6.41 x 3.36 x 0.34 in, 209gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 6.0 in, 367 ppi, 2 GB RAM, microSD up to 64 GB, 20 MP/1.2MP, Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 CPU Quad-core 2.2 GHz Krait 400, SAR: 0.59 W/kg (head), 0.24 W/kg (body)
Motorola Moto G: 5.11 x 2.59 x 0.46 in, 143 gm, 720 x 1280 pixels, 4.5 in, 326 ppi, 1 GB RAM, no ext storage, 5 MP/1.3 MP, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7, SAR: 1.17 W/kg (head), 1.06 W/kg (body)
Given the above key specs, my suggestion to my friends is to choose 2 or 3 KEY features you require (may be large screen size, maybe less weight, maybe more CPU power) and then start nailing down the phones. Definitely and definitely go to a phone or a big box store and feel the phone. Nothing replaces that. In the end end you are using it for days and years, so the tactile feel is very important.
SCREEN SIZE/RESOLUTION:
I have experimented with many phone sizes and I have come to a conclusion 5” is the best form factor for me. Your mileage may vary, but after using Note for a while, I don’t use it as a primary phone. The display in S5 is absolutely stunning with a Super AMOLED display and you have to see to feel it!
ANDROID UI:
S5 has Android 4.4.2 KitKat out of the box. User Interface hasa flatter and simpler design, as is now the trend across the industry. Once you get used to user interface you get used to it. Android is very flexible and when I show my phone to a iPhone users they are usually in awe. I recently to my friends shows the details of processes. battery usage like which process takes up more battery, Qi charging receivers for wireless charging on Galaxy phones and they were in awe.
WATER PROOF:
Obviously I have not tested this!, but a very nice to have feature and gives a peace of mind
CAMERA:
This can just replace a point and shoot camera. Wait, what is a point and shoot camera?! Very impressive. S5 has a 16MP camera with super-fast autofocus, HDR mode with real-time preview, and support for 4K video recording. Definitely state of the art. I took several indoor photos and they look great. It will be interesting to see how photos appear in a vanilla S5 which Google will release.
S-HEALTH:
I rely and use S-Health more than any other app in my Galaxy S5. It has driven my fitness regimen to a very good progress and the design of app is nothing short of buttery and beautiful. I am often too in good favor of Samsung loading the phones with S-Ware, but their design of S-Health is definitely breathtaking. Heart rate monitor is a great addition to the fitness tools. I used it for walking several steps and found it same as in S4.
PROCESSING POWER:
Don’t bother about it. For 99% of users, this is good enough. The phone has more processing power than the rocket that went to moon first time and much more. The games are very smooth, the UI is very smooth.
Qi WIRELESS CHARGING:
I wonder why Samsung does not release wireless charging built in. You have to get a external Qi wireless charger and open the back, align it and use with a Qi charger. It should be integrated, but you can do it after the fact.
NFC Tags:
Wow, this is the most underrated in all reviews. Get bunch ( I mean around 10) of NFC Tags and use in bedrooms, offices, cars, living room and customize what your phone wants to do in those areas. For example in my S4, when I enter the car most often I use a) Navigation b) Listen to Podcasts. So I program my NFC tags accordingly using apps like Trigger and tap my phone to the NFC Tag and boom, phone does both. I am programming my S5 also to do host of things.
128 GB Micro SD card!!
This is just incredible. If you see my reviews, I have been saying having external capacity is very key. With a 4K camcorder you can fill your space in a blink of the eye. Movies take up space. Who would have thought a 128 GB tiny card can fit in a phone. This is just incredible. I tested with a 128 GB and it works wonderfully! A 16 GB phone memory will have around 10 GB spare initially.
OTG - USB Hosts:
This is also often ignored feature in many reviews. On the GO USB cable + S5 means you can use with external hard disks, and virtually many of USB devices. If you have a thumb drive and have files, you can in fact read with a phone and don’t necessarily have to open a laptop. works out of the box.
BATTERY:
Do you really need to care for battery anymore. I don’t. Just use the phone. I have battery power banks with capacity as high as 30,000 mAh to 8000 mAh that I can charge virtually anywhere without a power supply. So this has become moot for me in past year. I would also suggest you get power banks and not really care of battery drainage. Use the phone and enjoy!
MISC FEATURES:
I tested fingerprint scanner, but I am not sure how reliable it will be over time with scratches/oily fingers etc. I have to test it further, but for now I will settle on traditional passwords till bugs are ironed out. Apple’s initial fingerprint software had bugs which was fixed subsequently. There are so many other features in S5. Some of them have become so standard that they are not review worthy! e.g., Infrared for wireless remotes, GPS etc. GPS was spot on and I tried multiple GPS apps. It was bright outdoors (had to crank the brightness all the way up).
To give a sample, I tried following apps and they just worked awesome.
Amazon Mobile, Androidify, Angry Birds (multiple themes), Asphalt 8, Box, Chrome, NAVIGON (from Garmin - offline maps), TOM TOM, , Google Navigation/Earth/Maps, Google Currents (nice way to read News), Google Drive, Ebay, Linkedin, Google Music, Tapatalk (awesome forum browsing app), Microsoft One Note (legacy docs, skydrive of 25 GB is good), Microsoft Office, (yes they hve for Android!), Subsonic Music Streamer, TweetCaster Pro for Android (excellent twitter client), Twit.Tv, Trigger, Google Voice
Ask questions, the review cannot do justice to Galaxy S5. I will be glad to answer any questions within 24 hours.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
For those upgrading from Galaxy S3
By Simple Simon
So glad I upgraded. Much much faster than the S3. Compared to the S3: Apps snap open; Windows slide smoothly; Calls are made and answered instantaneously. Battery life is also noticeably better. The size is bigger, but that's a minor tradeoff in my book.
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