You know what’s amazing? When I turned on this smartphone the home screen had the score from last night’s Mariner’s game, today’s weather forecast, a reminder about where I parked my car, and a time estimate for my morning commute. Seriously. The Samsung Galaxy S5 had all that info ready to go.
It has been a while since I can remember being wowed by a smartphone. For the most part, I just use my smartphone to text, web surf, and to make an occasional call. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is something else entirely. This smartphone is programmed to anticipate your next move so that all the info you want is right at your fingertips.
Sleek Design
I couldn’t help but to show off the Galaxy S5 to a few friends. The first reaction is always that of surprise at how light the smartphone is considering that it has a large 5.1″ Super AMOLED display. You would expect a phone like that to be heavy, but it is surprisingly light and sturdy. I have to admit, I am not a fan of plastic phones and was worried this one would feel like a creaky toy. But the Galaxy S5 blew away my expectations. It feels like a premium smartphone and it is resistant to dust and water up to 3 feet. When I think about how often it rains in Portland, it is a no brainer to get a water resistant phone.
More Gadgets than a Bond Car
The Samsung Galaxy S5 has some high tech sensors that truly make this a smart phone. There is a fingerprint reader on the back which you can use to unlock your phone (or use in lieu of a password). The Galaxy S5 has a heart rate monitor, which I found was really helpful when keeping track of my workouts. It even acts as a pedometer to keep track of your steps throughout the day.
I have been using the Galaxy S5 along with the Samsung Gear Fit to keep track of how much I walk each day. You wear the Gear Fit like a wristwatch and it tracks your steps and monitors your heart rate. This worked out great because the Gear Fit would still keep tracking my movement even when I left the smartphone at my desk. And when I got back, the two would sync up so I had accurate health data at the end of the day.
You can also use the Samsung Gear Fit to check your email, texts, and to screen incoming calls. You might get a dirty look or two if you check email on your phone in the middle of a meeting. But you can discreetly check the Samsung Gear Fit just like you would glance at a wrist watch. I found it was convenient to have both of these gadgets because of how well they worked together.
A Big HD Screen
I was really impressed with the clarity of the full HD Super AMOLED display. The screen on the Galaxy S5 has 1080p resolution, which makes Netflix, YouTube, and even web browsing look pretty amazing. I found that the display looked bright both inside and outside. The colors were rich and vibrant. There was a whole lot to like about how bright and clear the display was on the Galaxy S5.
16 MP Camera
I use my smartphone to take photos far more often than I make phone calls. Because of this, the camera is really important to me and the Galaxy S5 didn’t disappoint. The photos I took were sharp and in focus, even when I took photos of the Portland Starlight Parade around dusk. Usually a smartphone isn’t great at taking photos of moving objects, or taking photos in low light. The Galaxy S5 has a bunch of settings that you can play around with to get a spectacular photo. But I found the auto function did the job without any effort on my part.
This should be your next smartphone
You can get the Samsung Galaxy S5 from AT&T for $199 with a two-year contract. With an AT&T Next plan, you can get it for as low as $25, which is a bargain for a smartphone like this. AT&T has a few other promotions right now that will get you $50 off the Samsung Gear Fit and a $50 Google Play credit with purchase of the Samsung Galaxy S5.
As you can tell from this gushing review, I was blown away by the Samsung Galaxy S5. The smartphone has several advanced features, a great screen, and a solid design. If you are looking for a new smartphone, you will be hard pressed to find anything else that is this advanced.
Had asked the wife for a Galaxy S5 for my birthday. It was between that and the HTC One and I chose the Galaxy. This review helps re-affirm that I indeed made the proper choice!
A friend loaned me his HTC One for a week, so I had a chance to try both phones. They are both premium devices, but the Galaxy S5 is the better option in my opinion.You definitely made the right choice.