Samsung launched its Galaxy S5 in Barcelona overnight, taking the smartphone rivalry between it and Apple into another year.The phone is the latest in the popular Galaxy range and offers a number of improvements on the currently available Galaxy S4.
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Samsung launched its Galaxy S5 in Barcelona overnight, taking the smartphone rivalry between it and Apple into another year.
The phone is the latest in the popular Galaxy range and offers a number of improvements on the currently available Galaxy S4.
The Galaxy S5 has been made water and dust resistant and Samsung claims it is capable of withstanding up to half an hour in 1 metre of water.
Like its rival the iPhone 5S, the Galaxy S5 has included a finger scanner for smartphone security and mobile payment options. It's also secured a deal with PayPal to enable online shopping payments via a finger swipe, upping the ante in the race to a cashless society.
In line with the continuing trend for mobile fitness technology, the S5 has also includes a heart rate monitor designed to help users track and assess their activity and fitness level. This feature is designed to be paired with the Gear Fit, also announced at Mobile World Congress, but time will tell whether consumers use it as a standalone feature on the S5.
Perhaps the most significant announcement is the Ultra Power Saving mode. It's not really a 'wow factor' but is undoubtedley a guaratneed crowd pleaser. It effectively turns all applications off and enables the smartphone to only receive calls and texts. Samsung claims that this will allow the phone to last up to 24 hours at 10% battery life.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 will be available in store from April.
Comment: Charlie Brown on the Galaxy S5.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Product Specifications:
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Network |
LTE Cat.4 (150/50Mbps) |
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Display |
5.1” FHD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) |
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AP |
2.5GHz Quad core application processor |
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OS |
Android 4.4.2 (Kitkat) |
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Camera |
16MP (rear), 2.0MP (front) |
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Video |
UHD@30fps, HDR, video stabilization Video Codec : H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark, MP43, WMV7, WMV8, VP8 Video Format: MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM |
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Audio |
Audio Codec : MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/ AAC+/ eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC Audio Format: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA |
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Camera Features |
HDR (Rich tone), Selective Focus, Virtual Tour Shot, Shot&More |
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Additional Features |
IP67 Dust and water Resistant |
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Ultra Power Saving Mode |
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Download Booster |
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S Health 3.0 |
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Quick Connect |
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Private Mode |
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Kids Mode |
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Google Mobile Services |
Chrome, Drive, Photos, Gmail, Google, Google+, Google Settings, Hangouts, Maps, Play Books, Play Games, Play Newsstand, Play Movie & TV, Play Music, Play Store, Voice Search, YouTube |
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Connectivity |
WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac HT80, MIMO(2×2) Bluetooth®: 4.0 BLE / ANT+ USB: USB 3.0 NFC IR Remote |
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Sensor |
Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, Hall, RGB ambient light, Gesture(IR), Finger Scanner, Heart rate sensor |
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Memory |
RAM: 2GB Internal Memory: 16/32GB microSD slot up to 128G |
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Dimension |
142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145g |
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Battery |
2800mAh Standby time: 390 hrs / Talk time: 21 hrs |
What do you think about the Galaxy S5 announcement? Is it enough to keep Samsung ahead of Apple?
Let us know in the comments below or tweet @erykbagshaw
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