Samsung Galaxy S5 – An Akruto Insight Column

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has recently arrived at most U.S. carriers and the web buzz is that its expanded feature set will draw more users than the ho-hum response the S4 received last year. It’s large, bright display represents a definite improvement that is expected to attract a number of S3 owners and others to upgrade, especially given the surprisingly generous trade-in allowances several carriers are offering.

As one pundit noted, “The S5 has the S4 feature set with the hardware that the S4 sadly lacked.” Representatives at both Sprint and Best Buy said that demand was building for the S5 and the new Gear and Gear Fit lines which it supports.

The S5 fulfills the basic requirements for a world-class flagship phone, to wit:

1) Best of breed front and rear-facing cameras with HD video, conferencing and retouching.

2) Color, 3D perspective, GPS with turn by turn mapping and places of interest, traffic, and other linked data.

3) Social media integration in all relevant apps, plus sharing links in an app that generates or uncovers content.

4) A complete spectrum of sensors: compass, barometer, cross accelerometers, auto screen orienting, gesture and voice control, and more.

So the best and brightest of the current Android line, the Samsung Galaxy S5 begins with these basics and adds KitKat, Android’s latest. The full specs for a representative U.S. model can be found here.

In the following posts, we’ll look at the history of the Galaxy line and review the S5’s feature set including:

1) Screen

2) New heart rate sensor

3) New fingerprint unlocking

4) Processor performance benchmarks

5) New option to combining WiFi with LTE for faster downloads

6) Camera features and functions