Galaxy s5 |

Galaxy S5 specs leak, alongside news of Galaxy S5 Mini and S5 Zoom

Samsung has been trying to keep it tight when it comes to leaks, but there is only so much the Internet cannot find out when it comes to product releases. A new report from SamMobile reveals most of the Galaxy S5 specs and the new Galaxy S5 Mini and S5 Zoom existence.

The report shares a lot of information on the Galaxy S5, Samsung next flagship device. We have already heard lots of reports on the Galaxy S5, but all have come from rather weak sources, SamMobile is well credited as one of the best when it comes to anything Samsung.

Starting with the two model rumor, it is true, Samsung will ship the smartphone in both metal and plastic, similar to Apple with the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. The plastic model will cost around 650 euros, while the more premium metal model will cost 800 euros.

It does not say faux leather, meaning the cheap slimy plastic will stay on the lower-end Galaxy S5. Faux leather is a little bit of an upgrade, but Samsung will probably find it more appealing to add plastic and metal and offer both in variety of colors.

The Galaxy S5 will also come with a 2560 x 1440-pixel AMOLED display and the size will be around 5 to 5.25-inches. Internally the Galaxy S5 will be running the Exynos 6 and Snapdragon 805, depending on region and LTE availability. The Exynos 6 chip should be able to run LTE without a problem, but in the US we are more likely to see Snapdragon 805 adoption.

According to the report, the Galaxy S5 will not be announced to Mobile World Congress, but instead at an event in London on either March or April. The Galaxy S5 Mini and S5 Zoom will come later in the year, sometime in June, packed with new specs.

We are quite surprised to see the Galaxy S5 Zoom make another appearance, it looks like Samsung wants to make this an annual launch. Figures were not released on how well both the Galaxy S5 Zoom and S5 Active did, but since we have no news on the S5 Active, perhaps they don’t want that line anymore.

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Samsung preparing Iris eye scanning technology for Galaxy S5

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Samsung is always up for the gimmicky type of features on their devices and while Iris eye scanning technology can work well, we wonder if it will work on the phone. It looks like the Galaxy S5 will be the tester device for the new eye scanning tech, after a Samsung exec confirmed the company was trying it out on the smartphone.

The Iris eye scanning will allow users to unlock their smartphone and check different apps and notifications, simply by using their retina. This is similar to how users can unlock their iPhone through TouchID, but we believe Samsung will make the eye scanning more viral on the Galaxy S5.

By that we mean the Galaxy S5 will have more than just one two uses for the eye scanning tech and most of them will not be used. In typical Samsung fashion, we see some parts of Iris as being impressive and others being just weird and unnecessary.

Iris scanning tech is not the only feature coming to the Galaxy S5, Samsung will be adding a new Exynos octa-core processor and Snapdragon 805, 3GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage and this will be the first smartphone from Samsung to feature a full metal unibody.

Samsung loves to change the software as well and we may see some new features on the TouchWiz UI, although there has been no rumors or leaks about big changes or new features coming.

The Galaxy S5 should launch sometime in the next few months, Samsung likes to get their flagship out around April/May time. The Galaxy S5 will come with the second generation Galaxy Gear, Samsung smartwatch that they have been trying aggressively to bundle with the Galaxy Note 3.

Samsung has apparently made the Galaxy Gear thinner and lighter and changed some of the functionality, adding health functions to make it a more fitness orientated device.

Samsung VP reportedly confirmed Galaxy S5 coming to MWC

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Samsung Head of Design Strategy, Dong-hoon Chang, reportedly confirmed the Galaxy S5 appearance at Mobile World Congress in February, while at a New Years party in Seoul.

The VP apparently confirmed the date and said he is excited about the materials Samsung is using on the Galaxy S5, possibly pointing at something new like a full metal unibody, instead of plastic or faux leather.

This would not be the first time one of Samsung’s executives has let out information before the company had released an official announcement, but the date for the announcement is nothing compared to what will be powering the Galaxy S5 and what design changes Samsung will make to the phone.

We have heard a few rumors about the Galaxy S5 reveal date, some say Samsung will have their own event in New York City and others point to either CES or MWC, where Samsung can control the media and make sure they focus on the Galaxy S5 more than competitors products.

The likelihood of Samsung announcing the smartphone at CES is minimal, considering the event is more focused on general consumer electronics and the fact is really early in the year to actually reveal a smartphone.

Mobile World Congress seems more suited to the Galaxy S5 reveal because it is all about phones and tablets and it is next month, allowing Samsung a three month gap between the reveal and the actual release date, a much more feasible time frame.

On the specs side, Samsung will be pumping all they’ve got into the Galaxy S5, including the latest octa-core processor or Snapdragon 805, depending on the region, a 2560 x 1440 display, 3GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage and 16MP rear camera with OIS.

Samsung will most likely host an Unpacked Event to announce the Galaxy S5, this is basically tradition now with Samsung announcements at events.

Samsung Galaxy S5 may not come with OIS camera

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The next generation of the Galaxy S may be the most prominent yet, but one big feature may be missed out by Samsung on the camera, OIS. Short for optical image stabilisation, this is the next step in making mobile cameras as powerful as a more expensive point-and-shoot.

The LG G2 and some other devices already have OIS and the difference is pretty remarkable when it comes to having a stable image. The quality of the photo doesn’t really change that much, but the precision and stabilisation improves massively with this feature.

This feature was almost on the Galaxy Note 3 according to some rumors prior to release, but Samsung scrapped it due to not having the necessary components and scope to actually add the feature, it may be the same case for the Galaxy S5.

Samsung’s small problem when adding features is they need to be able to scale the production above their target range of sales, for the Galaxy S5 this may be fifty million units in one quarter. This means features that are new and not exactly the most readily available cannot be implemented.

Another example of this is the fingerprint sensor Samsung was apparently thinking about adding to the Galaxy Note 3, but since the scale of that device needed to be around 20 million a quarter, they could not work to make that number viable on the time they had to implement.

We are not sure if the Galaxy S5 will have a fingerprint scanner, our gut instinct is yes or in some way Samsung will upgrade security. Apple has obviously shown the demand with TouchID and shown they can scale this project to the mass-market.

OIS is not the biggest feature we are desperate for on the Galaxy S5, the metal body, higher-resolution display and new possible software enhancements are more exciting and more relevant to a users experience and love of the smartphone.

Galaxy S5 to launch alongside Galaxy Gear 2 in early 2014

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The Galaxy S5 may not be the only early 2014 launch device for Samsung, as new reports detailed the Galaxy Gear 2 coming to the same event. This move was made for the original Galaxy Gear, when Samsung announced it at IFA 2013 along with the Galaxy Note 3.

We know quite a bit about the Galaxy S5 already, but most could be subject to change as new components become available and Samsung looks to bridge the gap between the Galaxy S4.

In terms of design, the Galaxy S5 could be the first smartphone in the Galaxy S range to come with a metal exterior, similar to the HTC One and iPhone 5S. The other option for Samsung is faux leather backing, although we hope the company decide to pick premium aluminium for their flagship device.

Internally the Galaxy S5 should be an upgrade on the Galaxy S4, the processor will either be the new Exynos 5 or the Snapdragon 805 SoC, depending on the region. We should also see 3GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage come to the Galaxy S5, upping the ante for other Android partners.

The screen on the Galaxy S5 may be bumped up to above 500ppi, with news Sony and Samsung are working on 2560 x 1600 resolution displays for next year. On the size front, we believe Samsung will keep it the same five-inches, making it any bigger would clash with the Galaxy Note range.

On the Galaxy Gear 2 front, news has been almost silent regarding the next generation smartwatch. The original Galaxy Gear has gained less than 100,000 sales worldwide, making it a big loss on Samsung’s end, especially after they advertised the smartwatch.

Both the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Gear 2 should be revealed at MWC 2014 on February, for a release sometime in March or April. Samsung usually released the Galaxy S in April or May, before Apple’s WWDC conference.

Samsung Galaxy S5 to come with 16MP ISOCELL technology

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Samsung has announced next year over ninety million smartphones will come prepackaged with a 16MP camera of some kind. The company is preparing to adopt 16MP cameras across the board, from cheap to high-end device getting the upgrade.

This fast move has happened for two reasons, Samsung needs to compete more heavily against camera phones like the Xperia Z1 and Nokia Lumia 1020 and the manufacturer has been creating different sensors for their camera, almost all around the 16MP range.

The Galaxy S5 should still be Samsung’s main flagship for the year – this will come with a 16MP ISOCELL sensor, capable of wide dynamic range and auto-focus. The ISOCELL technology is also capable of grabbing incredible shots in low light, it works similar to the Nokia Lumia 1020.

Samsung cameras have always been hit-and-miss, the Galaxy S4 had a pretty impressive sensor but it failed in low light and would produce average photos. The push for extra megapixels is great but we hope Samsung work on the software and speed on the camera, to make it a better experience.

This is not the only thing Samsung is promising in the next few years, the company is looking to add a new 64bit ARM octa-core processor by next year onto the Galaxy S5 and have a 2K screen (2650 x 1600) by the end of 2014, moving to a 4K screen by 2015.

Samsung has always worked on power and raw benchmarks, the polar opposite of their main competitor Apple, who have been trying to blend hardware, software and services in a cheaper and less powerful package, with optimisation to keep it competitive against Samsung.

The South Korean manufacturer has surpassed Apple in terms of sales but they do sell a lot more smartphones, the Galaxy S4 has almost surpassed the iPhone 5 in sales, but we will have to wait until the Galaxy S5 is announced to see who is the true winner.

Galaxy S5 to come with 64bit chip and 4GB of RAM

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Samsung loves to the up-the-ante when it comes to specs and reports are now floating in from Korea about the next generation Galaxy S5, apparently the South Korean company is preparing to push the mobile power a bit further with a 64bit processor and 4GB of RAM.

Currently the only smartphone with a 64bit chip is the iPhone 5S, Apple announced the boost at their event one month ago. Samsung and other Android partners have said they will be building chips with 64bit capabilities very soon, to match Apple’s current lead.

Samsung will apparently develop a Exynos 6 chip for the Galaxy S5. We currently have no idea on clock speed or cores, but we expect Samsung to add eight cores and we may see a boost to 2.2GHz or above, beating the current popular processor, the Snapdragon 800.

Since Samsung actually manufacturers the 64bit chip for Apple, we have no doubt the company will be able to work on the Exynos 6 and make it more proficient and powerful than what Apple is offering. It’s actually quite weird we did not hear about this sooner, considering Samsung loves to try and take on Apple at every corner.

The 4GB of RAM seems like overkill on a smartphone, considering a PC can run smoothly on 4GB of DRR3. Mobiles are becoming a more powerful tool for users, but we cannot see any application using 4GB of RAM or even anywhere close to that amount, even mobile games.

Samsung will reportedly add a textured faux leather back to the Galaxy S5, alongside their faux metal accents. Imagine the Galaxy Note 3 only a little bit smaller. We may also see a boost in resolution, considering Japan Display and other companies have 2560 x 1600 prototypes available.

The Galaxy S5 is set to make its first appearance at MWC 2014 just five months from now, exciting times.

Samsung Galaxy S5 to be announced at MWC 2014

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Contrary to earlier rumors, Samsung is apparently going to announce the Galaxy S5 at MWC and not CES next year, giving it about a one month gap to get the hype up from the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

This is one of the earliest cut off periods for a flagship device, with the Galaxy S4 only being in public circulation for about eight months. Samsung does like to get their smartphones out way before the iPhone to get consumer interest, but this may be pushing it.

Samsung is keeping all the doors locked when it comes to the Galaxy S5, but we are already getting some blurry leaks on the specs and new design of the flagship, pointing at a smartphone without a slimy plastic back.

The Galaxy S5 is expected to be the first smartphone in the S line to come with a full metal build, emulating the experience on the HTC One with Samsung’s classic shell design. One of the biggest complaints about the Galaxy S line was the cheap plastic feel, compared to the iPhone 5S and HTC One, both with premium aluminium builds.

We are also expecting Samsung to pack a new higher resolution display onto the Galaxy S5, after news Sony is preparing to launch the Xperia Z2 with a Triluminous display at 500 PPI around the same time as the Galaxy S5 release.

Samsung may also add newer internals to match the high-end market and the phone will come pre-installed with the latest version of Android, which we expect to be 4.4 KitKat, under the deep TouchWiz UI skin.

Price and availability are not known yet but we can expect it to be priced at $199 on contract in the US and about $700 off contract. Samsung loves being able to stock the shelves in every country in the world and we expect them to have some carrier milestone for the Galaxy S5.

Samsung Galaxy S5 could be released in January

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Samsung may be preparing an early launch for the Galaxy S5, to keep up with the competition. Instead of a April/May launch, Samsung may look at the January CES window as a way to get the Galaxy S5 out early.

This matches with a report a few weeks ago regarding the Sony Xperia Z2, the next generation flagship we have already had a good look at, with a blurry image and leaked specs released earlier this month.

There are other reasons Samsung may be preparing to launch the Galaxy S5 early, one being the Galaxy S4 minimal amount of changes from the previous flagship and the new displays and processors set to be revealed at CES next year.

Samsung may be preparing a rework with the Galaxy S5, we have already seen faux leather on the Galaxy Note 3, now we might actually see metal, a unibody designed metal smartphone, similar to the HTC One or iPhone 5S.

On top of the metal design, Samsung will be implementing a higher resolution display onto the Galaxy S5. We may see the first 2560 x 1600 smartphone at CES with a 500ppi, matching the Xperia Z2’s apparent resolution.

We could also see the new Exynos 5 octa-core processor from Samsung, with the slight redesign on the processor to make sure all eight cores run actively at the same pace and not one clocking for high-power and one clocking for low-power.

Apart from those changes, Samsung may boost the GPU and storage space on the Galaxy S5. The smartphone will most definitely run the latest version of Android, probably still KitKat in January as we cannot see Google announcing something else in three months.

This is a solid move by Samsung if they decide to go along with it, the new design will comfort most of the Galaxy S4 critics who say the back is slimy. Now all we need is the stock version on the Google Play store, no time for TouchWiz.

Samsung Galaxy S5 to come with 16MP OIS camera

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Samsung may be having some problems with their 16MP camera development and getting enough OIS units for the Galaxy Note 3. News from SamMobile says Samsung will drop plans to add a larger camera onto the phablet because of shortages.

This means the first smartphone to get the 16MP camera with OIS technology will be the Galaxy S5, the new flagship from Samsung apparently coming sometime mid-2014, the same as the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4.

Samsung has got better at smartphone cameras throughout the years, the Galaxy S4 has an impressive sensor but Samsung’s slapdash software makes taking a photo with their modes an odd and unreliable experience.

The increase in megapixels and introduction of OIS to the Galaxy S line will not be the only difference on the Galaxy S5. The new flagship is set to be the first smartphone from Samsung with a full metal build, skipping away from the cheap plastic.

Samsung needs to seriously content with HTC and Apple when it comes to design now, even though the Galaxy S4 will probably go on to sell 30 – 50 million units this year alone, the HTC One is making good sales on Android and many still class the iPhone as a better experience simply because of the design.

Knowing Samsung, the Galaxy S5 will also come with the top of the line specs. This means a whole new processor, possibly from Samsung, possibly from Qualcomm, Nvidia or MediaTek. 3GB of RAM will be commonplace by 2014 and all providers will be looking to add that amount of RAM to the smartphone.

The Galaxy S5 will also come with 128GB and even 256GB storage options, we heard recently Samsung was working on new flash memory for their smartphones, that could increase the storage by tenfold without changing the size. This and the battery sizes will be much bigger, possibly hitting 500omAh.