Samsung Galaxy S5

Author
Discussion

clonmult

10,529 posts

209 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
NormalWisdom said:
Fingerprint scanner linked to Paypal, monster camera spec (love the autofocus times), enhanced battery (though I did buy a 4500mh for my S3 and I get 4-5 days use out of it now) - And as for the heart rate sensor - not for me that one ;-)

As was said, a good upgrade from the S3 (which I thought the S4 wasn't)
Monster camera spec? Other than UHD video, it doesn't have any standout features. Still no xenon flash, no OIS.

And the HRM "feature" is laughably useless.

NormalWisdom

2,139 posts

159 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
clonmult said:
Monster camera spec? Other than UHD video, it doesn't have any standout features.
Fastest autofocussing on a phone, that IMHO is what let's them all down, interesting HDR concepts, Dual image processing (not that I want all that as I use an SLR for the fancy stuff)

clonmult said:
Still no xenon flash
OK, so when is a phone not a phone?


clonmult said:
no OIS.
Yes it does (assuming you mean Image Stabilisation)

clonmult said:
And the HRM "feature" is laughably useless.
Why? It has proven to be very accurate according to early reviews

The Beaver King

6,095 posts

195 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
I just don't understand Samsung:

Samsung: "We listen to our customers" & "People don't want meaningless innovation".

Sounds good.

Customers: "We want a quality built phone (preferably with a metal case) and longer battery life without compromise (i.e. a bigger battery)."

Samsung: "Okay, we hear you. We're not going to do any of those things, but how about a fingerprint scanner, water/dust proofing and A HEART RATE MONITOR!!!"

Customers: "........."


Don't get me wrong, the IP67 rating is pretty cool and it has this super battery saver mode; but it's hardly a step forward. More of a shuffle.

As an S3 owner, this has not convinced me to upgrade to the S5 in two months. The S5 just seems to be aimed at the fitness market, not at the multimedia market.

clonmult

10,529 posts

209 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
NormalWisdom said:
clonmult said:
Monster camera spec? Other than UHD video, it doesn't have any standout features.
Fastest autofocussing on a phone, that IMHO is what let's them all down, interesting HDR concepts, Dual image processing (not that I want all that as I use an SLR for the fancy stuff)

clonmult said:
Still no xenon flash
OK, so when is a phone not a phone?


clonmult said:
no OIS.
Yes it does (assuming you mean Image Stabilisation)

clonmult said:
And the HRM "feature" is laughably useless.
Why? It has proven to be very accurate according to early reviews
OIS - Optical stabilisation works considerably better than software stabilisation; it is only software based in the S5. Fast auto focus does not make "monster spec". Xenon flash is really quite useful on any camera, helps a lot in low light (which is why the S3, S4, iPhone, Z, Z1, etc. suck in low light).

Now, if it had both xenon and LCD, a decent sized sensor, optical stabilisation ... I'd possibly accept it as having a monster camera, but it doesn't.

What is the usage for this HRM? People performing sports? Taking phone out of its holder, stick finger on sensor, get heart rate. Its nowhere near as practical or useful as a proper HRM strap (be it bluetooth, a garmin, polar, etc.)

bodhi

10,450 posts

229 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
Honestly, doesn't seem a patch on the Z2 that was announced earlier in the day. The Z2 has nicer build, better camera, better specs, bigger screen, doesn't have TouchWiz, is more waterproof and has a digital out to hook up to a DAC. The S5 counters with a fingerprint sensor which doesn't work, and a fairly pointless heart rate sensor.


98elise

26,498 posts

161 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
durbster said:
DKS said:
My S2 was on 7 days and 17hrs last night. 20% left.

In regards to innovation I really can't see me replacing my S2 unless it breaks. Screen is more than big enough, and is sharp and clear. It appears to run any game/ app so far and it's very nice to surf, navigate and check mail on. And I like the simple black shape and the plastic makes it light. I guess more advanced, power hungry apps might force my hand.
That's ridiculous battery life. I take it you're running some custom ROM?

Have to agree about the S2, it was really miles ahead of its time. I was amused the other day when I noticed that it's still one of the lightest phones around too.

The only time it shows its age is with the camera which is far too slow to launch and snap. Taking photos of the dog is almost impossible.
When we went to the states I turned roaming data, and wifi off, and I then stuck it in the wall safe. A week later it still had charge. That was on a standard phone.

Crafty_

13,277 posts

200 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
bodhi said:
Honestly, doesn't seem a patch on the Z2 that was announced earlier in the day. The Z2 has nicer build, better camera, better specs, bigger screen, doesn't have TouchWiz, is more waterproof and has a digital out to hook up to a DAC. The S5 counters with a fingerprint sensor which doesn't work, and a fairly pointless heart rate sensor.
Sony have their own UI overlay that has plenty of widgets and add ons just like touchwiz
Z2 processor is slower
Z2 doesn't have a removable battery
S5 is more ergonomic, not being poncy but purely practical, look at all the hard edges on the Z2, thats whats going to dig in to your leg when the thing is in your pocket.
S5 can't get much bigger or it infringes on the note market, besides we're talking 5.1" vs 5.2", unless the two were side by side you aren't going to notice.

I don't think either phone is head & shoulders above the other to be honest.

GrumpyTwig

3,354 posts

157 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
I stopped being interested then I saw they stuck with the same plastic construction, the day they learn a premium product needs to feel premium is the only day the iPhone needs to worry.

p.s own an S4, so not any kind of apple fan

Crafty_

13,277 posts

200 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
I don't have a problem with the plastic, it absorbs knocks, bumps, drops and so on, prettier glass & metal will not.

Jaldi

1,195 posts

235 months

Tuesday 25th February 2014
quotequote all
98elise said:
When we went to the states I turned roaming data, and wifi off, and I then stuck it in the wall safe. A week later it still had charge. That was on a standard phone.
Why didn't you just turn the phone off before putting it in the safe?

clonmult

10,529 posts

209 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
Crafty_ said:
bodhi said:
Honestly, doesn't seem a patch on the Z2 that was announced earlier in the day. The Z2 has nicer build, better camera, better specs, bigger screen, doesn't have TouchWiz, is more waterproof and has a digital out to hook up to a DAC. The S5 counters with a fingerprint sensor which doesn't work, and a fairly pointless heart rate sensor.
Sony have their own UI overlay that has plenty of widgets and add ons just like touchwiz
Z2 processor is slower
Z2 doesn't have a removable battery
S5 is more ergonomic, not being poncy but purely practical, look at all the hard edges on the Z2, thats whats going to dig in to your leg when the thing is in your pocket.
S5 can't get much bigger or it infringes on the note market, besides we're talking 5.1" vs 5.2", unless the two were side by side you aren't going to notice.

I don't think either phone is head & shoulders above the other to be honest.
More ergonomic??? Is that another word for incredibly bland design?

Samsung are purely playing the specs game, that is all they ever do. The fingerprint sensor is a gimmick (as it is on the 5S), the HRM is verging on useless. S6 or S7 will include a kitchen sink if they can fit it in.

And that faster processor is going to help in which aspect of phone operation? Same goes to most of these phones, they're all about cramming as much in as possible for no real world benefit.

Digger

14,641 posts

191 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
You really can't tell how a faster processor benefits a smartphone!? Are you blind? biggrinwink

I love the extra speed my ipad mini retina has, over my ipad2! Everything opens up much more snappily, and that's what I would want from any smartphone upgrade. Currently flipping between a Note 2 and a Nexus 4 and finding the Note annoyingly sluggish at app opening so would therefore welcome a faster processor and experience overall.

All that jazz

7,632 posts

146 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
The Beaver King said:
I just don't understand Samsung:

Samsung: "We listen to our customers" & "People don't want meaningless innovation".

Sounds good.

Customers: "We want a quality built phone (preferably with a metal case) and longer battery life without compromise (i.e. a bigger battery)."

Samsung: "Okay, we hear you. We're not going to do any of those things, but how about a fingerprint scanner, water/dust proofing and A HEART RATE MONITOR!!!"

Customers: "........."
roflrofl

Tycho

11,574 posts

273 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
Crafty_ said:
bodhi said:
Honestly, doesn't seem a patch on the Z2 that was announced earlier in the day. The Z2 has nicer build, better camera, better specs, bigger screen, doesn't have TouchWiz, is more waterproof and has a digital out to hook up to a DAC. The S5 counters with a fingerprint sensor which doesn't work, and a fairly pointless heart rate sensor.
Sony have their own UI overlay that has plenty of widgets and add ons just like touchwiz
Z2 processor is slower
Z2 doesn't have a removable battery
S5 is more ergonomic, not being poncy but purely practical, look at all the hard edges on the Z2, thats whats going to dig in to your leg when the thing is in your pocket.
S5 can't get much bigger or it infringes on the note market, besides we're talking 5.1" vs 5.2", unless the two were side by side you aren't going to notice.

I don't think either phone is head & shoulders above the other to be honest.
Sony's UI is far less heavy handed than the S5 IMO but you can get rid of both if you put a 3rd party launcher on them.
Z2 has 3Gb ram to the S5 2Gb which IMO will have more of an effect than 200MHz of clock speed.
Z2's battery is bigger though 3200mah to 2800mah
Z2 is similar to the Z1 and I haven't had any issues with hard edges digging in.


It boils down to which one you prefer in design as the specs are too close to notice in the real world IMO.

durbster

10,243 posts

222 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
Tycho said:
It boils down to which one you prefer in design as the specs are too close to notice in the real world IMO.
I think that's the ultimate truth for all top end smartphones these days. We're spoilt for choice as they all seem quite brilliant. smile

clonmult

10,529 posts

209 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
Digger said:
You really can't tell how a faster processor benefits a smartphone!? Are you blind? biggrinwink

I love the extra speed my ipad mini retina has, over my ipad2! Everything opens up much more snappily, and that's what I would want from any smartphone upgrade. Currently flipping between a Note 2 and a Nexus 4 and finding the Note annoyingly sluggish at app opening so would therefore welcome a faster processor and experience overall.
I may be missing the parrot, but ...

The difference in performance between the iPad Mini retina and iPad2 is way bigger than the difference between the Z2 and S5.

If you want to speed up the Note 2, stick on a custom rom. That can give the same effect as a new processor.

MuffDaddy

1,415 posts

205 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Some critics are upset with the lack of 2K or even 4K screens, yet these are battery drains and ultimately we are kidding ourselves if we honestly believe we notice the difference between 1080p and 4k on a 5 inch screen. Processor speeds, having worked with the teams developing various phones I know first hand that processor speed and memory is vitally important. Also how that processor is used.

The mobile world is a world of balance. Consumers want bells and whistles, with a battery that lasts a year, a radio capable of 1Gb/sec and a fold out jet pack hover board. Others will request a more robust phone, IP67 being the case. But the reality, we represent a small portion of the smartphone buying world. The US (home of the most vocal critics) represents just 5% of the smartphone market. The UK even less. So maybe the Asian market, or South American, or African have been asking for some of these features. Or maybe it wasn't possible to get the balance of power and battery right with an octocore processor.

The world is stuff full of mobile device experts, most of whom have no real experience of the global market past a trip to Carphone Warehouse and the insightful ramblings of 'Boy Genius' and his latest sponsored review.

I like most of the features offered by the S5, I hope to try them soon and see how they work i the real world. I have yet to have hands on so cant comment on the construction.

That said, I also like the BlackBerry 10 devices (I'm no longer paid to say this) and the critics on here will slam them too.

Finally, I just don't get the iPhone. Premium materials maybe but that screen only looks good until it cracks.

NormalWisdom

2,139 posts

159 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
MuffDaddy said:
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Some critics are upset with the lack of 2K or even 4K screens, yet these are battery drains and ultimately we are kidding ourselves if we honestly believe we notice the difference between 1080p and 4k on a 5 inch screen. Processor speeds, having worked with the teams developing various phones I know first hand that processor speed and memory is vitally important. Also how that processor is used.

The mobile world is a world of balance. Consumers want bells and whistles, with a battery that lasts a year, a radio capable of 1Gb/sec and a fold out jet pack hover board. Others will request a more robust phone, IP67 being the case. But the reality, we represent a small portion of the smartphone buying world. The US (home of the most vocal critics) represents just 5% of the smartphone market. The UK even less. So maybe the Asian market, or South American, or African have been asking for some of these features. Or maybe it wasn't possible to get the balance of power and battery right with an octocore processor.

The world is stuff full of mobile device experts, most of whom have no real experience of the global market past a trip to Carphone Warehouse and the insightful ramblings of 'Boy Genius' and his latest sponsored review.

I like most of the features offered by the S5, I hope to try them soon and see how they work i the real world. I have yet to have hands on so cant comment on the construction.

That said, I also like the BlackBerry 10 devices (I'm no longer paid to say this) and the critics on here will slam them too.

Finally, I just don't get the iPhone. Premium materials maybe but that screen only looks good until it cracks.
Hear hear judge

im

34,302 posts

217 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
DKS said:
My S2 was on 7 days and 17hrs last night. 20% left.
yikes WTF?!?!

I'm on 8 hours max with barely any use and a new battery t'boot.

How the hell have you got 7 days???

chrisxr2

1,127 posts

194 months

Wednesday 26th February 2014
quotequote all
Love my htc one, hate the fact it is metal, well done samsung, plastic phones bounce when dropped metal phones thud and shatter the screen. Went from galaxy s2. To htc one, definitely going back to Samsung with the s5.