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What is likely to be the year’s biggest selling smartphone across the globe has been announced by Samsung.
The Galaxy S5 is the latest in Samsung’s market-leading Android smartphone range and is due for release on April 11th priced at around 550.
The handset is probably best described as a minor evolution” of the S4 and appears almost indistinguishable from the front. The Super AMOLED screen has had a slight size increase 5.1”, below which is a physical home button with iPhone 5S-style integrated fingerprint scanner.
Inside is a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB or RAM and an 20 per cent improvement to battery life. The rear camera has been upped to 16MP and offers 4K video recording, as well as real-time HDR processing – although HDR can also be applied retroactively.
The case remains largely plastic with mock-metal rim, boasts a USB 3.0 port and offer ‘IP67-rated’ water resistance meaning that (when the port cover is on) the device can be submerged in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. The S4’s glossy black rear has been swapped for a soft-touch alternative.
The back also houses a heart-rate sensor designed to tie in with Samsung’s fitness S Health app.
The S5 will be available in black, white, gold and blue and come with Android 4.4.2 KitKat installed out of the box, complete with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI overlay.
The S5 also ties in with Samsung’s wearable Gear range, although there’s still little evidence that consumers are particularly interested in such tech.
