Galaxy S5 Sets the Bar for Android Smartphones: 10 Reasons Why

by Don Reisinger

There’s been a sense in the technology industry that Apple is the king of product design. And although that still might be the case in some instances, when it comes to mobile devices, the Galaxy S5 is right up there. From its rounded edges to its dimpled back plate and prominent display, it’s arguably one of the best-looking smartphones ever launched.

There’s a reason Samsung has performed so well in mobile over the last several years: The company has been building reliable, high-quality products that just work. Although Apple, LG and other firms are making solid products, Samsung delivers devices that have some of the fewest issues of any company, according to recent surveys. That should count for something.

The Galaxy S5’s camera is not to be taken lightly. The device comes with a 16-megapixel lens and has an auto-focus speed of up to 0.3 seconds. There’s also a selective focus feature built into the device that allows users to blur out backgrounds and save only a certain portion of the image for high fidelity.

The Galaxy S5 is taking full advantage of the latest wireless technologies. The device comes with support for 802.11ac WiFi and works with the LTE Category 4 Standard, ensuring faster speeds when on mobile networks. Both features should deliver faster load times and better visual quality of online videos.

It might sound odd, but one of the reasons to love the Galaxy S5 is its support for so many colors. As Apple has proved, consumers care about color choice. So Samsung has delivered that with black, white, blue and gold finishes. It’s a good idea as Samsung tries to improve the device’s sales.

It might not be the flashiest feature, but the Galaxy S5 is arguably one of the most damage-resistant devices on the market. According to Samsung, the handset will be dust- and water-resistant when it launches. The device has an IP67 rating, which means it’s totally protected against dust and will withstand brief immersion in water depth of between 15cm and 1 meter.

Security has become a key concern for Android users. That’s why Samsung added a finger scanner to the Galaxy S5. The option will both allow for biometric entry into the device as well as provide extra security for mobile payments. Biometrics is the next frontier in mobile security.

Samsung built a rather interesting battery-saving feature into its Galaxy S5: Ultra Power Saving Mode. According to the company, when the feature is turned on, the display will turn to black and white from color and close any features that it’s been preprogrammed to deem unnecessary. According to Samsung, its device can hold out for 390 hours on standby and 21 hours of talk time.

Although Android lovers don’t like to hear it, OS segmentation in that market is still a major issue. So, it’s nice to see Samsung trying to solve that problem a bit by bundling Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) into the Galaxy S5. Let’s just hope when that software’s successor is announced, it quickly makes its way to the handset.

Rumors were all over the place regarding the expected size of the Galaxy S5’s display. Some said that the device’s screen could be as big as 6 inches. Luckily, Samsung didn’t go overboard and decided to deliver a 5.1-inch screen in the Galaxy S5. The screen is a full-HD display featuring a 1,920-by-1,080 resolution.