Samsung s5 description. Samsung Galaxy S5 (SM-G900F) review. Everything as it is! Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless transfer of data between different types of devices over short distances

With ultra-fast focusing (just 0.3 seconds!), Your Samsung GALAXY S5's camera is ready for action whenever you want. Capturing moving subjects has never been so easy and accessible: capture the moments and don't miss a single dynamic shot!

Excellent results even in difficult conditions

Photos and videos can now be shot even against the light and in the shade - hDR function will help correct any lighting imperfections. A preview of the final result is available in real time right while shooting!

Heart rate monitor

The Samsung GALAXY S5 is the first phone with a built-in heart rate monitor that lets you measure your heart rate on the fly. You will be able to monitor your condition at any time and adjust physical activity accordingly.

LTE and Wi-Fi work simultaneously

Boot Boot technology allows you to simultaneously use wi-Fi connections and LTE for maximum internet speed. Thanks to this, the speed increase during data transfer can reach 90%!

Not afraid of moisture and dust

Thanks to the international IP67 protection standard, Samsung GALAXY S5 is not afraid of any moisture, as well as sand and dust. Yes, he's ready for adventure!

Detailed testing of one of the most anticipated smartphones of the new season

Undoubtedly, one of the most long-awaited and anticipated novelties among mobile devices of the coming year should be considered next update flagship line samsung smartphones - Galaxy S5. The novelty does not need a special introduction - in recent years, the Korean samsung Electronics managed not only to become scandalously famous due to countless litigations with the competing American Apple, but also to occupy one of the leading places in the global market for the sale of tablets and, of course, smartphones.

From left to right: Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S4, Apple iPhone 5s

By the way, in recent years, Koreans have firmly taught users the idea that Samsung always has two flagship smartphone... They are representatives of two top product lines moving in parallel courses - Galaxy Note and Galaxy S. Not so long ago, another update of the line of tablet phones happened - a smartphone went on sale Samsung Note 3, about which we wrote so much in due time. Now the turn has come to update a series of smartphones with a more "civilized" design.

Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S4

Smartphones galaxy series S have always been very different from their semi-tablet counterparts from the Note line precisely in size - they were quite elegant in size devices. However, with the release of the Galaxy S5, admittedly, the distance between them is shrinking more and more. Moreover, not only the sizes of each successive representative of the Galaxy S line are getting larger, but in the Note line they are consistently decreasing. Galaxy Note 3 has become the smallest among its brothers, and Galaxy S5, on the contrary, has acquired such large dimensions that it is time to think about: what, in fact, is the difference between the modern representatives of the two lines? Their performance is absolutely the same, the design is similar, the price is the same, and we have already mentioned the dimensions. Does the only difference now lie in the presence or absence of an electronic pen?

Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3

In any case, you should not expect a special technological breakthrough from the new flagship of the Galaxy S line. New technological discoveries have not yet been made, but everything that has been discovered has already been implemented, and now they are refining, finishing, polishing - improving functionality. And we are talking not only about Samsung devices - the entire market is now in anticipation of something new. This, by the way, is clearly seen on the example of the last two world IT exhibitions, which took place at the beginning of the year in Las Vegas and Barcelona. The products of the Korean company are no exception: in terms of hardware and technology, the new flagship does not differ much from the previous one (Samsung Galaxy S4) - now the focus is on improving functionality. Super-fast data transfer capabilities, an updated camera control interface, a wide selection of fitness apps, a heart rate monitor, a fingerprint reader, and agreements with the world's leading content and service providers to pre-install a ton of applications with long-term prepaid subscriptions - that's it. , which is now working at Samsung. Gigabytes and gigahertz somehow suddenly faded into the background, which is probably for the best. Surprisingly, the Koreans did not even add RAM to their new flagship - the Galaxy S5 still has 2 GB of RAM, although the new item still has some changes in hardware.

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S5 (model SM-G900F)

	Samsung Galaxy S5	LG G2	TCL Idol X +	Lenovo Vibe Z (K910)	Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (N9005)
Screen	5.1 ″, Super AMOLED	5.2 ″, IPS	5 ″, IPS	5.5 ″, IPS	5.7 ″ Super AMOLED
Resolution	1920 × 1080, 432 ppi	1920 × 1080, 424 ppi	1920 × 1080, 440 ppi	1920 × 1080, 400 ppi	1920 × 1080, 386 ppi
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (4-core Krait 400) @ 2.5 GHz		MediaTek MT6592 (8 cores ARM Cortex-A7) @ 2.0 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (4 core Krait 400) @ 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (4 core Krait 400) @ 2.2 GHz
GPU	Adreno 330	Adreno 330	Mali 450MP4	Adreno 330	Adreno 330
RAM	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB	3 GB
Flash memory	16 GB	16/32 GB	16 GB	16 GB	16-64 GB
Memory card support	microSD	—	—	—	microSD
operating system	Google android 4.4	Google Android 4.2	Google Android 4.2	Google Android 4.2	Google Android 4.3
Battery	removable, 2800 mAh	non-removable, 3000 mAh	non-removable, 2500 mAh	non-removable, 3050 mAh	removable, 3200 mAh
Cameras	rear (16 Mp; 4K video), front (2 Mp)		rear (13 Mp; video 1080p), front (2 Mp)	rear (13 Mp; video 1080p), front (5 Mp, video 1080p)	rear (13 Mp; video 4K), front (2 Mp, video 1080p)
Overall dimensions	142 x 73 x 8.1 mm, 145 g	139 x 71 x 8.9mm, 143g	140 x 69 x 7.9 mm, 120 g	149 x 77 x 7.9 mm, 147 g	151 x 79 x 8.3mm, 168g
average price	T-10725078	T-10505130	T-10632117	T-10516952	T-10545574
Samsung Galaxy S5 offers	L-10725078-10

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC), 4-core Krait 400, 2.5 GHz
• GPU Adreno 330, 578 MHz
• Operating android system 4.4.2 Kitkat
• Touch display Super AMOLED, 5.1 ″, 1920 × 1080, 432 ppi
• RAM (RAM) 2 GB, inner memory 16 GB
• Support for microSD memory cards up to 128 GB
• 2G, 3G, 4G networks (LTE Cat.4, up to 150/50 Mbps)
• Bluetooth 4.0 BLE / ANT +
• USB 3.0, OTG, MHL
• Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac HT80, MIMO (2 × 2), point wi-Fi access
• NFC, infrared
• GPS (A-GPS), Glonass
• Camera 16 MP, autofocus, LED flash, video UHD (4K) 30 frames / s
• Camera 2 MP (front)
• Accelerometer, gyroscope, distance sensor, compass, barometer, Hall sensor (magnetic field), light, gesture (infrared), fingerprint sensor, heart rate sensor
• Dust and moisture protection according to IP67 standard
• Li-ion battery 2800 mAh
• Dimensions 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm
• Weight 145 g

Appearance and usability

As already mentioned, the new model of the Galaxy S series has become significantly larger in size than the previous one. It feels like the smartphone has finally crossed that invisible line called "a little more, and there will be too much": now the device has become really bulky and surprisingly heavy. For a shirt pocket, for example, this is now certainly an inaccessible guest, although, of course, people who have firmly decided to follow the path of life with a "shovel" at the ready, in size new Galaxy S will not feel anything out of the ordinary. It is still smaller than the Galaxy Note 3, although the difference is already minimal. And nevertheless, it is still unclear why it was necessary to do with practically identical screens new model so much more than the previous one. In the Galaxy S4, the side frames, for example, are only 3 mm wide, while in the Galaxy S5 they suddenly grew to 4 mm, the same applies to the upper and lower parts of the frame - they also suddenly became much wider, although the screen itself is practically not in size has changed.

Concerning appearance, here the developers clearly adhere to a single design line: metal and leather, leather and metal - they are now used in all mobile devices companies (including numerous wearable gadgets). The only pity is that with the sky-high prices at which the current flagships are sold, the company was greedy to provide real leather - maybe then these devices would look really stylish. But no, as in previous times, ordinary molded plastic is used here to create the appearance that the back of the smartphone is made of leather. The texturing on the plastic differs from that of the Galaxy Note 3: here they used a kind of pseudo-embossing, as if a pattern of numerous dots was squeezed out in the skin. Looks nice and fresh, at least better than the glossy plastic that has long adorned the surfaces of all Galaxy S and Galaxy Note.

As for the metal, it is not here either: the shiny "chrome" bezel along the entire perimeter of the case (exactly the same as in previous models, only with a different pattern) is a sputtering on plastic, not real metal. This bezel, by the way, also became much wider and even thicker, adding weight to the smartphone as a whole.

The surface of the rim is quite slippery - due to it, as well as due to the considerable mass, it is rather inconvenient to lift the device from the table surface, since the fingers do not feel a confident grip.

The back cover can be easily removed from the case and just as easy to put on - it is traditionally fixed on several plastic latches, there is a barely noticeable ledge for engaging with a fingernail. The cover hides the slots for the SIM-card and the memory card, located in a "sandwich" one above the other.

Below they arranged a compartment for a removable battery - it supports cards, but the memory card can still be replaced with a hot one. The device uses only one SIM-card, Micro-SIM format, microSD memory card can be used here up to 128 GB.

In the back of the smartphone there is a square window of the camera module, it is quite large in size, next to it there is an LED flash. Below in the recess are the eyes of the pulse sensor. The heart rate sensor camera is recessed into the body, and it also has its own backlight - a small LED element illuminates the vessels of the finger attached to the camera, while it counts heartbeats. Even below there is a hole for sound output from the calling speaker with a twig slightly curved outward, and all this is decorated with a silver chrome logo of the company.

The front panel has not undergone significant changes - it is a completely recognizable element of all Samsung mobile devices. It stands out, first of all, for its elongated mechanical key under the screen, which this time has received additional functionality. This button is also responsible for scanning a fingerprint - now no one can blame Koreans for not having a golden smartphone with a fingerprint scanner. Unlike the iPhone scanner, here you can't just put your finger: you need to slide it along the key, and even at the right speed - if you hurry, you can fail. In this regard, the iPhone scanner looks preferable: not only you do not need to move your finger, but you can also put your finger on the button at any angle, which allows you to hold the device with any convenient grip. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S5 scanner, you will have to hold the device with one hand and slide the other over the sensor, which is very tedious, and most users will most likely simply turn off this function.

The touch buttons next to the mechanical one have a bright white backlight with customizable lighting times, which is commendable. Above, above the screen, you can see a longitudinal slot in the protective glass for the sound out of the earpiece, next to it you can see the eyes front camera and sensors. There is also a notification LED, which shines in different colors depending on the charging status and incoming events - its functions can be configured: disabled or activated separately.

There are two buttons on the side faces of the device: on the left - volume control, on the right - on and off. Large metallized keys of all Samsung smartphones have a soft stroke and a distinct pressure, they are perfectly located blindly, and in general, in this regard, the products of the Korean company are one of the best on the market.

At the top, one comfortably located next to one another a headphone jack (3.5 mm) and an infrared transmitter eye, which serves to control various equipment as a remote control. Corresponding proprietary software called Smart Remote moves from model to model - of course, it is also available here. The functionality of the Smart Remote program is at its best: it is not only able to connect a smartphone using an infrared port to any equipment, but also can act as an interactive program guide.

At the bottom, the USB 3.0 connector is covered with a metallized cover with a rubber gasket - it protects the smartphone from dust and moisture getting inside. Yes, yes, the new flagship of the Galaxy S line has finally got IP67 dust and moisture protection. In principle, it also had previous model, but there it was a separate branch of the line called Galaxy Active. Protection in the Galaxy S5 is arranged in the same way as there: a rubber seal was glued to the inner surface of the back cover, and the connectors are closed with special plugs. It's nice that every time you put on back cover or the plug is removed from the Micro-USB connector, the smartphone itself reminds you to close the protective covers (the reminder can be turned off).

And finally - about the most pleasant: now a new color has appeared in the arsenal of the Galaxy S line - golden. In addition to it, there are three more colors on sale that have already adorned Samsung's flagship devices (for example, the Galaxy S3). Traditionally, they have been given romantic names: Charcoal Black (Black), Sparkling White (White), Electric Blue (Light Blue), and Copper Gold (Golden). For additional decorations, in particular a keychain or a strap, no fasteners are provided.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone is equipped with a Super AMOLED sensor matrix. The screen dimensions are 63 × 113 mm, the diagonal is 5.1 inches, the resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels. Such a parameter as the density of pixels per inch is here equal to 432 ppi - the density of pixels is very high.

Outside the screen is covered protective glass... The thickness of the side bezels from the edge of the screen to the edge of the body is about 4 mm, the bezels are not very narrow, they were smaller in the previous model.

The brightness of the display can be adjusted manually, or you can use automatic adjustment. The multitouch technology here allows you to process up to 10 simultaneous touches. The screen can be operated with gloved hands, and at the same time it becomes more sensitive to any touch, so in the settings prudently left the possibility of turning off this function. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that locks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear.

Detailed expertise using measuring instruments conducted by the editor of the sections "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the brightness of the reflected objects, there is a very effective antiglare filter, surpassing the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply the Nexus 7) screen filter in terms of reducing the reflection brightness. For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Samsung Galaxy S5, then they can be distinguished by their size):

Due to the slight difference in the color tone of the reflection and borders, it is difficult to visually assess the amount of decrease in the brightness of the reflection, however, statistics from the graphical editor show that the screen of the S5 is indeed slightly darker than that of the Nexus 7. The doubling of reflected objects is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, maybe a little better than that of Google Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 340 cd / m², the minimum was 2 cd / m². Despite the not the highest brightness value, even in bright daylight, the smartphone can be used, since an effective anti-glare filter helps out. You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the lighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. For example, when displaying white on half of the screen, the maximum brightness when manually adjusted increases to 360 cd / m². The low brightness mode allows you to use your smartphone without any problems even in complete darkness. Works automatic adjustment brightness by the light sensor (located to the right of the front speaker). You can make adjustments to the operation of this function by moving the setting slider from −5 before +5 units. Further, for three conditions, we give the screen brightness values \u200b\u200bfor three values \u200b\u200bof this setting - for −5 , 0 and +5 ... In total darkness in automatic mode the brightness decreases to 4, 9 and 16 cd / m², respectively (a bit dark), in an office lit with artificial light (about 400 lux) the brightness is set to 100, 180 and 270 cd / m² (acceptable), in a brightly lit environment (corresponds to bright daylight outdoors, but no direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) - increases to 420-425 cd / m² for all three correction values, which is higher than the maximum when manually adjusted and should be sufficient to ensure readability in the sun. In principle, the result of this function is as expected. When the brightness decreases, modulation appears with a frequency of 240 Hz. The figure below shows the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time (horizontal axis) for three values \u200b\u200bof brightness adjustment:

It can be seen that at maximum brightness, modulation is practically absent (the amplitude is insufficient for visual discernibility of flicker), but at medium and low brightness, the relative amplitude of modulation is high, therefore, image flickering can be seen in the test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with fast eye movements. Depending on individual sensitivity, such flickering can cause increased fatigue.

This smartphone uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix based on organic LEDs. A full color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a micrograph:

(For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs of screens used in mobile technology.)

For such matrices, Samsung has introduced the name PenTile RGBG... The manufacturer considers the screen resolution for green subpixels, for the other two it will be two times lower. The arrangement and shape of the subpixels in this variant is the same as in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen. This PenTile RGBG version is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and green subpixel stripes. Nevertheless, some uneven contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. For example, when displaying a black-and-white world one pixel apart (the original can be taken from here), the vertical lines look uneven, and the horizontal lines are low-contrast and are separated not by white, but by a greenish gap. A fragment (the original photo is available at the link) of the macro photograph reveals the reason:

It can be seen that the vertical lines have a black gap and that the sum of the colors of the subpixels can be considered white, but due to the red subpixels on one side, there is some unevenness in the lines. In the case of horizontal lines, there is neither white gap (there are green subpixels), nor black (there are red and blue subpixels). However, these artifacts are of purely academic interest, since it is extremely difficult to visually distinguish such small details in a mobile environment. As a result, the resolution margin levels out the "peculiarities" of the PenTile RGBG matrix.

The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although white color takes on a slight tint when deviated to relatively large angles, but black is just black at all angles (although reflection from bright objects has a bluish halo more elongated horizontally, which is why there are black areas in the light may lighten slightly and acquire a "metallic" tint). So black that the contrast setting is simply not applicable in this case. The uniformity of the white field is excellent when viewed from a perpendicular view. For comparison, here are some pictures showing the same images on the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the second competitor, with the brightness of the screens set to about 210 cd / m². White field perpendicular to screens:

Excellent uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field can be noted. And the test picture (in the Standard):

The color reproduction is clearly not bad, but despite the conventionality of the forced color balance in the camera, set at 6500 K, you can see that the colors of the S5 are clearly "colder" and have too high saturation. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen. White box:

The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed is doubled in comparison with the previous two photos), but in the case of Samsung, the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. And the test picture:

It can be seen that the colors did not "float" on all screens and the brightness of the Samsung S5 at an angle is noticeably higher.

The switching of the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the on (and less often off) front there may be a step (or two) 16.7 ms wide (corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is how the dependence of brightness on time looks like when switching from black to a shade of 25% (by the numerical value of the color) and vice versa:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to trails that follow moving objects, but at normal use it is almost impossible to see these artifacts. Quite the opposite - dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some "jerky" movements.

The ability to customize the color rendition is implemented on the page with a choice of profiles, one of which implies some kind of automatic adjustment (profile Adapt Display):

In case one of three fixed profiles is selected, except for the profile Dynamic, built on 32 points with equal intervals according to the numerical value of the shade of gray, the gamma curve did not reveal any blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the indicator of the approximating power function is equal to 2.28-2.30, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve practically does not deviate from the power-law dependence:

For profile Dynamic The gamma curve has a slightly S-shaped character, which increases the visible contrast of the image. Recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - decreases for light images in general and increases for dark ones. As a result, the obtained dependence of brightness on the hue (gamma curve), most likely, does not correspond a little to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of shades of gray on almost the entire screen. This dynamic picture is enhanced when the option is selected. Auto tuning screen brightness... Below are the dependences of brightness on time, obtained when switching from black to white and vice versa with the option turned off and on. Auto tuning screen brightness:

In the second case, the brightness begins to decrease after some time. The picture is slightly darkened, but the energy is saved a little.

Color gamut in case of profiles Dynamic, Standard and Professional photography very wide and almost covers Adobe RGB coverage:

When choosing a profile Cinema the coverage shrinks to the sRGB borders, but still remains a little wider:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In case of a profile Cinema with maximum correction, the color components are already slightly mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide gamut, the colors of conventional images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. This can be seen in the above photos. However, a visual assessment showed that when choosing a profile Cinema saturation is noticeably reduced to bring colors closer to natural. The screenshot after selecting this profile is shown below:

Unfortunately, the most recognizable shades - skin, for example - are still slightly oversaturated.

The gray scale balance is imperfect, but generally acceptable. Color temperature in profiles Dynamic and Standard significantly higher than 6500 K, in the other two it is close to 6500 K, while this parameter does not change very much on the gray scale from white to dark-dark gray. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units for most of the gray scale, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, and also changes slightly:

(In most cases, the darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

To summarize: the screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and a very effective anti-glare filter, so the smartphone can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. It is permissible, but in bright light, it is even recommended to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works more or less adequately. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating and close to standard color balance (when choosing the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color, excellent uniformity of the white field, less than that of LCDs, a drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. The disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness, which appears at medium and low brightness values. Users who are particularly sensitive to flicker may experience fatigue as a result. However, the overall screen quality is very high.

Sound

In sound terms, the smartphone is about the same as the Galaxy S4. The sound is moderately bass, low frequencies are not deprived, clean in the entire range, but not so loud - there were also louder devices (HTC One or Oppo Find 5, for example). The grille for sound output is cut into the back wall here, so the sound is muffled when the device is on the table. In the conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, lead telephone conversations Samsung Galaxy S5 is quite comfortable.

The handset offers a choice of three preinstalled players for playing music: Google play Music, Yandex.Music and Samsung's own player. All sound effects when playing melodies by a proprietary player are combined by a technology called SoundAlive - although some of them are available only with headphones connected. The same goes for the sound optimization function. There are a lot of various virtual effects, they are combined here into a matrix of squares, you can experiment for a very long time.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S5 is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 16 and 2 megapixels. The front one takes pictures with a maximum resolution of 1920 × 1080, and it also shoots video with the same resolution.

The main rear camera is equipped with a new 16-megapixel module with ultra-fast autofocus (focusing in 0.3 s), stabilization, one-section LED flash and the ability to shoot videos in UHD resolution (4K). In addition to one trendy feature - 4K video recording - there is another one used here: as in the latest Sony Xperia Z2, there was a selective focusing option, which allows you to select a specific part of the image, leaving the background blurred. That is, now you no longer need to use special lenses and lenses to create a shallow depth of field (DOF) effect.

When shooting in automatic mode, which is set by default, photos are taken at 5312 × 2988. I really liked the design and organization of the new camera control interface. Here, as in the case of the audio settings menu, everything is divided into equivalent cells, each of which is always in sight, interactive, their drawing is clear, the entire menu is perfectly visible even in the brightest sunlight. In general, the settings menu for camera control turned out to be perhaps the best on the market in terms of ease of access to all functions and general clarity.

The camera can shoot video in UHD (4K) resolution, there are several resolutions to choose from, up to a maximum of 3840 × 2160. In the settings, traditionally for the latest top models of the mobile market, there are also slow-motion and fast-motion modes. Examples of test videos are presented below.

• Movie # 1 (189 MB, 3840 × 2160, 4K)
• Movie # 2 (58 MB, 1920 × 1080, 1080p)
• Movie # 3 (123 MB, 3840 × 2160, 4K indoors)
• Movie # 4 (71 MB, 1280 × 720, slow motion)
• Movie # 5 (4 MB, 1920 × 1080, accelerated)

Examples of photos with our comments are presented below.

	The image sharpness is good.
	Sharpness is also good across the frame.
	Small details are worked out well enough.
	The camera does not do so well in backlighting, but the exposure is good.
	On thin lines, you can see small waves from the noise reduction - but only on closer inspection.
	In low light, noise can be discerned - however, relatively small.
	The camera handles noise in the shadows well. True, the detailing suffers a little from this.
	Macro in low light the camera manages well, but it is worth using the stop because of the relatively long shutter speeds.
	In good light, the camera does well in macro photography.
	Another example of a good macro.
	The text is well done, but slightly damaged. However, it is possible that the camera works more accurately with smaller text.
	Panorama stitching is almost perfect. Only dynamic objects suffer, which is quite natural.

	Illumination ≈1300 lux. The camera is doing very well.
	Illumination ≈460 lux. The situation remains practically unchanged.
	Illumination ≈240 lux. Noises become noticeable, especially their processing.
	Illumination ≈240 lux, flash. The flash noticeably improves the situation, almost returning the original resolution.
	Lighting<1 люкс. В темноте камера не справляется.
	Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка. И в темноте вспышка отрабатывает очень хорошо.

First of all, it is worth noting that now the camera has a 1 / 2.6 ″ sensor, and not just a higher resolution, while earlier smartphone cameras were awarded only 1/3 ″ matrixes (not counting Nokia), or even less. until Sony decided to install a 1 / 2.3 ″ sensor in the Xperia Z1. So Samsung, following Sony, began a slow but steady movement towards improving image quality. And, I must say, the result is already visible to an inquisitive eye.

First of all, you can already see good work with noise. Their processing still leaves much to be desired, but if you do not consider the images pixel by pixel, then noticeable strong color noise in the shadows is practically not visible. Of course, this is the result of the noise reduction, but the higher resolution allows it to work more subtly, and the increased size of the sensor slightly reduces the likelihood of strong noise. Of course, we will not indulge in arguments about the pixel size (similar to HTC) and the supposedly resulting camera qualities, but the increase in the sensor definitely bears fruit. Secondly, the image detail has improved, which is also the merit of a higher resolution and an enlarged sensor.

I would like Samsung to improve the noise reduction, then the camera can already be compared with ordinary compacts. Although even without this, she shows herself very worthily, and it is clear that they have worked hard on her. The camera optics work fairly smoothly across the entire field of the frame and on all shots. Of course, it would be strange to see flaws in the flagship in such places, but we have already encountered this. Sharping can only be found if you know where to look. The only thing that really cannot be called ideal is the work of the noise control - such a processing result looks very archaic in the images of a modern flagship.

Based on the results of shooting the stand, we can conclude that the actual resolution of the images is probably not the highest, but we have already mentioned that in this case this is far from the main characteristic, especially in the vicinity of such values, since the resolution can be high, but at the same time not quite natural. Nevertheless, the camera resolution is quite decent. It is also worth noting the good work of the flash, and the sensor, which works out quite stably in different lighting conditions.

In general, the camera is made very decently, almost at the level of compact cameras. Of course, there is something to work on in it, and in general there is much to strive for. But even in its current form, it is well suited for shooting documentary and feature stories.

Telephone part and communications

The developers put special emphasis on the communication capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S5: the smartphone operates in the fifth generation of Wi-Fi 802.11ac networks with support for 2 × 2 MIMO mode - in this mode, data can be received and transmitted in two streams, that is, up to two times faster than in the first generations of 802.11ac compatible devices. In addition, the device provides support for a large number of 4G (LTE) frequencies and speeds corresponding to the LTE Category 4 standard - up to 150 Mbps. With the SIM-card of the domestic operator Megafon, the smartphone in practice confidently finds and works with the LTE network.

In addition, the smartphone has support for the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band and the NFC standard. As a standard, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels, there is a Wi-Fi Direct mode. The navigation module works both with the GPS system (with A-GPS) and the domestic Glonass. The speed and quality of the GPS module does not give rise to any complaints: the system works quickly, reliably, the navigation module finds the first satellites almost instantly, and even indoors.

No spontaneous reboots / shutdowns were observed during testing. The screen of the smartphone is large, so the drawing of letters and numbers of virtual keyboards is quite comfortable for control. It is very convenient that there is a dedicated top row with numbers - you don't have to switch the layout every time. But the layout itself and the arrangement of the keys are not the same as those of others: instead of just pressing the dedicated button with the image of the globe, here you have to switch the language layouts by side scrolling with the spacebar, which is certainly less convenient. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, when dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. Support for continuous writing by sliding is here, but the ability to move the keyboard closer to one of the edges, as on the Galaxy Note series tablet phones, is not here.

OS and software

The system uses the Google Android software platform of the latest version 4.4.2 (Kitkat) and the proprietary graphic user interface TouchWiz, the appearance of which has undergone changes. He became, according to the new fashion, more "flat", which obviously did him good, although the traditional Asian luridness remained. The appearance of the settings menu has changed: now all icons have the appearance of absolutely identical circles and they are located in the form of a single long list. But, of course, the display of the menu can be changed, bringing it to the old view with vertical tabs. In this case, there will be no longer four of them, as before, but as many as six. In general, I liked the new look of the interface and the settings menu more than the old one: everything is combed, ordered, symmetrical, working with various subsections of the menu has become more intuitive. The menu of installed applications has not undergone significant changes, but now you can display a special button on the home screen, clicking on which opens a context menu with quick access to the most popular applications. The notification menu has received two additional dedicated oval buttons to quickly navigate to the search throughout the smartphone and enable the function of quick connection to familiar devices.

Another one has now been added to the various ways to lock the smartphone: you can lock the screen using your fingerprint, the scanner of which is built into the center key under the screen. To successfully memorize the texture of your fingertip, you need to swipe the sensor at least eight times, after which you will also have to come up with a standard digital code in case the finger remains unrecognized within five attempts. It's a shame when the developer also imposes restrictions on the personal password you create: an attempt to limit yourself to a digital password failed - you need to intersperse numbers with letters.

By the way, the security issue has been strengthened in the Samsung Galaxy S5 with another innovation: now, due to the appearance of the "Kids" mode, you can open access only to certain permitted programs, and then calmly entrust the device for 30 thousand rubles to play the child.

Since we are already talking about games, it is worth noting that we have tested such games as Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt 8 on a smartphone - no problems with their playback were found.

Another specific mode of operation has been added to the smartphone, which the developers themselves talked about a lot at presentations. In fact, this is the usual energy-saving mode, which any built-in program for saving energy in mobile devices has, just Samsung brings its smartphone to complete "exhaustion" in this mode. When the maximum power saving mode is activated, not only all network interfaces are turned off, but also the graphical interface of the shell turns black and white, and the number of applications allowed to work is strictly limited. Naturally, in this mode the smartphone can "work" much longer (who would doubt it), but this work will be carried out in a very limited framework.

One of the central applications pre-installed in modern top-end Samsung smartphones, which developers constantly remind of, is a program for tracking their own health called S Health. The program has a wide range of functions useful for improving health: a pedometer, exercise recording, nutritional control, etc. Now the application not only received the new version of S Health 3.0, but also acquired additional functionality in the form of a dedicated hardware heart rate counter. In principle, some programs have previously tried to count heartbeats using an ordinary smartphone camera, but now they have allocated a whole block with a small camera and backlight for this. You need to put your finger on the recess in the back of the smartphone, and then the program will count your heart rate. Naturally, this data is saved, processed and displayed in the form of graphs and tips for a healthy lifestyle.

Performance

The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S5 is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 single-chip quad-core system (SoC). The new platform has the functionality of the Snapdragon 800 with a slightly higher frequency of processor cores: the chip version was limited to 2.36 GHz.

The processor is supported in graphics processing by the same Adreno 330 video accelerator, but an increase in frequencies can also be seen here: the GPU is already overclocked to 578 MHz instead of 450 MHz. About 12 GB (out of 16) of the device's own memory for the user's needs is initially available, the amount of RAM here is 2 GB - in this regard, surprisingly, no build-up has occurred, while Sony has equipped its newest flagship with three gigabytes. random access memory. MicroSD memory cards are supported in this model, you can also connect external flash drives, keyboards and mice using a special adapter in OTG mode.

Since the most powerful and the most productive of the competing serial platforms is now SoC MediaTek MT6592, which is configured with eight full-fledged processor cores [simultaneously] operating at a frequency of up to 2 GHz, it is logical to include its results in the comparison first of all. Recall that recently we released a review of the powerful TCL Idol X + smartphone, which is based on the maximum version of this platform. Also, of course, it is worth adding to the comparison the results demonstrated in the same tests by the previous version of the Qualcomm platform - Snapdragon 800, on which all top smartphones of last year work. However, the most important battle today will still not take place, because the main competitor of the hero of today's review, the flagship smartphone Sony Xperia Z2, also built on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, has not yet reached our test lab. In the near future, we will definitely compare it with the data obtained today from the Samsung Galaxy S5.

To get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe performance of the tested smartphone platform, let's run a standard set of tests.

All the results obtained by us when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks, we have summarized for convenience in tables. Several other devices from different segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain behind the scenes - due to the fact that they once passed the "obstacle course" on previous versions of test programs.

Testing in MobileXPRT, as well as in the latest versions of AnTuTu 4.x and GeekBench 3:

The testing results are as follows. As for the competing MediaTek MT6592, the latest Qualcomm system (Snapdragon 801) coped with it in all respects. In general, this is not at all surprising when you consider that the previous version of Snapdragon 800 coped with it. As for the comparison with Snapdragon 800, according to the results of all tests, there was practically no real gain: all the same maximum 35K points in AnTuTu, and in other benchmarks the difference is scanty - within the margin of error.

By the way, with regard to these very resulting figures: since the smartphone being tested today is a landmark device, and the rest will be equal to it throughout the year, it is probably worth recalling the fresh alignment of forces. Based on the figures of the popular AnTuTu benchmark, it looks like this: eight MediaTek MT6592 cores with a frequency of 2 GHz demonstrate 31K points in this test (26 thousand points for the eight-core Zopo 998 and THL T100S with a lower frequency of processor cores - 1.7 GHz), and about 35 thousand - in top smartphones such as LG G2, Sony Xperia Z1, Acer Liquid S2 and now Samsung Galaxy S5, built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800/801 hardware platform. Two main conclusions emerge from all these comparisons: TCL Idol X + is the first smartphone on the MediaTek platform, which managed to get close to the leading solutions on Qualcomm, albeit due to twice as many processor cores. And the second: the new version of the top-end Qualcomm platform practically did not bring an increase in performance, although this microscopic superiority allowed it to even more firmly gain a foothold on the podium as the undisputed leader among platforms for mobile devices. According to the above, the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 platform is currently one of the most powerful smartphones on the planet.

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

The results of testing the graphics subsystem in the gaming test Epic Citadel, as well as Basemark X and Bonsai Benchmark:

The lag in the Mali-450MP4 video subsystem is still noticeable: this video accelerator produces about 47 fps in those test modes in which the Adreno 330 produces 60 fps.

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for the benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can be truly correct only in the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices, it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it.

With video playback on the Samsung Galaxy S5, things are not as smooth as we would like. Surprisingly, this is one of the rare smartphones in which the popular MX player flatly refuses to start with the Hardware + decoder, and more often than not, this is the only option that saves the situation when the standard player cannot play the audio track of the file. That is, in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S5, in order to normally play three out of five of our test files (MKV), you will have to use a software decoder (at least to decode audio - the video can be decoded by hardware) - neither Hardware nor Hardware + , nor, of course, the standard video player decoder is not capable of playing these widespread network file types with sound. And this is a clear drawback, because we have a solution with a large and high-quality screen excellent in all respects and maximum performance, which could become an excellent multimedia assistant. By the way, Galaxy Note 3 also has similar problems - we hope that with the release of updates for MX Player, the situation will somehow change. By the way, top smartphones LG and Sony always have complete order in this plate, because even with their own hardware they are able to play all the files presented, not to mention support for all modes of the MX player.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Native video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720 × 400 2200 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720 × 400 1400 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 3000Kbps, AC3
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 4000 Kbps, AC3	plays normally, sound only with software decoder (Hardware + not supported)	video plays fine, no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920 × 1080 8000Kbps, AC3	plays normally, sound only with software decoder (Hardware + not supported)	video plays fine, no sound¹

¹ the sound in MX Video Player was played only after switching to software decoding (mode Hardware + not supported); the standard player does not have such a setting

Additionally, the MHL interface was tested. To test it, we used an LG IPS237L monitor that supports direct MHL connection using a passive Micro-USB to HDMI adapter cable. Recall that Samsung has implemented its own version of this interface at the physical level. As a result, to connect an external device via MHL, you need to use special adapters or connect standard MHL adapters through simple passive adapters. In this case, we carried out the test using a proprietary Samsung adapter, while the MHL output was carried out at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels with a frequency of 60 fps.

In the portrait orientation of the smartphone, the display of the image on the monitor screen is also carried out in the portrait orientation, while the image on the monitor is inscribed in the height of the screen, and wide black fields are displayed on the right and left. In this case, the actual resolution on the monitor screen is, of course, lower than the resolution on the smartphone screen. In landscape orientation of the smartphone, the display of the image on the monitor screen is carried out in landscape orientation, while the image on the monitor is inscribed within the boundaries of the screen and exactly matches the image on the smartphone screen. An exception is the startup screen, which is displayed only in portrait orientation:

MHL sound is output (in this case, the sounds were heard through headphones connected to the monitor, since there are no speakers in the monitor itself) and is of good quality. At the same time, at least multimedia sounds are not output through the loudspeaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume is controlled by buttons on the smartphone body. Basically, in the smartphone settings, you can select the sound output mode - stereo or surround. However, in our case, the monitor only received stereo sound, so there was no choice. The smartphone connected via MHL is charging.

To test the output of video files on the screen of the device itself, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped to determine the nature of the frame output of video files with different parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and the frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In the tests, we used the MX Player video player in the Hardware mode, as there were many artifacts in the Hardware + mode. The results of this test (block labeled Smartphone Screen) are summarized in the table:

Note: If both columns Uniformity and Skips green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and skipping of frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is high, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with a more or less uniform alternation of intervals, and there are no frame drops. The smartphone can even display 4K files up to and including 30p. However, uniform frame interleaving is a relatively unstable state, since some external and internal background processes lead to periodic failure of the correct interleaving of intervals between frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the edge of the screen, one to one pixel by pixel, that is, in its original resolution (adjusted for some PenTile features). The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed. However, dark scenes may not look very good, as the darkest shades differ too much in brightness and color tone, which can lead to overly noticeable compression artifacts.

With a monitor connected via MHL, during video playback with a standard player, the video file is displayed only in landscape orientation, while only the video file is displayed on the monitor, and only information elements and virtual controls are displayed on the smartphone screen.

The results of the monitor output tests are shown in the table above in the "MHL (output to the monitor)" block. The output quality is very good. When playing video files with a resolution of Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) on the monitor screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly on the edge of the screen, maintaining the true proportions, and the resolution corresponds to the Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the monitor is equal to the standard range of 16-235, that is, in the shadows and highlights, all shades are displayed.

The takeaway is typical: an MHL connection can be used for gaming, watching movies, displaying web pages, and other activities that benefit from the exponential increase in screen size. True, you will have to purchase an adapter specifically for Samsung or find an appropriate adapter.

Battery life

The lithium-ion battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S5 has a good capacity by modern standards, but not a record 2800 mAh. Accordingly, in terms of battery life, the device showed very good results, which we traditionally summarized in a comparative table.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
Samsung Galaxy S5	2800 mAh	17h 20m	12h 30m	4h 30m
TCL Idol X +	2500 mAh	12h 30m	7h 20m	3h 00m
Lenovo Vibe Z	3050 mAh	11h 45m	8h 00m	3h 30m
Acer Liquid S2	3300 mAh	16h 40m	7h 40m	6h 00m
LG G Flex	3500 mAh	23h 15m	13h 30m	6h 40m
LG G2	3000 mAh	20 h 00 m	12h 30m	4h 45m
Sony Xperia Z1	3000 mAh	11h 45m	8h 00m	4h 30m
Samsung Note 3 N9005	3200 mAh	22h 30m	14h 00m	4h 45m

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m2) lasted more than 17 hours until the battery was fully discharged, and when continuously watching YouTube videos in high quality (HQ) with the device lasted 12.5 hours with the same brightness level through the home Wi-Fi network, in 3D games mode the smartphone withstood 4.5 hours worthy for such a screen, and really pleased with such stability: its predecessor Galaxy S4 at first was very overheating and with These tests do not work well, and only with the firmware update the situation returned to normal. With the new flagship, even now, before the start of sales, no problems were found in this regard, and by the way, the device heats up much less than its predecessor.

Outcome

Summing up a Samsung Galaxy S5 review is both easy and difficult. It's easy, because perhaps no one needs to explain to anyone why the flagship smartphones of the Korean company are deservedly among the best on the market. And what makes them stand out is not only the combination of top-end technical characteristics and maximum performance, there is also something else. It seems to us that the company is one of the few who are not ashamed to spy on users' desires. For most manufacturers, this always remains only unfulfilled pretentious slogan promises, and in practice, no matter how much users cry about something, they will never get it. But the Koreans have a completely different point of view on this matter; they readily satisfy any customer desires. Want a removable battery? - Get it. Need a memory card slot? - Yes, for God's sake, we do not mind! Suddenly you fell in love with the golden color? - Here, and we now have a golden smartphone. And with such simple actions, coupled with high-quality product quality and huge production volumes, the Korean company managed to climb to the very top of the mountain, pushing many along the way, and simply throwing some off the cliff. Survival is the one who knows how to adapt, and this is what Koreans do best.

As for the hero of today's review, here we can say with confidence that he has become a worthy successor to the flagship line. An excellent screen, powerful hardware, full technical completeness, good battery life and maximum functionality, a few added features like a heart rate monitor and a fingerprint scanner are all worthy of praise. Although, we must admit that in the fifth Galaxy S there were not so many notable innovations that one could rightfully call it a completely new model, in terms of design and appearance, so for sure (in this regard, by the way, there was even a kind of decline: the smartphone has become heavier, larger, rougher - everyone admits it). It’s even surprising how the Koreans didn’t call this model Galaxy S4s - such a “letter modifier”, which has already become generally recognized, denoting an improved version of the model, would be more appropriate here. But this is all just a little confusing.

What's really depressing is how Samsung is pushing the prices of its top smartphones. It seems that the Koreans no longer even remember that prices can sometimes vary somehow - they got to the 30,000 mark with the previous flagship and now put the same price tag on all subsequent models as a matter of course. The tricky thought in the minds of entrepreneurs is, obviously, this: "The first time they will complain, but the next time they will be glad that they did not raise the price even higher." And so, by the way, it happened: now users are already happy that the price of the new flagship at the start of sales was not raised higher than that of the previous one. This is very alarming, and of course, against this background, it is difficult to recommend such a device for purchase: it is certainly very worthy, but for many, Samsung products may not be affordable right now. Did we think about five years ago that we would talk like that in the future about the products of this Korean company?

The Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE is perfect in many ways. It takes into account the successful experience of the first four generations of the series, as well as corrects their shortcomings. As a result, the 5.1-inch smartphone retained its recognizable design, but received an original back cover with a textured surface resembling leather. The body of the smartphone has been certified for the degree of protection i67, which indicates complete protection from dust penetration, as well as the possibility of short-term immersion of the device in water to a depth of 1m.

Specifications provide for any wishes

Even some laptops can envy the powerful quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC with a frequency of 2.5GG, 2GB of RAM, graphics of the highest quality, a magnificent SuperAMOLED display producing an absolutely realistic picture - the main components of the success of the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Internet surfing becomes a pleasure

The devices of the flagship segment have special requirements, for example, support for the LTE wireless standard. Samsung Galaxy S5 not only has this ability, but also received a special accelerated download mode, which combines the efforts of Wi-Fi and LTE networks, which allows you to download even high-resolution videos in a matter of minutes.

No barriers to creativity

The Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE smartphone will captivate photography enthusiasts with its 16MP high-speed focusing camera and selective autofocus that mimics the capabilities of a DSLR. In portraits, the background is beautifully blurred, making the subject in the foreground stand out. Another amazing feature is the HDR mode, which is useful when shooting a dark subject against a light background, or vice versa. It evens out lightness and contrast for high-quality, lifelike images.

Does perfection have disadvantages?

Some users refer to them as the size of the Samsung Galaxy S5 - too big for a smartphone, as well as the high price, which is compatible, however, with the quality.

Samsung Galaxy S5 powerful quad-core novelty in a slim elegant body with protection from dust and moisture, the smartphone can also detect fingerprints using the built-in scanner. The smartphone runs on the latest Android 4.4.2 (Kitkat) operating system and is equipped with a powerful 2.5 GHz quad-core processor. Of the new features of the Samsung Galaxy s5, it can be noted that the smartphone is not only waterproof, but also withstands a 30-minute immersion in water up to 1 meter deep, it can also detect fingerprints and read the pulse thanks to the heart rate sensor located on the back of the smartphone. Bright screen Samsung GALAXY S5 enlarged to 5.1 inches Full HD resolution with a high density of pixels per inch 432, this is one of the characteristics that distinguishes the smartphone from previous models of this line. The display is brighter than the Samsung s4 with excellent viewing angles, excellent sunlight readability and a plus. For taking photos, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is equipped with a 16 megapixel camera with support for LED flash, autofocus and a 2 megapixel front camera. The Galaxy S5 also shoots high quality video with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels at 30 frames per second. The smartphone is powered by a powerful battery with a capacity of 2800 mA * h, which ensures the operation of the Samsung Galaxy s5 up to 21 hours of talk time and up to 390 hours of standby time, it is worth noting that despite the fact that the phone is protected from water, the battery is removable and plus the ability to turn on if necessary, power saving mode. The technical characteristics of the Samsung GALAXY S5 include: 2 GB RAM, 16 GB built-in memory, support for microSD memory cards up to 128 GB, 4G networks, support for A-GPS / GLONASS navigation, USB 3.0, fingerprint scanner, video recording in UHD format 4K 3840 x 2160 pixels. Samsung Galaxy s5 turned out to be powerful, fast, reliable with numerous functions, built-in sensors, excellent performance and pleasant design.

Just the other day, the general public was presented with a new flagship smartphone model from Samsung - Samsung Galaxy S5. This model is of interest to all fans of Samsung, and not only. As soon as I got the opportunity to touch this device, I immediately decided not to miss this opportunity and review it.

For many gadget lovers, especially those who love Samsung mobile devices, the Galaxy S5 has been a highly anticipated device. Many so-called Galaxy S5 concepts have been posted online, in which designers, engineers and analysts have displayed their vision of this device in pictures. Everyone was looking forward to the appearance of something supernova, changes, etc. And the template design of Samsung is simply boring for everyone, I want innovations, because users have already eaten this evolution of model updates.

As many remember, there were a lot of opinions about what exactly Samsung would implement: a curved display, a new metal case, a new design, improved technical capabilities and much more. But many believed that there would be a revolution, not an evolution. Nevertheless, by and large, it is worth saying that Samsung did not live up to these expectations and hopes. Well, I ran ahead of myself, let me first tell you about everything in order: unboxing and packaging, technical specifications, review, and at the end I will share my general impressions of the Galaxy S5 and unfulfilled hopes. Let's start the review!

Samsung Galaxy S5 Unboxing

Starting from the box, the Samsung Galaxy S5 has no changes. All the same recycled ecological material styled like wood. Nature lovers and environmentalists will undoubtedly be happy with this trend, but as for me, this is all rather controversial. The box is compact and convenient as always, despite the fact that all the accessories are like herring in a barrel.

Today, in test models, the delivery set is as follows:

Quick Start Guide - instructions and recommendations for using the device;

Charger adapter- the so-called DATA cable plug;

DATA-cable - USB-microUSB cable;

Headphones- wired headset for voice communication and listening to music.

That's actually all the equipment. As we can be sure, the Galaxy S does not change its traditions, the standard delivery set. Now let's move on to the technical parameters of the Galaxy S5.

Samsung Galaxy S5: specifications

The characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S5 do not differ from its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S4, as clearly as it was between the fourth and fifth models, however, there are some differences. Further, in order to have more complete information and for a full review, I will list the technical characteristics and parameters of the Samsung Galaxy S5.

So, Samsung Galaxy S5 includes:

Screen: 5.1 inches with Super AMOLED technology, screen resolution 1920 × 1080, which corresponds to Full HD format, aspect ratio 16: 9.

CPU: 8-core, x4 - 1.9 GHz and x4 - 1.3 GHz;

RAM: 2 GB;

Phys. memory: 16 GB built-in and up to 128 using memory cards;

Camera: main - 16 Mp, photo resolution 5312 × 2988, 30 frames / s, front - 2 Mp;

Communication: GSM, Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth, LTE;

operating system: OC Android 4.4.2;

Navigation: GPS and GLONASS;

Battery: 2800 mAh;

Extra options: Fingerprint sensor, cardio center, waterproof, infrared (for device control).

Now let's analyze the parameters of the Samsung Galaxy S5.

CPU... Compared to the previous version of the Galaxy S line of smartphones, the professor's nuclearity has not changed, all the same 8 cores. This processor can easily overcome any tasks of a smartphone, especially those related to watching movies and games.

Memory... As for the RAM, here the S5 also did not please S-mans with something new, 2 GB remained. The physical memory remained unchanged, nevertheless, 16 GB of internal memory is quite enough for undemanding users, and they have not yet acquired a memory card to use the device. As for memory cards, I would like to draw your attention especially here. Samsung Galaxy S5 supports microSD cards up to 128GB! This is really happiness for those who were limited to 64 GB, now you can load your smartphone with twice more information.

Camera... I can't say anything bad about the camera, on the contrary - the camera in the device is such that even many cameras will envy. The quality of the photos and their resolution, as well as the quality of the video, are excellent. Having a flash in your device will help improve the quality of photos in poorly lit rooms.

Communication... As for the means of communication, there is the whole range of modules that are needed today, including navigation services.

operating system... For some reason, Android 4.2.2 is installed as the firmware of the smartphone, and not the latest 4.4, which is due to this - I did not manage to understand. But the proprietary Samsung TouchWiz shell has been significantly redesigned visually, but I'll talk about this a little later.

Now let's get down to the review itself.

Smartphone overview

This is one of the first reviews of the Galaxy S5 in Russian in runet, since the smartphone has just been released. Therefore, all the problems I have noticed in the work can subsequently be corrected, and to this I want to draw your attention to the fact that the existing errors are an "echo of a novelty".

So, finally, the long-awaited Galaxy S5 is in my hands. At first glance, the smartphone has not changed much in appearance: the display is almost the same, the body is flat, there are no visual innovations except the back cover. The back cover is made in the form of plastic under the skin, with dots somewhat reminiscent of the evolution of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, where the back cover was also made under the skin.

The body itself, according to my feelings, has increased in size, as it seemed to me even in weight. Immediately I was alarmed by the bezel of the smartphone, which looks very shabby. The South Koreans cannot solve the issue with this edging in any way, nevertheless, they are constantly winking about the back cover. The edging is plastic again. The Galaxy S5 itself is not a continuation of the Galaxy S4, but a special incarnation of the Note 3.

The display screen, as always, is very bright and has a rich palette of colors, there is nothing more to say. Samsung's TouchWiz shell, which is, in fact, an add-on to Android, has slightly changed. The icons have become more beautiful and neat, minor updates to the shell interface are quite beautiful and visually pleasing. In general, such a refreshment is very pleasing, since everything commonplace in the Galaxy S lines has already been eaten.

Now I would like to say a few words about the operation of the device. To be honest, with such a filling, I did not expect any slowdowns, but they are. This is very strange and not like Samsung's flagship versions. Given the parameters, this is most likely a hardware error, which will definitely be fixed in the next update of the operating system.

The smartphone has the ability to save energy. By activating this mode, the screen turns black and white, all "unnecessary" services and applications are disabled. There is only a limited set of options, but savings are guaranteed. According to the creators, with 10% of the battery charge, it will work for about a day, if you need a phone and there is no way to charge it - very well.

Water resistance... A new feature from Samsung is the device's water resistance. That is, if you drop your smartphone into water, for example, in a bowl or bathroom, then we can say with confidence that it will remain alive, as for water bodies and the sea, then there is a very controversial situation. Nevertheless, the developers of the device advise not to use or test this device feature unnecessarily. In general, as experts said, this function is largely done in order to protect the device while talking in the rain.

The fingerprint scanner... The embedded fingerprint scanner is nothing more than borrowing technology from its main competitor. Nevertheless, no one canceled the patent policy, so Samsung had to work hard to distance itself from plagiarism as much as possible, so they implemented it all through the central Home button. The function turned out to be completely inconvenient in practice, since it is inconvenient to scan with one hand with a finger, it will be necessary to shift the phone to the other hand every time. The usefulness of this innovation is highly questionable, as a way to unlock, but it is useful for encrypting messages and notes.

Cardiocenter... Another new smartphone feature that caused skepticism in me is the cardio center. Who will actually need it is unclear, but it seems to be working fine.

Download booster... Finally, I cannot fail to note a very interesting function that allows you to simultaneously use LTE and Wi-Fi, which makes it possible to double the download speed.

Overall impression of the device

In general, the smartphone left me positive emotions, but not the same as its predecessor. As for the price, it will be about $ 1000, relative to the current rate it is somewhere around 35-36 thousand rubles.

The Samsung Galaxy S5, the characteristics of which were discussed above, are not very different from the previous Samsung Galaxy S4, so personally I see no point in buying a new device. If you are attracted by the sensors that have been incorporated into the phone, then the answer is obvious. The technical parameters of the device have not changed significantly, and as for the support for memory cards with a volume of up to 128 GB, so few people need such a volume, and besides, memory cards of this volume will cost quite a lot like a whole hard drive. To solve the problem with the missing space, you can use cloud storage and high-speed Internet.

Personally, I think that at one time, and this is a year ago, the Galaxy S4 looked much more interesting and evolutionary than the Galaxy S5. Changing Galaxy S4 to Galaxy S5 is definitely not worth it.

Video review Samsung Galaxy S5

Below we would like to present to your attention a short video review of the Samsung Galaxy S5, in which you can visually familiarize yourself with the look and operation of the new gadget.