Samsung's new flagship Galaxy s5 smartphone is probably the best model in this impressive family of phones.
The Galaxy phone stands out for its impressive hardware and features, and the s5 raises the standard.
Improvements include moreresponsive 16-
Megapixel camera simplifies access to useful controls and effects, built-in batteries can withstand the test of long power outages, and excellent display determination makes you dazzling both indoors and outdoors.
On the other hand, some new features, including the fingerprint scanner and the heart-
Rate Monitor, The Edge is a bit rough.
I find it often takes multiple attempts to get the promised job done.
I have been using a News sample of Galaxy S 5 for a few days.
Here is my impression of some of the features that I highlighted in my early preview last month.
Our engineers are now testing the phone and will have a full review soon.
My informal observations suggest that the Galaxy s5 camera is the winner.
The control responds quickly and the image is clear and natural.
One of the first things I noticed was how fast it took photos, and our engineers confirmed that it was faster than the fast shutter on the s4.
This is impressive in the Human Development Report (
High Dynamic Range)
Mode, often-
Improve the automatic setting of photos in bright sunlight and shadows.
In this mode, many of the phone cameras I use take more than one second, but the s5 only takes one second.
Another advantage: it will show you a preview of the photo in HDR mode before taking it.
The controls are easy to use and require fewer menus to access many features of the camera.
The "gear" icon in the lower left corner of the viewfinder opens a 12-
Array of buttons for images-
Quality Settings, and the mode button takes you to halfdozen effects.
The most useful of these modes is taking and more, which takes a series of photos a few seconds apart.
There are a few things you can do in this mode.
These include choosing the best from the group;
Delete passers-by who may have entered your photo by mistake;
Or choose the best facial expression from a few photos to take a "perfect" photo.
I also found that the camera was able to focus quickly and clearly on fast-
Moving objects like someone jogging towards me.
A feature/effect that photo professionals and artists will appreciate is selective focus, which allows you to focus on topics within a few feet, further themes or unlimited (
Distant objects such as mountains in the background).
Switching between the focus to be compared is easy so you can decide which element you want to focus on and then share that version.
It may take a little time to have a chosen focus to master, and you need a stable hand.
But this is the price of creating sharp works.
Galaxy 5. 1-
With the exception of 0, the Inch 1080x1920 Super oled display looks like a Galaxy s4 monitor. 1 inches wider.
Samsung's SuperAMOLED display performs well in our indoor and outdoor tests, and the s5's display seems to be better, especially in terms of outdoor lighting.
Not only can I read the text and touch
Screen control is easier, but when I watch the photos in direct sunlight, I can also see more details in the photos.
Find the right smartphone using our phone purchase guide and rating.
The Galaxy s5 supports the ip67standard, which requires it to withstand 30-
Make a one-minute slam dunk in more than 3 feet of the water.
It also runs underwater and is an advantage for anyone who wants to get in and out of the pool with a new phone.
When I accidentally put it in a sink full of hot soapy water, I went through a more practical application.
It's been working.
Warning: make sure the back cover of the phone is firmly open and the USB port is plugged in.
Otherwise, all bets are gone.
The Galaxy S 5 2,800 mAh battery provided me with a heavy weekend-
On duty before asking for top-up.
Even so, due to its USB 3, I was able to fully charge in over an hour. 0 port. (
You need to use the special charger that comes with your phone. )
More importantly, according to Samsung, when you don't have juice and can't find a power supply, the battery can squeeze out up to 8 days in standby mode.
When you turn on power saving mode, the Galaxy s5 will cut off its wireless connection in addition to sending and receiving voice calls and text messages.
The monitor also switches from color to more efficient Gray-scale mode.
But even in this "survival" mode, you can use the camera's LED as a flashlight for a short period of time.
The fingerprint scanner for the Galaxy s5 allows you to unlock your phone with a swipe instead of using a PIN or password and verify the payment on Paypal.
You can also use Isis email
The wallet app pays at the point of sale by colliding the phone with a special terminal.
Although there are very few stores with this capability at the moment, Isis is getting banks, retailers and AT&T, T-
Mobile and Verizon (
Google Wallet support).
You need a special SIM card with security elements to work, which I don't have, so I can't try this feature.
In any case, I don't think it's important because I found that the fingerprint scanner is not easy to use.
First of all, the display needs to be turned on and you need to be careful and accurate to drag your finger to an area at the bottom of the display (
The display shows the position of the finger. )
The scanner usually takes several attempts to identify my finger.
In contrast, I rarely get problems with the iPhone 5S Touch ID scanner, which unlocks the phone even if the screen is in sleep mode.
Check out our review of the new Samsung Gear Fit smartwatch.
I rarely bring a phone during exercise (
I rarely exercise but it doesn't matter)
But the Galaxy S 5 might encourage me to do both at the same time. It has a rear-
Sensor installed next to the main camera LED flash.
When you put your index finger on it, you should see your heart rate on the phone display.
When used with the attached S-
Health apps, sensor data, and data from other sources can help apps suggest changes to everyday life to help you achieve your fitness goals quickly and safely.
The fitness app and pedometer are running well.
But like a fingerprint scanner, it's hard for me to get my heart
Give me a rate monitor for reading.
It often takes multiple attempts, which makes my heart race more intense.
This is a feature designed to help you if you are in a car accident or other emergency.
As promised.
Pressing the power button of the Galaxy s5 three times triggers several actions that will be transmitted as five separate messages to multiple contacts of your choice, including 911.
They include information on the map showing your location and coordinates, photos taken with front and back cameras, and recordings.
One thing to note when using this feature is: Make sure you tell your friends that you have put them on your list.
I didn't let my wife know, so I surprised her with such a notice.
Needless to say, I have a lot of explanations to do.
S 5 seems to be Samsung's best Galaxy smartphone so far, thanks in part to the dazzling display and smarter camera, when things don't go as planned, you can click on some handy "survival" features.
However, Samsung engineers may want to look at the biometric scanner for the phone. —
Mike GikasCopyright©2005-
US 2014 Consumer AllianceS. , Inc.
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