Samsung Galaxy Gear Hands-on and Overview

source: Droid-life

The Galaxy Gear smartwatch from Samsung, along with the Galaxy Note 3 (review here), were the two biggest announcements the company made during September’s Unpacked event in Berlin (and New York City). It was already known that Samsung would more than likely be unveiling a smartwatch at the event, but it was very uncertain as to what it would look like or what it would be capable of. Without getting into all of the leaked images and phony rumors, it’s safe to say that we weren’t expecting anything this good looking. 

The Galaxy Gear sports a 1.63″ Super AMOLED display (320 x 320 resolution), an Exynos CPU clocked at 800MHz, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of onboard storage, two microphones, a speaker, a variety of sensors, a 315mAh battery, and even a 1.9MP camera built into the strap. It’s an amazing little machine, one that pairs quite well to the Galaxy Note 3, and soon some other Galaxy devices once they get updated software.

We will be doing a full review this week of the Galaxy Gear, but for now the below hands-on video will have to hold you over. We promise to have the full review up soon, but those impatient types, I can go over a few points right now that will basically sum up what the full review will be.

samsung galaxy gear

The display is quite lovely, offering up some great colors and viewing angles, although we wish its built-in wake sensor was more sensitive for when we want the device to turn on with a simple wrist lift. As of right now, you have to over exaggerate your wrist-up motion if you expect the display to come on automatically. It’s not bad, but you just look goofy when performing the motion.

The battery is okay, lasting about a full day of good usage. While that may sound disappointing, this is exactly what I expected from just a 315mAh battery. I mean really, that’s pretty tiny for something with a full color display that you are supposed to utilize dozens of times throughout a day. The camera is okay, but just okay. It’s decent for snapping quick pictures of meals or anything not in need of a full-blown camera, but the photos are not worthy of writing home about. It is only a 1.9MP sensor after all.

On the other hand, the Snapchat app works incredibly well in a pinch. Taking calls is a lot of fun on Gear, but please don’t do it in public; you will look silly. The speaker is loud and the mic works quite well. So far, I have had a fantastic time using the watch, and get compliments quite often when I take it out on the town.

For more Galaxy Gear action, check out the full gallery and hands-on video below. That should tide you over until our full review later this week. If you have questions or want us to touch on something specific, shoot it down below in the comments section.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Pre-registration Sign-ups Hit 300K+ on T-Mobile

Source: droid-life

Word from T-Mobile is that the company has reached 300,000+ pre-registration sign-ups for the Galaxy S5 from Samsung. Sign-ups began the day the phone was announced, which was only a week and a half ago. While signups won’t exactly translate to exact sales, it’s still an impressive number of people who are interested in the Galaxy S5. 

We have heard our readers, and apparently, the phone hasn’t lived up to all of the hype. Do they ever? It’s easy to be disappointed when for months, rumors of QHD displays and crazy retina scanning software were supposed to be on-board. In that same note, there is still a murmuring of a “higher-end” Galaxy S5 in the works. We will just have to keep the faith that Samsung has another trick up their sleeves.

Who is for sure picking up a Galaxy S5? Is it the phone of your dreams?

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 5S: Which smartphone should you buy?

Source: Extremetech

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 5S:

Design

The Galaxy series of devices are always getting bigger, but the increase in size is less substantial this time. The Galaxy S5 has a 5.1-inch screen with slim bezels that keep it from being too ungainly — 72.5mm across. The back is made of plastic with a dimple pattern that reminds many of a Band-Aid. It might not be the most elegant look, but it provides some much needed grip.

Apple’s devices have always been more slim than Samsung’s, and the difference is only becoming more stark as Android handsets continue to scale up. The iPhone 5S has a 4-inch screen and is only 58.6mm across. It’s much easier to use one-handed, but the tradeoff is screen real estate. The iPhone has an aluminum composite frame that feels very solid and keeps the phone from being too hefty

Another aspect to consider is Samsung’s new water and dust resistant design. Last year there was a separate product for this feature (the GS4 Active), but now the Galaxy S5 can be dunked and splashed with no consequences. The removable back panel has a rubber gasket that seals the sensitive components, and there’s a cover on the USB 3.0 port to keep water out. The Galaxy S5 is rated IP67, which should keep it dry for up to 30 minutes in a few feet of water, but Samsung encouraged potential buyers at its announcement not to push it that far. Still, compare that to the iPhone 5S with its warranty-voiding water sensors that can be triggered by the most miniscule amount of moisture.

Both devices include a fingerprint reader under the home button, but Apple has a more futuristic sort of implementation than Samsung. Samsung included a familiar swipe reader in its home button, so users have to drag straight down across the button to be recognized. The iPhone’s Touch ID system can learn and recognize your fingerprint when you lay a finger flat on the button, which is much more convenient when you’re pressing it. Watch the video below to see how clumsy the Samsung implementation can be.

Samsung ups the ante by including a heart rate sensor on the back of the phone. It plugs into the S Health app and it might actually get a lot of use — your finger is only a few centimeters from the reader, after all.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 5S: Cameras

The iPhone 5S packs an 8MP rear-facing camera that routinely produces some of the best images available on a smartphone. It’s not just the stellar back-side illuminated sensor that makes that happen, it’s the two-stage flash that keeps objects from looking blown out or too dark when ambient light is low.

Samsung bumped the Galaxy S5 up to a 16MP sensor from 13 in its last flagship. One of the issues with a 16MP image sensor is that it can take a long time to acquire the image. Samsung has partially rectified that by using an advanced technique called phase-detect autofocus. This lets the Galaxy S5 focus on its target in 0.3 seconds, which should close the speed gap considerably.

Samsung has also added the option to capture 4K video with the Galaxy S5. At that point you’re just left worrying about the amount of storage space being eaten up on the GS5′s limited internal storage — it doesn’t help that Samsung leaves you with less than 8GB to work with on the 16GB model.

The 2013 Android flagships like the HTC One and Galaxy S4 were vast improvements over past Android devices, but Apple was still the clear winner in overall image quality. This year, Samsung might have the right combination of features to win this matchup. Early impressions suggest that Samsung’s camera is very good indeed, but we need more time with it before declaring an absolute winner.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Sony Xperia Z2: Specifications Comparison

Source: Ibtimes

Earlier in the week, Samsung announced the much-awaited smartphone Galaxy S5 at the Unpacked 5 event at Barcelona.

On the very same day and the place, Japanese rival Sony at the MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2014 event launched the company's marquee phone Xperia Z2, kick starting the battle of flagship smartphones early on in the year.

With Sony set to release the Xperia Z2 to stores across the globe this month, the Japanese company is expected to get a head start against its competition Galaxy S5, which is scheduled for global (150 countries) release only in the second week of April.

To give a clear perspective on the devices, we compiled a list of standout features of two smartphones.

Here is brief comparison of Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2:

Design and Display:

Sony Xperia Z2 sports an identical design language seen in its predecessor, sans a slimmer body, with a little bump in the display foot-print. It flaunts an aluminum rim on the 8.2 mm thick edge and features standard IP55/58 water and dust-proof certifications, which enables the phone to survive five feet under water for close to 30 minutes.

In terms of display, the Xperia houses a full HD (1920x1080p) IPS screen with 424 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution and also boasts of 'Live Colour LED' technology and also the Sony's proprietary TRILUMINOS and X-Reality for mobile picture engine technology

On the other hand, Galaxy S5, despite featuring a polycarbonate-based body, comes with a discernible change in terms of build quality, compared to its ancestors. It features dust and water-resistant IP67 certifications (can survive only up to three feet under water for half an hour) and perforated back cover, which adds value by giving a good grip to the phone.

Galaxy S5 flaunts an energy efficient 5.1-inch Super AMOLED full HD (1920x1080p) display with rich display contrast, having pixel density of close to 432 ppi.

Processor, RAM & Storage:

Both Sony and Samsung smartphones houses same Snapdragon 801 series based SoC (System on Chip) manufactured, but differ in CPU speed.

Xperia Z2 features Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AB chipset which can top CPU speed up to 2.3GHz, whereas Galaxy S5's processor MSM8974AC has a maximum clock rate of 2.5GHz.

However, Sony compensates the smartphone's CPU speed with the sumptuous 3GB RAM and 16GB GB (expandable up 64GB) storage space enough to run power guzzling 3D motion games with less lag.

Galaxy S5 packs 2GB and comes in 16GB/32GB inbuilt memory with options for expansion up to 128GB.

Samsung is also expected to release an eight-core Galaxy S5 variant with Exynos 5422 chipset (with 2.1 GHz quad-core Cortex-A15 and 1.5 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7) in select market.

Mobile Operating System and Interface:

In this aspect, Samsung and Sony smartphones stand even as both the devices run on same Android OS platform (v4.4 KitKat). But with

Camera:

Like all its high-end predecessors, Xperia Z2 comes with top-notch camera features. It boasts of Sony's proprietary G Lens and the intelligent BIONZ image-processing engine, Exmor RS sensor, LED flash, HDR (picture/video), image stabilizer and is also capable of recording 4K Ultra HD video recording (twice the vertical and horizontal resolution of 1080p full HD format).

Samsung's Galaxy S5 has seen some improvements compared to its predecessor, but if placed beside competitors like Nokia and Sony, there is still scope for improvement.

It features a 16.0-megapixel main camera with auto-focus speed of 0.3 second (world's fastest as claimed by the company), 4K resolution video recording ability and advanced HDR (High Dynamic Range) features.

Both Sony and Samsung phones house pretty decent front camera capable of snapping good quality 'Selfies' and full HD 1080p video recording.

Value added features:

Samsung Galaxy S5:

- Finger print sensor

- Inbuilt hear-rate sensor

- Kids mode, private mode, Download booster, S Health v3.0 apps

- IP67 water and dust-resistant certifications (can survive only up to three feet under water for half an hour)

- 2800 mAh battery with Ultra Power Saving Mode can run smartphone up to 390 hours under standby mode.

Sony Xperia Z2:

- Good build quality with Aluminum chassis and shatter proof and scratch resistant shield on the display.

- IP55/58 certifications (the phone can survive water jets and function five feet under water for close to 30 minutes).

- Camera comes with Sony's patented G Lens and BIONZ BIONZ image-processing engine which are usually found in expensive DSLR cameras.

- 3000 mAh battery with STAMINA mode can power the device for 740 hours in idle state.

Samsung Galaxy S5 preview: simpler in some ways, more 'glam' in others

Source: Engadget
Once a year, Samsung takes some of its best material and slaps it together into a premium flagship model called the Galaxy S. While 2014's version -- the S5 -- came a bit earlier in the year than some earlier iterations, we're no less excited to see it become the star of the show at Mobile World Congress. The new device will ship in April (on stage, Samsung specifically mentioned that it launches on April 11th in 150 markets), although exact pricing and availability are still unknown. It features a refreshed design language, yet anyone who has used a GS phone recently will immediately recognize it as a Samsung flagship.

Despite its familiar design, the GS5 has a few new useful hardware features, including a fingerprint scanner, heart rate sensor, and a toned-down TouchWiz UI on top of Android 4.4 KitKat. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all, however, was that Samsung didn't overload its prized new smartphone with a heaping dose of new S-branded features. This is a marked departure from the company's previous strategy of cramming in every software feature under the sun, which leads us to wonder if this is related to Samsung's recent agreement to dial back the customization it does on Android devices. So what else is new here? Read on for a deeper dive.

The new Galaxy retains the same 1080p Super AMOLED panel as the GS4; it's just slightly larger, at 5.1 inches. With this in mind, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the viewing experience is pretty much the same as its predecessor. Additionally, the GS5 comes with a swappable back cover, microSD slot and removable 2,800mAh battery, which has a higher capacity than last year's model. It's also IP67-certified, which adds an element of water and dust resistance never before enjoyed by Galaxy S users (unless you count the GS4 Active, that is). As a result, the micro-USB 3.0 port at the bottom is protected by a tab that keeps water from getting inside.

Samsung says the back of the GS5 is "leather-like," which basically means it's a fancy-looking polycarbonate build. While the company already uses similar design language for the Galaxy Note 3 and Note 10.1 2014 edition, the look and feel is slightly different; it's not quite as soft as the new Notes, and its small dimples actually remind us of the original Nexus 7. Though the sides have a metallic finish, company reps confirmed they're actually made from a blend of polycarbonate and glass fiber. Still, we're more confident of the durability here than we were with many of Samsung's previous Galaxy phones.

One of the biggest talking points for the GS5 is that new fingerprint scanner. It's easy to see this as a response to Apple's Touch ID implementation in the iPhone 5s, and while it's hard to say if that was the primary motivation for the new feature, Apple's not the only manufacturer to have integrated a fingerprint scanner, and we're sure it won't be the last. In this case, Samsung's scanner, which works by swiping your finger down over the home button, has a few handy use cases. In addition to the obligatory phone unlock option, it also lets you fingerprint-protect a private data locker on your phone, in case you have confidential information you don't want getting out there. Samsung also announced a partnership with PayPal which allows you to make online payments using the fingerprint method. In our limited time with the GS5, I noticed that the phone picked up my fingerprint most of the time, as long as I did it slowly enough -- if you're in a swiping hurry, your chance of success will likely drop. Unfortunately, we're still waiting to hear back on exactly how Samsung will implement security and privacy concerns with the scanner, so we'll update you as soon as we know more details.

The other major new hardware feature is the heart rate sensor, which is built into the same rear module as the LED flash. It works in conjunction with S-Health 3.0, which acts as a personal life coach of sorts. To monitor your pulse, hold your finger up to the sensor and leave it there while the phone does the rest of the work. As you continue to do this more often, S-Health remembers your history and even goes through the effort of graphing it and offering up other relevant information. It also acts as a pedometer and food monitor. Samsung plans to offer an open SDK for developers to incorporate the tech into their own apps.

Of course, Samsung also put some emphasis on the camera as well. In this case, the GS5 comes with a 16-megapixel sensor that features UHD recording capability and real-time HDR (both photos and video) and a couple new modes that we're excited to review. First, Samsung is introducing a selective focus feature that's much like Nokia's Refocus Lens, in which you can change the depth of field on an image after it's taken. Additionally, it also has "Shot & More," which is essentially your standard suite of best photo, eraser and drama; the GS4 had the ability to do these modes, but the difficulty was in the fact that you had to know exactly which mode you wanted to use before taking the shot, whereas now you'll be able to sort those details out after the shot is taken so you're not wasting extra time. Lastly, there's also a 2.0-megapixel camera on the front.