Comparer Samsung Galaxy S5 Et S4

TechRadar Verdict

Powerful, competent and a decent UI at launch, information technology'due south withal a risk ownership such an erstwhile telephone fifty-fifty though the cost is much lower.

Pros

+
Good screen
+
Strong bombardment life
+
Powerful for the money

Cons

-
Creaky design
-
Cumbersome software
-
Slow background de-focus

Update: Looking for an affordable S5? Cheque out our curated choice of the all-time Samsung Galaxy S5 deals.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 can be defined past one discussion: development.

The camera was evolved to give clearer, faster snaps. The fitness-tracking abilities of the S5 are enhanced over the Galaxy S4 by packing in a more than powerful S Health app and a defended center rate monitor on the rear. A fingerprint scanner adds to the almost secure Galaxy telephone ever made.

The battery is larger, the screen bigger and brighter, the processor quicker and the design altered.

The spec sheet certainly doesn't let it down: a 2.5GHz quad-cadre CPU, 2GB of RAM, a ii,800mAh (removable) bombardment, 16 / 32GB of memory (with up to 128GB actress through microSD), i of the globe's most vibrant screens that's been extended to 5.1-inches and added biometrics.

Samsung Galaxy S5 review — Mud still penetrated the casing

However, it's hard to point to one stand out feature that will grab the prospective user when they handle the Galaxy S5 for the first time.

And at present it's been in the market place for a long time, and most places aren't fifty-fifty stocking it thanks to the fact the Milky way S6, Milky way S7 and now, the Samsung Milky way S8 have emerged to accept the mantle of flagship from Samsung, and both offer a much better feel and pattern.

Samsung Milky way S5 price

If you're thinking of notwithstanding picking the Galaxy S5, it'll set yous back £190 in the UK, with the refurbished or 2nd manus markets the place to get your hands on it.

It'll be nigh $220 for the same affair, and AU$350. It's a pretty woolly place out there when it comes to ownership the Galaxy S5 as near places are running out of stock, so yous'll be brash to store around.

The thing is, it's packed with much older tech than other phones that cost the same, and it won't be getting an Android Nougat, nor will it receive Android Oreo, thanks to phones powered past Google'south OS having a much shorter software upgrade bike.

So really think almost buying something similar the OnePlus 3T instead - yous'll be glad you've got something a fleck newer.

OK, let'due south get back to the original review. The phone does all the same have a lot going for it for the budget-minded and there are some things to consider if you lot're going for the older model.

Already sold? Check out the all-time Samsung Galaxy S5 deals here

The messaging around the launch of the Galaxy S5 was that Samsung had listened to the consumers and dialled down the gimmicks, focusing instead on what makes a phone special to the consumer.

It promised a 'fashionable' and 'glam' blueprint, a photographic camera that works in the fashion you'd want information technology to and forcefulness through existence water resistant.

There'due south also the pocket-sized notion of an improved version - I was told that it was very likely the Galaxy S5 was going to launch with a Samsung Milky way S5 Prime number version in February, with oodles more RAM, a faster processor and QHD screen on board.

Nevertheless, that was pushed back (likely to do with bug in creating the screen in high enough volumes) and has since appeared in the South korea-just Samsung Milky way S5 LTE-A version. This one has a Snapdragon 805 CPU, a WQHD screen and all the high finish features you lot can wish for. In short, it'due south the amazing phone I wish Samsung had announced originally and sold all over the world.

You tin can always wait at the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, a smaller telephone with equal power to the primary Galaxy S5, but with a lower-res 720p screen. That'southward offset past a metallic design, although only around the edge of the phone - and Samsung has gone once over again for a light weight, rather than making it experience weighty and ergonomic in the hand.

That phone has a premium design fused with power under the hood - simply with a sky high cost and the lower-res screen.

Is the Alpha better than the S5? Bank check out our Samsung Milky way Alpha review to find out.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha — The new Galaxy Alpha, with a metal frame

And if yous desire something a little smaller, then the Milky way S5 Mini is still available in some places too. It's a lot like the bigger brother, and the specs have only been dialled downwards slightly. It's not quite got the raw ability only the design aesthetic is at that place and the heartbeat monitor as well - well worth checking out if yous don't want to spend as much.

But plenty of the contest: let'due south look at one of the primal questions that Samsung needed to answer with the Galaxy S5: is it skillful enough in market that's condign saturated with decent high-terminate handsets?

The simple answer, from the 2d you lot hold it in the hand, is no – because the pattern simply isn't up to the same level as the likes of Apple and HTC.

That'due south only a small part of the story though, and underneath the hood Samsung has continued its play of stuffing all the latest specs in and optimising them in a way that doesn't suck downward oodles of battery.

Was this phone skillful enough to keep Samsung fighting with Apple at the top of the sales charts? Yes, but that'southward generally through the impressive marketing machine that rolls out in every territory - and even that hasn't led to the greatest sales for the new phone.

This seems to have been picked up by the market at large given that Samsung recently reported that information technology has sold around 40 per cent fewer S5 handsets than it did with the Galaxy S4 at the same bespeak in its lifecycle.

The Due south Korean giant has responded to the news by stating that information technology plans to take a closer look at its smartphone strategy and concentrate on toll tiers rather than high end handsets.

Critically, and for the purposes of this review, it feels similar at that place's very little to shout about with the Galaxy S5 – but perhaps that'due south no bad matter for a brand that was accused of bringing pointless innovation with last year's model.

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Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff author on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until condign Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well every bit representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can diameter anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance also as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED Tv.