Is The Samsung Galaxy S5 Still Worth Buying?
GalaxyS5 , News , smart phones / January 22, 2015

Originally released April 11, 2014 in 150 countries, the Galaxy S5 is one of the Samsung’s best-selling smartphones. According to the International Business Times, the South Korean company shipped more than 10 million units within a 25-day period. But the mobile industry changes rapidly, with newer and faster devices being released on a monthly basis. So, is the Samsung Galaxy S5 still worth buying today? With Samsung expected to release the Galaxy S6 later this year, many people would say “no,” the Galaxy S5 is not worth buying. After all, why would you spend several hundred dollars on a smartphone when its successor is right around the corner ? To better answer this question, though, you must first look at the device’s specs and how they fare against other market-leading smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a 5.1″ Super AMOLED display with 1080 x 1920 pixels covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It’s not the largest the display on a smartphone — especially when compared to the Google Nexus 6’s 5.96″ screen — but most users agree that it feels right. At just over five inches, it’s large enough to watch videos, play games and perform other operations, but it’s…

Galaxy S6 Rumored To Sport 4GB RAM, Dual-Edge Display
Galaxy S6 , News , smart phones / January 22, 2015

With the annual Mobile World Congress less than two months away, consumers and tech professionals alike are eager to see what new devices Samsung will unveil. Last year, the South Korean company announced the Galaxy S5 at the event. While there’s been no confirmation from Samsung, reports suggest it will unveil the next-generation Galaxy smartphone at the 2015 Mobile World Congress. Given the popularity of the Galaxy S5, it’s hard to fathom how Samsung plans to create an even better smartphone. However, rumors are beginning to pop up left and right, suggesting the upcoming Galaxy S6 features some surprisingly powerful components. As most loyal Samsung users already know, the Galaxy S5 featured 2GB RAM. This wasn’t the most memory used in a 2014 smartphone (Google Nexus 6 and several others used 3GB), but it serves its purpose just fine. According to a report published by the Italian news site Webtrek, the upcoming Galaxy S6 will feature not 2GB, not 3GB, but a mind-blowing 4GB of memory. Assuming this information is correct, the Galaxy S6 will boast the most RAM of any smartphone on the market. It’s important to note that this could be region-specific, meaning only certain Galaxy S6 units…

Samsung Unveils Galaxy A7 at CES
Galaxy S6 , News , smart phones / January 12, 2015

Samsung has unveiled its third smartphone in the Galaxy A series at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Featuring a bold 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy A7 is bigger than both the Galaxy A5 and A6. However, don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s uncomfortable to hold or use. With a thickness of just 6.3 mm, the Galaxy A7 is the slimmest smartphone in Samsung’s A series. It’s important to note that Samsung is offering two different versions of the Galaxy A7: a single SIM variant and a dual-SIM variant. The single-SIM Galaxy A7 will feature a 32-bit Exynos 5430 chipset, which actually uses four Cortex A15 cores and four Cortex A7 cores (making it an octa-core processor), while the dual-SIM version features the 64-bit Snapdragon 615 SoC, which also uses eight cores. Regarding the performance of these octa-core processors, it’s still early to make any definitive statements. However, experts say both variants of the Galaxy A7 will deliver impressive speeds. Dual-SIM smartphones have become a hot commodity in recent years, as more and more people need both a personal and business line. With compatible smartphones like the new Samsung Galaxy A7, users can setup…

Samsung Creates a Snowman Using The Galaxy S5
GalaxyS5 , News , smart phones / December 29, 2014

When Samsung isn’t busy developing the world’s greatest smartphones and other electronics, it’s playing in the snow, literally. The South Korean tech company recently published a promo video showing the start-to-finish construction of a snowman. But this isn’t your typical Frosty The Snowman; Samsung’s version is contains three Galaxy S5 units: two for the eyes and one for the heart. Granted, Samsung’s attempt to build a snowman is somewhat creepy. With digital eyes and a digital heart, it doesn’t exactly look appealing. Then again, this video was likely shot for promotional purposes, which it succeeded it. “To celebrate the Christmas spirit, we thought it would be fun to bring some life into a snowman and give it a pair of moving eyes and a beating heart. Initially, we were going to use some Christmas magic, but we just decided to the water (or snow) resistant Galaxy S5 to do it. So… do you want to build a (digital) snowman? Great, because we’ve recorded the whole process. Check it out,” wrote Samsung on its website. You might be wondering how in the world Samsung was able to build a snowman using three Galaxy S5 units. After all, wouldn’t the snow and…

Why The Galaxy S5’s Security Matters
News , smart phones / December 13, 2014

When the Samsung Galaxy S5 first came out, it was considered by many to be one of the most secure smartphones on the market. CNET had a nice breakdown of some of the anti-theft features worked into the phone, such as it being one of the first to have a built-in fingerprint scanner for improved personal security when opening apps and accessing programs. As with any new or improved smartphone features, it seems fair for users to question whether what was being advertised is actually necessary or just meant to boost sales and reviews. But in this case, the past year or so has seen smartphone security become more important than ever, as we increasingly trust our devices with personal information and financial handling. In fact, to emphasize just how great the need for top-of-the-line smartphone security is, here are a few examples of apps and programs that can leave you vulnerable if not protected properly. Banking Apps Banking apps are nothing new, but their capabilities have expanded significantly across the board. While these apps once existed largely to allow users to check on their accounts remotely, they now feature the ability to have complete control of bank accounts via…

Samsung Launches Galaxy Core Prime In India
GalaxyS5 , News , smart phones / December 11, 2014

The Samsung Galaxy Core Prime smartphone is now available to users in India. While Samsung has yet to officially announce its release, the slimmed-down variant appeared in listings from two different websites. So if you’ve been waiting to get your hands on the Galaxy Core Prime, and you currently live in India, now is the time to buy. According to GSM Arena, the Galaxy Core Prime is available for sale on Amazon India for Rs. 10,200 and eBay India for Rs. 9,380. In case you were wondering, Rs. 10,200 is roughly the equivalent of $164 USD, which of course is a faction of the cost of the standard Galaxy S5. There’s an growing trends towards budget-friendly smartphones, with Google releasing several different Android handsets priced at or below $100, and it now appears Samsung is entering the game with the Galaxy Core Prime. Being that it costs just $164, it’s safe to assume the Galaxy Core Prime comes up short when compared to the original Galaxy S5. Specs include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 4.5-inch display with 480 x 800 pixel resolution, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, microSD card slot for storage expansion, dual SIM card slots, 5-megapixel primary camera with LED…

Report: Samsung Sold 4 Million Fewer Galaxy S5 Units Than S4
GalaxyS5 , News , smart phones / December 10, 2014

Samsung may have overshot its expectations with the Galaxy S5. According to a new report published by the Wall Street Journal, the South Korean tech company sold 4 million fewer Galaxy S5 units than Galaxy S4 units. The report claims that Samsung sold 12 million Galaxy S5 units during the first three months of its release and 16 million Galaxy S4 units during thee first three months of its initial release. This is disturbing news for Samsung, who many people view as the leading smartphone maker. With sales slipping, we’ll likely see some changes occurring within the upcoming months. So, does this mean the end for Samsung’s smartphone business? Not by a long shot. Yes, Samsung experienced fewer Galaxy S5 sales than predicted, but it’s still a phenomenal smartphone that ranks among the leading mobile devices currently on the market. The Galaxy S5 had numerous improvements over the Galaxy S4, including the use of a dust/water-resistant IP67 shell. Samsung was one of the first smartphone makers to include such a design in its standard flagship smartphone — a move that attracted a large number of consumers. There’s a reason why you’re seeing more and more television commercials, radio adverts, and…

Unofficial Android 5.0 Lollipop Update Available For Galaxy S5 Sprint
GalaxyS5 , News , smart phones / December 3, 2014

Certain devices on certain cell carriers have already received the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S5 isn’t on the list, meaning you’ll have to wait a little bit longer to get your hands on Google’s largest and most comprehensive Android update. If you aren’t willing to wait, however, Galaxy S5 users on the Sprint network can download and install the unofficial update elsewhere. Warning: Read Before Installing Let me first start off by saying that downloading and installing any unofficial update, Android 5.0 Lollipop included, is a somewhat technical process — and for that reason, we don’t recommend attempting this unofficial update unless you’ve performed manual OS installations in the past. There’s an inherit risk of bricking your device if you happen to make a mistake, which is something no one wants to see happen to their Galaxy S5. If you aren’t comfortable installing manual OS updates on your Galaxy S5, hold off a little longer and you’ll likely receive Android 5.0 Lollipop over the air. Sprint, along with several other major cell carriers, are expected to release Lollipop within the upcoming weeks. Installing Unofficial Lollipop Update The folks over at XDA Developers forum posted a tutorial for…

T-Mobile To Offer $100 Off Galaxy S5 and Note 3
GalaxyS5 , News , Price , smart phones / November 20, 2014

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday right around the corner, you can expect to see some hot deals in the upcoming weeks. This makes November the perfect time to buy a new smartphone like the Galaxy S5 or Note 3. In fact, T-Mobile recently announced plans to sell both of these devices at $100 off their original price. But there are a few things you should know before you head out the door to your local T-Mobile store. The deal will begin on November 21, at which point customers who purchase either the Galaxy S5 or Note 3 will notice a $100 discount automatically deducted from the total price. This isn’t a standard mail-in rebate like many companies offer, but instead it’s an automatic, on-the-spot deduction. T-Mobile has the discount programmed into its computer system, so anytime a customer buys one of the devices he or she will see a $100 discount taken off the price. So, how much will the Galaxy S5 cost with the $100 discount taken into account? Unfortunately, we’re not quite sure on the total price, as T-Mobile failed to answer this in its announcement. The current sale price for the Galaxy S5 is $609.60 down,…

Galaxy S5 Rumored To Recieve Android 5.0 Update Next Month
GalaxyS5 , News , smart phones , Tips Corner / November 19, 2014

Samsung devices are usually last in line to receive major Android updates, which is partly due to the fact that Samsung uses its own TouchWiz skin on top of Android. While most users love TouchWiz and the simplicity it brings to the table, it requires further testing to ensure compatibility with new versions of Android. But there’s hope on the horizon for Galaxy S5 users looking to get their hands on the upcoming Android 5.0 Lollipop update. According to SamMobile, Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone will receive the update in early-to-mid December. The website states that unlocked international Galaxy S5 devices will receive the update first, followed by carrier-locked devices in specific regions. It’s important to note, however, that the timing of Android updates is ultimately at the sole discretion of the respective cell carrier. In other words, a cell carrier can delay the update by weeks or even months if they choose. Why would a cell carrier explicitly stop the new Android update from being sent to its customers? Well, there are several different reasons that may convince a cell carrier to take this action, such as the presence of a major vulnerability or bug. Or if the cell carrier…