The electronics retailer Best Buy announced earlier this week plans to sell an  electric blue variant of the Samsung Galaxy S5 starting on August 17. If you’re familiar with the Samsung Galaxy S5, you may recall seeing or hearing the name “electric blue” variant before. Well, this is because it’s already available overseas. It’s important to note, however, that the international version of the electric blue Galaxy S5 only features the blue color on the back; the front features the standard black. The Galaxy S5 was touted as the mobile industry’s leading smartphone with cutting-edge technology long before it was released — this hype left many people skeptical of whether or note Samsung would deliver through with its promises. When the Galaxy S5 was finally unveiled in Barcelona, Spain earlier this year, however, consumers and tech junkies alike were amazed at the device’s hardware specs and bundles software. In short, it’s arguably one of the best — if not the best — smartphone on the market. The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a bold 5.1″ display screen with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution and 432 ppi, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 16-megapixel primary camera, 2.1-megapixel secondary camera, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, and…

  We’ve known about Samsung’s upcoming premium Galaxy S5 variant for some time. It’s been called the Galaxy Prime, Galaxy F, and now the  Galaxy Alpha. While most people were expecting the South Korean company to wow us with high-end hardware and software specs, it looks like the Galaxy Alpha could be a little underwhelming. So, what’s the scoop on the Samsung Galaxy Alpha? SamMobile published a screenshot of Samsung’s developer console earlier this week (see image above), revealing a surprising display resolution of just 720p. Assuming the screenshot is correct, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha will run  720p resolution. Granted, that’s technically considered high-definition, but we were expecting higher resolution for its premium flagship variant. The launch-edition Galaxy S5, after all, features 1080p screen. It’s worth noting that the screenshot only reveals the name “Galaxy Alpha;” therefore, it’s safe to assume Samsung will call its new variant the Galaxy Alpha and not the Galaxy Prime or Galaxy F. Personally, I prefer the name “Galaxy Alpha” over the other suggested variant names. It’s catchy, simple, and it sounds dominant. But a name is only going to take the device so far, it’s up to Samsung to follow through with the hopes of consumers by…

Just one week after Samsung released its iPhone-mocking “Wall Huggers” video, the South Korean tech company has dealt another blow to Apple users in a new video titled “Screen Envy.” While Wall Huggers was designed to poke fun at the iPhone’s sub-par battery life, Screen Envy mocks the iPhone’s small screen. How much of a difference in screen size is there between the iPhone 5S and Galaxy S5? If you were to compare the two devices side by side, the difference would be night and day. The Apple iPhone 5S features a downright abysmal 4″ screen, whereas the Samsung Galaxy S5 boats an impressive 5.1″ screen. In other words, the Galaxy S5’s screen is over 20% larger! Apple is rumored to be working on a larger screen for its upcoming iPhone 6, but until then, the Galaxy S5 is the clear winner. Screen size is clearly a major selling point in the smartphone industry, as consumers want the convenience of being able to perform full multimedia functions on their device. The only days of 3″ screens are long gone, with the future being 5-7″ screens (possibly larger). In any case, the Galaxy S5 hit the nail on the head with…

Samsung is reportedly preparing to release yet another variant of its flagship smartphone, titled the “Galaxy S5 Duos LTE.” This variant, which features the model #G9009D, comes with two SIM slots instead of the standard one. With dual-SIM slots, users can set up their Galaxy S5 device for use with two different phone numbers (e.g. a personal and business phone line). In all honesty, this isn’t exactly a new variant, as the Galaxy S5 Duos LTE was released into China back in April with a staggering $850 price tag. Samsung announced earlier this month, however, that it was releasing it internationally, starting with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Once released in AUE and Qatar, Samsung will push the variant in Poland, before eventually bringing it to the U.S. So, how much will the Galaxy S5 Duos LTE sell for in the U.S. According to IB Times, Welectronics plans to sell the device for $899 — a steep increase from the device’s original price tag of $850. Some consumers already complain that the launch-edition Galaxy S5 is too expensive, so jacking the price could backfire on Samsung. To determine whether or not the Galaxy S5 Duos LTE is worth the cost,…

We blogged about Samsung’s ingenious “Wall Huggers” promo video for its flagship smartphone last month, which captured the attention of Galaxy S5 fans and critics alike. Samsung has always been on the forefront of experimenting with new marketing methods, but even this was a first. Apparently, however, the Wall Huggers video did well, because the South Korean-based tech company released yet another Galaxy S5 promotion video. Published July 18, 2014 to the video-sharing site YouTube, “Galaxy S5 One Charge Challenge: Coast to Coast” is a promotional video that showcases the Galaxy S5’s Ultra Power Saving Mode. As the video title suggests, it follows two men who travel from coast to coast without recharging their battery. And in case you were wondering, the guys in the Galaxy S5 One Charge Challenge: Coast to Coast video still sent text messages, snapped photos, and even took videos — all processes that require battery power. This video is a true testament to the Galaxy S5’s phenomenal battery life, as well as its highly efficient Ultra Power Saving Mode. According to Samsung, the two guys in the video sent 85 text messages, snapped 119 photos, shot over 4 minutes of video, and talked for over 16 minutes…

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has boasted strong sales ever since it was released into the market earlier this year, yet a recent study found the Apple iPhone 5S outsold Samsung’s flagship smartphone in May. The market research and analytics firm CounterPoint surveyed 35 different markets throughout the world to determine which smartphones are the most popular (and least popular). According to the firm’s report, the Apple iPhone 5s outsold the Samsung Galaxy S5 by a surprising 40% in May. That’s a shockingly high margin given the fact that May was Samsung’s first full month of sales following the release of its flagship smartphone. Throughout the month of May, Samsung sold approximately 5 million Galaxy S5 units, whereas Apple sold 7 million iPhone 5S units. So, why are consumers choosing the 8-month-old the iPhone 5S over the ultra-powerful Samsung Galaxy S5? Unfortunately, this question wasn’t answered in CounterPoint’s survey, so we’re left to speculate as to the reasoning behind this trend. It’s hard to fathom that consumers would prefer the iPhone 5S over the Galaxy S5 given the hardware spec differences between these two devices. The iPhone 5S’ display is just 4 inches, whereas the Galaxy S5 features a bold 5.1-inch display…

It’s no secret that Samsung is busy working on variation of its Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone, some of which includes the Galaxy F (Prime), Galaxy S5 Active, Galaxy S5 Mini and Galaxy S5 Zoom. While most consumers and tech analysts were expecting these variations to be released, recent developments suggest another variation of the Galaxy is on the horizon: the Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo. GSM Arena published a screenshot of a benchmark listing depicting an unknown device with the build SM-G850. While there’s been no official confirmation by Samsung, this device is believed to be the company’s upcoming Galaxy S5 Neo. The benchmark listing reveals some pretty interesting information about the hardware and software specs of the SM-G850 device (click on link above for complete details). Assuming this is the Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo, it will feature a 4.7-inch screen with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and 5-finger gesture support.  If you’re familiar with the original launch-edition Galaxy S5, you’ll probably notice these specs are sub-par in comparison. Why is Samsung releasing a smaller variant of its flagship smartphone with lower resolution? The Galaxy  S5 Neo is intended to be a smaller and cheaper version of the original Galaxy S5, allowing budget-conscious…

Thanks to our favorite smartphone industry news leaker @evleaks, we now have a sneak peak at Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy F (also known as the Prime variant). We’ve mentioned this device on numerous occasions here on blog, discussing some of its possible features and specifications. While Samsung has yet to confirm the existence of the Galaxy F, we knew it was coming given the company’s similar variants with the Galaxy S4. Evleaks tweeted the Galaxy F photo on July 2, along with the caption: “Samsung Galaxy F, in crystal clear, 2014.” This immediately triggered a response from the smartphone community, with some Twitter users asking questions like “I just noticed that i dont see a front camera?” and “so its different from s5 prime?” These are both frequently asked questions regarding the Galaxy F, so we’ll do our best to answer them. We’re assuming the front-facing camera is one of the small circular devices at the top. Being that the front-facing camera is considered a “secondary” camera, it will feature a lower resolution than the rear-facing “primary” camera. And the Galaxy F is the same as the Prime. Samsung is reportedly marketing it under the “Galaxy F” name — reasons for which we…

There’s a whopping $18,000 bounty being offered to the first person who successfully roots the Samsung Galaxy S5 for Verizon and AT&T. The community over at XDA Developers is hosting the bounty program, with the initial pledge of $500 offered by senior member Demiurge7 back in April. Since then, however, dozens of other members have stepped up to pledge their own cash bounties, creating a grand total in excess of $18,000 for successfully rooting the Galaxy S5 on Verizon and AT&T. How To Win The $18,000 Bounty So, what exactly does rooting entitle? According to XDA Developers, in order to be eligible to receive the $18,000 plus bounty, the person or organization must create or exploit a current method to gain root access to the device build VRU1ANBG (Galaxy S5). Upon completion of this task, they must also post screenshots of their rooted device on the forum and wait for at least one other member to confirm that it works. If and when these conditions are met, the person will receive the bounty. “I would like to personally offer a $500 bounty to the first person able to find or create a method, exploit, or unlock that allows us to fully root and…

The ultra-durable Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is now available through AT&T. On June 29, the U.S. cell carrier silently added it to their lineup of devices available for purchase through their website. Before you go trading in your smartphone for an upgrade, however, you should read our review on the Galaxy S5 Active variant. Dust, Water and Shock Resistant Not to our surprise, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active features a rugged dust, water and shock-resistant shell. It’s able to withstand drops from 4 feet on a flat surface, and it can be submerged in water 3-feet deep for 30 minutes (although I don’t recommend the latter). Granted, the launch-edition Galaxy S5 also boasts dust and water-resistant technology, but the variant looks and feels stronger and more durable. As you can see from the photo above, it’s beefier with four large bolts attached to the rear. We’re not sure if these bolts serve a purpose, but they are pretty cool looking nonetheless. Activity Zone Another major change in the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is the addition of an all-in-one button that launches every health and fitness app.  The button, dubbed Activity Zone, is located on the side of the device. When…