Samsung's 'Next Big Thing' will be here on Friday April 11, and as such the first Galaxy S5 reviews are rolling in. The phone looks to be an improvement over the S4 in every area, but does it do enough to be worthy of your purchase?
The short answer seems to be yes, though some publications are hesitant in recommending it if you already have an S4--the improvement is complete, but mostly just incremental. However, even if you don't want it because you have its predecessor, it sounds like the Galaxy S5 may be the most powerful and robust phone on the market.
CNET, 4.5/5: "The Good: Samsung's Galaxy S5 excels at everything that matters--Android 4.4 KitKat OS; a bright, beautiful display; blistering quad-core processor; and an excellent camera experience. In addition, Samsung's efforts to streamline its own custom interface and reduce pre-installed bloatware pay off."
"The Bad: The Galaxy S5 is a only small upgrade over the Galaxy S4. The fingerprint scanner can be confusing to use, and the heart-rate monitor is a niche feature at best. In some regions, the Galaxy S5 costs significantly more than rival top-rated handsets."
"The Bottom Line: Subtly improved and smartly refined, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a superior superphone that hits every mark but the sharpest design."
Tech Radar, 4.5/5: "We Liked: The Samsung staples are still here, and that's excellent. That means that the screen is powerful, bright and a joy to watch movies on, be they HD or SD quality. The sound output is also excellent, bringing you the best from your tunes and making it easy to follow dialogue and hear effects even when on noisy public transport. The battery life is also, once again, excellent, and if you're after something that will keep chugging along no matter what, this is a top smartphone to check out."
"We Disliked: Despite the fact Samsung is probably going to sell a record number of Galaxy S5 units, I can't help but think it's missed a massive trick by popping out another phone clad in plastic. Spin it however you want, the S5 feels cheap and if it came from a no-mark smartphone brand would be dismissed as uninspiring - it's only because the adverts everywhere ram it down our throat do we discuss it.
There's got to be something better here - when, for the same price, HTC and Sony are able to bring out appreciably superior designs, Samsung needs to step up."
Time, No Score Given: "All in all, though, the Galaxy S5's emphasis on everyday benefits and its streamlined software shows that Samsung has been listening to its critics, and learning. Until now, it's always been a safe assumption that next year's Galaxy S phone would be bigger and more bloated than the one before it. But judging from all that's pleasing about the Galaxy S5, it doesn't seem irrational to hope that the Galaxy S6 might follow this phone's example of self-control. Better still if it fixes that clunky fingerprint reader."
