The Galaxy S5’s design is a minor evolution of the Galaxy S4 — in fact, the two are almost indistinguishable from the front. The S5’s display is ever so slightly larger at 5.1 inches, but it’s still a 1080p, Super AMOLED panel that doesn’t look very different from the S4’s screen. Below the display is a new home key with integrated fingerprint scanner and capacitive keys for multitasking and Android’s back button.
If they really just wanted to copy Apple again, I guess they could have just added a fingerprint scanner and updated health programs. Oh wait...
As it stands today, though — unintuitive, oversized, overpriced, and in constant need of a Galaxy guardian — the Galaxy Gear might have been better off staying on the drawing board.
The Galaxy S III shipped 18 million units worldwide in that three-month span from July to September, compared with 16.2 million for the iPhone 4S, according to research by Strategy Analytics.
With the release of the iPhone 5, Apple retook the lead in the final months of 2012, selling an estimated 27 million. But the S III hung in there with another 15 million units sold.
So wait, while Samsung narrowly beat the already one year old iPhone 4S by 1.8 million phones sold, the S3 hangs in there falling 12 million phones behind?
It's not much competition really. Come March 14, I definitely think it'll be a different ball game but these Apple doom and gloom journalists have to stop baiting!
They also forgot to mention that the iPhone 4 was selling pretty well too. What ever happened to the Samsung Galaxy S2?
Couldn't have summarized Samsung's new device better myself.
The Siri-imitating S Voice, a quad-core SoC that's already been announced for the Meizu MX, a suite of camera enhancements that rips off HTC's ImageSense wholesale, and a signature animated lock screen that emulates interaction with water, something that's been a live wallpaper option on Android phones since 2010. Oh, and industrial design and build quality that you'll find on any anonymous South Korean MP3 player — Samsung seems to have tried trickling its design language up, never a good idea.
Samsung needed to jump the gun prior to Apple's 2012 WWDC to gain up support and anticipation but instead seems to have failed those that are some of most tech savvy.
At best, Samsung matched the HTC One X. At worst, it indulged in a two-month delay of an MWC-worthy device, stoked a frenzy of anticipation that was unjustified by the eventual product, and jeopardized the still fragile growth of its brand reputation among smartphone enthusiasts. I'll leave you to decide which extreme I'm gravitating toward.
Amongst my friends, some might call me an Apple Fanboy but at heart I know that I always take into consideration all the pros and cons of all technological devices. I really do try my best to be unbiased and after extensive research, I'll make an argument / recommendation for whatever device will fit your needs.
Someone told me last week that I like to be right (duh) but they're missing the bigger picture. It's not about being right or wrong. It's all about making sure that it fits the personality / requirements of that individual and from there I can claim success as long as they enjoy the product. But alas, affirmation from tech pundits always puts a smile on my face. As some of you might know, I like to be in the know and now!
Onto Google's first Android phone running Ice Cream Sandwich - Galaxy Nexus. Techcrunch editor MG Siegler just released his review and here are some key points:
...it feels like I’m Zack Morris holding his Gordon Gekko phone
still feels rather cheap and plastic-y
the camera is definitely worse than the iPhone 4S, both in megapixels (8 vs. 5), and in image quality
but of course MG Siegler does admit, "It’s important to emphasize the fact that the Galaxy Nexus is without a doubt the best phone I’ve ever used that’s not an iPhone."
Google also released a pretty cool commercial.
Update: It's official, you can purchase this phone tomorrow for $299.99 + two year contract on Verizon! (via BGR)
