Five things you want to know about Galaxy S5

Tonight, Samsung Philippines will officially launch its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5. Last night, we were one of the lucky bunch of people who had face to face and had a hands-on with the 5th generation Galaxy S.

I must say that the S5 is really gorgeous, looks premium and packs awesome features ever put on a smartphone.

Here are five things you may want to know about the Galaxy S5, including my first impressions.

(1) Glamorous and Premium looks.

Undeniably, S5 looks handsome even if you buy the S-View flip cover. Users who don’t need the S-Pen which is available on Note series will definitely root for S5. It is slightly bigger than S4 by .1 inch (S5 measures 5.1-inch) and it feels so light and good when you hold it. Something that you can flaunt and be proud of when you carry one. S5 will be released with four official colors – Charcoal Black, Electric Blue, Copper Gold and Shimmery White.

(2) S5 Camera just got better

16MP shooter plus features like almost of that of a DSLR camera is real advantage. No need to carry additional gadget for taking photos. Very fast AF at only 0.3 seconds and the selective AF will surely blur the background of your subject. Refer to the photo posted above. You can also perform HDR and do it realtime; see the preview of your HDR photo even before you hit the shutter.

(3) S5 is for fitness-conscious peeps

Be fit with S5 fit and wellness features. Even without the wearable devices from Samsung, S5 will help you monitor your heart rate with the built-in app. It will be a good match if you purchase Gear Fit (the most gorgeous among Samsung’s wearable device to date).

(4) Better security and water-resistant
Just like the iPhone 5S, S5 now features fingerprint sensor for added security. You can forgo with the old practice of putting up passwords or patterns and just enable fingerprint sensor and you are good to go. Plus, you can still use your S5 if it rains or your accidentally submerged it into the water. But take note that it will sustain only 1 meter depth and half an hour in water.

(5) It is expensive but you have alternatives
Galaxy S5 price can already buy your one decent laptop, but S5 has more features which makes it real expensive. Priced at P34,990 you can get the S5 unlocked. Alternatively, you can acquire S5 from the PH telcos – Smart Galaxy S5 plans is here, and Globe Galaxy S5 is here.

The ultra power saving mode is real life saver. Once your battery is nearly-drained you can turn this feature on and still sustain few more hours of usage. When this feature is on, S5 major features are disabled including data connectivity, WiFi and camera. You can still call and receive SMS. Alternatively, you can add two more features that are really important to you. You can configure it.

While it is nice that S5 becomes water-resistant, the only observation I had and worry about is the cover of the microUSB port. This is the first part of the S5 that will go immediately because of wear and tear, just like the Xperia phones by Sony.

Galaxy S5 also features wireless charging. And first owners of Galaxy S5 will also get Galaxy Life, an app for Galaxy owners. It is loyalty program from Samsung. Users gets exclusive deals and offers. Galaxy Life is now available on Google Play.

I’ve had S3 and Note 2, but skipped S4. I will start saving now because I am definitely getting one. I like the charcoal black or the shimmery white.