Samsung Galaxy S5 lacks ‘wow’ factor

MANILA, Philippines – 2013 top smartphone manufacturer Samsung unveils its latest flagship smartphone – the Galaxy S5 – at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Josh Villanueva gives us his first impressions.

Hype surrounds the release of the Samsung Galaxy S5.
There’s great expectation to deliver a phone that not only looks and feels different but also comes with the next big thing.
But Samsung’s Galaxy S5 smartphone isn’t the stunner that we expected.
The South Korean company sticks to its tried and tested formula and retains a 3-year old design.
Up front the phone looks very much like its predecessors the S3 and S4 with only one aesthetic difference — a perforated faux leather back.
Even its TouchWiz user interface didn’t get the make-over many expected.
The phone is faster and more powerful but doesn’t have one-key feature that screams innovation.
Two of its new features are borrowed from competitors a built-in fingerprint scanner and its water resistant features.
But there are a couple of features worth noting. It’s built-in heart rate monitor ties in to its new line of fitness watches and sports bands.
Safety Assistance lets users send distress messages with 3 quick presses of a power button sends you disaster warnings depending on your location and can switch your phone’s mode to last up to 15 days.
And there’s a new and improved 16 megapixel camera with the world’s fastest autofocus on a smartphone.
The S5 also includes a larger 1/2.6-inch image sensor that affect the quality of photos – the larger the better.
The Galaxy S5 will be released globally in April.
Josh Villanueva, Rappler, Manila.

– Rappler.com