Samsung Galaxy S5 specs and release date

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds

As expected, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S5 at its Unpacked event on Monday. This time around, the company focused more on the practical hardware features of the smartphone, as opposed to the bell-and-whistle show we got with the Galaxy S4--we're talking about faster connectivity, a great display, durable build, and camera features that anyone can appreciate.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 packs in a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 1080p resolution, with a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, and running Android 4.4.2 KitKat. The battery in the device hold 2800mAh of power, and it's paired alongside a "Super Power Save" mode that'll turn off battery-draining features and turn the display black-and-white in instances where you absolutely want to stretch out your battery life for as long as you can.

Both cameras get an upgrade from their Galaxy S4 counterparts, with the Galaxy S5 versions seeing a 16 megapixel rear camera, and a 2.1 megapixel front shooter. Samsung says that the rear camera can capture video in Ultra High Definition, giving you a new source for 4K video if you're an early adopter. The best new camera feature, though, is the phase-detect autofocus, which will focus in as little as 0.3 seconds. That's fast.

As far as connectivity goes, the Galaxy S5 supports 802.11ac with 2x2 MIMO support, putting it at the cutting-edge as far as Wi-Fi is concerned. Samsung has also included "Download Booster," a feature that combines data transmission over LTE and Wi-Fi optionally, but can easily burn through your mobile data plan.

Phone design is more refined and durable than previous iterations, with a textured pattern on the rear masking the plasticky look and feel that's plagued the earlier Galaxy S models. You can choose between black, white, blue, and gold colors. The device is also dust and water resistant.

Samsung has yet to reveal pricing for the Galaxy S5, but if we had to guess, the 16GB model will be available for $199, and the 32GB model for $299. The Samsung Galaxy S5 will go on sale on April 11th.