SYNAPSE CIRCUIT SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 LONDON LAUNCH 10 APRIL 2014

This is one time I was glad to be a part of the crowd! Photo taken with the Galaxy S4.

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 LONDON LAUNCH
10 APRIL 2014
#Samsung #GalaxyS5 #GS5 #Gear2 #Gear2Neo #GearFit #London #Stratford

Good early morning / late evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! How are you tonight? I hope that all is well and that you had a brilliant day!

Earlier on – yesterday evening I went along to the Samsung Galaxy S5 launch in London’s Olympic Stratford City!

18:00
I managed to get to the Samsung store located in Stratford within the massive mall that is Westfield! “The first 100 people get a prize...” Yeah, right! Lol! There couldn’t have been more than 50 in the queue at the time of my arrival and it was about 18:50 when I was able to get into the store.

Once I got in the atmosphere was jubilant! There were drinks in the form of champagne and orange juice. And there were some nibbles too – balls of vegetables with cheese and meat alternatives.

Note: There were many people in the queue with iPhones! Gosh! Hahaha! It seems that all the publicity that Apple is giving Samsung through the constant lawsuits has paid off! Hee hee hee...

19:30
The Samsung store was packed out and a vast number of the attendees came to pick up their handset! It was quite astonishing to see people queuing up inside to collect their pre-ordered Galaxy S5. But there again it is the one of the most innovative handsets on the planet right now!

The store floor, as you’d expect, was filled with Galaxy S5s and the Gear 2 wearable devices! I spent quite a bit of time with the Galaxy S5!

MISLEAD?
I’ve been reading up on the so called appraisals by the usual tech-media suspects that have the GS5 as “not much of an improvement on the GS4...” WRONG!!!! VERY!!!!

I am the proud owner of the GS4 and when I compared the two I was pretty much blown away by how different the GS5 actually is!

SIZE MATTERS
For starters the Galaxy S5 is substantially bigger without while retaining its identity as a handset and not a phablet.

VELVET GLOVE
Gone is the shiny plastic back plate that houses the battery, etc and in its place is the velvety perforated material that will prove to be fingerprint (and all the greasiness that comes with fingers) resistant. The velvet texture makes the GS5 so much nicer to handle – so much so that the size increase is not an issue at all!

DAZPLAY
“DazPlay” is what happens when you combine the words “dazzling” and “display”! The 5.1” full HD Super AMOLED screen is probably one of – if not – the best screen I have ever seen thus so far! The display goes beyond superlatives! The screen is really that brilliant (see what I did there?)! 



DON’T SAY CHEESE
Above is a picture taken with the Galaxy S5; I didn't have enough time to set the camera up. I did record some 4K and full HD video that I couldn't send as the files were way to big! The other pictures were taken with my GS4!

The 16MP camera is definitely a huge improvement – especially as the focus is almost instantaneous! I managed to take a few shots and I was suitably impressed with the results although I would welcome the opportunity to test the camera thoroughly!

FINGERED?
Yes, the Fingerprint Unlock really works! Don’t be fooled by the media claiming that it’s “dodgy”. Uh-uh! I saw a demonstration whereby it was fingerprint locked and it couldn’t be unlocked by some of audience – including me – invited to test it. When the GS5 got back to the demonstrator he was able to unlock it without a hitch!

BENCHMARK SCORES?
Let me tell you right now that the 2.5GHz quad-core processor shifts! The interaction was snappy and I couldn’t detect any lag in the interface.

Websites launch instantaneously as does apps. Ok, I couldn’t test everything but from what I saw I was very happy with it!

TOUCHWIZ MELTDOWN?
The TouchWiz overlay is somewhat subdued and that makes TouchWiz less intrusive to those who like the minimalist vanilla Android feel; it’s a good compromise between the two. I like that I can say, “Ok, Google” and up pops Google Now!

There again, I can’t say that I have any complaints about TouchWiz post GS3. I thought TouchWiz on the Galaxy S2 was a tad heavy and I had to replace both Google Android and TouchWiz with a CyanogenMod custom ROM that has extended the life of my GS2! Anyhoo... ...the combination of Android KitKat and TouchWiz Nature UX is sweet! There’s even a magazine-type of interaction that is similar to the news feed of HTC Sense. But the way Samsung has done it is very pleasing; it doesn’t dominate but fits in to the scheme of things.

CONCLUDING FIRST IMPRESSIONS
WOW!!!! The Galaxy S5 should do well!

EVENT EVALUATION

Venue: 10 / 10.
The Samsung Stratford City store is a very grand and spacious venue.

Officials: 8 / 10.
The Samsung team were very knowledgeable and helpful. I wasn’t impressed with not getting my free prize for being amongst the first 100 people through the door! Ha!

Materials: 10 / 10.
We didn’t have to wait long to have a play with the Galaxy S5 and Gear 2 wearable devices.

Check out the pics and video from the event here: Media

I will leave you with the specifications once more!

GS5 SPEC:-

NETWORK
LTE Cat.4 (150/50Mbps)

DISPLAY
5.1” FHD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080)

AP
2.5GHz Quad core application processor

OS
Android 4.4.2 (Kitkat)

CAMERA
16MP (rear), 2.0MP (front)

VIDEO
UHD@30fps, HDR, video stabilization
Video Codec : H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark, MP43, WMV7, WMV8, VP8
Video Format: MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM

AUDIO
Audio Codec : MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/ AAC+/ eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC
Audio Format: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA

CAMERA FEATURES
HDR (Rich tone), Selective Focus, Virtual Tour Shot, Shot & More

ADDITIONAL FEATURES
IP67 Dust and water Resistant
Ultra Power Saving Mode
Download Booster
S Health 3.0
Quick Connect
Private Mode
Kids Mode

Google Mobile Services: Chrome, Drive, Photos, Gmail, Google, Google+, Google Settings, Hangouts, Maps, Play Books, Play Games, Play Newsstand, Play Movie & TV, Play Music, Play Store, Voice Search, YouTube

CONNECTIVITY
WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac HT80, MIMO(2x2)
Bluetooth®: 4.0 BLE / ANT+
USB: USB 3.0
NFC
IR Remote

SENSOR
Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, Hall, RGB ambient light, Gesture (IR), Finger Scanner, Heart rate sensor

MEMORY / STORAGE
RAM: 2GB
Internal Memory: 16/32GB
microSD slot upto 64GB

DIMENSIONS
142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145g

BATTERY
2800 mAh
Standby time: 390 hrs / Talk time: 21 hrs

What do you reckon?

Full review coming very soon....

Take good care!

Thank you for watching and reading!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit website for video, i-PDF and more! 

Synapse Circuit Dot Com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT - SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 24 FEBRUARY LAUNCH 2014

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
SAMSUNG GALAXY S5
24 FEBRUARY LAUNCH 2014
#GalaxyS5 #SamsungGalaxyS5 #GS5

Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! I hope all is well with you! Sadly, I am struck down with a bad cold and hope to be back up and running, back to 101% very soon!

Yes, it’s that time again... Time to speculate on what will be the Galaxy S5! And this time there won’t be a lot of space to speculate! I am presuming that Samsung is aiming to strike before the imminent iPhone 6 is launched later this year!

BARCELONA, 24/02/2014
It seems as though Samsung is going to return to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to wow visitors and press alike with the Galaxy S5! Samsung are said to be disappointed with worldwide sales of over 40 million Galaxy S4 units. Only an ambitious company that Samsung is can be disappointed where other companies would be over the moon to have sold as many units! I think that it is fair to say that in the US the iPhone is always going to be the top seller. Samsung is the undisputed king of the Android market outside the US! Knowing Samsung they will not be content until they topple iPhone sales on US soil!

Launching the Galaxy S5 at the Mobile World Congress makes a great deal of sense as the most of the world will be watching!



FORGET IT!
Uh-uh! I don’t mean forget the Galaxy S5 taking off and doing considerably well around the world – including the US! What I mean is that I am not going to bother to speculate too deeply on the specifications because I have learned that Samsung will do its own thing regardless of expectations!

Eyes Sensor? It would be ideal. Fingerprint Sensor? It appears to be more likely! I am perfectly happy with using a password for security! Judging from what I have been hearing about the iPhone 5S the fingerprint scanner isn’t all that! I think such security technology is in its infancy and there are bound to glitches here and there – especially when the giants of tech try to outdo each other in this race for dominance!

64 bit processor? Unlikely for the S5 but very possible for the Galaxy Note 4! I know that Samsung would like to go 64 bit but it may be too early for the GS5! It wouldn’t at all surprise me if Samsung released a 64 bit version of the S5 further down the line! But I really don’t think 64 bit is a crucial component for Android handsets at the moment; the quad core processor has become so fast over the last year - much to the joy of Android users enjoying premium handsets of which the Galaxy S4 is one!

I would imagine that the GS5 will get a 16MP camera capable of 4K. Yes, I would imagine that keen photographers would want a 20MP camera to match the likes of Sony! But I am quite sure that the camera is going to be great! Many Galaxy S fans are hoping for an optical stabilizer!

TOUCHWIZ / MAGAZINE UX
It is said that Samsung is looking to give TouchWiz an overhaul so that it looks like the best of Google Now, Windows 8 and HTC Sense = Magazine UX. But I would imagine that most people who are unhappy with TouchWiz can always use another launcher! Personally, I don’t mind TouchWiz on the GS4 and Note 2 as I find these beasts fast enough for my needs! 

DESIGN
As much as I like the Galaxy S4 I do believe that HTC really showed how great an Android phone can look with the One!

I thought the Galaxy S2 was a great design departure than that of the S3 that followed. The S4 seemed to be a refinement of the S3 and Note 2. I do believe that Samsung will be pushing for something as radical as the HTC One! But I am hoping very much that this does not come at the cost of a removable battery!

If you have been following my articles you will know that I am not a fan of metal because it makes the handset more expensive to produce, plus metal dents and scratches. Having seen battered iPhones I am convinced that Samsung has got the materials right! That said, I have yet to see a battered HTC One!

If I am correct, Samsung will continue to refine the design of the Galaxy Note 3 and that will reflect on the Galaxy S5! Looking at the passed patent designs for a Samsung handset it is very possible that the GS5 will feature a wrap around display thus being the first handset to do away with the bezel altogether. Speaking of display...

DISPLAY
Many have said that the Galaxy S4, Note 3 and HTC One has smashed the iPhone retina screen. It is said that Samsung are going to make the retina screen finally redundant with 2,560×1,440 resolution at 560 dpi! Wow – if it turns out to be accurate! In any event I think that we will be seeing a rather futuristic looking handset that is mainly screen! I do think that there will be no physical buttons on this version and that will probably delight Google who have been advocating that manufacturers follow their non-physical button aesthetic. Fingers crossed! Sometimes the physical button can be a little cumbersome at times when compared to using handsets without!

ANDROID
I expect the Galaxy S5 to be running the latest KitKat, 4.4.

RUMOUR
The rumour is that the GS5 will feature 4GB of RAM! I would imagine that this is to make up for not having a 64 bit CPU!

WATCH OUT!
The rumour is that the GS5 will feature 4GB of RAM! I would imagine that this is to make up for not having a 64 bit CPU!

What do you reckon?   

Take good care!

Please enjoy the video below! Feel free to leave some comments and subscribe!

Thank you for watching and reading!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit website for video, i-PDF and more! 

Synapse Circuit Dot Com