Is hating on the new Galaxy the new hating on the new iPhone?

The vicious cycle of rumors, upgrades and lofty expectations.

We have a problem. By we, I mean all of us. The media, the carriers, the manufacturers, and the customers. That problem is expectations, how we pump them up, and how we react when they aren't met.

The rumor cycle leading up to recent device launches has been particularly vicious. I can't tell you how many times I saw "bigger" thrown out there in anticipation of the iPhone 5s launch — and again now that the iPhone 6 is on the horizon — or how insane the rumors were of a 2K display for the Samsung Galaxy S5 (I had a 1500-word editorial in the waiting just for the occasion).

We were spoiled by the first few generations of the modern smartphone. After years of iterative developments at the hands of Nokia, Palm, and BlackBerry, Apple shocked us all with a great leap forward in the iPhone. Google soon followed with Android and partners like HTC, LG, and Samsung.

Those first few years were exciting. Smartphone technology was rapidly advancing. Processors got faster and more efficient than most of us could appreciate. Our screens went from 3.5-inches at 320x480 to 4- to 5-inches with pixels so small our eyes couldn't perceive them. We got new sensors before we knew what to do with them, radios that leapt from EDGE to HSPA to LTE, and devices that got thinner and stronger while getting more and more life out of their batteries.

We went from radical reinvention of the smartphone back to iterative generations.

And then things kind of slowed down. We went from radical reinvention of the smartphone back to iterative generations. The Samsung Galaxy S3, for example, was appreciably better than any of the variants of the Galaxy S2 that had preceded it. But when the Galaxy S4 came out, it was met with a chorus of "that's it?" — as if we were entitled to more.

It's happened again with the Galaxy S5. We got so used to such rapid advancement that we're having trouble accepting that our minds aren't going to be blown with every iteration of a device. Just check out the conversation in our Galaxy S5 forums to see how people feel.

The Galaxy S5 is a better smartphone than the Galaxy S4. It's not wildly better, but it's still a marked improvement. The screen is better, slightly larger yes, and still 1080p, but with improved color and brightness response. The camera is faster. The phone is resistant to water and dust. It's a better phone.

Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5

In fact, as Samsung pointed out in their remarkably calm announcement of the Galaxy S5, the areas that they focused on were the areas that their customers had expressed as pain points. Those customers aren't the kind of people that are likely to read this editorial.

No, they're the other tens of millions of people who've bought a smartphone and wished it took better and faster photos. Or that they could make the battery last longer when they really needed it to. Or that an errant splash when doing the dishes didn't mean the end of their phone.

They're normal people, such as they are, with normal people problems. They just want the phone to work. They're the people that Samsung focused on when developing the Galaxy S5.

It's odd to see the kind of reaction that some have had to the Galaxy S5. It's as if they expected some sort of miracle.

It's odd to see the kind of reaction that some have had to the Galaxy S5. It's as if they expected some sort of miracle. Truth is, the miraculous rise of technology that we've witness over the past few years isn't really that miraculous. It's economies of scale. Throw enough resources at something and it will happen.

This kind of reaction used to be reserved exclusively for whatever the latest iPhone was, and it was just as perplexing then. The new iPhone would come out, and half the time it looked almost identical to the old one. Apple is the master of iteration — just look at the MacBook Pro line, which has retained the same basic lines and styling for the past six years. But because it didn't appear to be a radically new phone, it was panned, and that reaction has grown more fierce with each generation. The unwarranted angst and disappointment heaped upon the iPhone 5s was boggling and absurd.

Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5s

The power and capabilities of each generation of iPhone have outstripped its predecessors. The iOS software typically gained a new feature that was either leaps and bounds beyond what the competition had dreamed up — say, Siri — or took an idea from the competition and implemented it in a way that better fit iOS and was more user-friendly.

That might be enraging to the tech elite to see advanced features dumbed down like that, but it's good for the general public. Most of us are not coders. Most of us don't know the difference between a Gigahertz and a Gigabyte. They know that LTE is faster than whatever they had before, but that's just because they've been bombarded with advertising. They think that a 20-megapixel camera must be better than a 13-megapixel camera, because that's a bigger number.

The general public knows how to operate one in the most basic sense and uses it to do the most basic things.

The general public is tech dumb. Just like the general public is typically car dumb. They know how to operate one in the most basic sense and use it to do the most basic things, never pushing it to the limit of what it's actually capable of. And so the car is designed around that idea. It's easy to drive with clearly designed controls that aren't tiring to use. Today's cars are taking more and more of the load off of the user, making us more comfortable and asking us to do less to accomplish the same goal.

That's what Apple's been doing all these years, and that's what Samsung's been doing with the past few generations of the Galaxy S. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is and will continue to be one of the best smartphones out there. And Samsung is going to continue to refine and update their devices to make them more consumer friendly.

Samsung Galaxy S5

In the end it's not the number of cores or how fast they're clocked, it's not the type of RAM used or what kind of fingerprint sensor is installed. It's how it all works and how easy it is for the user to pick up on that.

We forget that smartphones are tools. We get wrapped up in the specifications and speculation. We want faster processors and sharper screens and slimmer designs, and we want it all now. And then we bitch and moan when our lofty expectations aren't met by a company with no obligation to meet them.

Samsung isn't designing a smartphone for you, nor is Apple. They're designing and building and selling smartphones that are designed for the masses, smartphones that are meant to be sold by the millions.

These are Toyota Camrys, not Ferraris. Maybe there's space in the smartphone world for somebody to make a true performance device with high end specs, features, design, and price (sorry, Vertu, all you've got is the price and half of the design equation), but we can't be mad at Samsung for making a Galaxy S5 that's meant to fix the woes of the average user.

Derek Kessler

Derek Kessler is Special Projects Manager for Mobile Nations. He's been writing about tech since 2009, has far more phones than is considered humane, still carries a torch for Palm (the old one), and got a Tesla because it was the biggest gadget he could find. You can follow him on Twitter at @derekakessler.

507 Comments
  • No... huge difference! The iPhone has substantive design, build quality, functionality, and perceived ease of use. The hating or disappointment among the Apple community (user group) is very small. The disdain and vitriol expressed by the Android user community for the S4 and now the S5 is more related to cheap "feeling" build quality, bland, anachronistic, toyish design, cartoonish unnatural looking amoled display, and a throw it at the wall and see what sticks, inelegant "bloated" Touchwiz user interface. As you say in the article, the general public is tech dumb. What matters is elegant design, perceived beauty, ease of use, and functionality. When approaching mass market adoption, price or cost/benefit also becomes relevant.
  • Instead of talking about the S5 we should be talking about how much better the Z2 is compared to the competition.
  • Except there is no US release info Posted via Android Central App
  • And that pisses me off!! I want that phone on AT&T now not 8 months from now. Posted via Android Central App
  • this is the end of samsung just like the end of apple they can't be forever be number 1 its a fact people deal with it.
  • I bet you're wrong. This will sell like hotcakes! Galaxy S3
    Transformer Prime
    Nexus 7
    Whooosh!
  • Looking at all the new devices coming out, I have realized that my GalaxyS3 on 4.3 rooted with extended batteries and cases is still the go to device of the masses.
    The S4 and S5 are in themselves just iterations of one of the best Android devices every assembled.
    The fact that people that know me, know that I'm a phone geek and don't understand why I'm content with my GS3, is very amusing and gratifying. In the tech community, the GS3 is also known as the SuperNexus. Its what the Galaxy Nexus should've been and the tech in it has withstood the test of time. There is a reason why GS3's are still being sold in masses. Posted from my "KNOX-FREE" 4.3 Sprint GS3 Maxx...!!!
    (ZeroLemon 7000mA battery and ZeroShock Case)
  • I have to agree with this 100%. My rooted US S3 running Bonestock seems to have it all. And Samsung gave it the RAM to stay valid for a long time.
  • Yeah that's what I just realized Posted via Android Central App
  • I know that's the phone that I'm really interested in Posted via my Galaxy S4 Google Edition
  • Z2 baby +1 I'm in Europe so March release it is :) Posted via Android Central App
  • Yeah if you like monstrous disgusting bezels this would be the phone of choice
  • The s5 has bigger bezels then the s4 and the bezels on both are way bigger then the G2 so what's your point. The s5 and z2 bezels are Damn near the same. Posted via Android Central App
  • I think you'd better look again. The Z2 takes the bezel crown for all smartphones.
  • Going by the YouTube reviews, you are mistaken. The side bezels are comparable to other flagship phones. The top/bottom bezels are slightly larger due to the inclusion of front facing speakers. Which are awesome. Better to have slightly larger top/bottom bezels for front facing stereo speakers then smaller bezels and anemic rear facing mono sound.
  • You mean talk about Z2,which common Nokia will outsell? Posted via Android Central App
  • Maybe we should wait to compare Z2 to Z3. Z3 is coming in august, according to Sony Mobile’s Creative Director Kurozumi Yoshiro.
  • How much better can a phone be with limited availability?
  • Ram is the only thing better on the Sony IMO.
  • And the camera and the bigger battery. Everything else is the same, the processor the internal storage of 16gb with SD cards and they are both water resistant and dust proof. Posted via Android Central App
  • Big difference in the quality of seals between the two. Posted via Android Central App
  • I think most people are glad the screen is 1080p. People were not happy with the 2k rumor. I'm disappointed in the fact that the bezel is bigger on this one. Why not keep it the same? Maybe something to do with the USELESS fingerprint scanner. But the fingerprint scanner does agree with this article. They do it for the masses. People buy that crap and then never use it. I'm disappointed in the battery. The phones are thin enough. Knock it off. Add a mm or 2 give me a battery that lasts 24h or more. I'm disappointed in the terrible touchwiz software. 8GB before I even turn the phone on? And to add to this, I'm disappointed in the phones shipping with 16GB of storage. "OH BUT IT COMES IN 32GB ALSO!!" Yeah you think I'll ever actually be able to purchase that through my carrier? Or the average person? Doubt it. I'm disappointed they're not innovating. I guess you can argue that they don't need to since they will sell a ton of these phones no matter what. But they can innovate. Look at motorola. I still don't wanna buy their phones, but at least they're trying new things and trying to advance. And the heart rate monitor. Seriously? Does everyone know there's a free app in the play store that already does this with the flash on your camera? I used it on my Galaxy S 2... Samsung just has so much money and power. I wish they'd do more with it. ~Note 2 Owner
  • You couldn't post this at the bottom?
  • Replying is one way, but an inappropriate one, to get the comment up near top. If the comment thread were collapsible, then this will likely go away. The verge had the same problem. Posted via Android Central App
  • It's 2014..
    This style is old and outdated.. If 20 million SUCKERS want to shell out $650.00+ Tax.. Let'em.
    But this is what the S5 should have been https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEyjGyLN9p0
    The biggest insult to the public's intelligence is keeping the Res & Ram the same.. I don't care if KK is more efficient than JB.. Sammy is just being El' Cheapo with the S5 no matter how you slice it.. And that is what's so sad about this release.
  • "The biggest insult to the public's intelligence is keeping the Res & Ram the same" The irony in this statement is unbelievable. Two features that, if implemented, would provide virtually zero measurable improvement to the functioning of the phone. Resolution beyond 1920x1080 on a 5 inch screen is not just pointless but carries more downside in terms of necessary processing power, storage and battery life. So zero benefit at significant cost. More than 2 gigs of ram? Exactly what are you doing on your phone that requires more than 2 gigs of ram? I recently bought my wife a Venue 8 Pro tablet, and it runs full Windows 8 and desktop applications... in 2 gigs of ram. What is Android capable of doing that would require more system resources than even Windows? It's precisely the drastically diminished intelligence of the public that would not only ask for these features, but willingly replace a perfectly functioning current generation phone with another just to get these pointless things. Claiming that not including these is an insult to intelligence? That's hilarious.
  • Well said. According to the "retina display theory" that 326ppi is the highest resolution that the human eye can see (at a normal viewing distance as defined by Apple), the display size would have to exceed 6.757" for an increase in resolution to be feasible. As for RAM, has anyone EVER been bottlenecked with "only" 2GB of RAM yet? I think not. Posted via my Shnexus 5
  • Technically "Retina Display" IS a Marketing Term, not an actual scientific theory
  • You are right, the term retina display is a marketing term, however what he's speaking of is a very real thing. The human eye can't distinguish individual pixels past a certain point.. he cross-referenced two entirely different things because of the correlation they often receive from our community.
  • I'm sorry, and in no way do am I sticking up for this guy. Out of sheer boredom I can't help myself but to say something... "Resolution and ram" while I agree on the resolution part, I have to say you're way off on the ram argument. Android OEMS have been slacking on the ram part. Ram is one of the biggest things I have to watch when developing applications right now. Android runs entirely different from windows. Android applications are always running background processes and services, as well as the fact that Android OS itself uses the dalvik system requiring middleware to receive and then interpret program language to native machine code, in Lehman's terms...Android can always use more ram! Android programmers could always use more ram, more ram across Android devices means better app eco-system. It starts with the big boys. And this last statement is for my buddy, thank God for Google and their Nexus line, as they are working on putting out something serious and it starts with 64-bit, theres 8 cores on another fellow, and 4gb of something needed tremendously. Don't underestimate Android and talk it down with windows comparisons and think you're going to get away with it round' me boy! My Nexus 7 2013 will blow the pixels off the Dell venue 8, when it comes to mobile devices, windows couldn't hold a candle to android. Nexogen
  • No...in all seriousness, I program for both operating systems and their both beasts, but it is that time for OEMS to push the ram up a notch, it is holding us back Nexogen
  • Spot on chap Posted via Android Central App
  • You lost me on "Lehman's term."
  • I lost it at "Lehman's term."
  • You hit the nail on the head! Posted via Android Central App
  • My point with the ram is valid. Adobe Photoshop has a minimum system requirement of 1 gig of ram. ONE gig. That's bloated Windows AND photoshop, running in 1 gig of ram. There's nothing on Android that can match the capabilities of Microsoft Word, much less Photoshop, and you want people to believe 2 gigs of ram is a major bottleneck? I'm not talking down Android, so don't assume me of doing so. As for your Nexus 7 blowing the doors off a Venue 8... it's entirely dependent on what you're doing with it. Browsing the web or playing a game? Ok, maybe. Doing anything remotely complicated or productive, not a chance. I love it when people are so enamored by their little game gadgets and talk down on real computer systems. You might as well claim your Game Boy Advance is a better platform than a Cray. It might very well be... as long as your only need is to play games. A little perspective please.
  • You sound like an idiot.
    OUT OF THE BOX TOUCHWIZ LAGS DUMMY.. Even with 3 Gigs of Ram on the Note 3 the system LAGS... Are there ways around it yes.. but Wanna-Be Geeks like YOU don't have a clue how to do it.. for the average consumer this is a S4 with a Heart Monitor with no tangible improvement for 2014.. but they will still get 20 Million SHEEP LIKE YOUR KISS ASS to pay $650.00 for it.
  • I think you're both wrong, its one thing to have an intellectual debate and another to insult. Yes, nbco or whatever was incredibly rude about his response and to add salt, he was incorrect. You lose as well by replying in the manner of which you chose. I need my f*ckin PC and Dev tools back now! HP please hurry!!!
  • So youre saying touchwiz takes more than 3 gigs of ram? Yeah right. Posted via Android Central App
  • Right back at 'ya, idiot. If TouchWiz lags in 3 gigs of ram, maybe ram isn't the problem. I'll say again, as I offered above, you can run Windows 7 AND photoshop in 1 gig of ram, so it's asinine to suggest a light weight mobile OS like Android even WITH a shitty OEM skin is barely capable of running in 3 gigs of ram. Please... And who the fuck are you referring to in your last sentence? You must have me confused with someone else, or your a presumptuous fucking asshole. Wanna-Be-Geek? What do you base that on? My sheep like kiss ass will buy what? I've not, nor am I the slightest bit interested in, the S4, S5, Note 3 or anything else Samsung makes. I truly love how people like you baselessly attribute things (purchase preferences/history) which you not only have absolutely zero knowledge of, but are, in fact entirely off base on, and then use your own deluded fiction to lob accusations and cast judgement. And I sound like an idiot? That's rich. Asshole.
  • +1 Posted via Android Central App
  • The Note 3 is crazy fast. I know. I use mine every day. I'm not sure where you're getting your information from. And, also, let's try and keep it civil, ok? We can disagree and have differences of opinion without resorting to name calling. This isn't elementary school.
  • Thank you for the explanation about the resolution. For once, I didn't have to say it. People were going to start thinking I'd come unhinged if I'd had to go on that rant again ;)
  • Except curved screens are ridiculously stupid and utterly pointless.
  • Actually! I thought the same thing until today when I actually held one in my hand, the design let's you hold the phone and navigate the entire screen with you're thumb. At that very moment I realized, ahh...its so you can do this! I learned something new today! Nexogen
  • You're basically the person this article is talking about. Posted via Android Central App
  • Lol they never learn Posted via Android Central App
  • ummm... I don't think it's 8GB of touchwiz.
    if you look closely on the images that are shown on the articles, you could see that the extra space (called "miscellaneous files", "used space" and "cached data") is used by apps, some/all were probably installed for demonstrations of the device.
    uninstall/disable &reset the data of those apps, and you can claim a lot of space. the OS takes ~5.28GB. still a lot, but not 8GB... here's the article:
    http://www.androidcentral.com/galaxy-s5-rom-bit-monster-taking-nearly-8g...
  • - 2k would ruin the battery
    - The s5 did gain an mm and there WAS an increase in battery.
    - the ROM takes up 8gb because there is another copy of touchwiz on- board in case of system catastrophe; touchwiz itself isn't 8gb...
    - the heart rate sensor is more accurate than using a camera with flash.
  • Why do people keep referring to 2k displays like they don't already exist in the market? From my understanding, any phone with 1080 is considered a 2k phone. As far as the TV industry goes, any 1080p HDTV qualifies as a 2k TV. The same, I would gather would be for phones. We are not talking about the movie projection industry standards here, where a resolution of 2048x1556 is the standard for 2k per the DCI, which was the resolution of historical super 35mm film..... 4k is 3840x2160... half of that... 1920x1080 Am I missing something here?
  • While you are correct, perhaps the biggest issue here is that the whole "2K" and "4K" terminology focuses on the horizontal resolution only. Because of this, it's easy to think that 2K is half of 4K, when in fact it's actually a quarter of that. 1920x1080 = 2,073,600 pixels, while 3840x2160 = 8,294,400 pixels.
  • for the past 2 months, I thought I would never find you.
  • The reason the bezels are bigger is because of its water resistant certification. Same thing on the Z2. I would have rather the kept the screen size at 5 inches rather than make the phone bigger.
  • Nope the s5 is a great phone... But it's not the best phone available the Z2 seems better, better camera better battery and water proof with SD card will it sell more then the s5 hell no the S5 will still outsell all other phones period. Posted via Android Central App
  • Z2 seems like a great phone on paper and there design is top notch though personally don't like angular phones, they look great but they don't conform to the hand that great. I'm always worried about Sony phones because as always there camera looks great on paper but I real usage they seem to under deliver, they never seem to be great with battery life even though they have more mah. For example the z2 has 400mah more battery over the s5 but the z2 from official Sony stats can only get 6-7 hours video playback and the s5 can get 12 hours. It was the same story for z1 and s4. Hopefully a z2 compact is on the horizon. Posted via Android Central App on nexus 7 (2nd gen)
  • I agree with you jimbo!
  • Yes Samsung is the new Apple, they are getting comfortable whilst LG, HTC, Sony and Motorola innovate. Posted via Android Central App
  • Htc, sony, Motorola couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag if you poked 2 big holes in it At Lg is the closest thing to Samsung they try to offer to their customers legitimate feature enhancements or productivity options. Plain And Simple Nothing Beats Samsung Period. Posted from my Galaxy Note 3 on Tmobile via Android Central App
  • Lol nothing beats Samsung? in sales maybe... and how does HTC not innovate with all the hardware and and software additions? Haven't Samsung and many others copied BlinkFeed a bit?
    I loved my note 2 for a long time, I'm not a Samsung hater, wouldn't have anything that isn't stock android now though for personal preference reasons. Posted via Android Central App
  • Dick, the 90's called, they want their ridiculous sayings back.
  • I don't think he knows how to use the copy and paste functionality for any other purpose. Just keep it on the clipboard. Lol Posted via Android Central App
  • Thank you! Could NOT have put it better myself. Apple tends to stick to what works and what's practical and doesn't use a whole lot of flash. They do that because they want to create "i" devices (idiot proof) so that the experience is as streamlined as possible for the user. If technology was merely a tool for me and not a passion, I'd be buying Apple products exclusively.
    Samsung on the other hand includes features and functions on their phones so that they can have a nice list of bullet points on the back of the box. They are hardly useful most of the time and when they are, they don't work properly. But of course, the "tech dumb general public" would just look at the back of the box and the countless ads and base their decisions on that.
    Really hoping the Sony Z2 and also the Tablet gets a better public reception this time. They thoroughly deserve it IMO.
  • In other words, 'it's plastic so we don't like it'. Whatever.
  • Let's see who will outsell Galaxy S5. By the way, if you think current S5 is still bloated, then you don't have a point Posted via Android Central App
  • No phone not even the Note 3 which is arguably a better phone will outsell the s5. Samsung could have added nothing but the fingerprint scanner to an s4 and called it an s5 and it would still sell 50 million units. That's marketing at its fishnet, Samsungs marketing team is what has helped in their success. Posted via Android Central App
  • I love that your phone corrected "finest" to "fishnet." I think we just learned something about you. Posted from one of an unnecessarily large collection of Nexus devices because I'm That Guy
  • Lol...
  • +1 Posted via Android Central App
  • Hahahah Posted via Android Central App
  • Haha that's too funny didn't even realize that it did that till I read your comment what can I say I like catching fish with nets lol. Posted via Android Central App
  • What makes an OEM money is the tech dumb crowd. Luckily not all OEM's sold out. Nexogen
  • I think the article is discussing the iterative nature of each year's model. I would say that this afflicted the iPhone much more than other brands. For several models, Apple stuck to a 3.5" screen and the same skeuomorphic UI, mostly improving the internals while sticking to the basic design and form. Then for the 6th generation iPhone -- the iPhone 5, Apple splurged on a 4" screen and 16:9 screen ratio which was quite daring of them. The 7th generation iPhone 5S came with iOS 7 out of the box and this represented the biggest departure to date on the iOS front but the phone is still mostly iterative. However, selling previous models on the strength of Siri and iOS Maps could hardly be called disruptive. I agree that Samsung has been iterative as well with the Galaxy series but they have not been afraid to experiment and go further. They came out with the first phablet (which led other manufacturers including Apple to bump up screen sizes), experimented with new sensors to enable new (though some would say gimmicky) features, have always put in the best hardware available in their flagship phones, and tried to put in phone functionality in tablets and cameras. The Galaxy S4 and S5 look to have been disappointing in terms of the lack of new groundbreaking features. But the iPhone 5S could also be said to suffer from the same malady. If the iPhone 6 breaks the mold, I think a lot of people would be pleasantly surprised.
  • Oh Jimbo.
  • Haters don't buy products or control anything worthwild they search for group discounts or essential price breaks for handsets. Most hate because they ain't buying or can't afford to buy so they hate. People hate on SAMSUNG cause they own the GLOBAL MARKET SHARE WORLDWIDE AND are the ANDROID PLATFORM MARKET SHARE LEADER SINCE MAY 2011. It's pretty simple like I've said for years SAMSUNG IS ANDROID PERIOD NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. Posted from my Galaxy Note 3 on Tmobile via Android Central App
  • I honestly have no idea if you're the world's best troll or the world's craziest man. Either way, I'm impressed. Posted via Android Central App
  • +1 Posted via Android Central App
  • Man, your fanboyish trolling has exceeded stratospheric levels. The all caps solidified that even more. Posted via Android Central App
  • First of all, I love how it's 2014, we have computers that fit into our pockets that are connected to the Internet almost 100% of the time, and autocorrect on these devices, and you still can't spell words correctly. There is no word in the entire dictionary spelled "worthwild". Educate yourself. You look like a total fool.
    Secondly, going by your completely faulty fanboy logic in your 3rd section, I guess we should all be "hating on" Comcast, Verizon/AT&T, GE, and the various other companies that have "global market share worldwide". Get a life.
    Thirdly, most "hate" because they have reason to do so, and can freely do so. Just because it's not in line with what you think, doesn't make it "wrong", it's a fucking opinion, something you have had a hell of a lot of trouble understanding. For god's sake, you tell others what they think of a device is "wrong" or "useless", especially if they say Samsung is bad and some other manufacturer is good. You're a delusional, arrogant Samsung fanboy, and you can't even see past your own obnoxious bullshit.
  • Yes, there is no huge difference with the iphone 5s.it is still an absurdly small under powered little toy phone for grandma and tech illiterates and ignorant victims of marketing. Don't fool yourself
  • The aijphoney has been hated since day 1... ... ( 0ppo F5) ...
  • So true, I totally agree. You mentioned all the good points. Bottomline I guess is that, S5 failed to meet people's expectations. They started the so much aggressive advancements and publicity to their phones that wowed a lot of people, not just a lot but millions which helped them to gain the top spot in android market shares. People are holding on to the momentum and always expect great leap to each product they're going to release. Now that it seems like it's quite a heavy task for them to release a phone with huge differences to its predecessor, the momentum slows down. They started it and that's the consequence. You cannot please everybody, even if you say wake up you dumb! At the end of the day, we have our own choices and preferences bas ed on what we consider and expectations. May we be dumb or not, if it did not satisfy us then, sorry. Only those huge fans who are blinded are the ones who will praise & still say that choosing this S5 is a clever choice.
  • "cheap "feeling" build quality, bland, anachronistic, toyish design, cartoonish unnatural looking amoled display" No idea of what you are talking about. And like many people , I really like and prefer the amoled display over anything else available. Pitch black is my thing I guess. The 2 main reasons I wont get a S5 are Knox and Touchwiz.
  • No. Get over yourself. Posted via Android Central App
  • No because I would still take the S5 over any iPhone anyday Posted via Android Central App
  • I don't believe that was his point.
  • Exactly, the point is real. In Sweden it's called the Law of Jante. Basically a human mental defect that makes a group of people strongly criticise anyone who's too successful.
  • Just Googled that - explains a lot of what's going on in the world...
  • Perhaps, loosely defined. The mental defect seems to be your attribution. Jante is aspirational mediocrity where the collective outweighs individual achievement. Apple is known for and appreciated globally for innovation. Whereas Samsung is not.
  • Innovation that causes them to steal every 'new' feature for 3 generations from android??? Yeah...innovators. That's what I call it.
  • Haha, yeah, I personally categorised it as a mental defect. Just to sum up the whole definition of the behaviour. But, I think it's applicable. :) And you idea about Apple being the only innovative company is defined by another law and psychological analysis, called RDF. :P
  • I did NOT say Apple is the ONLY innovation company. HTC, for example, is known for many innovations. What's the psychological descriptor."metal defect" for a person who misappropriates their own worst fears and demons into the statements of others - Sigmund? Perhaps, big britches complex or cognitive dissonance.
  • Maybe you should read about the behaviour I referred to instead of just underlining you're an Apple fanboi? :)
  • Maybe that's the point he's not going to play your game and stoop to your level it's not about you fool.
  • So can i ask you a question why are you posting in a Samsung galaxy S5 discussion board about the Iphone. If you like the IPhone that's great, some of us like stuff from Samsung is a personal preference. Apple products are not a gift from God and while I do think they are great, that's not what we are hear to discuss Posted via Android Central App
  • Apparently you are dazed and confused. Scroll to top and read the article.
  • Hahahahaha
  • Ohh..samsung doesn't innovate? I'm speechless Posted via Android Central App
  • Innovations ? , good one.
    You should read a book or two about the truth behind Apple and Steve Jobs.
  • YES. Just look at the S5 forum here. So hilarious.
  • Moar specz! Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.2
  • Moar features! Posted via Android Central App
  • I'd be more impressed if Samsung used a Billion dollars for R&D in Battery technology.
  • Moar "features"
  • No kidding. Ever since the GS4 vs. One screaming matches, the Samsung forums are my favorite to browse.
  • The Galaxy S5 is awful. The end. :: Posted via The One ::
  • Agreed.
  • So laughable. -------------------------------------------
    You really should see the crap I don't post. Sorry if honesty offends you
  • +1
  • I just want innovation not better specs and whatnot. We want something DIFFERENT. not the same every single year that's why apple and Samsung are going thru this right now. Posted via Android Central App
  • Going through what? Making money year after year with proven formulas of success. I'm sure investors see it a little bit different.
  • Uh Ok yeah from business stand point great good job... As a consumer you're absolutely wrong why do I care how well they do and how much money their making I want innovative products not something that's gonna sell because it's the "cool" thing to have Posted via Android Central App
  • +1000 Posted via Android Central App
  • Exactly what Samsung wanted... To be the next apple Posted via Android Central App
  • To successfully sell their product and make as much profit as Apple? Why is that a bad thing?
  • The hardcore Android fans that frequent this site don't care about that, they care about Samsung releasing the phone that THEY personally want. Not what will sell, what they want. Which is idiotic.
  • That's why people who know go Nexus, we dont give a good goddamn what the masses are buying.
  • Is being let down by the new Galaxy the new equivalent to being let down by the new iPhone? Yep, I agree with you there.
  • Whatever said S5 is not impressive as Moto x simple(S4 owner).
  • I agree, but the S5 is no slacker either. Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.2
  • It's neither more nor less impressive. It does lot's of things the X doesn't, and never will, and has a much larger screen (with no wasted real estate for on-screen buttons). The X offers certain features the S5 doesn't, and a closer to "stock Android" experience. Neither is intrinsically better. Each will appeal to a different person.
  • Roger that. It has a very good specs but the glitzy looks is not my cup of tea. Will see how the One up and the moto X successor comes out :)
  • Xperia Z2>S5 Posted via Android Central App
  • Good joke! Respect... Posted via Android Central App
  • Agree.
  • I agree with you they are very similar but battery, camera are better on the Z2 I guess we need to see comparison photos to make sure though. Posted via Android Central App
  • I agree... TW/Sammy hate is the "in thing" now. But, Sammy is selling a lot, which increases the amount of dollars they can spend on marketing, which increases the "mindshare" (I think that's the right term) of the general public. The more recognized a brand, usually the more the public will buy it - regardless if it's the best or not. And of course the more people buy that product, the more money the company can spend on securing even more customers. Apple's doing it well, and so is Sammy - regardless of what the fanboys in both camps think.
  • A lot of you must be new here. The Sammy hate has been around for years!! It's not any worse than hate on the other OEMs (esp whomever makes the Nexus) but it just applies to millions more individuals.
  • Tall poppie syndrome ? Posted via Android Central App
  • ^^^^^^^^
    What he said...... Nexus 5
  • I've always said the galaxy s series is the iPhone of android. It sells the most, but that doesn't make it the best there is. I'll forever drool over the specs in each new flagship, but the fact that it's Sammy keeps me away. Well, that and the bloat. And ain't nobody got time over here to be rooting and ROM'ing. Posted via my oldie but goodie Nexii 4 using the Android Central App
  • I don't drool over flagship specs, my Moto X with midrange spec run superbly.
  • There are always two sides to this. People want new features, innovation, and being able to check out a phone and think, "That is COOL". Now, like it or not, Samsung has been adding new features for years now, and there has been a general feeling that most of the others out there have not. If the rumors about a $500-$650 retail price on the S5 are true off contract, compared to the $800 the Galaxy S4 is, then you should consider THAT in the "what do I get for my money" question. If the Galaxy F, or whatever the rumored "premium" Samsung phone will be or would be called, then THAT may very well be the device we all feel the S5 should have been.
  • Samsung isn't really innovative just throwing the best specs they can into a phone with a subpar TouchWiz and they copy what other companies have other done and try to make it better. That's what alot of companies do which is fine, the features they have are hit or miss and most of them Nobody uses. We want DIFFERENT, not just an upgrade in specs and random useless features. Posted via Android Central App
  • Just happy to be saving some money Posted via Android Central App
  • People have just become whiny bimbos. This is what happens when people have no knowledge, no skills, and no presence of mind, but what they have is an active Internet connection.
    Also when you're spoiled for choice, this is what happens.
    I felt underwhelmed by the s4,but I feel that note 3 is an awesome device.
    Samsung should stop making all devices look the same (nothing pisses a user more than someone mistaking the Note2 for galaxy grand)
    at least Sony does a better job at making devices look visually different despite the same design language. Posted via Android Central App
  • You call people whiney bimbos with no presence of mind and spoiled for stating disappointment in something particular. Then you complain about the designs Sammy uses. Whine much? Posted via the porcelain throne.
  • I feel like such a dick. it had been awhile since I'd seen a Note 2 so when the chick next to me pulled hers out, I thought it was a Grand. Lolz Posted via Android Central App
  • Thats......funny as hell!
  • I find it ironic that the iPhone 5S is the first Apple phone i would consider buying and yeah Samsung has taken their place with releasing a minor update to the same phone year after year. Good thing there are plenty of other choices :) Posted via Android Central App
  • Bought an iPhone 5s the other day with Tmobile's trade in your blackberry for $200 deal. First time I've had an iPhone since the 4 and let me tell you, I love it. I still have my Moto X of course though as that is the best Android phone. To me Samsung has completely ruined Android (obviously not from a money making point). It's sad most people don't even know what Android actually looks and feels like. People still talk about how laggy android is because they went out and bought a galaxy phone instead or something with real Android like a Moto X. Imagine when the iPhone actually has a 4.7 inch display, so man people that left for Android will go right back to Apple.
  • I don't understand this sentiment. How can Samsung ruin Android for you if their offerings has never impacted the way you experience Android. You said you have the Moto X, so what about Samsung and Touch Wiz has changed how you enjoy the Moto X? I understand simply disliking it but is this level of hyperbole really necessary?
  • I believe turbOwned (above) provided a clear and succinct explanation..
  • Didn't really answer my question but whatever.
  • When will that be bud? A lot of people will not. Lot more to Android than a large display...even to regular people.
  • He's saying it ruined the Android experience because regular people think TouchWiz is Android and it gives it a bad reputation, normal Joe blow doesn't know the differences between operating systems and UI's Posted via Android Central App
  • I'll hold judgement until I have a chance to use the S5, but there are a few very realistic things I was looking for that weren't a part of the new device. - Size. The S4 was one of, if not the smallest phones of that generation. The S5 has now grown considerably, and almost all of that is in the worst parts of the phone. - 3GB RAM, 32GB storage - these are very easy things for samsung to include. They've already gotten a ton of bad press on the S4 ROM being so big, and the Note 3 had these minimums. - camera with OIS As a consumer it feels like the S5 is trying too much to be everything to everyone, and overlooking the core functions of being a smartphone. To me, it's the wrong message. I'd rather forego the heart rate monitor (how many times are you really going to use this?) to have OIS or 32GB of storage space. Also, by now I think Qi should also be a standard feature that people don't have to wait for a cover and spend $30 on.
  • Agreed! Especially about the 32GB internal storage. Eliminate the HRM, MIMO and pick the sensor and give us what we can use *STORAGE*
    .
  • Wait until they sell these things in the millions. There will be blood.
  • It's not just the Galaxy S line, people are too concerned about specs to even consider how well a phone does.
    Anyone who believes rumors deserves to be let down. Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.2
  • Most rumors that are close to launch are pretty accurate or so close it's not an issue, but the rumors for the S5 was way out in left field. The only thing that stuck true was the finger print scanner. Posted via the porcelain throne.
  • Anyone who believes rumors deserves to be let down.... I LOVE that Posted via Android Central App
  • Says who??? :)
  • Which was a given because why? - Apple did it first.
  • Samsung is #1 in the Android ecosystem. It's human nature to hate on #1. No matter what Apple, HTC, Motorola, LG, Sony or Samsung does there's going to be someone that hates them.
  • It also goes along with the thinking that if a company doesn't sell 4 times as many new handsets in half the time of the previous generations then said company MUST be going under. Basically we've reached a smartphone saturation point and a lot of people currently own the good phones so why upgrade at the drop of a hat. I still see plenty of people running around with 2-3 year old smartphones and they are happy with them because it does all the same basic things they've always done. Now the first company to the market with something remarkable like 4-5 day battery life without extra size, then we will get excited ;-)
  • You made valid points. Mostly annoyed with 16GB internal storage. The S3 had 16GB, the S4 has 16GB. Android OS iterations are getting larger. The S5 is has 16GB. Point being the low on board storage comes off as being cheap. The price of flash (SSDs) has dropped to about 50 cents per gigabyte. SDHC 16GB at retail is about 10 dollars. They added features that are pretty fluffy. The heart rate monitor is at the top of the list. Next is it is larger than the S4 (larger bezel too) but for what purpose?
    .
  • Water and dust resistance I'm betting-for the larger bezels.
  • Agreed but the fact they have a micro sd slot really mitigates that. I would just go into an s5 assuming the sd card is all the storage.
  • On board storage is faster than SD card read and write. It is where your applications and data ought to reside. Apps to SD is a band-aid approach. My camera S3 will ONLY write the "best shot" photos to the internal storage, because write speeds are FAST. Maybe if were not using the stock camera it would be different. Point is internal storage trumps an SD card. The SD card slot does not 'really' mitigate the lack of internal storage. .
  • Storage just annoys me so much, how 16gb on flagship devices is still happening is a joke especially when storage cost is so cheap. Posted via Android Central App on nexus 7 (2nd gen)
  • I sure love that wallpaper though. Just wish it came in 2160 x 1920 Posted via Android Central App
  • Well written article. Just as said most of us complaining can't even write a line of code, that is for those that even know what a code in the arena is.
  • Your point? Don't need to learn to write code to know what "we" like our want as consumers. You sir just won the fruit cake of the month. Posted via the porcelain throne.
  • Exactly! Most people can't fly to the moon whenever they please so they clearly aren't qualified to have an opinion about Vegetables.
  • It's lonely at the top. Haters gonna hate, and Samsung will laugh all the way to the bank. Posted via Android Central App
  • wut?
  • But the money from my bank won't make it to their bank.....this time around.
  • It's the hipster mentality. Samsung is 'too mainstream' now so its the 'cool' thing to use something besides it because everyone else has it. It's so stupid. And im guilty as anyone when it comes down to it.
  • Well said!
  • Well eventually Samsung will become so lame that it will be cool to use their phones again, as long as you are using it ironically.
  • @willizen. that comment made my day. hahha. so true.
  • Lol I don't think so. Blackberry is still trying to figure that formulation out Posted via Android Central App
  • +1 Posted via Android Central App
  • But you gotta understand that most...or all of us....like Sammy products, just not this particular product which happens to be the S5. kinda like loving Ford trucks but not liking the particular F-350.
  • Agreed Posted via Android Central App
  • wees hates them precious
  • Hahahaha. Good one. Made me chuckle Posted via Android Central App
  • Most definitely Haha they've basically become the Apple of Android. Posted via Android Central App
  • No! It isn't! Samsung offers choice. Apple doesn't offer any choice, so therefore Apple is a cult, and those with Apple products are stuck in the Matrix! I don't use, or acknowledge the word ""troll"".
  • I think you are missing the point.
  • I think he is just a troll.
  • Mhm Looks like one Posted via Android Central App
  • Smells like one...
  • Please go away Posted from my M7
  • No it is not, the hate isn't about compelling it or hating it like they did to iphones. It is simply the disappointment of how great it could have really been. People just expected much more, like the trend of 3gs of ram (who needs that much though, futureproof reasons). Let's not forget get the 8gigs required for samsungs software out the box. It still tops the Iphone and i would take the s5 over the iphone anyday.
  • Are we playing grammar police? "We got so used to such rapid advancement that we’re having trouble accepting that our minds aren’t going to be _blow_ with every iteration of a device"
  • :/
  • I hated the Galaxy before it was cool...
  • +1. I never understood what people saw in galaxy devices to make them sell like they have. Posted via Android Central App on OG N7
  • Marketing. Marketing. Marketing.
  • Hipster spotted! ;p I don't hate Samsung though, just people buying phones (of whatever brand) just because of the name, without even looking for something that could fit them more. Posted via Android Central App
  • I love me a Samsung TV. And their bluray players. Heck, had a Samsung Focus in 2011 and it introduced me to WP. But Touchwiz is the sad clown hooker of Android skins. Touchwiz is the girl with too much makeup on and you don't know why everyone thinks she looks sooooo good when she has racoon eyes from all that gunk. I prefer a natural beauty in comparison....o hai, Nexus 5...
  • Exactly. I love Samsung tvS but have always hated their phone business. Unless it was the flip phone I had when I was 17 Posted via Android Central App
  • Back when you used to call me :(
  • I will never understand why people "hate" something they have no intention of buying. Would I ever buy an iPhone, no, probably not, but I do not hate it. It has it's place and there is a huge audience for it. Same can be said for the S5. Did it live up to your expectations? No, then buy a different phone. That is the great thing about Android; Samsung doesn't work out for you, go ahead and pick from tons of other manufacturers with equally good (if not better) phones. The next iPhone doesn't work out for you... well then you are going to have to jump ship, but that is life.
  • Because it all boils down to opinion. If we aren't able to express it, then we have lost or 1st amendment rights. Posted via the porcelain throne.
  • I am not against free speech, trust me. I just don't get why everyone gets all up in arms about a product they don't have to buy.
  • This +1
  • +1000 Posted via Android Central App
  • Why not? It can make for great conversations and insight to things that maybe someone didn't think of. Posted via Android Central App
  • Because what else is there to do when you've never been laid. Mike
  • Um....go to the store and buy a girl...er...blowup doll?
  • Because people love to be irrational. Posted via Android Central App
  • I honestly think the market is just becoming too saturated. There are too many good choices out there now. The GS5 doesn't look that great because there is a Z2 and a G Pro 2 and a Find 7, etc. Samsung would have to pull out all the stops and put in only the most cutting edge hardware and software to be the "must have" device, but we have reached a point where that could be said for any device. It's not that the GS5 isn't a decent device. It's just not ground-breaking in any way. But neither was the iPhone 5s compared to the iPhone 5. I would go as far as to say that Manufacturers should consider an 18 month to 24 month release cycle and then just throw in everything but the kitchen sink each time they release a new phone. Honestly, the biggest mistake Samsung made was releasing a 16 gb flagship device (with only 8 available). That's unforgivable in my book and totally unnecessary.
  • "Honestly, the biggest mistake Samsung made was releasing a 16 gb flagship device (with only 8 available). That's unforgivable in my book and totally unnecessary." 100% agreed. Funny when you think about the announcement "we listened and we implemented." They delivered new, but low priority features.
    .
  • One of the better articles I have seen about the smart phone world in a while. Thank you.
  • Short answer: no. Long answer: yes, probably. I personally like Samsung, but I admit Touchwiz is a little overbearing, especially how it was on the GS4. I feel like TW is a top reason why people dislike Samsung devices. They still make very good products though. Samsung plays a major role in how Android has blown up the past 3 years or so. Posted via Android Central App
  • The manufacturers are the reason we have the expectations we do. They focused on specs for years but now that they don't deliver we are suddenly supposed to forget about specs. Whatever, the S5 is a marginal upgrade. The Note 3 had 3GB RAM. It is very reasonable to expect a newer phone to also have 3GB RAM. Samsung said the ROM was going to be simplified. It came in at a bloated 8GB which means that 3GB RAM would have been even more useful. Anyway, their marketing force can try to force upon us that we are wrong and expecting too much but the truth is the S5 is a very marginal upgrade. However, it was a smart upgrade since they will sell just as many of them I am sure. They are looking at new customers and those with the GS3 or older. To those groups of people the GS5 is amazing I am sure. Most people will not be getting rid of a GS4 regardles of how great the new phone would have been. Next year will be the year of 3GB RAM and 2.5k (or whatever since 1080p is already 2k...) screens probably and they will again be back to bashing Apple and how specs are king.
  • The S5's really grown on me over last 24 hours... Better camera, better battery saving options, water/dust proof (perfect for my upcoming summer beach vacation), more color options at Launch (really like the Blue) and Fingerprint Unlock. Oh and don't forget the 2 YEAR WARRANTY which Samsung should promote more of. My Nexus 4 is now outside it's 1 year warranty while my girlfriends 2012 S3 is still covered for most of this year. Posted via Android Central App
  • I missed the 2 year warranty. Was it announced in the presentation, or somewhere else? Would appreciate a link so I can read the details on that, I'm hoping that it might include accidental damage coverage, but maybe I'm being greedy.
  • If you're not being hated on your not at the top.... Yes it's all in the same Posted via Android Central App
  • First time I pressed the G+ button on an article here. But this line of thinking in reality will need to be applied to all OEMs now, not just Samsung. Major next generation leaps are likely a thing of the past. I think Sammy is aware that most S5s will be owned by new or S3 users coming off contracts, not S4 users.
  • A good read, and thanks for writing it. In general, I'd agree with you. While this blog is definitely skewed to mobile tech, I'd argue the same is generally true for any fan of any category. Example: football fans can't understand why you'd like that team, they're so bad. Tell them you just like the uniform, and they can get apoplectic, and try to convince you of the million reasons you're wrong. The best quote I've ever read came from a fantasy book series, but is stunningly true: "passion rules reason". When a person gets emotionally involved in something, spending their time and energy on it, learning all they can, they tend to be unreasonable when others are dismissive. Being understanding and accommodating is extremely difficult, but it is an admirable goal to strive for when interacting with others. Remember that the others with you have their own passions, and it is okay if they are different from your own. Listen and learn from everyone; who knows, you may even find a new passion.
  • I agree with the author's point of view, mostly. However samsung could easily do better in following two aspects: 3gb ram and design. These were very reasonable expectations we had. It's kind of one step backward if you take a look at note3, which is a great device I think. Posted via Android Central App
  • I think it's just a natural reaction to disappointment. We have been used to much larger changes between generations of phones even between the S3 -> S4 and so the S5 is disappointment. Personally I'm fed up with the physical home button and expected the bezel to be smaller then the S4 more like the LG G2. It's just not worth the cost to upgrade from an S4 to S5 however I am ready for a new phone so I'm hoping the LG G3 excites me!
  • For me it's not about hate. Samsung devices are just not my cup of tea...that's all.
  • Does anyone read their own work anymore? "We can't be MADE" at Samsung..." "just look at the MacBook Pro line, which AS retained the same basic lines..." "...our minds aren’t going to be blow with every iteration of a device." I'm not perfect either but c'mon. Writing is what this guy does. Editor-in-chief of webOS Nation? He should be a little better at proof-reading. This is becoming more common. How many times have people used "there" instead of "their". And I hated english class in high school...except for that one teacher...but I digress. Other than that it's an interesting article. I agree with his point about the problem being with the press. He mentions the fact that people reading this article is not generally the target. One point he doesn't make is that most people don't upgrade every iteration of a phone. I'm in IT/Engineering and I don't upgrade every iteration. I have no desire to. But when I went from the HTC Thunderbolt to the Samsung Note 3...wow. My expectation was met and was exceeded.
  • Speak for yourself, but I never read anything I write. Even as I'm writing it. It's just easier that way.
  • Is that something to be proud of if one makes their living as a writer/journalist/editor?
    OK, if you don't want to/don't have time to do it yourself but why not get someone else to check it before it goes live? Regarding the article itself, the impression I get from this and similar sites on the net right now is that it amounts to damage limitation spin on the negative reaction to the S5. Distasteful but understandable if it was someone from Samsung's marketing department writing it but a reportedly independent site? I don't know Derek and maybe the points he raised in his article are his genuine feelings on the matter but when I see a bunch of similar ones on other tech sites...well, if it walks and talks like a duck...
  • I'm thinking that Derek may have had his sarcasm hat on when he made his reply (at least I hope so).
  • Your sarcasm detection is weak my friend. ಠ益ಠ
  • Whether Derek is being sarcastic or not (always a difficult thing to convey with the printed word) the original posters comments are valid. There are a ton of errors in the article. The article itself is on a site that the tech interested gather yet it criticizes them for ...err...being critical about technology. Way to go to alienate your support base, Android Central.
  • The difference is that Apple fanbois don't care as long as it's an Apple product. Android users expect something more...
  • Hating the aijphoney is not new... ... ( 0ppo F5) ...
  • No, the S5 is very disappointing. If I wanted a Galaxy S3, I would have bought one 2 years ago. The S5 is boring. The other OEMs are releasing much more artistic phones that are just as powerful or better than the S5. It's such an eyesore. So yeah, if it was the same thing as hating on the iPhone, we would have seen it with the S3 and S4. The S5 is being criticized because it deserves criticism.
  • I totally think it is..I know the tech people in my circle like HTC and Motorola because they are the anti popular phone makers. But outside of that I don't like Samsung because all the crap they pack in that I swear everyone I know doesn't use...ever. My step dad and coworkers are amazed when I show them even the simplest feature on their phone. Also not a fan of their hardware, I owned an S4 for a bit but 4 months later couldn't handle the cheap feel of it. Now I own a Moto X and couldn't love it more. Posted via Android Central App
  • While I agree a LOT of the S features are Not used by the average person, they ARE the reason why Samsung sell so many devices. When your average buyer is in the store, then stuff like Finger Print Scanner, Health System and 16 Megapixel camera will always help outsell the G2s and Z2s that don't. Samsung know what they are doing for the average consumer. Posted via Android Central App
  • Sorry, but I have to say this. Isn't it funny how Samsung's names have been similar to the iPhones? Not that they are copying or anything, but with the S4, backwards is 4S. the S5, backwards is 5S.
  • I mean what else would u name a Galaxy S device on the next generation? The Sb Sc Sd ...I don't think so Posted via Android Central App
  • Funny. Like the comparison. I'd say apple is copying samsung or it is that apple is enjoying befuddling the dyslexic folks.
  • i don't really care.
    i don't like samsung devices, so i don't buy them.
    I like Sony devices, so i buy them.
    don't see the issue really.
  • The day of flagship phones are coming to a end,Motorola knows and Google knows this. I will be glad the day when ppl stop acting like there phone is a lung and without it they are doa and more like it is a tool so use it thus so. Posted via Android Central App
  • Then explain why Google and Motorola aren't at the top right now? They're near the bottom of the barrel when it comes to mainstream Android devices. Every OEM outsells them both combined.
  • I think he means the new Motorola. The X proves that a phone doesn't require all the top specs to function well and smoothly. The fact the X didn't outsell the S4, doesn't invalidate his point.
  • Yep, I am purely speculating where things might be moving. Just my opinion. Great devices aren't powerhouses necessarily. Posted via Android Central App
  • No but they both were the same price Posted via Android Central App
  • Samsung started this game. Putting highest number(specs) possible for marketing purpose. And now, they are losing in their own game. "No, they’re the other tens of millions of people who’ve bought a smartphone and wished it took better and faster photos. Or that they could make the battery last longer when they really needed it to. Or that an errant splash when doing the dishes didn’t mean the end of their phone. They’re normal people, such as they are, with normal people problems. They just want the phone to work. They’re the people that Samsung focused on when developing the Galaxy S5" Other manufacturer such as Sony has been doing this.
    Imagine we're still in the beginning of 2013 and you are reading this article. And one more thing. Just because you think you don't have enough resources, you will stop innovating. Sorry for my English.
  • Enjoyed the article. Posted via Android Central App
  • The problem is that it is actually an ok phone. Even though I'm a Windows Phone enthusiast, I looked at the Galaxy line as the one that was pushing the spec race. That was the thing that made it so unique, Samsung had the resources to make it the most powerful, even though that doesn't mean the best. Now that they haven't pushed it further, ine if the main attractives of the Galaxy is gone. If you simply take the Z2, then you have 1gb of RAM more, a camera with 4 megapixels more and it's also water-resistant. It's really difficult to make consumers feel that they need or will ever need a fingerprint scanner or a heart rate sensor. Apple could but it's a different story because most people just bought it because it was the iPhone 5s. Samsung doesn't have that privilege just yet and has to find a way to set the phone apart from Apple, HTC, Sony, Nokia and LG's offerings. Specs race are over (for now) so they have to look for UNIQUE experiences to set the phones apart.
  • It makes sense, people expect so much without being the least bit reasonable. If you want New phones on a yearly cycle companies aren't going to be able to put the kitchen sink in a smartphone. Think of all the work that would take, and it will cause them to fall off after two or three years of making phones if they did. Also it would be impossible to create the perfect smartphone because everybody complains about a different thing, some want bigger screens, others want more cores and so on. I'm just hoping soon people will start being realistic with expectations for once.
  • Yes. It's OK to not like a phone, but people are reacting negatively to the fact that Samsung didn't make radical design changes. Those days are over - at least for now. Posted via Android Central App
  • There are people who will always hate on whatever is on top, whether it be Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, or someone else. Not that there aren't legitimate problems with some of the products of those companies, but there are also plenty of problems with whatever the latest darling of the haters is. When your #1, you've got a big target on your back, and lots of people hate you simply because your the biggest guy on the block. The part that's funny is when they criticize Samsung or Apple for some perceived flaw, and then make excuses for the same issue on their favorite child. Remember when everyone criticized Apple because iPhones didn't have removable batteries and SD cards. Now look at the excuses people make for the HTC One and Nexus lacking those items. The "cheap feel" arguments are just another part of the hater crowed, so it's especially funny coming from people who are criticizing the "haters." There's nothing cheap about a Samsung Galaxy. It's every bit as well made, rugged and reliable as a Moto X or HTC One. People react to plastic as if it's the same stuff that a Jack-In-Box toy was made of in the 1960s, but the plastic in a Samsung phone likely to stand up to more abuse than the thin aluminum of an HTC One, which dents when you drop it. And Derek is absolutely right that we're looking at a period of incremental improvements. Today's phone are pretty darned impressive. Newer models will offer a bit more memory, a bit more battery, a bit more speed, a bit more resolution, and software tweaks, but we're not likely to see many stunning breakthroughs in the near future. What do people expect? 4 times the screen resolution, twice the clock speed, and twice the memory? Are you ready to accept 2 hours of battery life in exchange? The truth is that 2 GB of memory is more than enough for all but a very few users, more screen resolution is invisible unless you're using a magnifying glass, and today's processors are plenty fast enough for today's software. Just wait until the HTC TWO (ONE-2?. ONE+? ONE Mark II? How are they going to deal with their stupid choice of name?) comes out, and all the lovers will see it's just an HTC ONE with a faster processor, a better camera, maybe a little more memory, and some software tweaks. Will they be whining about that phone like they are the S? Of course not. They'll be justifying the incremental approach they're trashing today.
  • +1 well said. Not to mention most people do not use nearly all the features of their phones they still want more. Sent from my Moto X!
  • Hmm, don't like HTC do you? I bought the Wasp T12; it's already been out in Japan for two days, WHERE'S YOURS? Posted via Android Central App
  • +1 !!
  • Great commentary, completely agree with the points you make. Enough with the tech elites and their lofty dreams jousting for bragging rights. Posted via Android Central App
  • Great writeup!
  • All I can say is " When you're on top, there's lots of envy" Posted via Android Central App
  • Let's just sum it up here. Mobile nerds here and on other forums wrote the S5 off largely because of how it looks .... HOW. IT. LOOKS. They cry 364 days of the year about "bleeding edge" specs, which the S5 does have in most all areas, but on the day the S5 showed its face, then it's "woe to Samsung" and their dimply back covers. Woe! WHO. CARES? Raise your cheeto-stained hand if you use a decal or case. Yeah? Most of you? Cool. And the rest of you who don't? Just buy something else you feel is nice, but do know the S5 is far from "awful". It's only awful because it's not want YOU wanted. Predictably, it'll sell millions like before while you mill about here and other troll bridges you frequent.
  • One of the best report about the economy today. Period. Posted via Android Central App
  • I've been hating on Samsung since their focus was on flip phones.
  • Get outta here!!!!! Their A900 was THE BEST flip phone I ever had!!! Ppsstt!!
  • When you're doing something right u don't have to make radical changes.... HTC and Moto recently made radical changes .. Samsung & Apple havent... Period .. Posted via Android Central App
  • I think this a good Write up. No I'm not defending the s5. I'm not dogging it either. If I didn't love my note 3 they would have had me with the camera and and the screen. So if you owned a company and all you had to do to get people to flock to your product would be to add a better camera, a couple of gimmicky things and call it a day that of wouldn't do it? It's all about the bottom line. I think it will sell. I'm just waiting for them to sell me on the note 4. Posted via Android Central App
  • After reading this, why do I suddenly feel as if I am not part of the masses ? Of course I am and I have expectations from any brand that I am going to invest in. For Christ's sake, everyone does. If we didnt have expectations, we wouldn't have so many manufacturers eyeing for their slice of pie in the mobile phone market. Its also interesting seeing phones being compared to cars. Samsung being Samsung has a reputation to live upto and people want Ferraris not Camry's. Ask the masses what they would prefer and you'll have your answer. I wont say that Samsung has not built a better phone but what have they done that the competition isn't doing already. Survival lies in innovation and honestly, there's not much of that in the S5. Throw in a 2K screen and you hit the nail on the head. Posted via Android Central App
  • Umm...accept you are a nerd already. You read a post on ANDROID CENTRAL. Wake up. You aren't part of the masses, so stop pretending. Follow us into the light. There ya go. Sit, Ooboo, sit. Good boy.
  • Lets not digress with sarcasm Stephen. At the end of the day, Samsung could have done better. Its more of a disappointment than hate. Posted via Android Central App
  • Oh but I must. The article made the best points already I could use in response, so sarcasm is my only option now. Maybe the Z1 Compact is your cup of tea, or the Nexus 5. But nothing will truly be good enough to the geeks here. The moment 20MP cams become the new 8MP cams, then 20MP won't be good enough. Everything will need to be a 40MP cam or IT SUCKS. More more more, now now now. It's a phone...not a vital organ.
  • Excellent editorial! It needed to be said. Thanks Derek!
  • I was impatiently waiting for the galaxy S5 but now I am gonna be patient and wait for Note 4, hoping they don't screw that one up too.
  • for me is not much hate, as it is disappointment. i'm disappointed they are ok with shoving 8 Gb's of memory when they could take some of these "bells" to the playstore. i'm disappointed that with neither of their flagships, i can pull down the notification drawer without some ninja hand-skills. i'm a bit concerned with the battery. and that's it. everything else i can live with.
  • The S4 was a bit of a disappointment, but it looks like Samsung have listened this time and worked on making it a better phone to use, rather than adding to the gimmick list. I think it looks great. Only problem is, the Z2 looks like it may be better in all major areas, not that Sammy will care as they will still sell a ton. Posted via Android Central App
  • Actually, we should expect more from the phones/devices and their manufactures. Customer pressure drives innovation and creates the demand that drive new companies with new ideas. Companies should feel that they must continue to eat their own markets and products or the competition will. To reduce this pressure will get us what we have now, mild update and iteration on a themes. We customers need to force disruptive changes by demanding more. We should not allow companies to rest on their laurels and (with apologize to the brilliant Samsung anti-iPhone ad campaign) be glad they moved the headphone jack to the bottom! We are currently in the model T stages of personal informatics. I hope in a few years we look back at the iPhone 5s and the Galaxy S5 and laugh and wonder how they were ever state of the art.
  • Great article! People are just complaining about this but what the hell do you want more? Materials like the htc? So buy the HTC...body of glass like the xperia? Buy xperia... Every company have a target and although I understand some of the criticism they are thinking about the average people... People who bought this product for the status and not like us the "tech community" enthusiastic!
    They sell millions and millions of devices and we are a minority! Posted via Android Central App
  • Totally agree with this article. Benchmarks don't mean much. As long as the device is enjoyable to use and doesn't fail on the consumer, specs really don't matter. Posted via Android Central App
  • I love my Galaxy Note 3..I do think the galaxy S5 is a great phone..I'll just have to wait what the Note 4 will bring us and compare between the s5 and Note 4. I do really like the new touchwiz. .I wonder if Samsung would give us Note 3 owners an update to the new touchwiz. Posted via Android Central App
  • i think people were expecting a lot more because of the brand image that Samsung have put behind themselves. S3 put them on the world map, literally. Samsung's fully embraced that and hyped themselves up to a beyond dissapointing releases. Instead of trully leaping ahead like they've implied they would the S4 was litterally the same as S3 in many aspects and the S5 is just a butchered ripoff of many things that Apple did 6 months ago. Does samsung really need a fingerscan? Do they need a gold color? No one ever needed those or even cared about those until Iphone came out. Samsung, instead of innovating in their own way chose to "absorb" these features and did a very ugly job at them. And they expected people would applaude, 6 months later?? No one will be whining about the Iphone 6, except android people. And apple won't be making it in the hideous blue and will probably drop the gold because Samsung uglied up the color beyond repair.
  • My personal problem with the GS5 has nothing to do with incremental increases. At this point, I don't know what kind of amazing breakthrough most people would want from a smartphone. My issue (and we will see if HTC falls victim to the same problem in a month) is that Samsung doens't seem to care one bit what the consumers want, and in the case of the GS5, the usuable storage after all their crap is loaded is unacceptable. In a world where storage is outrageously cheap for OEMs (most estimate around $40 for 64 gb), id Sammy is intent on loading their phones with stupid features most of us don't use, then give us the onboard stoarge we all deserve. If in a month HTC announces a phone without a bigger battery (though as a current One owner, I have to admit the battery has proven it's not the size of the boat but the motion in the ocean), expandable storage, or onscreen buttons, I would guess many of the Android fanbois will be screaming bloody murder and it would be deserved. There are ways to improve the Samsung Android experience and they have nothing to do with S-whatever you want to tack on, but Samsung doesn't seem to care. That's why they are the new Apple. They are treating their customers like sheep...but Sammy owners think they are the cool black sheep who are smarter than the white sheep Apple puts out to pasture. They forget they are still all sheep.
  • Great article. Its funny to me how much this is a matter of perspective. I'm stuck with my VZW Galaxy Nexus until May... so to me, this feels like it might be a great option. I've been leaning towards the Note 3, which I might still do given it may come down some when the S5 come out. This might be disappointing to some, but a huge upgrade to others.
  • Cute rant. The S5 is still ugly in my opinion and the TouchWiz lag was palpable. I am disappointed because the UI and the physical design of the phone are horrendous. The iPhone 4, 5, and HTC One are far superior aesthetically. I did not see any major improvement over the S4. Thankfully, all I have is an opinion that does not matter and Samsung will sell millions of this ugly new iteration of the Galaxy line-up regardless of my meaningless, subjective opinion. However, just because my opinion is meaningless, it does not mean I don't have the right to express it. Your article seems to send a message between the lines, and that message is that your readers are childish idiots who do not understand the basic progression of technology and it is their childish stupidity glaring its head when they express an opinion about a terrible looking phone with slow, inefficient UI. I can't wait for the next leap forward in mobile technology because the Galaxy phones make me sad just looking at them. Again, great rant and awesome job alienating the Android Central readers. You are so awesome. Posted via Android Central App
  • +11111111111 Posted via Android Central App
  • Well said / written.
  • sadly in a lot of ways yes. someone here posted something about collectively hating something that successful. but its more than that. my personal reason is Sammy does what they want rather than what i want. meaning if i, the general public, want a bigger battery they take that to mean, fingerprint scanner. much like apple did in the past they truly believe they know what we want and we dont. and dislike of TW is far from a new thing. i had the origional galaxy facinate. bloated with vz and Sammy apps. hated it so i rooted and flashed something else. with every update to TW it deviated more and more from vanilla android and became more intrusive. for people who have actually owned an s4 after a few months it becomes so sluggish. Besides that, it seems like TW was designed for ease of use but instead just looks childish to me. the hate has grown because they aren't delivering
  • Samsung claims they addressed the issues and customer sticking points from the previous generation. Really?? I think most customers would much rather prefer a device made with premium feel and design and materials over another generation of plastic Water resistant?? Really? Great concept but you are still only targeting a small group. That affects the size and design of the phone, and my guess is most people would prefer a phone more pleasing aesthetically than water resistance. Sluggish UI from TW?? They addressed that by making the ROM even more bloated. Just to add gimmicks most people will never use, or use for the first day. Lack of internal storage? 16GB on a flagship device! See above, enough said. Bottom line, if they kept the S4 internals the same and truly revamped and slimmed down TW, and made a premium looking, feeling device with top notch materials, I think the S5 would be a winner. Posted via Android Central App
  • Most customers don't care about plastic. Most customers are going to get a case anyway. Water/dust resistance is a lot more important (and a much higher selling point) to a vast majority of customers. Liek Derek said, customers don't want their device to stop working if they accidentally splash water on it, drop it in the toilet, or get caught it the rain. As for the UI, I know this may sound hard to believe, but a lot of people that buy Samsung phones like Samsung's software and features. If they didn't they would buy something else. Rooters and ROMers like you and me are the vast minority. If you want a premium and aestheically pleasing device, buy a Rolex. Or photoshop yourself what you want the Galaxy S5 to look like, frame it and call it a day. The majority of people don't call about looks, they care about functionality.
  • I don't know about anyone else, but... if I ever drop my phone in a toilet; water proof/resistant or not; time for a new phone... eeeeeeek Posted via Android Central App
  • I couldn't agree more. There are more average, not as technical users out there than there are power users or people really pay attention to specs and software. Functionality and ease of use, the reasons the iPhone and Galaxy devices since the S3 are such big hits worldwide. Posted via Android Central App
  • This isn't a really big deal. Everyone is titled to their opinions. If they bitch, they bitch. No reason to defend Samsung or apple. They are making money. The problem is the phones are $600-$700. So they damn better well be good or meet the consumers need. I hate the glam but its not the end of the world. What kills it is that new touch wiz and 8 GB of ram. Go home Samsung you're drunk. At least with 3GB of ram the is could handle it better. I have better expectations for the note 4. The note series is the power series. GS5 isn't the worst phone but there are better options out there. Posted via Android Central App
  • You mean 2GB of RAM and 8GB of usable storage? Posted via Android Central App on my HTC One running CM11.
  • Great article Derek! I had to double check my link, was having a flash back to the great articles of webOS Nation we used to enjoy. Like ryanmtech said above(about 40 comments) the hipster mentality. Great analogy.
    I did go with Samsung after my HTC Dinc2(and palm pre) and it was the cool new phone. I wasnt blown away until I got the note 2. However, my note3 did actually blow me away with the new spen features. So incremental features can be a good thing. But, because everyone had the s3/s4, this one is still too close to be cool? I think not.
  • And yet, like the iPhone, it'll still be the best selling of its range. People dismiss the new iPhone as iterative and yet it always outsells it's predecessors. Same for the Galaxy line, this will outsell the S4, which outsold the S3 despite also being dismissed as iterative. On the other hand, people are praising the Z2, and yet I have the Z1 and it's pretty much exactly the same. And like the Z1, it'll be a good seller, but nothing like the Galaxy line, which everyone around me owns. Because marketing. Simple. Posted via Android Central App
  • No. It is just so much easier for a group of people to be negative than positive. Hate is contagious.
  • Anyone who knows tech, is not up in arms about this release. The only thing to be passed about is the space taken up by the os. The rest is close to great. So will most other phones. We live in great times. -------------------------------------------
    You really should see the crap I don't post. Sorry if honesty offends you
  • +1
  • @deeb215- dont worry, the 32gb will be more, therfore the 16gb is priced less
  • You're a wiseguy lol.
  • :)
  • I agree, the base model should of been 32GB if they're going to continue eating up the internal storage with TW or offer the 16GB at a lower price.
  • I'm really not sure how much Samsung paid Android Central team to promote S5! too much biased!
  • Comments like this are a bit ridiculous. Whenever any flagship is announced it gets lots of coverage because most of us want to read as much about it as we can. And yet, no matter what OEM is being talked about, some dweeb has to come and make a comment about AC getting paid off.
  • Sorry about that comment! I think i was too much frustrated when i watched Samsung Galaxy S5 Hands on video by AC! that carried over me to make a bad comment!
  • Really cause there has been way less articles on the Z2? Posted via Android Central App
  • The Z2 probably won't be released on the scale the S5 will cover. Not saying there couldn't be a few more articles on it but the S5 was the star of the show.
  • Not everyone who criticizes the Galaxy S5 is a "Samsung Hater" whose sole purpose is to criticize Samsung because it's cool. I've always supported Samsung and bought every flagship device they offered until the Galaxy S4, as I didn't see it as being a substantial upgrade from my Note 2 at the time. Samsung stated that they wanted to go back to the basics and address common complaints that their customers have. If that was truly their goal, they've failed miserably. People have bashed their cheap plastic approach for years, and yet we're greeted by another flagship with a high price, and cheap build quality. I never expected an octacore 64-bit CPU or QHD screen. What i expected was as follows: 1. Better build quality. Perhaps some aluminum like the HTC One. 2. A better battery. Like the Sony Xperia Z2 with up to 3200 MaH or a minimum of 3000 MaH, like the G2. 3. Better internal storage, like 32GB minimum. 4. 3GB of RAM, like the Note 3. Most 2014 flagship devices have 3GB of RAM, and if any device needs the extra gig of RAM, it's a device running TouchWiz. You can argue all you want, but I think my wants are very realistic, and yet they are unfulfilled. Therefore I'm leaning towards Sony or LG, like I did last year with the G2. Don't give the whole micro sd card slot argument either, because Google is making it more and more difficult to write apps to the SD card slot, so on board storage is way more important. Especially when the Galaxy S5 has only 8GB available after the TouchWiz bloat. Knowing how bloated TouchWiz is, how do you give your flagship device only 2GB of RAM? All of these concerns would be alleviated if the Galaxy S5 was released at a very competitive price like the Nexus 5, but it isn't. This is a guaranteed $600+ device, and when you're spending that kind of money you don't expect to compromise on the most basic things like storage, battery life, and build quality. That's just my $.02 cents.
  • But you were not reading articles, it's not the number of battery, but how long it lasts. This S5 outlast the bigger number on Z2 during testing. By the way what's apples battery size? Twice smaller than Android counterparts, but lasts longer. Posted via Android Central App
  • Where are you getting those specs from? Can you provide links to your sources for this information? I am sceptical that ANY conclusive tests have been done on a phone as new as the Z2 and S5. It is not even available yet.
  • Perfectly reasonable arguments. Posted via Android Central App
  • People who want Sd cards is not for apps it's for the media we want on out phones.. as stated mah in battery isn't how to rate a battery performance ...shall I say Moto X ... Posted via Android Central App
  • I devote alot of time and effort before I commit my hard earned money to a phone. Even though I think the S5 is very nice ..... I ve come to the conclusion that the Nexus 5 offers the most phone for the dollar. I just wish it had a removable battery. Another scenario is the S4 if the price drops significantly. I am reluctant to leave my S2 ..... the best phone I've ever owned ..... and it really can still do it all with the Cmod.
  • I predict that when HTC's phone comes out everyone will ooh and aah over what it looks like but it will have next to no new software features.
  • What software features do you want? I get bored with all the stuff that comes with Samsung and think the best software feature of last year was LG's Knock Knock. What is it people are doing with their phones that they even want these features? I feel like a power user would rather go and find an app or root his phone for the desired features rather than take up valuable storage on the 10 things he doesn't use for the one he does.
  • You are correct but the general public are not power users and want expandable storage, multiscreen, wave to answer your phone, etc. Regarding Knock Knock, I would disagree.
  • Which will kill it on arrival if true. They better bring more than those speakers if they want the M8 to fly off the shelves.
  • These are two totally completely different things. The iPhone receives "hate" for having a strong core fan base that doesn't listen to reason and blindly follows whatever Apple says. The Samsung Galaxy S phones receive hate for..wait, maybe they are the same thing...
  • Oh no! They have strong passionate opinions like you do but for a different product! Wahhhh....
  • AWESOME editorial! Spot on! N3 via AC App
  • Thanks for the reality check! Samsung are making their phones for the people calling any phone that isn't an iPhone a "Droid." Or now, will go pick up whatever "the new Galaxy" is. Posted via Android Central App
  • But, isn't the mid tier phones for the average consumer and high end galaxy htc lg moto for people who want the latest and greatest... Posted via Android Central App
  • dude, nobodys hating on the S4s, I mean S5. just admit visually it's the same as the S4 & the back looks awkward with all the holes. & people just expected something new.. so to sum it up, nobodys mad, just disappointed. Posted via Android Central App
  • You could have saved a TON of pixels and just said, "Because Apple and Samsung are the two big gorillas".
  • Yes very much the same. It's so sad that all android fans can't get along. Posted via Android Central App
  • Hating on the Galaxy is nothing new. People have hated Touchwiz pretty much since it's inception. Even USERS of the device have hated on it. The way I see it there are 2 camps of GS users: Spec hounds that are merely interested in the device for the hardware (so they can then root and install custom software on it) and everyone else. There IS a small group within the second that are really hard up for all the experimental features Samsung shoehorns onto Android, but they are a small group within camp 2. As the most popular Android device on the market, you would HOPE that they would at least do something to polish their UX. Also, instead of dreaming up new and redundant features like Touchless and Eye scrolling, how about perfect the truly innovative stuff you've already done? How about improve the front facing sensor so the "Always On" display that knows you're looking at it works better in low light? How about improve your widget page that knows when I've plugged in my headphones? Samsung keeps going bigger in specs, but the pace of these hardware updates in each model are made redundant by the monster that is Touchwiz. How about keep your specs the same and make the rom leaner and less consuming of system resources, thus improving overall device performance?
  • Consumers have the right to be as critical as they want. Period. It's unrealistic for an OEM to drastically change their flagship every year. Usually once a change is made the follow up is an improved version and the following model after is where it truly looks different. I think people were expecting something better with the S5. Thinner, on-screen buttons, higher res screen. I'm not saying those changes needed to be made but I think that's what most consumers wanted. Instead we got a phone that essentially looks like the S3 and S4. You only can decide if that's a good or bad thing. I personally think the new changes are both good and bad. Good that they changed the back plate. Bad that it got larger and heavier. Also the S5 is water resistant not waterproof. Huge difference. And whether that change is worth it being heavier and larger is completely subjective. I also think the changes to TouchWiz are not enough but again, just my feelings on the matter. If there is any truth to the 'Prime' model hitting the market this year than a lot of the backlash of the S5 will change. But overall I'm pretty letdown by the S5. My hope is that this will give HTC some life. M8 appears to be a huge step forward. Back it with a great marketing campaign and it can change things. We will see. And yes, I know Samsung will sell a ton more S5's than HTC will sell M8's. That's not what I'm stating.
  • I have been really surprised at the amount and level of hostility expressed by so many after the GS5 announcement. I'm in the market for a replacement of my Galaxy Nexus soon, and the GS5, Nexus 5 and the new HTC phone are my prime candidates. Overall, the features of the GS5 look really appealing to me. I can easily overlook the ugly back. Since I will use a case for my phone, the appearance and texture of the back are irrelevant to me, and even if I used it naked, I'm not trying to make a fashion statement with my phone, so I could even live with the band-aid. I would rather not have the physical button on the front, but I'm sure I can live with that. The GS5 now first on my list, and I'm just waiting to see what HTC offers next month to make a final choice.
  • They focused on refining the good features of the phone. The design feels more premium and the software looks so much better designed. Besides people are going to put a case on the phone anyways and Samsung phone a always have very vibrant developer communities so the software can be changed. Also Samsung has the best value of any android company. Remember the Jay Z Magna Carta Holy Grail album that was a Galaxy exclusive? Where were HTC, LG, Motorola, etc then? Even though the android purists don't like it the reality is that Samsung is the leader of android for a reason. They finally beat apple and the galaxy s5 is a fantastic phone with actually useful additions. This phone isn't made for the android purist. Google's nexus series and the Google play edition phones have you covered. Posted via Android Central App
  • They're not Ferrari's. But I would sure like a BMW or a Porsche instead of a Toyota Camry.
  • Yes, commonplace and boring has become the norm. A big fat yawn all the way around . . . .
  • I'm pretty sure Apple fans do consider Apple to be the BMW/Audi/Mercedes of the tech world. Now you obviously can't say that about Samsung though. Posted via Android Central App
  • Right, Samsung is more like Dodge.
  • I can't wait until the HTC The Next One (I really hope they don't use that name...), is announced, looks like the HTC One, has similar software as the One, with a slightly better camera, slightly better battery, more current porcessor, etc, just like the Galaxy S 5. Bonus points if HTC announces a watch as well.
  • If HTC brings a watch that looks as good as the gear fit ... I may stay HTC Posted via Android Central App
  • Or... this is ordinary human behavior about everything.
    http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html
  • Don't hate the new SGS5 but don't want one. I now prefer pure Android. The SGS5 is no doubt a great phone but I think when the rumors start to circulate about a new phone everyone assumes it will be a quantum leap in hardware, software and physical design. I's a bit like the auto industry went thru from the 1950s to now. In the 1950/60s every model was a major face lift, now it's just minor cosmetics..
  • Excellent article, hope this actually sinks in. Its been annoying hearing the tech minority cry oh it's not metal, it's not 3k or 8k, it's not 4000mah (battery life is more than just mah) etc Posted via Android Central App on nexus 7 (2nd gen)
  • I think you all will be satisfied once a Galaxy turns into a freaking hover board, turns the back cover into a hot plate for your food, and has the ability to slice, dice and filet your meat with S Knife.
  • As long as the Iphone 6 cant do all these, I guess we will be satisfied. And stop pretending, you'd be satisfied too. Posted via Android Central App
  • I could care less. Smartphones need to focus on epic battery life, durability and running a sensible OS without hiccups.
  • Derek, this is exactly what I think about when seeing the whole "plastic vs. metal" discussions with Samsung. I'm just not sold that average consumers really care that much. There's also a difference between the build quality of a device and the materials used. My Moto X is "plastic," and it feels well-built--not cheap at all. Nokia phones are the same way, as is a device like the BlackBerry Z10. There is nothing wrong with plastic if it's implemented the right way. However, I don't agree that we've reached any sort of twilight period with the smartphone's maturity. It certainly has a come a long way in a relatively short time frame, but compared to other tech, smartphones are still in their infancy. What's changing is WHERE we should expect to see innovation or the "wow" factor. A smartphone is not just a single thing: it takes the combination of hardware, software, and industrial design to deliver a smartphone experience. The iPhone introduced a wave of revolutionary development driven by hardware innovation, predominately the touchscreen. The touchscreen became a catalyst for new software experiences, which changed and stretched how we use phones and our expectations going forward. At this time, hardware and materials sciences were evolving at a fast clip: screens were getting larger and packing more pixels, camera sensors were getting smaller and packing more megapixels, processors were getting smaller and packing more cores, etc. And companies like Apple started stretching fabrication processes in order to work with materials like glass and metal. Fast-forward to now and the hardware advancements are just not as revolutionary because they're not significantly changing the overall experience. A 64-bit iPhone, while cool in terms of technical achievement, hasn't fundamentally changed how consumers use the product. And that's where we're at. It's time for the innovation to start coming more from software, which in some ways, is harder to achieve because it requires more creativity. But there is still plenty of room for "wow" factor here. And I think that's a big part of what S5 is attempting that, unfortunately, is getting lost over the gripes about the use of plastic and a non-"2k" display. A UI that adjust into a low-power mode beyond just dimming the display? That's pretty cool. I even think an S4 feature like Air View could have some compelling use cases, but it was deemed gimmicky because these compelling use cases weren't realized. Samsung needs to define more of a vision around these features and an execution strategy toward making them compelling, but you can't argue that they're at least trying. Also, while I think consumer expectations may need to change, I stop short of being sympathetic for these manufacturers. If we are, in fact, entering a more iterative or evolutionary period with smartphones, then they should stop with all the pomp and circumstance around new device launches. The special invitations, the countdowns, the grandiose unveilings...some of this media and enthusiast reaction is self-inflicted due to the hype these manufacturers generate. Part of is a "chasing Apple" effect: Apple always takes to a grand stage regardless of whether the product or announcement really warrants it (despite Apple fans' insistence to the opposite). But in any event, these phone manufacturers should consider taking a page out of automakers' playbook and differentiate their efforts between "all-new" or "redesigned" models vs. modest yearly updates.
  • Well said Derek. Once again a very thoughtful essay. I haven't read all the comments yet, so shame on me if I'm repeating someone else's observations. Phones like the Moto X should sell like gang busters. It's a very capable phone with many unique and welcome features that doesn't break the bank. If the Galaxy S 5 is a Camry, the Moto X is a Hyundia Sonata (or whatever is their lowest tier car). Phones should be evaluated by ease of use, feature set, adaptability, etc. not by cores, PPI's or whether or not it has an SD card. Form follows function, not the other way around. Mobile Nations's blogs, like AC and all the others out there suffer from the same malady. In lieu of a proper language to assess and compare one device to another it's easier to talk specs. That might server us, the nerd-core, but not the millions out there who never tweak a setting in their life. Do you think consumers in emerging markets care about Cores? I think they're more concerned about cost, ease of use and connectivity. My old Treo 650 would be a godsend to those folks. End of soapbox rant.
  • You geeks need some coochie. Boring ass mfka's.
  • I think your posting in the wrong place. You want the hip hop forums.
  • I'm not into hip hop (classic rock!), but he's got a point! Get some! Perspective that is... ;)
  • POV?
  • Hip hop forums?? Wtf?? I listen and love many forms of hip hop ...sooo what are you saying?? Ignorance can be found in every type of music... Obviously u know nothing about real hip hop if u think the word "coochie" just sums it up... I think Ur mistaking this for a bigot forum!!! The man's point was silly yea , but completely relating that ignorance to a whole section of music is just as silly/ ignorant Posted via Android Central App
  • I have to admit. I was a little disappointed during the presentation. It's a first time that I'm not pressed to upgrade from the S4.
  • It's hating the ignoring of issues people have and refusing to listen to what people actually want. People did not want a bigger phone, still made of plastic, that crammed in more S - something software features.
  • I don't believe that it's hating just for the sake of hating. Manufacturers want you to keep buying there phones every year but if the total of what you're offering isn't much of a leap than why bother. Samsung is trying to pass off a phone that is no better than what had been out for a few months now. So why shouldn't we be disappointed. Does anyone really care about a fingerprint scanner?
  • My problem with the 'hate' leveled at the Galaxy S5 is - what is the better alternative for people against the S5? No other Android phones in the smartphone market - the Moto X, the HTC One, the Sony Xperia Z2, the Nexus 5 etc. etc. - were launched with major innovations or to any degree of hype. Yes, the Moto X had voiceless control and yes, the HTC One was built on an "all-aluminum" body but are those really innovations? Did they really change the smartphone market? And furthermore, are the designs of the X, Z2, or Nexus "home runs"? All are bland and relatively uninspiring. I am not jumping up and down about the new S5, but I am scratching my head as to where 'innovative' alternatives actually lie. I am equally perplexed as to how the design-centric can constantly question why anyone would rationalize purchasing the S5 over other similar Android offerings. Frankly, as with the S3 and S4, it's not a particularly offensive looking phone. It gets the job done in more ways than one, and the truth is, the vast majority of consumers are not concerned with state-of-the-art design or think that plastic is bad for build quality. One of the reasons I always questioned the hype over the iPhone 4, 4s, 5, and 5s were because none were particularly 'innovative,' or launched with features that were mind-blowing. Siri never seems to work properly, the so-called "fingerprint reader" is nothing but a gimmick, and iOS7 is no better or more intuitive than iOS6. The iPhone is also not particularly beautiful by any means, and every other iPhone I see is shattered or broken or in a big black case anyways. So bottom line: Samsung is doing nothing different than its competitors, and the S5 is no better or worse than anything else on the market or anything else that will be on the market this year. But our 140-character culture makes every feature, every nook, and every cranny scrutinizable to the point where NOTHING ever lives up to its hype and nothing ever will. Frankly speaking, I'm convinced that half of everyone on this site will never be satisfied with whatever phone they have - just constantly looking for the next "much-anticipated" innovation and smartphone release, deeply anxious over not having the most up to date product. At some point in time, it has to stop.
  • I was following you until you thought the Moto X only had one single innovation. It added a lot more and yes, its design was a "home run" because it actually is great to hold, unlike the S or One or even the iPhone. It's not too thin, not too blocky, and perfect. And they also managed to do all that without having to make the device bigger than one from the previous year.
  • A much needed article Posted via Android Central App
  • Great article. With all that now out the way, lets not forget Xperia Z2 kills s5. and New Htc One will dethrone z2 in a month. And than LG G3 will claim the throne from htc. And Lg will rule forever after. Posted via Android Central App
  • I think it comes from a totally different place. In iPhone's case, it comes from Apple doing too little to match capability in Android and in some cases, even Windows OS . It also comes from the bug-ridden iOS7 UI change that actually seems to have set them back in usability. In Samsung's case, it comes from Samsung trying too hard and throwing the kitchen sink into something that could otherwise be a very nice phone but suffers from being overladen with gimmickry and duplicates of tools that already have mature Android counterparts (SVoice? ChatON? ). It's 2014 and smartphones are really a commodity now. Sorry, but no one is impressed with either your iPhone 5S or your Samsung S5 because pretty much everybody has a smartphone that can match 90-95% of the features you use everyday. The key now is to provide value. That's why I think Moto X and Moto G have hit a bit of a sweet spot. Sure, they don't have "hover touch" or "stop the video when I look away" but honestly, do the Moto G/X users really miss that? Think about smartphones now being where refrigerators, car stereos, and automobiles themselves are now. Sure, you can buy a SubZero refrigerator, a high end entertainment system, and a Mercedes CL class and you'll get a lot of bells and whistles on each. But you can also buy phones at a lower end that have a lot of great features that you use everyday at a much more comfortable price point. Samsung and Apple can continue to tout the top of the line, but they really need to work on the middle too.
  • The thing is with the general public you can just get any flagship phone and be done with it. There aren't any huge differences now. The thing people mostly consider is how it feels (size and build quality). Do they want a bigger or smaller phone? Something beautiful or something you can bang around a little easier? Screens, cameras, speed etc. Are all pretty good these days and there isn't a huge difference in consumer's eyes. The old "hey look at this crazy new app" craze is dead also. Most people could just switch to any platform, download the Twitter app and be happy with it. The smartphone race is dying and something like wearables will take off. Its not going to be "how do we get as much power from a laptop in our phones?", its going to be "how do we get as much power from a phone in something we can wear.".
  • The Galaxy series is a bloody joke. Thank God Samsung introduced the Note series otherwise I would never consider buying or owning a Samsung mobile device.
  • Samsung Galaxy Note ... Note is very much part of the Galaxy naming scheme. I think you meant the S-series of Galaxy phones. Which begs the question -- is Galaxy just a brand that means Android phones made by Samsung? If so, why don't all Samsung-made Android phones have Galaxy branding? What qualifies a phone to have the Galaxy name? This thing on? Hello? HELLO?!
  • Errmm... it was a typo. I meant to post S-Series not "galaxy series". I'm not a noob! _______________________________________________
    This message was brought to you by the numbers 0 and 1
  • Btw why is Samsung showing off flexible unbreakable 2k displays? And than they release something as unspectacular as s5? They tease all this new tech and dont implement it. General public is well aware of smart phones and what they can do by now. So no its not just techy people that arent impressed. Its general public. Posted via Android Central App
  • Wrong. It actually is just techy people. The general public doesn't care. They but the phone because they think that is what everyone else is buying.
  • Great article. I'm glad you wrote it.
  • LOL, no. On the worst day of it's life, no Samsung phone is as bad as the best iPhone. Samsung phones have expandable storage/batteries, a share menu, a real file system, and 3rd party app integration.
  • We don't hate on the GS5 and the iPhone because they aren't iterating enough. We are disappointed because compared to other brands, they are standing still. People bashed on the iPhone because they were keeping the same screen size and resolution while others were going to 720p and 1080p. Same for the GS5. Compared to the Z2, which has a nicer design, more RAM, and better UI, the GS5 isn't innovative. How we view and compare smartphones is relative so saying that we are reaching a saturation point in terms of innovation isn't a valid defense
  • Valid points.....but why would apple or sammy change a winning recipe? Hence, incremental change. The others are trying to get the recipe right and play catch up. When Sony gets it right, then everyone will hate the big bezels and that every new sony is square.....again. I love the look of the sony.....reminds me of my walkman.....
  • Name 1 huge innovative feature the Z2 has over the Z1? We're all waiting!!!!!!!!!!
  • "Hating" not "Hating on" which makes no sense.
  • I admit i'm not a huge Apple fan, in fact, I really don't like their products. I've tried them, and they are just not for me, however if it is for someone else, then so be it. However, I do think that Samsung is the Apple of the Android ecosystem, and with that you get the love and the hate. I personally do not have any issues with Samsung, I love most of their devices, I owned the S2 and S3, and my wife owned the S3 too. We just didn't see a big enough leap to the S4 to choose it over going with the HTC One or the LG G2 which we bought instead. I am now using the Moto X. However, in order to of made this device a home run for me would have been the following:
    (1) Wireless Charging ( I mean come on, the device is water resistant, I hate removing stinking flaps.)
    (2) 32GB Internal storage minimum. Storage is cheap now, and with 8GB Samsung Roms, you need it. Yes I know about the microSD card slot, however this is not good for apps and I don't like to root anymore, and even then, it didn't always work.
    (3) Larger battery, minimum 3000mah.
    (4) Onscreen buttons, I know some don't like it, I do, and the button just seems so 90's.
    (5) 3GB RAM, 2 is OK, but let's be honest, Touchwhiz is a resource hog.
    (6) Would have loved to see a slightly higher resolution screen.
  • S5 > Tebow > iPhone
  • I personally find myself not liking them for not listening to the vast amount of customers I interact with. People I know that have GS3s and GS4s hate the cheapness of the plastic, and find themselves having buyers remorse over not getting an iPhone or HTC One. That and the ever-growing unfriendliness with regards to development is frustrating.
  • I sell phones in a carrier store. Not one time in 3 years has a customer mentioned plastic, much less complained about it.
  • I should clarify: I don't work in a carrier store. I just meant those who purchased the devices & I happen to be acquaintances or friends of, not customers of any particular company.
  • Yes it is.. Took over for Apple hate by other Android users it's sad Posted via Android Central App
  • A mother eating its young
  • Oh how the times have changed. Posted via Android Central App
  • I couldn't agree more with this article, I've been guilty of this in the past, getting a phone because its the latest spec and the biggest numbers, I got an HTC desire and turned it into a nexus with a custom ROM, because pure android is better!? Manufacturers add bloatware, but the software is there to make our lives easier or make the phone nicer to use. I have a nexus 4 now but when I renew my contract I will consider a Samsung or an LG phone, and I won't be rooting it, I'll just be using it the way it was intended. I will never consider an iPhone later than a 3Gs, not because I'm an avid android fan, but because they are uncomfortable to hold, which is the first thing you do. Posted via Android Central App
  • Sick of this crap people. Just because people, like me, don't like the S5 doesn't mean we hate Samsung. We may not like the features or hardware decision they made so in case we won't purchase it. BUT, it is our right to voice our opinion on this matter and I, we, will. Yeah, everyone's gonna hate on something sooner or later but it doesn't mean we hate in general. So yeah, hating on the S5 is like hating on the new apple. But ya know, I may love the S6.
  • Indeed thats the truth.I was not so interested in the Apple products since my iphone5 and ipad mini.I think there are people feel down just because the new ones look so similar to the old ones.It is not necessary to have a revolution every time,but we just want something looks different. Posted via Android Central App
  • Great read while I am at work. I am a long tome Samsung fan. I do not engage in the android vd apple or any other smartphone vendor. I like samsung and apple. I purchase the phone that fits my wants and needs the most. Not one phone has had everyrhing I wanted to I get what offers the closest to all. It kills when people comment about the dislike of a device. If you do not like it, stfu and join the pool of people who don't like it and watch the device still sell millions of phones. Posted via Android Central App
  • We forget that smartphones are tools. We get wrapped up in the specifications and speculation. We want faster processors and sharper screens and slimmer designs, and we want it all now. And then we bitch and moan when our lofty expectations aren’t met by a company with no obligation to meet them. Samsung isn’t designing a smartphone for you, nor is Apple. They’re designing and building and selling smartphones that are designed for the masses, smartphones that are meant to be sold by the millions. Derek you couldn't said it no better my friend! When will people understand that this is a business
  • All you folks with the "haters gonna hate" "always hate on #1" type comments do realize most negative comments are from Sammy loyalists/fanboys...RIGHT?! The real issue is "the entitled generation" has some sort of vested interested in smartphones. They love to complain, even more than people always have. Get used to it...
  • Wait until they release those Tizen phones.
  • I think... Why people care with improvement than mac improvement,because people can buy phone every years but not everyone buy laptop every years... Posted via Android Central App
  • I think Samsung deserves it to be honest. They dropped the ball on the sgs5. Nothing innovative at all with it. Basically an sgs4 with a slightly updated processor and even more wasted storage due to over bloated touchwiz. Posted via Android Central App
  • Did you even bother to read the article?
  • People need to understand that most who are on contact with a mobile phone company usually upgrades their phone on a 2yr time scale, therefore when a new smartphone comes out it usually is meant to be an upgrade to the phone that was out 2yrs prior before it as in the Galaxy S1 to the S3, S2 to the S4, S3 to the S5 and so forth. Those are the selling point of how a smartphone is presented and sold to the masses who are on contacts because there's no way you can tell me that the S4 wasn't a major upgrade from the S2 if you was on a 2yr contract and that's no different with having the iPhone 3Gs and then upgrading to the iPhone 5... That a major upgrade in specs. If you are the type that upgrades every year but expect a smartphone to have a mind blowing drastic change... GET REAL! or better yet go to Samsung or Apple and tell them your thoughts and watch what they tell you .. after they laugh at you while they security walks you off their property.
  • Couldn't agree more Posted via Android Central App
  • You say: "In the end it’s not the number of cores or how fast they’re clocked, it’s not the type of RAM used or what kind of fingerprint sensor is installed. It’s how it all works and how easy it is for the user to pick up on that" But with all the amount of crap samsung puts into their phones, they sutter a freeze sometimes even if they have good specs. That isn't something that just works or works fine. I like samsung, and i know the S5 will sell millions, i don't hate them, i just think that there are companies like sony or motorola that don't get the credit they deserve, and in my opinion, do a better job building a fast, simple smarthphone that works well, and doesn't takes up 8 GB of storgage
  • Daniel, you are a genius. That is the best written article I have ever read from a tech site. Thank you for saying what needed to be said.
  • Samsung had the ability to build this.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEyjGyLN9p0
    Yet.. They built this Abomination and called it the S5.
    8Gb of storage..2 Gb of Ram.. 1920x1080 Res. and a heart monitor.. how 2013 of them.. :-)
  • Dude.....its Derek, Derek Kessler....... Posted form my touchpad
  • Keep calm and wait for the new HTC One It'll be better than both galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2 Posted via Android Central App
  • I don't hate on it because of its specs.. I hate on it because it is just an ugly and uninspired design. Posted via Android Central App
  • I disagree.... They couldn't even follow the simple step put forward by LG - a slim powerful phone with a 3000 mah battery that lasts. I see the tides turning if LG keeps it up. I remember when LG had the best flip phones avail... We'll see... Posted via my Moto X DE
  • Rumors kill phones. People believe these "let's throw it at the wall and see what sticks" analysts and only have themselves to blame for being disappointed. Samsung took what people wanted changed and changed it yet still not good enough.
  • samsung didn't change nothing they busy with stupid tizen
  • Some things i didn't like
    1- That cheap looking metal bezel around the phone. It has never done the phone justice. Can't they switch it to a hard rubber or match it to the backcover/faceplate. 2- Back covers don't match the face place (except for the obvious black and white). When is this ever going to become a thing... I know some variants of the HTC and Galaxy phones do it but it never seems to be during launch. It is months after the phone is has bee out. For example, like the all black/white Moto X but bring me some colors that match front and back. 3- Buttons - I really thought it would have been done away with it by now, but then they wouldn't have been able to do the gimmicky finger scanner. I really hope that this trend doesn't take off it just adds bezel. Eye scanners need to happen... One thing that I thought was slick was making the phone water proof. I don't think they can do this if the phone was metal. So if it needs to be plastic bring some better plastic.
  • Personally I hate the design choices they made. It's a great phone and they made efforts (we'll see if they're any good) towards improving things that were bad about previous generations. However, it is FUGLY. I'm sorry, but I was totally turned off of buying it when I saw it. It is because of that, not because of some prejudice, they I'm disappointed with the S5. Posted via Android Central App
  • Glad you brought up cars in this article. Most people are car dumb and it drives me nuts as a huge car guy. I'll row my own 6 gears - thank you very much. Posted from the surface of the moon using my LG Optimus G Pro on T-Mobile with 0 Death Star bloat...
  • The better specs are welcome, but what I was looking for in the S5 were a TouchWiz that more closely resembled stock Android and less Samsung fluff as well as improved physical materials. I haven't handled the device, so I can't speak to how the new device feels. But it's still plastic. In an age where we have devices like the HTC One or the iPhone 5S that have a premium feel to them, I think it's not too much to ask for Samsung to follow along. The backing of the device looks terrible, IMO. Like a 2010 feature phone. And while water/dustproof is nice, the inconvenience of a flap over the micro USB port outweighs the the convenience of said environment-proofing.
  • +1111111
    Hope everyone here also thinks like how the author of this article thinks. Posted via Android Central App
  • If we all think like that, there wouldn't be anything other than iPhones to chose from. Heck, why even have choices.
  • Thank you so much for this article. People will never be satisfied by anything... They keep on asking for more, even if the new phones are really good Posted via Android Central App
  • 'Really good' is not excellent. Feature sets for the sake of a greater number features does not bring satisfaction. Otherwise you are simply babbling.
  • We're allowed to have opinions. I think the S5 is definitely the most disappointing update from Samsung in the history of the Galaxy S. I and I'm sure many others aren't asking for much. TouchWiz needs to be lightened up, less bloated features. Find out what people actually want, and nothat everybody wants, but what most people want. Definitely looking forward to the Find 7. Oppo could steal some of the specs - junkies if the price and features are good.
  • Android Central is turning into Gizmodo of Android for everything Samsung. I use Note 3 but don't have a hard on for Samsung. Posted via Android Central App
  • The Galaxy S5 is the main reason people dislike the Galaxy S5. No excuses.
  • That's bullsh*t though,you can make all the excuses in the world but in the end these aren't handouts haha. These phones cost a ton of money,and I'm not saying I can't just stick with my s4 but damn. If I had the chance to get in there and help design a new phone I'd do it for FREE. These people make money I can only dream of and they had NO bright ideas? I don't care what anybody says,I see people saying "well I'm gonna hold it first before I judge". The back is ass ugly. I don't care if I sound like an moron to you "geniuses",I'm not a pussy, and I can admit Samsung straight up f*cked up. Sure the sheep will buy it,but I'm done with the S line.
  • I can relate to this article. I am one of those average mass users. I have an iPhone for work and an S4 for personal use. Love them both. I also drive a Camry. No regrets. Happy.
  • Some of the people that commented are just plain ignorant. Commenting wrong information trying to sounf like they are smart. If you don't like it do not buy it simple as that. Clearly you are infatuated if you feel the need to comment on something that have no relevance to your life. Posted via Android Central App
  • Maybe some people are putting out incorrect information, but, people not liking something is just that, and the internet - this website in particular - is an outlet to let that be known. We're allowed to have opinions. It seems like there's a phone every year that gets an article on this site about people hating on it. I understand the device might be a good performer and everything, but Samsung keeps following up the criticism of the previous year's device with a device that doesn't address the criticism. TouchWiz is bloated. Too many apps associated with it and too many features that have to be toggled. I myself haven't been one to complain about build materials, I think to some degree the S4 was fine, but they needed to get rid of the glossy finish on the back. They did, but the S5 now has this weird dotted pattern that seemingly has no explanation for it's use. I'm cool with the water resistant additions, but jeez, Most of the internal storage being taken up out of the box is sad. HTC did the One right with 32GB base storage, and you'd think Samsung would have taken that same advice just as they did with the Note 3 and made 32GB the base storage amount so that the user would actually have more a decent amount leftover from formatting and pre-installed software - but nope, they didn't address it. And another problem with Samsung that has seemingly never been resolved - the US branded Galaxy phones never get a 64GB model, let alone the availability of a 32GB model of the S phones has been nearly non-existent across most carriers; the only big 4 carrier I see offering a 32GB model online is AT&T, who also got an exclusive on 64GB HTC One's last year. Stop making higher capacity phones exclusive to one carrier (that goes for both Samsung and HTC) and start actually making higher capacity phones for the customers. I've never owned an iPhone, but one thing I admire about Apple is they actually give 3 choices for capacity with their flagships, and they usually have a little bit of each capacity ready at launch. Samsung really needs to get it together. I know there are apparently rumors that the 'real S5' will be shown off in the next month or so with a better design, but this current one is hugely disappointing to me and many other readers, and we're allowed to state our opinions no matter who says we're 'hating'. Obviously we aren't going to buy it, but that doesn't mean complaints should be criticized at every turn. I have a feeling they won't lose much if any ground with the S5, but some users will be steered towards waiting towards the end of the year for the Note 4, waiting for the new HTC flagship or looking at what Oppo, Motorola, Sony and LG will bring to the table. Oppo being one I'm really looking forward to seeing now since LTE and 2.5K screen is on lock.
  • Without reading the article my opinion that yes it is. Both did not make large changes. iPhone had less changes but Samsung did the same. Little change in aesthetics, small increase in battery, .1" bigger screen/same resolution, slightly better SoC, heart rate monitor and a finger print reader. The S5 technically has more features and hardware upgrades compared to the iPhone 5s. Honestly both are not worth it. But we should remember that new phones are aimed at users two generations behind. People who bought a S3 on a 2 year contract are almost done with the two years. With a free upgrade available it makes sense. A S3 had either a Dual-Core Snapdragon S4 or a Exynos 4. The Snapdragon 805 and Exynos 8 is a nice upgrade to the S3. iPhone 5s went 64 bit from 32 bit on iPhone 5. Difference is resolution has increased from 720p to 1080p, stock battery has increased a good amount, etc., One huge negative is the lack of space at a stock phone before use. My favorite software feature is the ultra power saving mode where everything turns black and white. Then the heart rate monitor and finger print reader is the next.
  • No they deserve it. They took the safe path. And one more article where everyone bashes but android central defends just because they want to write opposite of what everyone is writing. If everyone was praising the S5 then this article would have been why the S5 is awful. Posted via Android Central App
  • HTC HTC HTC Mike
  • It's just funny when people comment or react on something they haven't even tried. So tired of seeing this Posted via Android Central App
  • If people are going to drop another $500-$600 on a phone, it damn well better have greatly improved specs over the last generation. People want bang for their buck. If they're not going to get it from one thing, they're going to get it from someone else. And I am one of those people.
  • Test 1235 Posted via Android Central App
  • I want that wallpaper. Anyone know where I could download it? Posted via Android Central App
  • I'm starting to think that this S5 is going to be very successful. Everyone is talking about it and whether it is negative or not it is good publicity. Posted via Android Central App
  • The S5 is a nice smartphone, but I was hoping for much better design. I just got bought a beastly Note 3 and will wait for the Note 4. Posted via Android Central App
  • Some of the same things I felt about Apple can now be said about Samsung. What has Samsung done that could truly be considered "innovative" or game changing? Apple has Touch ID, LG has their rear button placement and their Knock On feature, HTC revamped their whole design with the introduction of Blinkfeed and their front speakers, Motorola has their Active Display features. What has Samsung done OTHER than rely on their name and "borrowed" their design from Apple in certain areas? So if Samsung can be likened to Apple as far as the hate goes...I would say its warranted.
  • This is ridiculous... The same people who are saying "innovate! Give me something new!" will be the first people to call a phone "fugly" when something new comes out. I don't understand. I'm so confused. We want more security but the fingerprint scanner is a joke? What?.. Like seriously... What? I saw one guy cry about the bezel. I've never. Ever! Eveeeeer met someone in my life that was like "OMG This bezel man... Is too much." If you want to complain about a bezel on a phone that you never used or the screen resolution or the TouchWiz interface that's BTW been revamped and say "More RAM! MORE MORE MORE!" Then friend... I would like to meet you if you're that person. I don't understand how RAM comes into into effect... We praise Google for making Kit Kat more RAM friendly but we want more of it? Why?! But when Google makes incremental updates to Android we praise it and raise our phones in the air when we get the update (whatever phone it is. I don't care about your nexus) like we're the damn monkey holding Simba over Pride Rock? I've seen the 4K debate awhile now and a lot of people make sense with what you can and can't see. I mean... It's friggin anatomy people, you only have so many cones in your eyes no matter HOW good your sight is. But people know 1 is more than 2 and hey they have a 4 so why not? I'm sitting on an S3 that I didn't even want to get (switched to Verizon, they didn't have any good phones at the time and the S3 was the prized pie) and I can't WAIT to get a the S5. It's either that or the One and the only reason I'm considering the One cause I listen to music all the time. So yeah... I don't understand the hate. I don't care for the explanation of the hate either. Everyone is a developer/salesman and no one wants to be a consumer and pay for good service. (Hello everyone with hit or miss T-Mobile coverage but you deal to save a few bucks! When you know other carriers in your area for a fact have better coverage.) My main point is... I came over from a Palm Pre ages ago. My first Android was a HTC Evo. I'm just glad that the ecosystem of Android grew. It's almost hilariously pathetic that people bitch about a choice they don't have to necessarily buy (if you want to experience iOS on mobile. You're only choice for that given year is an iPhone of that year. Where Android has plenty of choices.) So light the torches (turn on the flashlight app on your phone), grab a pitchfork (I mean download a wallpaper of a pitchfork because let's face it. They haven't innovated the pitchfork in centuries and we're all about innovation here.), get the horses from the stalls (I mean remote start your car. You Google the weather? It's cold out there. Or raining.) and head to your nearest store (I mean order online... Who needs to leave the house? I mean... You did Google the weather right?), and speak with your wallets! Posted via Android Central App
  • The device is larger, for no real purpose.
    The device has the same storage as the S3. SD storage does not replace the utility of internal storage.
    The device has new features and many are of limited appeal. Translation dollars not spent on something as critical and useful to everyone as is internal storage.
    The device has a higher megapixel camera that the S4. Nice, but the storage did not increase, and more pixels fixed what? I can go on pointing out where they chose to spend money/efforts on features, but did not spend those efforts on something that does increase the utility of the device for every user. Ask yourself, what was done which solved real problems with the S4?
    .
  • I don't know. I don't own a S4. I have friends that own a S4. I'm kinda sorta locked into a two year contract as of October. This phone may not be for the S4 users. Especially those who buy phones subsidized for 2-3 years. I fall into the category of the S3. Now you tell me what phone was worth rushing out and terminating my contract for 350 and out of pocket cost 600-700 dollar device that's less powerful than say... A PS4? Yeah we'll go with that. If you can believe something like that is worth it. Then I have a bridge in London I want to sell you right now. I don't understand why people (not you sir) are complaining about the size. I'm almost half way tempted to put a picture of my 8 year old kid pocketing a Note 2 with no problems with jeans that fit. Using the device with no problem. I personally feel when they added screen size to accommodate the new Auto Focus feature so you have more to zoom in on. But the article struck gold as is. I can't say it any better myself. Me arguing about a phone that nobody has even held yet besides a few people is pointless. BTW... IF Samsung lied about their specs... There would be no way for your eyes to tell the difference. At all. No. Not at all. It's a simple anatomy. Specs are specs. The thing is you can change specs... You can't change facts Posted via Android Central App
  • This is a thoughtful and relevant article. Nothing like that stupid "OMG, I hate it b/c it has a dimpled back" from yesterday. You make some really good points about the thinking behind this device. I am positive about most everything on the S5, except ... the increased bezel. Sammy is one of the few that has been "getting it" in this area for a while now. I was hoping they would trim the bezels even more and make the physical device smaller while enlarging the display. I even had visions of the sides being edge to edge display. Unfortunately, it got slightly wider and noticeably longer over the S4. The Note 3 and S4 both improved over previous gens. Looks like we'll see if LG keeps the innovation coming in this area. Killer battery on the S5 tho. I absolutely love the great battery life on my Note 3. This is very important to the average user.
  • I have an S3 and am completely happy with it. I must have the only S3 that works properly judging from all the complaints. Okay so now Samsung is releasing the S5 and before it even hits the streets people are complaining. Come on people. Grow up! Posted via Android Central App
  • Things do not improve with complacency and complacency is what you are suggesting of the reset of the population embrace. No thanks.
  • Can all the haters please take a chill pill!! How the heck can you trash a phone that you haven't even had in your hand yet?!?!? Did any of you read the Android Central review or look at the video? Phil loves it!! So I'm going to base my opinion on what he says since he's had his hands on the phone! Not one of us knows how it feels or performs. None of us know what the camera is like! And all the people that are killing Samsung because the S5 looks like the S4 and want to go with the Z2, I wonder if they have seen the Z1 and Z2 side by side because they are identical!!!!! So I'm going to hold off in saying that the S5 is a disappointment until I actually see it!!!!! If anyone can telll that this phone is a disappointment from Youtube videos and reading blogs and looking at specs well you're better then I am that's for sure.
  • Phil has to love it. It is his life line, it his bread and butter. IOW, his opinion is biased to his $$ stream. You are so sure no one who has posted here has used the device? I do not have that delusion. Nor do you see runaway exclamation points. I have zero difficulties in reviewing specifications and determine if it is gong to work, based solely on those specifications. Nor is a YT video is required to say it will or will not work, BTW. Apparently there are a lot [read many] people who can simply read device specs and decide if it is better, worse, the same or is otherwise acceptable. .
  • Thanks. Someone that understands! Who the hell goes to YouTube for a review other than to see a video of the device rather than looking at concept touched up pictures? I like to see a device in hand sometimes. But I can easily compare specifications from one model to the next with phonescoop or something. I don't need an extremely biased review that skips everything that's important to me.. which is why I avoid CNET video reviews. But anyway good reply, that was my original intended point. Posted via Android Central App
  • The S4 wasn't a very good phone, that's the issue, people loved Galaxy until the S4 was so "meh", and the first comment sums up why, honestly from my perspective the S5 looks like what the S4 should have been.
  • Excellent article. I have always bought phones based on specs or the ability to turn them into nexus devices (I spent many hours re-flashing my HTC desire) and then I got a nexus 4 because of the premise that 'pure android' is better! Truth is, I have never been happy with a phone, always tinkering to try and make it different or better. I have to wait for November to renew but when I do I will be considering an S5 (if I can get a Gear 2 with it on a deal) or an LG G3, (or G Pro 2 if I decide I want a biggun') whichever I think will make my life easier. I won't be considering an iphone, because i'm an avid Android fanboy, but because I find them uncomfortable to hold, I don't like the square edges, same reason I won't consider a sony, however good the hardware is. Over the last year (how long I've been with AC) I have completely changed my view on what my phone should be. The next one will be a Tool, not a Toy
  • So how much exactly did Samsung pay you for this?
  • Conspiracy! Posted via Android Central App
  • How much did samsung pay you for your username Posted via Android Central App
  • Great article, as a developer I must admit the assessment of people being tech dumb is spot on. You must read the ridiculous complaints we get as devs just cause your average Joe cannot pee without his mum holding his hand. I reckon most people were expecting the S5 to stand up and walk, do the dishes and then suck you off before bed. Posted via Android Central App
  • Well that doesn't sound half bad.
  • As a current Sony Xperia Z1 & iPhone 5S user, I was looking forward to this one. I'd hoped so much for a "premium feel" device that would make me consider buying another Samsung (after I'd promised myself never to again having used the Galaxy S3).
    They achieved something I didn't think was possible. They've made the new handset look even more "Fisher Price/tacky" than the S3/S4. I just didn't think that could be done. Roll on March, when HTC unveil their new flagship device. I'm guessing that might be my next phone now.
  • First off, a media guy, you know, one of the guys who SETS expectations by churning the rumor mill, complaining that consumers shouldn't be disappointed when the actual product doesn't meet the expectations THEY created, well, that's just laughable. Second, I'm still using my S3 since the S4 wasn't enough of an improvement to make me switch. It doesn't look like the 5 is enough reason for me to switch, either. Now I'm going to wait and see what HTC comes out with, what Apple's RUMORED 5.5" display looks like and, perhaps, what Samsung comes up with before my contract runs out in November.
    I don't need a new phone but the manufacturers would like me to buy one and, since I plan on staying on contract, I might just as well get one. But someone has to give me a reason to pick theirs. So far, Samsung hasn't.
  • If you stay with the same manufacturer year on year, you get basically the same phone but with improved spec etc. The S5 looks like a formidable phone but if you own an S4 already, I doubt you will be blown away by the S5's revamped specs? Same situation with the iPhone - it basically stays the same phone for a number of years but with increased specs, year on year - i'm guessing brand loyalty plays a part in this too. For me, I normally change my phone once a year and I look at all manufacturers and take whichever features attracts me the most. From the S3 in 2012, to the HTC One in 2013 to the LG G2 in 2014. If you want true innovation, be prepared to shop around.
  • Yes, I would classify myself in that group of consumer too. Looking back at my phone buying history it includes almost every brand and operating system. Nokia, Sony-Ericsson (not a happy partnership), Blackberry, iPhones and currently a Samsung Note 2. They are all incredible. They are all frustrating. I am not a 'fanboy' of anything. What is curious in this article is how simple critcal opinion has been suddenly repositioned as 'hating'. The big brands do not take criticism as it affects their bottom line. That is why they have huge marketing budgets. It covers schmoozing journalists with swag, exclusive VIP media events, viral buzz creation (including paid shills on comment boards) and of course advertising revenue. It is simply naive to think there wouldn't be subtle and not so subtle pressure exerted if any of those feeding at this long trough get too off message and stray from the party line. This is why in these days of plummeting revenues in written media that we see so little genuinely considered and critical articles. That is why the companies with the biggest marketing budgets get the biggest and best media coverage (which controls perception and leads to sales). There are consequences all down the food chain if they don't.
  • I agree 100% especially on the point that those fanbois and phandroids that need to read such an article, won't. They can't hear anything over their own comment section "shouting". Fortunately, they are the minority.
  • You nailed it on the head when you said that everyone feels "entitled" to more with each new phone. We arrogantly scream "I'm paying for it so I better get what I expect" at just about every aspect of our consumer lives and when something falls short, we feel slighted. I sit back and watch these flame wars unfold with a smile on my face. I see people berating others for their incomprehensible fandom of a certain phone as if it is unfathomable how someone could possibly like that "inferior" POS and I think to myself, what a bunch of self important a@@ hats. I see each new phone as a leap forward regardless of how more advanced it is from the model before it. Come on, 10 years ago, no one knew what would soon hit us and how indespensible these devices would become. My problem with the whole system is the lack of support by the carriers. Samsung has updated the Galaxy Note 3 to Kit Kat but here I am, 4 months later still without Kit Kat. Why? One word. Verizon. Verizon feels they have the right to withold updates because its their network and their branding on that shiny phone in my pocket. Nevermind that this phone should be able to handle whatever comes at Android for several years to come, I'll be surprised if I get Kit Kat before summer and then the next version of Android after that. I know my phone can handle whatever comes in the forseeable future but I know I wont be able to get those updates simply because of Verizon. But Verizon cant really be blamed, can they? They do it because they know a new phone is going to come out soon and everyone is going to want one which means more sales and more contracts. So why update my "Ancient" Note 3? My God, that phone is 4 months old. Its so yesterday. Nevermind the fact that no phone out there comes close to the power and capability of it. My other problem is with the OEM's. I look at some of the features being developed and I scratch my head. Curved screens...huh... so it will conform to my face better when I use it as a phone...um, note to phone OEM's, no one uses their phones as a ... you know, phone, anymore. Also, and it might just be me, but I never thougth or felt that when I held a cold piece of glass and metal to my ear, that it was supposed to be comfortable. I just want it to be functional. But there are those out there who see the curved screen and think....OMG, that better than sliced bread. So we are seeing curved screens. Yea. I'm counting the days until that fad disappears, like 3d in movies. Moving the power button to the back of the phone. Thats another head scratcher. Why? what was wrong with it on the side? And now when I lay my phone on the desk, I have to worry about that button. Yes, I lay my phone face up on my desk. 2K screens? Another big fat WHY? How great is it going to be to watch Avengers 2 on my ...yup.... rocking 5.7 inch screen. Yea....cant wait for that headache. The vendors ignore the tech that really matters in these devices. Battery life still needs to be better (even though my Note 3 gets wicked good battery life). Build quality can still use improvements. Better glass, better outdoor visibility, better "feel" in the hand. Those are the things that are important to me and I would guess most people.
  • This rant wins. *hat tip*
  • You nailed it! A bunch of entitled self absorbed whiners! Posted via Android Central App
  • Looks like Derek Kessler is on Samsung's(and probably Apple and Toyota too)payroll! Posted via Android Central App from my N5
  • Looks like your country is mostly in poverty and smells horrible. Awww....
  • What can we do,your country comes and dumps all your waste into ours and pollutes it Posted via Android Central App from my N5
  • Also most of your scientists are Indians Posted via Android Central App from my N5
  • I actually really like the S5. Though, I'd probably get the GPlay edition over a touchwiz one, just have never been completely happy with any skinned Android phone. My GPlay S4 has been the happiest I've been with any phone (other than the scratch I gave it!). I would upgrade to a Gplay S5, but I've spent so much on accessories for my S4 it would seem like a waste as I would only be upgrading for the water resistance. That said, I wonder if the Note 4 will have a GPlay edition...
  • the phone is trash. Forget about specs being widely different. They dont have to be. At least hire people that know how to design something beyond the crap of band-aid looking plastic. Hire people that can design an appealing looking TW skin, one that doesn't lag!
  • I like to call that phenomenon, lack of critical thinking. One should always be weary of their passions overshadowing their logic. Posted via Android Central App
  • Can anyone tell me how design of my phone's android is as same as it was 4.3 now is 4.4.2.
  • I don't have a problem AC. I just think its an ugly phone.
  • Absolutely not.
    Motives are world apart.
    Also,
    When Samsung makes a device that delivers exactly what's promised and perform without issues , only then you can put it together in a sentence of any kind with Apple.
    ¡¡¡ PERIOD !!!!
    (Just filed for a patent on this one). :))) Posted via Android Central App
    VZW Moto X
  • The only reason people are hating now is because useless media outlets such as this hype up the S5 with so many rumors of this magical device, with specs that are out of this world, then when the device is released and doesn't meet all your hyped up rumors, they hate. Like now. So really, it's your fault for playing the hype beast and perpetuating this ongoing argument that is null and void. Samsung did an amazing job. They are innovating.
  • Not true. I read a lot, but not all the rumors and we [I and others here] hoped were not true. Read 2560x1440 display, curved display is another. Check S4 Wikipedia entry, read critical reception. S did not address the main S4 complaint, internal storage. S innovated, but it was towards expanded feature set that only somewhat addressed the hopes. Mostly the new feature set has very limited utility. Read heart rate monitor. There are googleplay apps for HRM for most android devices.
  • Great insightful article. I 100% agree, and have been saying this for a long time. Great read, thanks!
  • I will be getting the S5 for my wife as shes coming from gs3 Im fine with my note3 though
  • I really enjoyed the article and I think you're spot on. I've been reading comments on other tech sites and people are complaining that it ONLY has 2GB of RAM and asking where the 64-bit processors are at. I believe Samsung has understood that they've reached the point that they have a good formula and they can make HEAPS of money making small improvements and selling a new device (in the same way Apple has done for years). Remember when the iPhone didn't have 3G? They made on the next year with 3G and sold more phones - kept it identical (in looks) made it faster and viola, the 3GS. No matter how you turn it (haters will hate) the Galaxy S5 IS an improvement over the S4 (no it's not a S3S or S3S+). It's a completely new device, and it is nice. Until then, I'll keep my rooted/ROM'd Nexus 5 until the next version and pick that one up as well
  • Sounds like the same people whining about LG making the next Nexus and the same people changed their tune once it came out. From my Note 2 to you
  • Samsung will do what ever they want. A lot of their stuff is gimmicky, aka the heart rate monitor on the bake of the GS5. Any phone with a flash can do that. One of the first apps I put on my Nexus 5 was a heart rate app. I loved my GS3 when I had and the biggest mistake I made was upgrade to the GS4 (I sold it after a month and bought a Nexus 4 to hold me over till the Nexus 5 was released), to make the GS4 run properly I had to turn off most of the motion stuff on there. I'll never buy another Galaxy S phone again for myself, if my wife wants one I'll try to convince her otherwise but I'll buy it for her, as long as I don't have to use it. Posted via my Nokia 6110
  • I agree except for the part about Samsung (or any company) doing whatever they want. They change their tune quickly when sales and or market share/growth drops. For all Apple's mightyness today for example, it is easy to forget they were once upon a time on the front page of Time and Wired magazines with lead articles that amounted to an obituary. Consumers don't always realize the power they have - in either direction. Any company that ignores them for too long will find that out.
  • +1
  • Really well written article. Appreciate it and completely agree! Posted via Android Central App
  • Just a test
  • I *almost* agree with the entirety of this article but let's face it, the hype machine is very much driven by the manufacturers themselves. Apple, for example (since you mentioned the iPhone), has never qualified their next iPhone as anything but game-changers. And when you're told to expect something "amazing" (*cough*, Tim Cook, *cough*) and you instead get old hat plus more RAM/pixels, of course the reaction will be of disappointment. I think if mfgs are more honest about what their selling, the reactions might be less abrasive. ≠=======≠
    Cheers!
  • Its simple, when you say you launch something "New" it needs to look and feel "New" not a feeling of "it looks like the old one" or was there any difference st all?
    Sadly for 2 consecutive years from samsung were seeing more of the same look and feel which is why there are comments like this. Posted using HTC ONE via Android Central App
  • Honestly I think the s5 is probably a really good phone but I would rather get the Z2 (white) that thing looks sexy! It, like the s5, is also waterproof, timescape isn't as heavy as touchwiz (which takes up like 8 gigs) and it's build quality is awesome! Posted via Android Central App
  • Everyone's comments that are negative really don't help advance technological integration. Mobile technology has plateaued - for now. It's not right, however, to criticize other phones. That's the beauty of Google and the Android platform. People can share the same services and communicate via a unified network of services while choosing what kind of hardware they want to access those services. That's what makes Android great and is the major advantage over iOS and WP. Let's not be our own worst enemies and criticize what makes our platform of choice so great.
  • I found it interesting when I was watching Phil cover the announcement of the s5 and hearing him say he actually like it. Actually I was flabbergasted. I've heard him bash Samsung quite often and I know him to be someone that enjoys a bit of design into phones, so to hear him praise the design choice had me dumbfounded. I thought to myself, what twilight zone am I in? That is the worst iteration of the galaxy series yet especially with the back cover. Hideous and cheap looking for 2014. People clamor for a bit of substance to design nowadays. Look at the iPhone. It made its name by the simple beauty of the design. Seems Samsung is milking this design and it appears a lot of people are catching on. Posted via Android Central App
  • Dumbest. Article. EVER! No. Just NO, Android Central! The reason why everyone is hating on the Galaxy S5 is because other than 8GB of BLOATWARE it brings NOTHING new to the table! Look at the "new" HTC One! They've improved the camera, offered the same fantastic external shell, made the screen bigger and improved Sense to the point where it really helps the Android experience. The same can NOT be said for anything Samsung is doing with the S5. People hate it because Samsung is not listening to their fans.
  • All i know is i hope the Note 4 is dust and waterproof too. I'm still in love with my trusty Note 2 no need to upgrade yet. But i still happy to see Samsung moving forward.
  • Couldn't agree more with the article. It encapsulates all that i've been thinking as well. Basically people need to think practically and not comparing who did what first, whether it has this and whether it has that, or was it Apple that was first or Samsung, or HTC, or Nokia, or BlackBerry. We seem to forget what a smartphone is realy for. Posted via Android Central App Runnning on Samsung Galaxy Note 3
  • I agree with the article, however they still use plastic casings, all the gossip was pointing using a metal casing leading up to the launch. Touchwiz is the same ugly, laggy bloated mess it always has been. These are things that don't require huge jumps in hardware tech to fix. Posted via Android Central App
  • The Z2 is the best thing I have ever have used. A beat of phone and it shows why Sony is one maybe the biggest tech company in the world. Posted via Android Central App Sony Xperia Z2.
  • Time for you bored Android and iOS folk to switch to Blackberry 10, once you go black you never go back!
  • im done with anything samsung after the s5 announcement. sold my note 3 and my galaxy tab. bought the n5 and n7 2013 and that's where im staying. i wont support the apple of android anymore.
  • Yes it is.It is the price of extreme success. I have used Samsung products and I have used Apple products, currently
    currently I use a Nexus 5. I would personally choose an iphone over the S5, but I would choose my Nexus 5 over either of them (and probably would choose a Moto X over the iphone or S5 as well).
  • The article and most of the comments are wrong on the comparison. Yes, both Apple and Samsung get hate because of their success. There may also be some false equivalence because of the lawsuits but the similarities end there. The iPhone is better compared with stock Android phones like Nexus. Both are designed with a set of goals, principles, and target user in mind. I don't see any principles behind Samsung's work, just marketing, making bigger devices and bigger specs with more features. The exterior design and usability are mess.
  • I agree with you. Samsung releases so much lame software that either attempts (poorly) to duplicate Google services or Apple services. I have used the S2 and S3 and the Nexus (my current phone) or the iPhone or Windows phone are more to my liking due to the stock nature. Samsung flat out tries to trick users into using their lacking services.
  • It's stupid to add ideology to the whole hate... This phone is just simply ugly... Even if it had 3gb , better res etc it would still be
    ugly and hate would still be there because of laziness of samsung. Touchwiz is ugly and adds sense of being a toy, not a serious piece of tech. Previous gen of phones had awesome specs and that is why even now htc one can win awards...specs are good and phone is quality. samsung hate is justified...
  • I actually refuse to buy samsung after the galaxy s1 and galaxy nexus and epic being so bad. and the gs3's horrible battery life. with that said though I think the 5 is nice. Still wouldnt buy it though.
  • There are many phones that are very good. Love the Nexus 5 (price versus stats), the Moto X ( nice feel and just a great phone). The list goes on ...... HTC One, G2 etc. etc.....The S5 offers more than any phone ..... it just does. End of story. How can one argue the specs? Where are any that are better? If you don't like "touch wiz" ...... there will be future Roms. The other plus for this new phone is ..... removable battery ....... that's huge. What about the sd card? One has it all with this phone. You might not like how it looks but it would be hard to win an argument with what this phone brings!!!
  • Maybe because from what I heard the only think that changed is the name Posted via Android Central App
  • I dont really hate on the Samsung line, I just choose the Nexus or Sony line over it. As for the iphone I will always hate on that device just because it's the same thing every year with very little change. And for the amount of money spent on an idevice you can get better product, or in some cases, products for the same price. Powered by T-Mobile
  • Galaxy sux
  • You failed to convince me. I still won't be buying one. Posted via Android Central App
  • Thank you Phil. I think this needed to be said. Posted via Android Central App
  • I might pick up a S5, but that Z2 is very tempting too. Posted via Android Central App
  • Samsung has lost the plot Posted via Android Central App
  • I got the S4 a few months ago. Big upgrade from my Captivate. By the time I get tired/frustrated with this one, the S7 should be on the market. I'm in no rush.
  • It is not only 'spoilt tech consumers' who don't think much of the S5 (I still object to the idea that simply disagreeing with Samsung's marketing propoganda is 'hating'). I just finished listening to the Pocketnow Weekly podcast and they report directly from MWC that the consensus of opinion among the OEM'S there was releif that - and here I quote directly - "...Samsung fucked up." Because of that the competition feels they now have a better chance, hence the sense of releif. So please stop these articles trying to spin negative reaction by telling people they are wrong for noticing the Emperor is not wearing any clothes.
  • " These are Toyota Camrys, not Ferraris. " I reference to a line at the end of the article: Holy crap I've been sending texts with a sedan this whole time? Or wait... all this nonsense about 'don't txt & drive" and I've been calling people with a Camry this whole time? ? =p j/k -PetRiLJoe
    -JL Posted via Android Central App
  • Last thing I care about is specs I didn't want a fancy QHD screen nor snapdragon 805, I just wanted a good design from a big company like Samsung and they failed in delivering that. Posted via Android Central App
  • Last thing I care about is specs I didn't want a fancy QHD screen nor snapdragon 805 I just wanted a good design from a big company like Samsung and they failed in delivering that. Posted via Android Central App
  • The s5 is a great phone overall.... I'm glad for the improvements made even if it doesn't seem all 'shock and awe ' like previous releases... What matters is I'll be able to tell the difference between this new version and my current s4 when I make the upgrade Posted via Android Central App
  • Funny thing is, after reading these comments, it's like 99% of those who responded didn't even bother to read the article! They saw "S5" and replied without even considering what was actually written, which in turn made the title ring even more true.
    Unbelievable.
  • I don't see why it even has to be "hate". Techies are simply unimpressed by Samsung again that's all.
  • Dont let these people fool you. Anybody percieved as "official" can make an idea sound more legitimate.
    Reality is,that samsung wants to squeeze as much out've these phones as possible without spending to much money. The S line isnt that consumer friendly. Considering its popularity you'd be hard pressed to not find plenty of "dumb" people with this phone. Most of them have absolutely no idea what they're doing with it other than the obvious messaging icon and Facebook,but its become the "it" product. Its not popular because its so easy to use,its popular strictly because people are under the impression its popular. In my opinion Samsung didnt do bad with the s4,upgrading from dualcore to quad core and octa core variants. That was exciting to me,especially hearing of an octacore phone,whether it was a real improvement over the regular. The s5 though,its lazy.. Yeah,there's no denying its a quality phone,but for the majority of us a phone is somewhat of a commitment. I just think of it this way..I'm in a circle of people later this year,the four of them have the Z2,htc m8,lg optimus pro 2 and..Well we'll just call it the moto x2 for now. They all mention fun features on their phones,and bring up that my new s5 looks like a kids phone. Now knowing they're right I mention the fingerprint scanner,which is already old news thanks to apple. So from there I add in its got a heart rate monitor..Now obviously these are first world problems,and your not gonna die from having an s5,but then why buy it in the first place? LG is trying,PLEASE give them your money.
  • The writer of this article misses the point completely. It is not a case of just needlessly bashing Samsung for the hell of it. Samsung's market dominance is genuinely being challenged it's competitors who are making superior products. They are the ones innovating & moving Android on. This last year has seen the bar being raised considerably, but Samsung has chosen to stagnate instead & just throw all their money at marketing. Other phones have the same or better internals but with a much better build & finish for the same or less money. The beauty isn't just skin deep either. Google's release of Kit Kat is about slimming things down & optimisation and yet, not only has Samsung decided not to get on board, they have positively flipped the bird at this notion & added yet more bloat to the outdated, laggy, stuttery, hideous monstrosity that is TouchWizz.
    Frankly, if you want to buy a plastic phone from Korea that is full of innovation, then you should look at The LG G2 & not Samsung because they are the ones pushing that sector forward.
    If you want to buy a premium handset with a better user experience, that even gets iPhone users to swap eco-systems, then buy an HTC One 2014 or Xperia Z2.
    There's simply no logical reason to buy a Samsung phone anymore, there were compelling ones once upon a time. I mean, who actually decides to buy an inferior handset for equal or more money because a company's budget goes on blanket marketing rather than R&D, design & genuine innovation?
    You would have to be pretty stupid if that was the main selling point you look for right? The only way to get a company to change, whose whole ethos is to make & sell as many cheap plastic handsets as possible at a high a profit as possible, is by voting with your wallet & boycotting them until the go back to driving technology forward rather than holding it back. People who blindly but a companie's products because "Fanboyism" just perpetuate this inertia...Competition is great for us the consumer, not for these tech cartels that hold us all to ransom.
  • THATS WHAT I'M SAYING.
    I never liked LG but they're really starting to impress me lately. They said kitkat would enhance ram usage on the s4,and ever since I've seen a 10 percent increase. Anyone at all inclined in the mobile world would be a fool to buy this phone. Its not even a matter of opinion,its just logic at this point and it really bothers me that this site is giving the s5 the VIP treatment. It really shows the credibility of these people.
  • Never liked the galaxy from day one, and with each new model it's just another case of 'lets see how much crap we can jam in there and that will make our phone more awesome! ' I wpuld be impressed if they could come up with a design that stands out instead of looking so generic, and Samsung seriously needs to know that in terms of screen size... Enough already!
    Happy with my rooted Nexus 4 and my HTC One M7 (still the best looking phone IMHO, tough enough too and still fast enough one year later). Posted via Android Central App
  • You can tell when a company is popular (powerful?!) when the comments are numerous and filled with emotional banter.
  • Derek! You said the "P" word!! Oh, Palm! Wherefore art thou?!
  • Both smartphone has own best features. Besides, consumers needs a product with good component and price.
  • Samsung is not concerned with the people who comment on these editorials They are concerned our friends, cousins, moms, uncles... not us And who is to say they owe us anything? Most of us haven't nor ever will buy a galaxy so why should they care what you think? Posted via Android Central App
  • I do this think the author realizes that Apple copied Siri from the competition. Posted via Android Central App
  • When you get right down to it...who really cares? I bought the S3 when it came out for one reason, and one reason only: it was a goddamn workhorse. It still is. I regret moving on from it to the S4, because like many others, it was a matter of options. We tell ourselves as consumers that newer is always better. In America in particular, this notion will never change or go away. Arguing about different companies capitalizing on that, and using it to their advantage, really only gets away from the point made in this article: we expect improvements to be leaps and bounds forward after experiencing one. Even I was guilty of it, when I went from my S3 to the S4. I miss the S3, because (this was the Sprint variant [4GB of RAMmy goodness], mind you) the hardware felt more solid, and it gave me no problems. Even out of the box it was impressive. Of course, since I've delved into the world of AOSP, I've never been able to be content with any overlays or "intuitive UIs" that exist, and as such I've run some form of AOSP whenever possible. The result has always been even more rewarding and fun than being limited to the assumed functionality out-of-the-box. In reading as much as I could handle in replies on this editorial, it's quite obvious that not only are there more trolls than ever before, but that some of them have a vocabulary now, which almost makes them appear to know what they're talking about. That's frightening. Not one person here cares about another person's opinion, so even my reply is essentially moot. Trying to "1-up" the guy before you who slandered something you happen to like only makes you appear childish, and moves away from the topic at-hand. Samsung will continue to produce phones based on its reputation. It has nothing to do with usage figures, public preference, customer feedback, etc. It has to do with squeezing by after getting everybody's attention, producing negligible differences between iterations of the Galaxy S series. Why? Because they can. Pure, and simple. I can guarantee you Samsung reps don't monitor threads like this, hoping to find out what we would like to see next. They don't give a shit about that. Dollars and cents, folks. It's been that way in commerce since before we were all born. Innovators have the same means to an end as corporate conglomerates: money. I have no problem waiting the full 2 years between phones to get something that is in fact a noticeable difference from my previous. Disappointment over poor improvement primarily seems to stem from people who buy phones way too often in the first place. It's not even an investment, because you won't get a return on it. Lastly...this isn't limited to Samsung, Apple, or any other company called out in replies here. At the end of the day, buy the phone that appeals to you, and wait until you see another one on the horizon before jumping ship. I've never held true to one manufacturer for exactly the reason everyone's panties are in a wad here: they all have ups and downs. As consumers, we have the luxury of simply choosing somebody else when a previously favored manufacturer doesn't live up to our expectations or current needs. It's still Android, folks.
  • For me, it's because they are acting like Apple. Closing everything down and locking out the devs that helped spread the word about how good the Galaxy phones were.
  • What do you mean "new"? I've always hated Samsung smartphones!
  • No, the difference is that Samsung has a weak build quality, construction, design for its price, a bloated ROM which is not good like other androids, that except for some features which are nice (S Health, for example) doesnt makes the Hype people puts on it, which comes at mostly by Marketing.
  • Nope , in no way at all.
  • As with all things it is simply "like it or leave it". I guess all this "haters" are just little wimps which can stand the fact that different people have different needs. There is nothing against a good discussion but hate or haters... Fairly useless...
  • Sorry, but I don't think it's too much to ask for Samsung to make their "flagship" phone not feel like a cheap plastic piece of junk. I had a choice between the HTC One X+ or the Galaxy S3 and I chose HTC because it felt like a high end piece of hardware and it had a better screen.
  • The problem with this article is that the writer is out of touch. For his generation this was true people were tech dumb but things are changing. Yes apple sells well now but unless they change strategy things won't last. Our younger generations are not tech dumb let's say 16-20. They don't want iPhones anymore because they're too simple and to someone who isn't tech dumb this is insulting. I have a 15yo brother him and all his friends have rooted android phones with custom roms. They're no supernerds just normal kids. The very same kids leaving s5 / iPhone hate on their blogs and social media sites. They want spec they want innovation and they want it quick. That generation bases their whole life around their smartphone and they are any smartphone manufacturers future. Look around in a high school smartphones aren't for nerds anymore. If any smartphone manufacturer is to have a stable future then they should pay attention to their future customers. Not to their middle aged parents that find iPhones are a little more senior citizen friendly.
  • The difference between Apple and the competition is that Apple tend to do things right.
    This fingerprint thing is the prime example. Before iPhone5S fingerprint was clumsy and unreliable.
    The way Apple did (one-hand capable, finger in any orientation, no swipe, behind an existing button) really set things up.
    Now the dog-eaters at Scamsung just copied it the way they could so now they can say they have "fingerprint". Pathetic. The iPhone hate comes from low-income ppl who are envious at those who can afford Apple.
  • Nice to see SAMSUNG marketing machine is starting its job!
    All tech sites suddenly writes same sh***y editorials. It seems marketing budget for S5 will be way bigger than it was on previous phone. :)
  • It might be wrong of us to expect miraculous new upgrades and improvements such as 2K display, etc. But we are not out of place for asking for a new design. It doesn't take any miracle or new magical technology to redesign a smartphone. Honestly, the EASIEST and BEST thing you can do for a mobile device launch is to redesign the device from the ground up, especially if the specs are just a mediocre incremental bump.
  • Except, you're expected to pay Ferrari like prices for premium smartphones, especially off contract.