Samsung Galaxy S5 Watch Thread

Agreed. There's nothing premium about aluminum although I do understand why some people may think it's more premium feeling than plastic.

I prefer plastic because it's more resilient to scuffs and scratches and thus more durable.
 
jwcalla said:
iPhone 5S is decidedly cheap aluminum. How much do you think it costs Apple to roll that stuff around their phones? Yeah the phone is expensive but it's one of the cheapest to produce in its market segment. Apple just tells you that you're getting a premium material and then pockets the profit.

There is nothing "premium" in any of these phone shells unless it's diamond-encrusted. So if you think that Samsung phones indicate lower status, the joke's on you.
Click to expand...

It's not just cost... the iPhone feels good in the hand, the GS4 feels a bit slimy (not terrible, but clearly not as nice). Move to the Galaxy Note 3 in either colour and there's a world of difference simply because Samsung actually cared about the feel of that model. That's what people want in the GS5 -- for Samsung to treat its flagship smartphone (and arguably, the most important product for the entire company) with more care than it does a washing machine.
 
Aurelius said:
It's not just cost... the iPhone feels good in the hand,
Click to expand...
Ugh, no thank you. The iphone and it's sharp corners and cold glass/aluminum feels horrible in my hand. The soft touch backing and subtle curves of other devices are much more appealing.
 
Blown 89 said:
Ugh, no thank you. The iphone and it's sharp corners and cold glass/aluminum feels horrible in my hand. The soft touch backing and subtle curves of other devices are much more appealing.
Click to expand...

To each his own on that one; it feels better than the GS4, at least in my opinion. I'd say the Moto X is the textbook example of how to do a non-metallic body that feels great. The HTC One may be a better example of an aluminum phone, since it has a gentler curve (albeit a much larger body).
 
Aurelius said:
It's not just cost... the iPhone feels good in the hand, the GS4 feels a bit slimy (not terrible, but clearly not as nice). Move to the Galaxy Note 3 in either colour and there's a world of difference simply because Samsung actually cared about the feel of that model. That's what people want in the GS5 -- for Samsung to treat its flagship smartphone (and arguably, the most important product for the entire company) with more care than it does a washing machine.
Click to expand...

I hate apple as much as most people here. That said the first time that I held an i phone 5 in my hand I thought to myself that it seemed very well built. It just feels like a quality product. No doubt about that.
 
I don't see how the SGS4 feels "slimy".

My iPhone 4S felt solid in the hand, but it also scratched too easily. Not to mention, glass is even worse and doesn't feel as solid as metal.
 
Don't see them using a different display from a manufacture since they make their own.
 
Trimlock said:
Don't see them using a different display from a manufacture since they make their own.
Click to expand...

Samsung has reportedly hit a few production issues with 2K AMOLED displays and can’t produce enough units to meet projected Galaxy S5 sales volumes; the company also wants to bring flexible AMOLED displays to the mass market by 2015, and these reasons have made it turn towards Sharp for the S5.
 
Finally, some actual news:

Samsung promises a 'back to basics' rethink for the Galaxy S5

Hopefully this extends to software, not just hardware. Samsung needs to stop treating smartphone competition as a question of who has the biggest numbers and the largest feature checklists (no matter how meaningless those numbers and features may be). The GS4 was a solid phone, but you could tell that Samsung was scrounging for something, anything that would make the device look like more than the incremental update that it was.
 
Aurelius said:
Finally, some actual news:

Samsung promises a 'back to basics' rethink for the Galaxy S5

Hopefully this extends to software, not just hardware. Samsung needs to stop treating smartphone competition as a question of who has the biggest numbers and the largest feature checklists (no matter how meaningless those numbers and features may be). The GS4 was a solid phone, but you could tell that Samsung was scrounging for something, anything that would make the device look like more than the incremental update that it was.
Click to expand...
if that's the case, let's keep the 1080p screen, unbloat TouchWiz or better yet get rid of it, use better material for casing, and add a bigger pixel camera. And maybe add better speakers...

Sounds like what htc did last year.
 
Aurelius said:
Finally, some actual news:

Samsung promises a 'back to basics' rethink for the Galaxy S5

Hopefully this extends to software, not just hardware. Samsung needs to stop treating smartphone competition as a question of who has the biggest numbers and the largest feature checklists (no matter how meaningless those numbers and features may be). The GS4 was a solid phone, but you could tell that Samsung was scrounging for something, anything that would make the device look like more than the incremental update that it was.
Click to expand...

Yea but those features worked for them, if you are going to add a feature, add the ones you can market even if they are damn near useless.
 
CHANG3D said:
if that's the case, let's keep the 1080p screen, unbloat TouchWiz or better yet get rid of it, use better material for casing, and add a bigger pixel camera. And maybe add better speakers...

Sounds like what htc did last year.
Click to expand...

Meh, We don't need more pixels in cellphone cameras. They are really a waste.

What we need instead are better lenses and better image capturing sensors for low light use.

Pixel count is really just a marketing figure once you get above 5MP or so, unless you plan on doing HUGE prints or crop in a lot, neither of which you can do with the crappy lenses and sensors in cell phones these days.

Definitely agree on TouchWiz. The sooner all hardware manufacturers go with the AOSP ROM image with no manufacturer or carrier customizations or pre-installed bloat, the better.
 
Last edited:
Zarathustra[H];1040532336 said:
Definitely agree on TouchWiz. The sooner all hardware manufacturers go with the AOSP ROM image with no manufacturer or carrier customizations or pre-installed bloat, the better.
Click to expand...

I dunno. A friend of mine finally dipped a toe into the Android pool with a Nexus 5 and a Note 3. He likes his Note 3 but he seems to think that the Nexus 5 interface is an unmitigated trainwreck.

I kind of agree with him. I've never been impressed with Google's UI. It's got that "an engineer did it" look, except in the super-flat contradicting-colors style.

JMO. ;)
 
jwcalla said:
I dunno. A friend of mine finally dipped a toe into the Android pool with a Nexus 5 and a Note 3. He likes his Note 3 but he seems to think that the Nexus 5 interface is an unmitigated trainwreck.

I kind of agree with him. I've never been impressed with Google's UI. It's got that "an engineer did it" look, except in the super-flat contradicting-colors style.

JMO. ;)
Click to expand...


Well, I am not talking about it from a appearance standpoint, but rather from a usability perspective.

I recently flashed CyanogenMod onto my GS3. Prior to doing this it had become brutally slow on the latest Samsung ROM. With CyanogenMod's AOSP-like ROM, it is fast and snappy, like a new phone again.

I mean, for crying out loud, a 1.5 year old phone shouldn't feel like a dinosaur quite yet.

CM 10.2 Stable is great, but if you are adventurous the CM 11 monthly snapshot is surprisingly stable and lightning fast, due in large part to the combination of 4.4 (Kit Kat) optimizations and the lack of a third party loader.

The only thing I don't like about Googles latest push is to keep the back, home and settings buttons on the screen. I don't like this at all. I much prefer the previous off-screen buttons like what Samsung uses. Right now I feel I have the best of both worlds. Off screen keys as well as the unbloated AOSP interface.
 
jwcalla said:
I dunno. A friend of mine finally dipped a toe into the Android pool with a Nexus 5 and a Note 3. He likes his Note 3 but he seems to think that the Nexus 5 interface is an unmitigated trainwreck.

I kind of agree with him. I've never been impressed with Google's UI. It's got that "an engineer did it" look, except in the super-flat contradicting-colors style.

JMO. ;)
Click to expand...

We're really looking for something in between, I think. TouchWiz needs to be easy to use and powerful, but not full of animations and interface elements that seemingly exist solely to "differentiate" (read: pretend that you're not using the same OS as everyone else).

Contrary to what was argued earlier, I don't think it helps to tack on features that are marketing-friendly but ineffective. That affects reviews, and it wastes resources that could be put toward improving the core experience. Remember: most of the GS4's selling features are actually disabled by default. How many owners have never touched those features, or even realized that they were there?
 
But you have to differentiate to set your product apart. Otherwise you're left to play the hardware spec game and then race to the bottom on cheap components / prices, like what happened in the PC space.

I think it's one of the reasons Windows Phone is doomed.
 
jwcalla said:
But you have to differentiate to set your product apart. Otherwise you're left to play the hardware spec game and then race to the bottom on cheap components / prices, like what happened in the PC space.

I think it's one of the reasons Windows Phone is doomed.
Click to expand...

You do to some degree, but there's smarter ways to do that than what Samsung is doing. I see the Moto X as a prime example. It simplifies and augments Android, but it does so with features that will actually make an impact on day-to-day activities -- an easy-to-use camera, touch-free voice control, Active Display notifications. Motorola wasn't wasting time skinning the interface or figuring out what would look good during a stage demo. And by not piling on the gimmicks, it gained advantages in both performance and speedy OS updates.

Compare that with the eye scrolling or wave-to-navigate gestures on the GS4. You'll want to cry realizing that some Samsung engineers likely spent months developing these features... yet most people will never use them, and those that do will likely stop using them shortly afterward because they're so impractical.

I don't think Windows Phone is doomed, partly because Nokia is finally doing a decent job of carrying the torch for the platform. I doubt that Microsoft would have had much better success if it caved to OEMs and carriers on customization, since companies like HTC and Samsung were still going to choose Android due to the free licensing and head start on features. Even Microsoft's dubious patent lawsuits haven't raised the costs of using Android enough to make Windows Phone seem like a good deal.
 
I think those oem's choose android so they could skin it. You can't make Windows phone look/work any different but with android they can gimmick it up, which is working for Samsung and htc.
 
Anyone remember the scene from Jurassic park where Timmy (i don't know if that's his name, but the little gimpy kid) was screwing around with the night vision goggles in the back. The adult tells him to stop screwing around he's going to break them.... he says specifically: "Are they heavy?" Kid: 'yes' Adult: "then they are expensive, put them down"

that about sums up to metal vs plastic thing as seen by the common consumer. People associate weight with quality. Look at the weight of all the Bentley's and Rolls Royce super luxo cars.... all of them are quite a bit heavier than a "regular" luxury car. Go Figure.

I'm excited for the coming months -- my contract with Verizon is up in march - Very interested in going to Straight talk with a top of the line phone. Sure I will be out of pocket the cost of the phone but saving 45/month instantly on my bill for the same features :)
 
Zarathustra[H];1040532336 said:
Meh, We don't need more pixels in cellphone cameras. They are really a waste.

What we need instead are better lenses and better image capturing sensors for low light use.

Pixel count is really just a marketing figure once you get above 5MP or so, unless you plan on doing HUGE prints or crop in a lot, neither of which you can do with the crappy lenses and sensors in cell phones these days.

Definitely agree on TouchWiz. The sooner all hardware manufacturers go with the AOSP ROM image with no manufacturer or carrier customizations or pre-installed bloat, the better.
Click to expand...
I'm not talking about a greater number of pixels, but rather bigger pixels. HTC had a bigger pixel 4MP camera and it held its own vs a lumia with 41 in daylight while winning in night. Since I tend to go out at night where I do most of my photo taking, this is rather important. So, basically, we agree...
 
Samsung VP: Galaxy S5 to launch by April, with “very different design”
http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s5-release-gear-2-332458/

“We’ve been announcing our first flagship model in the first half of each year, around March and April, and we are still targeting for release around that time”, said the executive.

Lee also talked about the reasons why the Galaxy S4 hasn’t sold as expected – “consumers couldn’t really feel much difference between the two products S3 & S4, from the physical perspective, so the market reaction wasn’t as big”, the executive said. The Galaxy S5 will be “very different”, and Samsung “will go back to the basics”. “Mostly, it’s about the display and the feel of the cover”, Lee said.

The S5 could feature iris recognition technology, as Samsung is “considering the possibility” because “many people are fanatical about it”. The move to equip devices with biometric identification scanners is seen as a response to Apple’s use of a fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5S.
 
I love the latest and greatest -- but iris scanning means nothing to me... my phone doesn't hold any secrets that the NSA doesn't already have access to I'm sure.

If there was something "new" simliar to the Nexus 5 out in a few months that would be perfect for me, the more i Think about it, with straight talk.... do i REALLY want to go and drop 600-800 dollars out of pocket for a phone, not use 1/2 the cutting edge features on it? That's just stupid, when for 350 i get the same thing. Still exciting times for us all :)
 
collegeboy69us said:
I love the latest and greatest -- but iris scanning means nothing to me... my phone doesn't hold any secrets that the NSA doesn't already have access to I'm sure.
Click to expand...

They don't have your Iris info yet. :D Come on, they need you (the general populace) to want to use the iris scanner so they can build up a profitable new database.

Within 10 years we'll have a DNA scanner on phones....for our benefit. /sarcasm
 
I'll be more than happy to mail the NSA a stool sample to put in their "database".
 
Trust me, guys. If you think you're all that important to the NSA, you probably deserve to be spied on for the sake of safety for the rest of us.
 
CHANG3D said:
Trust me, guys. If you think you're all that important to the NSA, you probably deserve to be spied on for the sake of safety for the rest of us.
Click to expand...

Oh, the good old "If you've done nothing wrong you've got nothing to fear" line. Never heard that one before. :rolleyes:

As long as you always trust those who decide what "wrong" is I guess there's nothing wrong with this. I mean, in some systems it was determined "wrong" to support the opposing party...

And then there's misuse of the data by people with access. Who watches the watchers?

Big brother shit is what it is.

I'm sorry, but its not worth to sell out souls and our values of freedom for national security, especially when you are statistically more likely to be killed by lightning than you are by a terrorist...

National security simply isn't such a big deal...
 
And what is the statistics on the government using your biometrics against you? If you're going to talk about statistics, let's talk about statistics.
 
CHANG3D said:
And what is the statistics on the government using your biometrics against you? If you're going to talk about statistics, let's talk about statistics.
Click to expand...

You're right, lets unclassify everything the GOV has done and go over it all with precision. Oh wait, we can't, they'd never let us, plus, 'National Security'.

Governments always lean towards abusing acquired powers, get over it. The fact is they actually have to build a database to then later on abuse. Cart before horse.

Trust me, guys. If you think you're all that important to the NSA, you probably deserve to be spied on for the sake of safety for the rest of us
Click to expand...
If I disagree I must be a threat....rofl. WOW! What a good little worker bee.

However I come from the land of 'question everything'. Nice to meet you.
 
EXCLUSIVE: Galaxy S5 specs confirmed
http://www.sammobile.com/2014/01/13...axy-s5-mini-and-s5-zoom-also-in-the-pipeline/

Here’s a recap of the Galaxy S5′s specs:

- QHD (2,560×1,440) 5.25" Super AMOLED display
- Exynos 6 / Snapdragon 805 processor
- 16-megapixel camera
- Android 4.4 KitKat
- Plastic/metal versions

Will be officially announced in just 6 to 8 weeks, this March, and on sale worldwide in April. The first smartphone sporting the 805 processor, and a 1440p screen. I am curious the battery size, hopefully matching other powerhouse phones and have a 3,000mAh battery at least, with some rumors saying the S5 will get a 4,000mAh battery, we'll see.

So does this mean moving forward all new high end Android phones in 2014 must have 1440p screens ? I think that's overkill IMO. I think HTC has some stiff competition here, their new One+ (2014) against this S5, will be brutal for HTC.
 
Am I the only one who doesn't really care about hw specs anymore? Phones are long since past the point of being powerful enough for everything. Full HD/QHD, who really cares? Its just a numbers game at this point.

The real difference is software and user experience. Who knows when/if these phones will get updates to Android 5.0? Will there be a new version of TW and will it still have a hundred gimmicks? I consider Motorola and Nokia as oem's who actually try to make a difference in software. Samsung's UI team has done a good job with Note 3 and its stylus, but not with phones. Nokia adds a ton of nice things like Music/Maps, Moto adds active notifications, always listening etc.

As long as Android oem's continue to focus on hw specs, they will keep fighting the spec war among themselves while Apple eats their lunch with much lower spec'd iPhones which are advertised as better user experience.
 
Abditive said:
You're right, lets unclassify everything the GOV has done and go over it all with precision. Oh wait, we can't, they'd never let us, plus, 'National Security'.

Governments always lean towards abusing acquired powers, get over it. The fact is they actually have to build a database to then later on abuse. Cart before horse.

If I disagree I must be a threat....rofl. WOW! What a good little worker bee.

However I come from the land of 'question everything'. Nice to meet you.
Click to expand...
Do you believe that the NSA is actively monitoring your movements, your internet activity, and stealing your biometrics? If so, you're most likely a terrorist. Why else do you believe you are so important to the NSA?

I do believe in privacy, but this whole anti-NSA spying thing is overblown. It's like you believe that the government hadn't already done this since WWII or something. New source of information requires new ways of collecting data. If you're really into fighting for rights and everything, fight for equal wages for women, fight for the government to stay out of people's way when it comes to making medical decisions such as marijuana, assisted suicide, or abortion, and why is the government telling people whom they can marry? This whole "invasion" of privacy talk is funny, because this "invasion" has not hurt anyone or his/her creativity. I don't completely agree with the Supreme Court, but they say that you have to prove harm. And there is no proof.

Now, let's get back on topic.
 
Zorachus said:
EXCLUSIVE: Galaxy S5 specs confirmed
http://www.sammobile.com/2014/01/13...axy-s5-mini-and-s5-zoom-also-in-the-pipeline/

Here’s a recap of the Galaxy S5′s specs:

- QHD (2,560×1,440) 5.25" Super AMOLED display
- Exynos 6 / Snapdragon 805 processor
- 16-megapixel camera
- Android 4.4 KitKat
- Plastic/metal versions

Will be officially announced in just 6 to 8 weeks, this March, and on sale worldwide in April. The first smartphone sporting the 805 processor, and a 1440p screen. I am curious the battery size, hopefully matching other powerhouse phones and have a 3,000mAh battery at least, with some rumors saying the S5 will get a 4,000mAh battery, we'll see.

So does this mean moving forward all new high end Android phones in 2014 must have 1440p screens ? I think that's overkill IMO. I think HTC has some stiff competition here, their new One+ (2014) against this S5, will be brutal for HTC.
Click to expand...

And by "confirmed" they mean "made up," since there's no supporting evidence. Yes, those specs are plausible, but that's the problem -- aside from the plastic/metal bit, they're about as accurate as best-guess estimates from someone who's been paying attention to Samsung's historical tendencies. There's nothing to suggest that SamMobile has the inside track.

Yes, I keep harping on this, but it seems odd to me that people are so eager to accept unverifiable rumors at face value. Insist on hard evidence, or at least reserve your excitement for rumors from sites that have bulletproof accuracy, like the WSJ. Otherwise, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment when the real device doesn't match some (or any) of the hype.
 
CHANG3D said:
Do you believe that the NSA is actively monitoring your movements, your internet activity, and stealing your biometrics? If so, you're most likely a terrorist. Why else do you believe you are so important to the NSA?
Click to expand...

Quite possible they monitor certain online activity. Also I probably am on some list according to some secret NSA guideline, I'm probably a potential threat just for saying 'fuck the NSA and our empirical power hungry government' on the internet a dozen times. So, yeah, I'm most likely 'considered' a potential terrorist for having an opinion that isn't in favor of broad survival of the fittest corruption. Terrorist.....lol. Such a silly thing when you think about it, really. Truthfully the US GOV is the biggest active terrorist entity on the fucking planet but yet blaming small groups and individuals for being the worst of the worst...lol. And morons eat it up like McDonald's.

I do believe in privacy, but this whole anti-NSA spying thing is overblown.
Click to expand...
Then you can't read between lines too well.

It's like you believe that the government hadn't already done this since WWII or something.
Click to expand...
It's like you think they haven't went too far yet.

If you're really into fighting for rights and everything, fight for equal wages for women, fight for the government to stay out of people's way when it comes to making medical decisions such as marijuana, assisted suicide, or abortion, and why is the government telling people whom they can marry?
Click to expand...
Same government, different day. Also, there are way bigger problems in this place then what you mentioned. Ummm, like international bankers getting loans from the fed at zero percent interest while the tax payers are raped and robbed around every corner, forever. The whole damn system is rigged for the elite and you're worried about medical weed and women getting more paper money...lol. Wages for everyone have been stagnant for like 40 plus years. Too funny.

This whole "invasion" of privacy talk is funny, because this "invasion" has not hurt anyone or his/her creativity. I don't completely agree with the Supreme Court, but they say that you have to prove harm. And there is no proof.
Click to expand...
Wait for it...i'll happen soon enough.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top