# 8 Things That Make the Samsung Galaxy S5 Better than the iPhone 5S



## MULTIZ321 (Mar 24, 2014)

8 Things That Make the Galaxy S5 Better than the iPhone 5S - by Gary Sims/ AndroidAuthority.com

"The danger of an article trying to compare an Android flagship smartphone to Apple’s top of the range iPhone is that it can very easily start a flame war. It is almost a sure recipe guaranteed to provoke name calling and accusations of “fanboy.” However, I am prepared to take the risk and let the facts speak for themselves. All the top smartphones from all the major companies, including Apple, are good. That is why they can sell millions and millions of them.

But the Galaxy S5 does have some very interesting features and when you compare them to those in the iPhone 5S you do get the feeling that the iPhone range is slowly but surely slipping behind.

So here are eight things that make the Samsung Galaxy S5 better than the iPhone 5S.j."







Richard


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## thinze3 (Mar 24, 2014)

I got the Galaxy S4 when it came out and absolutely LOVE it.

Most of my family has the iPhone 5, and by the time we returned from vacation last summer, they were all convinced they had inferior phones.   DW now has the iPhone 5S, and I must say it is a much better phone than the 5.  

I haven't heard about many major upgrades the Galaxy S5 brought forth, so my gut feeling is that the iPhone 6 will pull Apple well ahead of Samsung come September.  Hopefully we'll get a major software upgrade to the S4 soon once the S5 hits the street..


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 24, 2014)

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S4 - by Andrew Williams/ TrustedReviews.com

For those interested in  the spec differences between the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy S4


Richard


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## ace2000 (Mar 24, 2014)

Since I have the Galaxy s4, I bit on your link.  Thanks!



> Samsung has done its best to make the Galaxy S5 categorically better than the Galaxy S4. And it is in some ways. *However, too many mobile technologies have reached a plateau at this point for it to be considered an essential upgrade.* The screen is more of a tweak, and while the processor is more powerful, performance these days hinges more on software optimisation than raw power.


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## Mosca (Mar 24, 2014)

Still love my S3, except that the GPS chip is terrible, it can't hold a signal on I80 in clear sunlight in Indiana.


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## Karen G (Mar 24, 2014)

I have an iphone and an Apple computer, so I'm familiar with the look and feel of how they work together.  I've been tempted to get a Galaxy when I'm up for an upgrade in Aug. but I'm wondering how compatible a Samsung phone will be with an Apple computer. How about getting photos from my phone to my computer?


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## Clemson Fan (Mar 24, 2014)

I still love my iPhone 5S and I'm firmly entrenched in the Apple mobile ecosystem, but I really think Apple took a step back with iOS 7 which I'm not a fan of. iOS 7.1 is better, but it still doesn't come close to the styling of iOS 6.


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## Dojan123 (Mar 24, 2014)

Problem now is I have so much into the iOS ecosystem it seems crazy for me to leave it. I have multiple iPads and everyone in the family has IOS. Plus I do not know what I am missing. Ignorance is bliss.


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 24, 2014)

Karen G said:


> I have an iphone and an Apple computer, so I'm familiar with the look and feel of how they work together.  I've been tempted to get a Galaxy when I'm up for an upgrade in Aug. but I'm wondering how compatible a Samsung phone will be with an Apple computer. How about getting photos from my phone to my computer?



Hi Karen,

You should be able to do this.  Here are a couple of how-to links:
How Do I Move Photos, Videos and Other Media on my Samsung Galaxy Camera to a Mac?- from Samsung How To Guides

and

[Transfer Photos From Samsung Phones to iPhone Without a Computer - from Wireless Photo Transfer

Richard


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## Mosca (Mar 25, 2014)

Karen G said:


> I have an iphone and an Apple computer, so I'm familiar with the look and feel of how they work together.  I've been tempted to get a Galaxy when I'm up for an upgrade in Aug. but I'm wondering how compatible a Samsung phone will be with an Apple computer. How about getting photos from my phone to my computer?



If you like the Apple products, stay with them. The difference is not so great that it would overcome the need to learn a lot of workarounds. (Says the man with a MacBook Pro and a Galaxy S3 and an iPad.)

There is an app that allows your computer to read you phone like an external drive, and you drag-and-drop. I think it's called Android Transfer, but I'm on the iPad right now.


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## thinze3 (Mar 25, 2014)

I was at Sam's Club last weekend with my brother, and we walked past at new Samsung 4K (ultra HD) television.  We stopped in front of it, because I wanted to show my brother what these 4K TV's were all about.  The television was plugged in to a source and a power outlet, but it was turned off.

After looking around a moment, I realized that I had a "remote" in my pocket.  I reached down, grabbed my phone/remote, and then turned the Samsung 4K television on.  The television fired right up in a preset demo mode.  Within minutes several people were gathered around watching in awe. 

My HD televisions at home are all Samsung.  Now I'm looking for a Samsung laptop.


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## Clemson Fan (Mar 26, 2014)

thinze3 said:


> I was at Sam's Club last weekend with my brother, and we walked past at new Samsung 4K (ultra HD) television.  We stopped in front of it, because I wanted to show my brother what these 4K TV's were all about.  The television was plugged in to a source and a power outlet, but it was turned off.
> 
> After looking around a moment, I realized that I had a "remote" in my pocket.  I reached down, grabbed my phone/remote, and then turned the Samsung 4K television on.  The television fired right up in a preset demo mode.  Within minutes several people were gathered around watching in awe.
> 
> My HD televisions at home are all Samsung.  Now I'm looking for a Samsung laptop.



4k is just a doubling of the 1080 resolution.  However, since it's a doubling of both the horizontal and vertical resolution you end up with 4x the amount of pixels then in your standard 1080 TV.

The big issue with 4k TV's now, just like HD TV's when they first came out, is a lack of content.  I'm sure whatever they use for the demo is shot in 4k and looks fantastic, but if you bought the TV home probably 99% of what you watch on it will have been shot in 1080 at best which will make the TV no better then a comparable 1080P TV.  In 5 years, though, they'll probably be much more content and the price I'm sure will also come down.


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## Mosca (Mar 27, 2014)

After reading this, I poked around, and ordered the new HTC One M8. I had an HTC Thunderbolt that I loved. The Galaxy S3 is a better phone, but I liked the Thunderbolt more.


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 1, 2014)

Samsung Galaxy S5 "Best Smartphone Display Ever Tested" by Specialist Test Company Display Mate- by Ben Lovejoy/ Android/ 9to5google.com

"DisplayMate Technologies, which makes display test kit for every major screen manufacturer in the world, has declared that the new Samsung Galaxy S5 has “the best performing smartphone display that we have ever tested” with “a long list of new records.”

While OLED screens have long been considered to be playing catch-up with LCD, DisplayMate says that the S5 demonstrates that the race has now been won..."

Impressive stats.

Richard


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## simpsontruckdriver (Apr 1, 2014)

Last year, my wife and I got rid of our Verizon iPhone 4 phones and both went with the Sprint Galaxy S3. The reception sometimes wavers compared with Verizon, but the biggest difference: the iPhone 5 is *STILL* smaller than the Galaxy S3/S4/S5, and there's no plans yet on a bigger iPhone. It just shows how even though Apple created this type of market, Samsung leapfrogged them (as well as HTC), leaving Apple in the dust!

TS


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## SmithOp (Apr 1, 2014)

Lol, it's bigger so it must be better, some people like a smaller phone.


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## Mosca (Apr 1, 2014)

Just gonna say that, SmithOp. It's choices. Pick the one you like, based on how you use and how it fits.


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 5, 2014)

Galaxy S5 Wireless Charging Cover Now Available for PreOrder - from AndroidAuthority.com

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is on its way, but before it arrives, you might want to pick up a few accessories for your new handset. With this in mind, soon-to-be Galaxy S5 owners will be happy to know that the official wireless charging cover is now available for pre-order.







Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 12, 2014)

Read This Before Buying a New Galaxy S5 Back Cover on eBay (or anywhere else) - by Phil Nickinson/ News/ AndroidCentral.com

You may be able to get a replacement cover now, but there's a good reason to wait







Richard


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## laurac260 (Apr 13, 2014)

simpsontruckdriver said:


> Last year, my wife and I got rid of our Verizon iPhone 4 phones and both went with the Sprint Galaxy S3. The reception sometimes wavers compared with Verizon, but the biggest difference: the iPhone 5 is *STILL* smaller than the Galaxy S3/S4/S5, and there's no plans yet on a bigger iPhone. It just shows how even though Apple created this type of market, Samsung leapfrogged them (as well as HTC), leaving Apple in the dust!
> 
> TS



Apple DOES make a bigger screen than the Galaxy.  It's called an iPad!:rofl:

Me, I'm waiting till the phones get big enough to carry on my shoulder.


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 13, 2014)

The Samsung Galaxy S5 Still Has a Menu Button, It's Just Hidden - by Richard Devine/ How To/ Smartphones/ AndroidCentral.com

You just have to know where to look for it







Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 13, 2014)

Is the Samsung Galaxy S5 Really Worth the Extra Cash? - by Marguerite Reardon/ Mobile/ Cnet.com

In this edition of Ask Maggie, CNET’s Marguerite Reardon explains why the Galaxy S4 is likely a better deal than the S5.


Richard


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## Clemson Fan (Apr 13, 2014)

Leo Laporte doesn't recommend the Galaxy phones anymore because he says Samsung really junks them up with a lot of useless software leaving you with only about 4-5 GB of useable internal storage.  Yes you can use a Micro SD card, but I always found the way Android handles that storage to be cumbersome and not as seamless as I would like.  Now with KitKat it seems to have gotten worse.


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## Mosca (Apr 13, 2014)

Clemson Fan said:


> Leo Laporte doesn't recommend the Galaxy phones anymore because he says Samsung really junks them up with a lot of useless software leaving you with only about 4-5 GB of useable internal storage.  Yes you can use a Micro SD card, but I always found the way Android handles that storage to be cumbersome and not as seamless as I would like.  Now with KitKat it seems to have gotten worse.



Not really. That is the 16GB version, which has 10.7GB of useable space. You can get a Galaxy, or Droid, or HTC or almost any Android phone with 32GB of internal storage. The SD card gives up to 128GB of _additional_ storage, something no iPhone can give you. An Android phone with 16GB is no worse than an iPhone or iPad with only 16GB. The 16GB iPad I'm working on right now has 19 apps on it, and only 2.5GB of space left, with no music and about 500 photos. On the other hand, my 32GB HTC One has over 100 apps, 1400 songs, almost 600 photos, and over 12GB available... plus 59GB available on the SD card.  

As far as the Samsung junk, just stuff it in the app drawer and forget about it. No big deal. It's the same as all the crap that Apple gives you in iOS, garbage like Photo Booth, Game Center, iBooks, Maps  (the Apple version), etc. Create a group called "useless apps", stick them in it, and move it to a swipe screen. Problem solved.


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## Ken555 (Apr 14, 2014)

Clemson Fan said:


> Leo Laporte doesn't recommend the Galaxy phones anymore because he says Samsung really junks them up with a lot of useless software leaving you with only about 4-5 GB of useable internal storage.  Yes you can use a Micro SD card, but I always found the way Android handles that storage to be cumbersome and not as seamless as I would like.  Now with KitKat it seems to have gotten worse.




I agree completely with you. I bought a Nexus 5 phone for testing and it has minimal sponsored and garbage apps, which is nice. It's my current recommended Android phone for any who don't want an iPhone. 


Sent from my iPad


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## Clemson Fan (Apr 14, 2014)

Mosca said:


> Not really. That is the 16GB version, which has 10.7GB of useable space.



Not really according to this article.  They state only 8.5GB of useable storage on the S4 and Leo Laporte said the S5 is even worse.  The 16GB iPhone 5 actually had the most free storage compared to any Android 16GB phone.

http://bgr.com/2014/01/23/samsung-galaxy-s4-storage/


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## tompalm (Apr 14, 2014)

Mosca said:


> Still love my S3, except that the GPS chip is terrible, it can't hold a signal on I80 in clear sunlight in Indiana.



I have an S3 and the GPS works fine as long as I have data coming in strong.  As soon as I get outside an area where service does not exist, the GPS does not work.  

Are there any phones that have a pure GPS receiver in them?  How about a tablet.  My iPad will not work when the data is gone.


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## Mosca (Apr 15, 2014)

I replaced my S3 with another, under warranty, and the second one couldn't hold a signal either. If you google "Galaxy s3 gps" most of the hits are people with problems. 

Here's another review of the Galaxy S5, praising its battery life and its camera, and its radio speeds, and dinging it for poor interface, poorly thought out and implemented "extra features", and bloatware (as has been mentioned here): 



> Ultimately, the S5 is a quality phone with an excellent screen, a very nice camera, a rockstar processor, and fantastic battery life. For 200 bucks on contract, you could do a lot worse, as long as you can be happy with the phone you have, not the phone it could have been if Samsung had gotten fully out of its own way.



Which sounds about right to me.


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## Elan (Apr 15, 2014)

Mosca said:


> I replaced my S3 with another, under warranty, and the second one couldn't hold a signal either. If you google "Galaxy s3 gps" most of the hits are people with problems.
> 
> Here's another review of the Galaxy S5, praising its battery life and its camera, and its radio speeds, and dinging it for poor interface, poorly thought out and implemented "extra features", and bloatware (as has been mentioned here):
> 
> ...



  I bought a Nexus 5 ~6 mos ago ($350 unsub'd) to get away from the customized versions of Android that many manufacturers feature.  There are some nice things that the custom versions add, but the fact is that unless special hardware is req'd, the code for these features will be available as an app in short order (usually for free).  I love my Nexus 5.  I wouldn't trade it for two GS5's or i5S's.


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## Mosca (Apr 15, 2014)

Elan said:


> I bought a Nexus 5 ~6 mos ago ($350 unsub'd) to get away from the customized versions of Android that many manufacturers feature.  There are some nice things that the custom versions add, but the fact is that unless special hardware is req'd, the code for these features will be available as an app in short order (usually for free).  I love my Nexus 5.  I wouldn't trade it for two GS5's or i5S's.



No Nexus 5 on Verizon. 

The HTC Sense is unobtrusive to me. I never used Samsung's TouchWiz, I downloaded GO Launcher and used it instead. There are some preloaded apps on the HTC I would consider acceptable, like Audible or Pandora, even though I don't use them. There are some that are Verizannoying, like "Accessories" and "Verizon Tones"; who doesn't know how to get accessories and ringtones? And there are some that I suppose other people might like, such as Scribble and Zoe. Being on my 4th Verizon Android phone, I'd say this one has the least garbage on it, especially compared to the Thunderbolt and the Galaxy S3. 

For us, the difference was more like $800 to forego the Google edition, because we got 2 HTC One M8s for $200 the both, BOGO, instead of $500 each. For that kind of money I can ignore the other stuff.


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 26, 2014)

Samsung Confirms Galaxy S5 Camera Failure Bug, Asks Customers to Swap Out Hardware - by Chris Chavez/ Phandroid.com

We’ve heard reports of new Samsung Galaxy S5 owners encountering a pretty serious bug camera bug on their devices. Different from the Android 4.2.2 bug we told you guys about a few weeks ago, some Galaxy S5 users are receiving a “camera failed” popup upon opening the camera app, rendering the 16MP shooter completely inoperable.

"According to reports, not even reboots or factory resets were able to remedy the issue. Once thought to be a bug exclusive to Verizon variants of the GS5, reports from users on other carriers began surfacing in various online forums. Thankfully, Samsung has finally come forward and acknowledging the issue. A company spokesperson told The Verge,

    “We have learned that a limited number of Galaxy S5 devices may have an issue that causes ‘Camera Failure’ pop-up error message.”

Galaxy S5 owners experiencing the camera bug are being asked to return their devices to the carrier store where it was originally purchased for a hardware swap, or they can contact Samsung support at 1-888-987-4357 for an exchange..."







Hope the bugs are worked out soon.


Richard


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