While a top seller, the Samsung Galaxy S4 simply tried to do too much, from scrolling content with your eyes to language translation. The Galaxy S5 ($199 for 16GB on AT&T) has some gee-whiz features of its own, including a heart rate monitor, but it's less--shall we say--Samsung-y. This time the company streamlined the interface and focused on improvements that will resonate more with the masses, such as a water-resistant design, richer display and faster camera. The result is a slightly less ambitious, but ultimately more satisfying device.
Design
No, there's still no metal, but the S5 does look and feel better than its predecessor, especially from the back. Samsung wisely swapped the greasy, glossy backplate on the S4 for a softer finish with a dot pattern. It's still removable, allowing the user to swap batteries or put on a replacement panel. We tested the pearl white version, but you can also order it in black. The camera protrudes more in the back than before, but not annoyingly so. A (very) faux metal trim runs along the outside of the handset.
With the exception of its larger size--owing to the bigger 5.1-inch screen--the front of the S5 looks nearly the same as the S4. However, we appreciate that a subtle dot pattern carries over to the front of the phone. The design feels a bit more unified than before.
We immediately noticed that the capacitive keys flanking the home button changed from the Galaxy S4. Now you'll find the Recent Apps button on the left and Back on the right, instead of Menu and Back buttons, respectively, on the S4. This alteration means the Home button can now be used for accessing Google Now (long press) or S Voice (two clicks).
Like before, the IR blaster and headphone jack sit up top, and the power button and volume controls are on the right and left sides, respectively. One unwelcome change will bug you every time you charge the device: In order to make the S5 water resistant, Samsung decided to protect the microUSB port with a flap. We also worry that this flimsy flap will snap off over time.
While we wouldn't necessarily classify the Galaxy S5 as a phablet, having larger dimensions than the S4 (5.6 x 2.9 x 0.31 versus 5.3 x 2.9 x 0.25 inches) makes it more difficult to use with one hand. For example, we had to shift the device in our hand to swipe to unlock the phone using the home button's fingerprint sensor. In addition, the S5 weighs a heftier 5.1 ounces (up from 4.6 ounces on the S4).
Overall, the S5 feels solid but unsexy compared to the aluminum HTC One M8, but the latter device is a beefier 5.6 ounces and has a nonremovable backside.
Water Resistance
While Samsung needed to make a special active version of the Galaxy S4 to offer water resistance, the S5 has that goodness baked in. With its IP rating of 67, this device can withstand a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes. While you can't go swimming with the S5 like the Sony Xperia Z1s, which lets you take pictures underwater, Samsung's handset can survive accidental splashes and dunkings.
We dropped the S5 in a shallow bowl of water for a few minutes and then picked it up and dried it off. The handset continued to work just fine. Just don't expect to operate the touch screen while submerged; our inputs didn't register.
Display
You won't find a more gorgeous display on a smartphone. The Galaxy S5's 5.1-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen is not only brighter than its predecessor, but also offers richer colors and better contrast than the HTC One M8. In a side-by-side comparison watching the "X-Men: Days of Future Past" trailer, Wolverine's face looked warmer and more detailed on the S5. The Samsung also offered deeper blacks, while the M8's looked cloudier.
The S5 averaged 493 lux on our light meter (373 nits), higher than the S4 (446 lux) and the One M8 (460 lux, 368 nits). Even more impressive, the latest Galaxy offers very accurate colors, as it registered a Delta-E score of 0.9 (lower numbers are better). The HTC One M8 scored 4.1 and the older S4 5.7, but the iPhone 5s was an even better 0.05.
The S5 also produced more of the sRGB color gamut than the One M8 in our testing (158.4 percent versus 115). The iPhone 5s only reached 98.4 percent.
Outdoors, the S5's Adapt Display mode (enabled by default) is supposed to analyze incoming light and what you're viewing to optimize color and sharpness on the fly. The S5's picture did look a bit brighter and richer than the iPhone 5s and considerably more so than the One M8.Audio
It's hard for any smartphone to compete against the HTC One M8's dual Boom Sound speakers, but the S5's single rear speaker got decently loud when we streamed Pharell William's "Happy." Ultimately, though, HTC's device wins hands-down. The M8 delivered deeper, richer audio, and the cymbals were much more pronounced.
Registering 73 decibels on the Laptop Mag audio test, the S5 is quieter than the One M8 (83 dB) and the LG G2 (80 dB).
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