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Galaxy S 5, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
- Thread starter Jeffrey
- Start date
The Good
- Amazing screen
- Great battery life
- Ultra power saving mode is fantastic when needed
- IP67 rating
- Camera in bright light (it can take some stunning pictures)
- Some useful Samsung software features (muli window, air view, one-handed operation, toolbox)
- Expandable storage
- Removable battery
The Bad
- Camera in anything other than bright light (it takes too long to capture photos - which often leads to blur, and low light shots often look like oil paintings due to over processing)
- Some lag now and then that really shouldn't happen (not a major issue)
- Cluttered menus and toggles (they're much better than previous Samsung devices though)
- USB port flap (a minor annoyance I'm more than willing to deal with though for the IP67 rating)
The Ugly
- Nothing really. I have yet to find anything glaringly wrong with the phone.
A few closing observations:
- The biggest disappointment for me is the camera in low light situations. It's too slow to process, and even if the phone is sitting perfectly still, the results just aren't that great many times.
- I know a lot of people knock the build quality of Samsung devices, but I have no problems with them. Plastic makes the phone lighter, and it's also far more forgiving in a drop. I like the feel of the back cover.
- Many people also avoid Samsung devices because of Touch Whiz. While I'm not a Touch Whiz fan in the slightest, it is scaled back a bit on the S5 (although it's still a far cry from being great). But Nova solves a lot of the problems with the look of it and with speed.
- The fingerprint scanner is fine, but having to hold it just right and swipe just right takes more time than a pattern unlock. Knock Apple all you want, but Touch ID works incredibly well and is exactly how a fingerprint scanner should be implemented on a smartphone.
Overall, I'm quite happy with the phone.
- Amazing screen
- Great battery life
- Ultra power saving mode is fantastic when needed
- IP67 rating
- Camera in bright light (it can take some stunning pictures)
- Some useful Samsung software features (muli window, air view, one-handed operation, toolbox)
- Expandable storage
- Removable battery
The Bad
- Camera in anything other than bright light (it takes too long to capture photos - which often leads to blur, and low light shots often look like oil paintings due to over processing)
- Some lag now and then that really shouldn't happen (not a major issue)
- Cluttered menus and toggles (they're much better than previous Samsung devices though)
- USB port flap (a minor annoyance I'm more than willing to deal with though for the IP67 rating)
The Ugly
- Nothing really. I have yet to find anything glaringly wrong with the phone.
A few closing observations:
- The biggest disappointment for me is the camera in low light situations. It's too slow to process, and even if the phone is sitting perfectly still, the results just aren't that great many times.
- I know a lot of people knock the build quality of Samsung devices, but I have no problems with them. Plastic makes the phone lighter, and it's also far more forgiving in a drop. I like the feel of the back cover.
- Many people also avoid Samsung devices because of Touch Whiz. While I'm not a Touch Whiz fan in the slightest, it is scaled back a bit on the S5 (although it's still a far cry from being great). But Nova solves a lot of the problems with the look of it and with speed.
- The fingerprint scanner is fine, but having to hold it just right and swipe just right takes more time than a pattern unlock. Knock Apple all you want, but Touch ID works incredibly well and is exactly how a fingerprint scanner should be implemented on a smartphone.
Overall, I'm quite happy with the phone.
Last edited:
Thanks for sharing.
Thinkfreshdell
New Member
SWITCH TO APPLE! <3 iOS
jspradling7
Active Member
+1 @bsweetness
mslaceyrose
Active Member
Thanks for this thread. These are exactly the real world user reports that I'm looking for in making my decision. Thanks for sharing your observations and conclusions, people. Looking forward to more 
SwiftKeyed via Tapatalk
SwiftKeyed via Tapatalk
jackiescivic
Diamond Member
I absolutely love everything about the S5. I've been using it for a month now and really don't have any major complaints. The camera is phenomenal in every condition I have put it through, even low-light. Signal seems to keep up with my Motorola in my house, which is practically a dead zone for Verizon. I do agree about the fingerprint scanner though, it just isn't very accurate.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Loving the S5. The only thing I am not fond of is the little door that gives it the water resistant rating. BUT, did find out they do sell them over Ebay and really easy to take off and/or put on. I purchased the wireless charging back (had 50 % off for registering with Samsung) and a Qi charging pad, generic and it's working great. Remember if you go from iphone to android, make sure you unsubscribe from imessages or your won't get your regular text messages at all.
Ghostwheel
Member
My only minor quibbles after a week with my S5 are:
- That flimsy little charge port cover. I just know it's going to come off eventually, no matter how careful I am.
- Placement of power button opposite the volume rocker. In order to get a firm press on the power button, my fingers naturally grip on the opposite side for leverage - right where the volume rocker is, which leads to constantly accidentally adjusting the volume when turning on/off my screen.
- That flimsy little charge port cover. I just know it's going to come off eventually, no matter how careful I am.
- Placement of power button opposite the volume rocker. In order to get a firm press on the power button, my fingers naturally grip on the opposite side for leverage - right where the volume rocker is, which leads to constantly accidentally adjusting the volume when turning on/off my screen.