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The Galaxy S5 is an excellent device. Does it warrant an upgrade? Sammy didn’t do anything special or unexpected with the GS5 — it’s faster, has better software, and a water-resistant shell, but is that enough to justify the cost of upgrading from the Galaxy S3 or even the Galaxy S4?
Upgrading from a Galaxy S3
The Galaxy S3 is now two years and that means its reaching the end of its life cycle by even the most optimistic predictions. It’s not going to see any more major software updates, and even big fix OTAs are increasingly unlikely. The Galaxy S5 resets the timer on updates and bumps you up to Android 4.4.2 . That’s a big benefit all by itself.
The Galaxy S5 a big step up with a Snapdragon 801 and 5.1-inch screen. Samsung’s new device will look considerably nicer in a variety of lighting conditions and the speed increase is very noticeable.
Samsung has always worked to make the cameras in its phones top notch, and that was certainly true when the Galaxy S3 was new. The Galaxy S5 has double the resolution and some really excellent features like 4K video, slow-motion, and live HDR previews. The GS3 is still good, but it can’t keep up.
A used Galaxy S3 is going for a little over $100 online, so that can cover part of your upgrade cost.
Verdict:
It’s more than worthwhile to step up to a Galaxy S5.
Things are a little more difficult for GS4 owners who are eyeing the GS5. The design of these two devices is very similar, and some of the specs are virtually unchanged. Both have 2GB of RAM, 1080p AMOLEDs, and either 16GB or 32GB[if you can find one] of built-in storage. The differences are more subtle, but might still make the case for upgrading.
The Galaxy S4 is on 4.2.2 now, but this is likely the last major OS update it will see. The Galaxy S5 is probably going to be updated through the next big release, so those worried about staying up-to-date might have reason to jump on the new device. The UI on the Galaxy S5 is also improved over older versions of TouchWiz — it’s flatter and much more consistent.
The screens are going to look the same for the most part, but the Galaxy S5 is brighter, which makes it better for outdoor use.
The camera is a relatively small step up in the GS5 — 16MP vs 13MP. You get some extra features like 4k video and live HDR. The Snapdragon 801 in the GS5 is more powerful while offering considerably improved battery life. The rest of the S4 hardware is still fast enough for most users.
The Galaxy S4 and S5 look very similar, the S5 is more sturdy with the addition of a mid-frame, and it’s IP67 water and dust resistant. That’s another cool feature to take into consideration, but not enough on its own to justify the upgrade. It’s not the gimmicky heart rate monitor or fingerprint scanner that should justify an upgrade from the GS4 — it’s the combination of all the little stuff that could warrant an upgrade.
Bottom Line
I have an S3 and S4 that I will sell. I'll bet you can figure out the rest.
