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Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4: 5 Key Differences

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The new Samsung Galaxy S5 has finally replaced the Galaxy S4 as the company’s flagship smartphone and when it arrives in April, it will be sporting some key differences that prospective buyers will need to be aware of.

After weeks and weeks of rumor and speculation, Samsung finally introduced the Galaxy S5 to the world. As expected, the Galaxy S5 features some high-end features that the company hopes will propel the device to stardom.

In the weeks ahead, prospective buyers will be looking into the Samsung Galaxy S5, weighing next to devices like the iPhone 5s, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and quite possibly, a brand new HTC One that is currently dubbed HTC M8. There will also be those that compare it next to the current Galaxy S, the Samsung Galaxy S4.

This is the all-new Samsung Galaxy S5.

This is the all-new Samsung Galaxy S5.

Thanks to its impressive hardware, updated software and its declining price tag, the Galaxy S4 remains an extremely solid option, even as the Galaxy S5 arrives to replace it. The device probably isn’t going anywhere any time soon and carriers and retailers will likely offer it as a budget smartphone option for those that want a lot of horsepower but don’t want to shell out the big bucks.

At the moment, we can’t offer up a detailed opinion about how the Galaxy S4 compares to the Galaxy S5. It’s too early for that. What we can offer are some of the key differences between the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4. There are a number of them but we’ve decided to focus on the five biggest differences.

Design

One of the biggest changes that consumers will notice is the design. The Samsung Galaxy S5 does not look like the Samsung Galaxy S4. While it’s still plastic, Samsung still has yet to offer a metal Galaxy S design, it’s not the same flush polycarbonate look that we saw the Galaxy S4 bring with it last year.

Instead, the Galaxy S5 design offers a perforated pattern on the back cover that Samsung says adds a “glam” look to its flagship. We’re not sure about that adjective but it’s definitely different.

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More importantly, the Galaxy S5 design blends Galaxy S with Galaxy S Active. What we mean by that is, the Galaxy S5 features a dust and water resistant design, something that the regular Galaxy S4 does not have. Those who want a rugged design with the Galaxy S4 are limited to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active on AT&T.

The rugged design does come with some drawbacks though. The Galaxy S5 is 8.1mm thin as opposed to the Galaxy S4 which checks in with a 7.9mm thin frame. It also weighs 145 grams while the Galaxy S4 weighs right around 130 grams. In other words, the Galaxy S5 design is thicker and heavier than the Galaxy S4.

Both the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S4 come with 2,800 mAh batteries and both devices feature a removable back. Yes, the Galaxy S5 and its rugged design feature a removable back that will allow users to tack on an extended battery for more juice.

Camera

Instead of a 13MP camera like the Galaxy S4, the Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with an upgraded 16MP camera that is capable of shooting ultra-high definition 4K video. The Samsung Galaxy S4’s camera can shoot high quality video footage but it simply cannot match the output of the Galaxy S5’s new camera.

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What’s more is that the Galaxy S5’s camera utilizes a hybrid autofocus system. The device uses both standard and something called phase detection autofocus together, at the same time, which means that the device can autofocus in speeds up to 0.3 seconds. That’s absolutely phenomenal for those who love to shoot high quality photos on their smartphone.

The company has also made some changes to HDR adding advanced High Dynamic Range (Advance HDR) that should provide better colors and more natural lighting in photos and video.

Home Button

While there were rumors that suggested that the Galaxy S5 would shun the home button in favor of a bezel-less front, the Galaxy S5 does indeed come with a home button though it’s different than the home button found on the Galaxy S4.

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The Samsung Galaxy S5’s home button comes with a fingerprint reader embedded inside the home button. Like the iPhone 5s fingerprint reader, it’s going to add security and convenience for Galaxy S5 users.

Processor

As expected, the Galaxy S5 features a faster processor than the Galaxy S4 though it’s still not clear if the device utilizes a 64-bit processor like rumors suggested.

Samsung currently lists the device as having a 2.5GHz Quad core application processor so it’s possible that the company hasn’t made a decision on which chips it will be using. Typically, the company uses two different chips. The Galaxy S4, for instance, utilized an 1.6GHz Exynos chip from Samsung and a 1.9GHz Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm.

The Galaxy S5’s processor will be quad-core and it will be clock higher than the Galaxy S4 which means that it could offer improved performance in areas like gaming and multitasking.

The two devices do happen to have quite a bit in common and we thought it wise to point some of those features out. The Galaxy S5 will be coming with 2GB of RAM to support the processor.

Display

While the Samsung Galaxy S4 uses a 5-inch display, the Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with a screen that is .1-inches larger. The size difference is marginal but it’s still there.

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Oddly enough, the Galaxy S5 does not utilize a higher resolution display and instead comes with the same 1080p resolution as the Galaxy S4. This means that content on the Galaxy S5 should be on par with content displayed on the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Overall, the Galaxy S5 is a little larger than the Galaxy S4, thanks to the design changes and the increase in display size.

Samsung has also added a brand new “Ultra Power Saving Mode” that will turn the display to black and white and will turn off all unnecessary features in an effort to conserve battery life.

9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. dk

    02/25/2014 at 5:54 am

    Does anyone know where the camera button is going to be located? On the touch screen or a side button?

  2. loubielou

    02/25/2014 at 9:39 am

    Samsung will not be getting alot of Galaxy S4 users diving in a Upgrading to the Galaxy S5,Samsung seem to have disappointed alot Galaxy users with there New Smartphone,an alot of Galaxy S3 owners might now look for another Smartphone that offers the F.M radio,So with Samsung not Happy with the Galaxy S4 Sales,then they will be more worried about the Galaxy S5 targets,Will we getting another Premium Smartphone from Samsung later in the Year from Samsung to compete with the iPhone 6? i Bet We Do

  3. Jake

    02/28/2014 at 8:59 am

    I was lucky I came across a company called zerolemon they sell extended battery’s for most Samsung models S3, S4 etc.. because the battery life on my S4 was a joke I decided to give it a go and I purchased one, I now get up to 48HR’s with high usage it’s awesome not having to carry you charger lead with you everywhere!! check them out; https://zerolemon.co.uk/shop/samsung-galaxy-s4-extended-battery/ you get 180 days warranty aswell.

  4. AA

    03/29/2014 at 9:06 am

    Extremely disappointed by SIII … my old iPhone 4 is much better !!!

    • Favy

      05/01/2014 at 7:55 pm

      Please i need your sincere advice! I want to get a Galaxy samsung phone but am a bit confused between choosing an S4 or S5. And i need to go for the best both in features and in battery longetivity. Thanks

  5. joseph

    05/24/2014 at 9:58 am

    Is the home botton of galxy S5 and galaxy s4 are the same? Because the home botton of galaxy s5 feels not that so comfortable, unlike the s4 is normal. Is it normal that the home botton of s5 is a littlebit shallow? Thanks

  6. afolabi

    06/08/2014 at 9:25 am

    I will appreciate if I can get more information about where to get the galaxy s4 battery extended in nigeria, I don’t mind the cost

    • debbie

      07/17/2014 at 11:09 am

      do you think it is worth the upgrade

  7. Vladimir Byazrov

    01/01/2015 at 10:11 pm

    Never in your weakest point buy a Samsungs S5. You’ll hate yourself for spending so much money on a terribly awful defective sht like this. It only has 16 gigs of storage (actually about 8 gigs). Samsungs lies to you that you can use SD cards. But actually you can’t. It has tons of system restrictions. Your card will always be clear of anything and you phone’s internal storage will by bloated with data… I can endlessly list things that I hate about Samsung S5, but simply you avoid buying it or any other Samsung phones. You’ll thank me. As there are too many good phones out there. And Samsung S5 is the worst possible choice.

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