Samsung's Galaxy S5 is very much at the center of attention right now, with leaks and speculation rife. We were recently shown a teaser for Samsung's Unpacked 2014 event which featured some rather fetching, distinctly flat icons, leading many to suggest that this may be a nod towards a newly redesigned TouchWiz interface for Samsung's Android line of smartphones. Those playing devil's advocate suggested that it may instead be based on icons from Tizen, but now it seems clear that it is in fact a teaser of what we may all be looking at when using a Galaxy S5.
Considering its status as the poster child of high-end Android smartphone-ing, it's only natural that we should be a little excited at the prospect of the Samsung Galaxy S5. Set to be announced at the Mobile World Congress at Unpacked 2014, many leaks and reports have tried to pin down a legitimate list of tech specs, but now, a shot of the device's packaging looks to have confirmed the hardware within the forthcoming handset. Suffice to say, it's every bit as powerful as we'd reckoned.
It has long since been suspected that Samsung's Galaxy S5 could spawn two separate editions. The first model, from what we've gathered, will be a relatively high-end affair, while the second will be an outright powerhouse, packed with all the very latest tech. More evidence has today emerged to corroborate this notion, thanks to a new set of leaked benchmarks, which paint a more specific picture of what's in the offing.
As far as Android is concerned, the Galaxy S5 from Samsung is the most eagerly-awaited handset of the year, and and with numerous reports of the device releasing in the near future, it now appears as though we may have a list of the all-important tech-specs. Although many of the mobile industry's major releases, including some of Samsung's previous devices, have been accused of hardware overkill, there's still something mightily impressive about big, bad specs that seems to draw us geeks in, and if a recently leaked AnTuTu benchmark is anything to go by, the Galaxy S5 will be every bit worthy of the 'powerhouse' label.
Samsung, as you'll likely be aware, has a colossal advertising budget, regularly throwing tens of millions into new ad campaigns. While some, like the Samsung Style dance, have left us cringing, the company has regularly taken the more traditional approach of involving itself in major sporting events, and having been a major partner in the London 2012 Summer Olympics, the company is also looking to capitalize on Moscow's 2014 Winter Games. But while its tactic of giving away a free Galaxy Note 3 to every athlete may equate to some decent coverage when the TV feeds are beamed worldwide, there's a catch, in that recipients of the free Note must obscure the Apple logo if they plan on using an iPhone during the opening ceremony.
Although Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch has failed to make much of an impression within tech circles during its short lifespan, the Korean company has never been one to back down in the face of adversary. As such, it should come as very little surprise that according to a New York Times report, a second-gen version of the wrist-worn gadget is being lined up for the special Unpacked 5 2014 event later on this month at the Mobile World Congress.
Samsung has officially announced that its Unpacked 5 - Episode 1 event will take place on the opening day of this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) gathering, which is February 24th, adding additional speculation regarding the possible introduction of the Galaxy S5 smartphone.
Rather than simply releasing a flagship device and resting on its laurels, Samsung always seems determined to release as many spin-off versions as possible, and on a day that has seen the Galaxy Note 3 family extended with the Note 3 Neo and Neo LTE+, the Korean company's other marquee handset has been presented with yet another color option. The Galaxy S4 "Black Edition," while cutting a dark figure next to the many other colors and variations of the sought-after smartphone, also boasts a fake leather rear cover like the Note 3, so if you've been waiting for this combination of a jet-black S4 and faux leather finish, your wish has finally been granted.
The major smartphone vendors are in a constant battle to outdo each other when it comes to the marquee features of new releases. Apple certainly upped its game with the iPhone 5s, delivering, among other things, Touch ID, and although, for a while, it appeared as though Samsung might counter with an iris scanner for the Galaxy S5, an app leak suggests that the Korean company will instead seek to emulate its bitter rival by including a fingerprint sensor. This would, if true, tie neatly in with a report from early last week that also suggested the S5 would take this route.
Samsung's product range is ubiquitous, and when it comes to the mobile industry, the South Korean outfit has proven time and again that it is unafraid to experiment and, if necessary, hit every corner of every market going. The sheer number of smartphones it currently has on sale only underlines this point, but with the phablet market locked down with the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy Gear ensuring a smartwatch entry, the company may now be turning its attentions to Google's Glass. As The Korea Times Reports, Samsung is apparently prepping its own flavor of face computer, and all could be revealed as soon as IFA in September.
