Android 5.0 Lollipop is the largest and most comprehensive update in the history of Google’s mobile operating system. It introduces a wide range of new features, including a Material theme, new notifications, revamped messaging system, and even improved battery life via Project Volta. Now for the bad news: Galaxy S5 users in the U.S. have yet to receive the update, leaving many people to speculate when the update will occur. Google began pushing out Android Lollipop last November, with Nexus devices being the first to receive the highly anticipated update. Nexus 5 users have already reported seeing the update, while the Nexus 6 comes equipped with Android Lollipop right out of the box. It’s no secret that  Google plays favorite with its Nexus devices, giving them new Android updates before other devices. So, when will Galaxy S5 users receive the update? Unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer to this question, as Android updates — especially major ones like Lollipop — are somewhat sporadic. With that said, Galaxy S5 users in Poland have already received the update, with reports suggesting that other European territories are next in line. Assuming this information is correct, there’s a strong chance users in the U.S. will…

When Samsung isn’t busy developing the world’s greatest smartphones and other electronics, it’s playing in the snow, literally. The South Korean tech company recently published a promo video showing the start-to-finish construction of a snowman. But this isn’t your typical Frosty The Snowman; Samsung’s version is contains three Galaxy S5 units: two for the eyes and one for the heart. Granted, Samsung’s attempt to build a snowman is somewhat creepy. With digital eyes and a digital heart, it doesn’t exactly look appealing. Then again, this video was likely shot for promotional purposes, which it succeeded it. “To celebrate the Christmas spirit, we thought it would be fun to bring some life into a snowman and give it a pair of moving eyes and a beating heart. Initially, we were going to use some Christmas magic, but we just decided to the water (or snow) resistant Galaxy S5 to do it. So… do you want to build a (digital) snowman? Great, because we’ve recorded the whole process. Check it out,” wrote Samsung on its website. You might be wondering how in the world Samsung was able to build a snowman using three Galaxy S5 units. After all, wouldn’t the snow and…

Google recently published a list of the most-searched keywords for 2014. So, which keyword topped the list? According to the Mountain View company, more people searches for the late-actor “Robin Williams” than any other keyword in 2014. However, “Galaxy S5” wasn’t far behind. In the consumer electronics category of Google’s top searches for 2014, “Galaxy S5” ranked second, only behind “iPhone 6.” It’s pretty depressing to see the iPhone 6 coming above the Galaxy S5, although this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better device. Apple generated tons of hype surrounding the iPhone 6 in an attempt to capture a greater portion of the market share. But in the end, most critics say the iPhone 6 failed to deliver what it promised, as it features mid-grade specs without any of the Apple magic. Of course, there’s a good reason why “Galaxy S5” was one of the year’s top searches. Samsung went above and beyond the call of duty to create a truly remarkable handset. The Galaxy S5 features a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor paired with 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, and Android 4.4/5.0 with Samsung’s own TouchWiz skin. This combination offers a powerhouse of performance that rivals or trumps 90% of…

It’s downright frustrating when you’re forced to keep your Galaxy S5 plugged into a nearby wall outlet due to poor battery life. Samsung touts its flagship smartphone as being one of the most energy-efficient mobile devices on the market. But like all smartphones, its battery performance is largely dependent on its settings/preferences, apps, and overall usage. So, how can you improve the battery life of your Galaxy S5? Ultra Powering Saving Mode Samsung introduced a new battery-saving feature in the Galaxy S5, dubbed Ultra-Powering Saving Mode. Some users assume this feature is enabled by default, but unfortunately this isn’t the case. You must manually enable it by accessing the quick settings drawer and tapping the “Ultra-Powering Saving Mode” option. Once enabled, you should notice a world of difference in your device’s battery life. Some websites claim that a Galaxy S5 in Ultra-Power Saving Mode can run for 24 hours on just 10% charge. Of course, not everyone will experience the same results, so don’t expect to achieve a full day’s worth of power on just 10% battery. Location Settings It’s no secret that location-based services consume an excessive amount of power on smartphones, and the Galaxy S5 is no exception….

With 2015 right around the corner, many analysts are predicting a new Galaxy S6 smartphone is in the works. Samsung typically releases a new flagship device about once every year, meaning we’ll probably see one within the next 6 months. However, rumors suggest that it may have lower specs than the current Galaxy S5. According to SamMobile, the upcoming Galaxy S6 will feature a new and improved qHD display with 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution, 15.9-megapixel camera, octa-core 64-bit processor (unknown origin), 3GB RAM, and Android 5.0 Lollipop. These specs certainly sound nice, but other sources claim this information is false. An AnTuTu benchmark posted on the Chinese website CNMO reveals the Galaxy S6 with a 5.5-inch display at 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution, powered by Exynos 7420 processor, and Android 5.0 Lollipop. Assuming the latter is true, fans could be disappointed by the Galaxy S6’s marginally improved specs. The Galaxy S5 was a monumental improvement from the S4, featuring a superior processor, better camera, and most importantly IP6/7 dust and water resistant technology. These powerhouse combination ultimately resulted in one of the best selling smartphones of all times, even if Samsung overshot its sales expectations by producing too many…

Corning Gorilla Glass has become the de-facto standard for smartphone display protection. Developed by Corning, Inc., it features an alkali-aluminosilicate sheet of toughened glass that’s able to withstand heavy use from smartphone users. While most people are familiar with Corning Gorilla Class 3 (the third generation), there’s actually a new fourth generation already available. So, which device boasts the latest generation of Gorilla Glass? Is it the phablet-sized Google Nexus 6? Or perhaps the new Apple iPhone 6 Plus? No, it’s neither of these, but rather the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, which was launched earlier this year back in August. The Samsung Galaxy Alpha hols the title as being the first smartphone to feature Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which is a pretty impressive feat to say the least. According to Corning, Inc., the fourth generation Gorilla Glass is 0.4mm thick. Most serious smartphone enthusiast probably already know that 0.4mm thickness is the same as the Gorilla Glass 3. Don’t let this fool you into thinking the Corning, Inc. cut corners with its latest display protection, however. Reports indicate that Gorilla Glass 4 is twice as strong as its predecessor. The Myth Busters actually performed some tests on Gorilla Glass to determine…

Just because Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us doesn’t mean the deals are over. The country’s largest retailer, Walmart, is now selling Samsung’s flagship smartphone for an unbelievably low price of just $79. So if you’ve been patiently for a steep price drop to purchase the Galaxy S5, now’s the time to strike. Last week, we reported on a story from the Wall Street Journal suggesting that Samsung produced an excess amount of Galaxy S5 units. Granted, the Galaxy S5 is arguably one of the most popular smartphones currently on the market, but Samsung’s goals were perhaps a little too ambitious for its own good. This prompted the company to make some internal changes, and some analysts are saying the recent price drops are indicative of Samsung’s Galaxy S5 surplus. When supply exceeds demand, conventional wisdom should tell you to drop the price, which is exactly what we’re seeing with retailers like Walmart. From now until Christmas (December 25), consumers can purchase the Samsung Galaxy S5 from Walmart for just $79. That’s a $60 savings from the Galaxy S5’s normal price of $139. Now for the bad news: you must sign a 2-year service agreement to be eligible…

Poland is the country of choice for the latest version of Google’s Android operating system. Residents here were the first to receive the Android 5.0 Lollipop on their devices, and now they’ve received yet another update on top of Lollipop. According to GSMArena, Galaxy S5 users in Poland received two OS updates in a matter of weeks. The first update was Android 5.0 Lollipop, which introduced a wide range of new features like Google’s highly anticipated Material theme, new notifications, and an energy-saving technology dubbed Project Volta. The second update was a smaller patch aimed to fix various bugs and vulnerabilities from the first update. The original Android 5.0 Lollipop update had some stability and performance issues reported by Polish users. This prompted Google to create a fix, which is the second and most recent Lollipop update. GSMArena reports that the new Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Galaxy S5 users in Poland is approximately 371MB in size and has the following PDA number G900FXXU1BNL7. Exact details of this update remain largely unknown, as there’s no official changelog available. Why is Poland the first country to receive the Lollipop update on the Galaxy S5? This is a question that many people…

When the Samsung Galaxy S5 first came out, it was considered by many to be one of the most secure smartphones on the market. CNET had a nice breakdown of some of the anti-theft features worked into the phone, such as it being one of the first to have a built-in fingerprint scanner for improved personal security when opening apps and accessing programs. As with any new or improved smartphone features, it seems fair for users to question whether what was being advertised is actually necessary or just meant to boost sales and reviews. But in this case, the past year or so has seen smartphone security become more important than ever, as we increasingly trust our devices with personal information and financial handling. In fact, to emphasize just how great the need for top-of-the-line smartphone security is, here are a few examples of apps and programs that can leave you vulnerable if not protected properly. Banking Apps Banking apps are nothing new, but their capabilities have expanded significantly across the board. While these apps once existed largely to allow users to check on their accounts remotely, they now feature the ability to have complete control of bank accounts via…

The Samsung Galaxy Core Prime smartphone is now available to users in India. While Samsung has yet to officially announce its release, the slimmed-down variant appeared in listings from two different websites. So if you’ve been waiting to get your hands on the Galaxy Core Prime, and you currently live in India, now is the time to buy. According to GSM Arena, the Galaxy Core Prime is available for sale on Amazon India for Rs. 10,200 and eBay India for Rs. 9,380. In case you were wondering, Rs. 10,200 is roughly the equivalent of $164 USD, which of course is a faction of the cost of the standard Galaxy S5. There’s an growing trends towards budget-friendly smartphones, with Google releasing several different Android handsets priced at or below $100, and it now appears Samsung is entering the game with the Galaxy Core Prime. Being that it costs just $164, it’s safe to assume the Galaxy Core Prime comes up short when compared to the original Galaxy S5. Specs include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 4.5-inch display with 480 x 800 pixel resolution, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, microSD card slot for storage expansion, dual SIM card slots, 5-megapixel primary camera with LED…