Ever wonder how much manufacturers pay to build smartphones? With retail prices for the Samsung Galaxy S5 teetering around $699 (without a contract), you might assume it’s expensive. According to a recent breakdown by the tech analysis firm IHS Technology, however, the 32 GB Galaxy S5 sosts $256 to build. The firm broke down the price of each individual component of the Galaxy S5 to determine the overall manufacturing cost. The most expensive component of the Galaxy S5 is its ultra-rich 5.1” Super AMOLED display, which comes with a price tag of $63 for each unit. This is in stark contrast to the Samsung Galaxy S4’s display, which costs roughly $51. IHS Technology also broke down the memory costs for the Galaxy S5, stating the combined costs for the Galaxy S5’s flash memory and DRAM memory is $33 per unit. “Our main takeaway is that Samsung has been moved up to the higher end of the cost spectrum. It used to be that its typical flagship phone sold for $600 without a contract and had a bill of materials of about $200,” said IHS analyst Andrew Rassweiler when comparing the manufacturing cost of the Samsung Galaxy S4 to the S5….

And you  thought Verizon Wireless’ buy one get one free offer with the Samsung Galaxy S5 was a good a deal. EE is now giving away free European flights (you choose the destination) to customers who purchase the Samsung Galaxy S5 before April 10th. This is quite possibly one of the best deals we’ve seen for the Galaxy S5, but unfortunately it’s limited to U.K. residents. According to the official EE website, the free flight deal is only available to U.K. residents 18 years of age and older. In addition, any employees of EE, their families, employees of TLC, or anyone with a professional connection to the promotion are excluded from the offer. “Choose one of 12 premium European destinations and fly from airports across the UK. Simply pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy S5 online by 10 April and you’€™re good to go. Just pop back on 9 May to let us know where you’€™d like to fly to.” The destinations currently being offered in EE’s free flight deal include: Amsterdam Madrid Paris Barcelona Milan Prague Berlin Munich Rome Brussels Nice Vienna As you can see from the list above, EE is actually offering some pretty nice destination choices with…

In keeping up with the tradition of its flagship smartphone line, Samsung is working around the clock to release new variants of the Galaxy S5. The website GSMArena.com recently published an article suggesting the South Korean company is preparing to release a Galaxy S5 Active, based on a leaked screenshot revealing the M-G870A model name. But with the standard Galaxy S5 already featuring a water-resistant, dust-resistant shell, some tech enthusiasts are wondering what new features Samsung will add to the Galaxy S5 Active. One of the notable features of the Galaxy S5 that drew praise from smartphone critics was its standard water/dust-resistant technology. While the Galaxy S5 isn’t waterproof by any means, it’s designed to withstand small amounts of moisture, reducing the chance of permanent damage if you accidentally expose it to water. With a Galaxy S5 Active variant on the horizon, we can only speculate as to what kind of features and goodies Samsung will add to try and entice consumers. We also covered a story here on GalaxyS5US.com about the smaller Galaxy S5 Mini variant, which is expected to hit the market later this year. The Galaxy S5 Mini will likely feature a Snapdragon processor (800 or 801), 8-megapixel…

It’s official: the Samsung Galaxy S5 is now available for pre-order through Verizon Wireless! VW has been dragging their feet with the Galaxy S5, leaving some people to question whether they would even offer it at all. Well, on April 4th the U.S.-based cell carrier added it to their lineup and began accepting pre-orders.   So, how much will the Samsung Galaxy S5 set you back at Verizon Wireless? They are actually offering some pretty good deals on this superb smartphone, including a $199 w/ year agreement (after a $50 mail-in rebate) or a $25.22 per month on a payment plant. Verizon Wireless is offering both the white and charcoal black models of the Galaxy S5. The real kicker with Verizon Wireless’ deal  is their current BUY ONE GET ONE FREE. Yep, Verizon Wireless will give you a free Samsung Galaxy S5 just for purchasing one. Of course, you’ll have to sign up for a 2-year agreement on both devices, but that’s a small price to pay considering the fact that they are giving you a free Galaxy S5. (note: Verizon Wireless is offering the BOGO deal on the Galaxy S5, ATIV SE and HTC One M8). You can also purchase…

With the U.S. release date for the Samsung Galaxy S5 drawing near, tech enthusiasts across the country are eagerly anticipating its arrival. Samsung has done a remarkable job at keeping the overall design of their new flagship smartphone true to the Galaxy line while bringing tons of new features and additions to the table. While we’ve known the specs of the Samsung Galaxy S5 for quite some time, the South Korean company has kept their mouths shut about alternate models. However, details of the Galaxy S5 Mini (the smaller version) were recently leaked online. And while we don’t know for certain whether or not this information is accurate, it looks like the real deal. According to an article published at the highly popular smartphone and consumer electronics website SamMobile.com, Samsung will launch the smaller, and probably less expensive, version of its flagship smartphone after the Galaxy S5 is release. Of course, this would make sense given Samsung’s past behavior of launching alternate models after the original is released. SamMobile.com claims to have insider information about the Galaxy S5 Mini, saying it will posses the model number SM-G800 and feature 4.5-inch Super AMOLED running at 720p resolution. This may not offer the same…

Still need another reason to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S5? The South Korean company’s flagship smartphone is making waves in the tech industry, knocking over other big-name competitors like HTC and Apple at every turn. Recently, though, the Galaxy S5 was named given the title of “best display” on a smartphone, which is sure to attract some consumers once the device goes on sale later this month. DisplayMate Ranks The Galaxy S5’s Display at The Top DisplayMate.com published a report on their website saying the Samsung Galaxy S5 is the “the best performing smartphone display that we have ever tested.” Being that DisplayMate specializes in optimizing, calibrating and testing visual displays on electronic devices, it’s safe to say they know a thing or two about smartphone displays. They performed an in-depth analysis of the Galaxy S5’s display to identify its strengths and weakness (spoiler alert: there are no weaknesses found in the report). Some of the attractive display features noted by DisplayMate include the following: Exceptional level of brightness Dimming mode Improved color management New and improved OLED technology Cinema mode Ambiant lighting Photo mode 1920×1080 screen resolution Diamond pixels (term dubbed from Samsung) Improved viewing angles Uniform screen to…

It’s been over a month since Samsung unveiled its highly anticipated Galaxy S5 smartphone at the Unpacked 5 event in Barcelona, Spain and we’re still learning more about this amazing device with each passing day. The website Soyacincau.com recently published an article revealing the Galaxy S5’s potential use as a baby monitor. If you’re the parent of a newborn, or if you’re expecting a child in the near future, you can transform your Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone into a baby monitor. According to the article, the Samsung Galaxy S5’s menu contains a Baby Crying Detector option. “This function is intended to be used as a parenting aid and not as a medical device or a substitute for human care-giving.” It goes on to warn parents about leaving their babies unattended in homes or areas. You can find this option by navigating through the Galaxy S5’s accessibility menu. You might be wondering how exactly the Galaxy S5 works as a baby monitor without a second device. Well, parents who wish their Galaxy S5 as a baby monitor must also own the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Once the two devices are connected, and the Baby Crying Detection option is enabled, the Galaxy S5 is placed…

We’re just days away from the possible unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S5. If you keep up with our site here at GalaxyS5US.com, you’re probably well aware of the upcoming Samsung Unpacked 5 event, which we (and pretty much everyone else) believe Samsung will use to display their Galaxy S5. They’ve launched previous Galaxy models at Unpacked events in the past, so it only makes sense for them to launch the Galaxy S5 here as well. We’ve learned a lot about the Galaxy S5 through leaked photos, rumors and insider information. Recently, though, we heard from a source who claims the Galaxy S5 will feature a bigger and sharper screen than its predecessor. This is a huge development considering the Samsung Galaxy S4 was already touted as one of the biggest smartphones on the market (see image below for Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 4 comparison). How Big Is The Samsung Galaxy S5? Just how big is the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5? Although we don’t have any official confirmation on its size, we’ve heard from several reliable sources who claim the new flagship smartphone for Samsung will feature a whopping 5.25-inch screen. No, that’s not a typo —  if our sources…

Now you can drop your Samsung Galaxy S5 in the toilet without having to worry about water damage. According to the ZDNet Korea, the upcoming Galaxy S5 will be waterproof and dust-proof, allowing users to sleep just a little more soundly at night knowing their next-gen smartphone is safe from water damage. Although there’s no official confirmation of this rumor, ZDNet has proven to publish accurate, reliable information time and time again. Water-Damaged Smartphones: How Big Is The Problem? Water damage is the number one killer of smartphones. Whether you drop accidentally drop it in the toilet (happens more often than you think), or if you’re pushed into the pool with your phone in your pocket, tens of thousands of smartphones are damaged by water each year. A 2011 study conducted by GoodMobilePhones.co.uk found that 31% of all respondents claimed to have damaged a smartphone with water or some other liquid. What’s even more shocking is that nearly half of all water-damaged smartphones were dropped in the toilet. Most of us have heard of the water damaged smartphone remedy of placing it in a bowl of rice, but unfortunately this doesn’t always work. Rice is great at absorbing moisture, but it’s not…

Less than a month ago, we talked about how Samsung would likely drop the rumored iris scanning technology from their upcoming Galaxy S5 and choose a more traditional approach with a fingerprint scanner. While this was pure speculation at the time, it looks like there’s solid evidence confirming that the Galaxy S5 will in fact feature a fingerprint scanner. SamMobile Reveals Details About The Galaxy S5’s Fingerprint Scanner According to the Samsung community website SamMobile.com, the Galaxy S5 will feature a fingerprint scanner that works by moving the finger horizontally across the screen. Users can unlock their device by pressing the registered finger on the lock screen and swiping it from left to right. Once it matches the swipe with a fingerprint stored in its database, it unlocks the device. SamMobile didn’t reveal the source of this information, but they are usually right when it comes to technological details of upcoming Samsung devices. The good news is that you don’t have to use the Galaxy S5’s fingerprint scanning technology if you don’t to. If you prefer the old fashioned way of unlocking your smartphone via PIN number, you can adjust the settings on your Galaxy S5 to do so. SamMobile.com…