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…

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…

Samsung may have overshot its expectations with the Galaxy S5. According to a new report published by the Wall Street Journal, the South Korean tech company sold 4 million fewer Galaxy S5 units than Galaxy S4 units. The report claims that Samsung sold 12 million Galaxy S5 units during the first three months of its release and 16 million Galaxy S4 units during thee first three months of its initial release. This is disturbing news for Samsung, who many people view as the leading smartphone maker. With sales slipping, we’ll likely see some changes occurring within the upcoming months. So, does this mean the end for Samsung’s smartphone business? Not by a long shot. Yes, Samsung experienced fewer Galaxy S5 sales than predicted, but it’s still a phenomenal smartphone that ranks among the leading mobile devices currently on the market. The Galaxy S5 had numerous improvements over the Galaxy S4, including the use of a dust/water-resistant IP67 shell. Samsung was one of the first smartphone makers to include such a design in its standard flagship smartphone — a move that attracted a large number of consumers. There’s a reason why you’re seeing more and more television commercials, radio adverts, and…

If you’re one of the lucky Galaxy S5 users living in Poland, you should expect to see an over-the-air operating system update within the upcoming days. According to the Samsung enthusiast website SamMobile.com, Android 5.0 Lollipop began rolling out on December 3rd. While the update is currently limited to Galaxy S5 users in Poland (which is presumably a small demographic), there’s a good chance other regions will see the update by the end of the year. Dozens of Galaxy S5 users in Poland have already reported to receive the Android 5.0 Lollipop. This is good news considering the controversy surrounding the update, more specifically the numerous bugs and errors users have found. From dropped calls to WiFi connectivity issues and even a stuck flashlight, Android 5.0 hasn’t come easy. Of course, the same can be said for most major operating system updates. But there’s a silver lining to the Android 5.0 Lollipop update: it brings several new features and improvements. In fact, it’s expected to be the largest update in the history of Google’s Android operating system, introducing a new Material theme, new notifications, and a new battery-saving technology dubbed Project Volta. The bugs and software problems users are currently…

Samsung is known for producing multiple variants of its flagship smartphone, one of the latest being the Galaxy Grand Prime. Based on its name alone, you might assume this is a beefed-up version of the Galaxy S5, featuring better hardware components and other attractive features. Before you make a hastily decision and choose this variant over the original Galaxy S5, however, you should read our comparison of the two devices below. Display The original Galaxy S5 features a brilliant 5-inch Super AMOLED, which delivers incredible images when watching videos, playing games, or engaging in other media-related activities. Samsung opted for a slightly larger 5.1-inch display with the Galaxy Grand Prime; however, it also features less colors (16 million), along with a lower resolution (540 x 960 pixel). This doesn’t necessarily mean the Galaxy Grand Prime delivers poor image quality, but there’s a noticeable difference between it and the original Galaxy S5. Processor The Galaxy S5 features a blazing-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974-AC processor clocked at 2500 MHz. The Galaxy Grand Prime features an older, slower Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. RAM If you’re the type of person who’s constantly running multiple apps at once, you’ll probably want to stick with the…

Certain devices on certain cell carriers have already received the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S5 isn’t on the list, meaning you’ll have to wait a little bit longer to get your hands on Google’s largest and most comprehensive Android update. If you aren’t willing to wait, however, Galaxy S5 users on the Sprint network can download and install the unofficial update elsewhere. Warning: Read Before Installing Let me first start off by saying that downloading and installing any unofficial update, Android 5.0 Lollipop included, is a somewhat technical process — and for that reason, we don’t recommend attempting this unofficial update unless you’ve performed manual OS installations in the past. There’s an inherit risk of bricking your device if you happen to make a mistake, which is something no one wants to see happen to their Galaxy S5. If you aren’t comfortable installing manual OS updates on your Galaxy S5, hold off a little longer and you’ll likely receive Android 5.0 Lollipop over the air. Sprint, along with several other major cell carriers, are expected to release Lollipop within the upcoming weeks. Installing Unofficial Lollipop Update The folks over at XDA Developers forum posted a tutorial for…

Ask any serious smartphone enthusiast and they’ll agree: the Galaxy S5 is one of the fastest and most powerful mobile devices on the market. Featuring a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB RAM 16/32GB memory, 18-megapixel primary camera, and Samsung’s signature Touchwiz mod on top of Android 4.4, there are few devices that rival the Galaxy S5. Given the undeniable positive brand image surrounding the Galaxy S5, it should come as somewhat shocking news that sales of Samsung’s flagship smartphone have declined considerably since its release. According to an article published by the Wall Street Journal, Samsung sold 40% fewer units than it expected to sell, dealing a major blow to the company’s profits and its morale. Samsung reportedly based its sales predictions on surveys and polls taken from cell carriers from across the world. An unnamed person close to Samsung told the WSJ, however, that cell carriers were not liable for any unsold Galaxy S5 units. Assuming this information is accurate, it’s possible that some cell carriers gave inflated sales predictions for the sole purpose of scoring a deal with Samsung. And being that they weren’t responsible for paying Samsung for unsold units, they  didn’t face any consequences for inaccurate…

It’s been a long time in the making, but Galaxy S5 users on the Sprint network are now receiving the Android update — but it’s not the Android 5.0 Lollipop update so many users were hoping for. On November 20, Sprint quietly rolled out Android 4.4.4 KitKat to Samsung Galaxy S5 users. It’s an over-the-air (OTA) update, meaning you don’t have to manually download and install it. Assuming you have a Galaxy S5 device on the Sprint network, you should receive a notification prompting you to update your Android operating system. Confirming this update will begin the download/installation process, at which point you’ll have Android 4.4.4 running on your device. The new (well, new to Sprint users) Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates brings a range of new features, bug fixes and improvements to the Galaxy S5. According to Sprint’s changelog, the update adds the following to the Galaxy S5: HD voice icon in the app drawer Support for international calling using WiFi Google security patches Sprint is known for its dragging its feet when it comes to releasing new Android updates. Verizon Wireless, for instance, launched the Android 4.4.4 KitKat update to its Galaxy S5 users over two months ago. So,…