We knew it was coming; we just didn’t know when. Numerous websites and smartphone industry experts hinted to a smaller, slimmed down version of Samsung’s flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, claiming it would not only be smaller in size but also cost less. Well, we now have an official confirmation by Samsung that a Galaxy S5 Mini is on its way. On July 1, 2014, Samsung officials confirmed the rumor of a Galaxy S5 Mini variant. But they didn’t just confirm its existence, they also said that it was launching NOW. Yep, you don’t have to wait around for weeks or even months, as the Galaxy S5 Mini is launching now. Samsung officials noted, however, that it may take a while for new variant to reach certain markets. Now for the million dollar question: is the Samsung Galaxy Mini worth buying? We haven’t tested the device for ourselves, but Samsung released hardware and software specs, most of which look pretty good. It’s important to remember Samsung designed the Mini variant to appeal to a more budget-conscious group of consumers — people who aren’t willing to shell out $600-$700 for a Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S5 Mini features a smaller 4.5-inch screen…

John says check out SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 MINI GT-i9195 8GB-UNLOCKED International Version Black LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600MHz. On June 23, Samsung and Sprint announced the Galaxy S5 Sport, stating a global release date for July 25th. The new device takes a page from the Galaxy S4 Active — offering helpful health and fitness apps and utilities. But there’s more to the Galaxy S5 Sport than its complimentary health and fitness tools. As you can see from the photo above, it features a rugged, more durable body. The company claims this body is designed for active people who are constantly running, jumping, exercising, or performing other activities. The hardware specs for the Galaxy S5 Sport are roughly the same as the launch-edition Galaxy S5. It will feature a 5.1″ 1920×1080 Super AMOLED display, 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2 GB RAM, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with SOCELL technology, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. In addition, the Galaxy S5 Sport will boast physical navigation buttons located at the bottom, which should prove useful for gym-goers with sweaty fingers. In terms of weight, the Galaxy S5 Sport tips the scales at 158 grams. Granted, this…

The Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime (dubbed the Galaxy F) is gearing up to be South Korean tech company’s biggest and baddest smartphone yet. Of course, this should come as no surprise considering it’s the “premium” variant of the Galaxy S5. But how exactly does it stand out from the launch-edition Galaxy S5? Samsung has kept their lips sealed regarding details and specs of the Galaxy S5 Prime. However, numerous websites have reported a launch date of mid-to-late June. With June wrapping up, though, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see Samsung’s new Prime variant on the market before July rolls around. Body According to leaked details, the upcoming Galaxy S5 Prime will sport an aluminum body instead of the launch-edition’s all-plastic body. This alone is a huge advantage that’s sure to attract some consumers to the new variant. While the Galaxy S5 remains one of the hottest smartphones to date, some users criticized Samsung for using plastic in its body. Opting for an aluminum body — featuring the same perforated rear design — will likely result in a smartphone that’s looks and feels like a higher quality device. Display Another key selling point of the Galaxy S5 Prime is its display. According…

While Samsung has yet to officially announce a premium, or Prime, variant of its flagship smartphone, the general consensus is that Samsung is edging closer to a release date. They’ve manufactured Prime variants for earlier Galaxy models, so it would only make sense for them to do the same with the Galaxy S5. But what kind of specs and features can you expect to find in the Galaxy S5 Prime? ZDNet Korea Reveals Galaxy S5 Prime Download Speeds According to a report by ZDNet Korea, the new Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime will boast blazing-fast download speeds of 225 megabits per second. The website claims to have received this knowledge from “unnamed sources” close to the project. Granted, this isn’t an official confirmation by any means, but it’s a promising sign that users may  see an entirely new spectrum of download speeds. At 225 Mbps, Galaxy S5 Prime users could download apps, movies, music and other files in a flash. If this information is correct, the new Galaxy S5 Prime will boast download speeds which are three times faster than current LTE speeds for the launch-edition Galaxy S5. Download speeds for the Galaxy S5 are currently capped at 75 Mbps. Truthfully,…

Samsung’s rugged outdoor variant of its flagship smartphone is now available for sale. The Galaxy S5 Active offers all of the same features as the original Galaxy S5 while introducing several new ones in the process. So, how does in fare in comparison to the original Galaxy S5? Under the hard rugged body, the Galaxy S5 Active is strikingly  similar to the original. It’s powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, a 5.1-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, 16GB capacity, and a micro SD slot for additional storage. And you can go ahead take a deep sigh of relief, because the Active variant also has the same 16-megapixel rear-facing camera that’s attracted so many users to the Galaxy S5. But there’s an obvious visual difference between the Galaxy S5 Active and original Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S5 Active, as depicted in the image above, is larger, thicker, and more protected. Protection is always a plus, especially for users who take their device hiking, biking, or through other outdoor activities, but some people may argue that Samsung went overboard with the Galaxy S5 Active. The USB port is covered by a soft flap, which we assume is there to protect…

Users of the Samsung Galaxy S5 can now gain root access to the device using a new method released by hacker George Hotz. What Is Rooting? Rooting is basically a method of gaining access to the core files of a device. Most smartphone manufacturers lock these files to prevent users from removing, adding, or otherwise editing certain functions. By locking the device’s core files, however, users are restricted to what they can modify and what they can’t. Rooting a device “unlocks” these restricts, granting the user full freedom to modify the device however they choose. Towelroot The Galaxy S5 rooting method released by hacker George Hotz uses a program known as Towelroot, which allows Android users to bypass Samsung’s software limitations on the Galaxy S5. Digital Trends reports that Hotz was able to create Towelroot using a software bug in Linux, and since Android is a variant of Linux, the tool is compatible with Android-powered smartphones. Towelroot.com states the following in regards to Hotz’s new rooting tool: “no warranty expressed or implied my second android root vuln thanks to disclosure by Pinkie Pie with love for my rap career if this doesn’t work on your phone e-mail my gmail geohot+towelroot with…

Rumors have been circulating about Samsung releasing a smaller, more compact “Mini” variant of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, for some time. In keeping up with the company’s tradition, however, they’ve kept quiet about the specs and details surrounding this device. But we now have a first-hand look at the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini thanks to several leaked photos. Body The photos of the Galaxy S5 Mini were reportedly sent to Sam Mobile from an anonymous tipster.  They show what appears to be a device with the same body style and back as the launch-edition Galaxy S5 — only on a smaller scale. As you can see in the photo above, it even possess the same dotted plastic back with rounded edges as the original Galaxy S5, further authenticating the belief that these are in fact real photos of the Galaxy S5 Mini. Heart Rate Monitor The device depicted in the leaked photos also show the heart rate monitor in the same spot — directly underneath the rear-facing camera. There was some doubt on whether or not Samsung would even include the heart rate monitor in the Galaxy S5 Mini, but these photos reveal the presence of this nifty…

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has taken the world by storm, selling over 11 million units during the first month of its release. And with exciting new variants like the Prime, Mini and Active expected to be released, it will likely retain its title as the “King” of smartphones.; however, the Samsung Note 3 remains a top contender that’s still worth checking out if you’re in the market for a new smartphone. Here we’re going to do a side-by-side comparison of the Galaxy S5 and Note 3, revealing which one comes out on top. Body Design The first major difference you’ll likely notice between the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 3 is the body design. At 5.95 x 3.12 x 0.33 inches, the Note 3 is more of a tablet/smartphone hybrid, or a phablet. The Galaxy S5 is smaller and more compact at 5.3 x 2.9 x 0.25 inches. Display In keeping up with Samsung’s tradition of delivering only the highest quality picture displays to their devices, both the Galaxy S5 and Note 3 feature full 1080p HD technology. With that said, the Galaxy S5 looks sharper thanks to its 373 nits brightness rating. Processor The Samsung Galaxy S5 is powered by an impressive…

Most people have been eagerly  anticipating the arrival of the premium variant of the Samsung Galaxy S5, dubbed the Galaxy S5 Prime, but details have been few and far between. While Samsung has yet to announce an official release date for the Galaxy S5 Prime, the build SM-G906 was recently certified by South Korea’s Radio Research Agency (RAA). And when a certification move such as this happens, it’s usually a positive sign that a release is on the horizon. SM-G906 Certificates Issues In South Korea GSM Arena first broke the story of South Korea’s RAA issuing a certification for SM-G906 earlier this month. More specifically, the RAA certified SM-G906S, SM-G906K and SM-G906L. It’s believed that SM-G906S will go to the South Korean cell carrier SKT; SM-G906K will go to the cell carrier KT; and SM-G906L will to to the cell carrier U+. This certainly isn’t a confirmation of the Galaxy S5 Prime’s release date nor its existence, but it’s a promising sign for consumers eager to get their hands on a premium variant of Samsung’s flagship smartphone. Galaxy S5 Prime Specs Specifications for the Galaxy S5 Prime remain unknown; however, several websites have published rumors suggesting Samsung’s new variant will feature a 5.2-inch QHD display (2,560×1,440 pixels), 3GB…

Samsung typically doesn’t release new Android updates for its smartphones and tablet computers, but that could soon change with the release of Android KitKat 4.4.3. Several sources have reported that the South Korean electronics company has tested the upcoming Android build on a variety of Exynos and Snapdragon-powered devices, including their flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5. Document Reveals Testing Is Underway According to a recent article published at SamMobile.com, Samsung is currently testing Android KitKat 4.4.3 (KTU70 build) on the Galaxy S5. The unnamed source didn’t reveal any details regarding the specifications and features of Android KitKat 4.4.3 — only that it’s currently being tested with Galaxy S5’s software and features. The report suggests that Android KitKat 4.4.3 is being tested on the Galaxy S5, as well as an LTW variant of the Galaxy S4 (model # GT-I9506A). Being that testing for Android KitKat 4.4.3 is limited strictly to Samsung’s own software, I wouldn’t get your hopes up about seeing a new update in the next few days. There’s been no official release date announced by Google, Samsung or any other major party in the mobile space, but analysts believe the most probable time for a release is later this…