The ultra-durable Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is now available through AT&T. On June 29, the U.S. cell carrier silently added it to their lineup of devices available for purchase through their website. Before you go trading in your smartphone for an upgrade, however, you should read our review on the Galaxy S5 Active variant. Dust, Water and Shock Resistant Not to our surprise, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active features a rugged dust, water and shock-resistant shell. It’s able to withstand drops from 4 feet on a flat surface, and it can be submerged in water 3-feet deep for 30 minutes (although I don’t recommend the latter). Granted, the launch-edition Galaxy S5 also boasts dust and water-resistant technology, but the variant looks and feels stronger and more durable. As you can see from the photo above, it’s beefier with four large bolts attached to the rear. We’re not sure if these bolts serve a purpose, but they are pretty cool looking nonetheless. Activity Zone Another major change in the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is the addition of an all-in-one button that launches every health and fitness app.  The button, dubbed Activity Zone, is located on the side of the device. When…

Watch out Samsung, Life’s Good (LG) recently unveiled a new version of its flagship smartphone, the “G” series, which is causing some commotion in the mobile industry. The new LG G3 is a high-end smartphone that rivals leading mobile brands like HTC, Apple and the Google Nexus series. But how does it compare to the Samsung Galaxy S5? Display The Samsung Galaxy S5 is often touted as the best all-around display among any smartphone currently on the market. It’s 5.1 inches in diameter and boasts 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Surprisingly, however, the LG G3 has managed to trump the Galaxy S5’s display, as it features a 5.5-inch screen with quad-HD 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. I’m a huge fan of the Samsung Galaxy S5, but I have to name the LG G3 as the winner for display. Processor Now let’s talk about what really matters in a smartphone: the processing power. Both the Samsung Galaxy S5 and LG G3 are powered by Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor running at 2.5GHz. There were rumors that LG would use an upgraded version of the Qualcomm processor — the 805 — but they ultimately chose the safe route by using the 801. So,…

Most people have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Samsung’s Galaxy S5 variants. We know they have an Active, Mini and a Premium variant in the works, but the company has not released any official statement regarding the release of these devices. However, a recently published YouTube video shows what appears to be the Galaxy S5 Active variant. When Samsung launched its fourth generation Galaxy smartphone last year, many users complained about its lack of water-resistant technology. To solve this issue, the South Korean company released a water-resistant variant known as the Galaxy S4 Active. The Galaxy S5, however, featured water-resistant and dust-resistant technology right off the bat, leaving some people to question whether or not Samsung would even attempt to produce a Galaxy S5 Active. Well, it looks like they are in fact releasing a Galaxy S5 Active, because we have exclusive footage of the upcoming device below. Video: Samsung Galaxy S5 Active Check out the video above for a sneak peak at the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active variant. In terms of appearance, it looks quite similar to the Galaxy S4 Active — it’s thick with a solid yet ergonomic body for maximum strength and comfort. The video also…

Although Samsung has yet to announce an official release date for the smaller, more compact “Mini” variant of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, several websites have leaked infromation regarding this upcoming variant. According to GSM Arena, the new Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini will follow the same tune as the previous Galaxy S4 Mini. It will feature the same body style and design — only on a smaller scale.  The Galaxy S4’s screen was roughly 4.3 inches, which is about 20% smaller than the Galaxy S5’s screen. So, what kind of screen size can we expect to see with the Galaxy S5 Mini? BGR claim it will feature a Super AMOLED screen at 4.5 inches  (1280 x 720 resolution) — just slightly larger than the Galaxy S4 Mini. The Galaxy S5 Mini is aimed to attract budget-conscious consumers and first-time Android users alike. Assuming Samsung prices it in a similar manner as the S4 Mini, you can expect the Galaxy S5 Mini to cost $100-$200 less than the  launch-edition Galaxy S5. Consumers who aren’t willing to sign into a 2-year contract with their cell carrier often skip the Galaxy S5 due to its $600-$700 price tag. The Galaxy S5 Mini, however, could…

Last week, the third largest cell carrier in the U.S., T-Mobile, released a new firmware update for the Samsung Galaxy S5. Before most users could finishing downloading it, however, the cell carrier stopped all downloads. Firmware updates are critical in plugging up security vulnerabilities and making various improvements, so why T-Mobile stop its most recent update for the Samsung Galaxy S5? The G900TUVU1ANE5 firmware update was supposed to fix some software problems stemming from the Galaxy S5’s SMS/MMS messaging system. Basically, Galaxy S5 users were not correctly sending and receiving messages from their device. When notified of this situation, T-Mobile began working on a new firmware update that would supposedly fix it. While the new Galaxy S5 firmware update does in fact resolve them messaging issue many Galaxy S5 users were experiencing, it also slowed their download speeds to a crawl. Once the new G900TUVU1ANE5 firmware was installed, hundreds of T-Mobile users began to report slow data speeds. According to reports by various users, download speeds dropped to an abysmal 1 MB/sec following the update. T-Mobile looked into the issue and confirmed that was in fact due to the recent Galaxy S5 update, at which point they halted all future downloads —…

The upcoming Android KitKat 4.4.2 update will bring some of the Galaxy S5’s features to the S4. These new features range from camera improvements and security features to the addition of a Battery Saving Mode and Kid Mode. If you own the Galaxy S4, keep reading to learn more about the upcoming features being added. Now for the bad news: the new Android KitKat 4.4.2 is currently only available on the Galaxy S4 in select regions overseas, and there’s been no word yet on when the update will rollout to U.S./U.K. Nonetheless, you can catch a sneak peak at the upcoming changes listed below. Kids Mode According to a changelog published at All About Samsung, Android KitKat 4.4.2 will bring a Kids Mode to the Samsung Galaxy S4. The Kids Mode, as the name suggests, is a parental control app that allows parents to place restrictions in various content, including online purchases. If you’re a parent who allows your child to play on your Galaxy S4, you’ll want to take advantage of this nifty feature. Knox 2.0 Knox 2.0 is another feature that’s coming to the Galaxy S4 with the Android KitKat 4.4.2 update. Knox 2.0 offers a wide range…

The Samsung Galaxy S5 boasts an impressive battery life (going well over 24 hours for most users on a single charge), but now you can double its battery life thanks to a new extended battery case offered by ZeroLemon. Whether you’re struggling to keep your Galaxy S5 alive throughout the day, or if you simply want a longer charge, you should consider investing in the ZeroLemon case. It’s a brilliant case that’s both attractive and beneficial. And with a price of just $49.99, it’s cheaper that a lot of the so-called “premium” cases on the market. Do I Really Need an Extended Battery For My Galaxy S5? I guess it depends on how much you use your device. The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a 2800mAh battery, which should provide a full 24 hours on a single charge for most users. However, if you plan on watching streaming video or perform other power-intensive operations, you can expect a single charge to last for about 12 hours. Critics have praised the Samsung Galaxy S5 for its exceptional battery life, saying it trumps nearly every other next-gen smartphone. The ZeroLemon can boost the Galaxy S5’s battery an eye-opening 7500mAh. You don’t have to be a…

  As Samsung officials continue to deny rumors of an upcoming premium variant of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, evidence is piling up which suggests a release is on the horizon. The latest evidence includes a screenshot taken from Bluetooth SIG’s website (see image above), showing the device build SM-G906. This, of course, is just one more sign pointing towards a premium, or Prime, variant of the Samsung Galaxy S5. Unfortunately, the Blutooth SIG screenshot doesn’t reveal any hardware or software specifications for the device. It only lists the device as being Bluetooth 4.0-compatible, which is pretty much a given with any Galaxy smartphone. How do we know that device build SM-G906 is the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime? Everything is pure speculation at this point, but a Dutch website published the build earlier this year, claiming to have discovered it using Samsung’s official Find My Mobile service. The build, SM-G906, is the same found on the Blutooth SIG’s website, which would leave some people to believe that Samsung is working on the Prime variant with plans to release it in the near future. Of course, this isn’t the only instance of build SM-G906 being spotted. A Hong Kong website reportedly…

Samsung has reported 11 million+ units of the Galaxy S5 sold since its launch in April. Being that it’s only been on the market for 35 days (as of writing this), these numbers reveal the enormous consumer demand for Samsung’s flagship smartphone. And while some people have criticized the Galaxy S5 for its lack of innovation in the design compartment, it continues to outsell nearly every other smartphone. Galaxy S5 vs S4 Sales: How Do They Stack Up? The Samsung Galaxy S4 had a strong launch month as well, but it still came up short when compared to the Galaxy S5. Just one month after its release, Samsung had sold 10 million units of the Galaxy S4. That’s an undeniably strong start, but it’s still 10% less than the Galaxy S5. “It’s been a month since we began selling the S5, and out of the gate, sales are much stronger than the Galaxy S4,” Jong-Kyun Shin, President & Head, IT & Mobile Communications Business,” told the WSJ in a recent interview. So, how was Samsung able to bump sales of the Galaxy S5 up to 11 million? Shin noted that the company’s strong sales for the Galaxy S5 was due in…

The Samsung Galaxy S5 may soon be available for purchase through Google Play. Last month, Google temporarily published a tiled image on Google Play depicting several smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy S4. The Mountain View company has since taken the image down, but it leaves us wondering: will the Galaxy S5 come to Google Play?   As you can see from the image screenshot image published above, it was the Galaxy S4 depicted on Google Play, not the S5. Was this a humor error by a Google employee, or is Google really planning to release the Galaxy S4 on Google Play? It’s doubtful (although not impossible) that Google would add the Galaxy S4 to its Google Play Edition (GPE). If they are going to add more smartphones, you can bet they are going to be recent-model flagships like the Galaxy S5. Upon closer inspection of the image, you’ll notice the so-called “Galaxy S 4” is actually the S5. It features the textured back, sunbeam wallpaper and other identifiable characteristics — yet the name depicted for the device is the “Samsung Galaxy S 4.” If your mind isn’t boggled yet, it will be: the Galaxy device depicted in the Google Play…