Hundreds of thousands of people have dumped buckets of ice water over their heads to raise money for the nerve cell disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Everyone from Jamie Foxx to former U.S. President George Bush have participated in this “chilling” activity, but there’s a new contender who’s amped and ready to take the challenge: Samsung’s flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5. Being the marketing genius that it is, Samsung uploaded a video to its YouTube account last week which shows the Galaxy S5 being splashed with ice water (we presume it’s ice water, at least). During the short 15-second video, a computer voice says “I am the Samsung Galaxy S5. This is my ice bucket challenge. Gosh, this is freezing. I nominate the iPhone 5S, HTC One (M8), and Nokia Lumia 930.” Granted, it’s a short video, but it’s sill quite comical and worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of the Galaxy S5. Note: no Galaxy S5 devices were harmed during the making of this promotional film. The Galaxy S5 features IP67 dust/water-resistant technology; therefore, it’s able to hold up under the stress of the ice bucket challenge. Samsung really went out of…

Looking to get a little more use out of your Galaxy S5’s battery? Samsung’s flagship smartphone will reportedly offer 21 hours of “talk time” on a single charge, but when you have half a dozen or more processes running in the background, it rarely reaches this amount. The good news is that you can significantly extend the Galaxy S5’s battery life by making a few simple changes to your device. Lower The Brightness Bold, brightly colored display screens are pleasing to the eyes, but they can drain your device’s battery. To reduce the brightness on your Galaxy S5, access the notifications bar and uncheck the box next to auto brightness. Next, slide the brightness bar down to a lower setting. Disable GPS Arguably, one of the biggest battery-draining functions on smartphones, including the Galaxy S5, is GPS. Don’t get me wrong, GPS is great when you need road directions or when you’re lost in the woods, but leaving this feature on any other time is a huge waste of energy. To disable it, tap Settings > Location > and move the switch at the top of the screen to the off position. Disable WiFi Of course, disabling the WiFi on…

If you’re holding out for the Galaxy Alpha, you may be in luck, because sources reveal Samsung is planning to launch the variant this week. The Galaxy Alpha, previous dubbed the Galaxy F and Galaxy Prime, will boast an entirely new body design (see photo above). Normally, Samsung aims for a sleek, thin design with rounded corners — a standard among major smartphone manufacturers. The Galaxy Alpha takes a different approach, however, as it’s noticeably thicker with squared-off corners. Even so, reports suggest the Galaxy Alpha is still thinner than the Apple iPhone 5S, striking another win for Samsung in its battle against Apple. Leaked photos of the Galaxy Alpha also reveal a new material used in the design of its body. The current Galaxy S5 launch-edition features an all-plastic body, which is both lightweight and durable. However, critics claim the all-plastic body is somewhat cheap and doesn’t coincide with Samsung’s objective of producing cutting-edge smartphones and mobile devices. Will the Galaxy Alpha use an all-metal body instead? Based on the leaked photos, it appears it will use at least some metal parts in its body (possibly aluminum?). Whether or not it’s an all-metal body, however, remains to be seen….

Google added several devices to its Google Play lineup in summer 2013, including the Moto G, Samsung Galaxy S4, and HTC One (M8). Rather than purchasing these devices through a dubious third-party, consumers can buy them directly from Google. This of course adds another level of security to the transaction, easing consumers worries about receiving a dead-on-arrival (DOA) device. Rumors are now swirling, however, that Google may add the Samsung Galaxy S5 to its lineup of devices offered on Google Play. Back in April, Google edited its Google Play listing of the Galaxy S4 to include a photo of the Galaxy S5. Following this move, consumers immediately began to speculate whether or not Google was planning to add the Galaxy S5 to Google Play. After all, why would they add a photo of the Galaxy S5 to Google Play if they weren’t planning to add it. Unfortunately, Google did not add the Galaxy S5 (yet), but there’s still hope on the horizon for consumers looking to purchase Samsung’s flagship device through Google Play. Smartphone leaker evLeaks confirmed a Google Play edition of the Samsung Galaxy S5 earlier this month, publishing a press rendering photo that’s complete with Android 4.4.4. KitKat. Granted, evLeaks…

New details of Motorola’s upcoming DROID Turbo suggest  it will boast similar, if not faster, speeds as the Samsung Galaxy S5. With the Galaxy S5 currently holding the title as the market’s fastest and most powerful smartphone, this is big news. So, just how much of a threat does the Motorola DROID Turbo pose to Samsung’s flagship smartphone? AndroidAuthority.com first broke the story about the DROID Turbo, revealing some if the device’s specs in a leaked screenshot. The screenshot reveals a Motorola device, presumably the DROID Turbo, running on the Verizon Wireless network. Listed specs include a Snapdragon 805 processor (clocked at 2.65GHz processor), 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 1440 x 2560 resolution with a 360 x 640 DPI, 4.49″ display, Android 4.4.4 KitKat, 20-megapixel primary camera. Assuming the specs accurate, there are a few notable features included in the Motorola DROID Turbo that rival the Galaxy S5. For starters, 3GB of RAM is a nice upgrade from the traditional 2GB found in most smartphones. Extra RAM means more multitasking with less lag, which is something we can all use. Another notable feature included in the DROID Turbo is its 20-megapixel camera — a substantial boost from the Galaxy S5’s current 16-megapixel camera….

  Samsung released the highly anticipated Mini variant of its flagship smartphone last month. If you’re late to the game and thinking about purchasing a Samsung smartphone, you should check out our comparison of these two devices below. The Galaxy S5 may boast a bigger screen and better camera, but the small and sleek Galaxy S5 Mini is a viable alternative that some people may prefer. Size As its name suggests, the Galaxy S5 Mini is smaller than the original Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S5 features a 5.1″ display, whereas the Galaxy S5 Mini features a 4.5″ display. In terms of weight, the new Mini variant is also lighter at 120 grams as opposed to 145 grams. Display Resolution Here’s where the original Galaxy S5 really shines. It features a whopping 1,920 x 1,080 screen resolution with 432 ppi. The Galaxy S5 Mini, on the other hand, has a smaller 1,280 x 720 screen resolution with 326 ppi. Body It was rumored that Samsung would possibly use an all or part metal body for the Galaxy S5 Mini. Some people criticized the South Korean company for its use of plastic in the Galaxy S5. In the end, however, Samsung chose an…

The electronics retailer Best Buy announced earlier this week plans to sell an  electric blue variant of the Samsung Galaxy S5 starting on August 17. If you’re familiar with the Samsung Galaxy S5, you may recall seeing or hearing the name “electric blue” variant before. Well, this is because it’s already available overseas. It’s important to note, however, that the international version of the electric blue Galaxy S5 only features the blue color on the back; the front features the standard black. The Galaxy S5 was touted as the mobile industry’s leading smartphone with cutting-edge technology long before it was released — this hype left many people skeptical of whether or note Samsung would deliver through with its promises. When the Galaxy S5 was finally unveiled in Barcelona, Spain earlier this year, however, consumers and tech junkies alike were amazed at the device’s hardware specs and bundles software. In short, it’s arguably one of the best — if not the best — smartphone on the market. The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a bold 5.1″ display screen with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution and 432 ppi, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 16-megapixel primary camera, 2.1-megapixel secondary camera, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, and…

Samsung marketed the Galaxy S5’s fitness-oriented specifications heavily, targeting consumers with an active lifestyle. This was apparent from the moment its dust and water-resistant specs were released — a feature that was previously only available in the Galaxy S4’s “Active” variant. In addition, however, the Galaxy S5 also features a surprisingly accurate heart rate monitor, allowing runners and athletes to keep track of their heart rate levels while exercising. The truth is that most people are clueless when it comes to their heart rate. But failing to observe your heart rate could place you at risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack, heat stroke, and dozens of other adverse systems. “As you age, changes in the rate and regularity of your pulse can change and may signify a heart condition or other condition that needs to be addressed,” said Richard Stein, M.D., professor of medicine and cardiology at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City Your heart rate is essentially the number of beats or pulses your heart makes per minute. Some of the factors which may affect your heart rate include weight, air temperature, physical activity levels, medication and body position. Don’t be alarmed if your…

Galaxy S5 owners on Verizon Wireless may notice a new software build on their device in the upcoming days. Starting last week, the country’s largest cell carrier began quietly rolling out build G900VVRU1ANE9 to the Galaxy S5. While most of the changes made in the update are small, and it still runs the Android 4.4.2 OS, it still patches some security vulnerabilities while solving numerous bugs and issues reported by users. According to Verizon Wireless’ official website, the new Galaxy S5 OTA update affects the Caller Name ID, Message+, and Cloud. Some of the fixes in the OTA update include the following: Search icon is no longer displayed on Memo when there is no memo available. Contact information for Favorites is now more visible in the background. Visual Voicemail now works when S-View flip cover is shut. Improved connectivity when streaming music. Improved stability for Samsung Gear Manager. Factory installed car kits receive text alert improvements. When in Emergency Mode, Primary Contacts list is now called Emergency Contacts. The Power On password is no longer triggered after completing a voice call  and the screen dims. Verizon Wireless also added support for the following apps and services in its latest Galaxy S5…

Samsung’s marketing department has done it again. This time releasing a stunning HD video of Trieste, Italy that was shot entirely on the Galaxy S5. The video, titled “Sunrise to Sunset,” is 1 minutes and 25 seconds long and depicts some truly gorgeous scenes of a quaint Italian town. If you didn’t know otherwise, you might assume the video was shot on a professional-quality video camera. The footage is highly detailed, the colors are rich, and everything just looks natural — something that most smartphones aren’t capable of achieving. According to the video’s description, however, Sunrise to Sunset was shot entirely on the Samsung Galaxy S5. That’s a pretty impressive feat to say the least! “Short film of Trieste, Italy featuring HDR Video and FHD 1080p footage shot entirely on the Samsung GALAXY S5,” wrote Samsung the video description for Sunrise to Sunset. How is the Samsung Galaxy S5 able to achieve such amazing, high-quality footage — even when the person recording is riding in a helicopter above the city? The Galaxy S5 features a 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution camcorder that records at 30 frames per second. In addition, it also features digital image stabilization, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR). When compared…