The Samsung Galaxy S5 was the hottest smartphone of 2014, selling over 12 million units in its first three months of being released. It’s a beautiful, brilliant device that delivers the perfect blend of performance and style. But one of the key features that makes Samsung’s flagship handset such an attractive choice may not be included in the Galaxy S6. According to the South Korean news site Digital Daily, the upcoming Galaxy S6 will not be dust/waterproof. Samsung went out of its way to make the Galaxy S5 resistant to dust and water, giving it an International Protection Marking of 6/7. This means it’s fully protected against the ingress of dust and protected against the effects of immersion between 15cm and 1m. There’s no faster way to ruin your day than by dropping your smartphone in a puddle of water — something that far too many of us have experienced in our lives. Samsung acknowledged this issue, choosing to make all of its Galaxy S5 standard-edition units waterproof. If you accidentally expose your Galaxy S5 to dust or water, you can rest assured knowing that it’s protected. Many consumers have purchased the Galaxy S5 specifically for this reason. This begs…

According to an article published at Phone Arena, three different variations of the Samsung Galaxy S5 topped the list of Consumer Reports smartphone rankings. The original launch-edition Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy S5 Active tied for first place with 79/100 points, while the Galaxy S5 Sport came in third with a slightly lower rating of 78/100. Why did the Galaxy S5 Sport rank lower than the original Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S5 Active? Hardware and software specs remain almost identical, so it should have the same score, right? The magazine reports that the Galaxy S5 Sport doesn’t offer the same amount of talk time as the other two Galaxy S5 devices. Granted, all three models use the same 2800mAh battery, and they all feature Samsung’s signature Ultra-Powering Saving mode, but benchmarks reveal the Galaxy S5 Sport doesn’t last as long on a charge. In case you were wondering, the Apple iPhone 6 received a score of 77/100, lower than all three of the aforementioned Galaxy S5 devices. Consumer Reports ranked the iPhone 6 fairly high, but it still failed in comparison to the Galaxy S5, Galaxy S5 Active and Galaxy S5 Sport. Surprisingly, the iPhone 6 Plus ranked even lower,…

When Samsung isn’t busy developing the world’s greatest smartphones and other electronics, it’s playing in the snow, literally. The South Korean tech company recently published a promo video showing the start-to-finish construction of a snowman. But this isn’t your typical Frosty The Snowman; Samsung’s version is contains three Galaxy S5 units: two for the eyes and one for the heart. Granted, Samsung’s attempt to build a snowman is somewhat creepy. With digital eyes and a digital heart, it doesn’t exactly look appealing. Then again, this video was likely shot for promotional purposes, which it succeeded it. “To celebrate the Christmas spirit, we thought it would be fun to bring some life into a snowman and give it a pair of moving eyes and a beating heart. Initially, we were going to use some Christmas magic, but we just decided to the water (or snow) resistant Galaxy S5 to do it. So… do you want to build a (digital) snowman? Great, because we’ve recorded the whole process. Check it out,” wrote Samsung on its website. You might be wondering how in the world Samsung was able to build a snowman using three Galaxy S5 units. After all, wouldn’t the snow and…

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…

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,…

Samsung devices are usually last in line to receive major Android updates, which is partly due to the fact that Samsung uses its own TouchWiz skin on top of Android. While most users love TouchWiz and the simplicity it brings to the table, it requires further testing to ensure compatibility with new versions of Android. But there’s hope on the horizon for Galaxy S5 users looking to get their hands on the upcoming Android 5.0 Lollipop update. According to SamMobile, Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone will receive the update in early-to-mid December. The website states that unlocked international Galaxy S5 devices will receive the update first, followed by carrier-locked devices in specific regions. It’s important to note, however, that the timing of Android updates is ultimately at the sole discretion of the respective cell carrier. In other words, a cell carrier can delay the update by weeks or even months if they choose. Why would a cell carrier explicitly stop the new Android update from being sent to its customers? Well, there are several different reasons that may convince a cell carrier to take this action, such as the presence of a major vulnerability or bug. Or if the cell carrier…

The Galaxy S5 has a built-in security feature that’s designed to hide your most sensitive files, without relying on third-party apps or programs. Dubbed Private Mode, it allows users to lock, secure and hide files in just few simple steps. If you have documents containing account passwords, contact addresses, work-related information, or other critical data, for instance, you may want to utilize this feature to ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. So, how exactly do you enable Private Mode on the Samsung Galaxy S5? Private Mode works by hiding all of your text files, photos, videos, messages and other files. When you’re actually in Private Mode, all of your documents will be viewable. However, exiting out of this mode will keep them hidden so other people won’t be able to see them. Just be sure exit out of Private Mode when handing your device to another person. Enabling Private Mode To enable Private Mode on the Galaxy S5, swipe down from the home screen using two fingers simultaneously. When you see a list of icons on your screen, tap the one labeled “Private Mode.” When you initially enter Private Mode for the first time, you’ll be given a…

The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is the country’s largest shopping day of the year. With millions of consumers using this time to begin their holiday shopping, retailers are forced to lower their prices in an attempt to capture this ever-growing market of post-Thanksgiving-day shoppers. While most stores have yet to release their Black Friday ads, leaked details reveal a listing for the Galaxy S5 for just $0.01 cents. The tech website 9to5Google published the deal listing on its website, suggesting that national retailing giant Target plans to sell the Galaxy S5 for a penny on Black Friday (with a 2-year agreement). Currently, Verizon Wireless and AT&T sell the Galaxy S5 for $199.999 with a 2-year agreement, while Sprint offers a slightly better deal with the Galaxy S5 listed for $99.99 with a 2-year agreement. Assuming the folks at 9to5Google are correct, that’s a $100-$200 savings on Samsung’s flagship smartphone. Target will also sell the iPhone 6 for $99 with a 2-year agreement. But don’t let Apple’s presentation of the iPhone 6 fool you into thinking its a revolutionary new smartphone. In reality, the Galaxy S5 has better specs than Apple’s upcoming handset, not to mention the fact…