Kris Carlon 2014-01-22T12:00:01Z2 days ago
Putting down roots in Berlin after six years of traveling is a major step for Kris Carlon, who has spent more time living out of a tent lately than sitting at a desk. Kris comes to the AndroidPIT Editorial Team via a lengthy period spent writing on art and culture in Australia and other places he has lived. He joined the Android community while resurfacing in civilization back in 2010 and has never looked back, using technology to replace his actual presence in other people's lives ever since. 
Yesterday, well respected blogger Eldar Murtazin tweeted that the Galaxy S5 would launch the day before Mobile World Congress starts in Barcelona next month. Murtazin went so far as to specify a specific time for the launch too: 6 pm Sunday, February 23rd. This would tie in with one of several press-only events for the mobile device showcase. He also stated the price would be same, the leaked specs were accurate and that, yes, indeed, a new TouchWiz would appear. So, what do we know about the S5 so far?
Will Samsung launch the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy F in Barcelona or London? / © Samsung First things first, let's evaluate Murtazin's claim. We've heard from several sources already that the S5 may well arrive at the end of February, at or around MWC, so Murtazin's prediction makes sense. Also, he is usually pretty spot on with his predictions and it makes good sense for Samsung to use the accumulated international media to announce its new flagship, which would then appear on the market around April. The last two years have seen private events for the launch of the S3 and S4 – an effort to avoid competition in the popularity stakes – so there's still the chance of a mid-March, Samsung-only unveiling too. Samsung's previous device launches seem to support this, but here's the Tweet that started it all:
Samsung Galaxy S5 launch - 18.00. Barcelona. 23 February. Price the same. Launch - end of April. Specs - u know them :) new touchwiz ;)
— Eldar Murtazin (@eldarmurtazin) 21. January 2014
But what about all the conflicting rumors and spec details we've heard? You may remember our rumor mill roundup from a couple of days ago, where one tech site posted a 'confirmation' of the iris sensor only to publish an article claiming it had been shelved just three hours later. It seems no one, even 'confidential sources' can agree on this one, let alone the production material. Here's a spec sheet with everything we've heard so far:
No one knows exactly what the Galaxy S5 will look like, but this seems plausible. / © Samsung, AndroidPIT Display5.2 - 5.25-inch Super AMOLED; 2,560x1,440 pixelsProcessorOcta-core, 64-bit Exynos 6 and Snapdragon 800/805 modelsRAM / Internal Memory3 GB / 32 and 64 GB + microSD (up to 64 GB)Camera (Rear)16 or 20 MP with ISOCELL sensor MaterialPlastic, metal or a plastic front and metal battery coverConnectivityLTE, HSPA, GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, USB2.0 with MHLBattery2,900 - 4,000 mAh (2,900 more likely)Operating SystemAndroid 4.4 KitKat with newly redesigned TouchWiz UIAvailability and PriceAvailable April, same initial on-contract carrier pricing as the S4As you can tell, there's still a bit of wiggle room as far as battery capacity (which may also be quick-charge), production material and camera. Plus we still don't know the size or weight of the device, but it's a safe bet it might try to squeeze that slightly larger display into a slightly smaller chassis. The processor question is still up in the air, with a recent report claiming the S5 would be the first device to ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor. Then there's the iris sensor/fingerprint scanner question. While we know Samsung has been looking at iris scanning technology, it may be too bulky for the S5 or may not be able to be produced in sufficient quantity to be included. Or perhaps the S5's security feature will in fact be a screen-based fingerprint scanner.
Samsung to hold its next Global launch (S5?) event in London in a mid March date, a reliable source confirmed me.
— Flavio (@flapic) January 12, 2014
At the very least, the revision of TouchWiz is looking more and more certain, as is the April release of the new flagship. Keep in mind too, that Samsung will also be announcing the Galaxy F series sometime this year, so this could even be the mysterious device to launch at MWC, with the S5 (or both) to come in London in mid-March, as some journalists are reporting. Whatever the S5's exact specs turn out to be, it will be a powerhouse, and if Samsung do manage to achieve their stated goal of taking things back to basics and making the S5 about display and ''the feel of the cover,'' it's a safe bet the thing will sell like hot cakes. We're looking forward to seeing the new multi-point gesture detection in action and the ''less gimmicky, more useful'' sensor controls, according to an unnamed Samsung Exec linked to G4Games.
What specs do you think the Galaxy S5 will have? What do you think is the least likely feature?
Via: G4Games Source: Eldar Murtazin (Twitter), Flavio (Twitter)
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