Galery

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When you are the market leader, the expectations of you and the products you offer are great. Galaxy S series has turned Samsung into what it is today, namely the only company in the market, which is confidently fighting and outselling omnipresent Apple. Millions of users around the world were eagerly awaiting the next, fifth in a row, Galaxy S smartphone, not just for the show but to decide whether the new Galaxy SV will be the favourite in this year's bargaining for gadgets. Galaxy SV in its full splendour ... or the lack of such:

1. Galaxy SV - design and dimensions

Users were expecting changes in the design of the new flagship and, in particular, in the materials used. Apple, HTC and Sony have opted for aluminium and glass as they give a luxurious finish to the devices. Let us not forget that these devices are expensive and their owners look for image.
 
We can say that, to a large extent, the new Samsung device follows the design lines of its predecessor but features an interesting perforated rear panel, which makes it more comfortable for working with one hand. Its appearance is an interesting combination of the appearance of Galaxy SIV and the Galaxy Note III phablet, but the improvements made have changed its size. The new device is larger and heavier than its predecessor. The compact size of Galaxy SIV was one of its main advantages and last year users appreciated this.

The new design provoked funny comments and users were quick in comparing it with the texture of sticking plasters.

2. Galaxy SV - processor and RAM  

Galaxy SV is one of the first smartphones on the market that works with the new Snapdragon 801, which is a quad-core 2.5 GHz processor with faster clock speed, and 2GB RAM. The previous model is powered by a quad-core 1.9 GHz Snapdragon 600 processor or quad-core Exynos 5410 chip. In theory, the numbers are impressive, but we all know that the difference in the performance of these two processors is not significant. Furthermore, although sufficient, RAM memory has remained unchanged, namely 2 GB.

3. Display and software

The new smartphone has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 3 safety glass and supports Full HD resolution. Its predecessor has a 5-inch display and the difference in this respect is insignificant. However, the new flagship of Samsung is based on an interesting technology that automatically adjusts the display brightness depending on ambient light to ensure maximum picture quality. The latest version of the TouchWiz interface has been slightly modified but the differences can be defined as cosmetic. According to some designers, TouchWiz upgrading and adapting over the years has made the interface quite diverse and it is full of elements from older versions. Many users hoped to see a fully refreshed interface but this did not happen. However, there are some changes, involving

4. Battery and camera

One of the significant improvements is the new Galaxy SV camera, which already has 16-megapixel resolution and the fastest autofocus in the industry. Its response time is just 0.3 seconds, the sensor is complemented by an LED flash and there is an option of recording 4K videos at 30 frames per second. Another interesting feature is that the camera of the new model supports Selective Focus, which allows you to change the focus of a photo after it is taken.

All these features make the 13-megapixel sensor of Galaxy S IV excel in terms of photography. This year’s flagship has a more powerful 2800mAh battery, allowing you to surf the web for about 10 hours and watch videos for 12 hours, which is pretty impressive.

5. Miscellaneous

Galaxy SV is IP67-certified as it is water-resistant up to 1 metre for 30 minutes and dust-resistant. Another feature that distinguishes it from its predecessor is the fingerprint sensor built in the Home button. With a flick of your finger, you will be able to unlock the device and work with your favourite applications, to make payments via PayPal. Galaxy SV is the first model in the industry that has a heartbeat sensor in the rear, near the camera and the LED flash.

Our opinion: Do not get us wrong, compared to the previous generation, Galaxy SV brings quite a few improvements. We are aware of the fact that the market has high expectations of the leader. On the other hand it should be noted that, in terms of hardware, no exciting technologies have been introduced to the new Galaxy S series. We expect a 64-bit processor and Android optimization for working with it in the middle, or at the end, of the year. It appears that the flexible displays that Samsung has repeatedly demonstrated are not ready for launching on the market. Besides, there are persistent rumours about the launch of a premium series, which will be called Galaxy F. It is expected that this phone will appear along with the premiere of iPhone 6 and will try to beat it in terms of competition.

Probably the majority of users will wait for this potential series to appear whereas others will prefer the competitive proposals, like that of Sony. It remains to be seen if this time Samsung has assessed the situation properly.