Galaxy S5 will have fewer gimmicks than S4, source says
Samsung is planning a more low key launch for the Galaxy S5, according to a source, with fewer gimmicky features.
If you're chomping at the bit to see what Samsung has in store for its Galaxy S5 smart phone in a couple of weeks… maybe stop reading now. That's because Samsung has a much more low key event planned, with fewer extra features and gimmicks than the S4, according to one tipster.
Samsung launched the Galaxy S4 at New York's prestigious Radio City Music Hall. Some critics accused the handset of being too gimmicky, with too many features added on for the sake of it. Now "a person in the smart phone industry with knowledge of the plans" told The New York Times that Samsung will be playing it safer this time.
The Galaxy S5 will feature design enhancements and other improvements, the source said, but Samsung is betting on more belt and braces features like a new version of its Knox security software. It's hoped this will make the S5 an attractive prospect for business users.
And that eyeball scanner? The one that'll let you unlock your phone just by looking at it? That's not going to make an appearance, according to the source. Neither will the 4K screen we've heard rumoured.
So what can we expect? The source -- who's been briefed on the Galaxy S5 -- says a better camera and a more powerful processor is on the cards. Ho-hum.
Samsung is set to unveil the Galaxy S5 at its Unpacked event on 24 February. That's at the start of Mobile World Congress, the world's biggest phone fair. Samsung is also set to pull back the curtain on a new version of its Galaxy Gear smart watch, according to the source.
Earlier this week, another tipster said the S5 would have a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1,440x2,560 pixels. That would give it a pixel per inch rating of 560ppi, which would shame the iPhone 5S's 326ppi.
This is all hearsay at the moment, so I'd take it all with a pinch of salt.
I've contacted Samsung for comment, and will update this story if I hear back.
What do you reckon Samsung will do with the S5? And is it madness to release a new version of the S4 just before the S5 launches? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
Update: A spokesperson for the company told me Samsung does not comment on rumour or speculation.