Samsung has just launched the Galaxy S5 which comes across as a decent upgrade over the Galaxy S4 but Samsung is underplaying the launch of the smartphone. The Galaxy S5 is a pretty capable device and the owners of the S4 will surely be looking for an upgrade. We compare the two to find out if the S5 is worth the upgrade from S4.
Display and Processor
Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with a 5.1 inch display unit with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The Galaxy S4 on the other hand has a similar display unit with a 5 inch screen with the same resolution. However there is a difference in pixel density due to the screen size with the S4 having a pixel density of 441 ppi and the S5 gets 432 ppi but you won’t really notice a difference.
The S4 in India got an Exynos 5 Octa core processor four A15 cores clocked at 1.9 GHz and four A7 cores clocked at 1.2 GHz. The Galaxy S5 on the other hand gets a 2.5 GHz quad core Snapdragon 801 unit that is a way better performer than the Exynos counterpart. But you won’t really find much of a difference in real world usage.The Indian version of Galaxy S5 might feature Exynos 5422 Chipset launched recently, but Samsung has not officially confirmed this yet.
Camera and Memory
The Galaxy S4 comes with a 13 MP primary camera and a 2.1 MP secondary camera. The S5 on the other hand gets a 16 MP rear camera with a similar front camera unit. The major difference other than the pixel count comes in the video recording ability of the S5 as it can record 4K videos which the younger sibling can not.
Both the smartphones come shod with internal memory options of 16GB and 32GB with the microSD card slot being made available as well for expansion by another 64GB. So there won’t be any favourites in this regard.
Battery and Features
The Galaxy S4 gets a 2,600 mAh battery whereas the S5 gets a 2,800 mAh battery unit. Samsung claims that S4 will last for about 370 hours on stand by by offering a talk time of about 17 hours whereas the S5 will last for about 390 hours on stand by and will offerup to 21 hours of talk time. In real world, both will offer a pretty much similar back up which we think would be a little over a day.
The S4 has just got itself an update and it now runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat whereas the S5 already runs on that. However, the S5 gets a fingerprint scanner which has been certified by PayPal, is IP67 certified for water resistance and gets a slew of health related features with the addition of S Health such as Pedometer, Heart Rate monitor and the likes. Samsung has given the S5 much needed software upgrades which tilt the balance slightly in its favour.
Key Specs
| Model | Samsung Galaxy S4 | Samsung Galaxy S5 |
| Display | 5 inches full HD | 5.1 inches full HD |
| Processor | Exynos 5 Octa Chipset | 2.5 GHz quad core Snapdragon 801 |
| RAM | 2GB | 2 GB |
| Internal storage | 16GB expandable by up to 64GB | 16 GB/ 32GB |
| OS | Android v4.4 | Android v4.4 |
| Cameras | 13 MP/ 2MP front | 16 MP/ 2.1 MP |
| Battery | 2600 mAh | 2800 mAh |
| Price | 32,500 INR | To be announced |
Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy S5 comes shod with better software features, water resistance and a fingerprint scanner, a better camera and a better chipset under the hood as compared to its predecessor. It accounts for a worthy upgrade and its price will play a key role in the decision making as well. If Samsung manages to price it in the vicinity of S4 and give S4 a price drop, the S5 will surely emerge as a better option.
