MWC 2014: Samsung Galaxy S5 revealed - 10 things you need to know

Forget the rumours. The Galaxy S5 is official.

It’s powerful. It’s feature packed. And it’s looking to reclaim the title of the best smartphone in the world.

Here are ten things you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S5.

1. It’s waterproof

Sony’s Xperia flagships aren’t the only ones that can handle a dip or two any more. The Galaxy S5 is IP67-rated to withstand both water and dust.

2. It’ll scan your fingers

Yep, the Galaxy S5’s Home button has a built-in fingerprint scanner. Swiping your digit down it will unlock the device, as well as protect sensitive files.

You’ll also be able to authorise all online PayPal transactions with the swish of a finger, avoiding repetitive logging in. Yay for frictionless living!

3. It can tell when you’re excited. Or dead

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has a heart-rate detector on its rear. Simply place your fingertip over it and it’ll display your heart rate and save it in its newly updated S Health app.

4. It’s an imaging beast

The Galaxy S5 has a 16MP camera with an ultra-fast 0.3 second autofocus. It also has a live HDR mode for both photos and videos, in addition to being able to record 4K video.

It also supports post-shot refocusing with a feature called Selective Focus, letting you blur the background or focus on close objects after you’ve taken the shot.

5. It’s powerful

The Galaxy S5 is the first phone to arrive with Qualcomm’s super-beefy quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor. It’s got 2GB of RAM as opposed to the expected 3GB, but it should still slice through Android 4.4 KitKat like a hot katana through butter.

Its display is slightly bigger too, measuring 5.1 inches. There’s no QHD resolution though, as 1080p makes a return.

6. It will last forever

Well not quite forever, but the S5’s larger 2800mAh battery should hopefully see it through a full day, even with heavy use.

7. It knows how healthy you are

Samsung’s updated S Health app incorporates the new heart-rate readings into an already comprehensive fitness app which measures your steps and tracks what you’ve eaten with a vast food database and barcode reader. It also plays nice with the new Galaxy Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit.

8. It downloads files more quickly than rivals

Download Booster uses some technological witchcraft to simultaneously utilise both 4G and Wi-Fi and therefore download large files faster than ever.

9. It has an Ultra Power Saving mode

If you’re low on battery you can initiate Ultra Power Saving mode, which provides an alternative power-sipping home screen with black and white icons, disables apps but keeps messaging and phonecall features alive.

10. It has space – and lots of it

You can bolster the S5’s in-built 32/64GB of storage with a 128GB microSD card if you like, making it the most capacious smartphone on the planet.

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.