Why oh Why Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung Galaxy S5 G-S900I Smartphone.

Figure 1: Samsung Galaxy S5 Gold (Notebooks.com Inc, 2014). 

RECOMMENDATION: Not for everyone

ALTERNATIVES: HTC ONE M8

In a word “CHEAP”. Not the price tag but the feel of it. Cheap is what I would describe the Brand New Samsung Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone and it’s a phone you would prefer not to be seen with.

For those that understand the value of $894 let alone $894 for a mobile phone, you’ll soon understand the phrase “NOT value for money”.

Firstly I am a big Android fan and somehow Samsung seems to do it for me better than the other brands such as HTC, Nexus, Sony and LG. The Samsung Galaxy S3 was one of the greatest android smartphones I’ve ever used. I eventually upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and has stuck with it ever since.

Samsung worked for me primarily due to the ease of the User Interface (UI); yes it’s easier to use than Pure Google Nexus, the physical home button that other android smartphones lack, the long battery life and the incorporation of numpads on top of the keyboard. Samsung’s camera was also somewhat better or as good as the other top flagships like the HTC ONE and Sony Xperia Z1.

Figure 2: Harvey Norman selling the Samsung Galaxy S5 16GB for $894 (Harvey Norman, 2014).

Samsung tried to spruce up the value of its flagship smartphone with useless gimmicks for the S4 like the smart scroll that doesn’t work for nuts. The air view/air gestures are useless in low light conditions and the addition of a TV infrared remote control in a smartphone though was impressive at first for showing off but soon became obvious that its just something for kids and impractical but none the less, the S4 was still the one that worked better for me than the rest of the android smartphones.

Figure 3: The Samsung Galaxy S series from left to right, Samsung Galaxy S5, S4, S3, S2 (Redmond Pie, 2014). 

Now with the new S5, Samsung has repeated its mistakes and possibly made the phone somewhat even worse. Holding a Samsung S5 doesn’t make it feel special in any way, in fact it makes you wonder at the back of your head if it’s a fake phone. Samsung is claiming that despite its physical appearance its operating system combined with the new software’s included makes it something to be marvelled at.

Figure 4: Samsung Galaxy S5 User Interface (UI) (Cyberzone, 2014).

 

Samsung also claims that it is better than other smartphones including that of iPhones because it is water resistant (because they can’t make it waterproof like SONY), it has a heart rate monitor (for which “EVERYONE” has a use for and other companies was incapable of putting it in their flagships) and added security with a fingerprint scanner (for which iPhone has already marketed).

Samsung then further made “impressive progress” with its UI by putting in so many more icons for each function of the phone that it no longer takes a short time to access the settings but longer.

At this point the only competition the S5 has is the HTC ONE M8. I would have to say if I’m going to spend $894 on a phone, I would look at the HTC ONE M8 first. It’s not without flaws either but it’s a much better option to the S5.

In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is somewhat a disappointment. I’m not sure if this was one of the main reasons that led to the firing of Samsung S5’s chief designer. I would highly advice you to check out the HTC ONE M8 or just stick with the S4.

Works Cited

1.     Cyberzone. (2014, May 25). Samsung Galaxy S5 Review. Retrieved May 25, 2014, from Samsung Galaxy S5 Review: http://www.smcyberzone.com/reviews/4850

2.     Harvey Norman. (2014, May 25). Samsung Galaxy S5 16GB Smartphone - Black . Retrieved May 25, 2014, from Samsung Galaxy S5 16GB Smartphone - Black : http://www.harveynorman.com.au/samsung-galaxy-s5-smartphone.html

3.     Notebooks.com Inc. (2014, May 25). Gotta Be Mobile. Retrieved May 25, 2014, from ANDROID GALAXY S5 MOBILE SAMSUNG New Verizon Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Planned: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/05/07/verizon-samsung-galaxy-s5-release/

4.     Redmond Pie. (2014, May 25). Samsung Galaxy S5 vs S4 vs S3 vs S2 vs S [Size Comparison]. Retrieved May 25, 2015, from Samsung Galaxy S5 vs S4 vs S3 vs S2 vs S [Size Comparison]: http://www.redmondpie.com/samsung-galaxy-s5-vs-s4-vs-s3-vs-s2-vs-s-size-comparison/

How the world has changed : boys and girls

Back in the 19 centuries based on lovely stories and movies we always see that the man lead in almost everything. I'm not talking about career or professionalism but in a relationship.

May it be a friendship, between cousins or couples. Girls are usually opinionated and would be happy to go along with the final decision of men.

Of course through some revolutionary processes, women now have a voice and as time went by, women started to dominate in fields where physical strength plays no role.

Today I saw a group of teenagers 4 guys and 4 girls; and you can clearly see that now in the 21st century the final decision maker roles has been switched to the females.

The boys stay quiet on the sides awaiting the endless debate and final decisions of the girls.

What's to come next?

Too good to be true? It is

As mobile phones becomes more sophisticated and is now capable of stuffing all the goodies of a modern day computer with the handy ability to make calls as well as the unforeseeable utilization of  a handy camera is now one of the most valuable item we have in our pockets.

That being said, in order to have the mobile phone function at it's best potential a service provider that can match the performance or capability of the phone is now on everyone's mind.

I went around hunting for such a service with value for money and good performance in mind. I looked through Lebara, Amaysim, Vodafone, Optus, Telstra, TPG and Crazy John's. Though there are a lot more out there to hunt for I stopped my options at 7.

I eventually settled with VAYA, an Optus operated service network.

This was because for those that reside in the city area for most of their time, VAYA provides the most value for money mobile phone plan services. With their non-binding contracts of $11 a month, you get the value for money packs that comes with Vodafone at $59 a month.

Of course that being said, VAYA only provides the network services and a free phone was not in the picture. If you are looking for a plan with a phone then Vodafone would be most value for money.
Please note that you get what you pay for. I caution that you read the terms and conditions of Vaya very carefully.

Though it says it's a non binding contract, they do find another way to bind you.

I fell victim to the blinding text of "non-binding contract" which led me to also miss the words "your cycle starts at the beginning of the month, should you activate your services anytime before or after, you'll get the recalculated value of that cycle."

I activated my service in the middle of the month, little did I know the usage metre doesn't project your actual value, so I went overboard and got overcharged $68. From expecting $11 to $68 based on a technicality I got pissed and called to cancel my account only to be told, cancellation is 300% of your monthly fee. I gave a huge WTF, but I'm on a non-binding plan! Then the operator states that it's free only if you retain your number and transfer to another provider.

So all I can say is practice caution.