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Samsung Galaxy S5 Sport Review
Design & Build
The design of the Galaxy S5 Sport is significantly different than the standard version of the GS5 released back in the spring. While the phone maintains a similar footprint and silhouette, it features a boxy, ruggedized build incorporating contrasting plastic accents in matte and faux-chrome finishes. Homages to the original Galaxy S5 design persist, including a dimpled back that is considerably more grippy on the Sport thanks to its rubber inset.
Measuring 5.67 x 2.91 x 0.35 inches, the Galaxy S5 Sport is bigger than the standard S5 by a few fractions of an inch in every dimension. Most noticeable is the device’s thickness, which increases from 0.32 inches. The Sport is also heavier by a considerable amount at 5.57 ounces compared to the GS5’s 5.11 ounce weight.
The Galaxy S5 Sport caters to fans of physical Android navigation buttons with the standard set of three mapped out below the screen. The buttons are plenty big and feature a textured design that adds some grip and makes them easy to find. It’s a small touch that could come in quite handy when drenched in sweat after a serious workout, reminding that the Sport was purpose-built for those incline to “active” lifestyles.
Elsewhere the phone features a volume rocker and power/standby key, camera sensor that protrudes slightly from the rear of the phone above a flash array that doubles as a heart rate monitor, and a sealed microUSB charging port. The latter is important to maintain the waterproof design introduced with the original Galaxy S5. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S5 Sport does not include the fingerprint scanner of its blueprint device, eliminating the ability to unlock the phone with the swipe of a finger and more.
Check out our full review to read more about many of these features carried over from the Galaxy S5.
Display & Hardware
While the shell of the Galaxy S5 Sport is a far cry from the original, the device’s internal hardware is more or less identical and functions as much. It starts with the one outward-looking piece of kit, a 5.1-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display. With the Galaxy S5 it was touted as one of the best screens to ever grace a smartphone, and its no different in its Sport iteration. As with all AMOLED displays, expect a high level of contrast and rich, vibrant colors. You can read more about the Galaxy S5’s display in our full review.
The Galaxy S5 Sport features the same Snapdragon 801 found in the Galaxy S5 coupled with 2GB of RAM, delivering performance that matches that phone in every respect. It certainly doesn’t feel like the fasted Android phone on the market — thanks in no small part to its bloated TouchWiz interface — but it is no slouch by any means. Again, you can read about the Galaxy S5’s performance in more depth in our original review.
We would be doing a disservice if we didn’t mention cellular performance. As a Sprint exclusive, the Sport is tied to Sprint’s hit-or-miss network. When able to maintain a solid connection with the carrier’s 4G LTE network, users can expect solid download and upload speeds. The issue arises with coverage. If you live and spend most of your time in an area with strong Sprint service this shouldn’t be too big of an issue, but you may want to do some research if you aren’t already on Sprint’s network. As an alternative, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is a similarly designed Galaxy S5 variant that benefits from AT&T’s network.
Software
Samsung’s TouchWiz interface has long been a divisive element of the Galaxy S line. While its intentions have always been in the right place — attempting to add to the Android experience via software features and exclusive apps — the execution hasn’t always been seamless. TouchWiz often comes across as clunky, confusing, and overwhelming for both the user and the phone’s hardware. This continues to be the case with the Galaxy S5 Sport, which implements the same TouchWiz Nature UX found on other Galaxy S5 models.
For an overview of TouchWiz on the Galaxy S5, see our initial review. Here we will focus on additional software exclusive to the Galaxy S5 Sport, which are mostly geared toward the “active lifestyle” sect. The main aspect of this is Sprint Fit Live, a hub of sorts that combines the S Health app standard to all Galaxy S5 handsets with Spotify (Sport owners get a few months of free access as a bonus) and another service MapMyFitness. Sprint Fit Live also provides users with access to health-related articles and other fitness info.
Does it add to the experience? For those intending to use the Sport as a fitness companion, it gets the job done. It’s nothing that could not be accomplished to the same degree or even better with standalone apps, however, so it’s far from a reason to run out and buy the Galaxy S5 Sport. Many will simply see it as bloatware along with the numerous other apps from Sprint, Samsung, and its partners that come preinstalled on the device. These include Amazon, eBay, Lookout Security, Flipboard, and 1Weather just to name a small fraction.
Camera
As with other hardware elements, the Galaxy S5 carries a 16MP camera identical to the Galaxy S5 and performs on par with its predecessor. In good lighting conditions the S5’s optics can really wow, but don’t expect every shot to be a masterpiece based on the high megapixel count alone. While lowlight performance is adequate, it certainly isn’t spectacular.
A number of shooting modes give photographers plenty of options, whether that be capturing a panorama, using selective focus for artistic shots, or using Shot & More mode to create neat visual effects. You can see our Galaxy S5 review for an in-depth look at the handset’s camera plus a complete gallery of sample shots.
Battery
The Galaxy S5 Sport features a 2,800mAh battery that didn’t cease to impress us, just as was the case with the vanilla Galaxy S5. With standard use the phone will have no issues lasting more than a day on a single charge. Even with the Sport’s more rugged inclinations, the battery pack remains removable making it possible to carry a spare, but you likely won’t need one given the distance the handset can go on a single charge.
Software power saving modes to optimize battery life are available to push uptime to the max. These modes tweak hardware and software settings with a single tap to keep the Galaxy S5 alive in a pinch. You guessed it, you can read more about these power saving modes and Galaxy S5 battery life in our original review.
The Bottom Line
Is the Galaxy S5 Sport an upgrade over Samsung’s standard S5 flagship handset? That is to say, is there a solid rationale to choosing one over the other? While Sprint subscribers may find some appeal in its new design and fitness buffs might see something in a phone built for “active” lifestyles, the Sport ultimately is little more than a Galaxy S5 with a fresh coat of paint. Users already in the market for an S5 might consider the Sport if they want a device that stands out from the rest of the GS5-wielding pack. It’s no better but no worse than the original.
The Good
- Solid build quality
- Brilliant Super AMOLED display
- Excellent battery life
The Bad
- Lacks fingerprint sensor found in regular GS5
- Software feels a bit overwhelming, fitness features don’t add much
Overall: 3.5/5
Report: Samsung to introduce SIM-enabled Gear Solo alongside Note 4 at IFA
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was once thought to be the sole guest of honor at Samsung’s Unpacked event next month, but a recent report says that isn’t quite the case. Yonhap News in Korea is reporting that Samsung will be introducing a new Samsung Gear smart watch at the show. The name is said to be “Gear Solo,” which alludes to its supposed standalone SIM card.
That detail would effectively make it Samsung’s first smart watch that wouldn’t require a smartphone connection to receive data. We’re not sure what other features it might gain or if it would be much different from the Gear 2, though our gut tells us current Gear 2 owners won’t really be needing an upgrade unless they’ve been yearning to ditch their smartphone.
The impacts of cellular radios inside a smart watch could be quite significant. For starters, devices with 3G or 4G radios tend to be more expensive than their WiFi-only counterparts. Cellular radios also suck up a lot more battery than WiFi or Bluetooth. Samsung’s going to have to pull some pretty neat tricks in order to mitigate those typical drawbacks, but we won’t count them out until we see it for ourselves. Fingers crossed that they end up trotting to IFA with it on their wrist for their September 3rd event.
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