Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Date Coming: Performance Tests Indicate Quality Screen And Battery

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has not yet been released, but many sources have already given several components of the device their stamps of approval.

Competitors are already on the offensive as they prepare their own devices for market launch. Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC America, recently criticized the Samsung Galaxy S5, calling it a “product built out of cheap plastic.” The Taiwan-based manufacturer is currently marketing its HTC One M8 smartphone, which is made of 90 percent aluminum and will be globally available starting April 10 (though several markets are already selling the device). But HTC is well known for taking shots at Samsung. This has not stopped reviewers from stepping in with their own opinions of the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Two series of battery life tests have concluded that the Galaxy S5 can outperform many devices that have larger battery capacities. The Galaxy S5 features a 2,800mAh battery Li-Ion battery, and promises 390 hours of power on standby and 21 hours of talk time.

The Bulgarian tech website Smartphone.bg tested the Galaxy S5 against devices such as the iPhone 5S, LG G2, Galaxy Note 3, Xperia Z1, and the Nexus 5 for tasks including talk time, Internet browsing, and 3D gaming. Tests determined that the Galaxy S5 either matched or exceeded other devices for battery performance. The Korean tech website Playwares compared the Galaxy S5 against several more devices, testing battery consumption when the display brightness is set at maximum. The test included both smartphones and tablets (tablets have much larger batteries than smartphones), but the Galaxy S5 did well in comparison to most smartphones tested.

The Galaxy S5's positive reviews for performance are especially a plus considering that Samsung has made moves toward playing fair with performance indicators. In early March, Ars Technica reported that with the Android 4.4 KitKat update, the Korean manufacturer has dismantled the mechanisms that have enabled it to fudge benchmark results in the past. Ironically, HTC just admitted to boosting benchmark results of the HTC One M8 in comparison to the Galaxy S5.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 received an extensive review of its display by the experts at DisplayMate, who gave the device a glowing review, calling it the “best performing smartphone display” they have ever tested. The Galaxy S5 features a 5.1-inch Full HD Super AMOLED Display with a 432ppi density, but notably does not vary much from the display specs of the Galaxy S4, which features a 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen.

Critics have also wondered whether the Galaxy S5 is much of an upgrade from the Galaxy S4, but Playware’s test in particular shows performance improvements between the devices. Its battery consumption test concluded that the Galaxy S5 has nearly an hour and a half more battery life than the Galaxy S4 at maximum display brightness.

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