Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Date Coming: Verizon Model Now Available for Pre-Order; Carrier Offering BOGO Deal

Verizon is the latest U.S. carrier to begin accepting pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S5, which will be released globally on April 11.

The Verizon Galaxy S5 is now available for pre-order and will sell for $249.99 with a two-year contract, which comes down to $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. In addition, customers can use Verizon Edge, which offers the Galaxy S5 for $0 down and $25.22 per month for 24 months. The non-contract, full retail price of the Galaxy S5 when purchased through Verizon is $599.99. Verizon is also offering a buy one, get one, deal for the Galaxy S5; customers can purchase a handset and get a get another Galaxy S5, Samsung ATIV SE or HTC One M8 free after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Verizon will have the Galaxy S5 available in stores starting April 11; the carrier will sell the Galaxy S5 in Charcoal Black and Shimmery White. Pre-order the Verizon Galaxy S5 here.

Pre-orders also are being taken for the Galaxy S5 on other major carriers and retailers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Best Buy and Radio Shack.

About the Samsung Galaxy S5

The Samsung Galaxy S5 includes a 5.1-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, a 2.5GHz quad-core ARM chip (believed to be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801), 2GB mobile RAM, and 16GB and 32GB internal storage options with microSD expansion, and networking and connectivity, including 802.11ac MIMO and LTE Cat. 4 and a 2800mAh battery.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is water- and dust-proof, with an Ingress Protection Rating of IP67. That means the device can function in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The 16-megapixel-rear camera on the S5 includes auto-focus technology, selective focus and HDR rich tone. The device also includes a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera. New sensors on the Galaxy S5 include a heart rate sensor and fingerprint scanner. The latter acts as a simple means of security, as user verification with a finger scanner can speed up the online purchasing process. The phone also has a "private mode," which acts as a personal storage area for confidential documents, as well as a "kid mode," where parents can choose apps used by their children.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145g in dimensions, features USB 3.0 and runs the Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system. The device’s exterior design features a perforated back panel and four color options: blue, white, black and gold. Samsung also has updated its onscreen environment with a less cluttered user interface and updated settings menu.

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