I have a Galaxy S4 or S5 decision to make.

[jack58]

I have a Galaxy S4 or S5 decision to make.
Anyone here formerly had a S4 and now a S5 to give an opinion of both?

I have the S3 for awhile now and have the S4 for a week and I can tell you the S4 blows the S3 out of the water. The S3 is a good phone too. So if there is the same difference between the S4 & S5, I will jump on it. I got the S4 last week right before the S5 came out, I'm wondering if the S5 is that much better than the S4?

If I do take the S4 back for the S5, I will lose $35 for the restocking fee, unless I can come up with a problem with the phone somehow
Then it will cost me another $108 over 18 months over the S4 I just got.
Just trying to see if it will justify's spending that much more. This S4 is pretty nice, plus it is RED where the S5 don't have that color.

 

[Rukbat]

I don't have either, but from what the 'cast on this site said, buy an HTC One M8 - it's a better phone than the S5.

 

[jack58]

I don't have either, but from what the 'cast on this site said, buy an HTC One M8 - it's a better phone than the S5.

The HTC is not the better phone! These are the deal breakers for me below.
1. You can't take the battery out of HTC!
2. GS5 captures photos with 16 megapixels while the HTC uses a measly 4MP
3. GS5 has water-resistant and dust-resistant design HTC does not

 

[wtherrell]

I don't have either, but from what the 'cast on this site said, buy an HTC One M8 - it's a better phone than the S5.

S5 won the CNET prize fight over the M8. Comes down to what is most important to you-- M8 has great style, look, & feel but S5 has use & performance advantage in most areas.

 

[djclemon]

The specs on the htc m8 dont even compare to the s5, not sure how anyone cld ever even say that! The s5 is far superior and has won in every comparison to the m8 and 5s! In my opinion it wld be well worth the extra $ to switch to the s5 my friend!

 

[funkylogik]

Removed by self

 

[jack58]

Removed by self

Gee Funky did you get in trouble with Mikey?

Since they shut down my thread over there in S3, I will continue it here.

As of right now, (I can change my mind) a big issue with me is the looks of the phone without faceplates. I really like red and it upsets me that Samsung skimped on the colors this time around. Black or White? C'mon that is just plain. Several other makers have better looking phones out there right now. In the past, Samsung had some great phones that were red. One of the best ones was the Blackjack II. That was just gorgeous. I still have it.
My Samsung notebook is red, My Tab 3 is red, my current S4 is red.
Once you put a faceplate on it, it changes everything, then they looks like any old cheap phone!
I like the slick look and feel of a phone in stock form. I will only put a faceplate on it if I scratch it up, but I'm extremely careful and most of my phones last a year without scratches of any kind.
When you look at the S4 & S5 side by side, they look the same too.
Sure, performance is better, but not that much better. Support will be fine for the S4 in the next 18 months.
I get a new phone every 18 months and that means the new S6 or better yet, complete new revamped phone comes out.

 

[speedlever]

If it were me, I would go with the GS5. I love my GS4, but if I were buying now, would go with the GS5 if for no other reason, the water resistant/dust resistant feature.

That being said, I would wait until the 32Gb version comes out before I would buy. I'm really surprised that the 32Gb model is not the entry level this time around, as it should have been for the GS4 (imo).

 

[Goodspike]

As of right now, (I can change my mind) a big issue with me is the looks of the phone without faceplates. I really like red and it upsets me that Samsung skimped on the colors this time around. Black or White? C'mon that is just plain.

I can honestly say, color plays absolutely no factor in my decision on what smartphone to buy. It could be puke green and it wouldn't matter.

In that regard, part of the reason I quit following some tech sites is they considered a smartphone coming in a new color news. Or even the rumor of a new color.

 

[jack58]

I can honestly say, color plays absolutely no factor in my decision on what smartphone to buy. It could be puke green and it wouldn't matter.

In that regard, part of the reason I quit following some tech sites is they considered a smartphone coming in a new color news. Or even the rumor of a new color.

So your in the class that would have a white car... Me, never a white car but Cherry red... on my Chrysler Touring 200 S. So as long as performance is good and most samsungs are... I"m happy. Like my car, I don't need the best or I'd be driving a Corvette... same for the phone.

Most phones out there are "blaa" plain and Samsung is more plain than a lot of them. Red spices it up some. I don 't need waterproof as I'm not around water much and not stupid enough to have my phone with me while on the toilet.

Unless the S5 can blow the S4 out of the water, I will stay with it.

So far the features I like best on the S5 is the Camera as I'm a photographer by trade. This means I could leave my Nikon D5200 at home more. For serious photography work, I will grab my D3.

 

[jack58]

Here is a excellent comparison website on S4 & S5:
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S4: Should you upgrade? - Opinion - Trusted Reviews

Samsung really dropped the ball here:
Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S4 – Storage
Galaxy S5 – 16/32GB, microSD up to 128GB
Galaxy S4 – 16/32GB, microSD up to 128GB

The same after a year???

 

[anoniemouse]

Here is a excellent comparison website on S4 & S5:
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S4: Should you upgrade? - Opinion - Trusted Reviews

Samsung really dropped the ball here:
Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S4

 

[speedlever]

The GS5 doesn't have the 128Gb microSD option? Yes, I believe it does.
Samsung Galaxy S

 

[Funderbolt]

What's to decide, you get the S5.

 

[jack58]

What's to decide, you get the S5.

How come YOU don't have one then?

 

[Goodspike]

So your in the class that would have a white car...

A car is different, although there I pick color mainly for safety.

You might have hit on something though. I wonder if people who are worried about the color of their phone are also the type who buy a car primarily for its body style? E.g. those who bought PT Cruisers back when they first came out.

 

[Slug]

Topic relocated to Device/Carrier Comparisons because.... well, it's a comparison.

I really like red and it upsets me that Samsung skimped on the colors this time around. Black or White? C'mon that is just plain.

The S4 launched in just black or white, the red variant only appearing time later. Blue S5s are also available right now in the UK, with gold arriving in a couple of weeks. Given Samsung's prior history, I wouldn't discount additional colours arriving over time - the S3 in Garnet Red didn't appear for a few months.

 

[Shocky]

I don't think it's worth upgrading if you have an S4, but you might think differently.

There are a quite a few meaningful improvements, display is better, brighter and more power efficient, improved battery life, better performance and an improved camera.

Then there are the rest of the features which you may or may not find useful, whether or not you think it's worth upgrading depends if the value them or not.

 

[jack58]

I don't think it's worth upgrading if you have an S4, but you might think differently.

There are a quite a few meaningful improvements, display is better, brighter and more power efficient, improved battery life, better performance and an improved camera.

Then there are the rest of the features which you may or may not find useful, whether or not you think it's worth upgrading depends if the value them or not.

Good points and what I've been trying to say. I don't want the S5 just to say "Looky here I have the latest Samsung".

Two of the main new features mean nothing to me, ie heart rate and weather proof. The two most important things for me would be the performance and camera. Are they that much better? From reports and reviews I've been reading... not that much better?

So with that in mind, Not having any real color choices here in USA (only black & white right now) no red, that is going to be the deal breaker for me.
Like Slug said, they added colors later... will do me no good as I only have two more weeks to make the swap before my 30 days is up.

So I may end up staying with the S4 for the next 18 months and by then I expect Samsung to have a completely different groundbreaking phone re-named something different than Samsung 6 which is getting old as this time around was more like a "improved" version.

This S4 is a pretty darn good phone.

 

[Shocky]

Good points and what I've been trying to say. I don't want the S5 just to say "Looky here I have the latest Samsung".

Two of the main new features mean nothing to me, ie heart rate and weather proof. The two most important things for me would be the performance and camera. Are they that much better? From reports and reviews I've been reading... not that much better?

So with that in mind, Not having any real color choices here in USA (only black & white right now) no red, that is going to be the deal breaker for me.
Like Slug said, they added colors later... will do me no good as I only have two more weeks to make the swap before my 30 days is up.

So I may end up staying with the S4 for the next 18 months and by then I expect Samsung to have a completely different groundbreaking phone re-named something different than Samsung 6 which is getting old as this time around was more like a "improved" version.

This S4 is a pretty darn good phone.

The Galaxy S4 is still a good phone, if your happy with it there is no reason to upgrade quite yet.

As for how much better the new camera is, I haven't seen any direct comparisons to the Galaxy S4 yet which seems odd thinking about it. Most sites are too busy comparing it to other new releases than to the previous version.

Also there are still some signs the Galaxy S5 Prime will make an appearance which could be worth waiting for.

Samsung's ?Project KQ? leaked ? premium Galaxy S5 with a QHD display and Exynos 5430/Snapdragon 805 CPU to brawl with the LG G3?

 

[Hadron]

As for how much better the new camera is, I haven't seen any direct comparisons to the Galaxy S4 yet which seems odd thinking about it. Most sites are too busy comparing it to other new releases than to the previous version.

Anandtech's S5 review includes both the S4 and the S5 in their still photo comparisons.

 

[Shocky]

Anandtech's S5 review includes both the S4 and the S5 in their still photo comparisons.

Yep, your right. Link for OP.

AnandTech | Samsung Galaxy S 5 Review

 

[jack58]

Here is a excellent comparison website on S4 & S5:
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S4: Should you upgrade? - Opinion - Trusted Reviews

This was the comparison one I was using... pretty complete.

 

[speedlever]

It's one thing to consider the S4 to S5 upgrade if you already own a GS4. It's another thing altogether to try the GS4 and have the option to swap for the GS5 for minimal cost (~$8/month).

Perhaps the color red trumps IP67 certification, a superior OLED screen, better camera, USB3, etc. Well, that and an extra $143 in your pocket at the end of the 18 months.

I still lean to the GS5 myself.

 

[jack58]

OK, I bit the bullet, took my new S4 back and got the S5.
As for not getting red, I will wait until they come out with more colors and they always do then get a red battery cover then. Meanwhile I will find a red flip cover and use that.
Grey/Black... how bland...
At least I get the better performance, screen, camera & weatherproofing.