Well-known leaker Evleaks posted a series of pictures on Twitter today, which indicate that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will have a QHD display and a fingerprint scanner.
Evleaks also confirmed that Samsung's next flagship smartphone will indeed be called the Galaxy S5. There was some debate in the blogosphere as to whether Samsung would change up its branding a bit this time around. According to Evleaks, Samsung decided to stick with the tried and true Galaxy S branding.
Evleaks' twitter account included two snapshots of APKs, which appear to prove that the Samsuing Galaxy S5 will feature a QHD display. Given the recent trend of 2K displays in Chinese smartphones like the Oppo Find 7 and the Vivo XPlay 3S, this update is hardly surprising. However, what is much more interesting is the first snapshot Evleaks tweeted today of an APK for a "fingerprint service."
The first rumors about Samsung's Galaxy S5 hinted at a revolutionary iris scanner, which would be able to read your eye instead of your fingerprint to determine whether you are the owner of the smartphone or not. Recently, Tech Times reported on a serious of rumors that Samsung has decided to forgo the iris scanner in favor of the more conventional fingerprint scanner. Since tweets from Evleaks are widely regarded as near statements of fact, it seems that these most recent reports will prove true.
In a sense, it's a bit of a let down for tech fanatics who were hoping to see something revolutionary on the Galaxy S5. Fingerprint scanners have become somewhat run of the mill at this point. Ever since Apple introduced the iPhone 5S, smartphone manufacturers have been rushing to equip their new flagships with fingerprint sensors. In fact, not only has the novelty of the fingerprint scanner worn off, its functionality on Android devices thus far has been subpar to say the least.
Part of the appeal of the fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5S is its use as a confirmation of payment for apps and other purchases made in the iTunes store. So far, none of the Android devices with fingerprint scanners have this great, practical application--the sensor has become, in many ways, a mere gimmick.
Samsung is known for its innovative use of software and the customized apps and features it loads on to its Android-based devices, so perhaps the company will be able to make the fingerprint sensor more useful to users than LG and HTC did. However, recent talks between Google and Samsung featured a sharp warning against over customization. Essentially, Google told Samsung to scale back its ambitious software alterations and return to a more pure Android experience. It will be interesting to see if this new agreement affects the special features on the Galaxy S5.
