The Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S5 has received FCC approval just in time for its April release date.
Samsung took a very different approach with its official announcement of the Galaxy S5 than it did the previous year with the Galaxy S4. The company put on quite a show in announcing the Galaxy S4, literally. The smartphone was launched on stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and the company even hired a Broadway musical star to emcee the event. There were a number of awkwardly staged scenes the company used to show off the Galaxy S4's new features but the whole "production" actually shifted the focus from the matter at hand, the Galaxy S4.
Thankfully, Samsung decided to put on a more reserved and understated launch of this year's flagship Galaxy S5. The company unveiled the smartphone at the kick-off of Mobile World Congress in February. Samsung showed off a device that was met with some criticism, since it didn't match the leaked specs most were expecting the smartphone to ship with.
In the weeks leading up to the launch of the Galaxy S5, there were reports that Samsung was going to trade in its love of plastic for a metal case to give the handset a more premium feel. The smartphone was also tipped to use a QHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and also include a fingerprint scanner to match Apple's iPhone 5s TouchID feature.
Instead, Samsung showed off an improved 1080p Full HD display surrounded by an all-plastic case. The company was able to deliver on the fingerprint scanner and like Apple, it embedded it into the home button. Samsung will also allow developers to access the scanner in order to create third-party apps and features.
While the Galaxy S5 might not have lived up to everyone's expectations, it's likely going to be the most popular Android smartphone to be released this year. Samsung will begin selling the Galaxy S5 around the world on April 11. U.S. carriers have not confirmed a launch date but should be expected at that time since the smartphone has just passed through the FCC. Variants for the Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile Galaxy S5 have received FCC approval and Sprint's version shouldn't be far behind.
As a reminder, the Samsung Galaxy S5 features a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a pixel density of 432 pixels per inch (ppi). The smartphone is running Android 4.4.2 KitKat along with a more toned down version of the company's TouchWiz UI. You'll find a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 800, an Adreno 330 graphics-processing unit (GPU), and 2GB of RAM. It will be offered in both 16GB and 32GB models, and it also includes a microSD expansion slot that will support up to 64GB microSD cards.
Its camera capabilities include a 16-megapixel rear camera that has the ability to record Ultra HD video @ 30fps, HDR rich tone, selective focus, and a 2-megapixel front facing camera for video chat. The smartphone includes an update to S health 3.0 and ships with a removable 2,800 mAh battery.
We'll be sure to keep you updated on all Galaxy S5 information as it becomes available.
