Samsung Galaxy S5 deals and reviews

Expert Reviews | Christopher Minasians

Even though it's been replaced several times now, the Galaxy S5 is still quite a phone.

Alphr | Jonathan Bray

The Galaxy S5 may not have the looks of the HTC One (M8), but it's tougher, has a far better camera, boasts more useful features, and provides greater flexibility courtesy of that user-replaceable battery.

S21

It's the fastest, most powerful Galaxy smartphone ever, with a stylish new look, fingerprint and heart rate scanners, ultra-fast camera and extended battery life.

IT PRO | Khidr Suleman

Still the best all-round Android device on the market, the Galaxy S5 has it all. The excellent display and great battery life are joined by the robust chassis. Samsung's biometric features might be ropey, but there is so much to like it doesn't matter if you don't use them.

T3 | Rhiain Morgan

As with the S4, the S5 is undoubtedly going to be a very, very popular phone and deservedly so - it's the best Android smartphone yet.

NotebookCheck | Florian Wimmer

We recommend the Galaxy S5 to users looking for a multitude of configuration options, the newest hardware, and a water resistant case design.

phoneArena | Ray S

At the end of the day, Samsung is staying true to its winning formula with the Galaxy S5, but the company has made some welcome, much-needed refinements, mostly involving getting rid of redundancies and focusing on what really matters, and that is the quality of the user experience.

VentureBeat | Devindra Hardawar

The Galaxy S5 can survive any spill, it has a killer camera, and most importantly, it's a joy to use. It's the first Galaxy phone I would recommend to anyone without hesitation.

TechRadar | Gareth Beavis

Powerful, competent and a decent UI at launch, it's still a risk buying such an old phone even though the price is much lower.

Phone Scoop | Eric M. Zeman

Samsung took the Galaxy S5 in the right direction. (...) There's no doubt the Samsung Galaxy S5 is one of the best phones you can buy.

Recombu | Editorial Team

The Samsung Galaxy S5 packs a hell of a lot of interesting features in for a smartphone. If you're already rocking last year's S4, we'd say only go for it if you're stacked with cash. For everyone else, especially movie lovers and app fans, the Galaxy S5 gets a big Recombu thumbs up.

Mobile Syrup | Daniel Bader

Samsung's fifth-generation Galaxy S flagship takes a checklist approach to improving upon its predecessors. If you have a Galaxy S4, there is little reason to shell out the money for its successor, but a Galaxy S3 owner approaching the two-year market in his or her contract should feel comfortable making the leap to Samsung's latest

The Next Web | Owen Williams

I really like what Samsung has done. It's finally refined things and made the experience less grating. The S5 is a breath of fresh air for Samsung and those who use the iPhone may be tempted away as the company makes it easier to switch.

The Boxed (UK) | Editorial Team

So, should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S5? We can be short about that: yes. It's a premium, fast, sleek and powerful phone with an excellent camera, superb screen, handy features, and a cleaned-up interface.

ITProPortal | Sandra Vogel

The two key irritations here are the poor speaker and fully plastic build, but if you can live with those downsides, this is an excellent handset.

LAPTOP | Mark Spoonauer

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is an excellent Android phone that combines a near-perfect display, powerful camera and unique fitness features in a water-resistant design.

The Inquirer | Carly Page

While the design still lacks the premium feel of other smartphones and Touchwiz does still feel a little overbearing in places, the Galaxy S5 makes up for this in other areas - be it with the vibrant HD 1080p display, 16MP camera or the additions of a fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor, which make the phone an obvious choice for the interested in fitness.

Mobile Choice | Alastair Charlton

Just as Porsche's 911 and Volkswagen's Golf get better with every generation, yet never stray from the decades-old original, the Galaxy S5 has been honed and refined.

Digital Spy | Hunter Skipworth

... the Galaxy S5 is everything you expected it to be, an outstanding Android phone held back just a tad by its below average design.

Trusted Reviews | Andrew Williams

The Samsung Galaxy S5 fits happily into the role of Galaxy S4 successor. It's a phone with some significant improvements over that model. It lacks the style of its nearest rivals, but it more than delivers on every other point and has a truly oustanding screen.

CNET UK | Jessica Dolcourt

The Galaxy S5 absolutely is a premium, fast phone that I would buy and use every day. Its improvements over the Galaxy S4 are small, but they add up to a smoother experience. The phone's high-quality camera won't let you down, there are plenty of features to keep you occupied, and the display is bright and beautiful. And even though it is plastic, the water-resistant seals are an extra perk if you often head to the pool, hot tub, or beach.

Wired UK | Dave Oliver

The Samsung Galaxy S5 isn't quite the leap ahead that the S4 was. It has an enhanced screen, processor and camera plus an improved OS, not to mention fripperies like the fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor. But these are all incremental changes that allow it to keep pace with the competition rather than firmly ahead of it.

What Mobile

The thing about Galaxy handsets is that their flaws are often matters of personal opinion. If you don't mind the samey design, plasticky build and irksome user interface, then the Galaxy S5 could be the best smartphone yet.

pocketnow | Michael Fisher

This new Galaxy S is a beautiful screen and excellent camera wrapped in a dust-proof, water-resistant casing packed with the best internals money can buy. That combination makes it pretty easy to overlook the phone's more philosophical flaws.

Australian PC World | Tony Ibrahim

The Galaxy S5 is quick at all things, running several applications without problem, and it does so in spite of its heavy TouchWiz overlay. Using this smartphone leaves you feeling drunk with raw computing power.

The Mobile Indian | Anil Satapathy

If you are not bothered by its plastic body and want a superfast smartphone, then the Samsung Galaxy S5 is an ideal choice.

Gadgets Now

...a very capable phone and even though it lacks a killer feature, every little thing in the device, every new feature – such as waterproof design – adds to the user experience in a positive way...

AndroidPit | Kris Carlon

There are plenty of better phones out there for the S5's asking price, but if you do take the plunge on the Galaxy S5 you will still be getting a solid phone, with specs which will remain good for another year or so.

TechSpot | Tim Schiesser

At the end of the day, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a fine flagship smartphone that meets most criteria. Many refinements to the formula are great, others not so much, but the overall package is one that users should generally like and enjoy to use, current S4 owners included.

Know Your Mobile | Paul Briden

Surprisingly good, actually. It may look like a bulldog chewing a wasp but it has a lot of practical features, some of which are to a very high standard; notably the display, camera, and battery. If you favour features and pragmatism over aesthetics this could be a winner.

Tom's Guide | Sherri L. Smith

Combining a beautiful display, unique features and long battery life in a water-resistant body, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a jack-of-all-trades smartphone.

Android Authority | Joshua Vergara

The good news is the Galaxy S5 is an honest phone, and if you are swayed by its charms now, you'll likely have a good time using it for a long time. For everyone else, I would still encourage you to give this phone a shot without completely writing it off, and you might just end up liking what you see.

BGR | Zach Epstein

There's a lot to like about Samsung's new Galaxy S5 and there's also plenty to dislike. Of one thing, however, there is little room for debate: The gorgeous Super AMOLED display on this new handset is absolutely the best thing about the Galaxy S5.

TechnoBuffalo | Todd Haselton

The Galaxy S5 isn't as impressive as a device as we were hoping to find from Samsung. Earlier Galaxy devices have wowed us, especially phones like the Galaxy Note 3, but the Galaxy S5 feels so much like an iteration. Sure, the hardware is much better - but the body reminds us way too much of last year's model, and it's still flimsy and cheap feeling. That chrome-colored plastic border will rub off in a matter of weeks, just like it always has.

Digital Versus | Florence Legrand

Samsung's latest gem is an admirable step up from its predecessor. It has everything one could want out of a high-end smartphone, although it doesn't particularly revolutionise the industry (the design is case in point).

AnandTech | Anand Lal Shimpi & Joshua Ho

Samsung got it almost perfect with the GS5.

International Business Times | David Gilbert

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is another solid smartphone from the South Korean company. It has a great camera, good screen and great battery life. It's look and feel may not be premium but it is certainly an improvement on the Galaxy S4.

The Gadget Show

Pick up an S5 and you know you're going to end up with the fastest phone on the planet (at least for a few months), with the most incredible display, and bang up to date software. For many, that'll be all they need to make the most of the truly customisable marvel that is Android.

What Hi-Fi?

The majority of people who buy the new Galaxy phone will be happy with what they buy, and rightly so. But for the more discerning buyer and for Android aficionados, the Samsung flagship phone might feel a touch underwhelming.

V3 | Alastair Stevenson

The Galaxy S5's top-end components and portfolio of security services make it one of the most enterprise-friendly Android smartphones ever made. However, needless customisations from Samsung will undoubtedly hamper its ability to upgrade to newer Android versions, a factor that could limit its long-term appeal.

PC Advisor | Chris Martin

Galaxy S4 users needn't upgrade and anyone looking for a flagship smartphone can get better elsewhere.

Engadget | Brad Molen

The S5 is a solid upgrade over last year's model, with improvements to the hardware, software and camera. However, certain headline features like the fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor are mediocre at best. Chances are, you'll be happy with the phone, but don't fork out the extra cash for an early upgrade.

NDTV Gadgets | Jamshed Avari

If you're determined to buy a top-end phone for the sake of having a top-end phone, you'll probably end up choosing the S5. If not, you could actually save quite a bit of money by stepping down a notch.

The Guardian | Samuel Gibbs

Overall, the Galaxy S5 is a solid Android smartphone - but isn't quite as complete a package between hardware and software as some of its competitors. Samsung fans will undoubtedly love it; others might want to look elsewhere.

MSN Tech | David Phelan

It feels good, it works at speed and it lasts longer between charges. Some will dislike the mottled back cover or the fingerprint scanner, but this is a highly effective, speedy phone with a lot to recommend it.

Coolsmartphone | James Pearce

Overall I grew to like the Galaxy S5, yes the overall quality isn't as good as some of the other flagships flying around at the moment. Yes the launcher and the home button do create quite a bit of lag opening up folders and returning to the home and yes it doesn't take the best shots in low light.

Brighthand | Jeff Dunn

The Samsung Galaxy S5 brings top-of-the-line performance and more functionality than any other phone out there. However, its cheap build and messy software keep it from attaining the highs of rival flagships.

SlashGear | Vincent Nguyen

After its predecessor's scattershot feature-set, the more focused approach of the S5 makes for a more confident feeling device. Unfortunately, not everything works as it should.

Eurogamer | Damien McFerran

Samsung really had to create something stunning in order to pull away from the pack, and while there are core refinements to the basic Galaxy concept, the S5 doesn't represent the assured leap many will have been hoping for.