Better Android Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S5 or Sony Xperia Z2?

Without a doubt, Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 are two of the most talked about Android smartphones this year 2014. Even more exciting is both of them are pulsing with quad-core processor. The blogosphere has been abuzzed with the two as both of these smartphones simultaneously flaunt their impeccable specs to show us who is better, and who deserves the limelight. But, which phone is really the one for you? Which phone would and should really win your heart? Let’s have an overview with their specs to know which phone excels in which areas, shall we?

At first glance…

Design and display always have the biggest impact. If it can’t catch your attention, then you’ll never know if it really is more than meets the eye. And so, at first glance, which one caught your eye now that both these phones are water and dust resistant? Starting with the Samsung Galaxy S5, its design somehow resembles to its predecessor Galaxy S4 together with Note 3. If you’ve been satisfied with the designs of the aforementioned phones, then perhaps you’ll get the hang of the S5’s design, iterative as it may seem minus the dimpled touch. Yes, it claims to be a waterproof phone, but only the bottom of the device is covered, in which the microSIM and microSD slots are hidden. Yet this removable panel makes it feel solid enough despite the heavy reliance on polycarbonate plastic. And it actually protects better against dust since it comes in IP67 rating compared to the IP58 of Z2.

Talk about the build and design of Sony Xperia Z2; glass and metal match up together, giving you that seamless block feeling. Now, you might think this gives it an edge against the S5, but wait till you get your hands on it. With a 5.78 x 2.89 x 0.32 dimension in inches, you’ll notice that this handset device is not that handy at all—rendering S5 more comfortable to hold than the Z2. Yet, the aesthetic appeal of Z2 beats that of S5; not to mention the premium, non-plastic feel it offers.

Which phone’s screen will get your eyes spoiled?

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is equipped with a 5.1inch screen, while Sony Xperia Z2 offers a 5.2-inch. Yet both have significantly different underlying technology. Samsung has 1080p Super AMOLED employed, while Sony Xperia Z2 has 1080p Live Colour LED tech. And for pixel density, they have 432ppi and 424ppi respectively. Yet despite the lower pixel density of S5, its screen still delivers brilliant brightness and vivid colours. And Sony doesn’t what to get left behind, so it focused more on punchy contrast and refinement of detail for great viewing angles even with off-axis viewing.

Which camera specs could capture your attention?

Samsung Galaxy S5 sports a 16MP shooter at the back, while Sony Xperia Z2 wants you to be impressed with its 20.7MP shooter.  S5 gives you a remarkable swift autofocus that helps to produce accurate colour and punchy contrast in good lighting. But the Z2 focused more at speed and producing stills with more detail. It even works better in low light conditions as it has more accurate exposure and punchier contrast. That being said, the score would likely be chalked up to that of Z2.

Which phone performs well?
The first specs mentioned are just the icing on the cake. But one of main selling points of these smartphone devices actually boils down to their performance. As mentioned earlier, both are equipped with quad-core processor. Only, Z2’s clocked at 2.3GHz, and S5’s at 2.5GHz. But as for the RAM, S5 is 1GB short compared to Z2’s 3GB RAM. Both exhibits blazingly fast performance, but still both have flaws. S5 occasionally stutters a bit while the Z2 gets warm quicker. As for the storage, Sony Xperia Z2 sports 16GB internal memory, while Samsung Galaxy S5 has either 16GB or 32GB. Both are also expandable to 128GB as they support microSD cards. So, which one is it?

And the Verdict is…

Both phones are inarguably impressive and have an edge over the other. Depending on what area, both phones excel as they are able to pull it off. Yet, this time Samsung gets the crown. Yes, Z2 may have all those ah-mazing specs, but a lot of people would actually find S5 easier to use because of its hand-friendlier design. But if you have bigger hands to hold Z2, then you might as well enjoy all the specs it offers. But don’t just dwindle your choices down to these two as there are still lots of choices out in the market.

Top tips for saving battery juice on the Samsung Galaxy S5

The newest flagship of Samsung smartphones was already out in the market a month ago. Well, as everyone expected, it’s bigger, better, and tougher – it’s the new Samsung Galaxy S5. And if you’re one of the privileged individuals who got the hottest Samsung Galaxy S5, congratulations! Of course, you can do almost anything you wanted – surf the internet at a lightning speed, take breathtaking photos, play HD videos and games, and even use it outdoor without worries for it is dust-proof and water-proof. But the bad news is that, just like any other Smartphones, it doesn’t come with a whopping battery to get you going as long as you want. Yes, it is powered by a decent 2,800mAH battery, but it's a powerful mobile monster too, that could use all the juices in just a matter of hours.

Fortunately, there are few things that you can do to extend your fun and bond with your precious Samsung Galaxy S5. Feel free to follow these tips and save the battery life of your Samsung Galaxy S5:

        Turn down the display brightness

A bright display will drain your battery quickly because its huge display pushes millions of pixels. Take time to manually adjust  the brightness of your screen instead of setting it in auto mode. Auto mode will automatically adjust your screen’s brightness according to your condition through its sensors. This means that your Samsung Galaxy S5 uses the sensors all the time, it will drain your battery juice rapidly. It may even leave your display at a level that is too bright for your environment. You may set your display brightness that is acceptable for your eyes.

         Turn off Wi-Fi and cellular function when not in use

If it is on, it is in constant search for Wi-Fi networks, its 3G function can also murder the battery life. If you have a bad connection too, get off it and you’ll save the juices for your battery.

          Limit your display timeout as short as possible

The moment you stop touching your phone’s screen, the timer will start, telling the phone when to turn off the display. The longer it stays on, especially if you’re not using it, the more battery juice it uses. Try setting it at 15 seconds and you’ll be surprised at how much it saves on your battery life.

          Use smartwatch for notifications

Of course, you will spend extra dollars, but a smartwatch can lengthen the life of your battery because you don’t have to peek at your phone’s display all the time.

         Get your phone in Ultra-power saving mode

This enables you to get the most out of your battery by limiting the apps that you can use like Phone, Messages and Internet with additional apps like Calculator, ChatOn, clock, Facebook, and Voice Recorder.

        Kill background apps that are not in use

Apps running in the background can steal your battery juice, so make sure that you kill them if you’re done with them. However, if there are apps stuck in the background, you can try rebooting your phone, this should kill all those ghosts in the machine.

Enjoy your new Samsung Galaxy S5 longer by saving your battery juice!

Samsung Galaxy S5 VS Apple iPhone 6: Smartphones battle it out

We love comparing. Finding out what is new, what is trending, what is the best, what makes it the best.  This generation wherein everything’s digital, we keep our hands only on the latest, the hottest, simply the best of the best smartphone. Now joining us in this round by round match are the two biggest brands of mobile devices. Samsung’s pride and current flagship the Galaxy S5 versus the rumoured (yet highly popular) Apple iPhone 6. Who beats out the other?

Round 1: At first glance

On the right corner, wearing sleeker curves and metal frames, weighing in just 145 g. The slimmer, the stronger, Samsung’s champion—the Galaxy S5. On the other side of the ring, wearing thinner bezels and chassis (perhaps the thinnest to date), lighter than its predecessor, it’s none other than Apple’s rumoured iPhone 6. Let’s go into details, both have astonishing processors with Galaxy S5’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and Android Kitkat OS and iPhone 6’s new A8 chip processor and Apple iOS8; however, Apple iPhone 6 stayed with 1 GB RAM wherein Samsung started producing smartphones with 2 GB RAM ages ago. The iPhone 6 is rumoured to be released with 128GB capacity while the Galaxy S5’s 32 GB internal memory comes in short, although you can boost it up with an external microSD (which is a bit of a bother though).

Round 2: Standout Features

More rumours on iPhone 6 include making it water resistant and equipping it with features for health and fitness, oh wait, don’t we already have that in Samsung Galaxy S5? At least Apple is focusing on a more secured digital payment via TouchID sensor, wait what? Galaxy S5 has that already? With rumour mills overflowing about Apple’s new iPhone, smartphone enthusiasts hope Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 with newer and more innovative features which (most importantly) does not require breaking a lot of money jars.

Round 3: Your necessities

A perfect smartphone must have the following: a high-quality display, a superb camera, and a long-lasting battery to juice up these wonderful features. Samsung Galaxy S5 has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution while Apple is devising a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 pixel resolution display (with a lot of chitchats on the side) made out of Sapphire and, wait for this, embedded solar panels to keep your battery at full level all day long. In terms of which has the better camera, Apple iPhone 6’s camera can go two extremes, one where it plays safe with an 8MP camera along its same old features or one where it goes “Lytro”. Who doesn’t want a smartphone with the greatest after-shot focus feature? Samsung Galaxy S5 has its own version called Selective Focus topped with a superfast 0.3 second capture and HDR Live option. Lastly, with all the amazing features and huge quality displays eating up all your battery, who stays up on the ring? The iPhone 6 may unveil groundbreaking technology by adding solar panels inside its Sapphire display but a lot of buzzes say it will stay between the1,700 mAh to 2,000 mAh range which is immensely low compared to Samsung Galaxy S5’s 2,800 mAh battery.

In this never-ending battle of which is the best smartphone, Samsung and Apple are indeed the ultimate rivals. After three rounds of spec to spec, feature-blowing match, which one won your vote?