Samsung Galaxy S5 Unveiled at MWC

After all the rumors and hype, the Samsung Galaxy S5 has been revealed at the Mobile World Congress. The S5 is more like an iteration on the Galaxy S line than the fresh, whiz-bang package we’d all come to hope for and even expect.

As expected, the  Samsung Galaxy S5 has a fingerprint scanner, a heart rate sensor, runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and a host of other mouthwatering specs.

Samsung Galaxy S5 has its own fingerprint scanner for unlocking the device and for mobile payments. The scanner integrates into the home button, works by swiping your finger down over the home button. In addition to the phone unlock option, it also lets you fingerprint-protect a private data locker on your phone, in case you have confidential information you don’t want getting out there.

Samsung also announced a partnership with PayPal which allows you to make online payments using the fingerprint method.

The other major new hardware feature is the heart rate sensor, which is built into the same rear module as the LED flash. It works in conjunction with S-Health 3.0, which acts as a personal life coach. To monitor your pulse, hold your finger up to the sensor and leave it there while the phone does the rest of the work. As you continue to do this more often, S-Health remembers your history . It also acts as a pedometer and food monitor

The new Galaxy retains the same 1080p Super AMOLED screen as the S4; it’s just slightly larger, at 5.1 inches. It has rounded edges, the same steep sides with shiny and ridged silvery trim, and a slightly more rounded central home button shape to the S4’s more rectangular outline. the GS5 comes with a swappable leather back cover with tiny dimples all over. The microSD slot has been redesigned and now has a cover.

The back of the phone features the heart rate monitor which is integrated into the camera’s LED flash. The Galaxy S5 dimension measures 142mm by 72.5mm by 8.1mm — or 5.59 inches tall by 2.85 inches wide by 0.32-inch deep– and weighs 145 grams.

Samsung Galaxy S5 is high on specs sheet. There’s the 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset for a start, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera (up from 13-megapixels), and a 2-megapixel sensor on the front. there is also a 2,800mAh battery that delivers extra power and promises 21 hours of talk time and over 16 days of standby time on a single charge.

There are 16GB and 32GB storage options, expandable with an SD card up to 128GB extra. Other incidentals include 2GB RAM, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB 3, Bluetooth 4.0 low-energy, and support for the fifth-generation Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard for faster Wi-Fi delivery