Samsung Galaxy S5 - Features And Things You should Know

Samsung Galaxy S5 – Features And Things You should Know

1. One-handed operation

The Samsung Galaxy S 5 is a big device and Samsung knows this. Fortunately there’s a one-handed mode. A quick swipe from the side of the display to the centre and back will shrink the on-screen display making it easier to reach all points with one thumb.

Even better, if you do it from the left, it moves to the left, if you do it from the right, it goes right. It’s a feature lifted from the Galaxy Note and you’ll find it in settings, sound and display, one-handed operation.

2. Toolbox

The Toolbox is a clever floating shortcut app menu you can enable on the SGS5. It’s hiding in settings, sound and display, under Toolbox.

All you have to do is add your favourite apps – up to five – and you’ll get a small floating button that’s always on display. It means you can be reading a message and dive straight to the browser, or any other app you want.

3. You can finger it sideways

There’s a fingerprint scanner on the SGS5 embedded into the home button. The phone shows demos of a straight swipe to unlock, but that’s impossible to do when you’re gripping the phone in one hand.

Fortunately, you can register your fingerprint sideways. Just set-up the scanner to register your finger or thumb gripping the device as you normally would and it should all work fine.

4. Apps tray folders

To keep your apps tray tidy, you can create folders in the apps tray. This will save scrolling, letting you group together things like productivity apps or games.

To create a folder you have to open the apps tray and hit the menu button top right and opt to create folder. You can then open this folder and add the apps you want into it.

5. Live HDR mode

The camera has a “live” HDR (high dynamic range) mode. It’s just like normal HDR modes, but it shows you the results before you press the capture button.

This means that it will balance out the scene in front of you, lifting foreground shadows and adding contrast to skies, for example, and you’ll see the difference as soon as you engage HDR in the camera.

6. Display your steps on the lock screen

Samsung is making a play for fitness in the Samsung Galaxy S5 with its new S Health 3.0 app. There’s a pedometer onboard to count your steps, but a great feature is that it will show your steps on the lock screen.

This means you’ll get at-a-glance step information every time you look at your phone.

7. Two finger swipe for quick settings

There are some hardware shortcuts in the notifications bar, but if you want to get to a fuller list of feature toggles, use a two-finger swipe down to access a huge list.

This is actually a standard Android feature, but Samsung as taken it to the max so you can quickly toggle on and off the features you want.

8. Multi windows means multitasking

There’s a multi window feature on the SGS5 that apes that found on the Galaxy Note devices. You can select the apps you want to open and pick how much space each gets.

Even better, it remembers your options. With multi window turned on, you can have it open a link in Twitter in the Chrome browser and split the screen. Instagram links no longer feel like a pain, as you can keep scanning Twitter while it loads on the bottom half of the display.

9. Where’s the bloatware?

Samsung has left a lot of the bloat out of the Galaxy S5. Unlike previous devices, Samsung hasn’t piled it all in to the SGS5 from the get go. However, there’s a shortcut to the Galaxy Essentials selection in the apps tray menu.

Hit this shortcut and you’ll be taken to the Samsung Apps store where you’ll be able to download lots of additional Samsung apps to get you connected, like WatchOn, Samsung Wallet or S Note.

10. Navigation has changed

There’s been a change to the buttons configuration on the bottom of the SGS5. There’s the central home button as always, but it’s now flanked by a recent apps button and a back button.

The menu button is gone. Instead, you’ll have to use the in-app menu button instead, which is a change from the SGS4 and previous devices. We prefer it: it’s as Android intended, bringing more consistency to the app experience across devices.

11. Galaxy S5 Privacy Mode -

You can hide certain documents or pictures that only become accessible with a certain unlock pattern. To hide such documents, just go-to settings, select which file(s) you want protected, and then enter a special unlock pattern or pin code. When you or anyone else unlock your phone, the person won’t have access to the file(s) thereby the person won’t be able to see those files unless that special unlock pattern or pin code has been entered correctly.

12. Increased Touch Sensitivity, a Pencil would even write on it -

The Galaxy S5′s screen is so sensitive to touch that you can use an actual pencil to write on it. Although, no one would want to scratch their screen and simultaneously stain it with lead, but other pencil-like items would of course be useful especially when using Apps like S-Memo on the Galaxy S5. All you need to do is dig into the menu settings and increase the device’s touch sensitivity.

13. Galaxy S5 Kids Mode -

Ever since my little Brother dropped my Galaxy S3 on the floor and got its screen damaged, I’ve stopped giving any of my valuable gadgets to kids but who knows if you’re a Mr nice guy who loves giving Kids everything to play with, then your little ones will definitely enjoy your Galaxy S5. All you just have to do is download the Kids mode app and when you do, you can turn your Galaxy S5 into a more child-friendly, cute multimedia device for your little ones. It features a simplified, cute design that is easier for children to navigate, special applications that you can download only for kids, app permissions that you set and you can even set a time limit for how long they can use the phone.

14. Virtual Tour Mode, Shot & More –

The Galaxy S5′s camera now allows you to create .gif like images that help you to create a “virtual tour”. You take multiple photos of different areas to combine a type of “tour” to show your friends and family. Pretty cool panoramic stuff. Shot and more just allows you to edit your pictures and add effects immediately after you take them. Although, there are so many Photo App that lets you do this but its still nice to have these features directly on the Galaxy S5 own camera.

15. Tilt to make a playlist -

Yes! You heard me right, if you’re listening to a certain type of song and then tilt your Galaxy S5 horizontally, it will automatically look for songs that are stored in your phone that are similar to the one you’re listening to. This makes setting the perfect music for the perfect mood an easier endeavor.

16. Access Camera directly on the LockScreen

You can start using the Galaxy S5 camera right from the lock screen by swiping the camera icon to the side. Doing this will take you straight into camera mode, saving you a bit of time to capture that perfect moment before it eludes you. This particular feature is available on some other Smartphones too and it is also on the S5.

17. Check Callers Info while talking on the Phone

You can check the information of a caller while you’re already talking with them on the phone. So any communication you’ve had with them, their email address, or whatever info you have saved on your phone can be displayed at any time without being forced to hang up.

18. Priority Sender

You can set your priority contacts with “Priority Senders”. Those you message most in your messaging app can be set to the top, so that you’ll have faster and easier access to the ones you reach out to most.

19. Galaxy S5 Call Notification Pop-ups

The “Call Notification Pop-ups” feature on the Galaxy S5 is not really a big deal as far as am concerned, just that it lets you receive an in-call pop up while you’re using another application, without having to exit the app.

Samsung Galaxy S5 - Features And Things You should Know