A Few Questions Before I Buy

[hockey9592]

Sorry for throwing all these questions into one thread but here we go:

Info: I live in the US and have Verizon. I am due for an upgrade at the end of August. I currently have a Droid Razr Maxx. I also have a Samsung un55h6350 smart TV. Below are my questions:

1. Based on my carrier and location, is this still the best performing "flagship" phone?
2. Has the fingerprint scanner gotten any better with updates?
3. The Samsung Smart TV I have is not compatible with the Samsung keypad/keyboard fancy remote that I thought it was going to come with (apparently only models 640 have this). I saw there is a "Smart View" app. If I get the S5, can this act as a keypad AND keyboard when pairing it with my TV?

The above, and the fact that this phone is so much bigger than my current phone, is what still has me hesitant to buy a S5.

 

[tutor]

The fingerprint app works pretty good after you figure it out, when I used a plastic screen protector it didn't work well at all, that and getting the proper set of fingerprint scans setup properly.
I also use Verizon and had a Maxx Hd. My phone died on me just a month or two out of warranty so got the S5, battery life is not nearly as good as the Maxx, but it's livable.
About the tv now... I have a Vizio at home, Sony blue ray, and direct tv dish, Samsung has an app called watchOn that acts like a remote, it'll give you a guide, and even operate more than one tv or system. I travel sometimes for work, currently the hotel I'm in has a Samsung tv and different provider and it's a breeze to set up and use on this different system than my home.

Posted via Android Central App via a Samsung S5

 

[jonebk12]

I'm on Verizon and actually came from a RAZR maxx to an S5 when the latter launched in April. Generally, it's a huge upgrade by every metric. Absolutely amazing display, much faster than my RAZR, superb camera, and great battery life (probably even better than the RAZR when it was brand new). I guess you're other "flagship" options on Verizon right now would be the M8 and the G3. I don't have any personal experience with those, and I'm sure they're great phones but I can tell you that I'm very happy with my S5.

Specifically, the fingerprint scanner actually worked really well while I used it. I don't use any security now, but that's not due to any problems with the fingerprint scanner. Unfortunately I can't tell you anything about the tv.

 

[hockey9592]

Thanks for the responses. Do either of you feel the phone is too big compared to your previous phones? That is a fear I have as I like to keep my phone (and keys sometimes) in my right pocket when I'm not using it. Do either of you have a case too?

Glad to hear the finger print scanner is usable. And it sounds like the battery life is good enough to last a whole day? I always charge before bed.

And lastly on the TV app, for devices that have on screen keyboards, can you pair it with your phone to type the text from the phone?

 

[theonlybuster]

Thanks for the responses. Do either of you feel the phone is too big compared to your previous phones? That is a fear I have as I like to keep my phone (and keys sometimes) in my right pocket when I'm not using it. Do either of you have a case too?

Glad to hear the finger print scanner is usable. And it sounds like the battery life is good enough to last a whole day? I always charge before bed.

Not sure about your last question, but I'll comment on the first couple.

I came to the S5 after have the Moto Photon Q for a couple of years. The S5 is a bit larger, but it's not too big to fit in a pocket. I currently have the Tough Armor case on my phone and still no issues in my pocket, even the one day I wore pants that were a size too small. It fit in my pocket just like my Photon Q did. Now I keep my keys and phone in separate pockets, so I can't directly comment on that, but I will say I have been able to fit a S5 and my girlfriend's S4 in the same pocket with little issue.
While I'm on cases, I will say some cases are annoyingly fat and other's a low profile. The Spigen ToughArmor was the lowest profile case that was still protective enough to make me happy that I could find. There may be others thinner, but this is where I stopped after messing with a handful of other cases.

Battery Life....
I'm not a power hungry user (except on weekends). Generally I have my phone in the standard Power Saving mode with my brightness fairly low most of the time, until I need the extra umph.

During the weekend, I get a full day of battery and then some with normal use. That's typically with the data on, Bluetooth on for a few hours streaming music while I drive, brightness to about 35-40%, and taking a few calls and texts throughout the day.

During the week, my phone is typically on wifi (little to no data) with wifi calling enabled, and screen brightness pretty low. With the assistance of Lama (or similar program), I've gotten about 2 days between charges. I can get 3 days when I enable Ultra Power Saving mode at night while I'm asleep. So really battery life depends on how power hungry you are.
Typically on a semi-power hungry day with games, calls, texts, GPS, and bluetooth, I'll get at least 1 full day. But of course everyone's use will vary.


I forced myself to use the Fingerprint scanner for a week, I'm currently on week 2, it's better than most. It's not flawless, but far less finicky and problematic than I've seen and dealt with in the past.

 

[ABOSWORTH007]

I don't know if you could call it the best phone as that's subjective. The Galaxy S5 and LG G3 are comparable in many ways. The G3 might be a little bit better from what I've read but it is bigger than the S5 so that might be a concern for you. I think the S5 is the perfect size as was the S4. Right around 5 inches is the perfect screen size for me. The one handed mode is quite useful and works really well by shrinking the screen for use with one hand.

I'm not sure about use with the smart TV. I would search the playstore for an app that might accomplish this. I will say that the remote app that comes with the phone is awesome for controlling your regular TV set and box. I have 3 different TVs with different Direct TV boxes set up and it works flawlessly. The S4 had WatchOn (which I actually like a little bit better) and this one is called Smart Remote but is pretty much identical. I find this to be one of the most useful functions on the phone. I might download WatchON and replace the Smart Remote app.

The fingerprint scanner does work well but you have to set it up right. It tells you to swipe straight down with your thumb but that makes it really awkward to unlock with one hand. When setting the finger print scanner up, I held the phone like I normally would when unlocking and swiped my thumb sideways so it was comfortable to use how I normally hold my phone. Also, rather than setting up three different fingers, I set my right thumb up 3 times and used slightly different swipe angles for each one. This is optional of course but I don't have any problems with the scanner now. One thing I will say about it is that there isn't enough things you can do with it yet. Basically, all you can do is unlock your device or pay via paypal. I'd really like to see them integrate it with the playstore so that I can use it to verify app purchases. That would be the most useful feature for me. It will be cool when I want to pay via paypal but I don't use it for unlocking my device. I just have swipe to unlock on my phone.

 

[jonebk12]

The size was my only initial concern before I got the phone. It is noticeably larger than the RAZR maxx, but I quickly got used to it. I keep phones in my pants pockets, no worries there. As far as cases go, I'm using a Spigen ultra fit. It's inexpensive, extremely low profile, and looks good (I think). I HATE big bulky cases. The Spigen provides plenty of protection for me; I'm not particularly klutzy or abusive with phones.

 

[tutor]

I also use a Spigen Tough Armor and like it a lot, that and a glass screen protector (Lovitt) brand.

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