The back arrow in the top left (tap to move to previous screen, hold to return to the main menu) and menu button in the bottom right (tap to launch sub-menus that contain options) rotate when the S5's speakers are slid out and the screen orientation is automatically changed. The up and down arrows correspond to volume controls and are also used to move through menu items, tapping the left or right arrows goes to the previous/next item (holding them down rewinds and fast-forwards), and the circle in the center is the OK and play/pause button. Though they provide no tactile feedback, the touch buttons are straightforward and simple to use. These buttons disappear after about eight seconds of non-activity a quick tap is required to light them back up to interact with the system. The same touch-based controls that Samsung called the 'light emitting touch pad' on the K3 have been slightly revamped and renamed 'touch buttons' for the S5. The user interface can be customized with one of three fonts, all of which are easy to read and relatively crisp. Viewing angles are unimpressive, but users are only likely to view a screen of this size from the front, anyway.Ī 1.8-inch display isn't designed for extensive viewing of movies or photos, but it's adequate for navigation, screen savers (three of five shown above), and music playback visualizations. DisplayĪpproximately half of the S5's glossy face is taken up by a 1.8-inch TFT display with QCIF+ resolution (176 x 220).ĭespite the screen's size and resolution, color accuracy and saturation are good and a decent amount of details are discernible. In short, then, 'thin and small' are words not used to describe the S5. It is significantly taller than a lot of other flash DAPs, but others (including the Samsung P2) are dangerously closer to crossing into the 'height space' typically held by HDD-based devices. The player may be thicker than its rivals and siblings, but it's not the longest player around. Shown above is the S5 beneath (and to the left of) the Toshiba gigabeat T400, Sony A810 Walkman, Creative ZEN, iriver clix 2, and Apple iPod nano (3G). SizeĪt 0.59 inches thick, the Samsung S5 is chubbier than most (if not all) of its flash-based DAP competitors. The design is arresting and one that is sure to generate stares and questions from friends, co-workers, and even strangers. The sliding action and resulting angled posture are the true attention grabbers. The S5 is really meant to be shown off with its speakers exposed. Given that the built-in speaker is what sets the unit apart from the crowd, what it looks when closed is somewhat of a non-issue.

The tapered edges and almost trapezoidal profile keep the S5 from looking too brick- or block-like.

Those who believe the 'thin is in' message that other companies are pushing may not be pleased with the S5's thickness, but I find that it actually makes the device more comfortable to hold. When the speakers are hidden, the player is much chunkier than what most consumers expect to see on the shelves these days.

The S5 is the thinner nearly-identical twin of the K5, so the slide-out speaker that makes up about half of the player's matte casing is still the stand-out feature of its refined design. See my Samsung S5 unboxing for photos of the player's packaging and included accessories. Text viewer, games, world clock Display: 1.8' QCIF+ TFT (176 x 220) Dimensions: 1.83' x 3.78' x 0.59' Weight: 3 ounces Colors: Slide-out speaker, audio-in, Bluetooth, photo viewer,įM radio, FM and voice recorder, datacasts, alarm, Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ Review: 43 Days Later System Specifications Capacities:

Samsung s5 alarm clock sounds