The Samsung Galaxy S5 for Serious Mobile Fans

I am an iPhone user.  Have been since 2009.  If you would have told me that there was a phone that I would like more, I wouldn't have believed you.  Walmart hooked me up for a few weeks with the Samsung Galaxy S5, however, and I am considering changing my phone.  This is not a joke.

First of all, two weeks with this phone is like just having a weekend with the love of your life.  It's not nearly enough time to develop a deep relationship, but you can't stop saying things like "I can't believe it!" "Wow!" and "You've gotta be kidding me!"  In other words, you will feel like everything about the phone is amazing.


This phone is fast.  Lightning speed over wi-fi was expected, but it also had some amazing load times when on the network.  I used Verizon for my test, so your mileage may vary.  The screen was large.  In fact, I remember seeing this phone in my local Walmart and doing impressions of a person saying "Look at me with my BIG phone!"  I thought I would feel ridiculous using it, but you get used to it.  And, I replaced my tablet use almost 100% with this phone.  The touch-screen sensitivity was perfect, and I loved the bold 5.1" display.  I just preferred to do everything on it.

Now, on to the apps.  This is an Android phone, something I had some familiarity with.  So many of the features just effortlessly merged with the things I do daily, including all the Google apps (I use Gmail and Drive a lot for our business).


There was also seamless integration with my Kindle books, apps and game, as well as my Amazon library.  All of my banking and project management mobile versions loaded nicely on it, too.  To put it simply, this phone could be renamed "Plays Well with Others."  Nothing glitchy when trying out both newer version of apps and older ones.

Those of you with a concern about data usage will love the settings feature that lets you see just how much data you are using.  If you want to slow your usage so you don't go over, just check out which apps and programs are sucking up the most data; you can easily choose to only use those tools over wi-fi or not at all.


One thing that all the bloggers, moms, and mom bloggers will really adore is the camera.  This has an amazing variety of filters, editing tools, and ways to share -- plus it takes photos with 16 MP resolution!  After you take a photo, you can make it look just as you like, then send it off to your social media channels or your Picasa accounts (like I do).  Since I use Blogger, I can use Picasa to easily embed photos into my blog posts!

Here are a couple of photos taken outside with the camera:



If you travel, you might sometimes feel a little uneasy in a strange place (or out at night.)  I can remember more than a few times I have navigated tricky parts of a new town, gripping my phone very tightly in case I need it!  The security settings on the phone allow you to set up an emergency contact that you can reach if you find yourself in harm's way.  Just three short pushes of the power button will alert the person that you are in trouble, and the phone will continue to record sound, take photos, and maintain GPS coordinates to locate you.

Finally, (and I could go on and on), there is the ability to pair the phone with the Gear Fit (sold separately).  If you've seen the commercials, this is something like Inspector Gadget would wear.  It is a bracelet type wristband that connects via Bluetooth to let you field calls and sync info from your phone (which is handy if you're not into carrying around the "big phone" at all times.)


Clever in theory, it does do what it says.  I just had a little bit of an issue fitting this into my life.  For practicality purposes, I'm always doing dishes, washing toddler's hair in the tub, digging in the yard, or some other task that puts the device at risk of getting broken or wet.  (For the record, the phone is fairly damage and water resistant.)  I find the Gear Fit to be a little bulky, too.  As far as tracking my activity, I prefer my FitBit One, as it's small and fits into my undershirt without fear of losing or damaging it.  Someone a bit more urban might appreciate it; I could also see using it on business trips.  (I also really do like the heart rate monitor.)

So, this is a serious phone for those who need a fast, intuitive, and compatible solution for all of their tech needs.  There is little you couldn't do with the Samsung Galazy S5.  In a pinch, you could run your business or blog with it; short of word processing, it can do it all.  (If you work via the cloud often, it's pretty much all you need.)  That being said, it's also a PHONE.  Call quality is great, if you are at all curious....

You can learn more about this serious gadget at Walmart.com's Samsung page!  Right now, they are offering it for $168 with a 2-year agreement.


As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I've received samples and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Affiliate links may have been used.

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