Galaxy S5 launch date for SA
Vodacom will launch the Samsung Galaxy S5 in South Africa on 11 April 2014, a spokesperson said in response to questions about the operator’s plans for the device.
Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy S5 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain last night (24 February 2014), debunking many of the rumours that were doing the rounds ahead of the announcement.
In addition to the typical hardware that comes in a high-end smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S5 will also have a fingerprint reader and heart rate monitor.
The device also boasts an IP67 rating, which means it is dust tight and water resistant up to 1 metre for 30 minutes.
Samsung also announced improved camera hardware and software for the S5, which it said will offer the world’s fastest autofocus speed at 0.3 seconds.
Blue Samsung Galaxy S5 showing camera lens, flash, and heart rate monitor
The Galaxy S5’s camera will also include a new Selective Focus feature that lets users focus on a specific area of an object while simultaneously blurring out the background.
According to Samsung, this means that users will no longer need a special lens kit to create a shallow depth of field effect.
Another software enhancement Samsung announced was the “Ultra Power Saving Mode” which turns the display black and white and shuts down all unnecessary features to minimise the battery consumption.
In its announcement on Monday, Samsung said that this new power saving mode lets the Galaxy S5 last 24 hours on standby even if it’s down to 10% battery.
| Specifications | Samsung Galaxy S5 |
| Dimensions | 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1mm |
| Weight | 145g |
| Operating system | Android 4.4.2 |
| Display | 5.1″ 1080p (1080×1920) |
| Rear camera | 16MP |
| Front camera | 2.1MP |
| Storage, internal | 16/32GB |
| Storage, expandable | microSD |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Processor | 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 |
| Graphics | Adreno 330 |
| Battery | 2,800mAh |
| Cellular data | LTE, HSPA+ |
Availability
Samsung went on to announce that the Galaxy S5 would launch in 150 markets around the world on 11 April 2014.
Cell C, MTN, and Vodacom have all confirmed that they plan to offer the Samsung Galaxy S5 on their networks when it launches in South Africa.
Vodacom has now also confirmed that it will be a launch network for the device on 11 April 2014, while MTN previously said that it expects to launch the Samsung Galaxy S5 by mid-2014.
Cell C said its plans to launch the Galaxy S5 are subject to testing, and that pricing and availability will be announced closer to the launch date.
Telkom Mobile did not respond by the time of publication.
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