UPDATED 14:09 EDT / JANUARY 09 2014

3 dream features for Galaxy S5

Samsung EVP for mobile business Lee Young Hee confirmed that the Galaxy S5 will be arriving during the first quarter of 2014, probably in April.

Lee mentioned that the company is looking into iris scanning, but is not sure whether the feature will be introduced in the Galaxy S5.  Aside from this, there have been concept designs for the S5 that surfaced before 2013 came to a close, including a very sleek version from GalaxyS5Info.

But as consumers, there are some things we want that manufacturers like Samsung and Apple pretty much ignore.  Sure, the companies deliver new features with every model, but not everyone actually uses the added or enhanced capabilities, creating a disconnect between device makers and end users.  Take for example Samsung’s Smart gestures. You may feel like a Jedi, but often times these gesture controls just get in the way.  These smart features aim to make our lives easier, but often they can be hindrances to simplicity.

Lee stated that the company will be going back to the roots of smartphones on the Galaxy S5 so we might be seeing less buzz-seeking features on the device and more upgrades to its display and physical build out.  As rumors of what the Galaxy S5 will have (and not have) continues to surface, we here at SiliconANGLE have come up with a list of our own regarding what consumers would like to actually have on the device.

3 dream features for Galaxy S5

 

Ditch the plastic

Galaxy devices look great even with polycarbonate covers, but a primo metal case would be more durable.  Having a Galaxy with a metal body could make Samsung that much more competitive with Apple, which has already sunken to its rival’s level with polycarbonate covers for the iPhone 5c.

Durability is really the focus here, so if Samsung doesn’t want to trade its plastic covers for metal, perhaps a gimmick like LG’s self-healing cover for the G Flex with the self-healing back cover?  Or a smartphone body that absorbs shock and prevents the device from getting damaged?  That could be even cooler than a metal body that does nothing for when your devices falls three flights of stairs.

.

Round ports

Don’t you miss the days when you don’t have to worry about correctly plugging your charger to your device? When Apple unveiled its Lightning connector, fanboys went gaga, no longer having to worry which side goes up.  But remember when ends were round and you can plug your device without looking at it?  Yes USB and microUSB chargers offer faster charging time, but with all the innovations in technology, couldn’t manufacturers come up with a faster charger that won’t give users headaches trying to figure out the proper way to plug them in?  Just a thought.

.

Better biometric scanning

Have you tried Apple’s Touch ID?  It doesn’t always work, so you have to try it a few times by repositioning your finger or just resorting back to entering your passcode.  Remember the Face Unlock on the Galaxy Nexus?  That was pretty embarrassing when the feature did not work during the live demo.

Consumers want a security feature that is secure and actually works, not most of the time, but all the time.  If the Galaxy S5 does have an iris scanner, Samsung better make it good, requiring just one scan and ensuring unauthorized snoopers can’t access the device.

What do you think?  Will these little changes help Samsung sell more devices?  Or will this cause more people to choose iPhones over Galaxies?

photo credit: opopododo via photopin cc

A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:

Your vote of support is important to us and it helps us keep the content FREE.

One click below supports our mission to provide free, deep, and relevant content.  

Join our community on YouTube

Join the community that includes more than 15,000 #CubeAlumni experts, including Amazon.com CEO Andy Jassy, Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, and many more luminaries and experts.

“TheCUBE is an important partner to the industry. You guys really are a part of our events and we really appreciate you coming and I know people appreciate the content you create as well” – Andy Jassy

THANK YOU