7 Early Tips for Samsung Galaxy S5 Buyers

7 Early Tips for Samsung Galaxy S5 Buyers is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

We aren’t sure how many people are thinking about buying the rumored Samsung Galaxy S5 but we’re sure there are a lot of people that fall into that category. As we march closer to an expected Galaxy S5 release date, we want to offer up some early tips for those who might be committed to the device already or are truly on the fence, wrestling with a decision.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything yet but it has become very clear that the company is hard at work, preparing a successor to the Samsung Galaxy S4. The device, currently dubbed Galaxy S5, has seen an absurd number of rumors emerge over the past few months, some of which have started to firm up inside the new year. Galaxy S5 rumors point to a powerful device and one that should compete with the likes of the iPhone 5s, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the HTC One, and HTC’s rumored HTC One successor, the HTC M8.

Rumors point to both a plastic and metal design for the Galaxy S5, the metal design being a change from Samsung’s previous Galaxy S models. It’s also rumored to have a 5.2-inch QHD display and or a 1080p display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor or a Exynos 6 processor, a 16MP camera that could include ISOCELL technology, Android 4.4 KitKat, and a number of wide sweeping software changes that should ensure that the Galaxy S5 is vastly different from its Galaxy counterparts. At least until Samsung upgrades the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 with some of the new features.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 rumors also suggest a possible launch in February or March with a release at some point in April, possibly around the same time that the Galaxy S4 was released. Nothing is set in stone but it’s quite clear that things are progressing and those who have waited for the Galaxy S5 or are simply in the market for a high-end smartphone, will see a launch very soon.

With that in mind, we want to offer some tips for those who might be caught in the Galaxy S5 rumor maelstrom, are looking to buy a smartphone for the first time, or simply need some tips in order to improve their plans. Here, we offer up seven of our own Samsung Galaxy S5 buyers tips, derived from years of preparing and buying smartphones.

Prepare for an April Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Date

Rumors are swirling, Galaxy S5 launch date rumors have backtracked, and Samsung still hasn’t sent out any invitations for its launch event. Suffice to say, prospective Galaxy S5 buyers are probably confused and looking for answers. Well, we don’t know exactly when Samsung is going to announce the Galaxy S5 but we imagine that it will be in February or March. Every single rumor, leak and report can’t be wrong. There has to be some truth to it all.

A recent report from Bloomberg suggested a release by the end of April and the report backed up just about every Galaxy S5 release date rumor that has emerged thus far. So, at this point, it’s probably time to circle the month of April on the calendar and prepare for the Galaxy S5′s arrival sometime during that month. Samsung will more than likely send out invites to an event weeks in advance and when it does, consumers will have their official answer. For now though, start preparing for a Galaxy S5 release in April and stop thinking about the “what ifs” and alternatives. April is likely.

Research Other Devices

Now is the perfect time to start researching alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy S5. There are going to be a ton of options on the table once the Galaxy S5 arrives and the more prepared that you are, the easier the decision is going to be. We suggest taking a look at the current crop of smartphones first and narrowing down your options from there. Devices like the HTC One and Galaxy S4 may be old, but they’re still potent and most importantly, they’re affordable. They will likely be much cheaper than the Galaxy S5 once it arrives on shelves.

Consumers will also want to look into devices like the iPhone 5s, Galaxy Note 3 and Moto X, three of the strongest smartphones out on the market. The Galaxy Note 3 and iPhone 5s are both going to be on shelves once the Galaxy S5 arrives as they are relatively new. Prospective Galaxy S5 buyers would be wise to take a look at both of them in the build up to the Galaxy S5′s launch. It won’t hurt.

From there, we suggest taking a look at some of the rumored smartphones of 2014. The HTC M8 and iPhone 6 both come to mind as they will pose a threat to the Galaxy S5. The HTC M8 is rumored for next month while the iPhone 6, or at least one version of it, could arrive sometime this summer. It’s important to take note of these devices before diving into the Galaxy S5.

Look Into Carrier Options

In addition to doing your homework when it comes to Galaxy S5 competitors, we suggest exploring potential Galaxy S5 carriers as soon as possible. The Galaxy S5 hasn’t been confirmed for any U.S. carriers at this point but there is no reason to believe that it will land beyond the Galaxy S’ usual crop of carriers. That means AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon, and a host of smaller regional and pre-paid carriers.

Each carrier has its pros and cons. Verizon for instance has the largest network in the land but it also tends to be last in line when it comes to software updates. T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network is small but it also has a speedy HSPA+ 42 network backing it up, something that other carriers do not have. Data plans vary, costs differ, and it will be important to know what you’re getting into once the Galaxy S5 is announced for these carriers. And it will be.

Research how much data you use and which carriers offer the best 4G LTE coverage in your area right now and deciding on a new carrier will prove to be a much easier task come release day.

Don’t Hype Yourself Up

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is going to be a good phone, there is no doubt about that. However, it’s probably not going to be perfect and those who are expecting a perfect smartphone from Samsung need to start tempering their expectations right now. A lot of the people that were disappointed by the Galaxy S4 last year were the people that bought into the insane hype and got themselves worked up to the point that there was no way that the Galaxy S4 would meet expectations.

Rumors are going to emerge all the way up to the Galaxy S5 announcement and you will want to keep a level head or else you’re going to be setting yourself up for disappointment. Those that don’t let that happen will find that their smartphone shopping experience will be a much more manageable one and far more pleasant.

Stay Up to Date

That said, we encourage prospective Galaxy S5 buyers to stay up on the latest Galaxy S5 rumors. While there will be features and dates that don’t pan out, rumors do do a good job of narrowing things down. In the next few weeks, we expect to have most of the Galaxy S5 figured out thanks to rumors and those who have been paying attention will certainly be a leg up on those who join the game late.

Rumors should always be taken with a grain of salt but we expect Samsung Galaxy S5 rumors, now that we’re this late in the game, to continue to peck away at Samsung’s new flagship, revealing just about everything buyers need to know about the Next Big Thing.

Keep those expectations tempered but take in a healthy dose of speculation. It’s part of the fun.

Start Saving Money Now

This may sound like a no-brainer but it’s important to keep in mind. The Samsung Galaxy S5, more likely than not, will come with a price tag that is in and around $199.99 on-contract, $650 off-contract. We haven’t seen any confirmations just yet but given the pricing of the iPhone 5s, we expect Samsung and its carrier partners to offer competitive pricing. The only rumor that we have seen is from SamMobile who suggests that the metal Galaxy S5 will be around 800 Euros and the plastic model will be 600 Euros. That’s extremely expensive, if true.

Point is, the Galaxy S5 isn’t going to be cheap. It’s a flagship smartphone and it will command a flagship price tag. Those who are thinking about buying it should think about setting some money aside for the purchase. Perhaps it’s $5 each day up until the Galaxy S5 launch, or something of that nature. We’ve done this in the past and it has helped soften the blow of buying an expensive piece of technology.

Evaluate Storage Needs

It’s not clear just how the Samsung Galaxy S5 lineup is going to look. Last year’s Galaxy S4 came in 16GB form only to Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular though the device did come armed with a microSD card slot that can store up to 64GB. As we’ve pointed out, the microSD card storage is limited to certain files, making the on board storage that much more crucial. 32GB versions of the Galaxy S4 came to AT&T and Verizon and those two carriers only. Whether the Galaxy S5 follows that or not is unclear.

What’s important is that prospective buyers start evaluating their needs right now. Are you the type of person that takes a lot of photos or shoots a lot of video? Then you’re probably going to need to go with one of the largest Galaxy S5 storage options or if there is only one option, think about investing in a cloud service. Average users that don’t game or shoot a ton of content might think about getting the smallest Galaxy S5 storage option available.

This may seem ridiculous but it will make deciding on a specific option easier come release day. In some cases, it may also save a lot of money. Larger storage variants are always more expensive.

iPhone 6: What We Probably Won’t See

iPhone 6: What We Probably Won’t See is a post by Craig Lloyd from Gotta Be Mobile.

iPhone 6 rumors are stirring up, and as we’re now a couple weeks into 2014, we’re expecting a new iPhone launch at some point this year.

The iPhone 5s may still be fairly new — just releasing back in September — but it’s never too early to talk about the next generation. We’ve seen plenty of rumors already, including what the iPhone 6 might look like, what it’ll be called officially, what features it’ll have and what we can expect from the camera and other performance factors.

But there’s also a list of features that we probably won’t see on the next iPhone, even though rumors suggest otherwise. Apple has been known to jump on the bandwagon late in the game when it comes to smartphone features, so while the iPhone 6 will obviously still include a ton of new features, we think there are some features that Apple will wait on.

NFC

We’d be surprised to see NFC as a feature on an iPhone anytime soon, and that’s mostly because Apple probably wants to use its new iBeacon as an NFC alternative. If you’re not familiar with iBeacon, it’s essentially a low-power communication system that lets others know when you’re nearby.

Right now, it’s mostly marketed as a technology that stores can use to let them know that you walked in the door, allowing them to shoot you discounts and deals that you can view on your phone when you enter the store. It can even get more specific, including letting users know about any deals on sporting equipment when they’re near the sports section of a store.

However, the future of iBeacon is quite promising, and it’s possible that Apple will use it as their digital wallet payment system of sorts, completely bypassing NFC altogether for its own solution. Of course, NFC and iBeacon are different as far as how they work; NFC only works within a few inches of the transmitter or receiver, while iBeacon has a much larger range (like a WiFi network). However, the uses are very similar, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple used iBeacon instead of NFC.

Wireless Charging

Wireless charging is a growing phenomenon in the mobile market, and more and more devices are taking advantage of the convenient feature. It allows users to bypass the annoying wall adapter and cable in favor of a simple charging pad that they can just rest their phone on in order to charge it.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see wireless charging become a standard feature at some point in the future, but seeing as how Apple treads carefully around “fads,” it’s likely that the company will watch how wireless charging plays out over the next year or two before deciding to put such a technology in the iPhone.

Will Apple put wireless charging in the iPhone at some point in the future? It’s completely possible, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the company did such a thing; it’s a simple enough technology that Apple could easily market it to everyday consumers and tell them how much more convenient it is to charge an iPhone without needing cables and a wall adapter, but we also wouldn’t be surprised if the company dismissed wireless charging just so they can keep their overpriced USB cable business going strong.

A Massive Screen

The first five generations of the iPhone were all set at 3.5 inches for the display, but Apple bumped that up to 4 inches starting with the iPhone 5. Was it pressure from the competition? Possibly, but one thing is for sure: phone displays are getting larger and 5-inch screens are now the norm.

Again, Apple isn’t one to jump on the bandwagon, but the company did so just slightly with the iPhone 5, so will the iPhone 6 include an even larger screen? It’s possible, but we highly doubt that we’ll see an iPhone with a 5-inch display or even a 4.5-incher. Maybe a 4.2-inch screen with a slightly higher resolution of 1280×720 (ballparking), but this is something that we’ll have to wait and see about before we can really be sure.

Cheaper Price

This one seems like an obvious one, but the price of the iPhone 6 probably won’t change from what it has been the past few years. The new handset will most likely still be priced starting at $650 off-contract and $200 on-contract.

The only time that a new iPhone has had a lower price at launch was when the iPhone 5c released back in September, when it was $99 on-contract and $550 off-contract, but that wasn’t even Apple’s flagship iPhone.

So will we ever see Apple’s flagship model creep below the $199 subsidized/$649 unsubsidized price tag? It’s not likely anytime soon.

Hand and Eye Gestures

Unless Apple can convince users that hand and eye gestures (like we see on the Samsung Galaxy S4) are easier and quicker to use than just normal touchscreen operation, then I doubt that the company will put such features on the iPhone.

Apple did acquire PrimeSense, which was the company that developed the Xbox 360′s Kinect sensor, so it does make us a little curious as to what Apple is planning to do with PrimeSense and it’s motion-tracking technology. However, the Galaxy S4′s hand and eye gestures still seem a little gimmicky at this point, and we’re not so sure Apple really wants to go down that route right now.

More Megapixels

The Nokia Lumia 1020 made headlines when it initially launched, boasting a 41-megapixel camera sensor that can churn out some pretty impressive photos. Plus, more and more smartphones are being equipped with 10+ megapixel cameras, except the iPhone.

However, this isn’t a bad thing, and as you might have heard from countless folks in the past, megapixels aren’t everything — they just determine how big a photo is resolution-wise. What really matters is the quality of the photo, including low-light capabilities, contrast, saturation, etc. The iPhone has nailed this with just an 8-megapixel camera, and Apple doesn’t seem antsy about slapping on a bigger megapixel count.

7 Samsung Galaxy S5 Mysteries

7 Samsung Galaxy S5 Mysteries is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

Thanks to rumors from credible sources, the Samsung Galaxy S5 picture has begun to come together. And while a lot of the mystery has been sucked out of the upcoming Galaxy S5 launch, there are still some things that Galaxy S5 rumors haven’t cleared up, some loose ends that remain even now, just a few weeks ahead of its release.

For better or worse, Samsung smartphones almost always leak out ahead of time. In the case of the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4, we knew about most of their features prior to Samsung taking the stage. Same goes for the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Note 2. And those four devices just so happen to represent to four biggest Samsung smartphone launches in the last two years. Even with Samsung’s biggest launches, rarely, does a stone remain unturned.

So it has come as no surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung’s rumored flagship and a smartphone that will replace the Galaxy S4, has leaked out numerous times over the past few months. It’s what Samsung smartphones do.

In the past few days, we’ve seen Samsung Galaxy S5 rumors start to shift. Features and dates that we were lukewarm about have suddenly become very real and all but confirmed. The device is almost certainly going to feature a 16MP camera. A next-generation processor. A launch in March. A release a few weeks later. Android 4.4 KitKat. And a 5.2-inch QHD display. While we still haven’t seen a Galaxy S5 announcement, many consumers likely feel like they know the Galaxy S5 already.

There are, however, some mysteries that still remain. Some of these mysteries are small, some of them are absolutely crucial to the success of Samsung’s Next Big Thing. And while we expect some of these mysteries to get cleared up in the weeks between now and the Galaxy S5 launch, we want to take a look at the missing parts and make some observations and predictions about each.

Here, we examine the seven biggest Samsung Galaxy S5 mysteries that remain.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Design

Perhaps the biggest Samsung Galaxy S5 mystery is its design. Sure, we’ve seen SamMobile claim that the device will, in fact, come in both plastic and metal but that really hasn’t cleared anything up. We still don’t know what the Samsung Galaxy S5 will look like exactly. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for those that like surprises, we don’t expect to find out about the Galaxy S5 design until right before the event or during the event itself.

Samsung does a fantastic job of keeping prying eyes at bay. In the past, the company has reportedly used dummy cases, lock boxes and more to keep design leaks from emerging. So instead of a design leaking out along with the rest of the features, it typically does not emerge until much closer to the actual event, if at all.

Samsung Galaxy S5 concept with metal design.

Normally, we see renders and images claim to show off the Galaxy S design. This year, we haven’t seen any prospective leaks so perhaps tricksters have gained some wisdom over the last year.

What we do know is this. Samsung designs have progressively gotten thinner and more lightweight and we expect the Galaxy S5 design to continue that trend.

We also don’t expect this mystery to be cleared up anytime soon. Instead, prospective Galaxy S5 buyers should remain patient as this will likely be one of the last dominoes to fall.

Storage Options

We still haven’t heard anything about the storage options that Samsung will provide to Galaxy S5 buyers.

Last year, Galaxy S4 buyers raised a stink about the fact that the Galaxy S4 16GB came with far less than 16GB of storage. Software needs to be stored somewhere and unfortunately, Samsung’s software takes up a ton of room. Making matters worse were the facts that the microSD card is limited with the types of files it can store and the fact that the 32GB was slow to release on AT&T and Verizon. Verizon released it many weeks after the initial release.

With the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung released a 32GB model in the United States. 16GB wasn’t even an option. Unsurprisingly, we didn’t hear any complaining, problem solved.

So far, Galaxy S5 rumors haven’t cleared this up. Will there be a 16GB model? Will there be both a 16GB and 32GB model? Will we finally see the 64GB model land in the U.S.? Will the metal design feature a microSD card slot? These are all questions that still remain on the minds of prospective Galaxy S5 buyers.

If there is no microSD card slot, the base model of the Galaxy S5 will be 32GB. If there is a microSD card slot, we could see Samsung sticking with a 16GB model though it’s less likely than past years. We just can’t see Samsung wanting a repeat of last year’s debacle. TouchWiz is still TouchWiz and it’s going to take up a lot of room.

Battery

Currently, there are two unconfirmed rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S5′s battery. One suggests that it could be 4,000 mAh in size, the other claims that it could be 2,900 mAh with fast charging capabilities.

The idea of a massive 4,000 mAh battery is nice but unless Samsung has figured out a way to slim a battery that size down, there is virtually no way that it’s going to be inside the Galaxy S5. The Galaxy Note 3′s battery is 3,200 mAh and we sincerely doubt that we’re going to see a larger battery inside the smaller Galaxy S.

Rumors of a 2,900 mAh battery are way more credible. It’s logical for Samsung to incrementally boost the battery size of the Galaxy S and necessary if it’s going to have to handle a higher-resolution display as rumors suggest.

We’re still not sold on the exact size and we’ll wait until we see FCC filings emerge before we’re confident about the Galaxy S5′s battery. FCC filings usually emerge days or weeks ahead of the launch date so we should see this mystery cleared up ahead of time.

Colors

While maybe not as important as some of the other features, many consumers do consider the color of their smartphone to be extremely important. Many people consider their phone to be a fashion statement. We haven’t seen any potential Galaxy S5 colors emerge just yet but here is what we’re expecting.

Generally, this is a feature that leaks out ahead of time so we’re expecting to hear about what Samsung has in store before it tells us what it has in store. We’re also expecting the company to offer limited colors options at launch, particularly for the metal version of the Galaxy S5.

If it offers a ton of color options, Samsung has the potential to foul up its supply lines. By sticking with neutral, simple colors like black and white, it’s less likely to encounter problems. You’ll recall, the issues that Samsung had with the pebble blue Galaxy S3 and the problems Apple had with the gold iPhone 5s. It’s not easy to produce different shades.

So while we should see Samsung offer some choice, we expect the choices to be limited at the start.

Price

The Galaxy S5 price remains in the shadows. SamMobile suggests that the metal version will cost around 800 Euros and the plastic model will cost around 650 Euros. If converted to U.S. dollars, that means a metal Galaxy S5 over $1000 and a plastic Galaxy S5 that costs $800. It’s hard to see that happening, even if those prices are off-contract.

Samsung is reportedly concerned about slow Galaxy S4 sales. Increasing the price tag of the Galaxy S is not going to do consumers any favors. It also needs to compete with Apple’s iPhone 5s which starts at $199.99. So, we’re expecting at least one of these models to fall in at the $199.99 on-contract price point.

If there is a metal version, it’s possible that it could command a more expensive price tag, perhaps $299.99 on-contract. Anything beyond that will be considered too expensive and will open things up for Apple and the iPhone.

This is a mystery that may not be cleared up until after the launch of the Galaxy S5. Carriers are likely still making plans and it’s possible that they remain undecided about price points.

Accessories

We don’t know what accessories Samsung will have in store for Galaxy S5 buyers. In the past, we’ve seen Galaxy S accessories leak pre-launch so it’s a little surprising that we haven’t heard any rumblings as of yet. Given Samsung’s penchant for releasing Samsung-branded accessories, we expect there to be at least a few official products in store for Galaxy S5 buyers.

The focus will likely be on wearables that pair with the Galaxy S5 though we would be shocked if Samsung skipped updates for products like the S-View case. The company is clearly invested in its own accessory lines and thus, we should see accessories debut on stage with the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Just don’t expect them all to arrive on day one.

Carriers

Finally, the only credible Galaxy S5 carrier rumor that we’ve seen is for an AT&T Galaxy S5 model. And while the Galaxy S5 carrier situation remains a mystery, consumers should have no doubts about where the Galaxy S5 will land.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon are virtually all but confirmed given Samsung’s past launches and given the company’s need to stay on par with Apple and we should see the Galaxy S5 land for a number of pre-paid and smaller carriers including C Spire Wireless and StraightTalk.

New Year cheer: 8.5 lakh new jobs, 20% pay hike, say experts

It may rain jobs in the new year as companies are gearing up to add over 8 lakh new employees to their payrolls and dole out salary hikes of up to 20 per cent to best performers in 2014, say experts.

As per estimates of various human resource consultants, the year 2014 seems very promising for job market unlike 2013, when hirings went slow across mid and senior levels and recruitments were done only to replace 'key' gaps.

In the new year, the country is likely to witness a huge surge of opportunities for job seekers with more and more corporates investing in their businesses.

"Yes, 2014 looks bullish on hiring. 2014 will be seen as a good happening year from the jobs perspective as the global economy is improving and India being one of the largest service provider for the global market," leading executive search firm GlobalHunt MD Sunil Goel said.

According to industry estimates, over 8.5 lakh new jobs may be created in the calender year 2014. The issuance of new banking licences will be a major contributor, while IT, healthcare, agri-business, infrastructure and education sectors are also likely to witness robust hiring trends.

"Last calendar year was not good either for job seekers or for employers due to uncertain and fluctuated economical and political conditions. 2014 is coming with positive vibes for jobseekers and expecting to create 8.5 lacs new jobs in different sectors," Rajesh Kumar, CEO, MyHiringClub.com & FlikJobs.com said.

With regards to salary, the average hike for most sectors is expected in single digits, while top performers can expect pay rise of around 15-20 per cent in 2014, experts say.

"This New Year is going to bring cheer for employees with a salary hike of double-digit of at least 10-12 per cent. In 2014, companies are expected to revise the compensation package and explore a more motivational approach," Indian Staffing Federation Vice President Rituparna Chakraborty said.

"All indications are that the average increase will be around 10 per cent across the industries. However, as pressure is mounting on companies to keep its growth intact, high achievers will be getting increase better than last year, which may range between 15-18 per cent in different sectors," GHCL Ltd VP and Head-Human Resources Rajesh Tripathi said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Vdopia's spokesperson, Preetesh Chouhan, VP-APAC, believes ideally a high performer receives an incremental hike of 12-15 per cent in comparison to an average rise in salary.

According to Changeyourboss.com CEO Bhupender Mehta, sectors like services, mining, construction and infrastructure are expected to up their hiring activities and companies are expected to give 12 per cent average salary hike.

Lighthouse Partners' Managing Partner Rajiv Burman said a new government in 2014 should emphasise on promoting growth and therefore hiring trends will also improve. The pay hikes could be 5 per cent for average performers and 10-20 per cent for high achievers, he said.