Samsung just unveiled a suite of updated wearables and a new flagship handset at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Compared to their predecessors, the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Gear 2 add a sleeker design aesthetic and a host of new features to the mix, while the sportier Galaxy Gear Fit marks Samsung's entrance into the fitness wearable space.
The S5 is a 5.1-inch KitKat-equipped handset with a 1920 x 1080 Super AMOLED display. Inside, there's a 2.5 GHz quad-core processor with 2 GB of RAM and either 16 or 32 GB of storage. The new flagship has extensive 4G LTE support (and boasts 10 hours of LTE web browsing) and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. On back, its 16-megapipxel camera is augmented by software features like phase detection auto focus, real-time HDR, and a selective focus mode that lets you blur parts of the photo for a more creative shot. The S5 can also shoot 4K video, so if you're one of the few people with a 4K TV, you may finally have something to watch on it. The S5's battery can support up to 12 hours of video playback, according to Samsung.
With this latest round of updates Samsung also seems to be emphasizing health. A new feature called S Health on the S5 is basically a hub for dieting tools, like meal tracking and planning, as well as a place to track and map your workouts. The S5 is also the world's first smartphone to include a built-in heart rate monitor, providing real-time heart rate data when you place your finger over the phone's rear-facing camera for five to ten seconds. As someone who regularly uses a heart rate monitor for training, this sounds like it'll really only be useful if you're trying to keep your heart rate below a certain threshold, not tracking a workout in real-time.
Like the iPhone 5s, the S5 also includes a fingerprint sensor, which you can use to lock and unlock the handset and make payments through PayPal.
Samsung toned down its heavy software skinning a tad, but still includes a number of S-branded app offerings (like S Health). The outward design also looks more refined -- with a "soft touch" textured back punctuated by a pattern of dotted dimples. It comes in blue, gold, black, and white models.
Samsung also introduced follow ups to the Galaxy Gear smartwatch: the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. The Gear 2 is supposed to fix "pain points" from the original Galaxy Gear. It's thinner than the first-gen model, with a 2-megapixel camera on its face rather than sitting cyclops-like on its strap. The smartwatch is made of brushed metal, and will be able to sync with 17 Galaxy-branded devices. It will also work with an expanded suite of apps, giving it greater functionality.
The Gear 2 Neo's main difference is that it has a polycarbonate finish. Both models include a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display and 4 GB of memory inside so they can act as an MP3 player, whether your phone is paired nearby over Bluetooth or not. You'll be able to swap out the bands too, for maximum personalization.
The Gear Fit, as its name would suggest, is Samsung's sporty wearable for the Jawbone Up and Nike FuelBand space. The watch has a 1.84-inch curved AMOLED display and can track your steps and heart rate, as well as deliver notifications for incoming calls, emails, and text messages.
