First off im aware some of the features I talk about here aren't new to the S5.
The appeal of an always on display finally gave me the push to upgrade my trusted S2 AW, the main thing holding me back has been the bad re-sale value.
I got the silver stainless steel model. My S2 was SS also, I was tempted to go aluminium due to the significantly lower price tag however I had concerns over getting scratches on the screen (all my friends with the aluminium model have scratched screens) and I also just don't particularly like how it looks, especially when paired with a smarter strap and my work clothing. I'm glad I walked out with the stainless steel model, I've already forgotten about the money I spent on the watch so I'm glad I have the model I really wanted.
I went for the sport loop strap in grey which I really like. I was able to keep my S2 sport band so I now have both of the sport style bands (I traded in my S2, I know the price is bad but I'd rather forego the hassle of selling privately and it also meant I could keep my sport band and now also have a spare charger, both of which I would have had to sell with the watch to fetch a better price than the trade in value).
I hope the sport loop is durable and ok with getting sweaty and/or wet frequently as its so comfortable I think it will become my 'default' band.
My initial thoughts after using it as I cannot believe the difference in performance, although I guess thats to be expected given this is 3 newer than the model I was using. I had given up using my AW independently in the gym as it was just too slow to navigate tracks/playlists, huge delay in skipping track via AirPods etc. I'm so over the moon at how well the S5 performs now, everything is instant, I didn't miss not having my phone on me at all during my workout, I'm hyped for taking it on my first run tomorrow.
I love the extra screen real estate and the new S4 watch faces with room for all those complications.
I really like the always on display, its nice to have an AW that finally feels like an actual watch, even as I type this at my MacBook I'm able to just glance down at my wrist to check if I have any notifications or check a complication, you couldn't do this before.
The Siri raise to speak is game changing, I get so sick of saying 'Hey Siri' that I often just forget using Siri all together, being able to just raise my wrist and give a command is so useful and I'm using it all the time, I feel like this feature isn't talked about enough.
I've used it all day and done 3 workouts with it and the battery life seems to be holding up as well as, if not better, than expected so I'm surprised to see the 2 top threads when I logged on here were about appalling battery life, hopefully this isn't something I will experience.
I'm a bit sad i'm tied into a networks (three in the UK) that currently doesn't support the cellular function, this is something I will be addressing when my contact renewal date is up. I go on organised runs where I leave my phone at home or in the car and being able to send a message or make a call from the watch to meet up with family and friends afterwards will be really useful.
All in all im really pleased with the S5, its a huge upgrade from the S2 and the amazing performance and ability to use it quickly and easily independently without any lag/waiting has made me wonder why I waited so long.
The appeal of an always on display finally gave me the push to upgrade my trusted S2 AW, the main thing holding me back has been the bad re-sale value.
I got the silver stainless steel model. My S2 was SS also, I was tempted to go aluminium due to the significantly lower price tag however I had concerns over getting scratches on the screen (all my friends with the aluminium model have scratched screens) and I also just don't particularly like how it looks, especially when paired with a smarter strap and my work clothing. I'm glad I walked out with the stainless steel model, I've already forgotten about the money I spent on the watch so I'm glad I have the model I really wanted.
I went for the sport loop strap in grey which I really like. I was able to keep my S2 sport band so I now have both of the sport style bands (I traded in my S2, I know the price is bad but I'd rather forego the hassle of selling privately and it also meant I could keep my sport band and now also have a spare charger, both of which I would have had to sell with the watch to fetch a better price than the trade in value).
I hope the sport loop is durable and ok with getting sweaty and/or wet frequently as its so comfortable I think it will become my 'default' band.
My initial thoughts after using it as I cannot believe the difference in performance, although I guess thats to be expected given this is 3 newer than the model I was using. I had given up using my AW independently in the gym as it was just too slow to navigate tracks/playlists, huge delay in skipping track via AirPods etc. I'm so over the moon at how well the S5 performs now, everything is instant, I didn't miss not having my phone on me at all during my workout, I'm hyped for taking it on my first run tomorrow.
I love the extra screen real estate and the new S4 watch faces with room for all those complications.
I really like the always on display, its nice to have an AW that finally feels like an actual watch, even as I type this at my MacBook I'm able to just glance down at my wrist to check if I have any notifications or check a complication, you couldn't do this before.
The Siri raise to speak is game changing, I get so sick of saying 'Hey Siri' that I often just forget using Siri all together, being able to just raise my wrist and give a command is so useful and I'm using it all the time, I feel like this feature isn't talked about enough.
I've used it all day and done 3 workouts with it and the battery life seems to be holding up as well as, if not better, than expected so I'm surprised to see the 2 top threads when I logged on here were about appalling battery life, hopefully this isn't something I will experience.
I'm a bit sad i'm tied into a networks (three in the UK) that currently doesn't support the cellular function, this is something I will be addressing when my contact renewal date is up. I go on organised runs where I leave my phone at home or in the car and being able to send a message or make a call from the watch to meet up with family and friends afterwards will be really useful.
All in all im really pleased with the S5, its a huge upgrade from the S2 and the amazing performance and ability to use it quickly and easily independently without any lag/waiting has made me wonder why I waited so long.
