Fueled by... New Tech!

My experience with Apple products tends to become a somewhat furious time when a device begins to work improperly... their seemingly idiot-proof operations sometimes get in the way of many to be able to actively solve their own issues. (See my Mac semi-rant here.) My main problem with a simplified "user-friendly" design in terms of an operating system, and even with the concept of a simple touch screen device design in general, is the complete lack of user-serviceable parts & fixes when something begins to work improperly. This is definitely an issue that I have found that I take into deep consideration with most Electronics that I like to use. It always seems like when it comes down to a technical problem with most of Apple's device, the only option is to take the product into the Genius Bar... & I have learned to absolutely dread going to the Apple Store.

So, after I somehow managed to crack my old iPhone 4 to bits, from what I thought was only a small, single drop to the bathroom tile floor...

I took my long overdue upgrade from AT&T & got a Samsung Galaxy S5! Even better than the discounted price still available on my account after a year or two of neglecting to opt for a new phone, is that I decided to get the newer release of the S5, the "Active" version!

Pictured above is the Samsung Galaxy S5 ACTIVE in Titanium Gray. 

"The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active has a 5.1-inch screen with resolution of 1080 x 1920. A quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 CPU is under the hood along with the Adreno 330 GPU. 2GB of RAM and 16GB of free memory is on board. The back and front facing cameras are 16MP and 2MP respectively. Android 4.4.2 is pre-installed out of the box." 

Product Description quoted from Amazon.

Here's a photo from CNET that might help show you the difference between the original & Active release.

A few weeks ago, by the time I've written this post, I had picked up the phone from my local AT&T store. When I first unpacked the phone I did have a bit of a glitch with Google authentication, giving me a "Google Play Services error," but it was nothing that a quick factory reset didn't fix. I must have done something wrong the first time I booted up the device or have accidentally removed the Play Store from my device in an excited fit of joy from having that level of control. I absolutely LOVE the live widgets, too! (Shown on right.)


There are some differences I have noticed by comparing my phone with my boyfriend's first edition Galaxy S5: but everything so far has made him almost sort of prefer my model to his. Mine may lack a fingerprint sensor, but the sturdy construction of this smartphone is definitely well worth that the lack of that security feature. Also, my access to Activity Zone (courtesy of an additional button on the left side of my phone) makes for a fun time tracking our hiking trips & inspiring to spend a little more time using the S Health apps for monitoring my overall well-being. It's definitely not a necessity to a device, but it sure is an awesome new feature to have.

Have I mentioned I love having buttons on my phones? Because his phone does not have the standard home button & two touch accompaniments; BUT my friends, the Active has three wonderful buttons for navigation! Not to mention, a fabulous camera (!) built into a phone that is so durable, I cannot wait to take it out on the Appalachian Trail with me!

Things to Mention;
I was excited for this change of pace because I've used Android operating systems before, since I once owned & rooted my Kindle Fire. (A friend is currently borrowing this device from me to use an e-reader for her college books... don't even get me started on how much money she is saving by using digital versions of her textbooks!) But what I really love about this new Samsung device in particular, as with any device that relies on the Android operating system, is the complete customization that is implemented into almost every aspect, without having to jailbreak or root much of anything. You could still potentially modify anything you'd like, much like all Androids, but I honestly am really happy with it so far and don't see the need to alter any of it's software... not just yet!

I also did not think very far ahead in terms of being able to transfer seamlessly from myMacBook to this new device. I've already spoken openly about my plans for a new Windows based PC, but now may be the time, as I've had some troubleshooting issues connecting my new phone with my old computer. (Which has been fixed with the proper use of Samsung Kies!) So far, I've fully switched over from iCloud services to using DropBox & Google Drive to access most of my files. I've finally made the switch to EverNote as well for my day to day memos & to-dos. I like the use of short recorded sound clips, because REAL TALK: sometimes I think of something while driving and I like to just talk to myself!

Xoxo,
Coming soon will hopefully new episode of my podcast series, sociallyfluxxed! I had my wisdom teeth removed yesterday, so I will spending my recovery time script writing, & hopefully creating my new new mini-series on self-love & self-care by documenting my journey with orthodontics. (It just needs a quirky cute name, really!)

EDIT: In regards to my partner's S5, he ended up with a common Camera Failure bug that shipped with the first editions of the Samsung Galaxy S5s at their initial release. He had his device for approximately two months before this bug affected his device. Here's some information regarding this issue & about how the contacting customer support with your manufacturer's warranty will get you a new device in a matter of days. 

I'd also like to point out, when my partner got his new device, the location of the water damage indicator has been moved on the newer model S5s due to the abuse of users removing them! Our location AT&T location actually had no idea about this change in the hardware until they sent us all the way to the warranty/device service center about 45 minutes away. It was all in good fun, plus we got a chance to stop by an amazing local brewery on the way home, so going out of our way was sort of a happy accident!