Samsung Galaxy S5 Manual Details The Fingerprint Scanner Limitations, Power Saving Modes, More

BY Rita El Khoury

Published 2 Apr 2014

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Samsung has made the Galaxy S5 manual available for download on its site, and although it doesn’t seem to tell us anything we don’t know already about the device, it should shed some light on the S5’s main features. As you’ll notice, any mention of the heart rate sensor are oddly absent in this particular manual.

The manual contains all the details related to setting up and using the Galaxy S5, but the things we are most interested in are the differentiating features brought by the phone, like the download booster, power saving mode, selective focus in the camera, S Health and the fingerprint scanner.

Here are a few things we learned:

“If the Wi-Fi and mobile network connections have significantly different data transfer speeds, the device may use only the fastest connection” even if you have enabled Download Booster to use both connections simultaneously.
There are two power saving modes. The regular one restrict data usage in the background, turns the screen grey and limits the phone’s performance. The second one dubbed “ultra power saving mode” is more drastic, it completely deactivates the bluetooth and WiFi, turns off the data connection when the screen is off, limits the access only to certain apps that you can pre-select, and turns the screen grey as well.
If you take a photo using the “selective focus mode”, you can choose to focus either the foreground, the background, or both together. Samsung also has a few tips on how to get the best result from this mode.
The fingerprint scanner is quite sensitive — a comment we’ve heard repeatedly — and the manual offers a lot of instances where it does not work, which leaves us wondering about its true usefulness. The limitations are in dry environments, if you scan too quickly or too slowly, if you have small or thin fingers, if they have wrinkles or scars, and if you bend your finger. Basically, Samsung wants you to get a perfect finger, master the perfect speed in the perfect conditions and it’ll work. Um, right.
S Health comes with several modes, including a pedometer, an exercise mate and a food manager. The exercise mate can log not only the duration and calories, but also integrates a music player, camera and GPS logger along with audio cues and compatibility with various accessories.