Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 5S: Which smartphone should you buy?

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 5S: Which smartphone should you buy? | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeMobileSamsung Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 5S: Which smartphone should you buy?Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 5S: Which smartphone should you buy?By Ryan Whitwam on February 27, 2014 at 2:20 pmCommentShare This article

Samsung is the only Android OEM that can stand on its own against the Apple juggernaut, and the Korean company has finally taken the wraps off its new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5. This device comes with improved hardware and an array of interesting sensors, but Samsung has also cleaned up its software and focused its attention on fewer features. Let’s break it down and see how the Galaxy S5 compares to Apple’s iPhone 5S.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 5S: Design

The Galaxy series of devices are always getting bigger, but the increase in size is less substantial this time. The Galaxy S5 has a 5.1-inch screen with slim bezels that keep it from being too ungainly — 72.5mm across. The back is made of plastic with a dimple pattern that reminds many of a Band-Aid. It might not be the most elegant look, but it provides some much needed grip.

Apple’s devices have always been more slim than Samsung’s, and the difference is only becoming more stark as Android handsets continue to scale up. The iPhone 5S has a 4-inch screen and is only 58.6mm across. It’s much easier to use one-handed, but the tradeoff is screen real estate. The iPhone has an aluminum composite frame that feels very solid and keeps the phone from being too hefty.

Another aspect to consider is Samsung’s new water and dust resistant design. Last year there was a separate product for this feature (the GS4 Active), but now the Galaxy S5 can be dunked and splashed with no consequences. The removable back panel has a rubber gasket that seals the sensitive components, and there’s a cover on the USB 3.0 port to keep water out. The Galaxy S5 is rated IP67, which should keep it dry for up to 30 minutes in a few feet of water, but Samsung encouraged potential buyers at its announcement not to push it that far. Still, compare that to the iPhone 5S with its warranty-voiding water sensors that can be triggered by the most miniscule amount of moisture.

Both devices include a fingerprint reader under the home button, but Apple has a more futuristic sort of implementation than Samsung. Samsung included a familiar swipe reader in its home button, so users have to drag straight down across the button to be recognized. The iPhone’s Touch ID system can learn and recognize your fingerprint when you lay a finger flat on the button, which is much more convenient when you’re pressing it. Watch the video below to see how clumsy the Samsung implementation can be.

Samsung ups the ante by including a heart rate sensor on the back of the phone. It plugs into the S Health app and it might actually get a lot of use — your finger is only a few centimeters from the reader, after all.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 5S: Cameras

The iPhone 5S packs an 8MP rear-facing camera that routinely produces some of the best images available on a smartphone. It’s not just the stellar back-side illuminated sensor that makes that happen, it’s the two-stage flash that keeps objects from looking blown out or too dark when ambient light is low.

Samsung bumped the Galaxy S5 up to a 16MP sensor from 13 in its last flagship. One of the issues with a 16MP image sensor is that it can take a long time to acquire the image. Samsung has partially rectified that by using an advanced technique called phase-detect autofocus. This lets the Galaxy S5 focus on its target in 0.3 seconds, which should close the speed gap considerably.

Samsung has also added the option to capture 4K video with the Galaxy S5. At that point you’re just left worrying about the amount of storage space being eaten up on the GS5's limited internal storage — it doesn’t help that Samsung leaves you with less than 8GB to work with on the 16GB model.

The 2013 Android flagships like the HTC One and Galaxy S4 were vast improvements over past Android devices, but Apple was still the clear winner in overall image quality. This year, Samsung might have the right combination of features to win this matchup. Early impressions suggest that Samsung’s camera is very good indeed, but we need more time with it before declaring an absolute winner.

Next page: Hardware specs and operating systems compared

1 of 2 Next Tagged In hardwaremobile computingsmartphonesappleandroidsamsungiphone 5SiOS 7fingerprint scannergalaxy s5samsung galaxy s5Share This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment bob Johnson

Isn’t this the same article every year? GS5 has about 3 months of a lead and then has to drop prices to keep up sales. NBD

VirtualMark

Wow, the Galaxy really does look like shit. It’s a nice powerful phone though, it’s just a shame about that case. I think the Iphone is the better looking phone by a mile, there’s really no contest there – the finish makes it look like a piece of jewellery.

The Galaxy seems to be the choice for people who want a more powerful phone and bigger screen. I just wouldn’t want to be seen holding that large slab of plastic when making a phone call.

Singh1699

Depends on how big you are really.

I’m 6 2, and with a crown and boots a bit more.

The Note 3 I have looks just fine; I couldn’t stand the shorter battery life or the features I would lose with s5 or 5s.

Funny how they are the same two letters actually.

I’m disappointed that there’s no 2k screen on the s5. Samsung said it was on the roadmap, however they said for the year meaning it could be on the Note 4.

I just want a 4k screen on the Note 5 and 8k eventually and then I’m ‘done’ with phones.

jimv1983

A 4K or 8k on a phone? Do you have any idea what that would do to battery life? Plus, the human eye can’t even see the difference between 720 and 1080 on a phone screen. Anything more than maybe 300ppi on a phone is useless.

Also, you said that the Galaxy S5 doesn’t have a 2k screen. 2k means it has approximately 2,000 horizontal pixels(when holding in landscape) so technically it DOES have a 2k screen. 1920×1080. The horizontal resolution is 1920 or ~2000. 4k is 3840×2160 so the horizontal resolution is ~4000 which is why it is called 4k. 8k is 7680×4320

VirtualMark

I pretty much disregarded his post when he said that lol! 4k phones… people can be so dumb sometimes.

Zunalter

Who makes calls on these things anymore?

eonvee375

agreed ^^ though im an android enthusiast galaxy isnt that appealing to my eyes…

SnowKing

Samsung’s design is really beautiful, makes iPhone look dated in comparison. Apple could really do with a change of design.

VirtualMark

Yeah they should ditch the shiny machined aluminium look for plastic with dimples, lol!

Guest

The Samsung S5 is a horrible looking
phone. Not even in the same league as the Apple iPhone 5S.
Looks aside, no doubt it’s a capable phone. I’m trying to talk
my friend out of buying a S5, he only wants it because he hates Apple
products. He’s the type that has to be right about everything.
He could end up with 2 paper cups and a string and still would argue
that it’s the best phone out there because it’s not Apple. Some
people should just admit that Apple makes beautiful products that are
easy to use and work awesome, but foolish pride will never allow it,
so the plastic phone crowd will continue to whine and bitch about
Apple while using there virus infested Microsoft products and ugly goofy google droid phones. LoL

codeJunkie

Neither, Android is the reigning malware king and Apples interface is so boring/dated. Although I do like the Apple case, it’s getting dated too.

spaceman2001

What are you hinting at then? Windows Phone? Firefox? Blackberry?

codeJunkie

Something that actually excites me. It takes more than a big screen to get me going. I really like my Windows 8 phone, but I want a more classier looking phone. Not something that looks the same as the one everyone else already has.

Singh1699

Blackberry is only good for 100s of texts, aka either you’re a lawyer or a drug lord. Both work hand in hand, and both professions may be held by the same person. :P

They have a q20 coming out which is a 3.5” screen + the original trackpad & keyboard.

Personally Idc for them or WP.

Firefox is interesting because I’ve used Firefox for a decade and they have a $25 smartphone coming out.

Other third world companies do too, but Firefox has a brand name in the West which has led to sales in Spain and elsewhere.

Will be interesting to see and good overall. I shouldn’t have to pay an arm and a leg to text my relatives in other countries. With cheap smartphones + whatsapp it’ll be simpler and easier (cheaper).

codeJunkie

Firefox appears to be moving to an ad based model, which means I’m the product, just like on Android. I’ll happily pay for an ad free existence.

sebastian giacana

why do you think obama is not allowed to use his iphone?

MrsSmith

Not a fair comparison given 5S is a 2013 model and S5 is a 2014 model. It won’t be fair either then Apple launches 6, in late 2014. Longer term, Samsung will get commoditized by cheaper Android players. They know this, hence the watch on Tizen. Apple either gets lots more cooler gear to tie people in, or its market share fades as people look again to cheaper phones.

Singh1699

It has 1/3rd the resolution, it was never a comparison. 1080p or 720 is good because you can watch most video at its native res.

720p is probably the best because many movies increase in size exponentially from there. However, for reading and other things 1080p is better. May also be amoled, and personal preference.

Like the author said, iPhone is good for doing things; if you do them Apple’s way. I don’t like that way, so I stick to customization.

ArchAngel570

“Apple’s devices have always been more slim than Samsung’s”. I think this is a bit of a stretch. The iPhone 5s is .30 inches deep. The iPhone 4s is .37 inches. The Galaxy S4 is .31 and the S5 will be .32. Those numbers are so close together that it is hard to say that Apple devices have always been more slim. While the iPhone 5s is slimmer than the new Galaxy S5, the 4S was pretty bulky compared to the others.

Edit Sources: iPhone info came from Apple site and Samsung from GSMArena

Max

Flash? Why doesn’t anyone talk about the most important part for people that really love cutting cable? Its very important to alot of people, especially techies that love nothing more then to be able to access things on the internet without obstacles. Flash is the only reason i haven’t upgraded to a Samsung phone. Because they’ve restricted access to it, they’ve basically become just as worthless as Iphone. I have a 4 year old Evo 3d that lets me view what i want, when i want online. I side loaded a Flash APK and to this day, it does what i want it to do. I constantly show this feature to all my friends and coworkers and they look at me with such sadness and disappointment that they don’t have the same ability. Trust me, when you want to watch a game online, there is nothing better than a phone with Flash on it!

Singh1699

Firefox… Puffin, dolphin….

Max

Tried to do it for my friends Galaxy S3, it didn’t do it. For some reason, the newer Android 4.2 and above don’t handle Flash. Not sure why. Even with Firefox and all the adblocks included, the flash sites wouldn’t load the player.

jonas

Wrong! It does work on my note 2 just fine…

James Howlett

WRONG!
I have the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and despite it not being supported and not being available on Google Play, i have installed it on my phone direct from Adobe’s site!
Do your research properly!

jonas

Yes you can install flash on your android device — search on google and you will find it. By the way, no need to jailbreak the phone.

Max

Its simple. If you want a pretty phone that matches your high heels and fits into your G-string but doesn’t have alot of awesome tech features that would replace a laptop, then dude, yeah you deserve an Iphone! If you want something that is tech powerful, full of features that make it a must have for people that love intergrating and replacing devices and consolidating your devices into one device, thus replacing a laptop, then you deserve a Samsung dude!. Its really just who you are. If you are a social butterfly that is constantly texting and giggling at your phone like an idiot, by all means, get your Iphone! If you are a tech hound that wants to push your tech to the limits, then get your Samsung!

VirtualMark

Wow, what a convincing argument… I’ll be replacing my 17 inch i7 laptop with a shitty little phone straight away!

BobbyBouche

^ Nothing to see here, just a trolololol.

Max

So i saw the Olympics for free on my phone on a 4 year old android HTC Evo 3d! Guess how many of my Iphone friends got to do the same? Zilch! Zippola! None! Because Apple doesn’t support Flash!

Mo Friedrich

Which is a freaking good decision considering there is HTML5 which website owners should be forced to move to, which is exactly what Apple does ;)

Ivor O’Connor

Which phone to buy? The first one that makes it to the Google Play Store of course.

jimv1983

Nexus 5.

Ivor O’Connor

So what about battery life? Can you take it with your for an extended three day weekend? I miss those old phones that you could take with you for weeks. They don’t make them like that anylonger!

And what about readability in the sunlight? Can you use it outdoors in direct sunlight? Or is that next years model?

jimv1983

Extended 3 day weekend? You’ll be lucky if you get a full day. If the Galaxy S5 gets the same battery life as my Nexus 5(4 hours screen on time with 15 hours off charger) it will be a HUGE improvement over the Galaxy S4. I have a hard time believing it will be that much better.

Angel Ham

What’s the point anyway? The first thing people do to these beautiful phones in order to keep the casing from getting scratches is to stick them into a rubber casing.

James Howlett

SITE FAIL!
Why does every new phone have to be compared to an iPhone ?
the iPhone 5 is old technology, it doesn’t offer anythng useful
Before anybody mentions fingerprint reader, Motorola had it years ago.
Before anybody mentions 64 bit processor,
how useful is a 64 bit processor with a maximum of 1GB of RAM ?
how many apps are currently optimized for use with that 64 bit processor ?
The iPhone is not a true smartphone, its just an accessory item to go with handbags or shoes.
Last question :
Is this an Apple sponsored site ?

Mo Friedrich

Every new phone has to be compared to the iPhone because the tech experts everywhere agree that it shares the top position among high end smartphones with others, such as the Samsung Galaxy series.
The iPhone 5S is current technology which you could see if you took a look at the actual interior.
Motorola had fingerprint readers implemented years ago, yes. But it was more of a useless gimmick than a serious authentication method, whereas Apple crafted a pretty fine piece of tech into the home button – ever tried it? It works virtually 360 degree, takes less than a second to verify a fingerprint and is, considering you trust any US comany, stored encrypted and securely in a special storage compartment of the internal firmware flash.
64 Bit isn’t just of use to adress more memory, it also allows of a much richer feature set of processor instructions, which gives app developers the ability to make their apps faster, more reliable and efficient. That ain’t just marketing bullshit, it really makes a huge impact if devs code their apps appropriately.
Not all apps are currently optimized, but most will be soon. And don’t forget that this was a long-term decision, as we will definitely need 64 bit mobile processors in the near future.
Just because you don’t know how to properly configure and use an iPhone, don’t mock others for it. iPhones are used in business settings because they integrate well with Windows Server structures aswell as Apple is considerably more trustworthy than Google – you can lock down iPhones so much that they don’t send any unwanted packages to Cuppertino.
Also, considering older, less tech-savy people – like my mom, some clients, … – a fast, responsive, consistent, clear and well-structured UI is extra important.

rahuldey85

Isn’t this article moot after you have already published an article stating that the GS5 is the best phone money can buy.

Xellion

Samsung, hire some designers.

and a marketer that can create a naming convention.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 hands-on: Gimmicky, but still the best phone money can buy

Samsung Galaxy S5 hands-on: Gimmicky, but still the best phone money can buy | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeComputingSamsung Galaxy S5 hands-on: Gimmicky, but still the best phone money can buySamsung Galaxy S5 hands-on: Gimmicky, but still the best phone money can buyBy Sebastian Anthony on February 27, 2014 at 3:18 pmCommentShare This article

In theory, it’s very hard to find fault with the new Samsung Galaxy S5, unveiled on April 24 in Barcelona. It has superlative hardware, a recent version of Android (with a fairly unobtrusive version of TouchWiz), and it also just has more darn features than any other smartphone out there. In practice, I’m happy to report that the Galaxy S5 really is a nice phone — probably the best that money can currently buy (as of its April 11 release date anyway) — but it’s certainly not without its gimmicky faults. As we cover in our side-by-side comparison of the iPhone 5S and Galaxy S5, Apple’s phone is a close competitor, but unless you’re specifically looking for a metal-bodied phone, the S5 is the better phone by some margin.

Let’s start with the fingerprint scanner. It was telling that Samsung didn’t lead with the new sensor, instead chose to bury it towards the end of the presentation. As expected, the fact that you have to swipe your finger over the Galaxy S5's home button is a real pain. Basically, the registration process asks you to swipe your finger straight down over the sensor. It’s easy enough. Now, pull your smartphone out of your pocket and tell me what orientation your thumb rests on the home button — at right angles, not straight down. You can’t actually swipe your thumb straight down while holding a smartphone in one hand — it’s physically impossible (unless you’re double jointed perhaps?) You can register your thumbprint in that alternate, sideways-on orientation — but the sensor definitely isn’t designed to be used that way, and it doesn’t reliably read your finger.

So, basically, the Galaxy S5's fingerprint scanner is useful if you like holding your phone in one hand and poking around with the other — but it’s definitely not a quick-access feature, like the iPhone 5S. (The iPhone 5S’s implementation is far, far slicker.)

The heart rate sensor on the back of the Galaxy S5 isn’t much better. The sensor is right beneath the camera, and getting the sensor to work is a bit finicky — so you’ll probably end up smudging the camera with your finger. It didn’t seem very accurate, either — my heart rate fluctuated between 95 and 80, over the course of 15 seconds or so. The Samsung guy standing next to me had a heart rate of just 50, which is possible — but unlikely. It is probably more accurate when you figure out the knack of using it correctly.

In almost all other areas, though, the Galaxy S5 is pretty darn smooth. The new, fairly minimal TouchWiz interface is mostly free of kruft and easy to use. The phone itself feels good in the hand (but yes, it’s plastic; but I don’t have a problem with that). The camera is very good, but we’ll need some proper hands-on time to see how it compares to the iPhone 5S and Lumia 1020 (at first glance, though, it looks good). The phone feels very slick; I couldn’t find any signs of interface slow-down.

The new “adaptive display” feature that keeps the Super AMOLED display looking sharp and (over) saturated appears to work well. Longer-term features, like the Ultra Power Saving Mode obviously require more time to investigate fully.

Overall, I was impressed with the Galaxy S5. It’s an iterative improvement upon the Galaxy S4. Samsung is obviously aiming for the S5 to be more of a “just works” type device, rather than the S4's “look at all the stuff it can (kinda) do!” approach. For the most part, the S5 does just work — and works well — except in the case of the fingerprint scanner, which is mostly useless. I am fairly certain that the S5 will go on to be a massive seller. If you look S5 in its entirety, there is no other smartphone that really comes close.

Read our Galaxy S5 launch post for more hardware specs — or check out our Gear smartwatch coverage.

Tagged In smartphonesandroidsamsungreviewfingerprint scannerhands ongalaxy s5samsung galaxy s5touchwizShare This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment jhewitt123

If the phone is detecting a heart rate pushing 90 for someone of your proportion, someone needs to be asking some questions I think

http://www.mrseb.co.uk/ Sebastian Anthony

Yeah, I am usually around 60. But maybe I was stressed?

Scott

My money would be on a bad sensor implementation, Sebastian. I wouldn’t go running off the the doctor based on a samsung diagnosis, chuckles. Greetings from Oregon (out here for a work thing). Hope Barcelona is fun, Oregon is a blast…

http://www.mrseb.co.uk/ Sebastian Anthony

A lot of fun, but also a lot of work :) The weather is nice at least (though, not like I’ve been outside much). Hoping to do a bit of tourism tomorrow morning.

Let’s hope it’s a bad implementation! Or just me doing it wrong.

BobbyBouche

60 to 100 is considered within normal limits

http://www.mrseb.co.uk/ Sebastian Anthony

Good to know :) (Still odd that it fluctuated so wildly.)

BobbyBouche

I’d get it checked anyway. When was your last visit physical? The key to health is prevention, not treatment. Or at least right it down and remember to bring it up whenever you have a wellness exam.

meddle0ne

Droid is such a hideous IU. I can’t understand why people love it so much.

Morgan Glassco

Which Interface User do you dislike? Android, Touchwiz, Nokia X, Sense,

See with Android you have options.

Guest

they are all crap

Greg

All the iCrap iSheep trolls are out in force. I’m sure we will see this in all S5 articles saying how bad the phone is and the iPhone is the best smartphone which is comical

Heath Parsons

Btw, it’s Android and UI. IU reminds me of IUD… Droid is Motorola’s Android-based device.

And it’s not only the UI I dislike about non-android phones. Since you inquired about my tastes, I am not a fan of the “flat” look that Apple has, nor Microsoft’s tiled interface.

Greg

Forgive the iSheep trolls, they are pretty stupid when it comes to technology. They love their idiotproof iphone to just make calls and text.

Clint Chapel

Droid is made by Motorola, do you mean Android the OS or Droid the phone?
P.S. I have a lot of iPhone friends that switched to the GS4 and Note, and only one GS3 friend that switched to iPhone.

meddle0ne

I meant Android.

Mo Friedrich

Well, this monster of a phone still has nothing to offer which could make me want to switch from my iPhone. This is not a fanboy thing, I require my stuff to work and for work. And nobody has yet been able to give me one single argument against an iPhone and for a (Samsung) Android smartphone.

McNo

Anytime you start a sentence with “This is not a xxxxxx, but”, “I don’t men to be rude, but”, “I don’t mean to imply” or something similar, the opposite is usually true.

Mo Friedrich

Well, no. I wanted to express that my mobile is a tool. Give me a better one than my current, i’ll take it, based on a rational decision. That is the difference to fanboyism.

Pascal Julian Kilian

If you like it, then just keep it. If you don´t think it´s heavily overpriced then buy a new iPhone as soon as it hits the market. I for myself will probably switch from Android to Windows Phone so I understand that you´re not really convinced of Android ;-)

Mo Friedrich

You see, that’s just the reaction I tried to prevent. I don’t buy the new iPhone as soon as it comes out, I switch my phones about every 3 years. Every time I look at the current Android/Windows devices and there has just not been anything which comes close to what I expect.
Another question – what do you call overpriced? I payed about 610€ for my iPhone 5. Would any equivalent device have been significantly cheaper?

Pascal Julian Kilian

There´s probably no need to tell you something you already know, but the Nexus 5 with 32GB costs half as much as the current iPhone 5s wih 32GB (at least in Germany)

David Onter

yes

Michael Clapp

How about a keyhole of a screen. I’m not saying I want S5 sizes but having had to use the Iphone side by side with an S3 for a month, the narrowness of the Iphone screen is painful. I also don’t get the metal vs. plastic thing. The edges of an S3 are smooth and temperature neutral. The iphone is usually cold and almost feels sharp. To each his own.

Mo Friedrich

I completely agree with you, if you aren’t comfortable with the small screen, take a larger one. But I love the fact that I can still hold and operate the iPhone with one hand. And towards the metal/plastic thing, I think metal just feels more like the bucks I paid for it ;)
Just my opinion though.

Javier Martinez

> And towards the metal/plastic thing, I think metal just feels more like the bucks I paid for it
Like you said, very rational, zero fanboyism :)

Mo Friedrich

What has my personal taste in material choice got to do with fanboyism?

Singh1699

Id just get a nexus 5 if I didn’t have a note 3, does everything and is cheap.

One thing your iphone cant do is use different keyboards, or type in non latin alphabet languages.

The screen is low res, I dont like that. lol, retina is fake someone actually proved that the eye can see much more.

Im disappointed with the s5 though, I don’t need the slightly faster cpu, or espeically the gpu. I was looking forward to a 2k screen, which would have meant they stick to their roadmap.

2k this year, 4k next and I would upgraded to the note 5/s6 next year or nexus 5 2016. :(

Bring on the high res screens, they actually look life like.

Mo Friedrich

Why would I need to use an alternate keyboard? And non-Latin characters, well, as I never need those, no advantage here for me.
Concerning the screen, I can only speak for my eyes which seem to work well, retina is more than sufficient from a common usage distance…

Magnus Blomberg

I like Android because I want to run emulators for games and graphing calculators. A ti-89 is is great to have in your phone instead if lugging the real thing around.

Mo Friedrich

There are emulators for iOS aswell, they don’t even require a jailbreak and work like a charm :)

Magnus Blomberg

Ok I was under the impression that emulators were not permitted by Apples terms for apps in the appstore. Have the terms changed or was there never an issue?

Michael Clapp

The keyboard mention reminded me of another Apple flaw. The keyboard absolutely sucks on an Iphone. It’s partially because of screen size but it’s hard to believe Apple can’t change the case of the letters when shift is pressed. Just an interface fail that I run into every time I have to enter a password.

Gray Panther

“Apple can’t change the case of the letters when shift is pressed.”

Wrong. The “shift” displayed as the arrow pointing up will indeed render an upper case letter when typed with the other hand while it is pressed. Also, you can hold the “123” key & type numbers with your other hand, when released, it goes back to the ABC screen.

Sounds as if you need to look over the “tips & tricks” people have posted out there for the iOS keyboard.

Mo Friedrich

I think he referred to the characters on the keyboard itself, not the text which is typed. And that is a problem for me aswell which I don’t understand.

Michael Clapp

It’s not the rendering which is correct. It’s the lack of the extra feedback on the keyboard characters that Android phones do provide. A small thing but annoying.

Darren Boyle

In regards to the alternate keyboard. I can’t imagine pecking away at the screen to type messages and emails. Samsungs keyboard and other third party keyboards are part of the reason I stick with Android in general. The swiping method is sooo much more useful and efficient compared to the pecking technique. Plus, the added feature of next word prediction is awesome as well. There is another reason I remain with Android but this extra keyboard capability alone is enough for me to never look at iPhone or Windows Phone until they offer such capability.

Mo Friedrich

I don’t now, I didn’t use the swiping thing for more than ten minutes, I think it’s more of a matter of what you get used to, but I could of course be wrong. I should try it out for a longer amount of time :)

Darren Boyle

We all got used to the pecking technique since that is what we had to use with Touch Screen only devices but once I watched a video of some kid ripping out text using either SwiftKey or Swype I knew I had to give it a chance. After a day of committing to it I couldnt believe how well it worked.

A close comparison is if you don’t know how to properly type on a standard qwerty keyboard with your 8 fingers on the keys and thumbs on space bar…. then you learn how to. You couldn’t imagine going back to the index finger poke technique right? And if you don’t type correctly, I hope you don’t type much….

The next word suggestion feature definitely took me a lot longer to get used to, only for the fact that I wasn’t used to looking up above the onscreen keyboard to see what it was suggesting for me. But, after it learns your grammar and which words you string together it is amazing how it starts to read your mind.
I think IOS is great for tablets and I love my iPad mini but man do I wish I could “swipe type”. I think I just coined that term. Ha

Darren Boyle

We all got used to the pecking technique since that is what we had to use with Touch Screen only devices but once I watched a video of some kid ripping out text using either SwiftKey or Swype I knew I had to give it a chance. After a day of committing to it I couldnt believe how well it worked.

A close comparison is if you don’t know how to properly type on a standard qwerty keyboard with your 8 fingers on the keys and thumbs on space bar…. then you learn how to. You couldn’t imagine going back to the index finger poke technique right? And if you don’t type correctly, I hope you don’t type much….

The next word suggestion feature definitely took me a lot longer to get used to, only for the fact that I wasn’t used to looking up above the onscreen keyboard to see what it was suggesting for me. But, after it learns your grammar and which words you string together it is amazing how it starts to read your mind.
I think IOS is great for tablets and I love my iPad mini but man do I wish I could “swipe type”. I think I just coined that term. Ha

E.j. Aljuwani

Mo look up the Sony Xperia z2 that phone has better specs than the s5. Im hoping that phone gets released on the major carriers in the us.

Mo Friedrich

That is indeed a nice piece of tech :3 But my current phone is a mere year old, let’s see what the market has to offer when it’s time for a new one…

E.j. Aljuwani

Dont blame you on that. what phone do you have now?

Clint Chapel

Why would I need to use an alternate keyboard?

Because you like to have a choice. I love Swype, (http://www.swype.com/) and I use a Thumb Keyboard (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beansoft.keyboardplus&hl=en) on my tablet. If I had only one stock keyboard to choose from, I’d be sad….

Mo Friedrich

Well… Back when I did not work as a sysadmin 8h a day, I loved to have a choice, to configure the shit out of my computers. But now, I just want my stuff to work without wasting more time on it ;) The stock keyboard works for me as any physical would do. I don’t type novels on my phone, I do it on my Thinkpad. So – the important lesson I learnt is, don’t waste too much time on tech but enjoy your life. That’s why I use the iPhone, I guess. It sounds like a clichee, but sorry, “it just works” ;)

Rhonda Pierce

“Bring on the high res screens, they actually look life like.”

That’s kinda funny. Look up from the screen to see life in all its glory.

BobbyBouche

I think he was referring to the overall build quality. I just switched from the s4 to the iphone and I can only say there is a significant improvement in the design of it over the samsung just in minor details like the seams. I don’t see how dirt can get in really. The dip in screen size hurt a little but the fact I can actually see what’s on the screen in direct sunlight wins out for me.

Resilien7

That’s more design than build quality. I’ve used the S3, the S4 Active and the Note 2, as well as the iPhone 4S. And the build quality of Samsung’s flagship devices are top notch.

However, Apple has an entirely different design philosophy that gives the impression of superior build quality, but it’s actually superior design (if you believe in their design philosophy).

Notably, Apple minimizes the number of seams and exterior artifacts that detract from the polished minimalist aesthetics that is their brand signature. This complements their reliance on simple geometric forms (e.g. the iPhone’s brick shape and hard-edged bevels versus the Galaxy’s sculpted curves).

The use of heavy aluminum instead of light plastic further gives the impression of superior build quality, but material choice is still a matter of design and aesthetics.

Apple devices are designed to feel like they were tooled from a single brick of aluminum, and this is a very compelling aesthetic. But it comes at a cost: e.g. speakers hidden on the bottom/back edge of an iMac, pointing away from the user; the lack of a micro-SD slot on the iPhone, the inability to replace the battery, etc.

Also, it’s worth noting that iPhone displays are manufactured by LG and Samsung, so it’s unlikely that they’re inherently superior to any others on the market.

BobbyBouche

I agree with you. I was mistaken about build quality. The gs4 was built well but the amoled screen which is great indoors has some issues outdoors. When you live in Florida you deal with sun quite often. There are always trade offs. The lack of microsd is horrible. Nobody can argue that.

calden74

Interesting post, another thing of note is that aluminum is actually cheaper to manufacture than the polycarbonate used in phones like the Nokia Lumia or even the new Samsung S5. Aluminum is the most abundant metal found on earth not to mention the most recycled. I can’t find it right now but there is a report floating around that states each iPhone contains less than a dollars worth of Aluminum.

Jeremy Garcia

I’d like to how your iPhone compares to my Note II for productivity. Between a stylus, bluetooth keyboard, a dock that extends connectivity (USB hub, HDMI out, audio out), Google Drive, and multi-window support, I think making the argument that the iPhone is better suited for work is a tough one to make, especially with proprietary hardware and how fragile it is. That’s not even counting what’s in the works for Android, including Ubuntu ports, and LibreOffice ports.

Mo Friedrich

Well, I’ve got a stylus (even though I rarely use it, I’m just faster with my fingers), bluetooth keyboards work like a charm. I’ve got no dock, but what do you really use it for? If I am doing presentation for clients I use my Thinkpad, as well as for work, mobile support is rare in the IT (Ever tried to use RDP on a touch screen? ;)). Google Drive is available, as well as Skydrive and Dropbox, I use an AIO client for them which also supports FTP, SMB and streaming. What do you mean by multi-window support?
I love Open Source and use it often on server side. But I would never consider it for client applications including myself. Libre/OpenOffice is still far behind Microsoft, and Ubuntu is consequently going in the wrong direction. A bit OT, but I would watch elementaryOS, they could accomplish a noob-compatible linux.
What I also like about iOS is the excellent integration of ActiveDirectory and Exchange/Mobile Sync. It just works.

Resilien7

Android lets you use two apps simultaneously using multi-window support. I haven’t used it on a tablet, but on my S4, it lets me split the screen in two vertically, so one app runs on top, and another runs on the bottom (you can adjust how the screen real estate is divided by dragging the dividing bar). This is handy if you need to look at a webpage while you compose a text message or email.

Additionally, the sidebar that’s used to load your windows also functions as a taskbar that lets you quickly start frequently used programs or instantaneously switch between running programs–which is a lot handier than the traditional way of holding down the home button and choosing between running apps.

Mo Friedrich

Multi-window sounds great, that is indeed something I could need… Especially on a tablet, but if I bought one, it’d be one with W8.1 which supports multiple windows aswell.
The sidebar sounds a bit like Windows. But I think it is simply a matter of what you’re used to.
I am a sysadmin working with linux, Windows and Macs, I just need a laptop which makes me flexible to work in different situations. Thinkpads are still the best working machines and I can’t stand OS X. Maybe it is also a question of learning, many people say they changed and won’t ever go back, but I am pretty content with W7 ;)
I love iOS however, as it’s smooth, fast, simple and logical to use, and as a bonus since iOS 7, in a minimal design by default which fits my taste.

darkich

ONE reason??
What on earth are you on about ?
Here’s HUNDRED reasons:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVTrazT99Ps&feature=youtube_gdata_player

iamstopper

If the Apple 5S was released today without the past history of Apple products it would be laughed out of the market. A kid sized phone with almost no individuality allowed? 50 million lemmings all walking in lock step waiting breathlessly for the next version which is just a little thinner and faster…….

Mo Friedrich

I don’t really get your problem. Obviously, there are people which buy the iPhone because it just is the phone they like to buy. Why do you even waste your time with it? I don’t judge people because they buy SUVs or trucks from Ford. Do you?

calden74

I kind of feel the same way, the iPhone just isn’t competitive anymore. The level of control Apple has over iOS is a little much for my taste as well. The fact that you can’t even choose your default browser just shows you how arrogant Apple has become. The lack of communication between apps is another thing that I just can’t let go. I used an iPhone for three generations but have moved on. I now use a Nexus 5 for work and a Nokia 1020 for personal use (I’m really into photography).

Greg

Would you like to expand on you “just like your stuff to work”? Have you tried either the Galaxy S phones or any other Android or Windows phone and they “don’t work”? Based on articles how do you know what works? How about screen size? If you require your phone for work one would assume you do important stuff looking at the screen, wouldn’t a much larger than small 4” screen work for that? or are you just talking about making work calls and texts which the iPhone is perfect for? Let’s reverse it, what is your argument FOR the iPhone for work?

Mo Friedrich

I have to manage, configure and setup several kinds of devices, PCs and servers at work. Each time I buy a new phone, I look for the best fit. Android falls out considering speed and support duration, as I tend to keep my devices for 3 years, which is a lot longer than Samsung et al. tend to deliver updates.
I use my phone for small tasks and communicating, testing and as a backup camera. All of these things don’t necessarily require a larger screen, the ability to hold the phone comfortably in one hand is more important to me. Remember, this is a subjective point, my decisions might not be the same for everyone.
What makes the iPhone perfect for me is it’s simplicity and fast GUI, the transparency considering data it sends back home (I checked the network packages sent from it several times), the responsivity of the whole system, and lastly also the design. It’s the small things, for example the magnetic, flippable plug. Or the clean, metal chassis. Or the bright screen which is always readable.
You know I have to fiddle with settings, config files and problems the whole day. It’s nice to have a phone which “just works”. Without hassle, without the need to configure everything. Until now I never had real problems, unlike the Blackberries or Androids some of our clients or my family uses.
I’ll maybe think about Windows Phone with my next device, though… I like what they do, maybe I will switch then, but we’ll see.

Jason Dietmeyer

You say it’s the best phone money can buy, but your article makes it sound like an inconvenient piece of Samsung (synonym for garbage). After further study, I find that this phone still falls far short of the iPhone 5S. I won’t be switching to a Galaxy anytime soon.

Singh1699

Yes obviously many times (literally) the screen resolution and process power; coupled with longer battery life is ‘garbage’.

Iphony fits well with your mangina though.

Resilien7

So an inferior fingerprint scanner (the only real criticism the article makes against the S5) makes it an inconvenient piece of garbage? Either you can’t read, or you don’t know what a phone is.

Pickybugger

What a pity it didn’t come with a snapdragon 805, the better GPU would have been great. And only 2GB RAM? I feel somewhat let down it should have at least matched the Note 3s 3GB IMO. But the 1080 resolution is fine, I think 2k on a smartphone would drain to much battery life anyway.

Still keen to buy one of course, but now I’m wondering if the Note 4 will be better all round…

rahuldey85

The Note 4 will be a generation ahead of the GS5 processor and screen wise thats for sure. But its like that in the cell phone industry nowadays. Two flagships are launched every year.

David Onter

JESUS the Snapdragon 805 won’t be available until may! This is the 5th time I write this today -.-

Ruel

Hmmm… could it be that Samsung is holding back a really good phone for release later this year just to anticipate the launching of iPhone 6? I’d like to think this just to ease my anger at Samsung for giving us an UGLY AND VERY DISAPPOINTING PHONE!!!!

James Tolson

Looks exactly the same as a galaxy s2 to me, i honestly don’t know why people bother to change phones these days?

VirtualMark

The title of this article is annoying – how is this the definitive “best phone money can buy”? It is a competing phone in a crowded market, there are several other worthy competitors.

And who in their right mind prefers plastic phones to metal phones? That’s just fanboy nonsense, the plastic case is a disadvantage and makes the phone look cheaper.

It’s certainly a good phone, but I’d rather read an unbiased article.

Resilien7

The article never claims to be definitive. It’s just the author’s opinion along with his reasoning (as with all reviews).

OTOH, you’re implying that an aluminum finish is objectively better than plastic in all cases based purely on aesthetics. Really? You can’t comprehend the possibility that other people have different aesthetics from you, or that some of us aren’t driving around in cars with a brushed metal finishes and don’t use metal headphones or have metal TVs?

But, hey, let’s ignore the fact that plastic bodies are lighter, thinner, and don’t interfere with wireless charging, as well as the fact that iPhones have always had a plastic front face, or that even Apple has decided to sell phones with plastic exteriors (maybe those Apple designers just aren’t as smart as you and haven’t figured out your brilliant deduction that plastic is always inferior to metal).

VirtualMark

Lol, I see you have trouble reading, this is from the headline of the article:

Gimmicky, but still the best phone money can buy

Sure, I added the word definitive, but the meaning is still the same as that’s how the headline reads. To be honest, I really have no time for idiots who intentionally argue and misunderstand someone’s point over one word. My point was that this is a technology site, and they should be unbiased. I guess that flew right over your head?

Plastic is a cheaper finish. I really don’t know why you’d argue the case for a plastic case, they are most certainly not thinner! And the plastic iphone is the budget iphone.

chojin999

Please.. the Galaxy S5 the best smartphone… Yeah.. if you like a messed up Android product with no real support either.

conservativemind12

Best phone money can buy??? Maybe I just bought into too much of the hype but;

Metal casing: No.
4000mAh battery: No.
3GB RAM: No.
Revamped TouchWiz: No.
64bit: No.

This will flop, very lazy by Samsung. Disappointed to say the least.

Resilien7

Is there a phone on the market that matches those criteria? If not, then what’s your point?

And, yes, you’ve bought too much into hype. I’m guessing you have no idea why you want a 64-bit phone, but you just want one.

conservativemind12

Well you assume too much, which I’m guessing you do a lot. Samsung spread (and allowed others to spread) rumours about all the above, whether the technology is required for your user experience or not they copped out. That is my problem, this phone is a cop out, not progression, not pushing the boundaries, it might as well be the S4.

David Onter

At the moment the Sony Xperia Z2 is the best phone from the MWC.
+Better Specs (3GB RAM instead of 2, Better Camera,…)
+Better Design

danni111972

Is that a new charger?

Resilien7

You’re most likely seeing the security device that connects the phone to the kiosk.

http://www.mrseb.co.uk/ Sebastian Anthony

Yep, correct.

Stevens Gabriel

amazin

nathan

What a load of crap, barely a single feature not already on an existing device. While every Samsung user is trying to conjure arguements to say their device is better then an iPhone, their phone Manufacturer is at work trying to BE an iPhone LOL

Huff

iPhones have lagged behind the top Android phones for years on many levels. I sure wish Palm had put out better hardware and far sooner. WebOS is by far the best phone OS ever made and iPhone and Android are still playing catch up with many of it’s awesome features.

nathan

Too be honest, iPhone are getting a little stale to me to, i had high hopes for the S5 as i was hoping to switch going by some of the rumours and concepts i saw. Guess it’s back to the drawing board…

Huff

iPhones have lagged behind the top Android phones for years on many levels. I sure wish Palm had put out better hardware and far sooner. WebOS is by far the best phone OS ever made and iPhone and Android are still playing catch up with many of it’s awesome features.

doubledeej

“Best phone money can buy,” huh? If it’s anything like the S4, that’s a statement that is really hard to justify…

I own an iPhone 5S, Galaxy S4, and Nokia 920 as the three smartphones I carry and use daily. And I’ve got to say, the S4 is my least favorite of the bunch, by a really wide margin. Between its frequent (at least daily) unexpected reboots, frequent freezing and stuttering of the UI, and apps that crash regularly it’s extremely frustrating to use. If I’m going to leave one of my three phones home, it’s always the S4. I need something much more reliable.

Huff

My S4 rarely reboots. Maybe once every few weeks but almost always attributable to a particular app. UI never stutters ever. Fast and smooth always. I have a couple games that freeze when started but its always the same games and I’ve had the same problem with those games on other phones. I gave up my iPhone because of constant lock ups and quirks. Have no interest in the 920 and Windows phones leave me cold. Looking for a new phone to replace a family members old Galaxy Nexus. Probably will get another S4. S5 comes out soon but will most likely be costly and doesn’t offer much over the S4 that they would use.

hocestquisumus

It’s not the plastic per se. It’s the combination of cheap looking plastic with that… that… ‘design’. I dunno why they love that form so much. The Note 10.1 2014 looks a lot better but still like a Galaxy. Could have taken a few hints.

hocestquisumus

It’s not the plastic per se. It’s the combination of cheap looking plastic with that… that… ‘design’. I dunno why they love that form so much. The Note 10.1 2014 looks a lot better but still like a Galaxy. Could have taken a few hints.

calden74

I’m not such a fan of the cheap looking plastic either but the funny part about it is, the Aluminum found on iPhones is cheaper to produce than the polycarbonate found on Samsung’s S4 or S5. Food for thought, people think metal equals value but it couldn’t be farthest from the truth. Aluminum is the most abounded and recycled metal in the world, the process that is required to produce a polycarbonate shell isn’t cheap. Though I would have preferred if Samsung would have used a thicker shell like those found on a Nokia Lumia phone.

hatori10

ummmm.. just fyi. This is a phone. Just making sure yall know that.
Ok.. back to the insanity! YAY!!!!

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Depixelating porn: Is it really possible to restore 8-bit genitals to their former glory?

Depixelating porn: Is it really possible to restore 8-bit genitals to their former glory? | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeComputingDepixelating porn: Is it really possible to restore 8-bit genitals to their former glory?Depixelating porn: Is it really possible to restore 8-bit genitals to their former glory?By Sebastian Anthony on February 27, 2014 at 12:22 pmCommentShare This article

As some of you may know, one of the defining features of Japanese porn is that genitals are pixelated. This might seem a little odd, considering the reputation that Japan has for being slightly on the sexually depraved side, but for decades there has been a law that requires all domestic porn to be censored. Unpixelated porn is produced, but because it’s illegal (and actually policed) it’s usually only produced by smaller studios or enterprising sole traders. Now, for the discerning porn watcher, there’s finally another solution: A depixelation machine!

Depixelation is a topic that’s particularly close to ExtremeTech’s heart — not because of porn, you understand, but because of 8-bit art. To this day, an 8-bit depixelation algorithm developed by Microsoft Research was one of the site’s most popular stories of all time. Given how new technologies are nearly always first adopted by the gaming and sex industries, we’re actually rather surprised that it took this long for depixelation machines so long to appear. (And yes, I’m as curious as you about whether these machines could be used to more effectively upscale your old NES games. I’ve emailed one of the machine makers to ask for a review unit, and hope to report back with my findings soon.)

The devices, called mosaic removal machines (???????, mozaiku jyokyo-ki), essentially consist of a video pass-through box with a bunch of knobs on. Sadly, there don’t appear to be any photos of what’s inside these boxes, but given that the boxes sport composite and coaxial input/output, we’re probably not talking about hyper-advanced tech. Going by the labels, it seems you get a targeting reticule that depixelates everything beneath it. It doesn’t appear to automatically target the pixelated regions; instead, you have to move a little joystick around and twiddle a “zoom” knob to match the size of the genital in question. (Read: Just how big are porn sites?)

According to Kotaku, there is a mass debate over whether these machines actually work. (Kotaku also says that Japanese porn is painstakingly censored by hand, earning the highly skilled laborers $15 per hour.) Scientifically speaking, it depends on how the original censorship mosaic is produced. Similar to how Photoshop can de-blur photos if it can work out what camera movement caused the blur, if the pixelation algorithm is known, it might be possible to rebuild the original image. Ultimately, though, the main problem with pixelation is that you can’t recreate data that doesn’t exist; if you imagine that each censored pixel has been replaced by a block of 32×32 pixels, there is no way to recover all 1024 pixels. At best, by analyzing its neighbours and using some other more complex methods, you might get a handful of pixels that are the correct color — at worst, you’ll get just a single pixel of the correct color. So, while this machine might unscramble the mosaic, it won’t miraculously restore the genitals to their original high-definition glory. One Japanese website (which doesn’t contain nudity but isn’t work-safe) claims the de-mosaic device costs almost $900; I really hope that isn’t the case.

As I wrote this story, another possible solution came to mind: Genital replacement. Rather than trying to salvage what little detail is left, it should be possible to write some software that removes the pixelated region, and then splices in a matching organ from a database of porn. It obviously wouldn’t match perfectly, but it would be easy enough to match skin tone, and perhaps a few other features.

The other option, of course, is that Japanese porn watchers should just start appending “uncensored” to their BitTorrent searches.

Tagged In hardwaresoftwaregadgetssocietyfunjapancensorshipcultureporn8-bitdeblurdepixelationShare This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment hugoalves

Putting aside all jokes related with the specific use, I believe it should be possible to remove the pixelation because we are talking about a movie. In a photo you only have a single “frame” to work with, and for that reason it is impossible to “retrieve” information that was removed from the original image. But in a movie, and assuming that the algorithm applied to the image doesn’t destroy the same information every time and in the same way. It should be possible to restore a image very close to the original by analysing the slight differences created by the process in each frame.

http://www.mrseb.co.uk/ Sebastian Anthony

That’s true, I guess!

I think it depends heavily on the algorithm being used to create the mosaic. (And sadly, I don’t have much info about it.)

hugoalves

Putting aside all jokes related with the specific use, I believe it should be possible to remove the pixelation because we are talking about a movie. In a photo you only have a single “frame” to work with, and for that reason it is impossible to “retrieve” information that was removed from the original image. But in a movie, and assuming that the algorithm applied to the image doesn’t destroy the same information every time and in the same way. It should be possible to restore a image very close to the original by analysing the slight differences created by the process in each frame.

Phobos

Going through all that trouble for that? Couldn’t they put that technology to good use instead of depixelating genitals?

Phobos

Going through all that trouble for that? Couldn’t they put that technology to good use instead of depixelating genitals?

Angel Ham

Never underestimate how far a horny man can go to satisfy his urges.

Phobos

spooky

Angel Ham

Well, there’s a reason why the porn industry as a whole has bigger revenues than the NBA, the NFL and the MLB combined :)

5up Mushroom

900 dollars? Seems like a prostitute would be cheaper…

standard

Garbage in, garbage out.
Not pun intended.

FreudSlipped

“Kotaku also says that Japanese porn is painstakingly censored by hand”

Funny

Dustymack

Hahah this is so funny! Never get in the way of a man and his porn….

I can see millions of guys on the other side of this “magical device” trying to put the pieces together on each frame like a jig saw puzzle. They even got the guys from NASA to put in overtime…..

Rob C

I think you are missing the most important point of this Article:

> (Kotaku also says that Japanese porn is painstakingly censored by hand, earning the highly skilled laborers $15 per hour.)

Where do we apply for the Job ?

DannyBoyJr

Finally! I can watch Akira Fubuki in all her penetrated glory! <3

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ET deals: Dell XPS 8700 SE desktop with R9 270 for $1000

ET deals: Dell XPS 8700 SE desktop with R9 270 for $1000 | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeDealsET deals: Dell XPS 8700 SE desktop with R9 270 for $1000ET deals: Dell XPS 8700 SE desktop with R9 270 for $1000By Danny Shain on February 27, 2014 at 5:32 pmCommentShare This article

For serious gamers an elite gaming rig is a necessity, but anyone who’s shopped for one knows that it can get expensive. That’s why we were pretty excited that Dell dropped a huge coupon on a souped up XPS 8700 Special Edition desktop, cutting the price for this unit to $1000 for the first time.

This model packs a 4th-gen Core i7-4770 quad-core processor paired with a 2GB AMD Radeon HD R9 270 graphics card, both of which are high-end specs that will keep your frame rates high on current games. It also packs sufficient RAM and storage, at 16GB DDR3 1600MHz and a 2TB disk alongside a 32GB SSD.

As a mini-tower desktop, you won’t have to find space for a hulking tower, but it’s still easy enough to upgrade your components when you want to. There’s support for four storage bays (that’s three HDDs and one SSD), and while all four RAM slots are in use with the initial 16GB RAM, you can upgrade to as much as 32GB down the line. It’s not likely you’ll need to upgrade for a while if at all, but it’s nice to know it’s easy to do if you really want that extra speed and storage.

In terms of connectivity, a wide variety of ports can be found on both the front, back and top, including 10 USB ports (six USB 3.0), 7.1 channel audio, HDMI, Display Port and a 19-in-1 Card Reader. Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC and Bluetooth 4.0 are also built in, making it easy to connect to your networks and devices wirelessly too.

Dell also includes a keyboard and laser mouse to get you started out of the gate. A 1-year Enhanced Support warranty comes standard too. Right now you can save a whopping $450 with our coupon, so check it out while it lasts.

Dell XPS 8700 desktop with 16GB RAM and AMD R9 270 GPU for $999.99. Apply $300 coupon code NQQ?N0Z1RZJ8B? in shopping cart for total $450 savings.

Tagged In et dealsShare This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment Spleen52

looks pretty good! http://goo.gl/1oWxxM

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