Chapter 1
Exploring What You Can Do with Your Phone
Reviewing the basic capabilities of just about any cellphone
Understanding what sets smartphones apart
Mapping out what makes Samsung Galaxy S 5 phones so cool
Whether you want just the basics from a phone (make and take phone calls, customize your ringtone, take some pictures, maybe use a Bluetooth headset) or you want your phone to be always by your side (a tool for multiple uses throughout your day), you can make that happen. In this chapter, I outline all the things your phone can do — from the basics, to what makes Galaxy S 5 phones different from the rest.
Throughout the remainder of the book, I walk you through the steps you need to take to get your phone doing what makes you the happiest.
Discovering the Basics of Your Phone
All cellphones on the market today include basic functions, and even some entry-level phones are a little more sophisticated. Of course, Samsung includes all basic functions on the Galaxy S 5 model. In addition to making and taking calls (see Chapter 3) and sending and receiving texts (see Chapter 4), the Galaxy S 5 sports the following basic features:
- 16MP digital camera: This resolution is more than enough for posting good-quality images on the Internet and even having 4" x 6" prints made.
- Ringtones: You can replace the standard ringtone with custom ringtones that you download to your phone. You also can specify different rings for different numbers.
- Bluetooth: The Galaxy S 5 phone supports stereo and standard Bluetooth devices. (See Chapter 3 for more on Bluetooth.)
- High-resolution screen: The Galaxy S 5 phone offers one of the highest-resolution touchscreens on the market (1920×1080 pixels).
- Capacitive touchscreen: The Galaxy S 5 phone offers a very slick touchscreen that’s sensitive enough to allow you to interact with the screen accurately, but not so sensitive that it’s hard to manage. In addition, it has an optional setting that steps up the sensitivity in case you want to use your phone while wearing gloves!
Taking Your Phone to the Next Level: The Smartphone Features
In addition to the basic capabilities of any entry-level cellphone, the Galaxy S 5 phone, which is based on the popular Android platform for mobile devices, has capabilities associated with other smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone and the phones based on the Windows Phone 8 operating system:
- Internet access: Access websites through a web browser on your phone.
- Photos: The phone comes with a camera that has millions of combinations of settings, filters, and resolutions, but it also has the capability to manage photos.
- Wireless e-mail: Send and receive e-mail from your phone.
- Multimedia: Play music and videos on your phone.
- Contact Manager: The Galaxy S 5 phone lets you take shortcuts that save you from having to enter someone’s ten-digit number each time you want to call or text a friend. In fact, the Contact Manager can track all the numbers that an individual might have, store an e-mail address and photo for the person, and synchronize with the program you use for managing contacts on both your personal and work PCs!
- Digital camcorder: The Galaxy S 5 phone comes with a built-in digital camcorder that records live video at a resolution that you can set, including UHD (ultra-high definition, which is just now becoming available on the newest televisions).
- Mapping and directions: The Galaxy S 5 phone uses the GPS (Global Positioning System) in your phone to tell you where you are, find local services that you need, and give you directions to where you want to go.
- Fitness information: The Galaxy S 5 phone automatically tracks important health information within the phone and with external sensors.
- Business applications: The Galaxy S 5 can keep you productive while you’re away from the office.
I go into each of these capabilities in greater detail in the following sections.
Internet access
Until a few years ago, the only way to access the Internet when you were away from a desk was with a laptop. Smartphones are a great alternative to laptops because they’re small, convenient, and ready to launch their web browsers right away. Even more important, when you have a smartphone, you can access the Internet wherever you are — whether Wi-Fi is available or not.
The drawback to smartphones, however, is that their screen size is smaller than that of even the most basic laptop. On the Galaxy S 5 phone, you can use the standard version of a website if you want. You can pinch and stretch your way to get the information you want — see Chapter 2 for more information on pinching and stretching. For more information on accessing the Internet from your Galaxy S 5 phone, turn to Chapter 7.
To make things a bit easier, many popular websites offer an easier-to-use app that you can download and install on your phone. This is discussed in detail in Chapter 8. Essentially the app reformats the information from the site so that it’s easier to read and navigate in the mobile environment. Figure 1-1 compares a regular website with the app version of that website.
Photos
The image application on your phone helps you use the digital camera on your Galaxy S 5 phone to its full potential. (It would almost make sense to call the Samsung Galaxy S 5 a smartcamera with a built-in cellphone!)
Studies have found that cellphone users tend to snap a bunch of pictures within the first month of phone usage. After that, the photos sit on the phone (instead of being downloaded to a computer), and the picture-taking rate drops dramatically.
The Galaxy S 5 phone image management application is different. You can integrate your camera images into your home photo library, as well as photo-sharing sites such as Picasa and Flickr, with minimal effort.
For more on how to use the Photo applications, you can turn to Chapter 9.
Wireless e-mail
On your Galaxy smartphone, you can access your business and personal e-mail accounts, reading and sending e-mail messages on the go. Depending on your e-mail system, you might be able to sync so that when you delete an e-mail on your phone, the e-mail is deleted on your computer at the same time so you don’t have to read the same messages on your phone and your computer.
Chapter 6 covers setting up your business and personal e-mail accounts.
Multimedia
Some smartphones allow you to play music and videos on your phone in place of a dedicated MP3 or video player. On the Galaxy S 5 phone, you can use the applications that come with the phone, or you can download applications that o...
