The Galaxy S5, the successor to technology giant, Samsung's Galaxy S4 will hit the market from April 11, 2014.

The device will officially be available for purchase after it was unveiled at an impressive launch in Barcelona, Spain on Monday, February 24.

The launch of the flagship device, took place at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona [CCIB] at an event dubbed ‘Unpacked 5’.

About 2,000 delegates attended the unveiling of the Galaxy S5 device that comes with a new design [back panel now being perforated], an improved user interface, faster processors, improved camera and a Heart Rate Sensor.

According to Samsung, the new device will be available for purchase in 150 countries from April 11.

Business leader for handheld products at Samsung, Ghana, Mr. Jaspreet Singh told Myjoyonline.com in an interview that Ghanaians will also be able to purchase the Galaxy S5 on the April 11 date.

‘New features’

The new features of the Galaxy S5 include a IP67 certification that makes it Dust and Water-Resistant, a Fingerprint Scanner [for improved security], a Heart Rate Sensor [placed near the 16-megapixel camera].

The Galaxy S5 will be shipped with Android 4.4.2 KitKata and it will also feature a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1080x1920 pixel full-HD resolution. This is powered by an unnamed 2.5GHz quad-core processor coupled with 2GB of RAM. The Galaxy S5 will be available in 16GB and 32GB variants, with microSD card expandability up to 64GB.

The Galaxy S5 bears a 16-megapixel rear camera with HDR for video as well, and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera. The rear camera can record UHD video at 30fps along with HDR and video stabilization functionality. Underneath the rear camera is the Heart Rate Sensor.

The new device’s camera comes with the world’s fastest camera Auto Focus [AF] feature at an impressive 0.3 seconds.

‘Faster downloads’

For connectivity, the new Galaxy S5 comes with 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO functionality, ANT+, Bluetooth 4.0, USB3.0, NFC, and Infrared remote functionality. It also has a Download Booster which combines LTE and Wi-Fi for super-fast downloads.

‘Longer battery and usage life’

The all new Galaxy S5 comes with a 2800mAh battery to deliver 21 hours of talk time, and 390 hours of standby time. An interesting feature is that, with the all new Ultra Power Saving Mode feature, the Galaxy S5 can last up to 24 hours with just 10 percent battery life.

The smartphone weighs in at 145 grams (slightly heavier than the Galaxy S4), and has dimensions of 142x72.5x8.1mm (slightly thicker than the S4's 7.9mm).

The Galaxy S5 will arrive in four colour variants - Charcoal Black, Shimmery White, Electric Blue and Copper Gold. The handset is compatible with Samsung Gear Fit, which is Samsung’s first curved, Super AMOLED health-focused wristband.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 also comes with the latest and updated Samsung KNOX security software to keep the user's data safe.

Some of the pre-loaded Google service available in the handset are Chrome, Drive, Photos, Gmail, Google, Google+, Google Settings, Hangouts, Maps, Play Books, Play Games, Play Newsstand, Play Movie & TV, Play Music, Play Store, Voice Search and YouTube.