14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung launched the Galaxy S6 a few months ago, but if you’re still rocking a previous-generation Galaxy S5, then we have some good news for you today.
T-Mobile has just started rolling out the Android 5.1.1 update for the Galaxy S5 in the US (as seen at Sam Mobile).
So if you have purchased last year’s Samsung flagship under this carrier, you will now be able to take advantage of the latest software, which is currently available only for a handful of devices.
For the time being, we’re not exactly sure what changes are to be included in the new update, but if we had to guess, we’d say that we’re going to see some performance improvements, bug fixes, and a whole new slew of camera-bound capabilities.
The official changelog is not available to us just yet
The new update will most likely bestow RAW support (the HTC One M9 and LG G4 already take advantage of this functionality) and lower ISO value numbers if you’re using a third-party camera app that makes use of Lollipop’s camera API.
The update should become available over-the-air (OTA) later today, but if you don’t see it arrive on your Galaxy S5, don’t freak out just yet. You have two options: you can wait a few days, because these updates roll out in stages and some units might get it later than others, based on your location, or you can update via Samsung Kies.
Last year’s Galaxy S5 was one of Samsung’s most criticized smartphones and proved to be a major flop in terms of sales. Most people argued that the Galaxy S5 didn’t really seem like a premium device, making use of the same plastic materials, as opposed to other competing flagships on the market.
Samsung’s own TouchWiz was also accused of being over-cluttered, which put a toll on the overall performance of the device. On the other hand, the handset offered the possibility to remove the battery and a microSD card slot for memory expansion, two aspects which are missing from the new Galaxy S6.
That’s why there are customers out there who still prefer and hold on to the Galaxy S5, and with Android 5.1.1 the phone is bound to get even better.