Aaron Halbert - Samsung Galaxy S5: The 100% Unofficial User Guide

Contents at a Glance

Detailed Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

Thank you for purchasing Samsung Galaxy S5: The 100%Unofficial User Guide! This book is designed to help you unlock thepotential of your S5 regardless of your previous Android experience. If yourebrand new to Android, you will find that everything is explained from theground up. If you already know your way around an Android device and arelooking for S5-specific information, you can easily skip straight to theintermediate and advanced chapters.

Click any underlined text to jump to a new section of thisbook. External URLs (starting with http://) are links to websites rather thanlocations in this book. If you are reading this book on a tablet, phone, or computer,you can also click http:// links to open them in your web browser.

However, if youre using an e-ink Kindle device like thePaperwhite, your web browser wont be capable of opening most external linksand youll need to type the URL into your computer or other device.

To make this easier, I give you a short link (e.g., http://goo.gl/8Z3Uww) for long or complicatedexternal URLs. These are much quicker to type and will take you to the same place.

Structure of the Book

In Chapter 2, , Ibriefly recount the history of the Galaxy S series. I explain whats new in theGalaxy S5 and what has stayed the same.

Chapter 3, , guides youthrough initial setup and helps you get your S5 up and running.

Chapter 4, ,is a Galaxy S5 crash course for first-time Android users.

Chapters 5-7, , are the core chapters of this book andcumulatively build your knowledge and skills with the Galaxy S5.

Chapter 8, ,provides brief explanations and reviews of the apps that come pre-loaded on theS5. In some cases, I suggest alternatives.

In Chapter 9, , I recommend my 50 most-used third-party apps (i.e., apps that do notcome pre-loaded on the Galaxy S5). All of these apps are very high quality andwill appeal to many different types of users. This chapter includes theentirety of my book, The 50 All-Time Best Android Apps.

Finally, in Chapter 10, , I review the types of accessories available for the Galaxy S5,provide examples, and make some recommendations.

Why Buy This Book?

Although its possible to learn the Galaxy S5s featuresthrough online research and experimentation, its a lot easier and faster touse this book. It consolidates everything you need to know in one place andpresents the information in a logical and sequential fashion that you wontfind anywhere else.

In this book, I will tell you how each and every app andfeature works, but I wont stop there. I will also tell you which areworthwhile and which are gimmicks. I will suggest third-party alternatives thatI trust. You will benefit from my years of experience with Android and othermobile platforms.

Other authors might assume that you already understand coreconcepts, which can lead to confusion and frustration. On the other hand, Imake as few assumptions as possible and explain everything from the ground up. But,I believe all of my readers are smart and capable. I wont baby you; I willteach you.

I have organized this book so that you can read itcover-to-cover, or just open it to the page you need. Its full of hyperlinks,so you can easily jump around and find the information youre looking for.

Simply put, if you are a brand new Android user and youdont know the Play Store from the App Drawer, this book will teach you fromfirst principles. If you already know and love Android, this book will teachyou all the particular ins and outs of the Galaxy S5.

Who Am I?

Who am I, and what are my qualifications?

First, I am a power user and enthusiast. I have ownedand used nearly 10 different Android devices since Android first hit the marketin 2008 on the T-Mobile G1. I have pushed each one to its limits, both in stockand rooted configurations, and I have taught countless others to do the same.In the decade before Android hit the market, I used numerous Windows Mobile andPalm OS phones and PDAs. In fact, I got my first one in 2002. I have writtenfor several enthusiast websites, including one popular one that I started,owned, and ran in the early 2000s. This aint my first rodeo.

I am also the author of Samsung Galaxy Note 3: The100% Unofficial User Guide, a bestselling and well-reviewed guide to theNote 3. Check it out on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1494832631/

The possibilities offered by the Galaxy S5 and othercurrent Android phones are absolutely amazing. The first smartphones werelittle more than glorified day planners; today, the Galaxy S5 can do nearly anytask that your home computer or laptop can doif you know how to use it.

If you want to make the most of your Galaxy S5, read thisguide.