It has been almost two years since my iPhone 5 was stolen. It is a day that I revisit in my head over and over. I cannot say I was happy that four months into a three year contract, I found myself without a smartphone. In no position to buy a replacement right away, I bought a starter Samsung Discovery phone and prayed that it would get me through the day. It did serve the bare minimum purpose of accepting calls, downloading emails and searching the internet. But it lacked the ability to really use it for social media shares on Twitter and Instagram. I could check my Facebook feed fairly easily but the most painful thing was to write either status update or a simple text message. I hate texting. If you know me, you know I would rather have a conversation than text a message. That is all due to that stupid little phone.
Many will say (*cough Paula) that I should have just bit the bullet and bought another smartphone or bought my way out of my contract. I couldn’t do it. I could not give in to my own stupidity for putting it down and walking away in the Men’s department at Macy’s in Chicago. I knew I had to pay the price for being irresponsible (or at least that is the life lesson I wanted to teach my kids).
So I waited it out. I waited and cursed the day I agreed to go to Chicago to find a grad dress for my daughter’s grade 8 graduation.
Fast forward 18 months later and I find myself in a conversation with the fine people at TELUS. We had met years ago at a conference and again at WeDay 2013. I have been a customer since 2003 and have been a fan since I was an employee 15 years ago. I have kept loyal to the company that I worked for six years in Edmonton. I love TELUS, I cannot lie. I did not want to switch suppliers and I have, in fact, added my daughter’s phone to my plan. Lucky for her, she has managed to keep her iPhone 5 intact and with her for the last two years. She now helps me with my blog and has become a VA for other bloggers so she is constantly on her phone too.
My patience and loyalty have been rewarded when I received a Samsung Galaxy S5 Active to use and review for TELUS. I could not be any happier. I had a new phone and it was a really, really smartphone (not just a functional, practical phone). I was ecstatic with the exception of one thing, there are so many great apps + GPS + Netflix + … + … + … that I went over my data plan by double what I usually use. And I did it in about 10 days. Gulp. Here is how this all started.
After receiving my brand new Samsung Galaxy S5 Active, I was eager to find out what cool features there were to ‘play’ with. I went into my local TELUS store and bought two things: a case for my phone and a screen protector. Although my GS5A comes with a harder shell and is dust, shock and ‘water resistant’ (it can be immersed in up to one metre of water for 30 minutes – earning it an IP67 rating), I still wanted a case that would protect it should I drop it accidentally.
What I really wanted was a tether that I could attached to my wrist so I would put down the phone and walk away but never lose it. This is highly unlikely to happen with my new phone. One of the main reasons is the size of it, with a 5.1” screen is is larger than most phones but smaller than a Samsung MEGA or Note. It is larger most but I like that feature.
As I sat down for my phone tutorial with my Learning Specialist (a dedicated employee that sits with you to teach you how to use your smartphone – smarter), he let me know a bit more about the phone and what it is capable of. He also took the time to listen to my everyday needs and set it up accordingly. We discussed what should be on the home screen, apps that I think might be useful and different tricks that I can use to extend my battery life.
When you set up your personalized appointment, they ask what you are interested in learning and how you plan on using the phone. This service is absolutely free and is something everyone should use (even if you have had a smartphone for years). Every new phone brings one more trick that can make your experience 10x better. So make sure that you book your appointment. Write down a bunch of questions and ask away… I promise you, they will be helpful.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active Features
This phone has a few things that make it a workhorse:
- Adaptive viewing lets you see clearly in any light
- The high-resolution 5.1” full HD Super AMOLED screen adjusts brightness and contrast levels automatically according to light conditions. Wide viewing angles help you see your screen easily
- The 16-megapixel camera gives you multiple options such as what to focus on and what to blur, and other selections so your pictures are always brilliant
- Processor and network speeds that let you work fast. You don’t have a lot of time for paperwork when you’re out on a job. This smartphone helps you take care of business quickly. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is purpose-built for the nationwide TELUS LTE network, featuring a quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM.
- Emergency Low Power Mode disables non-essential features to keep your phone active for up to 2.4 days with just 10% battery.
Safety Assistance is designed to help users when they need it most - With a rugged IP67 certification, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active is built for the great outdoors. it’s also MIL-STA-810G certified, making the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active salt, dust, humidity, rain, vibration, solar radiation and thermal shock resistant
- In my experience, the Samsung battery does not drain nearly as quickly, I can use this phone for the whole day without a re-charge
- Any Samsung phone has the capacity to expand the memory so that I can keep more pictures, documents or data right on the phone. An iPhone can’t add memory like that. I do use cloud computing but I have come to realize (through my large data bill), that you may just want to work on the phone and not in a cloud. Its ability to expand its memory was a key factor in me staying with Samsung and away from Apple.
As a blogger, you know that I take A LOT OF PICTURES and videos. So the biggest kick I got out of the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active was the ability to take videos and pictures quickly, easily and to be an ‘expert’ at editing them with just a few different apps. When I was at the TELUS store the Learning Specialist was able to make suggestions as to which apps would be helpful for me. When I set up the appointment, I was able to tell them what I wanted to focus on: social media and all that goes with it is what I told them.
I need to be able to take a pictures, post it on Instagram, share it on Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Facebook. I need to be able to share content, update client accounts and write blog posts on the fly right from my phone. These are not the only apps that I use often, I also open PDF files or documents and update my calendar to see what is on the go for work and my family. There are so many useful apps that you can add to your smartphone. One of the first apps I added was the We365 app developed by TELUS in collaboration with Me to We. You can read more about that particular app in this We365 App blog post.
As I get older (what a lame excuse but alas the truth), I find that I want to have a bigger screen with larger font to make it easier for me to read. I don’t have a problem with large fonts. Although my daughter loves to tease me (and occasionally re-configure my phone), I often have the backlight nice and bright to easy eye-strain.
The idea of having a phone that just takes calls, messages and send the occasional text was a non-starter. I needed speed, power, easy of use and a great little mini-processor. I got all of that and more in my SGS5A. As you can see below, I love working with the picture editing features that can let you add texture, text and effects.
The thing about a smartphone is that it is inherently smart. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active has a voice activated assistant (similar to Apple’s Siri). It can help you call someone, find directions or tell you where the nearest TELUS store is. All you have to do is ask. You can also have your monthly calendar set up as one of your screens. You can have the weather displayed or keep track of how many steps you’ve taken today (like a pedometer). Every app that you can find on a Apple iPhone can easily be found on a Samsung Galaxy Android device. Let’s be realistic, all the main apps that you use (not the uber-obscure ones) can be found in the Google Play Store and sometimes there are extra bells & whistles made just for Android phones.
I am truly in love with my new phone and I cannot possibly image being without it.
Disclosure: I was provided a Smartphone of the purpose of this product review. All opinions are 100% my own. I was thrilled to work with TELUS and as I stated before, I am a loyal customer.
Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.
I switched from an iPhone to a Samsung S4 almost a year ago. I still miss the ease of use of the iPhone but the camera on the Samsung is amazing.
I wish we had a carrier up here like Telus! I have heard nothing but great things about them. We are limited to pretty much limited to one carrier here (especially if you want an in store experience).
Also expandable memory is huge!! Huge!! It should be a standard. I am roughly 1-2 years into a contract. I am currently using two phones because I am enjoying an android LGG3 but I have not been able to get it to sync perfectly as does my iPhone so since my iPhone is almost full of pix and such and the memory is used up I feel like this feature expandable memory should be standard for all phones. Apple needs to pick up on that feature.
This is a message for Telus from Paula Schuck. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving this lady a phone to manage her social media with. She was making me insane with this I lost my iPhone so I better pay the price and wait it out on the old contract business. This lady, also my business partner is much more efficient and fast with the new phone so perhaps it was worth it. But anyways…I think you helped to save my sanity so thank you. That is all.
Sounds like a pretty fabulous phone!!! I have the Galaxy note and omg love ittttt!!! Samsung makes pretty awesome phones!!!
I love that picture in the beginning. You look so happy. I have an iPhone and I cant leave it but my husband LOVES his S5. Maybe if I had someone who knew more about the products I would not have returned my Note 3 two days after I got it for another iPhone.
You brought up a point that I hate about my iPhone, the inability to add memory to it. That irritates me to no end! I’m glad you found something that made a great replacement for your lost one.
I found there’s definitely a learning curve to using a the Android phone after being an Iphone user for awhile. It’s great that they have someone to help you out!
I guess I never had an iPhone long enough to believe it is the bomb! All I know is expanding the memory was a HUGS bonus.
Sounds like a great phone! I’ll have to check it out the next time I’m in the market for one. And I honestly can’t even imagine your feelings when your phone was taken! We have become so reliant on them!!
Yes, it was heartbreaking when that happened. More because I knew I now had a smartphone with all that that entails.
Like they say – if one is gone – something comes in – in a much better state, too. Isn’t that awesome? 🙂
You are right. I am grateful for the generosity of TELUS.
I also once lost a phone and had to cancel my old plan, switch network just to get a new phone. It was great that you had a samsung galaxy S5. It’s such an awesome phone with all its top of the line features.
Franc, my favorite feature is the phone. It takes AMAZING pictures and videos. Very helpful to adding new videos to my blog, that’s for sure.
I am so sorry that your phone was stolen. I switched from iphone to the S5 recently, and I couldn’t be happier. All of the glitches with the ios updates were such an annoyance; there haven’t been any issues with my Samsung. It is great to hear that you love your new phone, too!
There are so many things to learn when you get a new phone! Sometimes it can be super overwhleming I am glad you shared this! I will send the link to my cousin who just got this phone!
Thanks so much for sharing it with your cousin. I hope they learn something new from the review.
I love that smartphones are so functional now. It’s amazing that we’ve come to rely so heavily on our phones to do so many things other than making phone calls.
Honestly, I use mine more like a computer than a phone. It has those capabilities to let you work on the fly. Love that feature.
Woo-hoo, welcome to the Samsung family! I love my S5! As a blogger, it has been invaluable to me!
I know, right?
Having my phone stolen is seriously my NIGHTMARE! My dad has this phone, he was actually just showing it to us tonight over christmas eve eve dinner….he LOVES it!
It was hard for me to switch from iPhone to an android phone. I didn’t become an android fan until I got my Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Samsung really does make great phones.
They do, right? I like the different sizes and the camera on my new phone is MARVELOUS. Any app that you use on an iPhone, you can also download for Android. Its just becoming the norm not the exception.
Great post. I am an iPhone gal, so is everyone in my family, never had any other type of phone before.
I understand that… we have iPhones, Samsung and Blackberry. We are all pretty loyal to the brands that we have for our own reasons but you have no idea what you may be missing with an Android. Best thing is you can add memory and it keeps its charge longer (that is my experience).
I’m so sorry you lost your iPhone 5, but it seems like you like your new phone better. Its very nice that TELUS has a person that sits down with you to teach you how to use your phone..
Having a learning specialist sit with me and explain everything was so great. Even if I had more questions I could make another appointment or drop by if they weren’t busy!
Heather, these Smartphones can make you feel so dumb sometimes. But it is so worth having someone help you understand how to really use a phone well (so you can be productive). It’s not just a toy for you r kids.
Oh Margarita you are such a lucky lady! I’m an android family girl – but I’ve the outdated S3. Thanks for the information so I know what to look forward to someday (hopefully soon! :D)
Tanya, my daughter has a S3 and that’s the reason I went with an Android phone. I love the ease of using one. I am lucky though.
Love this post. I am a big Telus fan and long time customer. Thanks for the info we will be in the market for a new phone soon and this certainly helps make the decision easy.
Mary… how nice to see you drop by and comment. I hope all is well. I am a big fan of the phone. Just know it is large so if you don’t want a big one, there are smaller versions. My Active is meant for more rugged use. But TELUS has a great selection of phones and other fun electronic gadgets (Fitbits, Mophies, Portable chargers… lots of things).
This was so helpful to me. I am am iPhone girl and have no idea about any other phones out there or how they work.
In this day and age, most phones have the same functionality whether the areceive iPhones or Android based. It’s more about the features that are available.