Samsung inches forward with Galaxy S5 update

“Samsung is betting big on wellness, fingerprint reading and camera autofocus, while keeping a very similar look and feel for its hardware and software."

After announcing its latest incarnation the Galaxy S5 at Mobile World Congress yesterday, analyst firm Ovum believes Samsung's challenge lies in convincing current users to upgrade.

“The updates are very minor such that on first glance most consumers would be hard pressed to notice that it has changed from the previous version," says Nick Dillon, senior analyst, Ovum.

"Still, this should come as no great surprise, given the maturity of the smartphone market and the pressure on the Samsung not to mess with its winning formula.

"Samsung reminded us quite how successful this formula has been, noting that it has sold 200 million Galaxy S devices since launching the franchise in 2010.

“Instead, Samsung has focused on a small number of enhancements with the S5. The challenge for Samsung will be to convince existing users to upgrade to a handset that offers little more than its predecessor or to attract new buyers while its predecessor remain in market.

“What is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the device is what Samsung did not announce, effectively putting to bed a number of rumors. These included suggestions that the device would either be running Tizen OS or that it would be using a “pure” Google version of Android.

"That it has neither tells us both that Tizen is unlikely to see a major handset launch this year and that Google and Samsung are still operating at arm’s length.”