I hesitated to put this in writing but here goes.. my 40th birthday is in October.   I didn’t think that turning 40 was going to be a big deal – until a few weeks ago when I realized my birthday was just a couple of months away and I am turning 40!  Before I explain how this milestone makes me feel, you should know that I am not a fan of resolutions.  I never make them.  I consider myself to be a realist and I don’t believe in making resolutions because I don’t feel like they’re realistic and I don’t commit to something I don’t intend on following through with 100% and I know better than to commit to working out everyday or losing 30 pounds in two months.  Not going to happen.

That being said, I’m beginning to think that turning 40 could spark some life changes.  I won’t go into detail on what those changes would be because I will be the first to admit that I am SCARED of being held accountable for something I say I’m going to do and not following through with it.   I’ll just say that the Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport and a new pair of sneakers may be playing a part in those changes.  Well actually, they already are.

The Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport is possibly the best Galaxy yet with refinements including a more-responsive 16-megapixel camera with simplified access to controls and filters, a battery built to survive long hikes, power outages, or nights in the baby’s room, and a brilliant display that allows for great visibility even in the sun.

I have been using the Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport for a few weeks and I am very impressed with the unique built-in health features/apps that Sprint is excited to be able to share with its customers through collaboration with Samsung Telecommunications and health and fitness market leaders Under Armour and MapMyFitness as well as its incredible camera.

As a Sprint Ambassador, I was given the opportunity to test the Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport.  Designed with fitness in mind, the Galaxy S 5 combines a rugged but classy exterior, long battery life, an awesome 5.1-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, physical buttons, and native fitness apps to support your health and fitness goals.

Apps and Features for the Health & Fitness Minded

The Galaxy S 5 Sport combines Samsung’s S Health app, Under Armor’s MapMyFitness and Sprint’s new Fit Live service to promote good health. An Activity Zone app also offers quick access to features like a compass and stopwatch.  Sprint includes a 12-month subscription to MapMyFitness MVP and six months of free Spotify Premium.

MapMyFitness comes in handy for cycling. Using the app, my son could see how many calories he burned during a ride.  The S 5’s ‘S Health’ app has a heart rate monitor and stress monitor.  The stress monitor has been great for giving my kids a visual representation, besides my bright red nose, when they are stressing me out. Through the app, I can show the kids when my heart rate is elevated and then they know it’s time to chill out.  Having a visual of the difference between mom when she’s not stressed and mom when she is stressed has definitely had an impact.

Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport Design

The Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport is 5.7 inches x 2.9 inches, weighs 5.6 ounces and sports an impressive 5.1-inch Full HD Super AMOLED® display.   I’m a shorty so I have small hands and can comfortably use the Galaxy S 5 Sport with one hand.  There is actually a One-handed operation setting in the Settings app that allows me to toggle the function on and off easily.   If you’re prone to dropping phones, you’ll love the textured, rubberized body of the Galaxy S 5 Sport.  The physical navigation buttons, multi-tasking, home, and back, make switching between apps and browsing the internet so much easier than on some mobile devices.   I had to invest in a pair of smartphone gloves a couple of years ago, in order to use my old device while wearing gloves in the winter but the Galaxy S 5’s physical navigation buttons do away with the need for gloves.  IP67 water and dust resistant, the S 5 Sport lets paparazzi-like parents (that’s you and I) take photos of our kids while at the beach, pool, or lake, without having to worry about the occasional splash or drop into the water.

Speaking of photos…  Paparazzi-parents need lots of storage space on their smartphone.  The Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport comes with 16GB internal memory and has a MicroSD card slot that supports up to 128GB.  I’ll never have to worry about running out of space while shooting video at my son’s lacrosse game or my daughter’s ballet recital again!   A lot of people don’t take advantage of the SD card slot on smartphones but they should!  You can buy an SD card almost anywhere and just slide it in the slot and wahlah, your phone has tons of space!

The 3.5mm stereo headset jack is standard so you can continue to use your favorite earbuds or headphones.  I’ve been using a wireless Bluetooth headset to listen to music and audiobooks on my Galaxy S 5 Sport.

Color options are Electric Blue and Cherry Red. I am not a huge fan of bright colors but the Electric Blue has grown on me.  The default keyboard has numbers at the top so I don’t have to click a shift-type button before entering numbers, great for my crazy passwords that are made up of capital letters, numbers and symbols.  No more going back and forth between letter, number, and symbol screens.

Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport Camera

Taking photos of the kids, flowers, and the puppy has never been so fun!  The Galaxy S 5 Sport’s camera is a winner. The controls are responsive and images are sharp, clear, and natural looking.   The camera shutter is very fast so I can take even more photos of the kids!

Shooting photos of the kids in dim light or bright sunlight on a smartphone can be cumbersome but the HDR (high dynamic range) mode spiffs up photos in these situations without any extra work on the user’s part.  Taking a photo in HDR mode on the Galaxy S 5 Sport doesn’t cause a lag like some smartphones.  The Galaxy S 5 Sport takes less than a fraction of a second to snap a great quality photo but if you’re not sure you want to use the storage space on your phone for HDR photos, it shows you a preview of what a photo will look like in HDR mode before you shoot.

The “gear” icon on the top left of the viewfinder opens a 27-button menu of image-quality settings, while the Mode button takes you to a half-dozen effects with the ability to download even more including ‘Animated Photo’ and ‘Sound & Shot’.

The camera mode I had the most fun with, although not always consistent in result, is Shot and More.  This mode takes a series of photos a few seconds apart. You can do several things in this mode. My favorite Shot & More mode is ‘panning shot’ which is what I used to take the photograph above.  Other Shoot & More apps include Best Face, Eraser (erases the photo bombing stranger in the background), and Best Photo (chooses the best photo in a series).

The Galaxy S 5’s ‘Studio’ app gives users access to a a complete photo and video editing suite.

Samsung Galaxy S 5 Specs and Features

• Android™ 4.4.2, KitKat
• 2.5GHz quad-core processor (Qualcomm® Snapdragon® MSM8974AB chipset)
• 3G/4G LTE mobile hotspot capability supporting up to 10 Wi-Fi® enabled devices simultaneously
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth BT 4.0
• Built-in Google Mobile™ wireless services including Google Search™, Gmail™ and Google Maps™
• HD Voice, virtually eliminates background noise and sound quality is dramatically enhanced on a call between two Sprint HD Voice-enabled devices on upgraded areas of the Sprint network.
• Multi Window allows users to seamlessly toggle between applications without closing a window or opening a new page
• NFC (near field communication) allowing the device to read information from everyday objects, such as stickers and posters embedded with NFC chips, or for use as a mobile wallet to make secure purchases.
• Sprint Spark, a unique combination of advanced network capabilities built for data delivering peak wireless speeds of 60Mbps today on capable devices.

Below is a demonstration of the Galaxy S 5’s Multi Window funtion

How has the Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport Helped Me?

Since having the Samsung Galaxy S 5, I have literally spent 60% more time exercising than before.  I really calculated it.  I was walking once in the morning or evening but now I do both and a little speedier than before because I can listen to music that is super energizing and new to me via Spotify.  Sure, I have thousands of songs in my personal music library but it’s different when you hear songs that you haven’t heard before or from way back.. they get the adrenaline pumping!  Between Spotify and the fitness apps, I’ve been way more motivated to go for a walk or ride our stationary bike.   I, like you, am a busy parent and have a difficult time taking time for myself even when it comes to doing something for my health.  The Samsung Galaxy S 5, being an all-in-one device in that it gives me access to thousands of songs, a heart rate monitor, pedometer, and even a sleep tracker makes it easy for me to pick up just this one device and know I’m covered on many different levels.  Not to mention the amazing camera… as if I was going to take a selfie while exercising.  That’ll be the day. 🙂

Tracking my steps using MapMyFitness and listening to energetic tunes from Spotify get me going on my fitness journey from getting dressed to taking that last sweaty step.

Here are a few more photographs I took with my Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport

The Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport has a suggested retail price of $649.99 without a contract. With Sprint Easy Pay, well-qualified buyers can purchase Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport with $0 down (plus tax) and 24 monthly payments of $27.09. Visit Sprint for more information.

In The Box

• Samsung Galaxy S 5 Sport
• Standard Lithium Ion Battery
• Headset
• AC Adapter
• USB Cable
• Get Started Guide
• Important Information Booklet
• Wireless Recycling Envelope

Save Money With The Sprint Family Share Pack

Sprint introduces new shared data plans that offer double the high-speed data at the same or lower price as compared to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.  For a Family up to 10 lines, get 20GB of Shared Data and Unlimited Talk & Text for only $100 a month.  It really doesn’t matter if your family is 3, 5, or 10 people, you will get at least 20GB of shared data and your monthly charge will be $100.

Read more #SprintMom posts here.