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Samsung Galaxy S5 goes on sale in 125 countries today, with kill-switch to keep it safe

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Samsung has announced that the Samsung Galaxy S5 goes on sale today in 125 countries, along with the new Gear smartwatches. It was already known that it would be launched today in the USA.

The new Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Gear devices – Samsung Gear 2, Samsung Gear 2 Neo, and Samsung Gear Fit – are ready to hit the market in 125 countries in Europe, Middle East, North America, Latin America, and most of Asia.

The S5 has a 5.1-inch full HD display which was declared “the best smartphone display ever tested” by DisplayMate. Other key features include a fingerprint sensor and heartrate monitor. Reviewers considered it an excellent phone, albeit lacking in excitement … 

If you have the Galaxy S4 and are wondering whether it’s worth the upgrade, check out our in-depth comparison.

If you’re picking up yours today, theft may be one less thing to worry about: ZDNet Korea (via BGR) is reporting that the handset is fitted with kill-switch functionality which allows the phone to be fully locked when it is reported stolen. Samsung equipped its Galaxy Note 3 with the same functionality last year.

Smartphone thefts are a growing problem given the high value and easy re-sale. San Francisco reported a 23 percent year-on-year rise in cellphone thefts, for example, and even New York City – which has made the problem a major focus – still saw a 6 percent rise.

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