Samsung's phones offer many gesture-based features such as Smart Stay and Smart Pause, and the Galaxy S5 might come with even more advanced gesture control functionality, according to a patent application filed by Samsung. The patent listing describes things such as a nod of the head and a wink being used to carry out a particular function – for example, the phone would go back to the last webpage in a browser if a head movement to the left is detected, and to the next page on a nod to the right side.
Detection of which way the user's head moves would be done by dividing the image received by the camera into various section, then observing the change in a particular section to carry out a specific function. The patent's publication date is only two days old but it was filed way back in July last year, so it does look like the Galaxy S5 could come with advanced gesture controls that go way beyond what is available on devices right now. Of course, the new features will likely be as hit-and-miss as current ones, but then again, that has never stopped Samsung from piling on more and more “smart” functionality, has it?
