Samsung Galaxy S5 Crystal Edition Brings the Bling

Does the Galaxy S5's plastic chassis look too cheap for your liking? The upcoming Crystal edition ups the bling factor. Samsung has teamed up with Swarovski to make a bedazzled cover for the smartphone that is sure to turn heads. The Crystal S5 will launch in South Korea in May and a price has yet to be announced.

In a 12-second video published by Samsung Korea's YouTube channel, the phone maker teased an S5 decked out with black Swarovski crystals on its back. It's not clear if the shiny S5 will have the same plastic chassis as its predecessor and have crystals slapped on it, or if the build material will be more premium.

Samsung has partnered with the jewelry-maker several times in the past, offering spangly takes on the Galaxy S3 mini, S4 and Note 3 in countries such as Germany, Thailand and South Korea. Whether the jeweled covers will make it stateside isn't certain yet.

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While Samsung hasn't released any details on the crystal S5's specs, nothing is expected to be different from the regular S5 other than a flashier back cover and higher price.

Luxe versions of flagship phones are becoming more common. Samsung has previously released gold flavors of its Galaxy S4, while HTC offers its One smartphone in a 24K gold-plated variant.

In our Galaxy S5 review, we loved the excellent display, superior camera and long-lasting battery, and hope to see this gorgeous crystal version in the U.S.

- Cherlynn Low, LAPTOP

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