Samsung made a significant decision with the release of its Galaxy S5 smartphone to not change significantly change anything.

The new smartphone looks almost exactly like its predecessors, the S3 and S4, but a Samsung executive told CNET that was the plan all along. The tech company unveiled the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Gear 2 and Gear Fit smartwatches at the 2014 Mobile World Conference Monday in Barcelona, Spain.

"I don't think that people need radical re-designs every year," said Samsung's vice president for brand, Stephen Taylor. "You have to create a design theme that people identify with. If you came out with a radical design right now, would that have fitted with the Galaxy story that we have created over the last 3 or 4 years? It's about making evolutions that matter, so I think the improvements to the covers, finishes and colors are a step forward for people."

Here is a list of the Galaxy S5's full specs, courtesy of ZD Net:

Dimensions: 142mm x 72.5 x 8.1mm

Weight: 145g

Processor: 2.5GHz quad-core application processor

Operating system: Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)

Display: 5.1-inch FHD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080)

Memory: 16/32GB microSD slot up to 128GB

Camera: 16 megapixels (rear), 2 megapixels (front)

Battery: Removable 2800mAh

Standby time: 390hrs, talk time: 21hrs

Wi-fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac HT80, MIMO(2x2)

Other features: NFC, IP67, Dust and water Resistant, Bluetooth 4.0

Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, Hall, RGB ambient light, Gesture(IR), Finger Scanner, Heart-rate sensor

It is a bit bigger and heavier than the iPhone 5S, but Apple is expected to announce its next smartphone by the fall, as is their tradition. It has a display larger by a full inch and also a far more crisp display. Samsung also gave the S5 a camera resolution of 16 megapixels, doubling that of the latest iPhone.

Still, Samsung took a steadfast approach and focused on improving battery life and processing speed rather than coming up with a never-before-seen innovation.

"If you look at the feedback, it felt like making [the phone] more durable and keeping the sleek design was what people were after," Taylor told CNET. "Waterproof and dustproof elements are more important."

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