Samsung Finally Goes Premium With the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge

At the MWC 2015, Samsung finally took the wraps off the new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Here’s everything you need to know about Samsung’s latest flagship devices.

Say Goodbye to the Cheap Build and Design

With competition churning out stunning devices, Samsung was definitely behind the curve when it came to looks. However, that has changed with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.

The company has finally gotten rid of the cheap plastic construction in favor of a dual-glass build that’s enhanced by a metal frame. The sides of the S6 are no longer straight, rather they are curved which is quite similar to a certain competitor.  Overall, the changes result in the best looking devices the company has ever created.

The Edge in particular is a very interesting device. While it is not as curved as its predecessor, the Galaxy Note Edge, the Galaxy S6 Edge makes up for it by being bent on both sides. The result is a device that looks and feels unique.

Say Goodbye to Removable Battery and Expandable Memory As Well

However, the design changes come at a cost. There is no removable battery and the expandable microSD card slot is gone as well. Is it trade off worth it? Personally, no. But the fact is Samsung got slaughtered last year in sales and revenue. Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi are going global and Apple is running away with the profits. It was about time Samsung rebranded itself as a premium manufacturer and that’s exactly what they have done.

Display

Both Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge come with 5.1 inch Super AMOLED displays with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. That comes out to an eye popping 576 pixels per inch. The panels are protected by Gorilla Glass 4 so they won’t get scratched easily.

Hardware

As you might have already known, Samsung dropped Qualcomm as the provider of chipsets for the Galaxy S6 Duo. Instead, they have used their own 14nm Exynos chips which are expected to run cooler and be more efficient. On the storage front, you have the options of 32GB/64GB/128GB.

Software

Both devices run on the latest Android Lollipop 5.0.2. It wouldn’t be a Samsung handset without TouchWiz so of course you get that too. The company has focused on cutting down the bloatware that ships with the device and it shows. Only 2 default Samsung apps come bundled with the S6.

Camera

Both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Edge come with 16MP cameras with optical image stabilization. They can also shoot video upto 2160p at 30fps while 1080p video can be shot at 60fps.  At the front, you get a 5MP camera capable of 1080p video at 30fps.

Features

The devices come with all the usual goodies like NFC, state of the art connectivity options and a heart rate sensor. Another addition is fast charging which is 1.5 times fast than the S5, although we’d have to get our hands on the device to see if it can match up to Oppo’s.

Pricing and Availability:

There is no word on pricing and availability just yet but keep an eye on this space .

Verdict

Samsung had been having poor quarters due to Apple having a strangle hold on the high end of the market and mounting pressure by Chinese manufacturers who were providing the same specs at half the price. Their options were to go all in with the high end or go for mass volume by competing with the likes of Xiaomi.

It’s clear that with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, Samsung has gone back to the drawing board and come up with a pair of premium devices that match everything the competition has to offer. However, we cannot be sure how the market will respond to the subtraction of the removable battery and memory slot. It’s certainly going to be a very interesting battle to see who comes out on top in 2015.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Specifications:

• CPU: Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57
• GPU: Mali-T760
• Chipset: Exynos 7420
• OS: Android OS, v5.0.2 (Lollipop)
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
• Display:
  • 5.1 inches, 1440 x 2560 pixels
  • Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Memory:
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Internal: 32/64/128 GB
  • Card slot: None
• Camera:
  • Primary: 16 MP, 3456 x 4608 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
  • Secondary: 5 MP, 1080p@30fps, dual video call, Auto HDR
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi Direct, Radio, GPS, NFC
• Colors: White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz
• Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 2550 mAh battery

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Specifications:

• CPU: Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57
• GPU: Mali-T760
• Chipset: Exynos 7420
• OS: Android OS, v5.0.2 (Lollipop)
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
• Display:
  • 5.1 inches, 1440 x 2560 pixels
  • Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Memory:
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Internal: 32/64/128 GB
  • Card slot: None
• Camera:
  • Primary: 16 MP, 3456 x 4608 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
  • Secondary: 5 MP, 1080p@30fps, dual video call, Auto HDR
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi Direct, Radio, GPS, NFC
• Colors: White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Green Emerald
• Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery