Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge – First Look
Exciting times in Barcelona on March 1st when the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge were finally revealed.
The new phones have stirred up quite some controversy with their spectacular new look but also because Samsung have deleted features that made the previous versions so popular.
Looks
First impressions are these new designs look absolutely stellar! They look gorgeous and being made out of metal that is 50% stronger than it’s competitors and Gorilla Glass 4, front and back, you can see that they ooze premium quality, which iPhone users have had since day one.
Samsung took great pleasure in announcing that the new phones were geared and driven by the consumer and have assured us that the direction they have chosen, is the future of mobile phones.
Gone is the creaky plastic and easily chipped bezels.
Available in several different colours, Black, White Gold, Blue (S6 Only) and Green (S6 Edge Only) there should be something for everybody.
Specs
Samsungs decision to equip the Galaxy S6 with an Exynos Octa-Core Samsung CPU instead of opting for a Snapdragon the same as the likes of HTC, has raised some eyebrows.
Two benefits should come from this, 14nm architecture should mean lower heat, better efficiency and better battery life.
The 2nd is more business focused, Not only will the cost of the chip be less, Samsung using it’s own chips means that Qualcomm et al will have to step up their game instead of sitting on their laurels, they’ve got competition now and as anybody can tell you, that…drives innovation.
With a 16-Megapixel camera on the back with F1.9 Aperture, optical image stabilisation, Auto HDR and an improved 5-Megapixel on the front which also includes a wide angle F1.9 lense and Auto HDR…this is going to take some pretty sweet photos.
The S6 gets a 2550mah battery where as the edge gets a slightly larger 2600mah. Initially this has caused concern as they don’t seem all that large?
Both models of the S6 are sporting QuadHD screens. Coming in at 5.1inches and boasts a stunning SuperAMOLED 577ppi 1,440 x 2,560 resolution. Everything is going to be pin sharp, some arguing if our eyes are really going to be able to see the difference.
It was noted that the Gear VR will best use these new screens with great effect.
The S6 edge has 2 sides unlike the note edge which only has 1. Unlike the fully formed edge on the note, the 2 on the S6 are less prominent and don’t include the same functions. You will however be able to have quick access to favourite contacts, have ticker style news feed and show your clock etc.
UI
Samsung have made a strong effort to make the user experience on Android as easy as possible, with what they are calling their philosophy ‘Design with purpose’.
Utilising the new sharp screen they have swapped out abstract icons for clear and concise text, they have combined settings and created a much simpler user interface using Touchwiz.
Those worried that iOS has an advantage over an Android powered device, may need re-think their opinion after using the Galaxy S6.
Downfalls
With the new premium nature of the Galaxy S6 a few things have been lost in translation.
No longer does it have a removable battery, there is no memory expansion and the water proofing of the S5 has been forgotten.
Do these things really matter? To some die hard Galaxy S fans these mean the world…to the mainstream, maybe not so much.
Time will tell. Samsung are offering bigger built in memory capacity for a lower cost to soften the blow and also with a new partnership with Microsoft some free cloud storage.
And we will tell you much more when we can get our hands on our review unit, with a release date of 10th of April…it’s not that far off at all.
Watch the full Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2015 Here: