It’s no secret that Samsung has followed the design first approach with Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Samsung has made some radical and bold changes to its design philosophy, even if it means sacrificing age old traditions at the altar. The new approach pumps a much needed freshness in Galaxy S series, something users have been begging from Samsung since long time.
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Quick Specs
- Display Size: 5.1-inch QHD (2560×1440) 577 ppi Super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, Dual Curved Edges on S6 Edge
- Processor: Octa-core 4×2.1GHz + 4×1.5GHz 64-bit 14nm Samsung Exynos processor
- RAM: 3 GB
- Software Version: Android 5.0 Lollipop with TouchWiz
- Camera: 16 MP rear camera, OIS, F/1.9, auto real-time HDR, low-light video, high clear zoom, IR detect white balance
- Secondary Camera: 5MP, F/1.9, auto real-time HDR, low-light video
- Internal Storage: 32 GB/ 64 GB/ 128 GB
- External Storage: No
- Battery: 2550 mAh on S6, 2600 on S6 Edge
- Connectivity: 4G LTE, HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, aGPS, GLONASS, NFC, IR Blaster
Samsung S6, S6 Edge Hands on Review, Camera, Features, Comparison Overview [Video]
Design, Build and Display
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are unquestionably the most visually stunning devices Samsung has ever created. The front and rear surface is covered in Gorilla Glass 4, and everything in between is Aluminum. There is no plastic. This also means battery is sealed inside and there is no MicoSD card slot and Water resist certification is gone.
The glass does attract lots of smudges, but feels premium when held in hands. There is a hard home button, which doubles as fingerprint scanner and quick launch camera key. Volume rocker and power key are placed on the edges, even on Galaxy S6 edge, which is something we like. Samsung has also managed to have off a few mm from all sides, giving it a comfortable feel.
The S6 Edge has folded glass edges on both sides. It is not the same edge that we saw on Note 4 Edge couple of months back. This time the software doesn’t constantly live on the edge and its more of a cosmetic thing than functional. Even though it comes at a price, the design and build quality seems worth it.
The 5.1 Inch Display feels splendid with Quad HD resolution. Viewing angles, crispness and brightness are all very good. Samsung has successfully transferred Note 4 brilliance to a smaller form factor.
Processor and RAM
The processor used is 14 nm Exynos 7420, which should theoretically be more power efficient than 20nm based Snapdragon 810. Of course, we didn’t feel any hint of lag in our time with the device. Samsung has a lot riding on this new chip and its performance will be a key factor in determining S6 quality. There is 3 GB RAM which should be good enough for all usage scenarios.
Camera and Internal Storage
The rear camera was magnificent even on Galaxy S5, and with S6, Samsung uses a all new 16 MP sensor with Smart Optical Image stabilization. Samsung promises better camera performance to iPhone 6 too. Some of the camera features include reat-time HDR, infrared white balance (supposed to be better than white balance), f1.9 aperture lens and tracking auto-focus.
The camera app is running in the background and you can launch the camera in just 0.7 seconds by double pressing the home button. Samsung assures that this won’t come at the expense of battery backup, because of software optimization.
Samsung loyalists have always valued SD card slot, but that is no longer an option. Since the base variant uses 32 GB storage and there is option for 64 GB and 128 GB variant, most users won’t mind the absence of MicroSD card slot.
User Interface and Battery
The user interface is Android 5.0 Lollipop based TouchWiz UI. Samsung has dialed down a bit, but basic of TouchWiz UI remain same. Several Samsung Apps are also pre-installed on the device. Most other features are still there though have been replaced and hidden beneath layers to reduce clutter.
Battery capacity is 2550 on S6 and 2600 on S6 Edge. Judging by mere batter capacity, one might argue that this is a step backward, but this might not be true. Samsung managed to deliver decent backup from 1800 mAh battery in Galaxy Alpha and even in Note 4 despite Quad HD resolution.
Perhaps coupled with same software optimizations and power efficient 14 nm Process chipset, Samsung might surprise us with decent battery backup. However, we would have still liked a bigger battery. The battery supports rapid charging and also Wireless charging for the first time.
Conclusion and Price
Samsung Galaxy S6 is and S6 Edge is about putting design first, even if it means putting ethics like removable battery and MicroSD card second. This is reverse of Samsung’s philosophy so far, but spending some time with it, we believe the experiment was worth it. Samsung Note 4 still offers all those features and perhaps Galaxy S line focusing on entirely different priorities is a step in the right direction. According to European price, Samsung Galaxy S6 32GB variant will cost EUR 699 (approximately Rs. 48,300) and Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB will cost EUR 849 (approximately Rs. 58,600). Add 100 Euros for more for each higher storage variant.
