The well-known Galaxy S 5 by Samsung is over. Sales wasn't as good as expected, making the South Korean conglomerate fails to compete with Apple's iPhone 6 models. Samsung that is known to be extravagant once in a while is introducing the GS 5 replacement: two slim flagship: Samsung Galaxy S 6 and the curved-screen Galaxy S 6 Edge.
With the pressure to adopt better design and better quality, Samsung that before put those aspects aside, is putting more effort into its flagship products. The S 6 lineup finally ditches plastic build and removable battery found in previous Samsung's flagship models, to adopt sharp metal lines and much more glass.
After endless rumors, leaks and teasers, Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S 6 and S 6 Edge on schedule in March 1st, 2015, at the World Mobile Congress (WMC), in Spain. The pair is the successor of the Galaxy S 5 that is considered as a Samsung's misstep and wasn't performing well on the market.
The GS 5 showcased a large advanced screen with powerful capabilities. But by wrapping it all up by plastic build, Samsung never did stood a chance to compete with the quality Apple gave with all of its iPhones. With the S 6 models, Samsung doesn't want to have its profit fall dramatically again. It doesn't want to repeat the same mistake.
Samsung also streamlined the S 6 models with fewer bundled applications.
As a reboot of Samsung's Galaxy flagship model, the company put design above everything else. For that matter, the S 6 is seen as one of the most visually stunning device the smartphone maker has ever made. Where the 2014 S 5 looked almost identical to 2013's S 4, the S 6 and S 6 Edge have all-new designs that look and feel significantly different than any other Galaxy models the company has ever produced.
The Adorable Twins: Similar but Different
The original S 6 and the S 6 Edge are nearly identical. Both run Android "TouchWiz" 5.0 Lollipop with 5.1" high-resolution displays. But the Galaxy S6 Edge competes for the spotlight with two curved-glass edges, each wrapping the long side of the phone with a smooth, readable display.
The two phones are made, created, forged, and purposely designed to boost Samsung's financial struggles after failing against the super successful iPhone 6 models. Not to mention from the low-cost powerful rivals from China such as Lenovo, Xiaomi and Huawei.
As a reboot to achieve success, some of the features that the S 6 twins boast are: upscale metal design, Exynos processor and updated fingerprint scanner. The Galaxy S 6 has a flat display, metal frame and a glass front-back panels. Its twin, the S 6 Edge, has all the above, but with a curved side display on its front and the rear.
While the S 5 looks like a better design Galaxy S series, the S 6 is totally distinctive. The curved glass display is similar to the one on the Galaxy Note Edge, but not as aggressive, and found on both sides of the front panel, not just the right like on the Note Edge.
The S 6 Edge is surely far more interesting to look at. And for that, Samsung is selling it for a higher price is compared to its twin S 6.
Both built entirely from metal and glass, Samsung is putting the twins as a flagship with the quality that they need. The flat S6 is available in white black, gold, and blue, while the S6 Edge can be hand in white, black, gold, and green.
As a proof that Samsung is serious about putting design above anything else, the company's lead designer on the project said that Samsung spared no expense when it came to materials that they could use in the new phones. The front and rear glass panels are Gorilla Glass 4, and the metal frame is significantly nicer than the plastic used on Samsung's prior phones (and even better than the metal frame used in the Galaxy Note 4 phablet and others).
With Samsung competing in the highend market against Apple and HTC, both of which use premium materials in their devices, it's extremely essential that Samsung can compete. For that role, the Galaxy S 6 and the S 6 Edge are the representatives that Samsung is relying.
The Galaxy S 6 models set some of their own Android trends. Both deliver built-in wireless charging support and compatibility with a new version of the Gear VR virtual reality accessory - two features not yet available on the iPhones.
The twins boast an octacore Samsung 64-bit Exynos 7 Octa 7420 system-on-chip that consists four 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 cores and four 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 cores (international version); 5.1" QHD 1440p Super AMOLED displays with 557 ppi resolution; memory with 3 GB LPDDR4 RAM; 32, 64, or 128 GB of non-expandable internal storage; 16 MP camera at the back with optical image stabilization a f/1.9 aperture, object tracking autofocus, real-time HDR; 5 MP camera at the front with similar aperture; a new fingerprint sensor in the home button that no longer requires a swipe; an infrared heart-rate monitor that Samsung says also helps the camera obtain accurate white balance; integrated support for both Qi and PMA wireless charging; fast USB charging; 14 nanometer FinFET for energy efficiency; a better speaker; a 2550 MAh battery (2600 MAh for the S 6 Edge) and integrated support for Samsung Pay (NFC or MFT LoopPay.
How impressive they can be, just like any other products on the market, they do have flaws. In order to make that design and influence, and to compete with the likes of Apple, Samsung is forced to eliminate removable battery and a microSD card slot (two features that have put Galaxy series above iPhones in term of usability), not to mention the Galaxy S 5's waterproofing and USB 2.0 (back from USB 3). Furthermore, the curved screen that make up the Edge's borders do so little compared to the Note Edge's screen that it's hard to justify their existence.
Despite those, Samsung has certainly improved upon the Galaxy S5's design in dramatic ways, and by a large margin. Despite the "flaws" that could make some Samsung's diehard fans and loyalist upset Samsung is clearly saying that the device's design and its look and feel is prioritized.
Apple at the Bullseye
Samsung is long known to make devices to people with a wide range of pockets. Not like Apple that aims for customers with deeper wallets. But it's hard to see that Samsung is not taking some inspiration from Apple.
The Galaxy S 6 and the S 6 Edge is very much similar to the iPhone 6 in many places. Some features that are on the twins, are those that Samsung has long neglected, but available on Apple's.
From the looks, the S 6 models from a certain angle, are difficult to distinguish from iPhone 6 models. The fingerprint sensor on the home key (Samsung's own way to replicate Apple's TouchID) doesn't need swipe and unlocks the phone instantly (just like Apple's). The camera's position that is protruded, preventing the S 6 models in lying flat on a flat surface, is just like the iPhone 6.
But the 6 Edge is what made it totally different. With Samsung's pre-installed apps on S 6 Edge, features are added to make that curved screen useful rather than just cosmetics.
Samsung has be known to copy Apple's design before, which led to a record-breaking sales and lawsuits. But if the market wants that, a copycat is not an unforgivable sin.
