Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge

Processor Exynos 7420 Octa-core	Battery Capacity S6:2550mAh S6 edge: 2600mAh
RAM 3GB	Storage 32/64/128GB
Display 5.1-inch	Resolution 1440×2560 pixels
Rear Camera 16MP	Front Camera 5MP

Introduction

The Korean company surprises the market by launching the Samsung Galaxy S6, leading the technology specs by introducing the world’s new high-end smartphone with the edged screen. The previous year, the S5 didn’t help Samsung reach its sales’ goals. Samsung team really knows how to work under the pressure of the market to fulfill its expectations.

In the box, some accessories change to accompany the phone. Other than the Quick Start Guide, the microUSB cable or the AC outlet (compatible with fast charging), there is a new hands-free kit with new in-ear headphones and spare earbuds as well as a small Key to open the nanoSIM case.

You guessed it right! The new Samsung’s case can no more be opened without a screwdriver hence why the battery is no longer removable. It is, therefore, interesting to compare the two models to know exactly what changes in the new version. Let’s see what other changes were made to this new generation of Samsung.

The Design:

More than often, Samsung Galaxy S5 was criticized for its design. Its plastic shell was judged to be the worst among its competitors, like HTC, Sony and LG which were offering products with premium materials. This time, with the S6 series, Samsung finally decided to take the turn and produce devices with a metal chassis. A long-awaited turnaround on the part of its users and sketched, over the past few months with the Galaxy Alpha, the Galaxy Note 4 and of course the Galaxy A range. The use of glass for the hull is also a change major.

The new design of Galaxy S6 looks fresh and more appropriate for the professional use. After offering a Galaxy A range acclaimed for its premium design, Samsung went even further with its latest flagship and launched curved homologs. This design combines noble materials, touted by Samsung that they make the device 50% more solid than the best smartphones market. Rounded corners and edges, the metal frame is quite original and stands out completely from what Samsung offers on its previous models.

Due to the presence of glass, smartphones are slightly slippery. Nevertheless, it is enough to be careful not to make them fall. Note that the back does not mark too many fingerprints, unlike some competing smartphones offering the same materials, at least on the white versions.

Apart from the aesthetic aspect, the grip is very pleasant. Each of the two smartphones remains very compact and the screen borders are relatively thin in the case of the S6. Because of its curved screen, the S6 Edge stands a bit differently from that side. The real trademark of Samsung, the “Back” and “Multitasking” capacitive keys are always present. On the other hand, the “Home button”  is slightly bigger in order to propose a new fingerprint reader, which makes it more accurate.

We can also note the disappearance of the microSD port. We cannot really put that on the account of the design, as other manufacturers were able to offer a dedicated hatch to extend the storage memory, despite an aluminum frame. We’ve also lost the waterproof certification that is present on the S5. That’s like taking 4 steps back to advance 1 step forward. This seems to be the price to pay for a glass and aluminum design.

Display:

Each year, Samsung rejects the quality of its AMOLED screens, and this is once again the case on the S6. Its 5.1-inch screen with a definition of Quad HD of 2560 x 1440 pixels gives it an impressive resolution of 577 dpi. There are more details than your eye can perceive, so the difference with a Full HD screen is not colossal on a screen of this size and with a usual reading distance for a mobile.

Obviously, when a new high-end product is born, the quality of the screen is a strong argument among manufacturers to distinguish themselves from the competition. Both the Samsung S6 and S6 Edge offer a resolution of 577 dpi while offering a brightness of 600 cd / m. The screen of the two devices is covered with the strongest protective glass on the market, the Gorilla Glass 4, already found on the Galaxy Alpha and the Galaxy Note 4. It’s the same glass found on the back.

Apart from these different technical aspects, the AMOLED technology has also been improved and it is felt from the first glance. The increase in the number of subpixels red, green and blue offers greater fitness, the blacks are still as deep and the colors have never been this distinguished. The various display modes (Adaptive, Cinema, Photo and Basic) are there to serve you and the “Adaptive” mode adapts the image to the applications you use.

S6 Egde specs:

Like the Note 4, the Galaxy S6 is entitled to its curved variant. The great originality of this variant comes from the fact that its screen is curved, not only on the right side but at the level of the two borders (left and right). This characteristic provides some additional features that have been improved with the Android update Marshmallow. But apart from this particularity, the device retains exactly the same technical characteristics as its counterpart, the S6, aside from its battery whose capacity is slightly higher 2600 mAh against 2550 mAh in the S6.

Performance:

Who says high-end product says latest generation components. And at this level, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge do not escape the rule. We knew that Qualcomm had lost a strategic partner at the end of 2014. Evidently, it didn’t take long to understand that Samsung had decided to no longer collaborate with the American specialist. Not surprisingly, Samsung announced using its home architecture, the Exynos 7 Octa (7420) a processor supported by 3 GB of Ram LPDDR4.

The chip of the Korean giant is engraved in 14 nanometers FinFET compared to the 20 nm of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. The difference in the use of a manufacturing process: a more compact chip is easier to integrate into a compact Smartphone and, above all, the consumption of the device is well engineered. The battery tests on the Galaxy S6 show a high frequency of its processor (more than 2 GHz) which allows it to position itself in front of the Snapdragon 810 (this one equips the HTC One M9), but also all the other chips on the market. The energy consumption was reduced by 30% to 35% and the performance increased by 20%.

Camera:

The year 2015 was supposed to be the year of the photographic revolution according to Sony and Apple. And Samsung has managed to get a place in this race for the best sensors. Just like the S5, the sensor the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are equipped with a 16-megapixel photo sensor, however, the performance of this one go well beyond. In fact, one of the features that stand out is the Galaxy S6’s rear photo sensor. It shoots still images with a Sony IMX240 (or Samsung ISOCELL depending on the case) camera, with an optical stabilization mechanism. The ISOCELL photo sensor of the Galaxy S5 already offered an excellent quality. Nevertheless, thanks to its opening f / 1.9, that of the last two flags of Samsung offer exceptional results in low luminosity.

There are other modes that include selective focus for a bokeh effect with a sharp subject in the foreground and a nice blur effect in the background. Slow-motion mode lets you take videos in 720p at 240 frames per second, which allows you to slow down certain actions in a scene you have filmed after a quick edit on the phone. Concerning the video shooting, it is possible to shoot up to Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 pixels at 30 FPS. Video stabilization is also available, but only in 1080p. It will, therefore, be necessary to make a choice between definition, stabilization and number of images per second.

On the software level, Samsung also added a really practical feature: the quick launch of the photo application by pressing the home button twice, when the screen is turned off. The application then launches in less than a second, which is great for taking pictures “on the fly”. You can then capture the photo using the volume keys. No need to remove the gloves in winter to take pictures with the S6, to save your fingers.

Conclusion:

Samsung has always offered excellent photo quality on its high-end products, and always pushes the limits a little more each year. Although this time Samsung sacrificed three strong points that were present on the Galaxy S5.  It’s up to you to see what you are willing to sacrifice or not. After all, you’ll be paying a great amount of money to purchase the device. One thing is for sure, this is the best Galaxy phone ever designed. Although designing a good smartphone is no longer enough today. Let’s wait and see the reaction of the market to this new phablet.