Official: This is the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
AndroidForums.com Discussion: Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge
From one big announcement to the next — Samsung has officially unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, their 2015 flagship smartphones. The devices are just as we’d imagined them (or just as we saw them in countless leaks, anyway).
Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge specs
They’re quite similar under the hood with the following quick list of specs:
- 14nm 64-bit Exynos 7 Octa chipset
- 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM
- 32GB, 64GB or 128GB UFS 2.0 storage options
- 16 megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization, 5 megapixel front camera with real-time HDR
- 5.1-inch Quad-HD Super AMOLED display (577 ppi)
- Dual-mode wireless charging with support for both WPC and PMA charging pads
- 10 minutes charging for 4 hours of use, 0% to 100% battery in half the time it takes an iPhone to charge
- NFC, heart-rate sensor and improved fingerprint scanner
- Depth: 6.8mm/7.0mm edge
- Weight: 138g/132g edge
The difference will obviously come with the Edge display of the latter. Through software, it’ll enable unique experiences that only an Edge display can provide.
Both devices look stunning, to boot. They’re built with a metal chassis that’s 50% stronger than the metal used in competing smartphones, and is slathered in the latest Gorilla Glass on both the front and rear. It looks and feels like Samsung, but it’s hard to say their devices have ever looked quite this good.
TouchWiz on the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
One new feature is the ability to set up your “fave 5” contacts with their own designated color, and the S6 Edge’s display will glow in that color whenever they call or send you a message. You can drag that contact’s color from the Edge of the display to act on that message or missed call.
If it’s laying face down on a surface? You’ll be able to see the glow of that contact’s color, and a touch of the heart-rate sensor on the back and send off a quick message to dismiss the call or message in case you can’t respond right away.
The two share everything else in terms of features. TouchWiz is still TouchWiz — no Nexus-like debloat job here — but they’ve refined it to be less confusing and cluttered. They’ve done away with cryptic icons for text-based interface options to make it clear what you’re able to do. They make good use of white space just as Google has asked folks to for Android 5.0 and higher.
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge camera
Megapixels alone aren’t impressive, and Samsung knows that. That’s why they weren’t insecure about not being able to match HTC’s 20.7 megapixel sensor or some other ridiculous spec.
What does matter is picture quality, and thanks to both the front and rear camera’s f/1.9 aperture the device is able to capture 60% more light. It should make for much better low light performance for both still shots and video, as well as an overall more versatile sensor for everyday use. Real-time HDR — an industry first — is also present for both the front and rear sensor, as well.
The camera software hasn’t gotten a million new selfie modes and other nonsense, but it has been cleaned up to make it easier to get to the options you need. That seems to be the theme here — nothing crazy, just much improved.
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge availability
Samsung has already announced a release date for this thing — April 10th, worldwide. You can expect all major carriers in whichever country you live to offer the thing so you won’t have to worry about jumping from your network of choice. There will be 32GB, 64GB and 128GB options available, though pricing for each model has yet to be confirmed.
