Samsung Galaxy S6 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 [CHART]

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 AndroidForums.com discussion: Galaxy S6

Samsung Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S5

Out with the old, in with the new. Just like that last year’s Samsung Galaxy S5 is old news. The Samsung Galaxy S6 is here to dominate the Android landscape in 2015. With every new Samsung Galaxy device there are people with the old model wondering if they should upgrade. Let’s compare the new with the old and find out.

The last couple of Samsung Galaxy devices have not made compelling cases for upgraders. The design was becoming stake and overused, and the new features were gimmicky. This year Samsung went back to the drawing board and made some big changes. The S6 is glass on the front and back with metal all around the edges. It blows the S5 out of the water in terms of design.

Samsung has also done a great job at improving core features. They’ve bumped the screen resolution to 2560×1440, and the front-facing camera to 5MP. The rear camera resolution has stayed the same, but Samsung has done a lot to improve performance. The fingerprint scanner doesn’t require a swipe up on the screen anymore, and the S6 has built-in wireless Qi and PMA wireless charging.

Samsung has made the Galaxy S a hot phone again. This device should do very well this year, and it’s obviously worth the upgrade from the Galaxy S5. What do you think? Has Samsung made a comeback? Are you getting the Galaxy S6?

Joe Fedewa
Ever since I flipped open my first phone I've been obsessed with the devices. I've dabbled in other platforms, but Android is where I feel most at home.

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43 Comments

  1. Smaller battery?

    1. Plus the higher resolution..

      1. plus the power efficient cpu and 10min fast charge :)

        1. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

          It’s less power per gate junction – but far more transistors to power when running full on.

          Easy to predict a lot of variability in battery life here, depending on what apps are in play.

        2. How efficient? 4%, 5%? 10minute fast charge from 0-100%? Huh! That is impossible. Even if it was 20-60% in 10minutes, one needs a socket. Fast charge is not possible using powerbank

    2. Unless my math is bad, that’s about a 9% smaller battery than the s5.

      1. And not removable.

      2. Yes, 9% is a big deal considering the pixel density has increased which will account for another 4-5% extra consumption for the same screen size. 15% reduction matter a lot, really lot.No microSD means one has to keep transferring data to PC which is moronic. 32GB can be filled in less than a month if you shoot videos for even about half and hour a day. WIth microSD, all one needed to do was change the card

  2. Sorry, goodbye. No removable battery, no micro sd card slot, glass back….The screen is nice, but the other (previous) features are why I stuck with Samsung for so long. Welcome to the new Samsung iPhone 6…I’m pissed

    1. Absolutely agree. Took all the USPs it had over the iphone and threw them away to be an iPhone clone. What is with the glass back? Have they learnt nothing from Sony and Apple with this feature. There will be a rush now to buy the cheaper s5 buy a couple of batteries and a 128sd card

      1. Glass back is to ensure more people crack it and Samsung can get more on servicing and replacement phones. There is no warranty on physical damage! That is the catch

    2. +1000000000

    3. They’re eager to turn their own customers into the “wall huggers”. It was good while it lasted.

      http://youtu.be/4M9UhtTRM1Q?t=39s

    4. Also, I hope the rumored prices wont turn out to be true:

      http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaymcgregor/2015/02/25/samsung-galaxy-s6-will-cost-over-1000/

      Along with mirroring Apple with the lack of two prominent features (Micro SD/Removable battery) they might start mirroring their prices for their devices. Just overall disappointed with this trend.

      Breaking the $1000 mark? Geeze.

  3. Worthy upgrade if you ask me

  4. Smaller battery but more efficient CPU.

    1. And more dense screen which takes up more juice. No, microSD or removeable battery. What is the point of buying this phone? It is like the iphone. Before people had either Samsung or iphone, but now Samsung has also become an iphone. So, all non-iphone guys will buy HTC, Sony, Moto etc

      1. Don’t leave out LG! I have high hopes that they’ll keep the removable battery and SD while making their next with a better camera and maybe waterproofing!

  5. Meh I love my Note 3 for the size. Welcome to shattered back city here guys. I am waiting to see what the Note 5 brings seeing as how the Note 4 was not much of an upgrade for me over the Note 3. Hopefully they keep both the removable battery and the SD Card slot in the Note line over the Galaxy S line. Those are features I use all the time.

  6. Note egde me please! :)
    this is going to be HUGE!

  7. So I understand that’s it’s a much more efficient CPU… But combined with a smaller battery and a more pixel dense juice sucking screen… Don’t think the trade off pays off. Plus no removable battery or SD slot… I’m happy with what I have

    1. What do you have?

      1. I have a moto x… It had a 2300 mAh battery but a less dense screen… If my processor is less efficient and I get about 19 hrs of typical day use… I don’t see the s6 as being advantageous and don’t think the added pixel density would really have they much better viewing ability. I went from an s3 to the moto… No bloat, better design and I’m happier with it

  8. i see nothing that makes me want to upgrade from my s5 to an s6, esp. considering the smaller battery paired with a higher res screen. i do wonder what made them chose a smaller battery

    1. Probably the proprietary Processor..just how Apple (who all OEMs use as a standard) optimizes both hardware and software… Samsung may be doing the same…we have to wait until realife testing to truly shut out the GS6

      1. would be nice to be wrong about the battery life. other issues I see are that many of the accessories that the s5 has the s6 cant because of what it is.

  9. So glad I didn’t wait and just went ahead and bought an S5. No way I’d want to downgrade and lose core phone features like a removable battery and MicroSD card slot.

    Samsung is really losing their groove here and screwing over the consumer. Better screen, more RAM and faster CPU are nice, but we shouldn’t have to make such massive, unreasonable and unnecessary compromises to get them. This is hardly an “upgrade”.

  10. Yep, keeping note 3 for sure now and saving some cash in the process.. I have a feeling the note 5 will be lacking the removable battery and SD card slot as well wich will be another let down.. Its in lg g 4 court now.. That or the z4.. We shall see

  11. It really doesn’t matter about the body, battery or really if this the ‘best’ galaxy Samsung has put out… It comes down to usefulness, TW, and sheer performance. Samsung has being too much, I hope this Galaxy is simplified UI and focus on Samsung apps being cohesive rather than intrusive.

  12. What a disappointment! Now all you dbags who are so worried about design got what you wanted. A glass back? No SD card? No removable battery? Not waterproof? Smaller battery? This is an upgrade? No thanks. Enjoy your pretty phone, I’d prefer something more functional………. like my S5.

  13. Samsung has dropped the ball..yes it is beautiful.. But sacrificing functionality is a loss for a lot of Android fans…HTC FTW…

  14. I passed on the Note 4 and will continue to pass on this. Samsung isn’t doing much anymore.

    They are up to there gimmicks and gadgetry again, but nothing really exciting.

    Note 3 will continue to work fine…

  15. GLASS BACK WAS TERRIBLE ON MY NEXUS 4 ID NEVER EVER BUY ONE AGAIN

    1. glass back was LG model…not samsung

      1. Exactly

  16. everything good comes to an end ….we are watching the slow demise of android ……who will jump ship ??..ive been down since the G1 so im goin down with it clutching my M7

  17. I guess S5 is my last samsung…

    RIP removable battery and SD card

    1. It is just they way things are going. At least they Sammy gave us much better storage options this time around. Not many people are going to need more than 128GB. The battery situation sucks, this may be the end of the removable battery as we know it.

      1. No matter my need for space I still prefer something I can remove, switch devices, bug out with…

        As far as end of removable batteries, there are other manufacturers out there… I really liked what Samsung was doing for a while, but I’m not giving up a removable sd or battery (I want and need both) for a pretty cover that won’t ever be seen under my case… I’ll leave that and the blind brand loyalty to iPhone users…

        Sorry Sammy but this trend lost me as a customer, maybe we will meet again someday.

  18. I absolutely loved my Motorola photon, but had to change when I dumped Sprint. Enjoy my s5, BECAUSE OF the removeable battery and SD card capability. I agree with the huge ? on the smaller battery. I will go Nexus or Moto X with huge memory over the s6. Will stay with what I have, and wait for 2016 for s7, or the 2015 Moto X.

  19. Hells yes im getting one!!! Cant wait!_!

  20. So in theory what the comparison is showing me is A Droid X and a Droid X2….Why buy a S6

  21. I can’t wait till this phone is release in April. I want to see where phandroid will rank this phone. In my opinion I definitely think this is an upgrade from the galaxy s5. Better look, better camera, higher resolution, and better processor. With the option of getting 32, 64, and 128 gb SD micro card option is not a problem to me. I have a note 4 but I seriously want this phone!!!

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