Drawbacks
While the S6 is a very compelling proposition, there are a few compromises. One is that the S6 loses its IP67-rated dust and water resistance, which was a great feature on the GS5. This is likely because of the new aluminium and glass materials used to create a much more premium looking device, and may disappoint some. Fortunately, the GS5 will still be sold for those who need a more robust option.
Secondly, there’s no USB 3.0 cable interface, reverting back to a USB 2 micro-connector, meaning cable-based data transfers will be slower but for most, this isn’t such a big deal.
Next, also likely due to the new front and back glass construction, the battery is no longer removable, and, lastly, there is no longer an expandable Micro SD memory option, so now, like the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, customers will need to choose between 32, 64 and 128GB models.
Onsale
Samsung is planning to launch the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge on April 10 globally. Australian pricing details have not yet been revealed, but will probably be in line with other premium phones around the $900 mark.
Overall, Samsung’s has been under considerable pressure by Apple’s iPhone 6 for the lion’s share of the Australian premium mobile phone market, so its next move is a very important one. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are definitely going to be contenders, and offer a great combination of powerful features, unique and beautiful design choices and a simplified, streamlined interface. However at the end of the day, like the iPhone 6, both models have that rare ‘x-factor’ that just makes you want one, which can only be a good thing for Samsung.
Specifications:
| Galaxy S6 | Galaxy S6 edge | |
| Network | LTE Cat.6 (300/50Mbps) | |
| Display | 5.1’’ Quad HD(2560×1440) 577ppi, Super AMOLED | 5.1’’ Quad HD(2560×1440) 577ppi, Super AMOLED, Dual edge |
| AP | Quad 2.1GHz + Quad 1.5Ghz, Octacore application processor | |
| OS | Android 5.0 (Lollipop) | |
| Camera | 16MP OIS(rear), 5MP (front) | |
| Video | MP4,M4V,3GP,3G2,WMV,ASF,AVI,FLV,MKV,WEBM, VP9 | |
| Audio | Audio Codec : MP3, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC, OPUS | |
| Audio Format: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA | ||
| Camera Features | Quick Launch, Tracking AF, Auto Real-time HDR(Front & Rear) , F1.9, Low Light Video(Front & Rear), High Clear Zoom, IR Detect White Balance, Virtual Shot, Slow Motion, Fast Motion, Pro Mode, Selective Focus | |
| Additional Features | Ultra Power Saving Mode | |
| Download Booster | ||
| S Health 4.0 | ||
| Samsung Pay | ||
| Smart Manager | ||
| Microsoft Apps(OneDrive 115GB for 2 years, OneNote) | ||
| Sound Alive+ | ||
| Themes | ||
| Quick Connect | ||
| Private Mode | ||
| S Finder, S Voice | ||
| Google Mobile Services | Chrome, Drive, Photos, Gmail, Google, Google+, Google Settings, Hangouts, Maps, Play Books, Play Games, Play Newsstand, Play Movie & TV, Play Music, Play Store, Voice Search, YouTube | |
| Connectivity | WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2×2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspotBluetooth®: v4.1, A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+USB: USB 2.0NFCIR Remote | |
| Sensor | Accelerometer, Light, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Fingerprint, Hall, HRM | |
| Memory | RAM: 3GB, LPDDR4Internal Memory: 32/64/128GB, UFS 2.0 | |
| Wireless Charging | WPC1.1(4.6W Output) & PMA 1.0(4.2W) compatible | |
| Dimension | 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8mm, 138g | 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0mm, 132g |
| Battery | 2,550mAh | 2,600mAh |
Valens Quinn attended the Samsung UnPacked event in Barcelona as a guest of Samsung Australia.
Still premium pricing for a non premium phone? Without the replaceable battery, I can’t see 2600mAh lasting the day. No micro SD Card? Why not just call it a iPhone? Pfft, disappointed. Too many options on the market to even consider this phone now. Sorry Samsung, you’re not doing it for me anymore.
It will be interesting to see how long the battery lasts and we’ll definitely run a full review when we can get our hands on one – it appears that Samsung has designed the S6 to be more power efficient, so it doesn’t require as much power to get through the day as the S5.
Agree with Craig…No external SD card slot is a loss…no IP67…Going to Sony now… What a waste…
As a huge Samsung Galaxy supporter, I was pretty happy with most of this article until I got to the negative aspects of the phone. I’ve always argued how much better the Galaxy is than the iPhone but they’ve just removed some of my favorite benefits. No expandable memory, no removable battery and no longer water resistant! These were all features that made the S5 the choice for me over the IPhone. Now I’ll happily keep my S5 until either the S7 or another phone can beat it.
+1 Craig. What a lazy design. So much money available at their disposal, yet they still unable to redesign but still retained swappable battery, microsd slot, and waterproofing.
I don’t want throw away phone that’s still perfectly working fine only because we cannot change the battery.
II really hope that their sales number are even lower again this time, so they can give us back those feature above.
Non replaceable battery huh , ok I will just stick with the GS5 for now and for me I think Samsung has lost it’s way to a certain degree with this new GS6 model’s
I understand what you people are saying but they will win so many more customers by the design rather than putting in those things you are complaining about.all the signs are that these phones will be smash hits