Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung Galaxy S6 Review

Introduction

It's been quite some time since the original Samsung Galaxy S came to market way back in the summer of 2010. Ever since then, Android devices have quickly grown to become one of the most trusted and most popular smart phone options on the market. Throughout the years since its inception, the Galaxy S series has had a number of different additions to it, and the newest edition that's coming is the Samsung Galaxy S6, which will be out in the spring of 2015. While the name is similar to previous versions, the device is actually quite different. Samsung has made a number of improvements to it, so let's take an in depth look at the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and see just what it has in store for us.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S series has used plastic cases for a long time. While the plastics used were of good quality and contributed to an overall lighter device, Samsung decided to go in a totally different direction with number 6. Rather than plastic, the S6 will feature a very sturdy gorilla glass case that's been sandwiched together by a sturdy metal bezel. This is a very exciting change that'll really make the device tough and last a long time throughout the years, even for the most abusive of owners.

Fingerprint Sensor

Fingerprint sensors are still relatively new, but we've seen them before, so what does the S6 bring to the table? This generation will feature a vast improvement over earlier implementations. Rather than swiping the home button to register the print, users will simply need to press it to unlock (their fingerprint will be scanned right after using the button). In addition to that, it's been implemented in a number of baked in applications, which we'll get to later on.

Display

Another great improvement that's been made is in the display. For this generation, Samsung is loading the new Galaxy S with a 1440 by 2560 Super AMOLED panel with an overall size of 5.1 inches. This will deliver an absolutely gorgeous and crisp 577 ppi to the user, making it a great choice for people who are serious about videos, games, pictures, and crystal clear displays.

Interface and Functionality

While the overall form is good, let's take a look and see if the functionality holds up:

Themes

Users love to customize their phones, and Samsung has begun to take note. They've finally added a ton of great new interfaces and themes in the Galaxy Apps Store, which will give users an easy way to give their phone that personal touch.

One-handed mode

Phones have always been about making life more convenient, but what's convenient about tying up both hands in order to use the device? Samsung has been working on TouchWiz for awhile, and the improvements they've made for S6 really show when it comes to ease of use and implementation.

Multi Window

Speaking of TouchWiz, one of its most beloved features, Multi Window, has gotten quite an improvement as well. It's enabled by default, so once you get your phone, you'll just need to hold down the button for Recent Apps to get to it. This is a great feature that makes navigating and power browsing much more efficient.

Phonebook

While the phonebook is a cornerstone feature of any smart phone, the only real improvements that have been made in this generation are in the device's layout rather than functionality (there's not much more to improve upon, Samsung phonebooks are top notch). The new look definitely shows Google's influence and is very clean, minimalistic, and matches the rest of the simple design that's been baked into a number of the S6's apps.

Organizer

The phonebook has a new minimalistic design, and so does the organizer. The overall display of is organizer app is very functional, clean looking, and easy to use, so there's no more reason to feel cluttered as some users might have in previous phones.

Messaging

While there's nothing wrong with Samsung's email app, Gmail is going to be the better choice to download for most users. It just does such a great job organizing emails that it's really hard to beat. If you're not a Gmail user, you'll be happy to know that you will now be able to set up other email accounts just as easily with the new S6.

Processor and Memory

Samsung has decided to use its very own octa-core Exynos 7420 processor (64-bit) with this generation. While measuring processor functionality can be a bit of a trick, overall, the Samsung chip uses power much more efficiently while still delivering the same strength and functionality that the S series has become known for.

In addition to that, the device will also come with 3GB of RAM and the powerful Mali-T760 GPU, which complements very nicely with the powerful processor. Overall, this cutting edge technology is going to be a welcome addition to the S6 that will give users a ton of power, fluid response times, and unparalleled performance.

Internet and Connectivity

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a powerful choice when it comes to internet browsing. The quad-HD Super AMOLED display will give you a crystal clear view of all the little things on a webpage while the navigational controls are fluid and precise. In addition to that, you'll be able to save passwords for sites and unlock them by using the fingerprint scanner mentioned earlier, which will really help streamline browsing. Aside from that, the phone will have all the latest connectivity technology available in the industry: Bluetooth 4.1, a/b/g/ac/n Wi-Fi, dual band 802.11, DLNA, NFC, MHL, aGPS, and a microUSB 2.0 port.

Samsung Pay

Apple Pay has been around for awhile, and Samsung has finally decided to develop a service that'll rival it. It's made deals with Mastercard and Visa that'll let you pay with your phone at shopping terminals using a new proprietary technology called Magnetic Secure Transmission. Overall, this will give users a highly secure way to pay at terminals that should only take a few seconds.

Camera and Multimedia

Samsung has built a solid reputation when it comes to camera technology, and the Galaxy S6 is going to help them build up that trust even further. The phone will come with a Sony 16-megapixel IMX20 sensor (the same from the Note 4) that has been equipped with a wide f/1.9 aperture lens. In addition to that, the camera app has been refined to make snapping photos a quick and reliable process.

Image Quality

Samsung has made a number of improvements to the camera technology it utilizes with the new S6. It handles both long range and macro photography very well and will accurately adjust the photograph settings based on whether the picture is taken outside with a ton of natural lighting or indoors where things are naturally darker. Overall, the picture taking abilities of the S6 are a great addition to the phone.

Video Quality

There are a variety of video taking settings that make the S6 a great choice for amateurs and professionals alike. Modes include QHD, UHD 720p at 120 FPS, 1080p at 30 FPS, and also 1080p at 60 FPS, but there are many more in depth features as well. The video taking capabilities are just as powerful as any other phone of its class.

Multimedia

There are a variety of great baked in apps for multimedia, including the TouchWiz player, a ton of editing tools for the gallery app, and automatic color adjusting for the display. In addition to that, it also comes packed with speakers that pump out 73.7 dB of sound quality while the audio jack delivers 0.544 of power.

Battery

Creating a phone is a balancing act, and the powerful hardware that was added to the S6 seems to have come at the price of a little extra battery power. Where the S5 had a 2800 mAh battery, the S6 only has a 2550 sized one. You can expect a life of around seven to eight hours of standard usage from the battery on one full charge, which is decent enough on its own but is otherwise fairly average.

Conclusion

Overall, the phone is a great choice for both general users and serious technophiles who want a little bit of everything in their phone. From the powerful hardware, to its durable shell, to the well designed apps, the Samsung Galaxy S6 has everything you need. The only real places of concern is that it’s a bit more prone to smudging and fingerprints than you'd hope for and the battery quality, while decent enough, is overall rather average. All in all, the S6 is an ideal phone and one worthy of the Galaxy S name that's been built up ever since its original release five years previous.