Samsung's latest and greatest are here. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are finally here after long weeks of rumors and leaks. Both these smartphones are a new evolution in design with the use of metal and glass.
Both these smartphones are the result of a complete redesign from the Galaxy S5's dimpled bandage backcover. Its now made of glass and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The Galaxy S6 even with its unibody metal design weighs in at just 138 grams and is 6.8mm thick. The Galaxy S6 Edge is just 7.0mm thick and weighs less at 132 grams.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Samsung Galaxy S6
Hardware
The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge use the new Samsung Exynos 7420 octa-core processor with 3 GB LPDDR4 RAM. The new Exynos chipset features a quad-core Cortex-A53 processor clocked at 1.5 GHz coupled with a quad-core Cortex-A57 processor clocked at 2.1 GHz.
The Galaxy S6 features a 5.1-inch Quad-HD Super AMOLED display and the Galaxy S6 Edge uses the same sized display which curves on both sides. Although apart from quickly accessing notifications, contacts and enhancing the usage of apps that make use of the Edge display, not much is known about its functionality apart from being a design feature which enhances the aesthetic appeal of the device.
There's a new f/1.9 16 MP ISOCELL camera at the back and a 5 MP f/1.9 MP camera in the front with larger pixel size for better low-light photography. There is smart Optical Image Stabilization built in as well alongwith Infrared focusing. Both cameras feature real-time HDR for images and videos. The Galaxy S6 will be available in 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB flavors and storage is not expandable.
For the first time ever, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge both support the two wireless charging standards: WPC and PMA. The Galaxy S6 is powered by a 2550 mAh battery and is is non-removable. While the Galaxy S6 Edge makes do with a slightly larger 2600 mAh battery.
Coming to connectivity options, you have Cat.6 LTE support, Wi-Fi ac support, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, IR Blaster on both models.
Software
The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge both run on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with a new leaner TouchWiz on top. Samsung says that they have gotten rid of all the bloat and useless iconography which has now been replaced by text for easy identification.
Samsung has also made TouchWiz and its apps color coded so people are able to make associations with apps easily. Multi-window, Samsung Pay integration, heart-rate sensor, better accessibility features, Samsung KNOX security all are retained on the Galaxy S6 as well.
Samsung Pay
The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge have a new re-designed home button which houses the new fingerprint sensor which is integrated into Samsung Pay, NFC payment solution platform which incorporates with Debit and Credit cards dubbed MST. The new payment system has been certified by Visa, MasterCard alongwith partnerships with banks like American Express, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, US Bank and Bank of America to provide service.
Availability
The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will be available starting April 10th but there is no word on pricing at the moment. There will be option to get the Galaxy S6 in 32 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB storage. The Galaxy S6 will be available in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and Blue Topaz finishes while the Galaxy S6 Edge will come in with the same color scheme swapping Blue Topaz for Green Emerald colors.
