Samsung had a massive task in its attempts to out do not only the HTC One M9 launch just hours before it, but Apple’s iPhone 6’s overcast shadow. But the company really did make quite an impact last night with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and it’s Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge variant.
Was it muted by the rumours? Yes, definitely. But what are the ten definitive things you should know about Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy duo?
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1. There definitely is an Edge variant with a dual-sloping screen
The Gorilla Glass 4 screen allegedly needed temperatures of around 800 degrees Celsius to bend. And, it’s supposed to bend. It’s also the world’s first dual-edge screen phone, with the Galaxy Note Edge only boasting an edge on one side. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge boasts this trait on both sides.
2. The Samsung Galaxy S6 is made of metal and glass
Metal, metal, metal. We just hope the cellular reception isn’t as dire as the iPhone 5’s was. Samsung has ditched the tacky plastic construction of the Galaxy S5 and has gone with a more polished and premium metal and glass finish. The phone’s surface also changes colour under light.
3. Samsung Pay is Samsung’s version of Apple Pay (obviously)
Another mobile payment system, but Samsung’s does sound promising. It doesn’t just support NFC, but card readers with Magstripe as well, which makes it rather ubiquitous and useful. The company also notes that it’s partnering with a gaggle of financial institutions.
4. The cameras are “better” than the iPhone 6 Plus
Apple really was attacked by Samsung last night, with snide remarks flying left, right and centre from the Korean company. The Samsung Galaxy S6’s 16MP rear camera, and 5MP front camera are both rather stellar though, and both support real-time HDR. The company demoed a video of the camera pitted against Apple’s 8MP snapper and well, it’s safe to say that Samsung has won that battle.
5. Fast charging: A ten minute charge equals four hours of usage
The company noted that the S6 takes nearly “half the time of the iPhone 6″ to charge fully, which is another gauntlet laid down by Samsung. There are also two wireless charging standards supported — WPC & PMA — so at least that development is heading in the right direction too.
6. Qualcomm free: Samsung lauds its own Exynos 7420 SoC
It’s more efficient, faster and better than the Qualcomm chip in the Galaxy Note 4. That was the diluted message brought forward by Samsung. The new Exynos 7420 octa-core chip is manufactured using the 14nm process, which drops power usage by 35%, claims Samsung. It’s also seriously quick.
7. Both phones boast a 5.1-inch, 1440×2560 screen, with 577 pixels per inch
That’s about as dense as any screen can get really. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, of course, does feature a slightly bigger screen thanks to the curve on either end.
8. There’s a new Gear VR headset compatible with both phones
The Galaxy Note 4 worked well as a VR screen, but thanks to the much higher pixel density of the S6 and S6 Edge (something like 577 pixels per inch), it serves as a much better VR platform, claims Samsung. The company has thus outed a new Gear VR headset to accompany these phones.
9. It will be released officially on 10 April
That’s right. We’re not too sure on the pricing information as yet, but Samsung has announced that it will begin shipping these phones to consumers on 10 April.
10. It’s the phone that might get Samsung back on track
Did the launch live up to expectations? I think it actually lived up to more. Although not as shocking at HTC’s announcements. While Samsung will still need to sell more lower-end phones to make an impact in the market, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will go quite a way to repairing the company’s Apple-tainted image.
Welcome back, Samsung.
