Regardless of the brand, what makes people stop and take a closer look at a smartphone? A unique design. What’s in a smartphone, then that urge people to make a purchase? Impressive hardware. We spent a week carrying Samsung’s newest flagship around and the one thing we are absolutely sure of is that the S6 has both. Why? Read on.
Design: 4/5
If you’ve been closely keeping an eye on the smartphone market, you’ll notice that in terms of design, there’s not one phone that is head and shoulders distinct from the others. Some may stand out, but as soon as you get a closer look, you’ll be hit with a sense of deja vu, making you feel like you’ve seen this phone before. That’s the impression we had upon laying our hands on the S6. Not being biased to a certain fruit brand, but the resemblance is not even subtle, it was obvious. Nonetheless, it’s a good looking phone; no complaints here.
There’s no doubt that the Galaxy S6 is a solid flagship phone. It’s a slim, sturdy, and a gorgeous piece of tech that isn’t too flashy nor lacking in terms of aesthetics. Rid of the plasticky-rims the brand was previously known for, the S6 comes with a polished aluminum border accented with strips of white on top and on the bottom giving it an air of sophistication. The front is dominated by its display with Gorilla Glass 4; bezels are slim, giving way for a larger screen. Along with it are sensors, a 5MP camera, and two soft keys with a physical button in the middle. On the sides are volume keys, speaker grille, audio jack, power/lock button, and a nano-SIM slot that pops open with a firm poke of a paperclip, or the included tool. On the back are another slice of tough Gorilla Glass 4, 16MP snapper in the middle, and a heart rate sensor and flash beside it.
Hardware: 4/5
With a unibody design, the removable back we were all used to is now a thing of the past. Basically, that also means that you can no longer swap out the battery, a change I am not particularly fond of. There also isn’t an option for memory expansion as there isn’t a microSD slot, though a USB OTG device sheds light on this matter.
Taking after its predecessor, the S6’s home button doubles as a fingerprint scanner for added security. So far I’ve lost most of my battles with smartphone fingerprint scanners, but surprisingly I was able to use the S6’s without a hitch. Out of the box, you start up the phone, pass through initial setup, and around the last part you’ll be prompted with an option to activate the scanner. If you choose to do so, you’ll have to scan your preferred finger until the phone successfully registers your print, and place the registered finger to unlock or trigger other features. If it doesn’t work, you can always select other security options.
Inside the S6 is an undeniable sheer processing power. It comes built with 64-bit architecture, advanced Mali-T760MP8 GPU, Exynos 7420 octa-core processor, and 3GB RAM. Brownie points to Samsung for putting all this together.
User Experience: 4/5
Let me just say that everything’s going to be positive from here. Apart from the stunning build of the S6 I was also impressed by this flagship’s fast and smooth performance. Layered on top of Android Lollipop is Samsung’s TouchWiz skin, which is quite efficient, eye-pleasing, and responsive to use. There isn’t much to say about it so let’s move along.
Honestly, I’m a sucker for phones with stunning displays and cameras, and the S6 has both. The Galaxy S6 parades a 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display that serves you 2560×1440 and 577ppi resolution. Just navigating through the phone gives an utterly fantastic experience, so what more when you actually play a movie, or graphics intensive games on it. Turning it from any angle renders visual delight, offering more than just crisp, bright, and vivid images.
Similar to the S5, the megapixel count of S6’s rear snapper is still 16MP. Aided by its Optical Image Stabilization, wider aperture, and modified camera interface, images come out sharp and detailed with eye-popping colors even in poorly-lit areas. While I always comment about Samsung’s mediocre front camera, the photography (selfie) experience in the S6 was rather improved. If you are way past basic snapshot phase, the camera interface comes with a pro mode that allows you control over focus, ISO, and other settings. You can also shoot videos with 4K resolution and slow-motion footage with the S6, which are pleasant additions for when you just feel like capturing things.
The S6’s zippy experience was sealed by its super fast processing power. Multitask, play games, listen to music, browse through your social media feeds, repeat the process; the S6 will handle all those tasks without a hitch.
Value: 4/5
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a top-of-the-line flagship phone that delivers in every aspect. It’s a beauty on the outside and a beast on the inside, add to that it also has a built-in wireless charging feature so you can juice up and go.
Bottomline:
2014 was a tough year for Samsung but the S6 might be their ticket to bounce back to the top.
Published on June 2015, Gadgets Magazine.