Image via Complex Original
I hope you saved your lunch money.
Samsung just unveiled two new Galaxy smartphones today during their "Unpacked" event at the Mobile World Congress in Spain (the same place they introduced the Galaxy S5, a year ago). They've made major changes—some for the better, and some, well, you be the judge. The leaks and rumors came strong in the last few weeks, and some of the ones we covered last month actually ended up being true. The company's new smartphones are redesigned, sleeker, and relatively controversial in at least a couple of their changes. With Apple officially throwing themselves into the phablet market last September with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung couldn't rely on their smartphones simply being the largest on the market any more. It was time to shake things up. So, are the new Galaxy smartphones enough to get Samsung some shine once again?
Enough of the teasers, rumors, and leaks: Let's take a look.
Two Versions
As was expected, Samsung unveiled two smartphones today: the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge.
The smartphones are similar to each other in terms of specs and power—which we'll dive into, shortly—but, as the S6 features a traditional flat screen found on most smartphones, the defining feature of the Edge is its curved screen (Samsung also used this design for the Note Edge it released last year). The screen curves on its left and right sides, and will display things like missed calls and texts. You'll be able to assign a color to up to five of your contacts, so when they call, the curved sides will glow in the caller's corresponding color so that you'll know who it is without having to touch the device. Not a huge leap forward, but kind of cool, especially for someone like me who likes to turn off sound and vibration. The Edge will cost more than the S6, so it's up to you whether the price of this new form of convenience is worth it.
The company also made some design changes to the software. They've removed menu icons and replaced them with text, so there's no room for interpretation about what symbol is what. They've also cut down menu options, and color-coded backgrounds: purple will be prominently displayed for video, orange for contacts, and green for phone calls. Samsung said because of these cuts, lag and stuttering is gone. S Voice and S Health are the only pre-loaded apps.
New Colors in a Metal and Glass Body
One of the big failures of the Galaxy S5 was the plastic body that made it look and feel five years older than it was when compared to the iPhone 5S. Samsung fixed the problem this time around by giving both devices a metal body that, according to Samsung, is 50 percent stronger than other smartphones. "I know this stuff will not bend," a Samsung presenter said, a shot directed at Apple and #Bendgate when the iPhone 6 dropped last year. The display and the phone's glass back is made of Gorilla Glass 4—which means the glass can take a bit of a beating. The smartphones are definitely sexier than the S5, and come with a little something extra, too. The devices will come in white, black, blue, gold and dark green, but the colors actually "shift" when viewed from different angles. For example, the "Gold Platinum" version will move between gold and silver, depending on how its viewed.
Both smartphones come with a 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen (2560 x 1440), and are said to have 77 percent more pixels than the Galaxy S5. While the international versions will use an octacore Samsung Exynos processor (with 3GB of RAM), Samsung did not say what processor will be in the U.S. version. Both phones also work with a new Gear VR that Samsung is releasing.
Upgraded Camera
Samsung really shined during their presentation of the devices' cameras. The rear camera comes with a 16MP f1.9 lens and includes something the company's calls “Object Tracking Auto Focus,” which lets users keep a moving object in focus. Samsung is keeping the camera always on and always in stand-by mode, so that it can launch in less than a second by double clicking the home button. According the their demo, the camera performs extremely well in low light conditions, and they even placed an example of the S6's capabilities next to that of an iPhone 6 Plus:
The "selfie" camera comes with a 5MP f1.9 lens. It was also designed to perform well in low light conditions, and shoots in real time HDR. There is also a feature that allows it to combine multiple photos to create the best looking shot. Samsung also showcased a redesign camera menu that displays options on the screen at once, so you don't have to scroll to find what you want.
Samsung Pay
Debuting a mobile payments system was more or less a necessity for the Galaxy S6. It's just odd that the company chose to name it Samsung Pay, which is not much different than Apple's version, Apple Pay. But Samsung Pay does come with a big advantage over the competition. While Apple Pay only works at retail terminals that use NFC technology, Samsung Pay will work with magnetic card readers, which are already installed in thousands of stores. This means you'll be able to use the Galaxy S6 to buy things is far more places, as of now, than you can use an iPhone 6—and you can use both debit, credit, and NFC through the phone, and will not be limited to either one. Your information will be encrypted and protected by a tokenization, and your payment into will not be sent to Samsung. Bank of America and American Express are potential partners, and Visa and MasterCard have already signed up for launch.
A big reason why Samsung Pay will be convenient is because the phones now have an…
Upgraded Fingerprint Sensor
While the Galaxy S5's fingerprint sensor made you swipe your finger right, the Galaxy S6's sensor takes a cue from the iPhone 6, and lets you rest your finger on it in order to initiate a payment or unlock the device. If you're a Galaxy S5 owner, you know the frustration, and how much this change is going to solve a few headaches.
MicroSD Slot Is Gone, Battery Isn't Removeable but Charges Incredibly Fast
In a controversial move, Samsung did away with two of the best features from past Galaxy phones—the ability to expand the device's memory with a microSD card, and letting users remove the battery. In terms of the battery, the company says they believe people won't need to switch out batteries anymore, thanks to the power of the one in the Galaxy S6—and they might be right. Samsung stated that their 2550 mAh battery charges faster than "any in the industry," because it only takes 10 minutes to get a four hour charge. We'll have to give it a spin to see how much that holds up when surfing the web or making calls. The company also said it takes just half the time to go from 0 to 100 percent on the Galaxy S6 than the iPhone 6.
Wireless charging is also built-in, so that means you'll be able to charge the phones using Samsung's own wireless charger, or those that have been sprouting up in coffee shops and other places. No more having to plug in your smartphone.
Release Date
The Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge will drop April 10 in 20 countries, will expand to more countries after that. You'll be able to pick one up in 32, 64, and 128GB, options for all four major carriers.
Pricing
Don't get too excited—Samsung didn't mention anything about pricing today, but it's thought that the Edge will run about $100 more than the S6. According to leaks of European pricing, the 32GB Galaxy S6 will run for about $860 off-contract. Expect the U.S. price to be about $799 or $849.
Our First Impressions
Samsung had their work cut out for them, and today they essentially checked off everything they absolutely needed to do, and then some.
The quick-charging battery, the curved screen, the shifting colors of the new body—they're all nice touches that help differentiate their offerings from those of Apple, their next biggest competitor. One of the best things that stuck out to me was the decision to offer the phones in 32, 64, and 128GB. Apple, conversely, only offers the iPhone 6 in 16, 64, and 128GB, which has proven controversial. (Don't be surprised if this forces Apple to upgrade the 16GB to 32GB in their next phone.) The Galaxy S6 is beautiful, but even more so when you compare it to the Galaxy S5. The Edge might not be worth the extra cash compared to what the S6 will be priced, but it certainly is cool. It might seem like a gimmick at first, but it's something that I would definitely use—the light up notifications on its curves are sleek and not too distracting.
Have to give it to Samsung for having the balls to name their Apple Pay rival "Samsung Pay" (even if they should have named it something else) and designing their fingerprint scanner to work similarly to Apple's TouchID. It seems like Samsung just said, "if we're going to borrow something from Apple, let's at least make it better." In terms of Samsung Pay, they did. The normal S6 is going to get comparisons to the iPhone 6, but that's where the software is going to come in. Minimizing menus, doing away with icons, and only having two pre-installed apps are things that smartphone enthusiasts are going to appreciate.
Samsung had to play catch up this round, and they made sure Apple will be the ones doing that next time.
