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
Upgraded Fingerprint Sensor
MicroSD Slot Is Gone, Battery Isn't Removeable but Charges Incredibly Fast
Release Date
Pricing
Our First Impressions
