• POLITICS
  • SCIENCE
    • Astronomy
    • Physics
    • Biology
    • Geology
    • Environment
    • Medicine and Health
    • Sociology
    • Psychology
  • MOVIES & TV SHOWS
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Virtual Reality
    • Bionics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Engineering
    • Robotics
    • Space Exploration
    • Transport
    • Industry and Service
  • GADGETS
    • Mobile Devices
    • Wearables
    • Consoles
    • Hi-Tech
  • GEEK CULTURE
    • Gaming
    • Comics
    • Thingamajigs
  • MUSIC
  • SOFTWARE
    • APPS
      • Android
      • iOS
      • Windows
  • HARDWARE
  • CARS
  • REVIEWS
  • Advertise
  • Geek Reply Jobs
  • Contact Us
Geek Reply
  • HOME
  • Editorials
  • Geek Squad
  • GeekReply Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Google+

  • LinkedIn

  • RSS

Gadgets

Unpacked: Galaxy S6, S6 Edge aren’t what you expected

Unpacked: Galaxy S6, S6 Edge aren’t what you expected
John Cusack
March 1, 2015

Today was one of the most anticipated days of the year, not only because it was the first day of Spring, officially, but because Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event was scheduled for today. The Unpacked event was highly anticipated because the South Korean company has teased their two new flagships, the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 repeatedly over the past few weeks. We’ve been anxious to see the real deal because all the teasers from Samsung were extremely promising, advertising a metal unibody, biometric fingerprint sensor, wireless charging, a completely new design, a minimized TouchWiz UI and an upgraded camera setup. If that’s wasn’t exciting enough, the company released teaser videos and photos showcasing the Galaxy S6 Edge, with dual edge displays drooping down each side of the phone. What’s not to be excited about if not two new flagships from the company that promised a complete redesign and re-orientation of their portfolio for 2015?

Today was the big day and everybody was stocked to tune into the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event in Barcelona, Spain. Tomorrow, the MWC 2015 fair will kick off and attendees will be able to actually test out the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge if they didn’t score tickets to the exclusive event. All is revealed today, as we’ve got the full scoop on the Unpacked event and what it brings forth for the year of wireless technology, according to Samsung. Even though we had extremely high expectations of both the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge and thought that maybe the smartphone manufacturer would not be able to meet those expectations, we were pleasantly surprised.

The HTC One M9 was revealed ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event, so everybody was definitely wondering if Samsung could outdo HTC’s new smartphones that were launched ahead of the MWC 2015. We were pleasantly surprised by HTC, even though the handset was leaked days ahead of the big event. HTC execs had told us to sit tight, because they would unveil surprises and that we would be amazed and what we didn’t know about the HTC One M9.

The event started off at 18:30 CET/12:30 PM EST so we were expecting at least some neat fireworks to go off to celebrate Spring, if not the new flagships. We had heard a lot of rumors about the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge, but we were most curious about the design. After all, Samsung did give their flagship the “Project Zero” code-name last Fall and promised a complete redesign of the handset. From previously leaked images, we were expecting some sort of hybrid between Apple’s iPhone 6 design elements on the bottom of the phone, a bit of Samsung flare on the display, and a good deal of Galaxy Note Edge influences. But let’s get right into it, shall we?

The Galaxy S6 turned out to be not much different than the Galaxy S5. The totally re-imagined phone is not that interesting, as it looks like the old Galaxy S5 with a metal frame slapped onto it. That being said, it also comes with a major design flaw that most of you will criticize: a really protruding camera. Even though it’s got a new metal design, the back panel is made of Gorilla Glass 4, so it’s definitely very shiny. It’s thinner than the Galaxy S5, at 6.8 mm, and gets thinner bezels. The 5.1 inch display managed to fit into a pretty neat compact body, so we like that. The QHD display stayed, so we get more than 500 ppi pixel density on the phone. It’s a very bright phone so you’re definitely going to be able to use it outside. The color accuracy is great and right now, it seems to be the best display on the market right now.

The glossy panel on the back of the Galaxy S6 is quite a fingerprint magnet. Besides, the bottom of the phone does actually look like that of the iPhone 6, so those renders we’ve seen a few weeks ago showcasing that feature were spot-on. The fingerprint sensor has been improved, this time you don’t need to swipe on the home button, but a touch will be enough, much like TouchID. That’s a welcome improvement as the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S5 was pretty rowdy.

Even though the camera protrudes a lot from the back panel, it’s a pretty neat setup with a 16 MP sensor completely equipped with optical image stabilization and upgraded camera specs. You also get a wide-angle front-facing camera with a few new shortcuts you can use. Spec-wise, everything seems to be confirmed: Exynos 64 bit octa-core chipset backed by 3 GB RAM, but there’s no IP certification, which we’re pretty bummed about. Indeed, the Galaxy S6 is not waterproof like its predecessor. Moreover, there’s no microSD card slot available, and you can’t remove the back panel of the phone. You do get Qi wireless charging and an IR blaster, so that’s something.  If you were hoping for good TouchWiz, nope. It’s better, but it’s not totally gone. The way in which the Galaxy S6 works seems faster, so TouchWiz has definitely been improved. Still, if you expect Android 5.0 Lollipop, it’s not that much.

The Galaxy S6 Edge doesn’t differ too much from the Galaxy S6, save for the design. The internal specs, materials, design are all the same, save for a bigger battery and a 5.1 inch display with two hanging edges. The edge display comes with a few extra features, including edge lighting, night clock, people edge and information stream. Information stream and night clock are familiar from the Note Edge, so that’s not new. The People Edge feature allows you to bring in shortcuts of your most used contacts and that’s it, you can’t customize it. Edge light just lights up the phone’s edges depending on your settings. For example, if I set pink for my mom calling, it will light up pink when my mom calls. Pretty easy, right?

Now, the big unveil did confirm most of the Galaxy S6 specs and Galaxy S6 Edge specs, but let’s see what the differences are between what we expected and what we got instead. First off, the Galaxy S6 was sure to come with a 5.1 inch QHD Super AMOLED panel, just like the Galaxy S6 Edge. Even though there was hope that Samsung would use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU in their new flagships, by the end of the week, most people were sure that the companies split and that the South Korean smartphone giant would use its own octa-core Exynos chipset in the phone, coupled with 3 GB RAM and 32 or 64 GB internal storage. Android 5.0 Lollipop is a given with new launches, but we were speculating that TouchWiz would be completely revamped or replaced by Iconic UX. At the same time, judging by the many teasers Samsung released, we expected nothing less than built-in Qi wireless charging and fast charging, albeit incorporated with a smaller battery pack, even smaller than the Galaxy S5 had last year. Rumors about a biometric fingerprint sensor, much improved over the one found in the home button of the Galaxy S5 as well as rumors about a heart rate sensor, waterproof certification and a massive camera. We were hoping that the Galaxy S6 camera would incorporate a 20 MP sensor with optical image stabilization, as Samsung teased a lot of performance in the videos it released last week.

So how much of these rumors were confirmed? Most. We only got a 16 MP camera, but we did get extra 128 GB storage. TouchWiz is toned down, but not as much as we expected. No waterproof certification, which is a shame, but we do get fast charging and Qi wireless charging. The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will be available for purchase starting April 10. Now, we just need to find out how much these flagships will cost, but our hunch is ” a lot”. Does anybody see the Xperia Z3 – iPhone 6 – iPhone 6 Plus resemblance that I do?

 

Post Views: 39
W3Schools
Related ItemsAndroid 5.0 LollipopGalaxy S6Galaxy S6 EdgeMWC 2015Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event
Gadgets
March 1, 2015
John Cusack

As part of the editorial team here at Geekreply, John spends a lot of his time making sure each article is up to snuff. That said, he also occasionally pens articles on the latest in Geek culture. From Gaming to Science, expect the latest news fast from John and team.

Related ItemsAndroid 5.0 LollipopGalaxy S6Galaxy S6 EdgeMWC 2015Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event

More in Gadgets

iPhone 14 – 10 LEAKED Features!

Matt DavisJanuary 20, 2022
Read More
Apple blood pressure

Apple Reportedly Testing New Apple Watch Blood Pressure Feature

John CusackAugust 24, 2020
Read More
Apple foldable phone

Rumor: Apple Watch & iPad Out In September, iPhone 12 Event Pushed To October

Grace AniladoAugust 13, 2020
Read More
apple watchOS 7 public beta download

How To Install Apple Watch watchOS 7 Public Beta

Matt DavisAugust 12, 2020
Read More

4G-Only iPhone 12 May Release In 2021

John CusackAugust 11, 2020
Read More
Apple blood pressure

Apple Watch May Adopt MicroLED Display Technology Within 5 Years

Matt DavisAugust 10, 2020
Read More

Apple scales the iOS 14 interface for the new 5.4″ iPhone 12 5G resolution

Grace AniladoAugust 6, 2020
Read More
Samsung Galaxy 3

Big Leak Reveals Galaxy Note 20 Series, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Tab S7 And More

Mike GuarinoAugust 5, 2020
Read More
iPad Pro 2020 durability

Apple’s 2020 iPad Pro Still Breaks Easily, Latest Durability Test Reveals

Matt DavisAugust 4, 2020
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Game Deals

EwinRacing Champion Series Gaming Chairs
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • Comments

  • The Future of Work and How Gaming Can Impact Your Productivity
    GamingMarch 9, 2022
  • Geek Chic: Key Fashion Pieces for Gamer Girls
    Opinion PiecesMarch 8, 2022
  • FIND BEST SPORTSBOOK FOR FOOTBALL
    Opinion PiecesMarch 7, 2022
  • Choosing the Right Provider for Cloud Migration
    Opinion PiecesMarch 24, 2022
  • iPhone 14 – 10 LEAKED Features!
    GadgetsJanuary 20, 2022
  • Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac
    Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac- It can surely save the day
    ReviewsSeptember 26, 2019
  • Fun Video Game Titles for the Entire Family
    Opinion PiecesMarch 31, 2022
  • Three Major Steps To Follow To Obtain CompTIA Security+ Certification
    Opinion PiecesMarch 30, 2022
  • Keep yourself safe: While playing online
    Opinion PiecesMarch 24, 2022
  • Choosing the Right Provider for Cloud Migration
    Opinion PiecesMarch 24, 2022
  • Just 10% Of iPhone X Users Want Apple To Remove The Notch, Survey Says – My WordPress Website says:

    […] There are lots of requests that Apple users are…

  • The 9 most plausible rumors in regards to the new iPhones – Mark Swarrts says:

    […] Just 10% Of iPhone X Users Want Apple To…

  • Onimusha: Warlords HD PS4/Xbox One Box Art Revealed - GameSinners says:

    […] mean for the series, as its success could result…

  • 5 Essential Tips to Setup a Web Hosting Business | Your Own Website says:

    […] Source link […]

Geek Reply

Greetings techies! We are Geek Reply, a website whose main goal is to bring you all the latest news and updates from within the industry and beyond. What can you expect to find here?

Professional journalism coupled with expository writing for the most part, but we also give our honest opinion or throw in a pinch of humor for good measure when we deem it necessary. Our team is comprised of enthusiasts from across a wide variety of fields ranging from smartphone junkies to camera nerds, and everything in between. But perhaps you were looking for your daily dose of science news or hoping to read about the latest apps. If that’s the case, don’t worry, you came to the right place.

GeekReply Secured with GeekReply Scured
Nintendo Switch GeekReply

Copyright © 2020 GeekReply - Webdesign & Marketing - iPublicitate

HTC One M9 event: less smartphone, more virtual reality
BlackBerry Leap and the amazing BlackBerry Slider introduced at MWC 2015