Samsung may have to completely rethink its mobile portfolio next year, after the Korean manufacturer suffered a plummet in profits during 2014. Already there is speculation that Samsung may shave some of the items from its range of smartphones in the coming years, to present a more streamlined approach to consumers.
Already the hierarchy of the company has indicated publicly that things need to change within the Samsung line-up. Samsung’s Head of Investor Relations, Robert Yi, told an earnings conference call that the Korean company had not been nimble enough in its approach, failing to react with satisfactory speed to the changing market conditions.
However, no matter what alterations Samsung decides to make to its mobile range, one device that is certain to remain central to Samsung’s plans is the Galaxy S6. This flagship smartphone remains the most popular of the Samsung handsets, and it seems likely that it will be significantly beefed up in its 2015 iteration.
It is clear, though, that Samsung needs to do more to make the Galaxy S6 stand out from the pack. The overwhelming success of the Apple iPhone 6 has once more heaped the pressure on Samsung. And even though the Korean company can rely on extensive sales in the rising East Asian marketplace, the popularity of Apple in suchh locations as China is even threatening Samsung’s primacy in its native region.
So much needs to be done at Samsung between now and the release date of the Galaxy S6. There has been a huge amount of change in the perspective of the Korean manufacturer over the last six months, as the corporation has evolved from being bullish about its ability to take on Apple directly, to the present state which can be reasonably described as crisis management.
This could ultimately be a boon to smartphone consumers. With Samsung failing to match the street cachet of Apple, and also struggling to produce a device which is considered as cool as the iPhone, the Galaxy S6 may instead have to resort to trying to blow consumers away with an incredible spec and feature set.
With this in mind, here are some of the elements that Samsung is likely to consider for this key forthcoming mobile release.
Samsung Galaxy S6 specs
4K screen resolution
Apple has just unveiled the first ever 5K desktop computer; the most advanced iMac machine yet to be released. It certainly grabs headlines when you can tell people that you have a 5K device, and with this in mind Samsung may choose to attempt to create similar headlines and buzz around the Galaxy S6.
For some time it has been rumored that Samsung would attempt to produce a mobile device with a 4K screen resolution, but these murmurings will undoubtedly intensify with regard to the Galaxy S6. Samsung has particularly prioritized the screen quality in its devices of all types, which is seen as a natural move for the corporation given its massive success in the television marketplace.
We could see this increase in resolution coupled with a smaller screen size, as Samsung reacts to trends in the market. If this is the case it would produce a pretty impressive pixels per inch figure, and this could be the number one way to distinguish the Galaxy S6 from the iPhone series.
Curved screen
Samsung has already embraced the concept of curved screens to some degree in its mobile range the Galaxy Note Edge. This particular device, as the name would suggest, featured curved edges in a nod to Samsung’s premium range of curved television sets.
However, with the Galaxy S6, Samsung may decide to take the plunge and offer a mobile device with an entirely curved screen. This would seem to be logical given the fact that Samsung has made such a big deal of its television range. Whether this will turn out to be a logistical possibility remains to be seen, but Samsung has plenty of time to work on prototypes between now and the release of the Galaxy S6.
Processor and chipset
Processors are always important, and Samsung has some decisions to make with regard to the Galaxy S6 processor and chipset. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset will become a mainstream part of mobile technology early in 2015, and this will apparently support 64-bit operating systems. Samsung will want to arm its flagship mobile with the most powerful processor and chipset possible, and it seems pretty likely that it will opt for this particular set-up.
Operating system
Given that the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system supports 64-bit chipsets, it seems an absolute formality that the Galaxy S6 will run this particular operating system. However, it could be that there are further Android updates between now and the release of the Galaxy S6, and given that the perception sometimes is that Android has fallen a little behind iOS 8 in terms of convenience, user-friendliness and slickness, Samsung may wish to ensure that the Galaxy S6 runs off the very latest Android version.
20+ megapixels
The cameras in the Galaxy S range have been praised, but recent Samsung snappers have been subjected to some criticism for their relative inability to take low-light photographs. Samsung really pushed the photographic capabilities of the Galaxy S5, so it seems probable that the corporation will look to further improve the camera in the Galaxy S6. This could be the first model of the Galaxy S range to top 20 megapixels in its rear camera.
Iris scanner
Finally, there is pressure on Samsung to respond to the fingerprint and retina systems included in the Apple iPhone, which could mean that Samsung will launch the Galaxy S6 with a futuristic iris scanner. This would provide security features that could also provide some app-based functionality. Ultimately, the Galaxy S6 range needs a wow factor, and this particular idea could provide some much needed buzz.
Release date
Samsung could possibly choose to surprise consumers and change the release date of the Galaxy S6, but the most likely unveiling will still be at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March, 2015.
