The iPhone 6S and Galaxy S6 may end up in a battle of the cameras this year
Neither the iPhone 6S nor the Galaxy S6 has even been unveiled, but already people are comparing the two. We’re probably just weeks away from the unveiling of the Galaxy S6, but we’re probably months aware from finding out what the real iPhone 6S is like.
So what does the rumor mill say about Apple’s and Samsung’s next smartphones? Let’s take a look.
What to expect in the Galaxy S6
Samsung has sent out invitations to an event on March 1, which is probably when it will show off the Galaxy S6. There have been some indications that the smartphone will hit the market on March 22, so we’re probably only a little over a month away from consumers in the first markets being able to purchase one.
One of the biggest complaints about Samsung’s smartphones is all the bloatware they come crammed with. We’ve heard various reports recently that the company is cutting back on that annoying bloatware, which is nearly impossible to get rid of. Perhaps one of the most concrete reports about this is one from SamMobile that indicates Samsung will be filling the Galaxy S6 with some of Microsoft’s popular apps instead of the Samsung apps most people hate and don’t use.
If this report is true, this is arguably one of the best changes Samsung could possibly make. I would argue that it’s even better than switching to a fully metal frame, which is another major changes Galaxy S fans have been wanting for some time.
And then there’s the camera. Samsung has promised an “intelligent camera,” and it’s been reported that it may have a 20-megapixel sensor. Others have said the Galaxy S6 will have better optical image stabilization to fix the low-light shooting problems people have complained about with the S5.
Galaxy S5 may not have Samsung’s 14-nanometer chips
Another rumor we’ve heard is that Samsung is planning to use its own 14-nanometer chips for the Galaxy S6, but Ashraf Eassa of The Motley Fool points out that this seems unlikely. In Samsung’s earnings call on Jan. 29, management said they’ll start mass production on their 14-nanometer chips “in earnest” during the first quarter. In other words, it doesn’t sound like the chips will be ready in time for the Galaxy S6.
But this isn’t the first time people jumped the gun on assuming new tech would find its way into the newest Galaxy S smartphone. You may remember last year that Samsung management said they were working on an iris scanner sometime during the first quarter. Naturally the tech wasn’t ready in time for the Galaxy S5, so it seems as if something similar may be happening here.
What to expect in the iPhone 6S
In terms of the iPhone 6S, the camera has also been a hot topic of conversation. There have been reports that Apple will finally be upgrading from the 8-megapixel camera that’s in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Others have denied that rumor and said Apple will stay with 8 megapixels and instead upgrade some of the other features, possibly even adding dual-lenses.
The iPhone 6S could also sport the Force Touch feature that’s on the Apple Watch. This rumor seems pretty likely, as the technology is already in place on the Apple Watch.
Other possibilities include an increase in RAM, which would finally catch Apple up to the 2 gigabytes Samsung’s phones have. It’s been reported that Apple may be planning to use LPDDR4 RAM, which would double the iPhone 6S compared to its predecessors.
