Official launch of the Galaxy S6 and dual-edge Galaxy S6 Edge is just two days away. Samsung will unveil its newest flagship devices at a pre-MWC event in Barcelona this Sunday. The devices are expected to go on sale in April. As the Galaxy S6 launch approaches, a large number of Galaxy S5 users may be wondering whether the next Galaxy will be worth an upgrade.
Based on supply chain leaks, benchmark results, various reports from inside sources, and recent teasers from Samsung, we take a detailed look at how the Galaxy S6 will improve upon its predecessor.
Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy S5: display
Reports suggest that Samsung will finally stop increasing the screen size of its Galaxy S line smartphones (at least this time). The Galaxy S6 display will be no bigger than that of the Galaxy S5. According to Phone Arena, the next Galaxy will feature a 5.1-inch display with Quad HD (1440 x 2560) resolution. That would be a significant jump in pixel density from 1080p of the Galaxy S5.
Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy S5: design
The Galaxy S5 received widespread criticism for its plastic body. Now it’s time to say goodbye to the cheap-looking, plastic devices. The Galaxy S6 will have an all-metal unibody design. The new phone will measure 143.3 x 70.81 x 6.9 mm, which means it will be thinner than the 8.1mm Galaxy S5. Samsung will also introduce a new Galaxy S6 Edge with curved display, much like the Galaxy Note Edge. But, unlike the Note Edge, its screen will be curved on both sides.
Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy S5: processor
The Galaxy S6 was initially rumored to feature Qualcomm’s latest 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor. But Samsung ditched the Snapdragon 810 from its forthcoming devices due to overheating issues. The new phones will feature Samsung’s in-house Exynos 7 chipset. The Korean company seems to have made the right choice.
The Galaxy S6 Edge with Exynos 7 recently debuted at the Geekbench benchmark, and shattered all the performance records. What’s more, it will be based on 14nm FinFET technology. As a result, Exynos 7 offers 20% higher speed, 25% more productivity, while consuming 35% less power than its predecessor. It’s low battery consumption is one of the reasons the Galaxy S6 will have only 2600mAh battery, compared to 2800mAh in the Galaxy S5.
Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy S5: software and interface
There is little doubt that the new Galaxy will run the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop that brings Google’s flashy animations. But Samsung’s custom TouchWiz interface has been a drag, which affected the speed and efficiency. The Korean company has reportedly toned down TouchWiz, removing much of the bloatware, to make it look more like stock Android.
Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy S5: camera
The Galaxy S5 features 16MP main camera, which has been praised for its daylight performance. But its image quality isn’t that great in low light and night time. Samsung has improved its camera technology, as seen in the Galaxy Note 4 camera. But the Galaxy S6 will have an even better camera. A Samsung executive recently said in an official blog post that the next Galaxy will have an “intelligent” camera that will “do all the thinking for users.” The device is expected to feature a 20MP main camera and 5MP front-facing camera.
