GSMA Mobile World

Samsung Unpacks Six Appeal

By Anca Gagiuc on Mar 13, 2015 in Technology

The Mobile World Congress grows bigger every year. Over 93,000 visitors from 200 countries attended the 2015 MWC at the Fira Gran Via and Fira Montjuïc venues in Barcelona; more than 2,000 exhibiting companies showcased their latest products and services across 100,000 net square meters; more than 2,800 international media and industry analysts were present to report on everything that took place at the Congress.

Some of the most exciting announcements came from Samsung, Lenovo, Microsoft, Intel, Blackberry, but they are not the only ones. Wearables were present at the event, as well as 5G connected humanoid robots and virtual reality headsets.

The star of the event was undoubtedly Samsung, unpacking its newest line of flagship smartphones: the six appeal Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. They both have a completely redesigned look and feel, mostly due to ditching the cheap plastic for premium metal and glass; the new design feels somewhat familiar.

Technical specification-wise, the two models are similar: a lightning fast 64 bit, Octa-core processor powers the devices, breaking from Qualcomm as its primary supplier for the first time since the Galaxy S2. The new processor, dubbed Exynos 7420 – CPU, is supported by a meaty 3GB RAM and 32/64/128GB internal storage, ditching the micro SD slot – this might upset a few, but probably shouldn’t as the internal storage included should suffice.

Both smartphones come equipped with a 16MP back camera with optical image stabilization, autofocus, 4K video and LED flash and a 5MP, wide angle front camera with 1080p@30fps, dual video call and auto HDR. The display measures 5.1 inches with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels (~577ppi pixel density), protected by the latest Corning release, the Gorilla Glass 4.

The display is where the two devices differ – the Edge flaunts a curved edge screen, removing completely the bezel on both sides of the front. The curves on the Edge not only look cooler, but also bring some functionality called ‘Information Stream’, ‘Night Clock,’ ‘Edge Lighting,’ and ‘People Edge.’ The first two were already available on the Note Edge and do what the names suggest: scroll information or show the time along the edge. The People Edge is activated by a swipe from the top right side and brings into focus the most frequent contacts; the Edge Lighting can tie calls from those people to a chosen color which lights up when the phone is placed face down.

The battery life seems a bit problematic: 2550mAh for the GS6 and 2600mAh for the S6 Edge, smaller than the Galaxy S5 (2800mAh). The good news is that Samsung switched to its own Exynos 7420 chipset which they say is 35 percent more efficient as is its optimized new version of TouchWiz. Of some compensation is the fast charging – up to 4 hours use from a 10 minutes charge, and the built-in wireless charging. However, many are disturbed by Samsung’s decision to kill the replaceable batteries in the new models.

A new feature is the pay service called ‘Samsung Pay’ and on paper it looks good – the company claims that it will work with NFC compatible equipment and on top of that it will use the Magnetic Secure Transmission technology – the user pays by holding the phone near a traditional card swipe reader. Samsung claims it will be accepted at over 30 million merchant locations versus Apple Pay’s 200,000 at present.

Does it resemble the iPhone 6? The majority seems to answer yes, and this wouldn’t be a first. However, it is admirable that Samsung has finally addressed one of the longer running criticisms: their looking and feeling cheap. The downside is the removal of the micro SD slot, of the replaceable batteries, and that they’re no longer waterproof. But at least they’re slimmer (7mm) and (presumably) unbendable.

The devices will be available in four colors: White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, and Green Emerald. Both models will be available for purchase on April 10 in 20 countries. Who will buy them though will need to have deep pockets: Samsung Galaxy S6 32GB will be available to purchase at 699 euros ($782), 64GB at 799 euros, and 128GB at 899 euros; Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32Gb will be available to purchase at 849 euros, 64GB at 949 euros, and 128GB at 1049 euros; with these prices Samsung sells the most expensive smartphones on the market – 16GB iPhone 6 sells for $649.