Samsung announced the release date of their Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge on Sunday, with hope still springing eternal that they may somehow be able to reclaim some of the dearly departed (to Apple) clientele they used to service so efficiently.
The release date is scheduled for 10th April, but there was little fanfare amid the unveiling as most of the details were already known. Apple has pretty much run away once again with the smartphone market, listening to its customer’s calls for a larger handset, and profiting from renewed popularity.
In Asia, the former Samsung stronghold, Apple has made great strides in establishing itself, and quite frankly it needed to. The Asian market is the most important in the world right now and will continue to be over the next 10 years, and it is because of the surge in popularity that Apple has experienced here, that we will soon be heralding them as the world’s first trillion dollar company.
With Samsung’s grip on Asia loosening, the S6 release represents a pivotal moment in the handset manufacturer’s history, and future. As such, many of the features have been carefully planned, and are likely to be of appeal to most. This handset is targeted at regaining market share.
Features on the S6 include fingerprint recognition, a 16 megapixel camera and wireless charging, and the release coincides with the announcement of Samsung Pay – a system which will allow the phone to be scanned at checkouts in order to pay for goods simply and quickly.
The Apple Pay system has already been introduced, another aspect to their artillery which has left Samsung in their midst, but with the release of their own version of the scheme, it will just about bring the South Korean giant up to speed.
The S6 & S6 Edge Features
Both handsets come in a 32GB, 64GB and 128GB option, feature a 5.1inch screen and are powered by the 68-bit ARM processor.
The Design
The S6 drops the tacky looking plastic look of its predecessors, instead adopting the glass and metal chicness of more modern-day rival devices. The curved display first seen at one end of the Note Edge in 2014, is now on both ends of the S6 Edge. The glass is made from Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which is apparently the strongest glass ever. So don’t worry about dropping it on release day. You’re golden.
The Camera
Although many expected Samsung to go bigger with the camera, they have stuck with the 16 megapixel lens they favoured in the S5. The improvements come in the high resolution sensors which make for great capturing in the dark, if that’s your thing. Also included is an HDR system, OIS, and a quick launch feature which will have users snapping within just 0.7 seconds of having the inkling to do so.
The Wireless Charging
Wireless charging technology has been introduced to both models, allowing for around four hours of usage from just 10 minutes wireless charging with a Samsung pad.
The Memory
The device has a 14nm mobile processor, a 64-bit platform, a new UFS 2.0 flash memory and some kind of new LPDDR4 memory system. Not sure what much of this means but it apparently makes the device run super-quick. You can get your Facebook page up so very quickly. But not your Tinder. If you’re in the UAE that is.
The Weight
Weighing in at 132g (The S6 Edge) and 138g (The S6) respectively, the Samsung models are carrying a touch more timber than the iPhone 6 (129g), but they come in considerably lighter than the cumbersome iPhone 6 Plus which weighs 172g.
Let’s Do It
Is all this enough to wrestle some market share from Apple? Inconclusive… But Samsung, after a poor year, will be hoping to at least haul themselves back into the race with their new S6 model. Perhaps an April release could work in their favour as they will be the only one’s bringing a new smart phone to market in time for the Easter break. However the Apple Watch won’t be far behind, and with an April launch now confirmed, the watch will be the device hogging all the headlines one would think. Samsung will be hoping otherwise.