Samsung Galaxy S6 Design, Features & Review

Design

Samsung needs to sort out the design of the Galaxy S6, and there are reasons to believe it's doing just that. There's every chance that Samsung will mould it on the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, which launched with a metal frame but still kept hold of the polycarbonate rear from the Galaxy S5.

At just 6.7mm the Galaxy Alpha is considerably thinner than the Galaxy S5, and we hope this is a positive sign for the Galaxy S6. In fact even more recently Samsung has shown off the 6.3mm thick Galaxy A7.

Sources in Samsung's supply chain have been talking fast and loose about the Galaxy S6, claiming the Galaxy Alpha and Note 4 have tested the waters for Samsung's metal design ahead of an all-metal flagship in the form of the S6.

But what if Samsung's feeling that's not enough? Project Zero is coming, apparently, and not only do we love that name it also heralds Samsung starting again and completely retooling the S6 to be something that even iPhone and HTC lovers can't keep their paws off.

Don't expect a fancy new name to go with it though, as according to SamMobile the new phone will simply be called the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Dutch website Top Tien Mobiel posted photos supposedly showing a Galaxy S6 prototype, which were sent in by an anonymous source.

The alleged image of the S6 shows a design with extremely thin edges along the left and right sides of the screen, with the front-facing camera now at the centre of the handset.

Since then we've seen a render of what it can look like, and a picture of the frame that supposedly will hold the phone... but man that looks like an Apple iPhone 6 doesn't it?

Before that leak we had to make do with this interesting concept from Josip Jakubiv - it's the same mottled back, but with a much larger screen and a refined design - perhaps even a spot of metal there.

Don't get too excited by all this metal though, because another rumor, this time from the mouth of a "Samsung Electronics official" speaking to Daily, states that the Galaxy S6 won't have a full metal jacket after all, but will instead have a metal frame but a glass front and back, possibly a bit like the Sony Xperia Z3.

Supposedly this is to help it stand out from the new Galaxy A series, but standing out by looking less premium would hardly be ideal.

As far as the handset's back goes, we've seen evidence that the flash and heart rate sensor have been moved to the side of the camera module. This evidence has been twofold; first, some alleged Galaxy S6 cases were listed on Amazon:

In all it seems Samsung really has started from scratch on this one. The new design has been given a further boost with even more leaked images. Another case manufacturer appears to have spilled some of the beans after images of its transparent Galaxy S6 case appeared online.

The most complete set of images to appear online however have been posted by underkg, who revealed a series of renders and schematics claiming to show the Galaxy S6.

There are some rather iPhone-esque styling points in play here with rounded edges and a familiar looking port layout on the base of the device. 

We were also given some dimensions - 143.3 x 70.8 x 6.9 mm - which would make the S6 slightly thinner and less wide than the S5, but also a touch taller.

Samsung Galaxy S6 screen

There's no sign that Samsung is ditching super AMOLED in its screens, so we expect that to make a return in the Galaxy S6.

The resolution will likely get a boost though, as Samsung has already launched the 2560 x 1440 Galaxy Note 4 and even among smaller screen sizes there's the equally QHD Galaxy S5 LTE-A in South Korea, so we expect the Galaxy S6 to have a resolution at least that high.

Sam Mobile also claims it's likely to launch with a QHD screen. A second report from Chinese site cnmo.com featured a supposed AnTuTu benchmarking result from the Galaxy S6 that confirmed the display was a 2,560 x 1,440 QHD affair.

We've also got wind of a user agent profile from Dutch site TechTastic, which reveals a QHD 1440 x 2560 display for a handset believed to be the Galaxy S6, so it's looking very likely.

Whether it's QHD or not the Samsung Galaxy S6 may have a slightly bigger screen than the Galaxy S5. The company has slowly been increasing the size of the screens on its flagships and we wouldn't be surprised if the Galaxy S6 were to push things up by another 0.1 or 0.2 inches to 5.2 or 5.3 inches. Samsung may decide to go all the way up to 5.5-inches, given the Google Nexus 6 has launched with a 6-inch screen.

If Samsung can shrink the bezel then it could probably even achieve that without increasing the phone's footprint. On the other hand the Note 4 is no bigger than the Galaxy Note 3 and Samsung's going to want to keep its two premium brands differentiated, so maybe it will decide that 5.1 inches is the sweet spot.

There's also a chance that the Galaxy S6 might have a flexible display. Samsung has been looking at this sort of technology for a while and has even recently launched the Galaxy Note Edge: a version of the Note 4 where the screen curves down one side, so it's possible.

Others have been keen to push this idea, with the rumors that the Note Edge was supposed to feature the dual-bend design, but it was shelved and pushed the to Galaxy S6. It would certainly boost the brand's presence on the shop shelves.

The curved screen idea has also been pushed by South Korean news outlet Daum, which goes on to predict a 2560 x 1440 resolution (the same as the Galaxy Note 4) and a Snapdragon 810 processor.

But we doubt Samsung would equip its flagship with such an untested technology, so we'd expect the S range to stick with a flat screen for at least one more year.

On the other hand we might see both a flat and curved version, much like with the Note 4. Rumors from Sam Mobile and Business Insider suggest that's exactly what will happen, with the Galaxy S6 sporting a flat display and a separate Galaxy S6 Edge being launched alongside it, though SamMobile's source has since backtracked on that particular theory.

GforGames also claims we'll see two versions of the handset, with the Galaxy S6 Edge being a limited edition, with an apparent sales forecast of 'just' 10 million units during 2015.

There are also reports that while Samsung is apparently prototyping versions of the S6 with both one curved edge and even two curved edges.

Samsung Galaxy S6 power

With Android Lollipop here and bringing 64-bit support with it we fully expect the Galaxy S6 will have a 64-bit processor.

As for which processor specifically that's still rather up in the air, but traditionally it's been equipped with a Snapdragon chip of some variety and both the Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 are expected to start appearing in devices during the first half of 2015, so one of them seems likely.

The Snapdragon 808 is a six-core 64-bit processor with support for 2K screens, while the Snapdragon 810 is an octa-core 64-bit chip which can power screens of up to 4K resolution.

This includes an Adreno 430 GPU, which is said to be 30% faster than the Adreno 420, so either way it should be in for a boost in terms of gaming and general screen fluttering.

However SamMobile is claiming that the Galaxy S6 will launch with a 64-bit octa-core Exynos 7420, though apparently there'll also be a Snapdragon 810 variant, mirroring the same CPU variants for different markets seen on the Galaxy S4 and S5.

The report from SamMobile has been echoed by cnmo.com, which reports that the Galaxy S6 will use a 64-bit octa-core Exynos processor with an ARM Mali-T760 GPU.

Talk of a Snapdragon 810 chip has also emerged, especially now that LG has packed one into the LG G Flex 2, but there are rumors that the chips are facing overheating issues, and as such if Samsung is using them it might initially only equip around 10 percent of its phones with them.

As for RAM, a 64-bit processor works well when imbued with north of 4GB, so Samsung should be looking to get the best out of its new devices' power range.

Samsung is reportedly now mass producing 4GB RAM modules for mobile devices, which are designed to be both faster and more power efficient than existing ones and it looks like that might be what we're getting in the Galaxy S6 as GSM Arena reports that 4GB of RAM could be included.

Performance could be given an additional boost in the Samsung Galaxy S6 as reports from South Korea point towards a new type of flash memory which may find its way into the handset.

UFS (short for Universal Flash Storage) provides enhanced data speeds and power consumption savings of up to half compared to the previous generation of memory.

Speaking of storage, SamMobile reckons the Galaxy S6 will come in 32, 64 and 128GB variants, presumably with a microSD card slot.

Samsung Galaxy S6 operating system

While Samsung is cooking up its own Tizen operating system, the Galaxy S6 will almost certainly stick with Android, and probably Android Lollipop since that's the latest version.

It will also run Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top, albeit streamlined once more to make sure it doesn't annoy consumers who are becoming aware of the simplicity of raw Android, so given the Samsung Galaxy S5 was made sleeker, this could well happen again in the S6.

We've heard that Samsung is going to completely strip down TouchWiz, and will drop all the pre-installed Samsung apps. This is great news for those of us who aren't fans of Samsung's bloat ware clogging up our devices.

This means the likes of S Voice, My Galaxy, ChatOn, Samsung Hub and Scrapbook may no longer be pre-loaded on the new flagship.

There will be some pre-installed apps, though these will apparently come from Microsoft instead, with OneNote, OneDrive, Skype and Office Mobile (alongside a free Office 365 subscription) all pre-loaded.

Even if it is that stripped down Samsung may still include some customization features in TouchWiz, as Android Pit reports that there will be a Theme Store allowing users to personalise their phone.

 

Samsung Galaxy S6 camera

Expect Samsung to make a big deal about the camera on the Galaxy S6 after it posted "The Future of Cameras is in a Samsung Galaxy Smartphone" blog on its website.

It's basically one great big pat on the back. In short Samsung loves the cameras it puts in smartphones, so you can expect that trend to continue.

Samsung has also been heavily hinting at the Galaxy S6's photographing prowess on Twitter, with a recent tweet containing an image that says "Find clarity in darkness".

This suggests that the Galaxy S6's camera will be especially adept at taking photographs in low light conditions, something that many smartphone cameras struggle with.

An early Galaxy S6 rumor pointed to a 20MP camera, up from 16MP in the Galaxy S5. Samsung's always about more and bigger so this seems believable.

SamMobile has apparently got hold of a prototype Galaxy S6 packing a 20MP snapper with optical image stabilisation, though it's still questioning whether said camera will make it to the final device.

It's also dug up some software changes, including a new Pro mode, which has three shooting modes, one of which is manual, while the gallery app will apparently be more intuitive to navigate.

Samsung Galaxy S6 other features

There are a few things that we can be pretty confident that the Galaxy S6 will include. Samsung has been putting its fingerprint scanner on a number of phones and tablets so we're sure the S6 will get it too.

But it might get an improved version of it, as SamMobile reports that Samsung is equipping the Galaxy S6 with one that features touch-based recognition, more in line with Apple's Touch ID than the S5's swipe-style reader.

Likewise it will probably retain the heart rate monitor from the Galaxy S5, since that's also been included on the Galaxy Alpha and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

We fully expect a microSD card slot too, since the Galaxy S range has always included one and we'd be very surprised if it wasn't water and dust resistant, since the Galaxy S5 is and removing a useful feature like that seems unlikely.

We may also see the Samsung Galaxy S6 inherit some of the new features which have been added to the Galaxy Note 4, such as fast charging, a UV sensor and multi-directional microphones.

AndroidPit echoes much of this, claiming that the Galaxy S6 will have a microSD card slot, a fingerprint scanner, a UV sensor, fast-charging functionality and unidirectional microphones.

Something that is unlikely but has nonetheless been rumored is a retina scanner, as Samsung has claimed to be looking at iris detection. Of course such technology may still be quite a way off yet and we're not all that convinced we'll see one in the Galaxy S6.

Given we don't know a whole lot about the new Galaxy S6 at this point, here are the key things we think Samsung must chuck in there to make it a roaring success, rather than an unimpressive flop:

A better body

It would be fair to say that the dimpled back panel on the S5 wasn't universally well received. Everyone has been crying out for a new design in the Galaxy S series for a while now, but Samsung seemingly hasn't been listening.

An S6 with a metal uni body and a premium feel would be a potential crowd pleaser. If a redesign is on the cards, why not take it further and go for a new form factor? A new premium profile could refresh the range and make it feel special again.

Given that the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 have more premium builds it's likely that the Galaxy S6 will too, but we hope it goes all-metal rather than just packing in a metal frame.

A 2K display

No one is impressed by 1080p any more, not when 4K TVs are in the shops. We wouldn't have been surprised to see a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution on the S5, but it seems QHD displays were not ready for prime time back at the beginning of 2014.

It's all change now though, with the Galaxy Note 4 and LG G3 both packing 2K screens, so anything less than a QHD display in the S6 will be a bit of a disappointment. Just make sure it doesn't hurt the battery while you're at it, Samsung.

A 64-bit processor

Perhaps the lack of a 64-bit processor in the S5 was an acknowledgement that there aren't many advantages yet, or maybe it was a statement about not copying Apple.

The good news is that Android Lollipop supports 64-bit processors, so it's likely that the Galaxy S6 will take advantage.

While you're there, for heaven's sake add more RAM – 2GB is not enough to satisfy the modern day demands of multi-tasking, especially if you're going for a 64-bit chip.

A flexible design

Remember that advert where the guy folds his phone out to tablet size? That would be a real slice of fried gold and we've heard Samsung has a folding prototype already. Failing that, a squidgy, bendy phone that can take all sorts of damage and return to its original shape unblemished would be nice.

Squeezy controls could bring a fresh tactile element to smartphone ownership. At the very least we expect flexibility to deliver greater durability and new potential shapes, but it has got to be better than the Samsung Galaxy Round. Samsung's on the right track with the Galaxy Note Edge, so we're looking forward to the next step in curved and bendy screens.

A bigger battery

We can hold the sum total of humanity's achievements in one hand, accessing all of our scientific knowledge, and our greatest works of art, but only for a few hours at a time. Why mobile phone batteries are still so crap?

We need bigger batteries, more efficient power management, and faster wireless charging. The 2,800mAh battery in the S5 might be a slight step up from its predecessor, but it has an extra 0.1 of an inch of screen to power. You're treading water, Samsung. Free us from the daily charge.

A decent pair of stereo speakers

Sadly there's just one speaker on the S5. We don't want to have to wear headphones or hook up speakers all the time. It's a mobile device. The HTC One clearly demonstrated the benefits of dual front-facing speakers. Sony heard it, because the Z2 and Xperia Z3 have them too.

Screens are big enough to watch movies with friends now. How about bringing that sound quality up to scratch? A good set of stereo speakers in the S6 would be welcomed by everyone.

A DAB chip

Wi-Fi isn't always available and mobile data can be costly, so streaming tunes from the cloud or internet radio can be tricky and prohibitively expensive. FM radio seems to be rapidly disappearing from mobile devices and the quality is pretty patchy anyway.

Isn't it about time digital radio made it into smartphones? Access to high quality stations without the fiddling or the network connection would open up a world of music, sport, and talk. DAB chips are coming to smartphones and we'd love to see one in the Galaxy S6.

Always listening

The Moto X was a mixed bag, but it's undeniably cool to be able to talk to your phone and have it blink to life. Google continues to improve Now and add more functionality. If the Galaxy S6 was always listening, we'd get more value out of it. Google Now has been updated to listen for commands from any screen, but on the S6 we want it to listen even when the screen is off.

Voice recognition is improving fast. Given that our smartphones are starting to connect to wearables, home electronics and cars, the ability to issue voice commands brings us a step closer to the futuristic utopia we've all been dreaming about.

A new UX

In our eyes Touchwiz is no longer adding much value to stock Android, but that doesn't mean it couldn't. A radical rethink of the stagnant UX could wash away childish fonts and pointless features to deliver something fresh and stylish.

Samsung must have bags of data on how we interact with our smartphones and a cursory glance at popular launchers reveals a world of possibilities. Be bold Samsung, offer us something new and exciting! As long as it isn't a candy-fuelled, garish, neon nightmare, we'll give it a try.