Review: Samsung Galaxy S6

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla 

If it were a music album, the Samsung Galaxy S6 would be a compilation. A ‘best of’ effort that brings a few new features, but mostly touches on various aspects that customers already love.

Each year, smartphone makers are expected to push out significant updates to their marquee models. The competition-driven market demands an increase in specs, better performance, improved features and new designs and materials. 

The high price of these flagship devices demands that the new model differentiates itself not just from competing products, but the looming shadow of their predecessor. Just like the Daft Punk song, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", is the mantra.

Like popular bands and musicians, smartphone companies have to deliver hit after hit and prove they are still relevant and on top of their game with each subsequent release.

For Samsung, a company that led the handset market unchallenged for the past few years, last year’s Samsung Galaxy S5 was a lackluster release.

Despite bringing water resistance features and various spec updates, it landed with an audible thud and failed to sell in favourable numbers. Samsung went back to the drawing board for the Galaxy S6 so the result is something that looks and feels completely new.

For 2015, the road to redemption for Samsung rests in the company giving users what they want (or at least what Samsung groupthink has decided their customers want).

If it were an album, the Samsung Galaxy S6 would be a compilation. A ‘best of’ effort that brings a few new features, but mostly touches on various aspects that customers already love. 

Eschewing the use of faux-leather formed plastics and user-replaceable batteries and expandable memory of past models, this is the biggest change we've seen in the Galaxy S line.

Samsung has gone for a glass-sandwich design which places Gorilla Glass 4 covered display and a glass backplate melded to a metal curved metal frame.

 

There are various design nods to Apple’s own iPhone 6. The thinness of the bezels surrounding the display, the Touch ID-like fingerprint sensor, protruding rear camera and even the drilled speaker holes, are reminiscent of Apple’s latest flagship device.

Taking a screenshot on the Galaxy S6 is even identical to how you do it on the iPhone, by pressing the power and home buttons simultaneously.

Apple went big with their iPhones last year to capture the market share that Samsung was chewing up with its larger Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines.

The iPhone 6  and larger iPhone 6 Plus have been such a huge success that Samsung followed suit by making the most iPhone-like Galaxy we've seen in years.

Once you move beyond the similarities and dig deep into what the Samsung Galaxy S6 has to offer, it becomes evident that Samsung did a fair bit of spring-cleaning.

TouchWiz and the often irritating Nature UX has been muted considerably and while there is still a notable amount of pre-installed apps, they are nicely siloed and not strewn all about the home screen. The Galaxy S6 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop but overlayed with TouchWiz.

The Galaxy S6 still suffers from app-schizophrenia with many redundant applications from Google clashing with applications Samsung hopes we’d use instead. This may not seem like a big deal but it is a time suck when you need to open a link and need to choose between Chrome and the Samsung browser. 

The appearance of pre-installed Microsoft Apps is also another defiant move by Samsung who is visibly moving away from Google’s control. This also positions the new Galaxy S6 devices for enterprise, an area that Samsung has desperately wanted to conquer.

After using the Galaxy S6 on the Rogers network, I grew to like the feel of the device. It still feels a bit too wide to hold comfortably in one hand, this is due the the 5.1-inch screen, but the solid construction and the sleek glass exterior make it feel like a totem-like device that you never tire of holding. 

I tried to make use of the fingerprint sensor but for some reason it just wasn’t working for me despite using different fingers and spending time to set it up. This could be a bigger issue once actual payments functionality is involved.

 

I like the Samsung Galaxy S6’s quick charging feature which speeds up charging with a compatible charger. It and it really is a game changing feature if you use your smartphone a lot throughout the day. Considering that we have multiple devices tethered to our smartphones (i.e. wearable’s, external speakers) being able to top up in 35 minutes is a convenience that I have grown used to.

The Galaxy S6 features a 16-megapixel camera and a 5-megapixel front facing camera with Optical Image Stabilization as well as an F 1.9 aperture and fast tracking auto-focus feature. The rear camera is pretty much a quick-draw affair and one that takes very good photos in most lighting conditions.

 

I took a bunch of quick snapshots, shooting from the hip on a bright morning and was truly impressed at the detail and quality of the images I got back. 

Looking at said photos on the resplendent 5.1 QHD Super AMOLED display was a treat as well, with 1440 x 2560 pixels, 577 pixels per inch, there are very few other displays available today that can replicate the sheer amount of detail and clarity Samsung offers. 

I did find the QHD Super AMOLED display to have a bit of a blue tinted hue and the Galaxy’s default auto-brightness settings are too dim, perhaps to conserve battery power. Thankfully, this can be easily remedied by turning off auto-brightness.

 

Data speeds on Rogers when used around the GTA were consistently fast and even faster than WiFi in various situations. Performance from the quad-core 1.5GHz processor is immediate and the addition of 3GB of RAM helps maintain the Galaxy S6’s speed during multitasking as well as running more demanding apps. 

Samsung states a talktime of up to 14 hours as well as a standby time of 11 days but not having a replaceable battery means that you’ll want to plug in often or carry an external battery charger.

Conclusion

All-new for 2015, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is all about reinvention, refinement, and paring down of oddball design elements and UI distractions.

The Galaxy S6 now features 32GB, 64GB and for the first time 128GB storage capacities. It is available from most major Canadian carriers on select two-year plans starting at $250.00 or for a contract free price starting at $750.00.

Samsung's really pushed the envelope here and the the result is a notable flagship that could very well land Samsung back on the pole position as far and Android smartphones go.

The Galaxy S line has evolved, and while the jury is still out on the merits of buying a Galaxy S6 Edge instead, the non-edge Galaxy S6 scores points for improved build, familiar design and features as well as elevating Samsung's premiere smartphone line in terms of form and function.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5