Samsung Galaxy S6 review: Subject Zero
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- AnonD-363696
- vI6
- 15 Mar 2015
Basically i don't like Samsung. Samsung device may be a good in technology, innovation, design but i hate this because they always eat more RAM for their useless bloatwares. They almost eat more than 75% of RAM. i am owner of Galaxy S4 and used two more Samsung devices.. I am waiting for Google play edition of S6.. will see
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- AnonD-374800
- 4cY
- 15 Mar 2015
AnonD-225521, 15 Mar 2015Useful conversations? I see his contributions as more usef... moreAlso. You completely missed my point. YOU can choose whatever phone you want. My point was directed at the 90% of consumers who won't even visit this site. The iPhone type consumers. That is who Samsung is targeting. Apple made 88% of all profits from smartphones last year. There is a reason for that. Emulating them is the smart move. You really need to look at this from the business's point of view. Further, I am open to constructive conversation, however he was simply stating the same thing over and over. Which is annoying and pointless.
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- AnonD-374800
- 4cY
- 15 Mar 2015
AnonD-225521, 15 Mar 2015Useful conversations? I see his contributions as more usef... moreComplaining about the battery at this time is pointless. We need to wait for final software and not judge on one rushed review. As far as his other complaints. Yes no micro SD and non removable battery. We know big deal. Go get a different phone. Stop repeating it. Samsung won't care unless they sell less phones or profits go down. However if profits are up then it proves you're in the minority and that is all that matters. Wake up. Companies are controlled by shareholders and shareholders only care about one thing. PROFIT. Taking out the expandable storage is a fast way to massively increase profits. Removing battery increases profits further. If I was a company with hardware that destroys all the other android phones out there and sets me apart. I'd do exactly what Samsung is doing. And then I'd release the active with waterproofing and a bigger battery for the few whiners who wanted that. More profit. -From a small business owner.
- p
- pipo
- mTn
- 15 Mar 2015
"Gorgeous. Powerful. Special. Different"
You mean:
gorgeous = look-and-feel of Alpha,
Powerful = obviously more powerful than last generation
Special = Not special at all compared to other non-expandable devices without removable batteries.
Different = loss of MAJOR features that used to be standard on S-series
"Anyway, the Galaxy S6 was redone from scratch and bids farewell to plastic."
That's what Samsung let everybody believe yet you seem to forget their prior experiments with the Alpa and Note 4. Bidding farewell to plastics WITHOUT loss of typical Galaxy S-features, THAT would cause real respect for the Koreans. What they did now is disgusting! The ditched every features that made them unique and copied everything else from everyone else. Even its looks. If it wasn't for that ugly protruding camera then that Galaxy S6 looks indistinguishable from an iPhone 6 :-(
"...depending on how upset you are with the missing card slot and sealed battery - they're copying Apple and Sony"
I am very upset. They betrayed the things that really made them different. They betrayed the customers whom DO value the typical galaxy features like removable battery and expandable storage space.
"...the other options being 64GB and 128GB."
Which are probably never to be found in stores since stores only buy a small subset of the different models (with their limited budgets).
Not to mention that 32GB is the BARE minimum you actually need since you can't install applications on SD-cards (anymore) and you only have about 25GB free useable storage.
"A microSD card, regardless of specs, would have compromised the user experience"
You obviously don't understand why some of us NEED external storage options. SO I hope YOUR phone breaks down when you haven't gotten a backup of your photos to your PC or cloud. The real advantage is that even IF your phone breaks down that you still have some data on that micro-SD-card (especially photos and movies) since SD-cards are more rugged than the actual phones themselves.
"... The back of the phone is where the slightly protruding..."
slightly protruding? Are you blind. That thing is gigantic. It's 1/4 of the dept. That's not a a tiny bump. Even Pamela Anderson's rack is less daunting than this bump.
"...massive boost to QHD - 2560 x 1440 pixels."
Another massive squandering in battery-life, endurance and stamina. Especially on such a small screen. Combined with the smaller (compared to S5) battery this is a complete fuck up!
"...The Samsung Galaxy S6 has a practically unlimited contrast ratio, as it's capable of displaying black by simply turning off individual pixels - AMOLEDs light up only the parts of the screen that display a color different than black."
Which is completely ridiculed by Android Lolipop's primary use of white throughout it's UI. Our only hope is that Samsung eventually creates a "theme" that changes as much as possible to finally make proper use of AMOLED's battery-saving capabilities.
BTW, from the tables I can see that the S5's display is brighter and light blue is also NOT good for AMOLed screens. We need BLACK, Morons! But I get it. Next year when Android 6 comes about they change the UI into AMOLed friendly and call it "project Volta advanced", by then Google's Nexus don't have AMOLed screens anymore (since Huawei don't use AMOLED-screens in their devices and they are seen as the new Nexus-partners) unlike the current flagship Nexus 6 NOW!
"As it turns out, we were right to be worried as the Galaxy S6 posted lesser performance on all of our test compared to the Galaxy S5."
Something we, tech-savvy users, have been saying ALL along. Not to mention that all that white in Lolipop's UI isn't helping either!
A suggestion for GSMArena's team is to re-test the S5 as well. To compare an S5 with KitKat to a Lolipop variant.
"..Samsung Pay is KNOX-secured, which means the Galaxy S6 users should be getting government-grade protection of their personal data."
... which deter from rooting your device as well. Killing 2 birds with on stone, closing up Android and enforcing privacy through Samsung's services. KNOX should have been an optional feature for download if wanted (or required).
"...Playable framerates at full resolution, however, are no-go for complicated 3D games so we're guessing game makers will stick to 1080p for now..."
Which is the MAIN reason why users with some common sense prefer 1080P screens on these smartphones. We'd rather have better frame-rates (at still a very high resolution) than lower or equal frame-rates using a ridiculous 1440P screen at 5.1".
But I guess common sense went out the window when Andy Rubin left Google (Lolipop) and when Samsung started "Project Zero". I guess Project Zero means "Use Zero braincells to develop the new device" or in layman's terms "copy as much as you can from everyone else and pray they don't sue us" :-(
"...These apps cannot be uninstalled, but merely disabled."
Oh Dear, these bloody Koreans STILL don't understand the concept of bloatware. I don't want Microsoft's crap-ware on my phone either. These things both from Google and M$ should be optional and downloadable from the website when you want them. Instead of making them obligatory and wasting storage-space.
And there I was, thinking that Samsung would actually listen to its actual customers but instead they just switched bed with yet another bad US company with even LESS regard for end-users privacy than the last one.
"The loudspeaker is average in loudness and quieter than the Galaxy S5"
And that already is too quiet for hands-free calling, ringtones, navigation-directions etc... I really miss the extremely loud Nokia 808pureview (with audio patch). You can even hear that when in a pouch and in a backpack and in the back of your car. That device too had a single loudspeaker so why can't Samsung do what Nokia could?
Sure this S6 will (eventually) sell. Everyone who skipped the S5, mostly S4 users thus, are on the end of their 2-year plan and are looking for a new toy. This device comes along so they go for this one. Especially the tech-illiterate bunch whom don't investigate things prior to buying (and therefore don't read sites like this amongst others).
Samsung's board will hail their new full metal but less on features approach, instead of using common sense. And next when the current S5 owners (the last true Galaxy S) need a new device a next S7 comes about. Thinner, lighter, even less features and will be avoided like the plague. Then the clueless Samsung board (whom have apparently no vision of their own) can wonder again why their estimates don't come true.
This IS the beginning of the end.
- d
- darkraver
- m@%
- 15 Mar 2015
AnonD-126854, 15 Mar 2015Bet on, that after the first update, and even on the launch... moreBut hey, fanloving Samsung must go on, no matter what...Right?
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- AnonD-48446
- nmY
- 15 Mar 2015
Hey GSMA team why didn't you put the Z3 in there? Waterproof, SD card, great battery, FM radio, front spekers - It's the perfect opposite of the S6 so it should be there.
- R
- REX
- u7K
- 15 Mar 2015
Did you say this S6 is thin????? give me a break .
can't you that huge camera hump at the back???? it must be 1- 2mm thick . . don't try to be clever Sammy . . you can't match the technology of iPhone and Sony. atleast in design .
anybody would create an awesome camera with that much huge hump .
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- AnonD-252579
- 430
- 15 Mar 2015
Seriously who wants a phone with that bad of a battery all I want from my next smartphone is just a solid battery that can get me through the day there is no way with all the web browsing I do I won't have to plug it in constantly
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- AnonD-126854
- TXn
- 15 Mar 2015
AnonD-152638, 15 Mar 2015come on, sure this is a tech site, so people here are more ... moreBS
SD card is NOT only to extend the storage , but also to fast transfer- load in(and out) huge content- movies , job stuff , archived pictures or video ....and so on. Ppl may not use it often(many do) but if they need it(even ones) it's there - life saver. (just don't bring up now the Cloud BS. lol)
Well most of the ppl don't replace the battery often too, but when you iboys travel, or forget to charge your icrap , don't you take your power banks ????(they sell very good right?)
Whell , the spare battery do this job MUCH. MUCH, much better without adding the bulk and weight . And cheaper.
So just shut up already.
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- AnonD-126854
- TXn
- 15 Mar 2015
Bet on, that after the first update, and even on the launch THE BATTERY WILL BE MUCH BETTER. And GSMA know that very well.
It always happen with all the phones before the launch.
But hey, bashing Samsung must go on. Right?
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- AnonD-375337
- v0q
- 15 Mar 2015
AnonD-152638, 15 Mar 2015come on, sure this is a tech site, so people here are more ... moreAbout Android's support of MicroSD, you should reread their update. They're now back to supporting it.
http://www.ibtimes.com/android-50-lollipop-update-includes-fix-microsd-card-restrictions-1719958
http://www.androidauthority.com/lollipop-microsd-card-app-access-564168/
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- AnonD-152638
- mhB
- 15 Mar 2015
come on, sure this is a tech site, so people here are more likely to care about micro SD card slot and removable battery.
But the general public dont care. And the people that choose another device over Samsung Galaxy S series because of the design are more than those that absolutely need removable battery and micro SD slot.
Also keep in mind that micro SD doesnt work all that well with Android. Google no longer support moving apps, and if Samsung still support it in it's latest touchwiz, because of Google, there are few apps that you can actually move. Streaming services may support offline storage on micro SD, but not all do. And you cant switch sd card, cause that will confuse the service, so it will no longer recognize the content.
And most people will not exchange their storage, so what they get when they buy the device is what they will live with (the one micro SD card that was bought will the phone will never be replaced with a bigger one), so it's not really an over time advantage either.
Also if speeds are an issue, for example when it comes to the camera, the internal storage has an advantage. And lets face it, it's videos and images that you have most use of having saved to the micro SD as an backup if the device breaks. I think you rather have the performance and get the right image in the first place, than having the micro sd as a emergency backup system.
On reality if you need on the go storage back-up or a fesh set of conent, carrying a flashdrive and and OTG adapter will not be much more impratical than carrying a micro SD card. It will be larger. But it wont compromise the performance on the device. And it wont cause issues with offline streaming content that is saved.
Battery, well next to no one will cary a spare. And yhen you could at least as easily cary a batterypack. Sure, the batterypack will be larger, but it's self contained, a battery is best carried in a protective case, and then they are roughly the same size.
So the real advantage would be over time, that you can replace the battery. But most people don't. And yet again, if your battery after a couple of years dont get you through the day, a batterypack could help you with that, anyhow.
Sure there are so called power users here. And there are power users that have opted for samsung galaxy S series, because they offered those features. But in reality those power useres should have no real problem with carrying a batterypack (powerbank) and USB flashdrives and OTG adapter to get around their issues. In return they will get better peformance and a more sleek package.
But it some power users will skip on the S series bacause of their issues with non replaceable battery or no micro SD card slot. Samsung will more than make up for it, when it comes to people that will pick samsung over the competition, thanks to the better design of the S6.
Please GSM arena, rewrte some parts of this review to put less emphasis on the issues you have with the fact that the S6 doesnt have micro sd card slot or removable battery, cause it sure isnt as important as you make it out to be. You are quite unfair.
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- AnonD-115068
- vGi
- 15 Mar 2015
Anonymous, 15 Mar 2015It would be nice to know how much space a full hd video wil... moreWhat for the review for the m9s camera quality... At Mwc it had unfinished software for the camera..
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- Anonymous
- 0BG
- 15 Mar 2015
mixa, 15 Mar 2015By the way what's up with that inefficient Exynos inside?A ... moreIt's not the processor, the battery's just too small, and the screen is too high ppi. Another ridiculous fashion toy.
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- AnonD-375320
- 81N
- 15 Mar 2015
One thing you failed to mention in the review that I noticed, is the wider angle view of the new camera lens perhaps 24mm.
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- AnonD-354047
- 39n
- 15 Mar 2015
Guys if im correct this tested S6 has pre-release edition of software so lets wait for release version
- m
- maher
- 8jg
- 15 Mar 2015
any way let it be what ever specs might be there
with 5.1" screen only is real step back, 5.5-6.0 was better idea
- m
- mixa
- pwT
- 15 Mar 2015
By the way what's up with that inefficient Exynos inside?A bit of heavy usage and the battery goes flat in less than 3hrs.
Also it heats the back of the phone hard?
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- Anonymous
- nG{
- 15 Mar 2015
The S6 is the best looking phone from Samsung in a long time, and the Edge is just gorgeous.
Sadly, that battery life and mono speaker makes me prefer the HTC M9. The real surprise is the lack of a memory card. I'd expect that from a phone with a more closed OS, but an Android? Madness.
- J
- JKay
- 3nE
- 15 Mar 2015
What I would like to see is a S6 compact: As fast as the S6 but smaller... with IP67, microSD, FM radio and good battery life.... I jumped from the S4 to the Z3c....