Samsung Galaxy S6 - Specifications. Samsung Galaxy S6 review: sophisticated design and cool hardware Various sensors perform various quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that the mobile device recognizes

Photos in the interior

Contents of delivery

• Telephone
• Charger with USB cable
• Wired stereo headset
• SIM Card Clip
• Instructions

Specifications

• Android 5.0.2 (5.1 in early summer), latest generation TouchWiz shell
• 5.1 inches, SuperAMOLED screen, 577 ppi, 2560x1440 pixels, automatic brightness adjustment
• Exynos 7420 chipset, 8 cores (4 A53 cores, 4 A57 cores), maximum clock frequency up to 2.1 GHz, 64 bit
• MALI-T760 GPU
• 3 GB LPDDR4 RAM, no memory cards
• 32/64/128 GB of internal memory, UFS 2.0
• Front camera 5 megapixels, main camera 16 megapixels, OIS, True HDR, tracking autofocus, F 1.9, white balance detection by IR sensor, Pro shooting mode
• Payment system Samsung Pay
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot, Bluetooth®: v4.1, A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC, IR port for controlling household appliances
• LTE cat.6
• Wireless charging built into case (WPC1.1(4.6W Output) & PMA 1.0(4.2W)
• Li-Ion 2550 mAh battery, extreme power saving mode, fast charging in one hour
• Dimensions – 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm, weight – 138 grams

Positioning

The 2015 flagship was created with two goals - traditionally to compete with the current iPhone model, in our case the iPhone 6, and also to partially rehabilitate the Galaxy line after the rather sluggish sales of the Galaxy S5, which many perceived as a step to the side. In the S5, Samsung focused on water protection and the presence of the IP67 standard, but it turned out that these functions are not very important for consumers; they rather pay attention to the image component. And it is traditionally lower for Samsung phones than for the iPhone. As a result, sales of the Galaxy S5 turned out to be good, but very far from the company's internal plans. Suffice it to say that the Galaxy S5 was the best-selling Android flagship among all phones, but it did not reach the level of iPhone sales.

In 2015, Samsung is relying on metal, glass and the highest technical specifications possible. That is, the bet is on high-quality case materials, even if the continuity with the previous generation of Galaxy, which was considered a failed experiment, is broken. It's interesting how many people claim that the lack of protection from water has now suddenly become a disadvantage. I highly doubt that this is the case, although the function looks interesting for any model.

The focus is on design, quality of the case and direct competition with the iPhone. Numerous claims that this device is an exact copy of the iPhone are not entirely true. It is made in the style of the iPhone, but is not an exact copy. When you look at it, you see the same Galaxy line, there are no special differences.

Those who want to see an iPhone in this device will still see it, there is no point in convincing them otherwise. In real life, phones are very different and look like different models. It is impossible to confuse an iPhone and a Galaxy S6 in real life; not a single person has made a mistake in determining which hand is holding which phone, even from a distance of several meters. Another indicator will be the absence of legal claims from Apple, although the indicator is indirect, since last time the similarity of the models was also very far-fetched.

The flagship from Samsung will be of interest to ordinary users who want to get a modern smartphone with maximum camera quality, a good and large screen, and one-day operating time. This model is also suitable for those who can be called technology enthusiasts, since it implements the latest developments, which will last for at least a couple of years. Although there was a fly in the ointment, which we’ll talk about in this review.

The Galaxy S6 is a key device for the entire market in 2015/2016, as it was for previous Galaxy. We can expect global sales of the S6 (along with the S6 EDGE variant) to outpace the S5 over a comparable time frame. Interest in this model is noticeably higher. Let's take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of this solution together.

Design, dimensions, control elements

The phone turned out to be compact for such a screen diagonal, its dimensions are 143.4x70.5x6.8 mm, weight - 138 grams (for comparison, S6 EDGE - 142.1x70.1x7 mm, 132 grams). Fits well in the hand and does not slip.

Compared to Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Compared to Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Compared to Samsung Galaxy S5

The side frame and back wall are made of metal, special attention was paid to the strength characteristics, it cannot be bent even with great effort. This was especially emphasized at the presentation. Since Samsung decided that the model should pamper the consumer with variety, they presented it in many colors. To achieve this, the back wall is painted over and covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Exactly the same glass covers the front surface. To avoid creating confusion, Samsung calls the glass fourth generation, but in fact, it differs from what other manufacturers get (fewer scratches, more drop resistance, which is important with such a screen). You can call this piece of glass Gorilla Glass 4+, although this name will be very arbitrary.

Each color looks metallic due to the glass, and they play well in the sun. Just like on Sony devices, hand marks remain on the glass; it is easily soiled, but not excessively. In bright light the marks are almost invisible, but in the room they become noticeable.

In real life, the devices play in the light and look dull indoors.

Other color solutions will appear, but this is a matter of the near future. The accessories for the Galaxy S6/S6 EDGE also turned out to be quite bright, playing with the theme of the body color.

In the S6 EDGE you can feel the cut of the body due to the beveled screen; in the regular S6 there is nothing like that, it fits very well in the hand. The metal frame has recesses on the side edges, which also adds convenience.

The nanoSIM card tray is located on the right side surface, and there is also an on/off button. Volume keys are on the left. At the top end there is an IR port for controlling household appliances and a microphone, another microphone is located at the bottom end. There is also a microUSB connector (USB 2.0), 3.5 mm for a headset or headphones, and a speaker output.

On the back surface, in addition to the flash, there is a heart rate sensor; it also performs a number of other functions; more about this in the section about S Health. There is a physical button on the front panel, it contains a fingerprint sensor (you can unlock the device by placing your finger, no need to swipe it). There are also two touch keys, everything is familiar to other devices from Samsung. Above the screen there is a proximity sensor, as well as a 5 megapixel front camera.

Display

Screen 5.1 inches diagonal, SuperAMOLED, 577 ppi, 2560x1440 pixels, automatic brightness adjustment. This is one of the best screens from Samsung; it traditionally has customizable colors - from bright and sometimes acidic to muted. Here everyone will choose their own option, but the main thing is that, according to reviews from professionals testing screens in various devices, AMOLED matrices in previous models have already become very accurate in terms of color reproduction and behavior in the sun. In this device, the quality of the screen has also increased and the brightness of the backlight has been improved (everything is readable in the sun with a bang).

Communication capabilities

If you can imagine that a device has all possible technologies, then this is the case with the S6/S6 EDGE. I’ll just list them: Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot, Bluetooth®: v4.1 , A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC, IR port for controlling household appliances.

Memory, RAM, performance

The device has 3 GB of RAM (LDPPR4), which has a maximum bandwidth of 3.2 GB/s (64 bits) today. The built-in memory capacity may vary - 32, 64 and 128 GB. Memory type is UFS 2.0, which also provides maximum writing and reading speeds; it is actually an SSD array. The speed of the memory subsystem is such that no other device yet has comparable characteristics.

The Exynos 7420 chipset belongs to the latest generation, made at 14 nm. Technically, this is an 8-core solution, 4 Cortex-A53 cores, 4 Cortex A57 cores. The graphics core is Mali T-760, but its version is updated compared to Note 4 (more frequency, etc.). It is also the fastest processor available, which together with the memory makes this device very fast. In life, he just flies, there are no brakes at all (Android 5 also contributes to this). During my time with the phone, I did not experience any slowdowns or application crashes.

And here's what the results look like in synthetic tests. These are the best values ​​possible for devices of this kind. With performance in synthetic tests, everything is more or less clear, see the values ​​below.

What’s more interesting is how the device behaves in 3D tests, that is, how predisposed it is to graphics, since the MALI graphics processor has always been inferior to similar solutions from Qualcomm, and even more so from NVidia. Increased frequency, eight cores - all this, in theory, should contribute to performance, but on the other side there is an increased screen resolution.

There are other tests, we present their values ​​here.

But it was interesting to see how, for example, Epic Citadel is going. In the initial test on an almost clean device, the result was about 60 frames per second.

But then, when I tried to repeat it, it turned out that the program produces, at best, 50 frames, and after heating, even 30 frames. This is one of the Galaxy S6's weakest points in terms of performance - the 3D graphics and how repeatable the results you get.

Having looked at the 3D toys, I can say that the range of results in Dead Trigger 2, NOVA3, Asphalt 8, Real Racing 3 is from 30 to 60 frames per second. In some games the level stays at 60 almost constantly, in some it is closer to 30. But this is with maximum settings for textures, resolution, and so on. Even taking this into account, you as a user will not see any problems in the game, since stuttering at 30 frames per second simply does not exist. And this is the lowest value.

For those who want to approach performance in a straightforward and stupid way, I recommend comparing the gaming component in GTA, since this game is not optimized for MALI graphics, does not load the best textures and is guaranteed to have problems with graphics display. In my opinion, this is a flaw in the game and a lack of optimization for a specific platform, but as an example of “disadvantages” it will do. The question in 3D games today is simply which platform they are optimized for and how well. The same solutions from NVidia tear everyone apart in terms of 3D performance and graphics rendering quality, but they are not popular. Apparently, not everyone needs this.

Battery

The built-in battery has a capacity of 2550 mAh (2600 mAh in S6 EDGE), operating time is approximately a full working day under load. This is about 3 and a half hours of screen operation (automatic brightness adjustment, turned to maximum), data transfer in 4G. The video device plays for about 10.5 hours.

One of the nice things to note is that fast charging of the battery is supported - it takes one hour. If you use a regular 2A charger, the battery charging time will be 2 hours. The phone has built-in wireless charging that supports several formats, meaning you can buy a branded device or any other. I had a charger from Lumia (DT-601, Qi standard) on hand; it charges the device perfectly.

You shouldn't expect this model to last as long as the Note 4. But the result turned out to be slightly higher than that of the iPhone 6 with the same load (number of calls, data transferred). The difference is almost imperceptible; we can say that these devices live for the same time. Again, for most people this will be full time.

Many people do not understand how changing the chipset and process technology, speeding up the memory, or introducing a different screen with a higher resolution may not lead to an increase in power consumption. The logic is simple - all new technologies consume more energy. But the logic is flawed and far from reality; it’s precisely the new technologies that make it possible to achieve lower power consumption, which Samsung consistently shows on its Galaxy line, and the same Note has long become the standard in terms of operating time.

Camera

A separate detailed and extensive material is devoted to a description of the camera and all its capabilities.

Software features – Android 5.x and TouchWiz

Samsung has begun to simplify the TouchWiz shell, and this is clearly noticeable in Android 5. While this is not pure Android, a lot of unnecessary junk has been removed, useful and not so useful functions have been added, the system has begun to look simple and understandable. I will try to describe the changes sequentially.

So, in the drop-down curtain, everything is different from Android 5 - Samsung retained one row of shortcuts, but the list scrolls horizontally, and you can also select the icons that are shown here. I like the way it’s done in pure Android, where you just have to pull it again and the full list opens, I think it’s more convenient this way.

Some icons have additional functionality, for example, the Wi-Fi icon now displays part of the Wi-Fi network name. This is a small thing, but quite convenient, which I found very interesting.

Traditionally, the drop-down curtain contains S Finder, in which you can search for content both on the network and in the phone’s memory. You can limit your search by category. This is a convenient search client for the device. Nearby is a utility for connecting to other devices; everything in it is also familiar.

How do I open notifications from the lock screen? When clicked, they redirect you to the appropriate application. If the screen lock is set, for example, to a fingerprint, then you receive a warning that you need to press the central key - touch, and again the phone opens the desired item. Everything has become much clearer and simpler than it was. If you don't need a notification, you can simply swipe it aside.

Of the minuses in the menu, I’ll note this for myself - I have about 6 screens with icons, previously you could click on the square of a specific screen in the line below. Now, when clicked, the transition goes only to the adjacent screen. Inconvenient.

Dialer and contacts. By dialing a number, you can quickly call a contact by simply entering the first numbers or letters of the first and last name correctly. Matches will appear in the list. The call log has a filter by call type.

Just like on previous models, you can swipe left or right on a name to send a message or make a call; this setting can be disabled, but many people liked it. In Favorites, in addition to the selected contacts, there is also a list of numbers that you often use. When you call, information related to the contact, recent SMS, mail, and calendar events are displayed.

In the contact list, you can scroll through names by letter of the alphabet (Russian comes first, then Latin).

The changes are purely visual, the UI has become simpler and lighter, but the functionality has been maintained at the level of the previous version of TouchWiz. This seems wrong to many, but it is purely a matter of taste and habit.

Messages. Some people are upset only by the lop-eared man, which is in the menu for rooms without an icon set by the user. It remains as before, although its size has greatly decreased. You can choose the design of the windows, their style, and set your own wallpaper. Also, by choosing a different theme or your own screensavers, you can get rid of this little man. Messages are sent on a schedule.

The range of features is typical and will be enough for ordinary users. I have no complaints about working with messages on this device.

Among the unusual functions, I will note shortcuts for quickly inserting text - they work in all menus. That is, when the T9 function is activated, by typing the letter assigned to the shortcut, you will see in the list of hints not only words, but also a recorded pattern. So far this only works for the English language, but it is a very useful and convenient thing.

Gallery. Sorting photos works by time, place, event or category (here the phone itself determines what is in the photo - food, landscape, portrait, and so on). There is also access to Picasa from the menu.

Calculator. In a horizontal position it is scientific, in a vertical position it is normal.

Watch. Alarm clock, world time, stopwatch and timer. The usual sections, but externally they have been redesigned and look more interesting.

Notes. Regular text notes that are synchronized with the cloud and transferred from phone to phone.

My files. A regular file manager that also supports Google Drive. Convenient and simple, there are all possible operations with files.

Dictaphone. In addition to regular voice recording, you can turn on the Interview mode (first seen in Note 4), then the microphones at the ends work in turn, and the recording quality is good. There is also a voice note mode, when text entered by voice is immediately recognized.

Peel Smart Remote. A program for controlling household appliances using an infrared port. Automatically detects your location, shows a list of channels and programs, and can work with any equipment. On other devices it is not so interesting, since they do not have an infrared port.

S Planner. The calendar was made visually lighter and simpler. There are birthday reminders, synchronization with any network calendars, and a separate task list. I like the way this application is designed, there is nothing superfluous in it and everything is clear.

S Health (ver. 4). A completely updated S Health application, which now includes motivational rewards (walk more, do more, etc.). A sensor on the back of the phone is used to measure heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, stress levels and emotions. Now you can enter a food diary, there is a database of foods and their calorie content. In every sense, this application has become richer, and at the same time it is not necessary to use all the options. You can also keep track of your workouts here, plus there is a virtual trainer who can help you train.

S Voice. The engine from Nuance is used, just like on previous models. The speech synthesizer is very clumsy, like from the past, command recognition is stupid and completely inferior to Google Now. It’s definitely not worth using this voice control, although it has a wide range of functionality. It's not very pleasant.

Smart Manager. A new utility that combines several programs from different companies, but in one interface. So, there is Clean Master, which is able to remove application caches and various garbage. The battery management utility shows how long it can last, and you can switch between modes. In the Security section you can install KNOX, plus there is an antivirus from McAfee. There is also a utility for cleaning RAM, which is more of a tribute to the needs of users and their desires than an urgent need for Android - it is more of a harmful utility than a useful one.

Microsoft Applications. The folder contains three pre-installed applications - OneDrive, OneNote and Skype. These are applications whose pre-installation is paid for by Microsoft; there are no differences or integration into the system. It’s worth tearing them down right away, at least the first two deserve it. The user is given 100 GB of cloud space from Microsoft free of charge for two years.

Mail. A regular email client that supports multiple accounts, HTML layout. There is nothing unusual here, nor are there any advantages over the GMail client. Outwardly they became very similar.

Settings. The usual set of settings for the Galaxy S, I won’t list everything, I’ll list the main screens, everything is clear from them.

Free apps with S6/S6 Edge

Samsung is used to giving flagship customers subscriptions to paid services or applications, sometimes this is quite a significant saving. I will try to list the main gifts, they may differ from country to country and may not be available everywhere:

• The Economist – 6 month subscription;
• Audible, audiobooks, 3-month subscription, one book free every month;
• NY Times - news, 12-week subscription;
• Pocket
• Parallels Access – 6-month subscription, access to up to 5 computers;
• PayPal – discount on various goods;
• Evernote - premium subscription;
• Flexy keyboard;
• Entrenador – personal trainer;
• Magisto Video Editor – three months subscription to the service;
• Keepy – note-taking service, 6-month subscription;
• Shazam – version without restrictions and without advertising;
• Hancom Office 2014 – unlimited time license;
• Kindle – subscription for 12 months, you can receive one book monthly;
• Deezer – music subscription for 6 months;
• Kick is an application for football fans, match results.

Additional accessories for Galaxy S6/S6 EDGE

For several years now, Samsung has been creating the widest possible range of accessories for its flagships. Starting with 6, the set comes with headphones of a new design, which are built similarly to Level In, provide good sound and are noticeably better than the previous model.

In terms of cooperation with famous brands, I would like to mention cases from Burton, protective cases with crystals from Swarovski, leather covers from Montblanc, women's handbag cases from Rebecca Minkoff, cases painted by Britto. These accessories are almost impossible to find on the market; their cost is very high.

Now let's look at the standard set of accessories, they are completely the same for the two models, only the article number and color options differ. Wireless charging is available in two colors – white and dark gray. I recommend taking a dark color, since the rubber insert at the top, which prevents the phone from sliding, gets dirty very quickly on white. A dark color is more practical.

The QI 1.1 standard is supported (backwards compatible with 1.0), charging speed is about 4-5 hours, which is typical for such devices. The cost of the charger in Russia will be 3,490 rubles. The fast charger included in the kit costs 2,000 rubles if you buy it separately, so you shouldn’t lose it. The same price applies to a car charger that supports Quick Charge technology.

A regular transparent bumper covering the back of the phone will cost 2,590 rubles.

But the opaque cover can be of almost any color, it is of good quality, but it also needs to be matched to the color of the phone so that they match. Its price is 2,290 rubles.

The book case is also available in different colors, the price is 2,990 rubles; these types of cases make the device very thick.

The S View Cover with a window has become very popular. Different fabric or leather, a huge number of colors - all together create an alternative. You can activate the camera, enable dialing of favorite numbers, listen to music, open the quick shortcuts panel - the latter was previously unavailable. In the video I show how this case works, it's worth watching. But the price is steep - 4,490 rubles.

The mirrored book case can also be selected in different colors, it has an NFC tag, so Chinese craftsmen will not do anything like that. In the closed state, you can answer calls, reject messages and reminders. There is no need to open the device.

You can see how all these accessories work in our video.

Impression

I was pleasantly surprised by the loudness of the Samsung S6 speaker, despite the fact that there is only one speaker and is located at the end - it is very clear and loud, the device is clearly audible in different conditions. In the video I showed the differences with the S5, they are noticeable to the naked eye. We can say that the sound is one of the loudest and most pleasant devices from the company. The vibration alert is average in strength, there are no achievements here.

The phone's connection quality is not satisfactory in any way. I tried to find differences from my Note 4, but could not find them. The quality of work in LTE is also flawless; I noticed that the phone is better able to connect to Wi-Fi networks than the Note 4. Subjectively, it seemed that in general the quality of communication was a little better.

I like how the one touch fingerprint works, you can watch this feature in the video.

The speed of launching the camera from any menu is less than a second. Just press the Home key twice. And it's convenient. The camera is excellent and comparable to the Note 4, which I consider (and not only me) the best device on the market in this regard.

We could go on and on about how the S6 differs from most devices on the market - the fastest processor, the best camera, a display that has already been recognized as outstanding. But this is all lyricism, since we need to dwell on several negative aspects that may discourage you from purchasing this device.

The obvious thing is the lack of memory cards. I'm so used to having the option of having a memory card that I feel uncomfortable without it. A memory capacity of 32 GB seems to me clearly insufficient for full use of the device - listening to music, watching videos, taking photographs. This is an annoying limitation that came with the iPhone. I really hope that the “brilliant” idea to do this will not come to the company’s engineers in the Note line.

Now about another point - the heating of the device, which is often felt when working in heavy applications (3D toys) or transferring large amounts of data (Wi-Fi or LTE/3G does not matter). The housing near the camera gets hot, as does the metal frame. It gets quite hot, but you can hold the device, it’s warm, it doesn’t burn. This moment upset me a little, and not at all because of the heat as such; in the end, all fast devices heat up. Rather, here we come to another issue - replacing the battery. After about a year and after 350-400 charging cycles, the battery capacity will drop by at least 20 percent. If in other devices of the Galaxy line you could replace it yourself, then you will have to contact a service center or read instructions on how to disassemble the phone, look for a replacement battery and pervert in such ways. In the same iPhone, this is a standard story that its owners have learned. The fact that the Galaxy S6 abandoned the collapsible case is understandable, but it doesn’t add any joy.

I managed to drop the Galaxy S6 a couple of times, it did not cause any problems - but this is not an indicator. I am sure that Gorilla Glass 4 will not have any problems, as, indeed, this can be seen from the Note 4. As part of the VIP program, the first replacement of the screen you cracked will cost up to 3,000 rubles. No manufacturer provides such conditions, and this is a significant advantage, as well as confidence in the quality of the product (the cost of replacing the screen on an iPhone 6 is approximately half its cost).

For many, the choice will be between the Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6; the arguments for both devices were presented in a short video. But I can say that these are devices of different classes - the iPhone is fashionable and empty in functionality and capabilities, the Galaxy S6 is the best in its class.

The cost of the Galaxy S6 in Russia will be 49,990 rubles (in Europe the price will be at the same level as for the Galaxy S5 - 650 euros). Many will consider choosing between S6 and S6 EDGE; the second device will cost about 55,000 rubles. Sales start in mid-April.

I like both the S6 and S6 EDGE. Although from an image point of view the second is more interesting, but the first is more practical. Functionally there is no difference between them.

By and large, the Galaxy S6 turned out to be very nice in appearance and functional, which is what you expect from a device in the Galaxy line, but it also does not have memory cards, which many will consider a minus. Comparing this model with similar devices in the same price category, we can say that they are much inferior in all respects. This is a device without any compromises, the best in almost everything. From subjective things, personal dislike of the design and/or Samsung may interfere. But these matters are so subtle that there is no point in discussing them. From a market perspective, the Galaxy S6 sets the bar very high in both performance and everyday usability. The ergonomics of this device are simply excellent.

At one time, the Galaxy S6 made a lot of noise, and to be honest, even though a lot of time has passed since its release, it is still considered by many as an option for purchase. The S6 implemented all the best that was in the manufacturer’s past developments and in the mobile technology market in general. Finally, it was decided to abandon plastic in favor of more premium materials, which had a positive effect on the perception of the gadget and its design.

The body has become thinner and lighter, and has a non-removable battery. But not all the changes were beneficial - now there is no moisture protection, and in addition, we were deprived of a slot for a microSD card. But as soon as you start to get to know the gadget better, you simply forget about minor shortcomings against the backdrop of numerous advantages, which we will dwell on in more detail as part of our review of the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Galaxy S6 specifications:

• Screen: 5.1’’ Quad HD 1440x2560, Super AMOLED, 577 ppi
• Processor: Octa-core Exynos 7420, 2.1 GHz
• Graphics accelerator: Mali-T760MP8, 600 MHz
• Operating system: Android OS 5.0.2 Lollipop, TouchWiz UI
• RAM: 3 GB
• Built-in memory: 32 GB
• Memory card support: No
• Communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz || UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz || LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26
• SIM: nano-SIM
• Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band 2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, IrDA
• Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, Baidu, Galileo
• Cameras: main - 16 MP (OIS, autofocus, LED flash); front - 5 MP
• Sensors: accelerometer, G-Sensor, proximity, light, oxygen SpO2 and heart rate, compass, barometer, fingerprint scanner
• Battery: 2550 mAh, non-removable
• Dimensions: 143.4x70.5x6.8 mm
• Weight: 138 grams

Galaxy S6 equipment

The device is delivered in a white package, which does not greatly exceed its dimensions. On its back you can see the main characteristics, and by printing it we get access to the charger, microUSB cable, wired headphones with a convenient control unit, a paper clip and documentation.

Design

In terms of its design, the smartphone is practically no different from the Edge version. The only difference is that a standard flat display is used here, but otherwise the design is very reminiscent of the manufacturer’s past developments.

Even if you cover up the brand logo on the front panel, the device will still be recognizable. Key design points move from one flagship to another, including the mechanical “Home” button and the design of the speaker grille. It would seem that these are elements that do not attract much attention, but it is precisely such little things that make up the recognizable design of gadgets.

Compared to previous generations, the design has become neater. The case materials of the Galaxy S6 are completely the same as the Edge. The front and back panels are covered with 4th generation Gorilla Glass. The structure is strengthened by a stylish and durable frame made of aircraft-grade aluminum.

The smartphone has a monolithic body, so you can forget about replacing the battery yourself. But this is rather a plus, because with such an assembly the possibility of backlash and squeezing of the lid is eliminated, each part fits perfectly in its place.

The case has rounded edges, which makes it fit well in the hand. When you first pick it up, it seems that the body is very slippery, because the main material of manufacture is glass. But thanks to good ergonomics, the likelihood of dropping it will be extremely small.

A standard set of sensors, a speaker and a front-facing camera were installed above the screen.

Below it is a mechanical home key and a pair of touch keys on either side of it.

On the left is the volume rocker.

On the right is the display power control button and the nanoSIM tray.

On the top edge there is a microphone and an infrared port for controlling household appliances.

At the bottom there is a 3.5 mm headset jack, a microUSB port and an external speaker.

On the back side we see a main camera module with a resolution of 16 megapixels. It protrudes above the body. which is a little impractical. To the right of it there is a flash and a saturation and heart rate sensor. Closer to the center is the company logo.

Display

The Galaxy S6 duos review moves on to the screen, which is built using Super AMOLED technology with a 5.1-inch diagonal and a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. This combination gives 577 dpi, which sets the display apart from its competitors. Of course, with such a high density, you won’t notice any individual pixels. The picture turns out rich, contrasty and well detailed; working with the screen is a pleasure.

Color reproduction varies greatly depending on user settings, with a total of four modes available:

• Adaptive;
• Movie;
• Photo;
• Base.

The last two produce the most realistic colors, but if you like them slightly oversaturated, then it's worth setting up any of the first two.

Galaxy S6 performance

Samsung Galaxy S6 specifications are based on the Exynos 7420 processor, developed at the manufacturer’s facilities. It is based on 8 cores with a frequency of 2.1 GHz, which is complemented by the Mali-T760MP8 graphics accelerator. RAM - 3 GB, built-in - 32 GB, of which 24 GB remains for user needs. Galaxy S6 32gb characteristics are relevant even now; it can easily handle even the latest games with high graphics. Not a single application has yet been able to fully load the device so that it fails.

Samsung Galaxy S6 in synthetic:

There are some drawbacks; now games, photos and video files are quite large, so 24 GB may not be enough, and there is no way to expand the volume with a memory card. At least a little, this shortcoming is compensated by the provision of 100 free gigabytes of OneDrive cloud storage, but it’s still not the same.

Samsung g920f Galaxy S6 32gb black review showed that the external speaker sounds clear and has a good volume headroom, although the low frequencies are a little lacking. The headphones included with the device are perfect for everyday use; they are not only comfortable, but also sound good. With a high degree of probability they will replace your old headset.

Heart rate monitor Samsung Galaxy S6

Near the sensor from the main camera module there is a sensor designed to measure heart rate. To use it, the proprietary S Health application was preinstalled, where you can track your heart rate and stress level. It works quickly, but there are doubts about the accuracy of the measurements. In addition to tracking physical activity indicators, such as running or cycling, you can find out the level of oxygen in your blood and enter information on the amount of fluid you drink per day. The application will help you monitor your health and maintain an active lifestyle.

Autonomous operation

A review of the Galaxy S6 64gb active in Russian revealed that everything is bad with the battery capacity - 2550 mAh, despite the fact that the performance has increased noticeably. You can count on a day of autonomy if you turn on the Internet only when necessary, set the brightness to a low level, and unload resource-intensive applications from memory when you stop using them. Autonomy is the weak point of the device.

In an hour of playing Asphalt 8, the battery loses 22% of its charge, and when playing videos at 100% brightness and 70% volume, 16% is lost in an hour. In standby mode, with one active SIM card, only 1% of the charge is consumed in a few hours. In about a week, the gadget shrinks completely if you don’t touch it at all.

Samsung Galaxy S6 duos gold 64gb review showed that in difficult situations, when it is not possible to connect your smartphone to a power outlet in the near future, you can switch to one of two energy saving modes: standard or extreme. The first has a barely noticeable effect on autonomy, while the second improves it by approximately 150%, but in this case the screen goes into black and white mode.

A full charge from zero to one hundred takes 1 hour 35 minutes. Thus, in 10 minutes you can charge the battery for 4 hours of operation. This saves you in situations when it’s time for you to leave the house and there’s no time to wait. Charging time from a computer is an order of magnitude longer - about 5 hours. Wireless charging is supported.

Interface

The review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 phone moves on to the interface, which is built on Android version 5.0 out of the box, but you can immediately update over the air to more recent versions. Everything is simple and convenient, as you can see in the screenshots below.

Cameras Samsung Galaxy S6

The camera review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is pleasantly surprising, because at the time of its release the phone had one of the best cameras installed. The manufacturer managed to prove that the main thing is not the number of megapixels, because most competitors had 20 megapixel modules, but they were noticeably inferior in image quality.

If you wish, you can use the advanced mode, where you can set your own shooting parameters, but in most cases this is not necessary. With automatic settings, the optimal algorithm is selected depending on the current shooting conditions. A real find was night photography, in which you can get pictures with decent quality and detail. Of course, noise is present; no manufacturer has yet managed to completely get rid of it in night shots, but its amount is minimal.

Samsung Galaxy S6 review in Russian showed that under simpler shooting conditions you can get excellent pictures. If you shoot without HDR, fine details will be difficult to see in deep shadows. When this option is activated, the detail and color saturation in the shadows improves.

The video quality is also good. You can save recordings in FullHD format at 60 fps, QHD, in accordance with the display resolution, and UHD (3840x2160). The last two formats are limited in time - up to 5 minutes of shooting, which was done in order to save user memory.

The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels and takes decent pictures, especially if you remember the year of manufacture. The module has a wide viewing angle and can be used both for taking selfies and for video communication.

Conclusion

So we have completed the review of the Samsung Galaxy S6, which has grown significantly compared to its predecessor. Improvement on all fronts - design, ergonomics, display and, of course, hardware, we've worked on everything except the battery. Although it is enough for a day of average use.

Where can I buy?

Your rating for the smartphone:

We have already written about the expected exhibition Mobile World Congress 2015, which will show new flagships from Samsung and finally it happened. After several months of wondering what these new devices will look like, the flagships are officially shown to the public. Maybe Samsung Galaxy S6 will be a bestseller this year, and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge claims to have the most non-standard design among Android smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy S6- This is the next model (after the S5), which received higher quality body materials, a slightly updated design and finally a metal frame. Now Samsung's flagships can be compared with the latest iPhones in terms of workmanship and design.

The S6 received a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED screen (like the S5). Samsung believes that there is no point in making the screen larger on the new flagship, because there is also a series of Note smartphones with a larger diagonal screen. The resolution has been increased to qHD 2560x1440, like other recent top-end smartphones, such as the Note 4. The metal body is 50% stronger than other smartphones with a metal body, the manufacturers claim. On the front panel there is a mechanical “Home” button and touch “Recent applications” and “Back”.

It can be said that Samsung Galaxy S6 looks like an iPhone, but it's not. Although the frame has also become metal with rounded corners, and the speaker has been moved to the bottom of the smartphone, otherwise the front part is more similar to the previous S5 model, and the back has a new look. The thickness of the device is only 6.8 mm and a possible solution with rounded corners of the metal frame will make it more convenient to use.

You won’t be able to get the battery out of the S6 (without disassembling the device); while previously you could open the cover and change the battery, now it is non-removable. The capacity is 2550 mAh, which is pretty standard for smartphones of this size.

Now wireless charging is not a separate option. The manufacturer promises 4 hours of device operation in just 10 minutes of recharging with an original wireless charger. But you can say goodbye to expanding the memory capacity thanks to microSD cards; there is no slot for flash drives. But the S6 will be available in versions with 64GB and even 128GB, and the very first version will have 32GB of internal memory.

Previously, there were rumors that Samsung was abandoning Qualcomm chips and would produce new flagships only on its processors Exynos. IN Galaxy S6 used 64 bit Exynos octa-core processor and 3 GB RAM new standard DDR4. Company representatives did not specify what processor is used, but the 14nm architecture suggests that it should be Exynos 7. Samsung claims the chip is more efficient, 35% more efficient and 20% faster than the Exynos in the Note 4.

The rear camera has a resolution of 16MP with optical stabilization. The camera lens has an aperture value of F/1.9, which means higher quality pictures in low light. The camera module protrudes noticeably from the back cover. But a tracking autofocus function appeared, similar to SLR cameras. The front camera is 5MP with a wide-angle lens, which is more of a standard these days. There is also a heart rate sensor on the back cover, and the central button on the front can scan fingerprints (as in the S5).

The new flagships will, of course, run on a mobile operating system Android 5.0. New shell version TouchWiz will be lighter than previous versions. Samsung makes a big bet on the payment system Samsung Pay, which will compete with Google Wallet and Apple Pay, as well as a partnership with Microsoft to receive bonus space in the OneDrive cloud storage. By using Samsung Pay And NFC chip, you will be able to make purchases in any place where plastic cards are serviced. There is already support for Mastercard and Visa of several large banks. Samsung Pay should launch in the summer in the USA and South Korea.

Now let's talk about Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, which should diversify flagship devices with its unusual alternative design. Screen S6 Edge is now rounded on both sides, on which widgets and program launcher icons can be located, as well as useful information can be displayed. "Your friends will think it's really cool," says a Samsung spokesperson. But it’s quite difficult to say how many people will be willing to pay for such a “wow” effect.

Screen Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge like the S6 - Super AMOLED 2560x1440 (qHD) 5.1 inches. CPU Exynos And 3GB DDR4 RAM. Built-in memory 32GB, 64GB or 128GB. The camera is the same as in the S6, 16MP main and 5MP front. But the battery is slightly different - 2600mAh.

Already on April 10, both smartphones will be available in 20 countries (it is unknown whether Russia is on this list). Prices are not yet known. Several body colors were shown (white, blue, gold and other colors).

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge

• Screen: Super AMOLED, 5.1″, Quad HD (2560×1440), 577ppi
• Processor: Exynos, Octacore, Quad 2.1GHz + Quad 1.5Ghz
• OS: Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
• Main camera: 16 megapixels with optical stabilization
• Front camera: 5 megapixels
• Modules: LTE Cat.6 (300/50Mbps), WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth, NFC, IR
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Light, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Fingerprint, Heart Rate
• RAM: 3GB DDR4
• Built-in memory: 32, 64 or 128 GB
• S6 Dimensions: 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm, 138 grams
• S6 Edge Dimensions: 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 mm, 132 grams
• Battery S6: 2550 mAh
• Battery S6 Edge: 2600 mAh

Installed Google apps

• Chrome browser
• Google Drive cloud storage
• Photos
• Gmail email client
• Social network Google+
• Google Settings
• Hangouts Messenger
• Google Maps
• Google Play Books
• Google Play Games
• Google Play News
• Google Play Movies
• Google Play Music
• Google Play App Store
• Voice search
• YouTube

Other installed applications

• Ultra Power Saving Mode
• Download Booster
• S Health 4.0
• Samsung Pay
• Smart Manager
• Microsoft Apps (OneDrive 115GB for 2 years, OneNote)
• Sound Alive+
• Themes
• Quick Connect
• Private Mode
• S Finder, S Voice

Image model on the fastest platform

The flagship Samsung Galaxy S series smartphones do not need any special introduction. Along with Apple products, Samsung smartphones have traditionally aroused keen interest among users of any age, gender and religion. In the new season, the Korean company has prepared a real surprise for its fans. You can call it a rethinking of values ​​or a reboot, as you like, but the fact remains: after many years of boring sameness, Samsung designers have finally decided to make real changes. For the first time in many years, we can say with confidence that Samsung has shown a truly stylish, modern and attractive design. In principle, the option with two glass panels and a metal side frame is not so new; over the past few years we have seen it in the iPhone, Sony Xperia, and even in fashion models of the Huawei P series, but for Samsung smartphones it is really new . And given the experience of past years, when one type of plastic in Korean smartphones was replaced by another, such drastic changes can even be called a breakthrough.

However, it was not only unexpected changes in design and attractive appearance that were pleasantly surprised by the participants of the MWC 2015 exhibition during their first acquaintance with the new products of the Samsung mobile family. Those who managed to get acquainted with the hardware of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were also amazed at the unprecedented level of performance that these powerful mobile devices demonstrated. Thanks to the new SoC, Samsung's new flagships have confidently perched on the top step of the podium and, apparently, will not be ousted from there any time soon.

Of course, there were some disappointments. Fans of the Korean brand have always warmed their souls to the idea that their chosen side in the confrontation between Samsung and Apple is the maximum openness to change. A slot for a memory card and a removable battery - these are the enduring values ​​that outweighed the scales for them in comparison with the policy of closure, “things in themselves”, which Apple smartphones cultivated from the very beginning. Now the last bastions have collapsed: according to these characteristics, the new Korean devices are indistinguishable from both the iPhone and other modern smartphones, the creators of which reoriented faster than others. In the new Samsung flagships you will not find either a slot for installing a memory card, or, moreover, a removable battery - all of this is considered relics of the past. The funny thing is that this happened exactly at that significant moment when the newest, fifth version of Android finally made it possible for users to install applications on a memory card, and it is Android 5.0 that new Samsung devices are initially based on. Once again, the developers made an unfortunate mistake, but most of the users will most likely forget it very quickly, as if nothing had happened - the fans will understand and forgive. What will remain in my memory is just another nice and very fast smartphone, one of many.

Video review

To get started, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone:

Now let's take a look at the characteristics of the new product.

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S6 (model SM-G920F)

• SoC Exynos 7420 (64-bit), two clusters of four processor cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz
• GPU Mali-T760
• Operating system Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Touch Super AMOLED display, 5.1″, 2560×1440
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB LPDDR4
• Internal memory 32, 64 or 128 GB
• No microSD card slot
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Data transfer speed max 4G LTE Cat6 up to 300 Mbps
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
• IR port, USB OTG
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Position, proximity, lighting, barometer, fingerprint sensor, Hall and heart rate sensors
• Camera 16 MP (F1.9), optical stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (F1.9), front
• Battery 2550 mAh, non-removable
• Wireless charging support
• Dimensions 143×70×6.8 mm
• Weight 138 g

Equipment

The Samsung Galaxy S6 comes in a small box made of thick cardboard with several jumpers inside. A cover made of thinner cardboard is stretched over the top of the box.

The kit consists of a miniature but powerful charger (output current 2 A), a Micro-USB connecting cable, and headphones with a flat wire and rubber ear pads exactly the same shape as Apple EarPods.

Appearance and ease of use

Samsung Galaxy S6 is not too large, even somewhat elegant smartphone. Although, probably, we have simply become accustomed to a five-inch screen size as a standard, it has become the norm, and we no longer consider such sizes for a pocket mobile device to be something out of the ordinary. Thin profile, strongly rounded corners, light weight - the device fits quite comfortably in a hand of any size and fits into the pocket of any clothing. However, due to the smooth metal frame and glass surfaces, the Galaxy S6 turned out to be quite slippery; you must always be careful with such a device and make sure that it does not slip out of your hands or break on the floor.

The materials are chosen with taste: both panels, front and back, are made of tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and the side frame that runs along the entire perimeter of the case is made of metal. Thank God, this time the creators did not paint over the metal, cover it with plastic or hide it in any other way, as happened with the Galaxy A series. The frame itself has a fairly thick profile, a noble matte surface, and of course, it is this that is in the greatest degree gives the appearance of the device seriousness and high cost. Thanks to its pleasant coolness and harsh metallic shine, the smartphone will look good with any most expensive suit and in any most expensive setting. Perhaps if the body were entirely metal, it would not look as catchy and expressive as the current combination of glass and metal. But in any case, we won’t know - after all, if the Koreans had made their S6 entirely out of metal, it would have become a copy of the iPhone 6, and this is unacceptable for obvious reasons.

The assembly does not cause any complaints; Samsung is fine with this. Having abandoned the removable cover, the developers resorted to a common solution for placing cards in the side slots: now here, too, you need to press in a secret button with a paper clip to remove the container with the SIM card. The slide is made of metal, designed for a Nano-SIM card, and another slot - for a memory card - cannot be found here. By the way, experts from the iFixit website gave the smartphone only four points (out of a possible ten) for ease of disassembly and, accordingly, maintainability (the situation with the S6 Edge is even worse: it received three points).

The body of the smartphone is quite thin, the camera module protrudes noticeably from the back wall. In this matter, the new Samsung smartphones turned out to be no better than the notorious Apple iPhone 6/6 Plus, which only the lazy did not wash their bones for this option of placing the camera module. Not far from the lens is a block consisting of a single LED flash and a heart rate sensor.

The front part of the smartphone is completely covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 4. To the left of the speaker grille you can see the LED notification indicator; its large dot shines in different colors, notifying about the charging status and incoming events. Interestingly, the indicator’s operation is regulated in the settings section dedicated to sound.

At the bottom, under the screen, there is the usual oval mechanical key and two touch buttons on either side of it. The touch buttons have a bright white backlight. A fingerprint scanner is again integrated into the central mechanical key, and a few special words should be said about it. Finally, Samsung understood why in previous models they failed to competently implement this most useful tool, which had long been perfectly implemented in the Apple iPhone. In the Galaxy S5, you had to hold the device tightly with one hand and slowly and tediously drag your finger across the scanner with the other, which was annoying. As a result, owners quickly turned off the scanner due to inefficiency, although the convenience of unlocking a smartphone without having to remember digital codes and zigzag passes is great, you just need to present it correctly. Finally, after waiting for some time, the Koreans decided to exactly adopt the idea of ​​​​the scanner originally incorporated into the iPhone. Now in the Galaxy S6, the button reads the fingerprint simultaneously with the press, unlocking the screen. There is no need to swipe your finger, you can hold your hand at any angle, everything is done with one hand and in one click - everything is exactly the same as in the iPhone. Finally, the scanner in Samsung smartphones has become comfortable to use. It’s just a pity that it took the Korean developers so much time.

The process of reading the fingerprint and setting the lock is identical to that of the iPhone: there is no longer any need to drag your finger along the entire button panel many times; point touches are enough. Naturally, you can add several fingers for recognition, and for reliability you will be asked to come up with a code. Recognition occurs clearly, and if you pick up the smartphone correctly, one touch is enough to unlock the screen, which is very convenient.

Mechanical volume and lock keys are located on opposite side faces and are also made of metal. It should be noted that for the first time Samsung has implemented the volume key not as a single two-position rocker, but as two separate buttons (like other well-known phones...). The buttons are small, protrude well beyond the body, the action is springy and responsive, and there are traditionally no complaints about the controls in Samsung devices.

A Micro-USB 2.0 connector and an audio output for headphones with a diameter of 3.5 mm (under a minijack) were installed on one, lower end. Micro-USB supports connecting external devices and flash drives in OTG mode.

At the top end, right in the middle, there is a small dark window for an infrared port, which serves, as before, to emulate a remote control for controlling various household appliances, from TVs to stereo systems. The smartphone is already pre-installed with a familiar program called Smart Remote with many ready-made settings for any type of equipment, and you can use the current program guide.

The smartphone is not protected from dust and moisture, and there is no strap mount on the case. But the device is promised support for wireless charging, compatible with the WPC 1.1 (output power 4.6 W) and PMA 1.0 (4.2 W) standards.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is available in several bright body colors, and the developers traditionally gave these colors their own romantic names. In addition to the white (white pearl) and black (black sapphire) color options, the buyer is also offered “dazzling platinum” and “blue topaz”, but the green option (noble emerald) that many people liked will be available only for modification of the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone is equipped with a Super AMOLED touch screen protected by modern Gorilla Glass 4. The physical dimensions of the display are 63x113 mm, diagonal - 5.1 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is 2560x1440 (pixel density 577 ppi), which is more than decent.

The frame around the screen is quite thin: the distance from the edge of the case to the edge of the screen on the sides is about 3 mm, and on the top and bottom - approximately 15 mm. At this point it is worth noting that since the side edges of the case are straight and almost flat, when you wrap your fingers around the screen, they climb onto the screen more than on smartphones with strongly beveled edges, like the same one. As a result, unwanted accidental taps on the screen were recorded.

The display brightness has manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 10 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy S6, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is slightly lighter (brightness according to photographs is 105 versus 101 for the Nexus 7) and does not have a pronounced tint. Note that the reflection from bright objects on the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 has a pale bluish halo. The ghosting of reflected objects on the Samsung Galaxy S6 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, noticeably better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.

When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 355 cd/m², the minimum was 1.9 cd/m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the brighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a fairly good level (there was no opportunity to test it). The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device even in complete darkness without any problems. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). You can make adjustments to the operation of this function by moving the settings slider. Below, for three conditions, we present the screen brightness values ​​for three values ​​of this setting - for 0%, 50% and 100%. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness is reduced to 1.9, 8.5 and 18 cd/m², respectively (the first is too dark, the rest are normal), in an office illuminated by artificial light (approximately 400 lux) the brightness is set to 65, 140 and 210 cd/m² (a little dark - just right - just right, which corresponds to the given correction), in a brightly lit environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - increases to 355 cd/m² regardless of the position of the slider. This value is equal to the maximum for manual adjustment. In general, the result of the automatic brightness adjustment function is as expected. At any brightness level there is significant modulation with a frequency of 237 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it brightness, the modulation amplitude is not very large, and as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases (somewhere below 75%), modulation appears with a large relative amplitude. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, this flickering may cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

In the fragment above you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), and by repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without breaks or overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer calculates the screen resolution based on the green subpixels; based on the other two, it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is close to the case of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and some other newer devices from Samsung and not only with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some unevenness of contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they have a minimal impact on image quality.

The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color is simply black at any angle. So black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed from a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the white field is excellent, but if you look closely, you can notice a slight unevenness of color tone at the level of groups of pixels. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S6 (profile Movie AMOLED) and the second comparison participant, identical images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forced to switch to 6500 K. White field:

Note the excellent uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture (profile Basic):

Color rendition is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens varies slightly. The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and environmental conditions, which is obtained by selecting the two remaining profiles shown below.

Movie AMOLED:

Saturation and color contrast are noticeably increased.

Photo AMOLED:

Saturation is still high, but color contrast is closer to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile Movie AMOLED). White field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed has been increased compared to previous photographs), but in the case of Samsung the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device from at least a slight angle. And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of the Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the switching edge there may be a step with a width of approximately 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 59 Hz). For example, this is what the dependence of brightness on time looks like when moving from black to white and back:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high clarity and even some “jerky” movements.

For profiles Photo AMOLED And Basic constructed using 32 points with equal intervals according to the numerical value of the shade of gray, the gamma curve did not reveal any blockage in either highlights or shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is equal to 2.22, which is not significantly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma -the curve deviates little from the power-law dependence (the captions in parentheses show the exponent of the approximating power-law function and the coefficient of determination):

For profile Movie AMOLED The gamma curve has a slightly pronounced S-shape, which increases the apparent contrast of the image, but shades are still distinguishable in the shadows.

Let us recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely slightly does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen.

Color gamut in the case of a profile Movie AMOLED very wide, it almost covers the Adobe RGB gamut:

When selecting a profile Photo AMOLED The coverage decreases slightly:

When selecting a profile Basic coverage is compressed exactly to the sRGB boundaries:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In case of profile Basic with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut, without appropriate correction, the colors of regular images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photographs and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting, does it make sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Profile Movie AMOLED, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies or anything else.

The grayscale balance is good. Color temperature in profile Movie AMOLED above 6500 K, in the remaining two - close to 6500 K, while in a significant area of ​​the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) over most of the gray scale remains below 10 units, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, but the fluctuations of this parameter are already large:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale can in most cases be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can most likely be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is permissible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance (if you select the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let us recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), excellent uniformity of the white field, noticeably less than that of LCDs, and a drop in image brightness when viewed at an angle. Disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness. For users who are particularly sensitive to flicker, this may cause increased fatigue. However, overall the screen quality is very high.

Sound

The sound of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is very decent. The smartphone produces a fairly loud sound, rich in the entire spectrum of frequencies, including low frequencies. The smartphone sounds really nice, at the maximum volume level the sound is not distorted, does not wheeze, there are no complaints at all. The speaker grille is located at the bottom end, so the sound is not blocked when the smartphone is lying on a hard surface. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.

With headphones, the smartphone also sounds at the level of modern flagships; to play melodies, a proprietary player with a maximum number of settings is used as standard. All sound effects are combined with a technology called SoundAlive - although some of them are only available with connected headphones. The same applies to the sound optimization function. For manual settings, an equalizer with preset values ​​is available, as well as separate controls for bass and treble.

Traditionally, there is no FM radio included in the standard configuration of a smartphone, but there is a voice recorder. For the voice recorder, in addition to the standard mode, there are also specific “interviews” and “voice notes” - all this is already familiar to us from previous models in the series. The smartphone cannot record telephone conversations from the line.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S6 is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 16 and 5 megapixels. The front camera here is equipped with a 5-megapixel module with an f/1.9 aperture; it shoots video at a maximum QHD resolution (2560×1440). For popular selfie-style fun, there's a group selfie mode, and it's even possible to virtually shoot a specific subject to create a multi-directional view of the subject - in this case, most likely your own head. You can take pictures with the front camera without touching the screen, using an open palm gesture or a voice command. It is also possible to take your own self-portrait by touching your finger to the heart rate sensor located on the back of the smartphone.

The main 16-megapixel camera has an f/1.9 aperture, tracking autofocus, optical stabilization (OIS) and an LED flash that works as a flashlight if necessary. You can quickly launch the camera by double-clicking the central hardware button under the screen.

The settings menu has been completely redesigned, now there is no matrix of interactive square cells, there is one button for selecting shooting modes, and the rest of the settings are combined into a long scroll that opens as needed. In addition to the usual automatic and manual modes, you can also select panoramic, selective focus mode and the same so-called virtual shooting mode to create a multi-directional view of subjects. By the way, specific modes of fast and slow video recording have also been removed here, so you can’t find them in the settings of the camera itself (the resolution is only set there).

The video camera of the Samsung Galaxy S6 can shoot in any of the latest resolutions up to 4K (UHD). As always, the option of shooting at 60 fps, with a resolution of 1920x1080 (Full HD), is very interesting. The camera copes perfectly with any options; there are no complaints about the quality of the resulting video image. The quality of video recording can be judged by test videos.

• Video No. 1 (30 MB, 1920×1080 @60 fps)
• Video No. 2 (43 MB, 3840×2160 @30 fps)
• Video No. 3 (26 MB, 2560×1440 @30 fps)

	Good sharpness across the frame, but it drops off a little towards the edges.
	Even in the shadows the sharpness is good.
	Excellent sharpness in distant shots.
	The color of the sky and building is quite even. Light noise can be seen at the edges of the frame.
	The camera does a good job of capturing details in the shadows.
	Sharping on the wires is practically absent.
	The tree branches are well crafted.
	The license plates of all cars in the frame are clearly visible.
	And on a fairly dark frame, good sharpness and noise reduction work are visible.
	In room lighting and with flash, the text is rendered well.
	The camera does just as well without a flash.
	The camera does well in macro photography in room lighting.

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.

When evaluating a flagship camera, you can’t help but compare it with the others. And as soon as I started taking pictures with it, I already want to say that this particular camera should now be considered the best. Of course, there will definitely be a fly in the ointment, but the camera is truly amazing. To want even more from a smartphone camera, you need to have a good imagination or no idea at all about photography. It's hard to find fault even with little things. The shadows are not noisy, the details are well worked out, there are small defects, but this is not a DSLR camera or even a compact one - it is a smartphone. You can look for a long time for the lack of “soul” or “pleasantness” in the photographs, but objectively there is nothing to complain about.

Now about the fly in the ointment. All images have an out-of-focus area on the right. Most likely, this is not a problem with the camera module used, but specifically with our copy, but doubt has been sown. Having such a defect, of course, is unworthy of a flagship. The camera is really good, perhaps the best, but the problem is still significant. In general, at least check the camera when purchasing.

In a laboratory test, the Samsung Galaxy S6 confidently outperforms its main competitor, the iPhone 6. And if in the center of the frame their results differ slightly, then at the edge the Galaxy S6 produces a very decent result. Moreover, in terms of this result, it is quite seriously superior (and slightly -). In the center of the frame, all the latest Samsung flagships perform approximately the same, but the dependence of resolution on lighting on the Galaxy S6 is the most “smooth and beautiful”.

If we forget about the blur zone on the right side of the frame, which we are ready to attribute to a defective sample, the camera can be called excellent. It is well suited for documentary and artistic photography.

Among the new “chips” in the camera is a mode for shooting two frames with a focus on the distant and near plans, with the ability to subsequently switch between them. We recently saw a similar one in Xiaomi Mi Note.

There is also a mode for shooting a 3D image that can be “rotated”. It is created by moving a smartphone around an object. Again, we recently saw a similar one in Jiayu S3.

Both modes are very questionable in practical terms, so they can only claim to be a fun “trick”.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also supports fourth-generation LTE Cat6 networks with a maximum possible reception speed of up to 300 Mbit/s. In practice, with a SIM card from the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone confidently recognizes and works with 4G networks.

The rest of the network capabilities of the smartphone are also excellent: there is support for NFC technology, Bluetooth 4.1 supports A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+ profiles. Wi-Fi module 802.11n/ac, HT80 MIMO (2×2) (up to 620 Mbit/s) supports operation in both frequency bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Wi-Fi Direct technology, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. It is possible to connect external devices to the USB port in OTG mode.

The navigation module works with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system, and also sees satellites of the Chinese Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the navigation module; a cold start occurs within a minute or less. The device is also equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the magnetic compass of navigation programs operates.

There were no spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing, but surprises did occur. So, after another reboot in normal mode, the device’s screen suddenly stopped responding to any touches - only the mechanical hardware buttons of the smartphone worked. It was possible to get out of the situation only through a forced reboot by long-pressing the power and volume down buttons, otherwise it was impossible to use the device.

The layout and location of the keys are standard for Samsung smartphones: switching languages ​​is not done by pressing a special button with a globe image, but by a horizontal longitudinal gesture along the space bar - not the most convenient option. The standard layout has a dedicated top row with numbers. For Swype fans, there is a continuous typing method using a stroke from letter to letter. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts.

OS and software

The Samsung Galaxy S6 immediately runs on the latest, fifth version of Android OS, but its own interface in the Material Design style is not visible here; it has been completely replaced by the traditional design of the proprietary TouchWiz shell installed on top. The new version of TouchWiz has undergone minor changes, but overall everything remains familiar from previous smartphones from this manufacturer. The only thing that was adopted from the most noticeable innovations of the fifth version of the Android OS is the interactive notification panels that pop up on top of running applications, conveniently swiped to the side with a side gesture.

Work with gestures is supported, but their number is reduced to a comfortable and logical minimum. The energy-saving modes, privacy mode, the ability to work in two windows simultaneously, and the Briefing news panel, called by a side swipe on the left - an analogue of HTC Blinkfeed - remain in place. The side panel of virtual buttons has been removed; there is no way to reduce the working area of ​​the screen for control with the fingers of one hand. The new feature of Android 5.0, the ability to enable guest mode, has been removed here and replaced with a proprietary private mode. The notification panel also has nothing in common with the proprietary panel of Android 5.0, everything here remains the same: the panel does not fold out in two stages, the list of quick access icons is scrolled with a horizontal swipe, and proprietary buttons are built in here for quickly connecting to other devices and S Finder.

The heart rate sensor, located on the back side next to the camera, is controlled by the same proprietary program for global monitoring of one’s own health called S Health. The infrared port is served by a special remote control emulation program called Smart Remote. In general, there are not so many additional programs installed, most of them are useful, but I was surprised by the pre-installed block of Microsoft branded programs (OneDrive, OneNote, Skype).

Performance

The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is based on the most powerful single-chip system (SoC) of Samsung's own production Exynos 7420, produced according to the standards of the 14-nanometer technological process. The configuration of this single-chip system includes two clusters of four cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The powerful Mali T760 video accelerator is used as the GPU. The device has as much as 3 GB of RAM (LPDDR4). Internal memory is implemented on drives that meet the UFS 2.0 specification. Flash memory capacity is 32, 64 or 128 GB without the possibility of expansion through memory cards. In the case of a model with a minimum volume, about 25 GB of the nominally designated 32 GB is initially available to the user. In addition, the device supports the mode of connecting external devices to the USB port (USB Host, USB OTG) - an external flash drive can be connected via an OTG adapter.

According to the testing results, the Samsung Galaxy S6 hardware platform demonstrated extremely high results, displacing all previous record holders without exception from the podium, including the Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which held first place in the AnTuTu test for quite a long time.

As a result, Samsung has given the world another record holder in terms of power - a reference smartphone that people will look up to, try to catch up with, and match throughout the entire season. The device is extremely productive, the capabilities built into it will be enough for a long time to complete any assigned tasks, including the most demanding games.

Testing in the latest versions of comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the testing results, the subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 sound format.

¹ sound in MX Video Player was played only after installing an alternative custom audio codec; The standard player does not have this setting

Tested video output features Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720/24p

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames (with the exception of files with 60 fps - one frame is always skipped due to for a screen refresh rate of 59 Hz). When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the wide border of the screen. The clarity of the picture is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experimentation, you can switch to the one-to-one mode by pixel; there will be no interpolation, but the features of PenTile will appear - the vertical world through the pixel will be in a grid, and the horizontal one will be slightly greenish. This is on test worlds; the described artifacts are not present on real frames. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

The capacity of the built-in non-removable battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S6 is far from a record by modern standards - only 2550 mAh. However, even despite the most powerful platform and a fairly large five-inch screen, the smartphone performed well in terms of battery life, showing excellent autonomy in most standard use scenarios. It should be noted that to save energy, the device settings traditionally contain two proprietary energy saving modes: normal and extreme. The maximum energy saving mode significantly reduces energy consumption by turning off non-essential functions and preserving vital functions at the moment, and also, for visual effect, turning the image on the screen into black and white.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted about 20 hours until the battery was completely discharged. When continuously watching video in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device lasted 12 hours. The device worked for 4 hours in 3D gaming mode. The smartphone supports fast charging technology, so the device charges very quickly. Full charging time is only about 1.5 hours, and according to the developers, just 10 minutes of charging allows you to charge your smartphone for subsequent four-hour use.

Bottom line

With the release of its next flagship, Samsung did not make a noticeable breakthrough or technological revolution, but it gave the market such a polished and polished product that there is simply nothing to complain about this time. The smartphone seems to strive to please everyone with its thoughtful practicality. Not a single unnecessary detail, everything unnecessary has been removed, combed and trimmed, literally every item on the wish list of the average user has been ticked. The dimensions are neither large nor small, they are comfortable, as is the weight of the device. The quality of the selected materials and assembly are not satisfactory; the metal surfaces finally appear in all their glory, not painted over or hidden. All technical characteristics are to the maximum, sensors are any to choose from. A fingerprint scanner, an infrared port, a heart rate sensor, wireless charging - all additional flagship super features are available. The only thing that comes to mind is the lack of water protection, but recently the user excitement around the need for such functionality began to fade, and the Koreans immediately crossed it out. The smartphone is almost ideal, but it is now not available to everyone. The price for the new Samsung flagship is set at such a price that it makes even hardened gadget lovers turn pale. Not everyone can afford a new smartphone for 50 thousand rubles, but Samsung is on trend here too: all top echelon players, without exception, are gradually but confidently, through joint efforts, raising this bar higher and higher. So we will be surprised more than once in the new season, but for now all we can do is admire these new products, while getting used to the new prices.

The South Korean smartphone manufacturer will undoubtedly continue to release flagship models of the Galaxy S line in 2015. The Galaxy S6 has been featured in various rumors for months now, and we already know something about its hardware specifications and the timing of its announcement. In any case, the S6 model is already in the works and in the coming months there will be a lot of information from various sources.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has been on the market for about six months now, so the media, analysts and fans are already turning their attention towards the Galaxy S6. Based on previous presentations and leaks that have surfaced online in various articles, we hope to get an idea of ​​what we can expect from the unannounced flagship.

Over the course of a couple of years, we have already gotten used to the fact that Samsung introduces its Galaxy S smartphones in February or March. We also expect the Galaxy S6 to be unveiled in the first quarter of 2015 - probably either in February at MWC 2015, or maybe at CES 2015 in January (but there's very little chance of that). In any case, sales could begin in March next year.

In recent news, we said that Samsung is working on the flagship Galaxy S6 literally from scratch. The smartphone is being developed as part of Project Zero, which is not surprising, since sales of smartphones have dropped significantly compared to its predecessors, and the company clearly does not intend to lose fans.

At the beginning of this year, there were already rumors that the Galaxy S5 will receive a display with Quad HD resolution. Samsung considered that a Full HD screen would be sufficient for a flagship, and therefore in 2015 we should definitely expect an increase in the screen resolution of the S6 to QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels). This is because already in the second half of this year an unspoken standard for flagship smartphones was established. Again we will see a Super AMOLED screen, but its diagonal should grow to at least 5.2 inches, but no more, so as not to threaten sales of the Galaxy Note 4. By the way, Samsung is quite capable of fitting a slightly larger display into the dimensions of the Galaxy S5 due to narrower frames .

We all know that Google recently introduced a new version of its operating system - Android 5.0 Lollipop with built-in support for 64-bit processors. There are already rumors that the Galaxy S6 will run on a self-produced processor – Exynos 7420, and the second flagship model will already have Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processors (depending on the sales market). Yes, let's clarify about the processors - the Exynos 7420 will have LTE support thanks to the built-in Exynos Modem 333 modem, but the Snapdragon 810 will already be eight-core with four Cortex-A57 and four Cortex-A53 cores, with an Adreno 430 graphics accelerator and support for 64-bit calculations.

As for the design, this should be the first flagship of the Galaxy S line with a metal body. Enough steps have already been taken to produce affordable premium smartphones. Firstly, this is the Galaxy Alpha with its metal frame, which we also saw on the Galaxy Note 4 phablet. Secondly, a separate line of premium Galaxy A smartphones with metal cases has appeared. It's a pity, but this means one thing - we lose access to a replaceable battery.

The Galaxy S6 will “get fatter” due to an increase in memory - the RAM will already be 3GB, and the built-in volume will increase to 128GB. The initial model will have 16GB of internal memory, but is only available in the Asian market, while the international market will have 3 variants: 32, 64 and 128GB. But what about MicroSD card support? I hope Samsung doesn't give up on this.

Samsung is also already setting a new standard for front-facing cameras - it makes sense to expect a 5-megapixel selfie camera, given that this is already a popular trend. As for the main camera, Samsung may limit itself to a 16-megapixel camera, as in the Galaxy Note 4, with optical image stabilization, smart autofocus, support for Ultra HD video recording, as well as the possibility of accelerated recording (slow motion). It looks like low-light shooting will also be improved.

Apple set a new rule in the smartphone market by introducing its iPhone with a fingerprint scanner. Samsung supported the initiative, so the S6 will also have this sensor, and there will also be a heart rate monitor and an ultraviolet sensor, which gives a significant advantage. Perhaps a retinal scanner will also appear, but the chances are slim.