The Galaxy strikes back: Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

Last week, Samsung Mobile introduced their latest flagship smartphones for the year. They introduced not one but two handsets, breaking the usual mold of the Galaxy S series.

The new Galaxy S6 is sleeker and sexier with its glass-on-glass body in an aluminum alloy frame. This is the first time that Samsung has employed a design in the Galaxy S series that incorporates metallic materials and glass, a total departure from the usual plastic construction of the last five generations.

The new design is reminiscent of Sony’s latest Xperia Z3 and the Apple iPhone 4S from many years back. Samsung uses Corning Gorilla Glass 4 both on the front and back panel, promising a tougher build and better scratch resistance.

The unibody design has a very slim profile that’s only 6.8mm thin. At 5.1-inch across, the device feels good on the hands and offers a firm comfortable grip. However, the new design shed off a few key features that have been key strengths of previous Galaxy models like a removable battery, microSD expansion card slot and waterproof housing.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S6 Edge is the half sibling of the S6 but with a classier look that boasts of a double-curve front panel. The idea was first implemented with the Galaxy Note Edge a couple of months back but this time, Samsung created a glass front panel that curves outwards on both sides. This gives the impression that the screen flows towards the back, similar to the infinity-pool effect.

Though the curved sides of the S6 Edge aren’t as deep as the one in the Note Edge, the corners can still support custom notifications that offer practical uses even if the handset is facing down.

Above anything else, the Galaxy S6 Edge is a testament that Samsung can push the limits of technology to effect a desirable design execution. Regardless of its practical implications, the S6 Edge is a major differentiator that exudes beauty and elegance.

As always, Samsung has been heavy with hardware and the Galaxy S6 continues to be a benchmark for many flagship devices in terms of hardware specifications. They started off with their own custom processor, the Exynos 7 Octa with LTE support, paired with 3GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage.

What is particularly interesting is that the variant of the Galaxy S6 that will be released in the Philippines by Samsung has a dual-SIM functionality – one has LTE support and the other is HSPA+. In a country where handset owners use multiple devices all at the same time, a dual-SIM flagship unit provides an obvious advantage. On the other hand, the Galaxy S6 Edge will only be a single-SIM handset.

Aside from the curved display and dual- SIM features, there is very little difference between the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge. That includes a slightly higher battery capacity and different color variant.

The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge is expected to be released globally in April 10 with the Philippines following shortly on the same month. Samsung has not indicated the pricing for the S6 and S6 Edge but hopefully it will be with the same price range as the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note Edge.

Samsung looks like it’s got a clear winner in the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge. Our initial hands on time with both devices showed great promise. We will finally know that and make our verdict once it lands locally sometime in April.