Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S6
With the Samsung Galaxy S6 release date now less than a month away, a flurry of S6-based leaks and rumours have been doing the rounds online.Expected to be one of the major talking points on the 2015 tech calendar, the Samsung Galaxy S6 release date has been surrounded in much rumour and speculation in recent weeks. Now, the Korean manufacturer has confirmed the handset will be formally unveiled at a dedicated pre-MWC 2015 press conference on March 1.
While we might now when to expect the handset to land, there are still a number of contrasting reports surrounding what features the Galaxy S5 follow-on might have in store.
Doing the rounds under the codename 'Project Zero', given its standing as a comprehensive refresh over the S5 - a handset which failed to ignite substantial consumer interest - the Galaxy S6 has been tipped to feature all manner of high-end components.
The S6’s screen is one such area expected to be given a sizeable update.
Samsung's Korean rival LG reignited the mobile specs race in 2014 when the LG G3 introduced the 2560 x 1440p QHD display to the mainstream market. Such a component has since been bestowed on the Galaxy Note 4 and multiple S6 leaks have suggested the upcoming phone will follow suit.
That is not all the goodies the handset's display could have to offer, either. It has been suggested a Galaxy Note Edge mimicking double-edged display could also be heading towards at least one of the two Galaxy S6 models mooted for release - namely the Galaxy S Edge.
On top of this, with recent Samsung Galaxy S6 rumours have suggested the handset could pair an all new, premium design with an Octa-core processor, high-speed storage and Google’s Android 5.0 Lollipop OS direct from the box, the handset is shaping up to be a true powerhouse of the smartphone scene.
While some reports are farfetched and others more likely, what is almost certain is that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be unveiled in in the coming weeks as a direct rival to the Nexus 6, remaining consistent with previous launches.
What’s more, with both the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4 having bestowed with metal-framed designs recently, it is now widely expected that next year's Galaxy S6 release will echo its siblings and adopt its own premium materials.
We will be updating this page with all the latest Samsung Galaxy S6 release date details, leaks, news and rumours as new information emerges. Bookmark it now to ensure you are kept in the loop on all things S6.
Watch our video on what to expect from the Galaxy S6
Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date
With MWC on the horizon, Samsung has all but confirmed the eagerly awaited Galaxy S6 release date. Despite having failed to mention the handset by name, the company has issued offical invites to its pre-Mobile World Congress press conference (above) alongside the teasing statement 'What's Next'.
Given that, like Apple, Samsung has become a creature of habit, it appears all but certain that this press conference will act as the launch platform for the company's next flagship phone - the S6.
Since the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Korean manufacturer’s flagship phone line has been reserved for unveiling during – or within weeks of – the Barcelona-based Mobile Word Congress conference in February. As such there is no reason to believe this will be different for the S6.
Although MWC 2015 set to be held between March 2 and 5, like HTC and Huawei, Samsung is looking to jump the gun and unveil its latest wares a day early.
While Samsung isn't renowned for rushing its handsets to market after their formal unveilings, this habit could be thrown off by falling profits. With Samsung predicting a 60 per cent drop in annual earnings, analysts have suggested the S6 release could be pushed forward in order to stem the rot.
“Samsung’s profits in the mobile division will continue to deteriorate during this period of changing their line of smartphones,” Lee Min-hee, an analyst at IM Investment and Securities, told The New York Times.
Speaking with Bloomberg, Claire Kim, an analyst with Daishin Securities Co in Samsung's native Korea added: “We all know Samsung’s third-quarter earnings will be pretty ugly. The earlier release of its new phones could be reflected in its third-quarter earnings, it could give them a slight boost.”
Reflecting this need for a fast phone introduction, it has been widely suggested that the S6 could be sprung upon retailers earlier than normal.
Samsung has long frustrated consumers with gaps of six to eight weeks between the unveiling and launch of its flagship phones. With sales figures down, the manufacturer could compress this timeframe with the S6.
Backing up claims that the S6 could be with us in the near future, pre-production units have popped up on the stock lists of India test facilities. This common leak is a strong indication that devices are nearing a consumer release.
We will of course update this post as soon as more concrete Samsung Galaxy S6 release date details are available.
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Samsung Galaxy S6 News
The Samsung Galaxy S6 has a number of big changes in store, according to latest leaks and insider reports.
With the Galaxy S6 reportedly being pieced together inside Samsung HQ under the codename 'Project Zero', it is believed the phone will be the most comprehensive update yet to the company's flagship phone line.
According to reports by SamMobile, unnamed insiders have stated: “Samsung is developing its next-generation flagship device from scratch, with an entirely new vision.”
They added: “Project Zero is an indication that Samsung is trying to achieve something unique and different with the Galaxy S6.”
What's more, Samsung itself has already teased aspects of its future smartphones, a list expected to include the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Making the announcement during its annual Analyst Day in Korea last November, Samsung revealed that in late 2014 its first phones to run 2560 x 1440 pixel WQHD displays will land. This timeline came to fruition with the Note 4.
Although not the company's first device to feature such a screen, the Samsung Galaxy S6 looks set to make the jump beyond the S5’s 1080p Full HD offering.
Despite being the company’s flagship phone, it appears that the Galaxy S6 will fall between Samsung’s technology cycles.
Although Samsung has confirmed it will bring 3,840 x 2,160 pixel UHD displays to its smartphone offerings during 2015, it is believed the Samsung Galaxy S6 will arrive too early to benefit from this next-gen panel. Instead, however, the S6 looks likely to mimic the rumoured LG G3 with a QHD display.
Offering a further insight into the Samsung Galaxy S6’s screen, Samsung’s promise to continue its push into AMOLED displays leaves little doubt in the technology within the phone’s panel. As such deep blacks and reasonable kindness to the battery can be expected.
Further screen changes expected to be bestowed on the Galaxy S6 include the move to more streamlined bezels.
Giving the plus 5-inch display added pop and allowing a larger panel to be sqeezed into a managable form factor, the slim bezel design has been teased by a selection of leaked Galaxy S6 picture (above & below).
Although echoing a number of design traits from the existing S5, the leaked S6 image shows a handset with slimmer edges and more rounded corners.
Further hinting at a design refresh, lower than expected S5 sales have reportedly forced Samsung to reassess its smartphone efforts, with the company said to be ready to put more emphasis on high-end design and premium materials.
"They made one mistake, one product that didn't hold up to expectations and they are paying the price," Counterpoint analyst Tom Kang said speaking on the slow S5 sales recently. "They will have to move forward and leave behind what has failed and focus on the next product."
It's not just analysts predicting a renewed smartphone effort from the Apple and HTC rival, Samsung itself has pledged to improve its handsets moving forward.
"We will strengthen our product competitiveness by reinforcing our premium brand reputation, powerful product line-up, and cutting-edge technology," an official Samsung spokesperson stated.
Now, claimed insiders have told Chinese media that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be bestowed with a premium, metal design, much like the new Samsung Galaxy Alpha. The metal S6 body has been tipped by 'sources within Samsung’s supply chain’.
If moving to a new, metal form, Samsung will hope to avoid to construction issues which have troubled the release of the Galaxy Note 4.
Another area of the S6's design set to change, is the phone's physical home button. With the handset set to improve its fingerprint scanner to closer rival the iPhone's TouchID, the S6's home button is expected to grow.
"The new touch-based sensor is built into the home button as well, just like its predcessor. However, we are told the Korean company has made the home button slightly bigger compared to the Galaxy S5 and Note 4, which makes the experience flawless," insiders suggested recently.
They added: "With the new touch-based sensor, you wouldn't have to swipe your finger on the sensor anymore; instead, you would just place your fingertip on the home key - at any angle - then lift it off, and that's it."
Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumours
As with the S5 before it, there have already been suggestions that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will feature a curved, flexible display.
Building on the Note Edge's single side including screen, it has been mooted that the S6 will wrap its QHD panel around both the handset's left and right hand edges.
Speaking in a note to investors, tech analyst Jerry Kang claimed the S6 will take Samsung's flexible screen technology to the mainstream masses for the first time.
With Samsung having already announced handsets with curved displayed - we're looking at the Samsung Galaxy Round and Samsung Galaxy Note Edge here - we can’t see the manufacturer risking its flagship brand with this novel technology. As such the flexible phone will be a separate handset in its own right - possibly a Galaxy S6 Edge - and the S6 will be a more traditional offering.
With size being almost as important to Samsung as image quality, it has again been rumoured that the Galaxy S6 will feature a larger display than its predecessors.
With the Samsung Galaxy S range having risen from 4-inches to 5.1-inches in just five generations, we can see the S6 topping off somewhere around the 5.2 or 5.3-inches. This would put it in Sony Xperia Z3 territory. With the S5 still featuring quite a sizeable bezel, there is certainly room for Samsung to squeeze a larger display into a similar sized frame in 2015.
Another Samsung Galaxy S6 rumour which has already started to rumble – and will likely follow the phone to launch – is claims of Samsung finally ditching its fascination with plastic in favour of a more premium build quality.
These reports have been backed up by both the introduction of the metal framed Galaxy Alpha and Note 4, and leaked images of a claimed S6 body (above).
It has even been suggested that the S6 could utilise graphene in elements of its design as Samsung makes progress with the material. This, however, would likely further bump the handset's premium price.
Following a recent graphene development by Samsung, industry experts praised the potential implications.
"This is one of the most significant breakthroughs in graphene research in history," SAIT Lab leaders said. "We expect this discovery to accelerate the commercialisation of graphene, which could unlock the next era of consumer electronic technology."
Although there has been much talk about the first Tizen phones, Android will remain the OS of choice for the Samsung Galaxy S6, a feature seemingly confirmed by the manufacturer. Yoon Han-kil recently stated that Android "still needs to be out main business," despite the continued push of Tizen.
With Google having launched Android 5.0 late last year, it is all but a given that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will run Lollipop direct from the box.
This new OS will bring with it a new, 'material' design, reworked Gmail app, improved notifications menu, improved battery life, and 64-bit architecture support.
A selection of Samsung Galaxy S6 concept designs have also surfaced, though they're little more than fan 'visions' that offer little in terms of a reliable insight into the phone. One feature we'd like to see, however, is forward-facing stereo speakers similar to the HTC One M8.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Specs
The Samsung Galaxy S6 specs sheet will feature a number of cross over features from the S5, with a wealth of new offerings thrown into the mix.
Given the focus Samsung heaped on the S5’s water resistant coating, fingerprint scanner incorporating home button and rear-mounted heart rate sensor, you can all but guarantee that all three will make another appearance next year and hopefully in improved forms as well.
In terms of power, however, things are all change, and the chipset likely to feature within the Samsung Galaxy S5 has already been unveiled. In early April, processing giant Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 CPUs. These chips are set to appear in their first handsets during "early 2015," a window that fits the expected Samsung Galaxy S6 release date.
With the Samsung Galaxy S5 running a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset following the S4’s own Snapdragon 600 internals, the Samsung Galaxy S6 looks set to run either the 808 or 810 units.
Knowing what processor the handset will run has seen a number of further Samsung Galaxy S6 specs teased.
According to Qualcomm, the processing units will allow for everything from UHD 4K displays to be supported to the introduction of Cat 6 LTE connections and the option to run up to 55-megapixel camera sensors.
At present the 64-bit, six-core Snapdragon 808 processor is looking the more likely to feature, with support for display resolutions up to 2560 x 1600 pixels fitting with claims of a WQHD S6 screen. The 808 will also introduce LPDDR3 memory, a range of battery management improvements and an Adreno 418 GPU that will boost graphical performances by a reported 20 per cent.
Samsung though likes to bring a second flagship phone option to certain territories. In the case of the S6, this could be the company's new Exynos 7 octa-core processor.
The Exynos 7 comes with an octa-core CPU with four Cortex-A57 and four Cortex-A53 cores inside.
The 20nm manufacturing process also means the Exynos 7 is much less of a battery drain than its forebears too.
There is currently no word on the phone's camera, although we would be surprised if the S6 didn't improve on the S5's existing 16-megapixel snapper.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Price
While the Samsung Galaxy S6 price is not expected to be announced until just days before the phone lines up on retailers' shelves, early leaks have suggested the handset will not come cheap.
According to recent leaks, surfaced courtesy of AndroidPit, the 32GB S6 will set wannabe owners back €749 (£565) while the 64GB and 128GB will reportedly cost €849 (£640) and €949 (£715) respectively.
These premium prices are unsurprising. At launch the Samsung Galaxy S5 cost £579 on a SIM-free basis. As such, we can’t see the Samsung Galaxy S6 price starting off much lower than the £600 marker.
For all the latest Samsung Galaxy S6 rumours, including details on the phone’s specs and release date, bookmark this page now as it will continue to evolve as new information emerges.
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