Barcelona: Samsung has finally ditched its plastic design for more stylish metal and glass on its new flagship smartphones. The South Korean company on Sunday launched two new models — Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
“With the all new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, Samsung is offering what’s next in mobility, along with a new standard to drive the global mobile agenda,” said JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT and Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics.
“By listening to our customers, and learning from both our success and missteps, we continuously push forward new technologies and ideas. With a reimagined design, robust partner network and novel services, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge offer users the ultimate experience in smartphone options,” he said at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) currently under way in Barcelona.
Samsung has launched its curved edge on Note Edge but with S6 Edge, the screen is curved on both the sides.
Previous Samsung phones had removable plastic back covers but now it joins Apple and HTC in favour of better design and non-removable batteries.
Samsung has been the market leader since 2011 with its phablets (smartphone-tablet combo) that run on Google’s Android operating system but it is facing pressure due to the growth of new iPhones and from Chinese vendors.
Samsung lost its lead in the global smartphone market in the fourth quarter of last year as Apple rose into a tie as the biggest producer.
According to research firm Strategy Analytics, both Samsung and Apple shipped 74.5 million smartphones for 19.6 per cent market share.
The screen of both the phones — S6 and S6 Edge — remains at 5.1 inches but the display resolution increases to 577 pixels per inch, up from 432 in Galaxy S5. In comparison, Apple’s iPhone 6 has 326 pixels.
Although the rear cameras remain at 16 megapixels, cameras on both sides will have wider openings to let in more light. Both the devices have 5MP front-facing cameras.
The front and back panel glasses are made of Gorilla Glass 4, making the Galaxy S6 one of the first Samsung devices to utilise it. The S6 comes without water-resistance but it has incorporated Wireless charging, and Samsung supports WPC & PMA standards.
“By including Qi in the Galaxy S6 line, Samsung has addressed a basic consumer need — having a phone that is easily charged everywhere. Leading brands like Samsung, IKEA, Marriott, McDonalds, Toyota and others are continuing their commitment to wireless charging by embedding Qi into their products and locations,” said Menno Treffers, chairman of the Wireless Power Consortium.
“With the launch of Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, we believe 2015 will be a landmark year for the adoption of wireless charging,” said Peter Koo, Senior Vice-President of Technology Strategy team, Samsung Mobile. “We hope to accelerate the use of this wireless charging technology with compelling smartphones and making charging experience more convenient for consumers.”
Hong Yeo, a senior designer at Samsung, said its new design took years to develop. The company’s “Project Zero” team “was given the freedom to design our dream device,” he said.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will be available in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz and Green Emerald and will be available in 20 countries starting on April 10.
Samsung said its new devices would be equipped with Samsung Pay, a contactless payment system, following the success of Apple Pay.
Samsung Pay will be compatible with more locations than any competing offering in a single application, will launch on Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge in the US during the second half of this year.
