SEOUL: Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge smartphones contain uber-sharp displays (577 pixels per inch), quick-charge battery technology, and other important features.
Look and feel
Looking at them head on, these phones whose fronts and backs are made of ultra-tough Corning Gorilla Glass 4 held together by a polished-aluminium edge look very much like the Galaxy S 5 they succeed. The power button on the Galaxy S6 models is roughly a half inch lower than it is on the S 5, and that makes it a little more difficult to reach. The sharper-looking Galaxy S6 edge also felt sharper.
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Interface
These models have some of the multitasking advantages of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, including the ability to reduce the window size of open apps, such as e-mail and the Web browser, so they can be utilized simultaneously. You can access this feature by sliding your finger down diagonally from the upper left corner of the screen. The feature works with most apps, though not with the camera.
The S6 edge, as you might expect, adds a few convenient tricks that exploit its curved screen. For instance sliding your finger from the upper side of the display (left or right) pulls out a vertical stack of circles containing five of your favourite contacts. The circles of this feature, called People Edge, have different-coloured borders, and the phone’s LED will flash the appropriate colour when that a person calls you. Another feature road warriors will appreciate is Night Clock, which shows the time along the edge of the screen when the phone is flat on its back.
Camera
While the 16-megapixel main camera has the same resolution as the one on the Galaxy S 5, the camera on the S6 models adds an optical image stabilizer and a whole slew of new hardware and software enhancements that, Samsung says, will make it easier to take a good photo under low-light conditions.
Availability and price
Pre-orders for both phones, which ship with Android Lollipop (5.0) start March 27 at AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon. The phones will be available on April 10. However, some T-Mobile customers might get them in their hands as soon as March 28. Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless, and MetroPCS will carry the Galaxy S6 only.
Full retail prices start at about $600 for the 32GB Galaxy S6 and $700 to $730 for the S6 edge with the same capacity. Expect to pay several hundred dollars more for the 64GB and 128GB models. Colours include what Samsung calls Black Sapphire, White Pearl, and Gold Platinum.
