Review
Roderick Scott 0

galaxy S6

Samsung has been riding high w/ their Galaxy S devices for quite some time now.  But somewhere along the way after making a ton of $$$, they got complacent.  Same old UX, same old designs, and overall lack of real innovation (we're referring to the S devices NOT the Note series BTW).  After years of those crying out for a change, Samsung gave us just that w/ the all-new Galaxy S6.

Their latest is touting a new look along w/ some additional bells and whistles on-board.  Now that we've gone through the ins-and-outs of the One M9 it is now Samsung's new 2015 flagship to go under the TGSB microscope.  Time to see what good and not-so-good about the S6 for those of you still on the fence about it.  



1. Display

galaxy s6

galaxy s6

Samsung never had any issues in regards to their screens on smartphones but this time they absolutely nailed it.  This 5.1 inch QHD Super AMOLED display sporting a 2K resolution of 2560 x 1440 + 577 ppi.   It is as crazy good as it sounds on paper.  Gone are the Super AMOLED panels of yesterday where the colors were bright and way oversaturated.  The colors are more on point as the saturation is only slightly as the panel pumps out more nits for an overall brighter display viewable in sunlight.  Hard to go back to your traditional IPS panel after viewing things on this thing.  
 
 

We asked for a premium Galaxy and we finally got one. 

2. Camera

 Galaxy S6

Galaxy S6 camera 

Samsung put a 16MP f/1.9 Sensor on their latest flagship and it does wonders.  They ditched the ISOCELL experiment as it proved to not solve their low-light problem.  Keeping OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) on-board always helps a bunch as well.  Looks like they got a lot better solving it on their own.  As their low-light abilities have improved while the standard photos got even better.   Now if you want to take a good photo/video for yourself or for social media, just point and shoot.  9 times out of 10 you'll wind up w/ amazing results.  
 

S6 Camera Test

3. Design

Galaxy S6

Galaxy S6

We asked for it as we finally got it.  Samsung made sure to offer a truly premium design here on the S6.  No faux leather or plastic on-board w/ this one, just metal and glass.  It is crafted from Gorilla Glass 4 on the front & back w/ a metal rim around it.  The camera sensor protrudes a bit as it  doesn't offer the best grip int he world.  Yup, glass on board makes it a slippery devil.  There are some similarities to the iPhone but nothing is originally these days anyways.  Whatever the case, it is easily the best device Samsung has ever created and it feels awesome too.  Don't forget to case yours up though.  
 

3 Reasons Not To Buy The Samsung Galaxy S6

 S6 review grade

This is a great example of Samsung stepping outside of their comfort zone and achieving something magnificent.

In-Betweens:
 
  • Fingerprint scanner - Samsung finally got rid that terrible way of implementing a biometric scanner for your finger w/ the GS5.  They followed Apple's lead and copied the way they did it and it works great.  Just rest your finger on the Home button and presto - phone is unlocked or apps are purchased.
  • Speaker -  Although it is not a dual-speaker setup, this is still a much-needed improvement.  It is now on the bottom instead of the rear of the device.  It pumps out pretty solid audio w/o the terribleness from previous ones.  While they still won't beat a dual front-facing speaker setup, it is leaps and bounds compared to what Samsung offered before.  
  • Software - While I have never been a huge fan of Samsung's skin, TouchWiz UX looks a lot better w/ Lollipop.  This is the 1st time I didn't put Google Now launcher on this as it is a lot less annoying.  You still have cool features like Multi-Window, Download Booster, & Ultra Power-Saving Mode.  Flipboard and the unwanted S apps are still present but less intrusive.  Good to see TouchWiz maturing into something nice.

TG 2 Cents

Samsung finally stepped up to the plate to offer a premium flagship device that wasn't part of the Note series.  The Galaxy S6 feels luxurious and for the most part, performs as such.  Stellar new design, sharp new optics, and an impeccable 2K display.  As great as it is, its isn't perfect either.  The new design makes more fragile and susceptible to shattering, the smaller battery is a huge drop from previous Galaxy devices, and the performance can be quite inconsistent as times.  This is a great example of Samsung stepping outside of their comfort zone and achieving something magnificent.  Just imagine what the next Galaxy will look/perform like after they iron out all of the kinks.  
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Author: Roderick Scott

Father. Husband. Creative. Mild foodie. Batman in my dreams.