If you ask any user of mobile gadgets which smartphone is out of competition, both in the Russian market and abroad, almost everyone will answer that this is an Apple phone. Already long years Smartphones from Apple maintain a leading position in the mobile phone market. And if you compare any product from this company with the most best phones other manufacturers, devices from Apple in most cases will take a leading position.

However, there are exceptions. Despite the fact that iPhones have proven themselves well with tens of thousands of consumers, sometimes someone will hesitate and think about switching to another brand. Among such gadgets that can seriously compete with iPhones is the Samsung Galaxy. In terms of its functionality, Galaxy is very close to the sixth version of the iPhone, so from time to time someone tries to compare these two devices.

Today's article compares iPhone 6S or Samsung Galaxy S6. Based on a detailed analysis, we will try to figure out which is better than iPhone 6 or Samsung 6 in order to make the right choice and not regret it in the future.

If you choose a phone based on the specifications, and think about what to focus on - the iPhone 6S or the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge - then the latter gadget will clearly win. The display of the Korean device is significantly larger, and its operation is based on more modern technology. The screen cover is made of special glass. But both devices have fingerprint scanners, which provides great opportunities in the user data protection system and simplifies the process of paying for purchases, which is now carried out in a matter of seconds.

The disadvantages of Galaxy are, first of all, in large dimensions: the Korean device is somewhat thicker than its American “brother”. But this difference is not so significant and is only 0.1 millimeters. Another disadvantage of this model is the slightly protruding camera. However, the very quality of the camera on the Samsung phone is much better.

The advantages of the Samsung Galaxy camera compared to the similar element of the iPhone 6S:

• The presence of optics stabilization.
• More (100%) the number of megapixels.
• Front camera, superior in all respects to the iPhone camera.

It should be rightly noted that the cases are good for both devices. But the iPhone has an all-aluminum case, while the Galaxy has glass elements. Although the glass looks beautiful, it is a rather fragile material, so its presence in the case can be attributed to minor disadvantages. But, nevertheless, it all depends on the accuracy of the user and his approach to the operation of mobile equipment. Owners of a Samsung device can only be advised to handle smartphones as carefully as possible and prevent the device from falling from a great height.

Samsung Galaxy S6, if you compare this phone with other, earlier products from Samsung, is fundamentally different from them. Previously, all phones came in plastic cases. The design has become more perfect, the finish has become more refined and refined. The color scheme is varied and includes 5 colors

Galaxy manufacturer released in the following colors:

• White.
• Gold.
• Deep blue.
• blue.
• Green.

You will not find such a color palette in any other device. As Galaxy sales statistics show, most users have focused on the white case - oddly enough, because of its practicality and because it gets dirty less than other cases. However, it is necessary to clean the case and wipe it with a dry cloth often, because. fingerprints remain on it (this feature applies only to the glass elements of the device).

The body of the gadget from Samsung has become monolithic, which eliminated the possibility of installing a compartment for SIM cards and a removable battery in the device. The capacity of the latter, in comparison with other models, has not been increased, but it still surpasses the iPhone 6S in terms of power. In addition, the manufacturer added a wireless charger to the gadget - this is one of its main features and advantages over the iPhone.

By the way, Galaxy's stuffing is richer. The device from Samsung is based on a 14-bit processor and 3 gigabytes of RAM. And the sixth iPhone version S has a 64-bit A8 processor, and only 1 gigabyte of RAM.

Going a little ahead, let's touch on the differences between the displays. Samsung also did not increase the diagonal of the screen, it remained. As in previous phones - 5.1 inches. The iPhone 6 looks worse in this regard, but it cannot be said that it is bad - no, but its Korean competitor clearly wins here.

It should be noted that the display can be the main feature of any mobile device, because when choosing it, a potential consumer pays attention first of all. And only then he considers the camera, the quality of the buttons, the speed of opening applications, etc. Even at the first glance at the two compared high-tech devices, it becomes clear that the engineers from Korea did a great job, making the Galaxy screen thoughtful in terms of design and more convenient.

iPhone 6S VS Samsung Galaxy S6: screen test

The Galaxy S6 VS displays and the iPhone 6 S have specs that are significantly different from each other. The screen of the first device is based on advanced technology and includes a self-emitting matrix with organic light diodes. The pixel density of Galaxy is phenomenal - at the level of 577 ppi, and today this is the best indicator among mobile devices.

The display of the iPhone 6 version S is more conservative and includes an inch LCD matrix. The pixel density of the latter is 2 times less than that of a smartphone from Samsung. If you look at the iPhone screen up close, then pixelation becomes noticeable, while this is not observed at all on the second gadget. Although, if you do not peer, on the displays of both models the picture is quite decent, black and clear. Only the most demanding user can find fault with the iPhone 6 according to this indicator.

By the way, it is worth talking about the degree of brightness of the screens in more detail. This characteristic of the Galaxy can reach 380 cd/m 2 with a maximum reduction in the white fill area, and in bright light this quite good result increases by 3.5 times.

So, the undeniable advantages of the Galaxy display are as follows:

• Brighter screen.
• High performance anti-glare coating.
• Increased contrast.
• Rich color and natural picture in any light conditions.

The brightness of the iPhone 6 S, if we consider the maximum indicator, is also high - 550 cd / m 2, but the Galaxy smartphone still loses. The display of this device also has anti-glare technology and a high degree of contrast.

The gamma of both devices when setting up does not cause any problems, and the indicators are close to ideal values. And for both phones, everything is almost the same here.

In general, a comparison of the screens of the iPhone 6 S and Galaxy shows a clear superiority of the Korean smartphone in the following indicators:

• Brightness and contrast.
• Width of viewing angles.
• More flexible color settings.

Despite the foregoing, it will again emphasize that the superiority of the Galaxy does not mean that the iPhone is bad in any way. For example, the LCD technology in the display is the most advanced among all smartphones. And to the average user, all the differences from the Galaxy listed above are not striking. But, of course, an experienced user will immediately notice a shade of blue on the display, as well as imperfect clarity.

Comparison of iPhone 6 with Galaxy S 6: the essentials

Finally, we give a visual comparison of the characteristics of the two devices so that you can quickly determine for yourself the advantages and disadvantages of each phone. Below is a comparison table of both gadgets.

iPhone 6S VS iPhone 6S - comparative characteristics, table

Phone model	Samsung Galaxy S6 32GB	Apple iPhone 6 16GB
Price	from 25 000 rub.	from 40 000 rub.
Weight	OK. 140 grams	OK. 130 grams
Operating system	Android 5	iOS version 9
Image resolution	16 megapixels	8 megapixels
Screen diagonal	5.1 inches	4.7 inches
CPU	Samsung Exynos 7420	Apple A8
Processor cores	8	2
RAM	32 gigabytes	16 gigabytes

The table above clearly shows the similarities and differences between the 2 smartphone models that today's review is devoted to. So, as always, Apple phones are one of the most expensive mobile gadgets on the market. Is it justified or not? Here the opinions of users, as always, differ. But a number of owners of "apple" devices have a strong opinion that, with all the positive properties of iPhones, their price is much too high. Advanced users know how to buy an Apple phone much cheaper than in Russia - for example, buy an American device and then unlock it.

One of the significant differences between one device and another is the camera, the characteristics of which are undoubtedly better in Galaxy. In terms of performance, the performance of the device from Samsung is also superior to the iPhone 6S.

However, despite all of the above, we note that any technique is tested in action. On paper, incl. in the instructions for devices, a lot can be written, because each manufacturer praises his product. It is also worth listening to the opinions of other users. But do not put them at the forefront when choosing a smartphone for yourself, because everyone has their own tastes and preferences. For each of us, certain functions of the phone are important. For some - the quality of communication during calls, for others - the possibilities of RAM and performance, for others - the quality of the camera, etc.

Samsung released two Android flagships this time around and set a new high bar for all other smartphone manufacturers. The Galaxy S6 is very different from previous generations and there are a number of key features that make it stand out from the competition in the market. But the Galaxy S6 Edge also stands out very much against the background of the S6, like the S6 itself from the background of other smartphones.

However, there are already questions about the choice between the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Is it worth taking the Edge version of the flagship just for the screen with two curved sides? So I decided to take a closer look at this and identify as many differences as possible between the two flagships to help you make your choice.

Display

The Galaxy S6 has a 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display at 577ppi, although the EDGE version has exactly the same specs on paper, only it has more functionality with two curved sides. Therefore, here you will be forced to decide whether a curved display will be convenient for you. While it is difficult to even imagine how you can stick a protective film on such a screen. But, in my opinion, the Galaxy S6 Edge attracts more attention and interest due to the unusual shape of the screen.

Power

It's even hard to say something. The flagships are identical - the same hardware platform is chosen, because the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge each have 3GB of RAM and run on the same processor - Exynos 7420, which is a powerful eight-core and already 64-bit "heart". If you suddenly see that some sources indicate different processor frequencies in S6 and S6 Edge, then they are simply trying to mislead you. The tests will still show the same characteristics and the same processor.

Memory

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge received 3 storage options from Samsung: 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. But there is no support for microSD cards, so there will be no information anywhere that the new Samsung flagship has a special tray for memory cards. Hope is not worth it.

Battery

Galaxy S6 received a 2550 mAh battery, which became non-removable, but there is support for wireless charging. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, for some strange reason, has a larger 2600 mAh battery, although it looks smaller on the outside. This means that the Edge version of the flagship will be able to work at least a little, but longer. At some point, it may even help out.

cameras

The Galaxy S6 has reappeared with a 16-megapixel camera, but the specifications are much more attractive than we could imagine before the presentation. This is worth talking about separately, but for now I will note that there is no difference between the S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge at this point of comparison. Everything is the same - and the camera, and its capabilities, and even the front 5-megapixel camera is the same.

Software

The Galaxy S6 runs Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with a lighter version of TouchWiz. Everything is the same on the Galaxy S6 Edge, but there is a difference - due to the installation of a curved screen, we have additional functional features. Many people will like it.

Design

Galaxy S6 has finally gone as far as possible from all its predecessors. The design was finalized so that only the main characteristic features of the Galaxy S line remained, but everything else was changed - the case materials were chosen so that the smartphone not only seemed premium in appearance, but also to the touch. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge received glass panels along with a metal frame. The edge version of the smartphone is very different from the simple S6 with a front panel - the smartphone is curved on the sides, the screen itself has curved parts. This has had a significant effect on the appearance and parameters - the smartphone weighs 6g less than the Galaxy S6, while its dimensions are as follows: 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 mm.

By the way, as for the Galaxy S6, its dimensions are 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm. Finally, smartphones will be available in a wide range of colors, but here we are faced with a difference. Black, white and gold will be common to the two variants of the flagship, but the Galaxy S6 will still be on sale in blue and the Galaxy S6 Edge in emerald green.

conclusions

You can see for yourself that the choice is quite difficult. Both devices are identical in terms of specifications and on the technical side there is only one difference - the Galaxy S6 Edge has a battery, the capacity of which is only 50 mAh more. We have already compared the sizes of smartphones, but even by eye it is quite difficult to distinguish which smartphone is thinner and which is longer.

In general, the only catch when choosing is only the screen. The Galaxy S6 Edge is the world's first smartphone to have a curved screen on both sides. This makes it stand out from the rest of the selection on the market. But here I note that the purchase of the Galaxy S6 Edge will cost more by about $ 150. Is it worth it to overpay? Do not know. But with a unique opportunity to get such a smartphone, I would not hesitate if I had such an amount on hand and an offer to buy the new Samsung flagship right now.

Received significant differences from previous representatives of the series. It implements a number of useful features, which have no analogues on the market yet, which makes the device unique in its kind. However, there are a number of significant differences between the Galaxy S6 Edge and just the S6, and both options are very different from other similar smartphones.

Many mobile gadget lovers are already wondering whether to go for the more traditional Galaxy S6 or go for the innovative double-curved design of the S6 Edge. Let's pay a little more attention to this issue and analyze in detail the features of the screens of the two flagships in order to understand how the ways of using them will differ.

Screen

The Galaxy S6 has a 5.1-inch screen with Samsung's standard Super AMOLED technology and a Quad HD resolution with a pixel density of 557 ppi. In these parameters, the screen of the EDGE version is no different, but it turned out to be more functional thanks to two curved sides. Thus, each user will have to make a conclusion before buying whether he needs a curved display. At the moment, it is not clear how it will be possible to further protect the curved screen with a protective film. However, in terms of attractiveness and flashiness, here the Galaxy S6 Edge is ahead due to the unusual shape.

Performance

The filling of both flagships will be identical, so most likely they will also be the same in terms of power. On board smartphones - 3 GB of RAM, the proprietary Exynos 7420 is installed as a central processor, made using 64-bit technology and showing solid performance results. The maximum clock speed of this processor will be the same, so do not trust sources on the Internet that claim that they know for sure that the maximum frequency of the EDGE version is different from the S6.

Internal memory

Samsung decided to launch three versions of the flagships with different sizes of internal storage: variants with 32, 64 and 128 GB. However, information about support for MicroSD expansion cards from the manufacturer has not been received. Thus, this is a rather responsible choice that the buyer must make right away, since it will not be possible to increase the memory in the gadget simply by inserting a card into the appropriate tray.

Battery

In this component, the Galaxy S6 Edge for some reason received a slight advantage, though very small - 2600 mAh versus 2550 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S6. Interestingly, it will not be possible to remove the battery now, since it is non-removable. Sometimes 50 mAh plays a big role, but not for those people who are used to recharging their smartphone battery to the maximum every day.

Camera

Both flagships received a 16-megapixel camera. The functionality of this important component turned out to be simply amazing, the developers really managed to surprise the public during the presentation, demonstrating the capabilities of the camera. The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels, which is quite enough for a good selfie and negotiations via the Internet. Here again, there are no differences between the Galaxy S6 Edge and S6, the specifications of both cameras are the same.

Software part

The Android 5.0.2 operating system is similar to the two variants of S6 and initially comes with a lite version. At the same time, the Galaxy S6 Edge received a slightly more advanced functionality due to the presence of a curved screen. Most likely, most users will react positively to this.

Design

The developers paid a lot of attention to design in the new version of the Galaxy S6, and at the output they got a model that is very different in many ways from previous smartphones in the line. Of course, the common features inherent in the Galaxy are guessed, but, for example, the body materials used are completely different, which has a significant impact on the tactile sensations when using the gadget. The premium quality of the device is felt not only in appearance, but also in the materials used. Metal surrounds plus glass panels make both versions of the S6 visually pleasing. The difference between the Edge model lies in the bezel, which is curved on the sides, including the screen. Due to this feature, the weight turned out to be less by 6 grams, as well as the dimensions in terms of length and width: 142.1 mm x 70.1 mm x 7.0 mm.

The Galaxy S6 measures 143.4mm x 70.5mm x 6.8mm. As you can see, the standard model looks preferable only in thickness. Another key difference between the new models is big choice color design. White, black and gold will be available on both models, while the Galaxy S6 Edge will still be available in Emerald and the Galaxy S6 in Blue.

Results
Given all of the above, we can conclude that smartphones are no different in almost all the main features. There is only a slight difference in battery capacity - 50 mAh in favor of the Edge and in size, again very small - such that it is visually difficult to tell which smartphone is longer or thicker.

So the main difference is the screen. The Galaxy S6 Edge will be the first smartphone in the industry to have a curved screen on both sides, although users will be forced to pay $ 150 more for this feature compared to the traditional form. It's up to you to decide.

Not so long ago, flagship smartphones from Samsung, namely the Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge, fell into my hands. No, I did not purchase these two flagships, they just gave my friend SGS6 Edge, and another friend SGS6. And so I wondered which version of S6 is better. After a few moments of using the device, I realized that you absolutely should not overpay for the curved screen that the Galaxy S6 Edge has. Read more in my author's review of Korean novelties.

Specifications

• Body material: aluminum, glass
• Color: black, green, blue, gold
• Operating system: Google Android 5.0
• Network: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, LTE, nano SIM card
• Processor: Samsung Exynos 7420, 8 cores
• Graphics accelerator: Mali-T760 MP8
• RAM: 3 GB
• Memory for data storage: without a slot for memory cards, depends on the version
• Screen: capacitive, multi-touch, Super AMOLED, diagonal 5.1 inches, resolution 1440x2560
• Main camera: 16 MP, LED flash, autofocus, optical stabilization
• Front camera: 5 MP
• Battery: 2550 mAh, non-removable, wireless charging
• Dimensions: 70.5x143.4x6.8mm
• Weight: 138g

Specifications, in general, are the same, so we will not get hung up on them.

Now let's take a closer look at the main functions of the flagships and compare them.

Equipment

The flagship smartphone from the Korean company Samsung comes with headphones, a power adapter (where USB is connected), a USB adapter itself, and documentation. Also in the photo above you can see a special stick for SIM cards.

Appearance: which of the flagships turned out more beautiful

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge undoubtedly looks beautiful and attractive, hands are drawn to this particular variation. A screen curved on both sides, pleasant colors and, of course, the metal case itself, covered with Gorilla Glass protective glass… do I need more words?

But there is one downside. Due to the curved screen, manufacturers had to make the side frames very thin, so when using this smartphone, they will constantly dig into the palm of your hand. Frankly, there were accidental clicks on the side displays, which interfered with the work with the smartphone. But the Galaxy S6 device isn't ugly either. If you do not look at the lack of a curved display, the model turned out to be quite nice.

Pleasant to the touch case, covered, like the Edge version, with protective glass Gorilla Glass 4. The rounded metal edging on the sides of the case successfully complements the design of the flagship. But this format also has its drawbacks. If you use the device for a long time, it will certainly heat up. Both the glass surface and the metal edging suffer here. The glass surface is very easily soiled, it is easy to smudge, and it will no longer look very attractive from the outside. But on a device with a snow-white color, this is almost imperceptible.

The build quality of the regular and curved versions is at a high level. As already published on Thresh, despite the lack of moisture protection, the smartphone was successfully able to. This speaks of a truly flagship build.

Screen

The screen of the Koreans turned out to be quite good (now we are talking about the S6), I would even say excellent. A 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560x1440 provides the best pixel density, 577 ppi, which is currently the highest among smartphones.

Thanks to advanced screen brightness settings (up to 700 cd/m2), you can use the device in any light conditions, whether it's a bright sunny day on the field or a dark night in the wilderness.
The Galaxy S6 Edge has the same specs but with a more flexible screen. Here, Samsung uses a similar technology to the LG G Flex. The company used an OLED display, the LEDs of which can be applied to any surface (flexible, transparent, solid).

In the version of the Galaxy S6 Edge, the Korean company uses flexible plastic, on which OLEDs were applied.
In addition to all of the above, both flagships have an anti-reflective coating.

Display curves

Finally, we will find out what is the meaning of the curved screen in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. The smartphone has a far-fetched, but interesting feature. You are offered five colors that you can choose for certain contacts in order to separate them into categories (friends, enemies, from work, relatives, children).

As soon as your phone receives calls from certain contacts, the screen will shimmer in the specified color on both sides. In addition to this function, there are a couple of useful tools.

First, the night hours. You can set when and on which of the bends the time will be displayed. Secondly, the “information flow” function, that is, notifications and information of interest to you will be sent to the bends in the form of a tape.

Last but not least, thanks to the SuperAMOLED display (with its deep blacks), the borders of the screen will not glow light black, but only the notifications/clock itself. This is a significant plus for fans of style and fashion.

System

Samsung's flagships run on Google's latest OS, Android 5.0. Smartphones have a theme store that allows you to easily customize the look for yourself. But it is worth saying that the famous Samsung tachwiz has not gone away.

But the fact that the developers made it a little easier, saved us from unnecessary functions, pleases us. The design of many standard applications has changed, it's good that for the better. I note the presence of a fingerprint scanner, it works amazingly quickly and without errors. Among other things, the smartphone has a built-in Samsung Pay payment system, which, when you turn on superuser rights (ROOT).

From the minimum of pre-installed applications - Microsoft services (yes, you can't do without them): OneDrive (10 GB for free), OneNote and Skype. Of the interesting, there is also a Smart Manager utility that allows you to monitor battery performance and memory.
Of particular note is the camera app that launches instantly - a dream for a photographer who loves to capture fast-paced moments. But more on that below.

Camera: which smartphone does the best job

The Galaxy S6 features a 16MP main camera that captures breathtaking images. Moreover, optical stabilization and flash (albeit LED) make the new flagship from samsung good choice for photographers. In terms of camera, both versions are almost the same (at least I didn’t notice any differences). Both the S6 and S6 Edge perform this function at the highest level.

It is worth giving preference to the built-in camera application, which instantly takes pictures. And a large number of settings will help you make a real masterpiece of world art from a photo. Here, check out sample photos taken with the main camera of the flagships (click on the image to see the original):

Performance and autonomy

As for the performance category, the proprietary Samsung Exynos 7420 processor helped the device take first place in the AnTuTu benchmark (temporarily). The smartphone has received more than 69k points - an unprecedented record!

Unfortunately, due to the lack of constant access to the models, I was unable to test the battery autonomy with the Treshbox's proprietary tester. Therefore, you have to believe only my words (and the screen above), and I, in turn, the words of the public. A vicious circle is obtained.

Communication and communications

In general, both smarts here are in the same niches, I personally did not notice any differences from the operation of networks. The speed of receiving and transmitting data via mobile Internet networks is almost unlimited, 4G LTE takes its toll.

In addition, the transfer between devices via Bluetooth is also on top, because both models use version 4.1, the most advanced. But for streaming a high-bitrate video file, this will still not be enough, so the smart has a Wi-Fi (ac) and Wi-Fi Direct wireless module installed. Thanks to the NFC chip, the new Korean flagships can be used as a regular credit card.

Conclusion: which one is better?

Summing up the use, I will say that having a version with curved edges is stylish, but expensive. On the other hand, it is quite interesting to use a smartphone with a rounded display.

But these are the first 10 days for sure, a maximum of a month. And then you get bored, it becomes indifferent: there are side screens, there are none ... Therefore, for long-term use, I advise practical and economical people to buy Galaxy S6. As you can see from the review, both flagships are absolutely no different: one system, one hardware, one camera, the same communication capabilities. Yes, and using the S6 is easier, because you will not be afraid that the smartphone is about to slip out like a piece of toilet soap.

But if you love style, try to follow all fashion trends and are not going to actively use such a smartphone, then take the Edge version, I am sure you will like it. I hope I did not write this review-comparison in vain. Thanks for attention!

Image model on the fastest possible platform

Flagship smartphones samsung series The Galaxy S doesn't need a special introduction. Along with Apple products, Samsung smartphones traditionally arouse keen interest among users of any age, gender and religion. In the new season, the Korean company has prepared a real surprise for its fans. You can call it a rethinking of values ​​or a reboot, whichever you like, but the fact remains: after years of boring sameness, Samsung designers have finally decided on a real change. For the first time in many years, it's safe to say that Samsung has shown a truly stylish, modern and attractive design. In principle, the option with two glass panels and a metal side frame is not so fresh, over the past few years we have seen it in the iPhone, and in the Sony Xperia, and even in the fashion models of the Huawei P series, but for Samsung smartphones it is really new . And given the experience of past years, when one plastic in Korean smartphones was replaced by another, such drastic changes can even be called a breakthrough.

However, the participants of the MWC 2015 exhibition managed to be pleasantly surprised not only by unexpected changes in design and attractive appearance during their first acquaintance with the novelties of the Samsung mobile family. Those who have had time to get acquainted with the hardware stuffing Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were also amazed by the unprecedented level of performance that these powerful mobile devices demonstrated. Thanks to the new SoC, Samsung's new flagships have confidently climbed onto the top step of the podium and, apparently, will not be pushed out of there soon.

Not without disappointment, of course. Fans of the Korean brand have always been warmed by the idea that their chosen side in the confrontation between Samsung and Apple is the maximum openness to change. Memory card slot and removable accumulator battery- these are the enduring values ​​that outweighed the scales for them in comparison with the policy of closeness, "things in themselves", which was cultivated from the very beginning by "apple" smartphones. Now, the last bastions have collapsed: according to these characteristics, the new Korean devices are indistinguishable from both the iPhone and other modern smartphones, the creators of which have reoriented faster than others. In the new Samsung flagships, there is neither a slot for installing a memory card, nor, moreover, a removable battery - all this is considered a relic of the past. The funny thing is that it happened exactly at that significant moment when the newest, fifth version of Android finally allowed users to install applications on a memory card, and it is on Android 5.0 that new Samsung devices are initially based. Once again, the developers made an unfortunate blunder, but most of the users will most likely forget it very quickly, as if nothing had happened - the fans will understand and forgive. Only another cute and very fast smartphone, one of many, will remain in memory.

Video review

To get started, we offer you to watch our video review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone:

Now let's look at the characteristics of new items.

Key Features of Samsung Galaxy S6 (Model SM-G920F)

	Samsung Galaxy S6	Sony Xperia Z3	Lenovo Vibe X2	Yotaphone 2	Meizu MX4
Screen	5.1″ Super AMOLED	5.2" IPS	5" IPS	5" AMOLED	5.36" IPS
Permission	2560×1440, 577 ppi	1920×1080, 423 ppi	1920×1080, 440ppi	1920×1080, 440ppi	1920×1152, 418 ppi
SoC	Exynos 7420 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.1GHz & 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (4x Krait 400 @2.5GHz)	Mediatek MT6595m (4x Cortex-A17 @2.0GHz + 4x Cortex-A7 @1.3GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (4x Krait 400 @2.26GHz)	Mediatek MT6595 Octa-core (4x Cortex-A17 @2.2GHz & 4x Cortex-A7 @1.7GHz)
GPU	Mali-T760	Adreno 330	PowerVR G6200	Adreno 330	PowerVR G6200
RAM	3 GB	3 GB	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	32/64/128 GB	16 GB	32 GB	32 GB	16/32/64 GB
Memory card support	—	microSD	—	—	—
Operating system	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4
Battery	non-removable, 2550 mAh	non-removable, 3100 mAh	non-removable, 2300 mAh	non-removable, 2500 mAh	non-removable, 3100 mAh
cameras	rear (16 MP; video 4K), front (5 MP)	rear (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (2.2 MP)	rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)	rear (8 MP; video 1080p), front (2.1 MP)	rear (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP)
Dimensions and weight	143×70×6.8mm, 138g	146×72×7.3mm, 152g	140×69×7.3mm, 120g	145×69×9.0mm, 145g	144×75×8.9mm, 147g
average price	T-12259333	T-11028534	T-11168521	T-11743876	T-11036319
Samsung Galaxy S6 offers	L-12259333-10

• SoC Exynos 7420 (64-bit), two clusters of four processor cores: ARM Cortex-A57 at 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.5 GHz
• GPU Mali-T760
• Operating system Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Touchscreen Super AMOLED display, 5.1″, 2560×1440
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB LPDDR4
• Internal memory 32, 64 or 128 GB
• No microSD card slot
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Data transfer rate max 4G LTE Cat6 up to 300Mbps
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
• IR port, USB OTG
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Position, proximity, lighting sensors, barometer, fingerprint sensor, Hall and heart rate sensors
• Camera 16 MP (F1.9), optical stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (F1.9), front
• Battery 2550 mAh, non-removable
• Support wireless charging
• Dimensions 143×70×6.8 mm
• Weight 138 g

Equipment

The Samsung Galaxy S6 comes in a small cardboard box with a few jumpers inside. On top of the box is a cover made of thinner cardboard.

The kit consists of a miniature but powerful charger(output current 2 A), a Micro-USB connection cable, and flat-wire headphones with rubber ear cups exactly the same shape as the Apple EarPods.

Appearance and usability

Samsung Galaxy S6 is not too large, even somewhat elegant smartphone. While we're probably just used to having a 5" screen as a standard, it's become the norm and we no longer consider that size for a pocket mobile device something out of the ordinary. Slim profile, heavily rounded corners, low weight - the device fits quite comfortably in the hand of any size and fits in the pocket of any clothing. However, due to the smooth metal frame and glass surfaces, the Galaxy S6 turned out to be quite slippery, so you need to be careful with such a device and make sure that it does not slip out of your hands and break on the floor.

The materials are chosen with taste: both panels, front and back, are made of tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and the side frame that runs along the entire perimeter of the case is made of metal. Thank God, this time the creators did not paint over the metal, cover it with plastic or otherwise hide it, as happened with the Galaxy A series. The frame itself has a fairly thick profile, a noble matte surface, and of course, it is she who is most degree gives the appearance of the device seriousness and high cost. Thanks to its pleasant coolness and harsh metallic sheen, the smartphone will look good with any of the most expensive suits and in any of the most expensive environments. Perhaps if the case were entirely metal, it would not look as catchy and expressive as the current combination of glass and metal. But in any case, we will not know this - after all, if the Koreans had made their S6 entirely of metal, it would have become a copy of the iPhone 6, and this is unacceptable for obvious reasons.

The assembly does not cause any complaints, Samsung is all right with this. Having abandoned the removable cover, the developers resorted to a common solution for placing cards in the side slots: now here, too, you need to press the secret button with a paperclip to remove the container with the SIM card. The sled is made of metal, designed for a Nano-SIM standard card, and there is no other slot for a memory card. By the way, specialists from the iFixit website gave the smartphone only four points (out of ten possible) for ease of disassembly and, accordingly, maintainability (the situation is even worse for the S6 Edge: it got three points).

The body of the smartphone is quite thin, the camera module protrudes noticeably from the back wall. In this matter, the new Samsung smartphones turned out to be no better than the notorious Apple iPhone 6/6 Plus, which only the lazy did not wash the bones for such an option for placing the camera module. Not far from the lens is a unit consisting of a single LED flash and a heart rate sensor.

The front of the smartphone is completely covered with Gorilla Glass 4 protective glass. To the left of the speaker grille, you can see the notification LED indicator, its large dot shines in different colors, informing about the charging status and incoming events. It is curious that the operation of the indicator is regulated in the settings section dedicated to sound.

In the lower part, under the screen, there is an oval mechanical key and two touch buttons on the sides of it. The touch buttons have a bright white backlight. A fingerprint scanner is again integrated into the central mechanical key, and a few words should be said about it separately. Finally, Samsung understood why they failed to competently implement this most useful tool, which has long been perfectly implemented in the Apple iPhone, in previous models. In the Galaxy S5, I had to hold the device firmly with one hand, and slowly and tediously run my finger over the scanner with the other, which was annoying. As a result, owners quickly turned off the scanner due to inefficiency, although the convenience of unlocking a smartphone without having to remember digital codes and zigzag passes is great, you just need to apply it correctly. Finally, after waiting for some time, the Koreans decided to exactly adopt the idea of ​​​​the scanner, which was originally embedded in the iPhone. Now in the Galaxy S6, the button reads the fingerprint at the same time as pressing, unlocking the screen. You don't need to swipe, you can hold your hand at any angle, everything is done with one hand and in one click - everything is exactly the same as in the iPhone. Finally, the scanner in Samsung smartphones has become comfortable to use. It's a pity that it took so long for Korean developers to do this.

The very process of reading the fingerprint and setting the lock are identical to those in the iPhone: there is no longer a need to drag your finger along the entire button panel many times, point touches are enough. Naturally, you can add several fingers for recognition, and for reliability, you will be asked to come up with a code. Recognition is clear, and if you pick up the smartphone correctly, then just one touch is enough to unlock the screen, which is very convenient.

The mechanical volume and lock keys are located on opposite side faces and are also made of metal. It should be noted that for the first time in Samsung, the volume control key is implemented not as a single two-position rocker, but as two separate buttons (like in other well-known phones ...). The buttons are small, well protrude from the body, the action is springy and responsive, traditionally there are no complaints about the controls in Samsung devices.

The Micro-USB 2.0 connector and an audio output for headphones with a diameter of 3.5 mm (under the minijack) were installed on one, lower end. Micro-USB supports connecting external devices and flash drives in OTG mode.

On the upper end, right in the middle, there is a small dark window of the infrared port, which, as before, serves to emulate the remote control for controlling various household appliances, from TVs to music centers. The smartphone is already pre-installed with a familiar program called Smart Remote with many ready-made settings for any type of equipment, and you can use the current program guide.

The smartphone does not have protection against dust and moisture; you can’t find a strap attachment on the case. But the device is promised support for wireless charging, compatible with WPC 1.1 (output power 4.6 W) and PMA 1.0 (4.2 W) standards.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is available in several bright body colors, and the developers have traditionally given these colors their own romantic names. In addition to the white (white pearl) and black (black sapphire) color options, the buyer is also offered “dazzling platinum” and “blue topaz”, but the green option (noble emerald) that many people liked will be available only for the Galaxy S6 Edge modification.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone is equipped with a Super AMOLED touch screen protected by modern Gorilla Glass 4. The physical dimensions of the display are 63 × 113 mm, the diagonal is 5.1 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is 2560×1440 (dot density 577 ppi), which is more than worthy.

The frame around the screen is quite thin: the distance from the edge of the case to the edge of the screen from the sides is about 3 mm, and at the top and bottom - about 15 mm. At this point, it is worth noting that since the side edges of the case are straight and almost flat, when girthing, the fingers climb onto the screen more than smartphones with heavily beveled edges, like the same one. As a result, unwanted accidental clicks on the screen were recorded.

The brightness of the display has manual and automatic adjustment, the latter is based on the operation of the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to handle 10 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Samsung Galaxy S6, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is slightly lighter (brightness in photos is 105 versus 101 for the Nexus 7) and does not have a pronounced tint. Note that reflections from bright objects on the Samsung Galaxy S6 screen have a faint bluish halo. The ghosting of reflected objects in the Samsung Galaxy S6 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the screen layers. Due to the smaller number of borders (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy S6 screen, there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, noticeably better than Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

When displaying a white field in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 355 cd/m², the minimum was 1.9 cd/m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case the smaller the white area on the screen, the lighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be sufficient good level(I didn't have a chance to check). The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device without any problems even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). You can make adjustments to how this function works by moving the adjustment slider. Next, for the three conditions, we present the screen brightness values ​​for the three values ​​​​of this setting - for 0%, 50% and 100%. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 1.9, 8.5 and 18 cd / m², respectively (the first is too dark, the rest are normal), in an office lit by artificial light (about 400 lux), the brightness is set to 65, 140 and 210 cd/m² (dark - just right - just right, corresponding to the specified correction), in a bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - increases to 355 cd/m² regardless of the position of the slider. This value is equal to the maximum for manual adjustment. In general, the result of the automatic brightness adjustment function is as expected. At any brightness level there is a significant modulation with a frequency of 237 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it, the modulation amplitude is not very large, and as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, when the brightness is lowered (somewhere below 75%), modulation appears with a large relative amplitude. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in the test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with a rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, such flickering can cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphoto:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

On the fragment above, you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), while repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without gaps and overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer considers the screen resolution based on green subpixels, on the other two it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the sub-pixels in this variant is close to the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen and some other newer devices from Samsung and not only with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some uneven contrasting borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they have minimal effect on image quality.

The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color is just black at any angle. So black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent, but if you look closely, you can notice a slight unevenness in the color tone at the level of pixel groups. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S6 (profile AMOLED movie) and the second comparison participant, the same images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd / m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. White field:

We note the excellent uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture (profile Basic):

The color reproduction is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens is slightly different. The photo above was obtained after choosing a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and environmental conditions, which is obtained by selecting the two remaining profiles shown below.

AMOLED movie:

Saturation and color contrast are markedly increased.

Photo AMOLED:

The saturation is still high, but the color contrast is closer to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile AMOLED movie). White field:

The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (in order to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed is increased compared to previous photos), but in the case of Samsung, the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the Samsung Galaxy S6 screen visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device at least at a slight angle. And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the elements of the matrix is ​​\u200b\u200bpractically instantaneous, but there may be a step at the front of the inclusion of about 17 ms wide (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 59 Hz). For example, the dependence of brightness on time looks like this when moving from black to white and vice versa:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some “twitchy” movements.

For profiles Photo AMOLED And Basic the gamma curve constructed from 32 points with equal intervals over the numerical value of the gray tint did not reveal any blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 2.22, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma - the curve slightly deviates from the power dependence (in the captions in parentheses are the exponent of the approximating power function and the coefficient of determination):

For profile AMOLED movie The gamma curve has a slightly S-shaped character, which increases the apparent contrast of the image, but in the shadows the distinguishability of shades is preserved.

Recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for images that are generally bright. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve), most likely, does not correspond slightly to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential grayscale output almost on the entire screen.

Color gamut in profile case AMOLED movie very wide, it almost covers Adobe RGB coverage:

When choosing a profile Photo AMOLED coverage is slightly reduced:

When choosing a profile Basic coverage is compressed exactly to the sRGB borders:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In the case of a profile Basic with the maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut without proper color correction, normal images optimized for sRGB devices look unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photos and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting does it make sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Profile AMOLED movie, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies or anything else.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good. Profile color temperature AMOLED movie above 6500 K, in the remaining two it is close to 6500 K, while in a significant part of the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of the color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units over most of the gray scale, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, but the fluctuations in this parameter are already large:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale in most cases can be ignored, since there the color balance does not matter much, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device, most likely, can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is permissible to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance (if you select the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected on the screen), excellent white field uniformity, noticeably smaller than that of LCDs, and a drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. The disadvantages include modulation of the screen brightness. Users who are particularly sensitive to flicker may experience fatigue as a result. However, overall the screen quality is very high.

Sound

The sound of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is very decent. The smartphone emits a fairly loud sound, saturated with the entire spectrum of frequencies, including low frequencies. The smartphone sounds really nice, at the maximum volume level the sound is not distorted, does not wheeze, there are no complaints at all. The speaker grille is brought out to the bottom end, so that the sound does not overlap when the smartphone is on a hard surface. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.

With headphones, the smartphone also sounds at the level of modern flagships; a branded player with the maximum number of settings is used as standard to play melodies. All sound effects are combined by a technology called SoundAlive - however, some of them are available only with headphones connected. The same applies to the sound optimization function. For manual settings, an equalizer with preset values ​​is available, as well as separate controls for bass and treble.

Traditionally, there was no FM radio in the standard smartphone package, but there is a voice recorder. For the recorder, in addition to the standard mode, there are also specific “interviews” and “voice notes” - all this is already familiar to us from previous models of the series. The smartphone cannot record telephone conversations from the line.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S6 is equipped with two modules of digital cameras with a resolution of 16 and 5 megapixels. The front camera is equipped with a 5-megapixel module with f / 1.9 aperture, the video shoots with a maximum resolution of QHD (2560 × 1440). For popular selfie-style entertainment, there's a group selfie mode, and it's even possible to take a virtual shot of a particular subject to create a multi-directional view of the subject - in this case, most likely your own head. You can take a photo with the front camera without touching the screen, with an outstretched hand gesture, or by voice command. It is also possible to take a self-portrait by tapping your finger on the heart rate sensor located on the back of the smartphone.

The main 16-megapixel camera has an aperture of f / 1.9, tracking autofocus, optical stabilization (OIS) and an LED flash that works as a flashlight if necessary. A quick launch of the camera is possible by double-clicking on the central hardware key under the screen.

The settings menu has been completely redesigned, now there is no matrix of interactive square cells, there is one button for selecting shooting modes, and the rest of the settings are combined into a long scroll that expands as needed. In addition to the usual auto and manual modes, you can also select panorama, selective focus and the same so-called virtual shooting mode to create a multi-directional view of subjects. By the way, the specific modes of fast and slow video shooting were also removed here, so you can’t find them in the settings of the camera itself (only the resolution is set there).

Video camera Samsung Galaxy S6 can shoot in any of the latest resolutions up to 4K (UHD). As always, the option of shooting at 60 fps is very curious, while the resolution is 1920 × 1080 (Full HD). The camera copes with any options perfectly, there are no complaints about the quality of the resulting video image. The quality of video recording can be judged by test videos.

• Clip #1 (30 MB, 1920×1080 @60 fps)
• Movie #2 (43 MB, 3840×2160 @30 fps)
• Movie #3 (26 MB, 2560×1440 @30 fps)

	Good sharpness across the field of the frame, but it drops a little towards the edges.
	Even in the shadows, the sharpness is not bad.
	Excellent long-range sharpness.
	The color of the sky and the building is quite even. Light noise can be seen at the edges of the frame.
	The camera does a good job of detailing in the shadows.
	Sharping on the wires is practically absent.
	The branches of the trees are well developed.
	The numbers of all cars in the frame are clearly distinguishable.
	And on a fairly dark frame, good sharpness and noise reduction are visible.
	Under room lighting and with a flash, the text worked out well.
	The camera does just as well without a flash.
	Macro photography in room lighting works well with the camera.

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench according to our methodology.

Assessing the flagship camera, you can not help but compare it with the rest. And as soon as I started taking pictures with it, I already want to say that this particular camera should henceforth be considered the best. Of course, there will definitely be a fly in the ointment, but the camera is really amazing. To want even more from a smartphone camera, you need to have a good imagination or have no idea about photography at all. It's hard to find fault with even the smallest things. The shadows do not make noise, the details are well worked out, there are small defects, but this is not a SLR camera and not even a compact one - this is a smartphone. You can look for a long time for the lack of “soul” or “pleasure” in the pictures, but objectively there is nothing to complain about.

Now about the fly in the ointment. All images have an area of ​​blur on the right. Most likely, this is not a problem of the applied camera module, but specifically of our instance, but doubt has been sown. To have such a defect, of course, is unworthy of a flagship. The camera is really good, perhaps the best, but the problem is still significant. In general, at least check the camera when buying.

In a laboratory test, the Samsung Galaxy S6 confidently outperforms its main competitor, the iPhone 6. And if in the center of the frame their results differ slightly, then at the edge of the Galaxy S6 it gives a very decent result. Moreover, according to this result, it is quite seriously superior (and slightly -). In the center of the frame, all the latest Samsung flagships show themselves about the same, but the dependence of resolution on lighting in the Galaxy S6 is the most “smooth and beautiful”.

If we forget about the blur zone on the right side of the frame, which we are ready to attribute to a defective sample, the camera can be called excellent. It is well suited for documentary and art photography.

Of the new "chips" in the camera, there is a mode for shooting two frames with a focus on the far and near plans, with the ability to subsequently switch between them. We recently saw a similar one in Xiaomi Mi Note.

There is also a 3D image capture mode that can be "rotated". It is created by wiring a smartphone around an object. Again, we recently saw a similar one in Jiayu S3.

Both modes are very doubtful in practical terms, so they can only claim the title of a funny "chip".

Telephone part and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and there is also support for fourth-generation LTE Cat6 networks with the maximum possible speed of up to 300 Mbps per reception. In practice, with a SIM card from the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone confidently recognizes and works with 4G networks.

The rest of the network capabilities of the smartphone are also on top: there is support for NFC technology, Bluetooth 4.1 supports A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT + profiles. Wi-Fi 802.11n/ac, HT80 MIMO (2×2) (up to 620 Mbps) supports both frequency bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Wi-Fi Direct technology, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. It is possible to connect external devices to the USB port in OTG mode.

The navigation module works with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system, and also sees satellites of the Chinese Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the navigation module, a cold start occurs within a minute or faster. The device is also equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the magnetic compass of navigation programs functions.

Spontaneous reboots / shutdowns were not observed during testing, but surprises did occur. So, after another reboot in normal mode, the screen of the device suddenly stopped responding to any touches - only the mechanical hardware buttons of the smartphone worked. It was possible to get out of the situation only through a forced reboot by holding the power buttons and volume down for a long time, otherwise it was impossible to use the device.

The layout and layout of the keys are standard for Samsung smartphones: switching languages ​​is not done by the usual pressing of a special button with the image of a globe, but by a horizontal longitudinal gesture along the space bar - not the most convenient option. The standard layout has a dedicated top row with numbers. For lovers of Swype, a method is provided for continuous input with a stroke from letter to letter. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is also carried out immediately by the first letters in contacts.

OS and software

The Samsung Galaxy S6 immediately runs on the fresh, fifth version of Android OS, but you won’t see its own Material Design interface here, it has been completely replaced by the traditional design of the proprietary TouchWiz shell installed on top. The new version of TouchWiz has undergone minor changes, but in general everything remains familiar from previous smartphones from this manufacturer. The only thing that was adopted from the most notable innovations of the fifth version of the Android OS is interactive notification panels that pop up on top of running applications, conveniently swiped to the side with a side gesture.

Gestures are supported, but their number is reduced to a comfortable and logical minimum. Power-saving modes, privacy mode, the ability to work simultaneously in two windows and the Briefing news panel, caused by a side swipe on the left, are still in place - an analogue of HTC Blinkfeed. The sidebar of virtual buttons has been removed, there is no way to reduce the working area of ​​​​the screen for controlling the fingers of one hand. New in Android 5.0, the ability to enable guest mode has been removed here and replaced with a branded private mode. The notification panel also has nothing to do with the proprietary Android 5.0 panel, everything remains the same here: the panel does not unfold in two stages, the list of quick access icons scrolls with a horizontal swipe, branded buttons are also built into here for quick connection to other devices and S Finder.

The heart rate sensor, located on the back side next to the camera, is controlled by the same proprietary program for global tracking of own health called S Health. The infrared port is served by a special remote control emulation program called Smart Remote. In general, there are not so many additional programs installed, most of them are useful, but I was surprised by the pre-installed block of Microsoft branded programs (OneDrive, OneNote, Skype).

Performance

The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is based on the most powerful single-chip system (SoC) of Samsung's own production Exynos 7420, manufactured according to the standards of 14-nanometer technological process. The configuration of this single-chip system includes two clusters of four cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The powerful video accelerator Mali T760 is used as a GPU. RAM in the device is provided as much as 3 GB (LPDDR4). Internal memory is implemented on drives that meet the UFS 2.0 specification. Flash memory capacity is 32, 64 or 128 GB, not expandable with memory cards. In the case of a model with a minimum volume, the user initially has access to about 25 GB of the nominally designated 32 GB. In addition, the device supports the mode of connecting external devices to the USB port (USB Host, USB OTG) - an external flash drive can be connected via an OTG adapter.

According to the test results, the Samsung Galaxy S6 hardware platform showed extremely high results, displacing all previous record holders without exception, including Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which had been in the first places in the AnTuTu test for quite a long time.

As a result, Samsung gave the world another champion in power - a reference smartphone, which will be equaled throughout the season, trying to catch up and match. The device is extremely productive, its capabilities will be enough for a long time to perform any tasks, including the most demanding games.

Testing in the latest versions of AnTuTu and GeekBench 3 comprehensive benchmarks:

For convenience, we have summarized all the results obtained by us when testing a smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks in tables. Several other devices from various segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Graphics subsystem testing in 3DMark, GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark gaming benchmarks:

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (due to which the speed can rise above 60 fps).

	Samsung Galaxy S6 (Exynos 7420)	Sony Xperia Z3 (Snapdragon 801)	Yotaphone 2 (Snapdragon 800)	Lenovo Vibe X2 (Mediatek MT6595m)	Meizu MX4 (Mediatek MT6595)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	9852	8566	Maxed out!
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	21204	18496	14780	14067	16691
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	30 fps	29.4 fps	23 fps	17.0 fps	21.7 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	46 fps	27.8 fps	22 fps	17.8 fps	23.2 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	4185 (60 fps)	3820 (54 fps)	3362 (48fps)	3549 (51fps)	4033 (58 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them depend significantly on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect everything from a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the test results, the test subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed for the full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it also needs to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 audio format.

Format	container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Regular video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280x720 3000Kbps, AC3		Video plays fine, no sound¹
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280x720 4000Kbps, AC3	Video plays fine, no sound¹	Video plays fine, no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920x1080 8000Kbps, AC3	Video plays fine, no sound¹	Video plays fine, no sound¹

¹ Audio in MX Video Player only played after installing an alternative custom audio codec; The regular player does not have such a setting.

Video output features tested Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, as well as Mobility DisplayPort in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720/24p

Okay No

Note: If both columns Uniformity And Passes green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and dropping frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops (with the exception of files with 60 fps - one frame is always skipped due to for screen refresh rates of 59 Hz). When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly on the wide border of the screen. The clarity of the picture is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experiment, you can switch to the one-to-one mode by pixels, there will be no interpolation, but PenTile features will appear - the vertical world through the pixel will be in the grid, and the horizontal one will be a little greenish. This is on test worlds, the described artifacts are absent on real frames. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows, only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights, all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

The capacity of the built-in non-removable battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S6 is far from a record by modern standards - only 2550 mAh. However, even despite the most powerful platform and a fairly large five-inch screen, the smartphone adequately proved itself in terms of duration. battery life, showing excellent autonomy in most common use cases. It should be noted that in order to save energy in the settings of the device, there are traditionally two branded power saving modes: normal and extreme. The maximum power saving mode significantly reduces the level of energy consumption by turning off secondary functions and preserving vital functions at the moment, as well as, for a visual effect, turning the image on the screen into black and white.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D game mode
Samsung Galaxy S6	2550 mAh	20:00	12:00 p.m.	4 a.m.
Samsung Galaxy A7	2600 mAh	22h 10m	12:00 p.m.	3h 20m
Samsung Note 4	3220 mAh	10:30	8:30 a.m.	3h 50m
Yotaphone 2	2500 mAh	12:00 p.m.	9:30 a.m.	3h 15m
Lenovo Vibe X2	2300 mAh	13:00	6 a.m.	3h 15m
Meizu MX4	3100 mAh	12:00 p.m.	8h 40m	3h 45m
Meizu MX4 Pro	3350 mAh	16:00	8h 40m	3h 30m
Sony Xperia Z3	3100 mAh	20:00	10:00 a.m.	4h 50m
HTC One M8	2600 mAh	22h 10m	13h 20m	3h 20m
Samsung Galaxy S5	2800 mAh	5:20 p.m.	12:30 pm	4h 30m

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted about 20 hours until the battery was completely discharged. With continuous viewing of video in high quality (720p) with the same level of brightness through a home Wi-Fi network, the device lasted 12 hours. In the 3D-games mode, the device worked for 4 hours. The smartphone supports the technology fast charging, so the device charges very quickly. Full charge time is only about 1.5 hours, and according to the assurances of the developers, just 10 minutes of charging allows you to charge your smartphone for a subsequent four-hour use.

Outcome

With the release of its next flagship, Samsung did not make a noticeable breakthrough and technological revolution, but gave the market such a polished and polished product that there is simply nothing to complain about this time. The smartphone seems to strive to please everyone with its thoughtful practicality. Not a single unnecessary detail, everything superfluous is removed, combed and trimmed, ticks are put in front of literally every item from the wish list of the average user. Dimensions are not large and not small, they are comfortable, as well as the weight of the device. The quality of the selected materials and the assembly are not satisfactory, the metal surfaces finally appeared in all their glory, not painted over and not hidden. All technical characteristics - to the maximum, sensors - any to choose from. Fingerprint scanner, infrared, heart rate sensor, wireless charging - all additional flagship super features are available. Only the lack of protection against water comes to mind, but recently the user excitement around the need for such functionality began to fade, and the Koreans immediately crossed it out. The smartphone is almost perfect, but it is now far from being available to everyone. The price of the new Samsung flagship is set so that even hardened gadget lovers turn pale. Not everyone can afford a new smartphone for 50 thousand rubles, but even here Samsung is in trend: without exception, all top-tier players are gradually, but confidently, by joint efforts, raising this bar higher and higher. So we still have to be surprised more than once in the new season, but for now it remains only to admire such novelties, while getting used to the new prices.