Welcome to the biggest smartphone battle of 2015. Apple AAPL -0.56% will release an iPhone 6S in September, but the lion’s share of 2015 will be fought out between these two juggernauts and with it comes real symmetry. 2014 saw Apple size up to respond to the threat of Samsung’s larger Galaxies. Now 2015 sees Samsung redesign the Galaxy S6 to counter the threat of Apple’s resurgent iPhones.
The result is a smartphone head-to-head which has never been closer at a time when the stakes have never been higher. Let’s get straight to it.
Note: iPhone 6 review sample provided by Vodafone UK. Galaxy S6 review sample provided by Samsung UK
Design And Build Quality: Class Leaders
There’s only one place to begin when looking at Samsung’s new contender: design. Quite simply, Samsung has thrown almost every traditional design aspect of previous Galaxies away with the Galaxy S6 in an effort to create the same premium feel as the iPhone 6. The end result is both good and bad as well as being incredibly divisive.
- Galaxy S6 – 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm (5.64 x 2.77 x 0.27 in) and 138g (4.86 oz)
- iPhone 6 – 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27in) and 129g (4.55oz)
First the good. By ditching the plastic back for glass and plastic faux-metal sides of the Galaxy S5 for glass and aluminium, the Galaxy S6 does indeed feel far better built. Logic suggests it would be almost impossible for that not to happen and it now matches the iPhone 6 by feeling every bit as luxurious (regardless of whether you like either individual design).
Galaxy S6 (left) versus iPhone 6 (right) – image credit Gordon Kelly
It is important to state this isn’t just about the materials, it is the attention to detail Samsung has shown. Every edge, button and seam is meticulously crafted and for my money this also places it ahead of HTC ’s feted (if photographically flawed) One range where ports and buttons are found wanting. In this regard Samsung can pat itself on the back for a job well done.
The Galaxy S6 also feels good in hand and it isn’t as slippy as the ridiculously slick iPhone 6. Both phones could do with cutting down their huge top and bottom bezels and they wouldn’t suffer from being a little thicker to fit bigger batteries (more later), but if I were to pick a favourite it would be the Galaxy S6.
Build quality on both phones it top class – image credit: Gordon Kelly
Then again Samsung’s major changes also come with major downsides. Compared to the Galaxy S5 the Galaxy S6 no longer has a removable battery, upgradeable storage and it isn’t even waterproof. In fairness these aren’t great losses compared to the iPhone 6 which also has none of the above, but it does open a window of opportunity for other Android phone makers to differentiate.
Are the trade-offs worth it? For those who rely on one or more of these lost features, obviously not – they are deal breakers. For most, however, I suspect they will be accepted and record shipments suggest this is the case.
Galaxy S6 (right) switches to a glass back, but aluminium like the iPhone 6 may have been wiser – image credit Gordon Kelly
So has the Galaxy S6 ultimately stepped up to the iPhone 6 without any real head-to-head issues? Not quite. Moving to a glass rear brings back memories of the iPhone 4 and 4S which were plagued by cracks. Countering this the Galaxy S6 uses Corning GLW -1.07% Gorilla Glass 4, a major step forward from what Apple was able to call upon three years ago. Still so much glass makes me instinctively uncomfortable and it is a fingerprint magnet.
Personally I think Samsung should’ve taken a different track here: fit a removable aluminium back which gives access to both the battery and a microSD slot. Surely that would’ve been a win, win? As it stands, it is a win some/lose some that stands up well to the iPhone 6 but less so to more feature rich Android handsets.
Displays: Great Meets Greater
- Galaxy S6 – 5.1-inch QHD flat panel, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 577 pixels per inch (ppi), Super AMOLED display
- iPhone 6 – 4.7-inch, 1334 x 750 pixels, 326 ppi, LED-backlit IPS LCD
Let’s stamp on an urban myth straight away: the iPhone 6 has a poor display. It is a common perception that because the phone only has a 326ppi screen it is somehow substandard. This is garbage. To put it in context a 4K 50-inch television has 88ppi and no-one complains about lack of pixel density when staring up close. The iPhone 6 is perfectly sharp and it has superb brightness, great levels of contrast and rich colours – all of which are all far more important.
Galaxy S6 has the better screen, but not because of the resolution – image credit: Gordon Kelly
Then again, make no mistake, the Galaxy S6 has the better display of the two. Yes the S6 has a much higher resolution and if you squint really hard you can see the benefit this brings, but it isn’t how you will use the phone in real life and it isn’t the reason why the S6 wins out.
The fact is the Galaxy S6 takes what the iPhone 6 display is good at: brightness, contrast and colours and cranks them up to a whole new level. Something I think would’ve looked equally stunning on a 1080p panel, a gripe I’ll get back to later.
So yes, the PPI wars need to end – they’re just as silly as the perception that more megapixels = better photos. But Samsung has nailed the elements that really matter and the result is the best smartphone display I’ve ever seen. The Galaxy S6 is the hands down winner.
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