iPhone 6s vs. Galaxy S5: What We Know So Far

As we’ve pushed on into 2015, we’ve begun to see Apple iPhone 6s rumors emerge. Apple’s new iPhone is still mysterious but we have enough to start making some early comparisons. Today, we want to compare iPhone 6s rumors to the Samsung Galaxy S5, last year’s model. This is our way too early iPhone 6s vs. Galaxy S5 comparison.

Last year, Samsung took to the stage at its Unpacked 5 event in Barcelona, Spain to announce its all new fifth-generation Galaxy S, a device known as the Samsung Galaxy S5. The Samsung Galaxy S5 arrived with all sorts of bells and whistles including an improved design, a new display, enhanced camera, a more powerful processor, and more.

The device has since been replaced by the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge but it’s still relevant. Relevant because it’s still in the hands of many consumers around the world and relevant because some people think it’s actually a better phone than the Galaxy S6.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 a device that some people will be looking to buy. It’s also a device that some people will be looking to replace later this year. If you fall into one of these camps, you’re probably weighing your options, real and rumored. And one device on your radar is probably the rumored iPhone 6s from Apple.

Apple’s iPhone 6s isn’t official but iPhone 6s rumors continue to heat up. As the year’s progressed, we’ve started to hear whispers about the iPhone 6s specs, iPhone 6s design and more. There are still plenty of details that remain shrouded in mystery but we have enough to make an early comparison to the Galaxy S5 in an effort to help those of you thinking about upgrading.

This early iPhone 6s vs. Galaxy S5 comparison will run down the latest iPhone 6s rumors and show you how they currently compare to a device that many people will think about replacing later this year. Here’s what you need to know as we push into May.

iPhone 6s Release Date

If you’re looking to replace the Galaxy S5 with something new or if you’re looking to physically compare the Galaxy S5 to the iPhone 6s, know that you probably have awhile to go.

Before getting into the iPhone 6s release date rumors that we’ve seen emerge this year, we’ll tell you what we know about Apple and its iPhone release.

Last month, Apple confirmed dates for its annual WWDC developers conference in San Francisco. WWDC 2015 kicks off on June 8th and it’s there that the company will talk to developers (and the public) about the future of iOS and OS X.

The WWDC 2015 dates are confirmed and Apple will stream parts of the event.

While the company has used WWDC to announce iPhones, it has shifted its iPhone releases to the fall window ahead of the holiday season. The company recently produced a record second quarter for iPhone sales so it’s difficult to see the company shifting its cycle or rushing a new iPhone out onto shelves. Instead of an iPhone 6s, WWDC 2015 will likely focus on iOS 9, the iPhone’s operating system, and an iOS 9 beta.

The two iPhone 6s release date rumors we’ve seen match this release protocol. One rumor comes from the hit-or-miss Digitimes who says that Apple will release an iPhone 6s in the second half of the year. The other comes from the very credible KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who claims that iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus production will start in mid-to-late August, something that points to a September release.

Design

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 design features a whole lot of plastic including a perforated back plate that comes in an assortment of different colors.

While the design might be plastic, it does come with some nifty features including an IP67 certification that protects it against water and dust, a microSD card slot for expanded storage and a removable battery. The removable battery makes it easy to replace if it’s damaged and it allows users to install an extended battery for increased battery life.

The most recent Apple iPhone 6s design rumors don’t hint at a microSD card slot, dust or water resistance, or a removable battery. They do, however, point to some changes from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

According to respected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the big changes could be to the iPhone’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor:

We think the new iPhone,expected to launch in 3Q15, will be equipped with an upgraded Touch ID module, with which Apple (US) intends to offer a better and safer Apple Pay user experience with reduced reading errors. We therefore raise our 2015F shipments of Touch ID module by 12.4% to 262mn sets, boosted by Apple Pay and new iPhone models.

This could provide a huge advantage to the iPhone as the Galaxy S5’s swipe-based fingerprint sensor is not as good as the touch-based Touch ID on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5s.

That might not be all. According to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, Apple might use the same custom Series 7000 aluminum alloy that it uses in its Apple Watch Sport. The alloy is designed to be 60% stronger than most aluminum without any additional weight. Apple describes it as being extremely light.

While this publication is unreliable, Kuo claims that Apple will indeed rectify the “Bendgate” problem with different casing materials and some changes to the internal mechanical design. He also believes that Apple will add another microphone near the speaker grille for enhanced voice quality.

Like The Wall Street Journal, Kuo believes that Apple is considering a brand new color. In addition to the white, gray and gold color options that come standard with the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6s might include a rose gold option. It’s not clear if this will push the price tag into the territory occupied by the rose gold Apple Watch Edition.

Display

When the Samsung Galaxy S5 arrived, it was in possession of one of the best smartphone displays ever made. The Galaxy S5 comes with a 5.1-inch Full HD AMOLED display that features 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution with 432 pixel-per-inch. The display is stunning and it’s still holding up nicely as the device celebrates its first birthday.

Apple’s rumored to have two iPhone 6s models in development, an iPhone 6s and an iPhone 6s Plus. This makes sense given how well both models have sold. Unsurprisingly, Kuo believes that the display sizes will remain at 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches respectively. Kuo also believes that Apple will implement its Force Touch technology on the iPhone 6s.

The company’s new Force Touch technology can determine the action a user wants to perform based on the strength of a tap. Apple built this into the Apple Watch, the new MacBook and the MacBook Pro Retina.

One iPhone 6s rumor indicates this will appear on the iPhone 6s display and another suggests it will be exclusive to the iPhone 6s Plus. Kuo’s latest predictions include the addition of Force Touch and it appears that it could be one of its biggest selling points.

The video above highlights Force Touch actions inside OS X and shows how the new hard press works. On the iPhone 6s, the technology could make it easier to use many apps where users want to see information with a hard tap instead of using multiple taps.

While there have been whispers about a new sapphire display, Digitimes claims that Apple will use Gorilla Glass to protect the display from damage. The Galaxy S5 uses Gorilla Glass 3.

Processor

The Samsung Galaxy S5 sports a Qualcomm 801 quad-core processor in some regions. In others, it comes with Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa processor. Both are powerful and good enough for most people. The iPhone 6s’ processor should, at the very least, be comparable.

Every year, Apple introduces an improved chip and this year should be no different. In a report outlining a special division within Samsung that will focus on developing displays for Apple, Bloomberg says that Samsung will deliver the new iPhone processor for 2015.

This will likely be the Apple A9 processor which will likely include more power than the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus both of which sport A8 chips. Early reports also indicate Apple will boost the RAM from 1GB to 2GB. Kuo also believes that Apple will add 2GB of RAM to the new iPhone.

Camera

The Galaxy S5 comes with a solid 16MP shooter but we’ve seen the company make improvements to the hardware and software with the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S6 releases. Apple will probably do the same.

The iPhone 6s camera could be one of its big selling points. Earlier this year, we heard about iPhone 6s camera upgrades and now we may know more about what Apple could do to deliver better iPhone cameras.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple acquired LinX, an Israeli Camera technology company that develops cameras for smartphones. While there are some cool features that this tech can bring out in the iPhone 6s camera, the really exciting part is that it could dramatically improve the quality of iPhone photos.

Apple invests in tech that could deliver a better iPhone 6s camera.

LinX previously described the camera technology as enabling better low light performance, faster exposure. It also said that it can deliver the same image quality as a big DSLR camera.

Kuo believes Apple will shift from its 8MP sensor to a larger 12MP camera sensor.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy S5 now runs Android 5.0 Lollipop which you can read about in our review of the software. It’s a solid operating system.

Here is our Galaxy S5 Android 5.0 Lollipop review for AT&T.

As for the iPhone 6s, it will probably run Apple’s new iOS 9. The iOS 9 update is all but confirmed for arrival at WWDC 2015 and it’s expected to deliver new features, fixes and more.

iOS 9 release rumors have suggested that the update will be focused on improving the stability of the operating system. Many iPhone users have been plagued by a number of bugs since the arrival of iOS 8 back in September.

According to a new leak, Apple is working on a new look for Siri that mirrors the colorful look found on the Apple Watch. The update is also expected to feature a new background that features blue and green as well as a major round of security enhancements.

Apple is known for adding software exclusives to “S” iPhone models so there’s a very good chance that the iPhone 6s will feature something that’s unique, something that Apple uses to promote the phone against rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S5.

iOS 9 Launch at WWDC 2015

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Apple hasn't confirmed the iOS 9 update just yet but you can count on an announcement at WWDC 2015 during its keynote address on June 8th. There, Tim Cook and company will take the stage, probably to talk about OS X and iOS 9. For several years now, Apple’s introduced its yearly iOS and OS X updates during its WWDC keynote. And while the company hasn’t come right out and announced a new iOS update for WWDC 2015, there are some clues. In its press release for WWDC 2015, Apple states that “at WWDC, Apple’s renowned developer community will come together to learn about the future of iOS.” The statement doesn’t mention iOS 9 by name but it’s a sign that we’ll probably see more than an iOS 8.4 update announced on stage. iOS 8.4 is a big update but it's not that big. In the WWDC 2015 information section, Apple outlines what developers can and cannot do with pre-release information disclosed at the event. This is further proof that we will likely see the iOS 9 update arrive during the keynote and WWDC 2015.  We also have a collection of iOS 9 rumors that point to an arrival at WWDC 2015 in June. If Apple doesn't announce an iOS 9 update at WWDC we, like many others, will be in complete shock.

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