Android
Samsung Galaxy S6: Everything We Know
With just one day to go before the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S6 launch date, we want to take a look at everything we that know about Samsung’s rumored Galaxy S5 successor including its hardware, software, and the elusive Samsung Galaxy S6 release date.
For month nows, Samsung Galaxy S5 rumors teased consumers all over the world. In the past month, Galaxy S6 rumors have touched on everything from the display, to the processor, to the design to the device’s release date in the U.S. and abroad. And while nothing is confirmed, we’re fairly certain that we’re going to see the Samsung Galaxy S6 appear on stage for the first time tomorrow during Samsung’s Unpacked 2015 event in Barcelona, Spain.
Samsung still hasn’t confirmed the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge for tomorrow’s event but there is reason to believe that it will play host to Samsung’s first big smartphone launch of the year. Galaxy S6 launch date rumors have zeroed in on Samsung’s Unpacked event and we’ve even seen Samsung, and its U.S. carrier partners, tease the device’s arrival in the buildup to launch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMaeJ6hOtCY
On stage, Samsung’s expected to detail the Galaxy S6 and its curved counterpart, the Galaxy S6 Edge. Samsung’s Unpacked events typically outline the important specs and release details so that consumers can start to prepare. While we wait for Samsung to make its announcement, we want to take a final look at the Galaxy S6. Because we’ve seen so many Galaxy S6 rumors, we have a pretty good idea about what to expect from tomorrow’s announcement.
Here now, we take a look at everything that we currently know about the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the very important Galaxy S6 release date. This runs down the latest, and most credible, Samsung Galaxy S6 rumors.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Launch
Samsung’s still not using the words “Galaxy S6” but tomorrow’s press event is almost certainly going to be for Samsung’s new smartphone. Rumors in the weeks leading up to the Galaxy S6 launch date pointed to arrival of several new devices including a new round Apple Watch competitor but more recent reports indicate that Samsung will be announcing the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge alone tomorrow.
T-Mobile’s Galaxy S6 teaser page, which arrived at the beginning of the week, notes that interested parties will want to tune in for more information about the device on March 1st.
Galaxy S6 Release Date
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 release date, the exact release date, remains out of reach right now but we do have some solid leads ahead of tomorrow’s Galaxy S6 launch event.
- AT&T’s Galaxy S6 release confirmed for Spring 2015. Spring 2015 starts March 20th.
- Sprint Galaxy S6 contest leak suggests that the contest will end on March 26th. Contests are typically used to hype devices up ahead of the release date. A Sprint Galaxy S6 release after March 26th makes sense.
- Sprint’s teaser page says that it’s “Coming Soon.”
- Galaxy S6 release date rumors point to an arrival in the second week of April in India after pre-orders in March.
- Samsung Mobile Employee blackout dates stretch from March 22nd to March 30th and April 19th to April 27th. Companies often use vacation blackouts during important product releases.
- Best Buy is currently prepping for a fast Galaxy S6 release date and Galaxy S6 accessory makers are prepared for the Galaxy S6’s arrival.
Samsung’s well known for getting its Galaxy S smartphones out about a month after launch and the Galaxy S6 release date, at least for the moment, is falling into that very same window.
A recent report from ArsTechnica outlines Samsung’s marketing plans, plans that apparently extend to U.S. carriers. Samsung will reportedly focus its marketing efforts on the Galaxy S6 Edge and not the regular Galaxy S6. That could explain why the U.S. release teasers were all for the curved variant and not the regular model.
The publication also claims that one-third of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 stock is made up of Galaxy S6 Edge models and that due to yield issues, the curved Galaxy S6 Edge could suffer from stock issues when it arrives later this year. Initially, Samsung’s Galaxy Note Edge was very hard to find though it gradually reached new markets as Samsung got its supply under control.
Galaxy S6 Design
Galaxy S6 photos, accessory leaks, and a series of reports have outed Samsung’s alleged design scheme for its new smartphone. After years of upgrading its plastic designs, the company is rumored to be shifting to premium materials to match the likes of the iPhone 6 and HTC One M9.
Glass and metal materials have both been rumored countless times and thanks to a series of new photos, it looks like Samsung will be making a big leap in design language.
The purported Galaxy S6 photos showcase a slim form factor. The exact dimensions of the device in question are not known but Galaxy S6 rumors have hinted at a form factor that measures 143.30 x 70.81 x 6.91 mm. For scale, the Galaxy S5 measures 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm and the iPhone 6 measures 138.1 x 67 x 6.9 mm thin.
These purported Galaxy S6 photos also appear to rule out the presence of a microSD card slot. MicroSD card slots are hallmarks of Galaxy S6 designs though it looks like Samsung could ditch expandable storage and a non-removable battery in favor of the new premium metal design.
It’s still not clear if these photos show the final builds of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge but a recent leak from Sprint seems to confirm these new form factors.
Galaxy S6 Display
As the Samsung Galaxy S6 rumor mill’s matured, so have Galaxy S6 display rumors and they’ve settled on the arrival of a 5.1-inch Quad HD display. Alleged Galaxy S6 photos appear to confirm a moderately sized Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge though they don’t confirm the exact size. The device’s 2,560 x 1,440 resolution will be similar to the resolution found on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.
Samsung Galaxy S6 rumors have hinted at the arrival of a Galaxy S6 Edge with a curved display. AT&T’s website, and various Galaxy S6 teasers, currently hint at the arrival of a curved model. New Galaxy S6 photos appear to show the Galaxy S6 Edge in the flesh.
The model seen in these new photos appears to employ a different screen type than the Galaxy Note Edge. These images show a curved screen working in conjunction with the main screen. The Galaxy Note Edge’s curved display functions on its own. A new report from Business Korea appears to confirm some of the differences.
The publication claims that because there will be less of a curve employed by the Galaxy S6 Edge, something that’s all but confirmed by these new photos. Because the screen isn’t as “bent,” it appears that there “will be no message alarm or information storage functions owing the narrowed screen.” The report goes on to note that:
The model’s decreased curved edge and adjusted angle is said to reflect Samsung’s intention to improve the manufacturing yield of curved displays and manufacture as many products as possible.
Galaxy S6 Specs
We’ve examined every single credible Samsung Galaxy S6 rumor and pulled all of that information into a single Galaxy S6 spec sheet that outlines all of the key ingredients to Samsung’s new formula:
- Exynos 7 Octa processor
- Android 5.0 KitKat with new TouchWiz
- 5.1-inch Quad HD display/Curved display on Galaxy S6 Edge
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB / 64GB / 128GB storage
- 5MP front-facing camera
- 16MP rear facing camera
- 2,600 mAh battery
- WiFi
- Touch-based Fingerprint sensor
- Loop Pay for mobile payments
Galaxy S6 Software
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is expected to come with Android 5.0 Lollipop, probably Android 5.0.1 or Android 5.0.2, though it’s rumored to have a very different version of TouchWiz on board.
A number of Galaxy S6 rumors have pointed to a stripped down version of the software that’s expected to improve performance. A more recent report suggests that Samsung’s Galaxy S6 will only feature two pre-installed Samsung applications. The rest will be available via a Galaxy application store that users can take advantage of.
Galaxy S6 Carriers
Earlier this week, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile all confirmed the Galaxy S6 for release in the U.S. U.S. Cellular and Verizon have remained silent though credible Galaxy S6 rumors point to a release on both carriers. Here is how the model numbers in the United States should line up once the Samsung Galaxy S6 is released:
- SM-G920A – AT&T
- SM-G920P – Sprint
- SM-G920R – U.S. Cellular
- SM-G920T – T-Mobile
- SM-G920V – Verizon
The Galaxy S6 Edge model number is expected to be a little different:
- SM-G925A – AT&T
- SM-G925P – Sprint
- SM-G925R – U.S. Cellular
- SM-G925T – T-Mobile
- SM-G925V – Verizon
Early, but credible, Galaxy S6 model number leaks hinted at an arrival on NTT DoCoMo and KDDI in Japan, Bell in Canada, KT and LG+ in South Korea, and carriers in Brazil.
Carphone Warehouse, a huge retailer in the United Kingdom, posted a Galaxy S6 splash page ahead of the Unpacked event on March 1st. The sign up page points to a Galaxy S6 release for carriers in the United Kingdom. And we’ve also seen Belsimpel post a splash page teasing the arrival of the Galaxy S6 in advance. Vodafone Netherlands used to have a Galaxy S6 splash page up though the carrier has since taken it down.
It’s clear that the Galaxy S6 release will be a worldwide affair, just like the Galaxy S models that came before it.
Galaxy S6 Price
An early report from AndroidPIT suggested that the device will come in two different forms (a regular model and an “Edge” model) with three storage sizes apiece. A more recent report from ArsTechnica agrees with the pricing put forth in that report which means that the Galaxy S6 price has firmed up for buyers in Europe. We rarely see international pricing match up perfectly with pricing inside the United States.
- Samsung Galaxy S6 32 GB: 749 euros ($849 USD)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 64GB: 849 euros ($963 USD)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 128 GB: 949 euros ($1,706 USD)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32 GB: 849 euros ($973 USD)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 64 GB : 949 euros ($1073 USD)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 128 GB : 1049 euros ($1173 USD)
A new leak from German publication Samsung Lounge has also helped the Galaxy S6 storage and Galaxy S6 colors to firm up ahead of Samsung’s big announcement tomorrow.
This new leak shows off six different Galaxy S6 variants in four different colors including a green Galaxy S6, a gold Galaxy S6, a black Galaxy S6, and a white Galaxy S6. The white model is also expected to feature hints of gold. It’s still not clear if Samsung will release all of these colors at once or if it will use a staggered approach like it has in years past.
Yoshi
02/28/2015 at 10:45 am
How awesome would it be if the IPhone had the edges like the s6 edge. Would be nice.
Pat
05/26/2015 at 1:07 pm
my s6 wont play music thru speakers on my ,’14 sentra can you help?