The iPhone is the gold standard to which all other cellular phones are held—but is that the way it should be? For every iPhone aficionado out there, there is one Android lover—or almost one. Today, we expect our phones to do everything for us; there is nothing that a smartphone cannot help us accomplish. It makes sense, then, because they are so important, that a phone should engage its user and be easy to use. The long-standing Apple versus Android battle continues to this day, and each side keeps releasing new and better technology in an attempt to woo customers (Dolcourt).
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a new take on an older phone. Like the Apple iPhone, Samsung regularly updates its hardware, releasing a new phone with regularity (Dolcourt). The changes that occurred between this phone and the previous one have some Android and Samsung fans scratching their heads. Unlike many of the previous iterations of the Samsung Galaxy, the S6 has a metal alloy body (Dolcourt). That metal alloy is attractive and sturdy, but it is very reminiscent of the Apple iPhone, the direct competitor for the Samsung Galaxy S6. If mimicry is a form of flattery, then Apple must be flattered—Samsung seems to be inviting comparisons between the Apple iPhone and this particular model of the Samsung Galaxy. It seems almost backwards to critique a smartphone in the context of another smartphone, but the designer was almost inviting comparison with the design of the phone.
One thing that the Samsung Galaxy series did have going for it when compared to Apple phones was the removable batteries and expandable storage. However, with this new iteration of the Samsung Galaxy, Samsung decided to remove the option for both removable batteries and expandable storage (Monckton). The Galaxy finds itself in somewhat of an interesting position when compared to Apple, because it has to compete against Apple and the other companies in the Android market, like LG (Monckton). Ostensibly, the reason given for the lack of micro SD slot and the lack of removable battery was the keep the phone itself slim; this is a direct difference from many of the previous iterations of the Samsung Galaxy.
In fact, when Samsung moved to the sealed battery camp, many Android users were quite upset (Reed). There are problems with battery life in the iPhone and in many of the devices that have sealed in batteries, and there have been fans that have refused to buy these particular phones as a result of the changes that were made (Dolcourt). However, despite all the threats and the potential problems that Samsung faced in the early days of the sale of the Samsung Galaxy S6, the phone was a serious success, especially after some initial bugs were worked out in the camera and battery testing problems (Dolcourt). There were a number of people who had problems with the phone at first when it was purchased; However, Samsung began to work on the problem of battery testing and camera testing, and the engineers were able to work out a solution to the bugs in the software.
One of the reasons that there were bugs in the earliest days of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is because Samsung had done a lot to rework the Android software and operating system within the device. Dolcourt suggests that, “The upscale Samsung Galaxy S6's smooth glass-and-matte-metal body, improved fingerprint reader, and convenient new camera shortcut key make the phone a stunner. Samsung's decluttered take on Android 5.0 brings the beauty inside, too” (Dolcourt). It is hard to disagree with Dolcourt here—despite the similarities that the phone demonstrates with the iPhone, it is undoubtedly a very attractive piece of technology.
One of the problems with the Samsung Galaxy S6 is the sheer size of the phone. At 5.1”, the screen is almost uncomfortably large at times; it reflects a lot of light and is certainly not subtle. However, the phone is fantastic for media use. The screen is large enough to watch a video on comfortably, and it is difficult to fit the phone into one’s pocket if one’s jeans are even slightly too tight; the phone is bigger than many of its competitors, but this is part of its allure for some (Reed). For some, the large screen is excellent for multimedia use, including playing video games.. The extended battery life when compared to the iPhone also appeals to many people in this demographic (Monckton).
Another interesting feature on the new Samsung Galaxy S6 is the wireless charge. This allows for the phone to charge wirelessly just by placing the phone on a pad; it is a way to ensure that phones can be charged at home without worrying about a plug or a cable. While some people may find this a particularly attractive feature to the phone, it is difficult to see why; most people will probably not purchase a special wireless charging pad, except perhaps out of novelty. It would have been better to work harder on the camera application and ensure a proper release than it was to create the wireless charging pad.
Despite the problesm with the camera application, the camera itself is wonderful. The regular camera is 16 MP, and the front camera is 5 MP; this is plenty for shooting good photos in a number of different lighting environments (Samsung.com). The camera also launches much faster than the previous iterations of the phone. This improved camera is one of the biggest consumer draws for the phone, and the photos that it takes are wonderful (Reed). The innovation and improvement done on the camera almost outweighs all the other minor problems that are associated with a new release of a product (Reed).
As always with Samsung, the touch screen is excellent, and the glass is crisp; there is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S6 is an attractive phone. However, it is worrisome that maybe some of the best features in the phone were traded out to make the phone look sleeker and more slim, like the iPhone; many Android users are concerned that Samsung has begun to follow the Apple path (Dolcourt). However, there are so many benefits to the improvements that Samsung has made between the last two releases that all of these improvements and changes need to be taken into consideration as a whole. Samsung has done some great improvements, but new work has to be done to ensure that the next release has removable battery packs and expandable storage space.
Works cited
Dolcourt, Jessica. 'Samsung Galaxy S6 Review - CNET'. CNET. N.p., 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
Monckton, Paul. 'The Galaxy S6's Greatest Threat: What To Expect From The LG G4 Camera'. Forbes. N.p., 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
Reed, Brad. 'The Galaxy S6 Edge Is A Bigger Hit Than Samsung Ever Dreamed'. BGR. N.p., 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
Samsung.com,. 'Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge - Available Now'. N.p., 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
