Gizmodo Review

[jcp007]

Samsung Galaxy S6 Review: Not The Next Big Thing, Just a Fantastic Phone

 

[B. Diddy]

Thanks for the link!

 

[Gray Area]

It kinda turns off my interest when a Galaxy S review contains 10 iPhone references and kinda tries to indirectly insinuate that Samsung copied but doesn't say the same when they review an iPhone. So ok review just a little to Apple friendly for me.

Posted via the Android Central App on my Galaxy S5

 

[Inders99]

It kinda turns off my interest when a Galaxy S review contains 10 iPhone references and kinda tries to indirectly insinuate that Samsung copied but doesn't say the same when they review an iPhone. So ok review just a little to Apple friendly for me.

Posted via the Android Central App on my Galaxy S5

Agree. I don't care about the iPhone one bit, and maybe I'm off base but I don't there there are that many "cross phoners" out there, it seems in my day-to-day experiences you're either one or the other. I'd rather see 10 references to other Android phones, that is the real competition not a completely different ecosystem.

 

[stevelam]

Agree. I don't care about the iPhone one bit, and maybe I'm off base but I don't there there are that many "cross phoners" out there, it seems in my day-to-day experiences you're either one or the other. I'd rather see 10 references to other Android phones, that is the real competition not a completely different ecosystem.

completely disagree. this phone is clearly samsungs attempt at trying to overtake the iphone. just like basically every ad they've done have been directed at the iphone. why should they care about the motorola/sony/htc phones? none of those even come close to sales of the iphone or samsung.

 

[Inders99]

completely disagree. this phone is clearly samsungs attempt at trying to overtake the iphone. just like basically every ad they've done have been directed at the iphone. why should they care about the motorola/sony/htc phones? none of those even come close to sales of the iphone or samsung.

Maybe, but I don't know a single iPhone or Android user that has even the slightest interest in switching ecosystems.

I have to admit, being an Apple everything person except phone I've explored the iPhone devices and I just can not understand the draw to it...at all. There isn't one thing I like about it more than my Android device with the exception of communicating with all my other Apple devices but I don't really care about that aspect for some reason.

 

[berdinkerdickle]

So Samsung is competing with Apple, and Apple is competing with Samsung.
Whoopy-de-do!

 

[stevelam]

Maybe, but I don't know a single iPhone or Android user that has even the slightest interest in switching ecosystems.

I have to admit, being an Apple everything person except phone I've explored the iPhone devices and I just can not understand the draw to it...at all. There isn't one thing I like about it more than my Android device with the exception of communicating with all my other Apple devices but I don't really care about that aspect for some reason.

why do people think that just because they "don't know a single person that does so and so" that it somehow means its some universal truth? the world is a lot bigger than you.

and case in point, i'm an avid iphone user who is considering switching to android (specifically the s6). right now, after my personal testing of the device, that may not be the case anymore but we'll see once the bugs are ironed out.

 

[STEVESKI07]

why do people think that just because they "don't know a single person that does so and so" that it somehow means its some universal truth? the world is a lot bigger than you.

and case in point, i'm an avid iphone user who is considering switching to android (specifically the s6). right now, after my personal testing of the device, that may not be the case anymore but we'll see once the bugs are ironed out.

Just curious, but what is it that causes you to consider switching and what was it that you've seen since then that is making you reconsider? They are very different ecosystems. If you want basic things to just work and work well then the iPhone can't be beat. If you're expecting the S6 or any Android phone to beat the iPhone at being an iPhone, you're never going to get it. Android is way more robust and always will be, but there will be the hiccups that come with being more robust. You'll have to be responsible for what you put on your device and what is running on your device. If you are having some battery drain that is not normal, you may have to do some digging yourself.

I'm not trying to dissuade anybody from switching because people have different needs and wants and sometimes it makes sense for people to switch. I just don't always understand when people say they are thinking about it but then after a phone is released, they say it's not what they wanted.

My guess is that you want your iPhone to be an iPhone but you want wireless charging, fast charging, Samsung pay, higher resolution screen and camera. Well you're never going to get it. Android devices will always be ahead of the iPhone as far as specs go but never be as smooth and issue free as the iPhone. This won't change.

Full disclosure, I started out with the iPhone for 3 years and then spent the last 4+ on Android.

 

[berdinkerdickle]

The 6+ is the first iPhone I've actually thought serious about.
btw.. Apple copied Samsung's Note Series with the 6+.

 

[Inders99]

why do people think that just because they "don't know a single person that does so and so" that it somehow means its some universal truth? the world is a lot bigger than you

Where did I say it was universal truth and spare me the big world quip.

It's an observation, nothing more.

 

[berdinkerdickle]

If the world is bigger than him, then the world must be bigger than me too.
.. Learned something today...

 

[rsk2mc]

Samsung revenue last year was what 220 billion... Apples was 170 billion. Apple isn't even close to competing on Samsung level as an overall business.

Michael Clark

 

[droidguy1964]

Samsung revenue last year was what 220 billion... Apples was 170 billion. Apple isn't even close to competing on Samsung level as an overall business.

Michael Clark

You are incorrect.

 

[warpdrive]

If the world is bigger than him, then the world must be bigger than me too.
.. Learned something today...

Yeah, but is the world bigger then my belly? Somehow I doubt that. Lol

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[jcp007]

Samsung revenue last year was what 220 billion... Apples was 170 billion. Apple isn't even close to competing on Samsung level as an overall business.

Michael Clark

Just curious. Are we talking comparable revenue streams. Samsung makes more than smartphones and their accessories. They also have way more models and variants.

 

[stevelam]

Just curious, but what is it that causes you to consider switching and what was it that you've seen since then that is making you reconsider? They are very different ecosystems. If you want basic things to just work and work well then the iPhone can't be beat. If you're expecting the S6 or any Android phone to beat the iPhone at being an iPhone, you're never going to get it. Android is way more robust and always will be, but there will be the hiccups that come with being more robust. You'll have to be responsible for what you put on your device and what is running on your device. If you are having some battery drain that is not normal, you may have to do some digging yourself.

I'm not trying to dissuade anybody from switching because people have different needs and wants and sometimes it makes sense for people to switch. I just don't always understand when people say they are thinking about it but then after a phone is released, they say it's not what they wanted.

My guess is that you want your iPhone to be an iPhone but you want wireless charging, fast charging, Samsung pay, higher resolution screen and camera. Well you're never going to get it. Android devices will always be ahead of the iPhone as far as specs go but never be as smooth and issue free as the iPhone. This won't change.

Full disclosure, I started out with the iPhone for 3 years and then spent the last 4+ on Android.

just to be clear, this wouldn't be my first android ever phone. i used to have the htc hero and the samsung s3. both, at the time, were massive disappointments to me.

why i'm considering the s6 (i'm not considering other android phones at all)

- CAMERA. probably the biggest one for me. the speed and 1.9 aperture is attractive. and the software behind it finally seems like it has caught up with the iphone
- build quality seems a lot better now in comparison to previous iterations.
- android software in general has come a long way since i've had an android phone
- i still have the iphone 5 and have not made the jump to the iphone 6 mainly due to my phone contract issues. i think samsung is doing a smart/tricky thing by releasing the phone around this time because most people who haven't upgraded to the iphone 6, knows that its right in between the upgrade period from the iphone 6's release, to this september when the next iphone iteration is out. that means the iphone 6 is already halfway through its lifecycle, making it a less viable upgrade, while the next iphone is still another 6 months away, making the wait seem painful. the s6 lands at a perfect time.

as for expectations, do i want it to act like an iphone? only in smoothness. nothing irks me more on a phone when it stutters and lags. so far, i have tested two s6 models and both stutter/redraw when testing the default browser (i use verge mobile site as my main test since its a relatively heavy site, even the mobile version). i've said this many times, but a phone with 8 cores and 3 gb of ram should NEVER stutter/redraw when doing something so basic like scrolling up and down a site thats already cached and downloaded onto the phone. this doesn't happen on my iphone 5 which is now 3 years old, packed with apps and all sorts of jailbreak tweaks.

is just a smooth web browsing experience really all that much to ask for from a phone with insane specs like the s6?? i just figured with how far android has come along with the crazy s6 specs, that smoothness would be a give-in. doesn't *seem* to be the case here.

as for versatility and robustness, i've had no problems jailbreaking and installing tweaks to suit my needs. do i need to open 2 side by side apps at once like the s6 and note can? well all i need to do install a jailbreak tweak for that. theres a whole world of 3rd party jailbreak tweaks that i find most android folk have absolutely no idea about because all they see are the mainstream reviews about the iphone. i have f.lux installed on my iphone. i have n64 and gba emulators. i can use a ps3 controller via bluetooth. i have widgets etc etc etc. all of this while still having access to imo the way better app ecosystem on iOS (for example, most apps obviously are launched on iOS first, while the android counterpart gets released sometimes months or even years later. and sometimes just doesn't end up on android, ever). case in point, where is Periscope for android? why did vscocam take nearly a year and half for an android version?

app availability (or potentially lackthereof) i can live with because i already have an ipad as well.

right now i'm still weighing the pros and cons of switching or just waiting 5-6 months for the next iphone. i'll have to wait till a friend or something gets one so i can try one out more in depth, as i've only been able to try it in-store at a few locations.

overall it looks like samsung did a really good job with the s6. so kudos to them.

 

[jcp007]

just to be clear, this wouldn't be my first android ever phone. i used to have the htc hero and the samsung s3. both, at the time, were massive disappointments to me.

why i'm considering the s6 (i'm not considering other android phones at all)

- CAMERA. probably the biggest one for me. the speed and 1.9 aperture is attractive. and the software behind it finally seems like it has caught up with the iphone
- build quality seems a lot better now in comparison to previous iterations.
- android software in general has come a long way since i've had an android phone
- i still have the iphone 5 and have not made the jump to the iphone 6 mainly due to my phone contract issues. i think samsung is doing a smart/tricky thing by releasing the phone around this time because most people who haven't upgraded to the iphone 6, knows that its right in between the upgrade period from the iphone 6's release, to this september when the next iphone iteration is out. that means the iphone 6 is already halfway through its lifecycle, making it a less viable upgrade, while the next iphone is still another 6 months away, making the wait seem painful. the s6 lands at a perfect time.

as for expectations, do i want it to act like an iphone? only in smoothness. nothing irks me more on a phone when it stutters and lags. so far, i have tested two s6 models and both stutter/redraw when testing the default browser (i use verge mobile site as my main test since its a relatively heavy site, even the mobile version). i've said this many times, but a phone with 8 cores and 3 gb of ram should NEVER stutter/redraw when doing something so basic like scrolling up and down a site thats already cached and downloaded onto the phone. this doesn't happen on my iphone 5 which is now 3 years old, packed with apps and all sorts of jailbreak tweaks.

is just a smooth web browsing experience really all that much to ask for from a phone with insane specs like the s6?? i just figured with how far android has come along with the crazy s6 specs, that smoothness would be a give-in. doesn't *seem* to be the case here.

as for versatility and robustness, i've had no problems jailbreaking and installing tweaks to suit my needs. do i need to open 2 side by side apps at once like the s6 and note can? well all i need to do install a jailbreak tweak for that. theres a whole world of 3rd party jailbreak tweaks that i find most android folk have absolutely no idea about because all they see are the mainstream reviews about the iphone. i have f.lux installed on my iphone. i have n64 and gba emulators. i can use a ps3 controller via bluetooth. i have widgets etc etc etc. all of this while still having access to imo the way better app ecosystem on iOS (for example, most apps obviously are launched on iOS first, while the android counterpart gets released sometimes months or even years later. and sometimes just doesn't end up on android, ever). case in point, where is Periscope for android? why did vscocam take nearly a year and half for an android version?

app availability (or potentially lackthereof) i can live with because i already have an ipad as well.

right now i'm still weighing the pros and cons of switching or just waiting 5-6 months for the next iphone. i'll have to wait till a friend or something gets one so i can try one out more in depth, as i've only been able to try it in-store at a few locations.

overall it looks like samsung did a really good job with the s6. so kudos to them.

Based upon the demo unit that I tried on. March 27th at Best Buy, fast as lightning, very responsive, and smooth as butter. Much better than my GS3 and GS4. TouchWiz has been worked on quite a bit but needs more work. I like the balance between the new direction of Samsung and their consideration for current fans. I know that it is in their best interests but it's better to avoid a such a radical overall from a firmware and hardware perspective that device alienates current and interested buyers and is an epics fail. caution is a good,thing sometimes. Not saying that Samsung didn't take any risks. The two major hot button issues are proof of that with the hysteria and panic they generated. Both I might add IMHO blown a tiny bit out of proportion.

 

[stevelam]

Based upon the demo unit that I tried on. March 27th at Best Buy, fast as lightning, very responsive, and smooth as butter. Much better than my GS3 and GS4. TouchWiz has been worked on quite a bit but needs more work. I like the balance between the new direction of Samsung and their consideration for current fans. I know that it is in their best interests but it's better to avoid a such a radical overall from a firmware and hardware perspective that device alienates current and interested buyers and is an epics fail. caution is a good,thing sometimes. Not saying that Samsung didn't take any risks. The two major hot button issues are proof of that with the hysteria and panic they generated. Both I might add IMHO blown a tiny bit out of proportion.

what are the two issues you're referring to? i assume one is battery life?

personally i'm not worried about that at all. i'm sure the battery is generally fine. its just the browser issues that i personally experienced that make me less of a believer in this device.

 

[mohit9206]

Just curious, but what is it that causes you to consider switching and what was it that you've seen since then that is making you reconsider? They are very different ecosystems. If you want basic things to just work and work well then the iPhone can't be beat. If you're expecting the S6 or any Android phone to beat the iPhone at being an iPhone, you're never going to get it. Android is way more robust and always will be, but there will be the hiccups that come with being more robust. You'll have to be responsible for what you put on your device and what is running on your device. If you are having some battery drain that is not normal, you may have to do some digging yourself.

I'm not trying to dissuade anybody from switching because people have different needs and wants and sometimes it makes sense for people to switch. I just don't always understand when people say they are thinking about it but then after a phone is released, they say it's not what they wanted.

My guess is that you want your iPhone to be an iPhone but you want wireless charging, fast charging, Samsung pay, higher resolution screen and camera. Well you're never going to get it. Android devices will always be ahead of the iPhone as far as specs go but never be as smooth and issue free as the iPhone. This won't change.

Full disclosure, I started out with the iPhone for 3 years and then spent the last 4+ on Android.

Maybe you should also try Windows Phone? Windows Phones have the smoothness and issue free nature of iPhone more freedom than iPhone similar to Android.
#GiveWindowsPhoneAChance
Btw i am an ex Windows Phone 8 user and currently an Android user. So i know that both Android and Windows Phone are equally good. If Google does not fix Lollipoop then am heading to Windows Phone 10 that is if Windows 10 isn't a disaster.