Hey there,
I've been wanting to do this for some time now. Here is my overview of the Galaxy S6 after the first 10 days.
Hardware: Samsung Galaxy S6, 64GB White
This phone is beautiful. My wife doesn't understand how I can use the word "beautiful" to describe a phone, haha, but I really do love the look of this hardware.
I'm not going to get into stuff you already know about the hardware, you've all seen it and likely played with one by now.
Notice that the Rogers (Canada) S6 does not say "Galaxy S6" on the back, and there is no carrier branding anywhere on the hardware.
Software: Touchwiz on Android Lollipop
As someone that has always used Nova Launcher Prime, Touchwiz has never really bothered me much in the past. I've enjoyed a lot of the extra features that Samsung has included and I've simply turned off anything I don't use.
However, this phone lets me take it one step further than my old GS3: Themes. Even with Nova for my launcher and custom icon packs and wallpapers, I love that the themes give me some play in the notifications section in terms of colour, and I love that these carry through to some of the other Samsung apps. The theme store still needs some more options, but that's just a matter of time... new themes seem to be released weekly.
This phone is quick. Yes, you will see the occasional lag, but nowhere near what I've seen with certain other devices, even newer ones. The only time I see lags is when using apps that aren't well optimized, such as facebook and twitter (when scrolling).
Launcher: Nova Launcher Prime
Theme: BMW
Icons: Elun
Widgets: HD Widgets, Google Keep, Google Now
Screen: Remember when you could see pixels?
This screen is just amazing. I leave it set to adaptive display and it's just phenomenal, zero complaints allowed!
Camera: OIS for the win
I'm not even going to waste my time thinking of anything clever here, we all know this camera makes other cell cameras whimper in fear.
The double-click on the Home button is such a welcome function. Also, be sure to turn on the "Tracking AF" function to maintain focus on moving objects (like children or pets, for example).
External Speaker: Gets the job done
Let me get this out there, I'm not an audiophile. I don't suspect this is the best cell speaker, but it gets the job done. Honestly, I don't really use it much, other than for speakerphone sometimes. I have headphones, a tablet with speakers that I typically use over my phone, and computer speakers at home/work, or Chromecast/Nexus Player through my TVs at home.
Is it the best? Probably not, but it works for my needs.
IR Blaster: Blast from the Past
Yes, IR blasters are old tech. Really old tech. I don't really use it much, but it's helped a few times in a bind and it's great for pranks at friends' houses, haha. Last time I started controlling a TV, my friends with iPhones asked what app I was using. It was great to tell them "Oh, your phone doesn't have the hardware."
Fingerprint scanner: "Use fingerprint to unlock"
I've been very impressed with the scanner, I'd guess it works 90% of the time, and the times that it doesn't work is because I twist my finger or use a part that I didn't program in. I think re-scanning my fingers, knowing how I use it, could improve that.
Samsung Pay: Shut up and take my money
It may not be here just yet, but Samsung Pay is an interesting feature, especially since it has both MST and NFC functionality.
Charging: The Fast and the Wireless
I'm a little blown away by the charging capabilities of this beast.
Fast-charging gets my phone to full in barely an hour if I get really low, it's unreal.
I just received my wireless charger in the mail today and it works like a charm, even with the case on. Details below...
Battery: Rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated
This is one of those topics that's polarizing, and I'm not trying to ignore anyone having issues, but I'm personally getting great battery life, I have zero compaints. Please don't let all the responses to this thread be about the battery, this is NOT a battery post. Got it? Good.
Here we all are, in the S6 corner of a site with countless forums for countless devices. I feel like we just feed bad battery vibes to each other... but hey, go take a look at forums for other devices. People are getting similar battery life to mine on the M9 and nobody is complaining. Some devices last longer, but not everyone needs longer.
You'll find people in the S6 going through great lengths to maximize their battery life; some are turning of data when not using, some leave power-saving mode on all day, some turn off all of their syncing.
Me? I'm not doing any of that:
My bluetooth is always on (it autosyncs to my car, it autosyncs to my headphones when I turn them on, etc).
My location is always on, and yes, I use Google Now.
I have auto-brightness on and find it to be very accurate in adjusting to my lighting conditions.
I leave my network set to LTE when I'm not connected to wifi (which is also always on).
I don't use power-saving mode or any apps that try to maximize battery life.
Anything that I want to sync is always syncing, I don't toggle anything.
I usually have my tablet (Galaxy Tab S 8.4) with me and prefer it for long sessions of reading, etc., so that helps. I also do all of my gaming on my tablet... bigger screen!
What DO I do? I just use the darn phone with zero compromises, but anything that I genuinely don't need or want, I turn off:
I turned off haptic feedback when typing and almost everything else (I've just always had it off on other devices and I prefer it).
I always have my sound on "vibrate". I don't do this for battery life and I'm not even sure if it has any effect, I just like being discreet with notifications, etc.
I went through each "account" in my settings and turned the sync off for anything I genuinely do not use, such as G+, G+ photos, newsstand, most (if not all) Samsung things, etc.
I disabled/uninstalled apps that I don't want/use, such as S Voice, etc. Possibly just as important, I didn't just add every app I've had on previous devices, I only installed apps that I actually use. I imagine that results in less syncing.
I turned off Wifi Smart Switch, because I actually prefer not to have it. I'm fortunate to have strong wifi at home and work, and I wouldn't want it to switch to LTE when I'm using data heavily without me knowing, limited data on my plan.
I leave NFC off, as I don't use it.
I turned off all of the Samsung gestures, as I don't use them.
I have a car charger in my car and a charger at work. I haven't even needed them once since I got the S6, but knowing I have options removes the anxiety. When I travel in new cities and I'm hard on the GPS, etc., I bring my external battery with me and I don't worry about running out.
I unplug my phone around 730am and it goes until after 11pm for bedtime (roughly 16 hours). During that time, I still get at least 4 hours of screen on time (SOT) and have another 10-20% remaining.
Accessories: Popular devices get all the nice things
Do you know what accessory manufacturers like? Money. Do you know how they maximize an investment? They make accessories for popular devices. Say what you will about S6 sales rumors, my point still stands:
Do yourself a favour and take a look at websites for big accessory makers. Caseology, CaseMate, Otterbox, Spigen, etc. What phones have the most options? Ok, so it's Apple, lol. FINE. What about Android phones? The S6 appears to have the most choices of all of them, and by far.
Compatibility: Click OK to connect
I'll be upfront again, I'm sure other manufacturers have similar features/apps, but Samsung is great.
The S6 wireless charging works with both (all?) the wireless charging standards, so you don't even have to worry about it.
I can use Sidesync on my Tab S and control my S6. I believe there's even PC/Mac applications for it.
Samsung just announced their new app, Samsung Flow, which allows you to move from one device to another, similar to Apple's Continuity feature.
I can quickly connect to Smart TVs. I still have "dumb" TVs, but someone near my home has a Sony Bravia, if only they'd allow the connection from their end... haha.
Conclusion: I like
Wow, I typed a lot. If you're still with me, you deserve a gold star... but I can't afford the shipping so you're on your own, sorry.
10 days in, I'm in love with this phone and I don't have any serious issues. Without rehashing what I've said above, I truly feel that the combination of all of these features I mentioned leaves me feeling confident that I have a keeper, and that it does everything I want it to.
It sucks to see so much negativity on the S6 forum, because it's truly a great device!
NOTES:
Mods, feel free to delete posts that go off-topic, or down a battery rabbit hole. This is a positive post!
Everyone else, for the love of Pete (he's a nice guy), DO NOT QUOTE MY ENTIRE POST IN YOUR REPLY. Ain't nobody got time for that!
I've been wanting to do this for some time now. Here is my overview of the Galaxy S6 after the first 10 days.
Hardware: Samsung Galaxy S6, 64GB White
This phone is beautiful. My wife doesn't understand how I can use the word "beautiful" to describe a phone, haha, but I really do love the look of this hardware.
I'm not going to get into stuff you already know about the hardware, you've all seen it and likely played with one by now.
Notice that the Rogers (Canada) S6 does not say "Galaxy S6" on the back, and there is no carrier branding anywhere on the hardware.
Software: Touchwiz on Android Lollipop
As someone that has always used Nova Launcher Prime, Touchwiz has never really bothered me much in the past. I've enjoyed a lot of the extra features that Samsung has included and I've simply turned off anything I don't use.
However, this phone lets me take it one step further than my old GS3: Themes. Even with Nova for my launcher and custom icon packs and wallpapers, I love that the themes give me some play in the notifications section in terms of colour, and I love that these carry through to some of the other Samsung apps. The theme store still needs some more options, but that's just a matter of time... new themes seem to be released weekly.
This phone is quick. Yes, you will see the occasional lag, but nowhere near what I've seen with certain other devices, even newer ones. The only time I see lags is when using apps that aren't well optimized, such as facebook and twitter (when scrolling).
Launcher: Nova Launcher Prime
Theme: BMW
Icons: Elun
Widgets: HD Widgets, Google Keep, Google Now
Screen: Remember when you could see pixels?
This screen is just amazing. I leave it set to adaptive display and it's just phenomenal, zero complaints allowed!
Camera: OIS for the win
I'm not even going to waste my time thinking of anything clever here, we all know this camera makes other cell cameras whimper in fear.
The double-click on the Home button is such a welcome function. Also, be sure to turn on the "Tracking AF" function to maintain focus on moving objects (like children or pets, for example).
External Speaker: Gets the job done
Let me get this out there, I'm not an audiophile. I don't suspect this is the best cell speaker, but it gets the job done. Honestly, I don't really use it much, other than for speakerphone sometimes. I have headphones, a tablet with speakers that I typically use over my phone, and computer speakers at home/work, or Chromecast/Nexus Player through my TVs at home.
Is it the best? Probably not, but it works for my needs.
IR Blaster: Blast from the Past
Yes, IR blasters are old tech. Really old tech. I don't really use it much, but it's helped a few times in a bind and it's great for pranks at friends' houses, haha. Last time I started controlling a TV, my friends with iPhones asked what app I was using. It was great to tell them "Oh, your phone doesn't have the hardware."
Fingerprint scanner: "Use fingerprint to unlock"
I've been very impressed with the scanner, I'd guess it works 90% of the time, and the times that it doesn't work is because I twist my finger or use a part that I didn't program in. I think re-scanning my fingers, knowing how I use it, could improve that.
Samsung Pay: Shut up and take my money
It may not be here just yet, but Samsung Pay is an interesting feature, especially since it has both MST and NFC functionality.
Charging: The Fast and the Wireless
I'm a little blown away by the charging capabilities of this beast.
Fast-charging gets my phone to full in barely an hour if I get really low, it's unreal.
I just received my wireless charger in the mail today and it works like a charm, even with the case on. Details below...
Battery: Rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated
This is one of those topics that's polarizing, and I'm not trying to ignore anyone having issues, but I'm personally getting great battery life, I have zero compaints. Please don't let all the responses to this thread be about the battery, this is NOT a battery post. Got it? Good.
Here we all are, in the S6 corner of a site with countless forums for countless devices. I feel like we just feed bad battery vibes to each other... but hey, go take a look at forums for other devices. People are getting similar battery life to mine on the M9 and nobody is complaining. Some devices last longer, but not everyone needs longer.
You'll find people in the S6 going through great lengths to maximize their battery life; some are turning of data when not using, some leave power-saving mode on all day, some turn off all of their syncing.
Me? I'm not doing any of that:
My bluetooth is always on (it autosyncs to my car, it autosyncs to my headphones when I turn them on, etc).
My location is always on, and yes, I use Google Now.
I have auto-brightness on and find it to be very accurate in adjusting to my lighting conditions.
I leave my network set to LTE when I'm not connected to wifi (which is also always on).
I don't use power-saving mode or any apps that try to maximize battery life.
Anything that I want to sync is always syncing, I don't toggle anything.
I usually have my tablet (Galaxy Tab S 8.4) with me and prefer it for long sessions of reading, etc., so that helps. I also do all of my gaming on my tablet... bigger screen!
What DO I do? I just use the darn phone with zero compromises, but anything that I genuinely don't need or want, I turn off:
I turned off haptic feedback when typing and almost everything else (I've just always had it off on other devices and I prefer it).
I always have my sound on "vibrate". I don't do this for battery life and I'm not even sure if it has any effect, I just like being discreet with notifications, etc.
I went through each "account" in my settings and turned the sync off for anything I genuinely do not use, such as G+, G+ photos, newsstand, most (if not all) Samsung things, etc.
I disabled/uninstalled apps that I don't want/use, such as S Voice, etc. Possibly just as important, I didn't just add every app I've had on previous devices, I only installed apps that I actually use. I imagine that results in less syncing.
I turned off Wifi Smart Switch, because I actually prefer not to have it. I'm fortunate to have strong wifi at home and work, and I wouldn't want it to switch to LTE when I'm using data heavily without me knowing, limited data on my plan.
I leave NFC off, as I don't use it.
I turned off all of the Samsung gestures, as I don't use them.
I have a car charger in my car and a charger at work. I haven't even needed them once since I got the S6, but knowing I have options removes the anxiety. When I travel in new cities and I'm hard on the GPS, etc., I bring my external battery with me and I don't worry about running out.
I unplug my phone around 730am and it goes until after 11pm for bedtime (roughly 16 hours). During that time, I still get at least 4 hours of screen on time (SOT) and have another 10-20% remaining.
Accessories: Popular devices get all the nice things
Do you know what accessory manufacturers like? Money. Do you know how they maximize an investment? They make accessories for popular devices. Say what you will about S6 sales rumors, my point still stands:
Do yourself a favour and take a look at websites for big accessory makers. Caseology, CaseMate, Otterbox, Spigen, etc. What phones have the most options? Ok, so it's Apple, lol. FINE. What about Android phones? The S6 appears to have the most choices of all of them, and by far.
Compatibility: Click OK to connect
I'll be upfront again, I'm sure other manufacturers have similar features/apps, but Samsung is great.
The S6 wireless charging works with both (all?) the wireless charging standards, so you don't even have to worry about it.
I can use Sidesync on my Tab S and control my S6. I believe there's even PC/Mac applications for it.
Samsung just announced their new app, Samsung Flow, which allows you to move from one device to another, similar to Apple's Continuity feature.
I can quickly connect to Smart TVs. I still have "dumb" TVs, but someone near my home has a Sony Bravia, if only they'd allow the connection from their end... haha.
Conclusion: I like
Wow, I typed a lot. If you're still with me, you deserve a gold star... but I can't afford the shipping so you're on your own, sorry.
10 days in, I'm in love with this phone and I don't have any serious issues. Without rehashing what I've said above, I truly feel that the combination of all of these features I mentioned leaves me feeling confident that I have a keeper, and that it does everything I want it to.
It sucks to see so much negativity on the S6 forum, because it's truly a great device!
NOTES:
Mods, feel free to delete posts that go off-topic, or down a battery rabbit hole. This is a positive post!
Everyone else, for the love of Pete (he's a nice guy), DO NOT QUOTE MY ENTIRE POST IN YOUR REPLY. Ain't nobody got time for that!