Every phone has an achilles heel. For me, battery is the S6's achilles heel, but I've stuck with it because I like the design, screen, and amazing camera. For me, camera is more important than battery life, but they are very close. In fact, I'd rather sacrifice something like the screen resolution or phone thickness, but they don't ask my opinion when designing phones, LOL.
I'm looking at several upcoming phones as a replacement for my S6.
1) Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus - Since buying the standard S6, I kinda wish I had gotten the Edge, even though I know there's no real utility there. The Edge Plus intrigues me because I like bigger phones and I'm hoping for a considerably bigger battery. I'm assuming the camera will be the same, which is good because I absolutely love the camera on my S6. I'm a little skeptical that battery life will actually be much better though because even if the battery itself it larger, it will be offset somewhat by the bigger screen (though standby time should be better). I really wish that Android M was coming out in time for its launch though because M could really improve the battery life. Anyway, it's definitely a contender. The problem is, if I want to get it at launch, I'll probably have to go with the AT&T branded version because I doubt an unlocked version will be available and affordable right away. I bought my current S6 unlocked off of Ebay and it's working great on AT&T (I paid $530).
2) Moto X 2015 - Camera is definitely Motorola's achilles heal, and they always seem to be significantly behind. Yes, they improve the camera with each iteration, but they really can't compete with the competition. I assume they use similar sensors but just aren't up to snuff with image processing and camera software. Maybe this will be the year, but I am skeptical. Battery life was also an issue with last year's version, so while I absolutely LOVE Moto's Android software (close to stock with useful additions), they really need to nail it with camera and battery life. Moto Maker is still the differentiator with the Moto X and I look forward to any additions to that as well. I have no interest in a front-facing flash and I will never use it, so that isn't a selling point for me. Spend the money on better image processing, even if it means licensing something... that's what Moto needs to do.
3) One Plus 2 - I had the original for a while and it was a pretty nice phone, so I'm definitely interested. The problem is, will I be able to wait long enough to get one? Sure, they say their invite system is going to be improved, and they say they'll have a much larger initial supply... but it could still be MONTHS before the average Joe can get ahold of one. Still, the internals sound like they'll be really good and the leaked photos from the camera look promising. There's a lot going for it... unlocked, Cyanogen, (hopefully) good camera, fast processor (hopefully no heat issues with 810 SoC), plenty of RAM, fingerprint reader (hopefully as good as Samsung and Apple's), and a competitive price. Will it all come together though? Will they be able to pull it off? Again, I'm skeptical, but hopeful.
4) Nexus ? - I'm always interested in Nexus phones, but they always seem to have an achilles heel as well. Sometimes it's battery life, sometimes it's camera. I really like the Nexus 6 - it's not too big for me, has a good screen, okay battery life, and a serviceable camera. I've been running Android M on it and the software is a dream. But after using the S6's camera, there's just no comparison. Still, if it's the first phone out of the gate with official Android M, I can't help but drool. Two Nexus phones this year? Maybe.
5) iPhone 6S Plus - I have the iPhone 6 Plus right now, and I switch between it and the S6 on AT&T. I like the dabble in both ecosystems and keep up to date with both OS's, so I will always have an iPhone. The thing Apple is struggling with the most right now is a BUGGY operating system. Seriously, they have pushed too hard and have bit off more than they can chew. I'm tired of things now working right. It used to be Android that was always buggy and full of problems, but now it seems it's the other way around. Still, Apple still has a great overall ecosystem and the camera is right up there with the S6 (though I still think the latter tops it, mainly due to higher resolution and more camera app features). The battery life on my 6 Plus is phenomenal, even with heavy use and lots of on-screen time. Many apps are still better on iOS. These are nothing to sneeze at, but I just get bored very easily with iOS. Still, I'm intrigued to see what they do with Force Touch and camera improvements.
THAT'S ABOUT IT! I'm not a typical user though, I currently have an iPhone 6 Plus (no sim), Nexus 6 (Sprint), and Galaxy S6 (AT&T). I like having two carriers, multiple phones, and both OS's. Some people like cars, boats, or what not... I like phones! LOL. I also have a Nexus 5 that I just can't seem to part with. The S6 is my currently driver and I really like it, but I just can't stand the battery life (or lack thereof) much longer. What will be my NEXT?
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