Android Authority Review: Samsung S6

[cbreze]

The complaints about RF was mostly with the S3.
The majority say Note2 - 4 have great reception.
The same is said about in the S5 here in these forums.

Good to know. If Samsung has gotten their RF act better together I might consider this device. Looking forward to some time with the real world users and their reviews.

 

[Premium1]

Lol, that's not "your hands" on. it means next to nothing for anybody not named android authority writer.

Thanks, but no thanks, I will take test reviews from gsmarena, ars and anandtech over these vague feelings any day of the week.

yeah because running a video on screen and seeing how long it lasts is just such a true show of battery life..... Yeah um no. benchmarks for battery mean very little, just like benchmarks for performance.

 

[jcp007]

yeah because running a video on screen and seeing how long it lasts is just such a true show of battery life..... Yeah um no. benchmarks for battery mean very little, just like benchmarks for performance.

Every thing is relative and subjective in the eye of the beholder. Some reviewers have more overall and product specific experience that lends to more credible and informative reviews. Those are just the starting point. You need to get your hands dirty and consider them but ultimately need to make up your own mind on purchase or pass.

 

[warpdrive]

yeah because running a video on screen and seeing how long it lasts is just such a true show of battery life..... Yeah um no. benchmarks for battery mean very little, just like benchmarks for performance.

While I understand and agree with Android Central's philosophy on benchmarks I also like what Alex said in the latest podcast.
Benchmarks can be important in order to backup your thoughts on a subject.

While benchmarks might not be important to you, they can be extremely important in finding out the answer to questions that you may have. They don't always tell the whole story, they might not always be fully useful. But they can answer questions about the phone that without them we would still have no idea if it is good or bad.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Jdroids]

The complaints about RF was mostly with the S3.
The majority say Note2 - 4 have great reception.
The same is said about in the S5 here in these forums.

I can attest to the reception on my S5. It's easily one of the best reception phones I had and every bit as good as Motorola Razr HD I had before. And WiFi seems much better than Razr HD. I saw my friend's note 2 doing very well on reception too.

As for the battery reviews, the source I trust most is Anandtech. They show every detail on how they performed tests like firmware, carrier version, screen brightness, WiFi vs LTE connection, etc. They show easy to understand graphs on battery running time in hous for browsing, video under WiFi, LTE, HSPA connections. GSMarena is probably next best but they don't go into such details on testing methods and I don't think they do it as throughly as anandtech. Other reviewers mostly do only real world testing like normal users as they don't have resource, time and expertise like anandtech. But I understand that and I take both anandtech and real world results to judge battery life of phone I don't have yet.

 

[Coney718]

This may be a silly question but will the S6 have the same capability to transfer files between Galaxy devices by touching the backs together like previous models had?

 

[jcp007]

This may be a silly question but will the S6 have the same capability to transfer files between Galaxy devices by touching the backs together like previous models had?

Why wouldn't it?

 

[Coney718]

Why wouldn't it?

Dont know..Didnt see that in any of the reviews so just checking.

 

[jcp007]

Dont know..Didnt see that in any of the reviews so just checking.

Check some of the videos in the Hands on thread in this sub-forum that I started. It will help you get up to speed.

 

[npaladin-2000]

Dont know..Didnt see that in any of the reviews so just checking.

It's part of NFC.

 

[jcp007]

It's part of NFC.

The GS6 also uses NFC and MST for mobile payment activated and authenticated by the fingerprint scanner.

Posted via My Samsung Galaxy S4 Handheld Device

 

[anon(5630457)]

Man, the battery performance isn't that great. I'll wait until the S6 Active comes out before I make a final decision as to whether or not I should purchase the S6.

 

[jcp007]

Man, the battery performance isn't that great. I'll wait until the S6 Active comes out before I make a final decision as to whether or not I should purchase the S6.

Consider battery life with a grain of salt. Each reviewer has a different device setup and testing methodolgy as well as varying experience and knowledge. The GS6 has a smaller battery yet is powering a improved display and chipset that are more energy efficient . It has slimmed down TouchWiz and less Samsung bloat. UFS 2.0 for faster data storage. There are a host other performance and functional improvements. It is achieving comparable results as good as it's big brother powering the GS5 with less energy efficiency display and processor which is slower and much heavier TouchWiz footprint as well as a lot of bloat. The UI in the GS6 is more streamlined and unfied than in prior versions. If you want to wait, that's great. I did that with the GS5 and passed upon it. The GS6 is not an incremental update like the GS5 but a reboot that deserves more attention. I don't think you'll end up passing on the GS6. In the end, hear us but do your own testing and make up your own mind. Good luck.

 

[Shepx13]

I don't think you'll end up passing on the GS6. In the end, hear us...........

Who's is "us"? You sound like you're from some kind of cult, trying to brainwash people with a deluge of opinions masquerading as facts.

I didn't realize Fanboyism had become such a scary prospect.

 

[markymark]

Who's is "us"? You sound like you're from some kind of cult, trying to brainwash people with a deluge of opinions masquerading as facts.

I didn't realize Fanboyism had become such a scary prospect.

LOL...exactly. These samsung fanboys are hysterical. They are over on the M9 forum too. Every great thing that has been said about the S6 is gospel....but take the bad things with a grain of salt. Too funny. That being said, this is the first time I'm actually considering a Samsung phone (S6 edge). Between that and the M9.

 

[Shepx13]

LOL...exactly. These samsung fanboys are hysterical. They are over on the M9 forum too. Every great thing that has been said about the S6 is gospel....but take the bad things with a grain of salt. Too funny. That being said, this is the first time I'm actually considering a Samsung phone (S6 edge). Between that and the M9.

That is true, but there's plenty of HTC Fanboys playing the same game over there as well, ignoring the facts of the average camera among other things.

People have made idols out of their favorite manufacturers, for every product imaginable, probably since the beginning of time. But it seems to be reaching new heights nowadays, and that's a scary thing.

 

[John Kar]

LOL...exactly. These samsung fanboys are hysterical. They are over on the M9 forum too. Every great thing that has been said about the S6 is gospel....but take the bad things with a grain of salt. Too funny. That being said, this is the first time I'm actually considering a Samsung phone (S6 edge). Between that and the M9.

The only thing "bad" about the S6 is the battery life, and even then it's still the best out of all flagships that will be released this year.

 

[jcp007]

That is true, but there's plenty of HTC Fanboys playing the same game over there as well, ignoring the facts of the average camera among other things.

People have made idols out of their favorite manufacturers, for every product imaginable, probably since the beginning of time. But it seems to be reaching new heights nowadays, and that's a scary thing.

Most,everything positive has been, for the most part, factual. Has there possibly been some hyperbole or inaccurate conclusions that are stretching it a bit? Sure, but not a lot. Battery life,,at least for me, is important but not the point of emphasis that it has become and certainly not the main consideration in my purchase decision. It has been all over the place due to numerous factors like firmware versions, review conditions, and reviewer experience and knowledge. Most everything, at this point, has to be evaluated with a critical eye since the device has not been released and so few people have access to review units, either early versions or more current firmware versions.

 

[Haalcyon]

I am a phone nut. I waste a lot of $$$$ trying different phones and what not and have had a lot of devices. Somehow, though, the S6/S6E has left me feeling a bit disappointed. I know the masses will enjoy it and that's what Samsung is aiming for but I can't help but really want an S5 too while I'm enjoying the Note Edge, Note 4, and Note 3. When that devine Korean lady got on stage, during the reveal, and said that your friends would think the S6 was cool I thought "Oh poo" and my 'worry meter' ticked up a notch. Now, reflecting, I can't help but feel that I may have to get a new S5 with a sliver of my tax return while the S5 is still easily available.

All the reviews I've read have left me yawning slightly. Good luck to Samsung though, they generally make products I'm fond of. Generally.

♻from the n.4 Prime✒

 

[berdinkerdickle]

Who's is "us"? You sound like you're from some kind of cult, trying to brainwash people with a deluge of opinions masquerading as facts.

I didn't realize Fanboyism had become such a scary prospect.

Yeah, he's really selling it isn't he.