Samsung officially launched the its new flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge, at the Unpacked press event to launch Mobile World Congress 2015.
The smartphones have been highly anticipated, with the expectation that the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will give Samsung a boost in competing with Apple's massively successful iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
"With a reimagined design, robust partner network and novel services, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge offer users the ultimate experience in smartphone options," said Samsung CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division JK Shin.
Specifications
The specs are the same in the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge, with the only real difference between the two versions being the dual-edge display of the Galaxy S6 Edge.
Both smartphones feature a 5.1-inch quad-HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels. Storage options are 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB with no expandable memory option.
The rear-facing camera of both the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge is a 16 MP camera with optical image stabilization technology, while the front-facing camera is a 5 MP shooter.
The devices are shipped with Android 5.0 Lollipop as their operating system, powered by the 64-bit Samsung Exynos octo-core processor and 3 GB of LPDDR4 RAM.
The batteries of the smartphones are non-removable 2,600 mAh options, with the company adding a built-in wireless charging feature into the devices. However, users have to get their own charging pads to take advantage of the feature.
The Galaxy S6 will come in color options of Black Sapphire, White Pearl, Blue Topaz and Gold Platinum, while the Galaxy S6 Edge will come in the same color options, minus the Blue Topaz, which is replaced by Green Emerald.
Design
In official hands-on videos of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge released by Samsung, the company noted that the smartphones are constructed with a metal casing that is made out of aluminum 1603, the same material that is used in manufacturing airplanes.
"Basically, this stuff will not bend," the video said, poking fun at the infamous "Bendgate" that was triggered by iPhone 6 Plus smartphones apparently bending if kept in a user's pocket for too long while sitting.
The Galaxy S6 Edge's dual-edge display is inspired by the Galaxy Note Edge. While the extra screen space of the Galaxy Note Edge is only on one side, the same is found on both sides for the Galaxy S6 Edge. The extra screen space will house more options and shortcuts for users.
Price
The official prices for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge for the United States have not yet been released. However, taking a look at the leaked prices of the smartphones in foreign markets, the estimated price of the 32 GB Galaxy S6 is around $700 and the 32 GB Galaxy S6 Edge is around $850.
Release Dates
Reports claim that the smartphones will be launched in the United States on April 11. The Galaxy S6 Edge, however, will be released in a limited capacity, similar to how Samsung released the Galaxy Note Edge.
Preorders
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have launched preorder registration pages for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, along with retailers Amazon and Best Buy.
The registration pages do not state the specific details of preorders, but rather are pages where interested customers can sign up to be instantly alerted once the actual preorder details for the smartphones have been posted.
While there are predictions on the sales numbers of Samsung's new flagship smartphones, exact numbers will not be known until they officially go on sale. Will the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge restore Samsung's lost dominance in the global smartphone industry?
