Samsung Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge Price, Release Date, Specs and Features

Samsung has finally pulled the wraps off its highly anticipated Galaxy S6. As the rumours suggested, we have two new models – Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. With the new models, Samsung has taken a quantum leap in design and given their phones a complete makeover. This isn't just plastic now; it’s metal and glass and it looks good.

Successor to the S5, the Galaxy S6 doesn't feature a curved display, but Samsung has spruced up user experience with some nifty upgrades. If you've missed on your dose of the Unpacked event at the MWC, then here’s a quick look at what you need to know about the new Samsung flagship.

Its twin, slim replacements, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and curved-screen Galaxy S6 Edge, finally ditch the utilitarian plastic build and removable battery of previous Samsung flagship phones. They arrive at the smartphone party dressed in sharp metal lines and plenty of glass. The two new phones are nearly identical -- both run Android 5.0 Lollipop with 5.1-inch high-resolution displays. But the Galaxy S6 Edge competes for the spotlight with two curved-glass edges, each wrapping the long side of the phone with a smooth, readable display.

Galaxy S6 Specs

SYSTEM	Android 5.0 Lollipop
DISPLAY	5.1-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) 577ppi, Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Quad 2.1GHz + Quad 1.5Ghz, Octa-core processor
RAM	3 GB
INTERNAL STORAGE	32/64/128 GB
BATTERY	2,550 mAh + wireless charging + wired supercharging
CAMERA	16 MP with OIS (rear), 5 MP (front)
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2)  620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot,  Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, LTE Cat.6
DIMENSIONS	143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm
WEIGHT	138 g

                                   

Galaxy S6 Edge Specs

SYSTEM	Android 5.0 Lollipop
DISPLAY	5.1-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) 577ppi, Super AMOLED, Dual Edge
PROCESSOR	Quad 2.1GHz + Quad 1.5Ghz, Octa-core processor
RAM	3 GB
INTERNAL STORAGE	32/64/128 GB
BATTERY	2,600 mAh + wireless charging + wired supercharging
CAMERA	16 MP with OIS (rear), 5 MP (front)
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, LTE Cat.6
DIMENSIONS	142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 mm
WEIGHT	132 g

No microSD card: Samsung omitted this staple feature to maximize slimness. However it's also increased default internal storage to 32GB, with 64GB and 128GB models also available. Samsung will also throw in 115GB free Microsoft OneDrive storage for two years, stating that people increasingly use cloud storage these days.

Camera quick launch: This is a great one. Double click the home button to launch the camera app in just under a second, and from any screen. This worked flawlessly during my demo period.

Smarter fingerprint scanning: The same home button is now equipped to read your fingerprint when you rest it on the button. Before, you had to slide it, which often didn't produce an accurate reading. I wasn't able to test this yet.

Wireless charging: The S6 and S6 Edge have wireless charging built in, using WPC and PMA standards (that includes Qi). Samsung will sell its own charging pads, but the S6 phones will be compatible with some other chargers as well. You should be able to top up 20 percent of your battery in about a half hour.

Quick-charging: Support for this fast-charging feature comes with the Exynos chip, which Samsung says should give you a 30 percent charge in about 30 minutes. In addition, the phones will work with a Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 charger (like the Note 4's charger).

No waterproofing: Unlike the Galaxy S5, neither S6 is rated IP67 for water resistance. Samsung's response: waterproofing isn't part of the S6 "story." It's a good guess that we'll get a waterproof "Galaxy S6 Active" or some other tough variant later this year, like the Galaxy S5 Active and S5 Sport.

Pricing and availability: Look for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to hit some territories starting April 10. Pricing is still up in the air, but carriers and retailers like to set those individually. Expect the S6 to cost about the same as the S5, and for the S6 Edge to cost more. Samsung's US PR team shared that it'll sell with major US carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon) as well as Cricket and US Cellular. UK networks are yet to be announced and the only Australian network to confirm availability is Virgin Mobile.