Samsung Galaxy S6 Philippines Price and Release Date Guesstimate, Full Specs, New Features, Initial Impressions
Finally. After months upon months of rumors and leaks - most of which turned out accurate, mind you - Samsung Galaxy S6, the 2015 battleship smartphone of the Korean Giant, has just been formally announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
As its very name suggests, this handset officially supersedes Samsung Galaxy S5 as the company's top-of-the-line model and as such, SGS6 comes with all the latest and most advanced technical specifications and features that the brand has to offer -- for this year, at least.
"With the all new Galaxy S6, Samsung is offering what’s next in mobility, along with a new standard to drive the global mobile agenda. By listening to our customers, and learning from both our success and missteps, we continuously push forward new technologies and ideas. With a reimagined design, robust partner network and novel services, the Samsung Galaxy S6 offers users the ultimate experience in smartphone options," shared said Mr. JK Shin, Head of IT and Mobile Communications Division and CEO at Samsung Electronics.
Truly Premium Design and Build, Finally!
As I've shared in our previous posts about this release, apart from Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the discontinued Samsung Galaxy Alpha, Samsung Galaxy S6 is the first flagship release of the Korean company to come with such high-end construction featuring glass and real metal.
The frame of SGS6 is crafted from anodized aluminum similar to that of Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and the front and back plates are made from - supposedly - the toughest glass to date, Corning Gorilla Glass 4.
To complement this elegant construction, the device is available in an array of colorful jewel tones, including White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz and Green Emerald that all elicit 'a unique visual texture as it reflects natural light'.
A Fast and Bright Main Camera, A More Powerful Front Cam for Selfies
According to Samsung Mobile, the SGS6 is equipped with an incredibly vivid, bright and fast front and rear camera. The F1.9 lenses and high resolution sensors on both front (5 MegaPixel) and rear (16 MegaPixel) cameras provide the most superior image quality in a smartphone, even in low light conditions.
In addition to that, the handset features Auto Real-time High Dynamic Range (HDR), Smart Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and IR Detect White Balance that - combined - provide advanced light sensitivities and crisp camera solutions. Furthermore, there's “Quick Launch” which give users fast, direct access to the camera from any screen (in just 0.7 seconds) by simply double clicking the home key button. All of these advanced imaging functions should be able to allow users to capture their most personal and precious moments in best quality that a Samsung smartphone can provide.
Clear and Vivid Display, As Expected from a Flagship Galaxy
Measuring only 6.8 millimeters at its thickest point and weighing just 138 grams, Samsung Galaxy S6 flaunts a visually-arresting 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen that offers users probably the highest pixel density of 577ppi on any smartphone out currently. This screen's enhanced outdoor visibility with a brighter display (600cd/mm) lets consumers experience content without compromise anywhere you are - be it inside your house or at the beach under the sun.
The Internal Hardware That Run Android Lollipop with TouchWiz User Interface
Samsung Galaxy S6 is powered by the most advanced, cutting-edge, Samsung Exynos core technology available today. To quote the company, "The world’s first 14nm mobile processor with 64-bit platform, new LPDDR4 memory system and UFS 2.0 flash memory provides higher performance and enhanced memory speed with lower power consumption."
Under the hood, SGS6 features an Octa Core Exynos 7420 chipset that incorporates four 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex A53 cores, 2.1 GHz ARM Cortex A57 CPUs, and a Mali-T760 GPU. The device handles multitasking with 3GB of DDR4 RAM, and comes with 32, 64, and 128 GB of non-expandable internal storage options. All of these combine to deliver the best gaming and overall touch experience that users can get from any Samsung device as of today.
Wireless Charging
"With fully embedded WPC and PMA certified wireless charging technology, the Galaxy S6 sets a new industry standard for universal wireless charging. The smartphone works with any wireless pad available in the market that supports WPC and PMA standards. It also sports incredibly fast wired charging, 1.5 times faster than the Galaxy S5, providing about 4 hours of usage after only 10 minutes of charging," the company shares.
Enhanced Security and Protected Mobile Payment Feature
Samsung Pay is a new, easy-to-use mobile payment service that's compatible with more locations than any competing single application currently. It will launch on Samsung Galaxy S6 and on the Galaxy S6 edge variant in the United States come the second half of this year (Not holding my breath for its availability in the Philippines anytime soon, though). Protected by Samsung KNOX, fingerprint scanning, and advanced tokenization, this technology works with both Near Field Communication (NFC) and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) to make it compatible with most devices, merchants and card issuers that are already out there. Samsung Pay has already been certified by MasterCard and Visa, and Samsung is employing key partners worldwide to participate in the service, including Bank of America, Citi, American Express, U.S. Bank and JPMorgan Chase.
To make the user more secure when using the device, Samsung Galaxy S6 comes with an upgraded Samsung KNOX end-to-end secure mobile platform that offers defense-grade features for real-time protection from potential malicious attacks. It's also ready for immediate enterprise adoption, with market leading MDMs and KNOX enhancements enabled at launch to simplify and improve mobile device management. On top of that, the 'Find My Mobile' feature secures lost devices and protects personal information through a number of services, which include the all-new remotely controlled 'Reactivation Lock.' And sporting an enhanced touch-type fingerprint scanner (as opposed to swipe-type on the Samsung Galaxy S5), SGS6 also provides quick authentication and access all while saving encrypted data in a secure device storage.
Pricing and Availability
Samsung Galaxy S6 will be available globally starting from April 10, 2015. Since the release of the first ever Samsung Galaxy S flagship, the Philippines has always been one of the first countries to receive fresh releases from the Korean Giant -- so I'm expecting no delays in local launch. As for its official price, Samsung has yet to make the announcement but I believe it should have an SRP that's just the same as that of its predecessor - SGS5 - upon launch, which is in the range of Php 35,000 to Php 36,000.
TP Thoughts
Design: It's great and almost relieving to see a Galaxy smartphone priced more than Php 30,000 that actually looks (and feels) that premium. If you ask me, Samsung should have implemented this revamp right after the tremendous success of Samsung Galaxy S3 -- but almost every successful company falls for that trap. They keep sticking to their 'tried and tested' strategy until they realize that it's not working anymore and for many, when that happens, it's already too late.
Hardware: To be fair, Samsung has always given us the best display and internal specifications on a flagship release and what we're getting on the SGS6 merely reinforces that fact. I'm just not sure, though, if many Samsung fans would be too happy with the lack of a microSD card expansion slot as well as the sudden shift to a non-removable battery. Let me know your thoughts about it.
Wrap-up: Of all top-of-the-line Galaxy releases by Samsung, the Galaxy S6 is practically the first one that will enter the market with legit competitors coming not just from the usual 'foes' but also from new ones, most of which hailing from China. Considering that alone, I think it will be harder for it to get the attention of consumers, especially those who will be getting their first flagship smartphone for the first time. For me, there are only two ways for Samsung to survive these trying times. First is to come up with extremely premium smartphones that will put the brand on a clear level above Chinese competitors that can totally slay Samsung in terms of 'value for money' when it comes to design and specs. And second is to play the game of these 'budget-friendly' OEMs and also drop their prices. Obviously, Samsung has already opted to take the first route. Will it work? Well, the success or failure of the SGS6 will tell them if they made the right decision.
Update as of March 19, 2015: Samsung Mobile Philippines has just confirmed that Samsung Galaxy S6 Dual SIM will be launched in the Philippines on April 18, 2015 with price tag of Php 35,990 for the 32GB model and Php 41,990 for the 64GB version.
As its very name suggests, this handset officially supersedes Samsung Galaxy S5 as the company's top-of-the-line model and as such, SGS6 comes with all the latest and most advanced technical specifications and features that the brand has to offer -- for this year, at least.
"With the all new Galaxy S6, Samsung is offering what’s next in mobility, along with a new standard to drive the global mobile agenda. By listening to our customers, and learning from both our success and missteps, we continuously push forward new technologies and ideas. With a reimagined design, robust partner network and novel services, the Samsung Galaxy S6 offers users the ultimate experience in smartphone options," shared said Mr. JK Shin, Head of IT and Mobile Communications Division and CEO at Samsung Electronics.
Truly Premium Design and Build, Finally!
As I've shared in our previous posts about this release, apart from Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the discontinued Samsung Galaxy Alpha, Samsung Galaxy S6 is the first flagship release of the Korean company to come with such high-end construction featuring glass and real metal.
The frame of SGS6 is crafted from anodized aluminum similar to that of Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and the front and back plates are made from - supposedly - the toughest glass to date, Corning Gorilla Glass 4.
To complement this elegant construction, the device is available in an array of colorful jewel tones, including White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz and Green Emerald that all elicit 'a unique visual texture as it reflects natural light'.
A Fast and Bright Main Camera, A More Powerful Front Cam for Selfies
According to Samsung Mobile, the SGS6 is equipped with an incredibly vivid, bright and fast front and rear camera. The F1.9 lenses and high resolution sensors on both front (5 MegaPixel) and rear (16 MegaPixel) cameras provide the most superior image quality in a smartphone, even in low light conditions.
In addition to that, the handset features Auto Real-time High Dynamic Range (HDR), Smart Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and IR Detect White Balance that - combined - provide advanced light sensitivities and crisp camera solutions. Furthermore, there's “Quick Launch” which give users fast, direct access to the camera from any screen (in just 0.7 seconds) by simply double clicking the home key button. All of these advanced imaging functions should be able to allow users to capture their most personal and precious moments in best quality that a Samsung smartphone can provide.
Just like in previous Galaxy releases, there are various shooting modes to choose from both for the front and back cameras.
Clear and Vivid Display, As Expected from a Flagship Galaxy
Measuring only 6.8 millimeters at its thickest point and weighing just 138 grams, Samsung Galaxy S6 flaunts a visually-arresting 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen that offers users probably the highest pixel density of 577ppi on any smartphone out currently. This screen's enhanced outdoor visibility with a brighter display (600cd/mm) lets consumers experience content without compromise anywhere you are - be it inside your house or at the beach under the sun.
The regular Samsung Galaxy S6's screen is flat as opposed to the curved one found on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge variant, which is a tad pricier. (Photos by Android Authority and The Verge)
The Internal Hardware That Run Android Lollipop with TouchWiz User Interface
Samsung Galaxy S6 is powered by the most advanced, cutting-edge, Samsung Exynos core technology available today. To quote the company, "The world’s first 14nm mobile processor with 64-bit platform, new LPDDR4 memory system and UFS 2.0 flash memory provides higher performance and enhanced memory speed with lower power consumption."
Under the hood, SGS6 features an Octa Core Exynos 7420 chipset that incorporates four 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex A53 cores, 2.1 GHz ARM Cortex A57 CPUs, and a Mali-T760 GPU. The device handles multitasking with 3GB of DDR4 RAM, and comes with 32, 64, and 128 GB of non-expandable internal storage options. All of these combine to deliver the best gaming and overall touch experience that users can get from any Samsung device as of today.
The familiar TouchWiz user interface for Android 5.0.2 Lollipop on the Samsung Galaxy S6 is largely similar to what you will see on Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (or any previous Galaxy release for that matter). It's still looks simple and is very easy to navigate.
Wireless Charging
"With fully embedded WPC and PMA certified wireless charging technology, the Galaxy S6 sets a new industry standard for universal wireless charging. The smartphone works with any wireless pad available in the market that supports WPC and PMA standards. It also sports incredibly fast wired charging, 1.5 times faster than the Galaxy S5, providing about 4 hours of usage after only 10 minutes of charging," the company shares.
Enhanced Security and Protected Mobile Payment Feature
Samsung Pay is a new, easy-to-use mobile payment service that's compatible with more locations than any competing single application currently. It will launch on Samsung Galaxy S6 and on the Galaxy S6 edge variant in the United States come the second half of this year (Not holding my breath for its availability in the Philippines anytime soon, though). Protected by Samsung KNOX, fingerprint scanning, and advanced tokenization, this technology works with both Near Field Communication (NFC) and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) to make it compatible with most devices, merchants and card issuers that are already out there. Samsung Pay has already been certified by MasterCard and Visa, and Samsung is employing key partners worldwide to participate in the service, including Bank of America, Citi, American Express, U.S. Bank and JPMorgan Chase.
To make the user more secure when using the device, Samsung Galaxy S6 comes with an upgraded Samsung KNOX end-to-end secure mobile platform that offers defense-grade features for real-time protection from potential malicious attacks. It's also ready for immediate enterprise adoption, with market leading MDMs and KNOX enhancements enabled at launch to simplify and improve mobile device management. On top of that, the 'Find My Mobile' feature secures lost devices and protects personal information through a number of services, which include the all-new remotely controlled 'Reactivation Lock.' And sporting an enhanced touch-type fingerprint scanner (as opposed to swipe-type on the Samsung Galaxy S5), SGS6 also provides quick authentication and access all while saving encrypted data in a secure device storage.
Pricing and Availability
Samsung Galaxy S6 will be available globally starting from April 10, 2015. Since the release of the first ever Samsung Galaxy S flagship, the Philippines has always been one of the first countries to receive fresh releases from the Korean Giant -- so I'm expecting no delays in local launch. As for its official price, Samsung has yet to make the announcement but I believe it should have an SRP that's just the same as that of its predecessor - SGS5 - upon launch, which is in the range of Php 35,000 to Php 36,000.
TP Thoughts
Design: It's great and almost relieving to see a Galaxy smartphone priced more than Php 30,000 that actually looks (and feels) that premium. If you ask me, Samsung should have implemented this revamp right after the tremendous success of Samsung Galaxy S3 -- but almost every successful company falls for that trap. They keep sticking to their 'tried and tested' strategy until they realize that it's not working anymore and for many, when that happens, it's already too late.
Hardware: To be fair, Samsung has always given us the best display and internal specifications on a flagship release and what we're getting on the SGS6 merely reinforces that fact. I'm just not sure, though, if many Samsung fans would be too happy with the lack of a microSD card expansion slot as well as the sudden shift to a non-removable battery. Let me know your thoughts about it.
Wrap-up: Of all top-of-the-line Galaxy releases by Samsung, the Galaxy S6 is practically the first one that will enter the market with legit competitors coming not just from the usual 'foes' but also from new ones, most of which hailing from China. Considering that alone, I think it will be harder for it to get the attention of consumers, especially those who will be getting their first flagship smartphone for the first time. For me, there are only two ways for Samsung to survive these trying times. First is to come up with extremely premium smartphones that will put the brand on a clear level above Chinese competitors that can totally slay Samsung in terms of 'value for money' when it comes to design and specs. And second is to play the game of these 'budget-friendly' OEMs and also drop their prices. Obviously, Samsung has already opted to take the first route. Will it work? Well, the success or failure of the SGS6 will tell them if they made the right decision.
Update as of March 19, 2015: Samsung Mobile Philippines has just confirmed that Samsung Galaxy S6 Dual SIM will be launched in the Philippines on April 18, 2015 with price tag of Php 35,990 for the 32GB model and Php 41,990 for the 64GB version.
| Name | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
| Type | Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen) |
| Price Category | High-End (Flagship Level) |
| Dimensions | 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm |
| Weight | 138 grams |
| Available Colors | White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz |
| Operating System | Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with TouchWiz Skin |
| Display | 5.1 inches (~70.7% screen-to-body ratio), Quad HD 1440 x 2560 pixels (~577 ppi pixel density), Super AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 4 capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Processor, GPU, Chipset | Octa Core: Quad Core 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex A53 + Quad Core 2.1 GHz ARM Cortex A57, Mali-T760 GPU, Exynos 7420 chipset |
| RAM | 3 GB RAM |
| Internal Storage | 32/64/128 GB options, non-expandable |
| Camera | Main: 16 MegaPixels, 3456 x 4608 pixels, Optical Image stabilization, Autofocus, LED flash Features: Quick Launch, Tracking AF, Auto Real-time HDR (Front and Rear), F1.9, Low Light Video (Front and Rear), High Clear Zoom, IR Detect White Balance, Virtual Shot, Slow Motion, Fast Motion, Pro Mode, Selective Focus Front: 5 MegaPixels |
| Video Capture | Main: 2160p @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps, Optical Image Stabilization, Auto HDR Front: 1080p @ 30 fps, Auto HDR |
| Audio and Video Playback | Video: H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, Sorenson Spark, MP43, VP8, HEVC, Full HD (1080p), UHD (depends on variant) Audio: MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA, AMR-NB/WB, Vorbis, FLAC(*), WAV(*) (*) Ultra High Quality Audio (~192KHz, 24 bit) support |
| Ports | microUSB v2.0, TV-out (via MHL 3.0 A/V link), 3.5 mm audio jack |
| Connectivity, Sharing | 4G LTE Cat6, 3G HSPA+, WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile Hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+, NFC, IR Remote, S Beam, Samsung AllShare Play and Control, Samsung AllShare Cast (WiFi Display), Mirroring and Extension, Samsung AllShare Framework |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, RGB Light, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer, Temperature, Humidity, Gesture, Heart Rate Monitor, Touch-Type Finger Scanner, UV |
| GPS | A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou |
| Network | 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, 4G Network LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 |
| SIM Card Type | nanoSIM |
| Battery | Non-Removable Li-Ion 2,550 mAh battery, Wireless Charging ~ WPC1.1 (4.6W Output) and PMA 1.0 (4.2W) compatible |
| Uptime | TBD |
| Value-Added Features | Flagship Release, All-New Design, Fingerprint Sensor (PayPal certified), Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified), Ultra Power Saving Mode, Download Booster, S Health 4.0, Samsung Pay, Smart Manager, Microsoft Apps(OneDrive 115GB for 2 years, OneNote), Sound Alive+, Themes, Quick Connect, Private Mode, S Finder, S Voice |
| Announcement | Worldwide: March 1, 2015 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona |
| Availability | Official: Philippines - April 18, 2015 |
| Price | TP Guesstimate: Philippines - Php 35,000 to Php 36,000 (Update) Official SRP: 32GB - Php 35,990 64GB - Php 41,990 |
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