Updated The Nexus 5 was really rather good... so how can Google improve?
The Nexus 5 arrived in the second half of 2013, continuing the brand's mantra of high specs, low cost and a pure version of Android. We're
well into 2014, so our thoughts have been with Google's next iteration
of Nexus device for some time now, with the Nexus 6 (codenamed Shamu)
rumored to make an appearance very soon. There has been talk about Google's new Android Silver
program, where the search engine is apparently turning to key
smartphone manufacturers and offering resources to make high-end devices
in collaboration with Google. Some are suggesting that this could be the death of the Nexus line,
with @evleaks claiming: "There is no Nexus 6. Farewell, Nexus. Don't
worry, there's a silver lining to this cloud... Android Silver, circa
February 2015."
Explorer Edition upgrades to 2GB of RAM in the US and UK. Is it worth the price now?
"Google has created the most sought-after sci-fi-looking gadget that
everyone wants to wear at least once. But its uses are currently limited
and a Google Glass consumer edition is due out this year. Not everyone
will get their money's worth with this one-of-a-kind novelty."
An Ultrabook-style laptop with dedicated gaming hardware
"The Aspire S3 is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. However, not every
product needs to be a king to be a success. It's only the battery life
that really disappoints here."
New features unapologetically round out Apple's previous flat design
"iOS 8 isn't a facelift like last year's update, but new messaging
features and third-party extensions for keyboards and Touch ID make
iPhone and iPad easier to use than ever. The best has yet to come, with
Mac OS X Yosemite promising even better integration next month."
The way Samsung launches phones is easy to work out: the
flagship 'S' model appears, and then a few months later the improved
Note pops up. So now the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has arrived the path is clear for the Samsung Galaxy S6. In fact, with the possible exception of the Nexus 6, the Galaxy S6 is the next biggest phone launch, despite being many months away. We're already seeing a few whispers and wonderings about this next model, and with the Samsung Galaxy Alpha trying to fix some of the design failings of the Galaxy S5
- plus the vaunted Galaxy A5 options appearing soon - there's
definitely been a quick change at the South Korean brand to try and make
its phones look much better.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The next flagship smartphone from Samsung
When is it out? Early 2015, probably March or April
What will it cost? A lot, at least as much as the pricey Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy S6 release date and price
There's
no official word on when the Samsung Galaxy S6 might launch, but
Samsung has a yearly product cycle which it rarely deviates far from. In fact from the Samsung Galaxy S2
onwards the company has always announced its phones at or close to MWC,
and we're certain the same will hold true for the Galaxy S6. 2015's
MWC is set to take place between March 2 and March 5, so it's likely
that we'll see the Samsung Galaxy S6 sometime around then. Possibly not
at the show itself but perhaps at a press conference a day or two before
it starts, much like Samsung did for the Galaxy Note 4 launch before IFA 2014. However, that's not when it will actually go on sale. The Samsung Galaxy S4
and S5 both launched in April, of 2013 and 2014 respectively, so
there's a good chance that you'll be able to buy the Samsung Galaxy S6
from April 2015. There's no real information on what the Samsung Galaxy S6 might cost either, but this is a flagship phone we're talking about. This means it's not likely to be any cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S5, which at launch sold for £579 (around $972 / AU$1048) SIM free. Given
that the specs will presumably be better and that it may even have a
premium build for once it's possible that it could be even more
expensive, but we'd be surprised if Samsung went much higher than £600 /
$1000 / AU$1100.
Samsung Galaxy S6 screen
There's no sign that Samsung is ditching Super AMOLED in its screens, so we expect that to make a return in the Galaxy S6. The
resolution will likely get a boost though, as Samsung has already
revealed the 2560 x 1440 Galaxy Note 4 and even among smaller screen
sizes there's the equally QHD Galaxy S5 LTE-A in South Korea, so we expect the Galaxy S6 to have a resolution at least that high. In fact Samsung has previously said that it hopes to have smartphones with 4K 3840 x 2160 displays on the market
by 2015. It's possible then that the S6 will leapfrog 2K and go
straight to 4K, but with an early 2015 launch expected we'd be
surprised. More likely Samsung will save that for the
Galaxy Note 5... plus, surely, that's getting to the point of just too
many pixels in a phone screen? Either way, the Samsung
Galaxy S6 may have a slightly bigger screen than the Galaxy S5. The
company has slowly been increasing the size of the screens on its
flagships and we wouldn't be surprised if the Galaxy S6 were to push
things up by another 0.1 or 0.2 inches to 5.2 or 5.3 inches. If
Samsung can shrink the bezel then it could probably even achieve that
without increasing the phone's footprint. On the other hand the Note 4
is no bigger than the Galaxy Note 3
and Samsung's going to want to keep its two premium brands
differentiated, so maybe it will decide that 5.1 inches is the sweet
spot. There's
also an outside chance that the Galaxy S6 might have a flexible
display. Samsung has been looking at this sort of technology for a while
and has even recently revealed the Galaxy Note Edge: a version of the Note 4 where the screen curves down one side, so it's possible. But
we doubt Samsung would equip its flagship with such an untested
technology, so we'd expect the S range to stick with a flat screen for
at least one more year. It would be cool if the S6 had a
bendy screen though - something different from the continuously-similar
rectangular designs, right?
Samsung Galaxy S6 power
With Android L arriving shortly and bringing 64-bit support with it we fully expect the Galaxy S6 to have a 64-bit processor. As
for which processor specifically that's still rather up in the air, but
traditionally it's been equipped with a Snapdragon chip of some variety
and both the Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 are expected to start appearing in devices during the first half of 2015, so one of them seems likely. The
Snapdragon 808 is a six-core 64-bit processor with support for 2K
screens, while the Snapdragon 810 is an octa-core 64-bit chip which can
power screens of up to 4K resolution. This includes an
Adreno 430 GPU, which is said to be 30% faster than the Adreno 420, so
either way it should be in for a boost in terms of gaming and general
screen flutterings. Though it's always possible that it
will stick with the Snapdragon 805 that's found in the Galaxy Note 4 -
but come on Samsung, surely you'll go harder than that? After all,
there's a strong Exynos chip in the Galaxy Alpha, so perhaps Samsung
will go for its own chip design for the next flagship. There's
no word on how much RAM it will have, but a 64-bit processor works well
when imbued with north of 4GB, so Samsung should be looking to get the
best out of its new devices' power range. Having said
that the Galaxy S5 only has 2GB of RAM and even the Galaxy Note 4 has
stuck with 3GB, so we'd be surprised if the S6 had more than 4GB - and
lest we forget, specs for the sake of specs is never a good thing.
Samsung Galaxy S6 chassis
While we don't know what the Galaxy S6 will look like there's every chance that Samsung will mould it on the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, which launched with a metal frame but still kept hold of the polycarbonate rear from the Galaxy S5. At
just 6.7mm the Galaxy Alpha is considerably thinner than the Galaxy S5,
and we hope this is a positive sign for the Galaxy S6. A
metal frame would finally make Samsung's flagship look almost as
premium as it is and it's hard to imagine that it wouldn't roll
something similar or at least similarly high end out for its flagship,
especially as the Galaxy Note 4 has now arrived with a metal frame too. In
fact sources in Samsung's supply chain have been talking fast and loose
about the Galaxy S6, claiming the Galaxy Alpha and Note 4 will test the
waters for Samsung's metal design ahead of an all-metal flagship in the form of the S6. Weirdly
we haven't seen any leaks of the new phone, even in its usual prototype
form, so we'll have to make do with this interesting concept from Josip
Jakubiv - it's the same mottled back, but with a much larger screen and
a refined design - perhaps even a spot of metal there?
Samsung Galaxy S6 operating system
While Samsung is cooking up its own Tizen operating system, the Galaxy S6 will almost certainly stick with Android, and probably Android L since it should arrive several months before the S6. It
will also run Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top, albeit streamlined once
more to make sure it doesn't annoy consumers who are becoming aware of
the simplicity of raw Android, so given the Samsung Galaxy S5 was made sleeker, this could well happen again in the S6.
Samsung Galaxy S6 camera
One
of very few rumours that specifically refers to the Galaxy S6 notes
that it may have a 20MP camera, up from 16MP in the Galaxy S5. Samsung's
always about more and bigger so this seems believable. According to ETNews
the Galaxy Note 4 was originally going to have a 20MP sensor but
Samsung dropped it to 16MP (the report actually says 12MP, but we now
know that's wrong) to keep it thin while still including OIS, however
the company will instead use the 20MP sensor on the Galaxy S6
apparently. What it doesn't say is whether the S6
therefore won't include OIS or won't be all that slim, since reading
between the lines one or the other is likely to be the case. In fact at
8.5mm thick the Note 4 is already slightly fatter than the Galaxy S5, so
if the Galaxy S6 does get OIS then it's likely to put some weight on
too.
Samsung Galaxy S6 other features
There are a
few things that we can be pretty confident that the Galaxy S6 will
include. Samsung has been putting its fingerprint scanner on a number of
phones and tablets so we're sure the S6 will get it too. Likewise
it will probably retain the heart rate monitor from the Galaxy S5,
since that's also been included on the Galaxy Alpha and the Samsung
Galaxy Note 4. We fully expect a microSD card slot too,
since the Galaxy S range has always included one and we'd be very
surprised if it wasn't water and dust resistant, since the Galaxy S5 is
and removing a useful feature like that seems unlikely. Though neither the Note 4 nor the Galaxy Alpha is, so it's possible that the Galaxy S6 won't be either. We
may also see the Samsung Galaxy S6 inherit some of the new features
which have been added to the Galaxy Note 4, such as fast charging, a UV
sensor and multi-directional microphones. Something that is unlikely but has nonetheless been rumored is a retina scanner, as Samsung has claimed to be looking at iris detection. Of course such technology may still be quite a way off yet and we're not all that convinced we'll see one in the Galaxy S6.
A better body
It would be fair to say that the
dimpled back panel on the S5 wasn't universally well received. Everyone
has been crying out for a new design in the Galaxy S series for a while
now, but Samsung seemingly hasn't been listening. An S6
with a metal unibody and a premium feel would be a potential crowd
pleaser. If a redesign is on the cards, why not take it further and go
for a new form factor? A new premium profile could refresh the range and
make it feel special again. Given that the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and Samsung Galaxy Note 4
have more premium builds it's likely that the Galaxy S6 will too, but
we hope it goes all-metal rather than just packing in a metal frame.
A 2K display
No
one is impressed by 1080p any more, not when 4K TVs are in the shops.
We wouldn't have been surprised to see a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution on
the S5, but it seems QHD displays were not ready for prime time back at
the beginning of 2014. It's all change now though, with the Galaxy Note 4 and LG G3
both packing 2K screens, so anything less than a QHD display in the S6
will be a bit of a disappointment. Just make sure it doesn't hurt the
battery while you're at it, Samsung. Hey, we're not here to solve these issues - that's for your fancy R&D labs.
A 64-bit processor
Perhaps
the lack of a 64-bit processor in the S5 was an acknowledgement that
there aren't many advantages yet, or maybe it was a statement about not
copying Apple. In any case, regardless of benefits perceived and real, 64 is a bigger number than 32 so it must
be better, and if our friend's iPhone has one, if you don't put one in
the S6 we're not buying it. The good news is that with the upcoming Android L supporting 64-bit processors it's likely that the Galaxy S6 will take advantage. While
you're there, for heaven's sake add more RAM – 2GB is not enough to
satisfy the modern day demands of multi-tasking, especially if you're
going for a 64-bit chip.
A flexible design
Remember that advert where the guy folds his phone out to tablet size? That would be a real slice of fried gold and we've heard Samsung has a folding prototype
already. Failing that, a squidgy, bendy phone that can take all sorts
of damage and return to its original shape unblemished would be nice. Squeezy
controls could bring a fresh tactile element to smartphone ownership.
At the very least we expect flexibility to deliver greater durability
and new potential shapes, but it has got to be better than the Samsung Galaxy Round. Samsung's on the right track with the Galaxy Note Edge, so we're looking forward to the next step in curved and bendy screens.
A bigger battery
We
can hold the sum total of humanity's achievements in one hand,
accessing all of our scientific knowledge, and our greatest works of
art, but only for a few hours at a time. Why are mobile phone batteries still so crap? We
need bigger batteries, more efficient power management, and faster
wireless charging. The 2,800mAh battery in the S5 might be a slight step
up from its predecessor, but it has an extra 0.1 of an inch of screen
to power. You're treading water, Samsung. Free us from the daily charge.
An end to bloatware
No-one
wants a Samsung-branded app that does exactly the same thing as an
existing Google app, only worse. We also expect a device listed as 16GB
to have more than 10GB free. The days where Android was rough and ready
and Touchwiz really added value are gone. Stock Android
is smooth and delicious, KitKat needs no embellishment and Android L
already looks like a rich and creamy desert to our tech starved
stomachs. It's time to tone it down a little. By all
means stick S Health on there as an optional extra, but please let us
uninstall all the S apps we don't want and ditch the superfluous
doubles. There is some good news here, as a top Samsung exec has been quoted as saying the firm is looking to ditch the Samsung Hub suite,
sparking talk of the end of bloatware heavy smartphones, and that
change is already happening on the Tab S range. We can but hope.
A decent pair of stereo speakers
Sadly
there's just one speaker on the S5. We don't want to have to wear
headphones or hook up speakers all the time. It's a mobile device. The HTC One clearly demonstrated the benefits of dual front-facing speakers. Sony heard it, because the Z2 and Xperia Z3 have them too. Screens
are big enough to watch movies with friends now. How about bringing
that sound quality up to scratch? A good set of stereo speakers in the
S6 would be welcomed by everyone.
A DAB chip
Wi-Fi
isn't always available and mobile data can be costly, so streaming
tunes from the cloud or internet radio can be tricky and prohibitively
expensive. FM radio seems to be rapidly disappearing from mobile devices
and the quality is pretty patchy anyway. Isn't it about
time digital radio made it into smartphones? Access to high quality
stations without the fiddling or the network connection would open up a
world of music, sport, and talk. DAB chips are coming to smartphones and we'd love to see one in the Galaxy S6.
Always listening
The Moto X
was a mixed bag, but it's undeniably cool to be able to talk to your
phone and have it blink to life. Google continues to improve Now and add
more functionality. If the Galaxy S6 was always listening, we'd get
more value out of it. Google Now has been updated to listen for commands
from any screen, but on the S6 we want it to listen even when the
screen is off. Voice recognition is improving fast. Given
that our smartphones are starting to connect to wearables, home
electronics and cars, the ability to issue voice commands brings us a
step closer to the futuristic utopia we've all been dreaming about.
A new UX
We
already suggested that Touchwiz is no longer adding much value to stock
Android, but that doesn't mean it couldn't. A radical rethink of the
stagnant UX could wash away childish fonts and pointless features to
deliver something fresh and stylish. Samsung must have
bags of data on how we interact with our smartphones and a cursory
glance at popular launchers reveals a world of possibilities. Be bold
Samsung, offer us something new and exciting! As long as it isn't a
candy-fuelled, garish, neon nightmare, we'll give it a try.