
Too Thin.
Double the thickness, and fill it with battery.
Then you might actually be able to use it for more than an hour or so before you start lloking around nervously for a power socket.
I’ve found life is so much easier if one sticks to three simple rules. Never drive a Volvo car, never buy a Samsung phone, and always grind your own coffee. However, I might have to rethink one of those – and it isn’t the coffee. Samsung Galaxy S6 Samsung's Galaxy S6 flagship handset Samsung can’t do anything without a …
"The market has clearly signalled, at this end of the price range, that many buyers don’t regard the omission of a flash slot as a deal-breaker"
Who paid you to write this nonsense?
Could only be Google really, they probably got Tony Blair to call your editor to insist on the inclusion of this statement or else get people fired...
Without MicroSD card slot, there's especially no reason to buy Samsung.
But Samsung noticed already, hence the S6 PRO is coming with MicroSD card slot and user replaceable battery. Maybe even 4G reception.
So quit applauding this fashion victim of a phone, trying all together too hard to be metallic and thin.
And I've never heard anyone else bitch about Samsung's plastic but media pundits. Users were pretty happy with the high quality, near indestructible polycarbonate Samsung used.
What do you want to do with your MicroSD anyway? Google has neutered that Pup, since the beginning of Kitkat? As to what its good for outside of storing Read-Only *.mp3's? Well I'm stymied? Perhaps you could shed some light on this? I for One do not need a 400€ 200GB MicroSD Card when I can now dump what is it? 50,000 Songs on Google Music. In the event that I need to fly somewhere I'm sure my old 40GB iPod has all the Music I might ever need.
Concur. Battery life is laughable. My Xperia SP manages several days on average with WiFi, Bluetooth on, SIP client running. So moving to this (if I was mad to do it) will be a downgrade.
The iPhonesque insistence on no-flash cards allowed is also quite annoying (to say the least).
Can't imagine spending £600 on a phone. I thought what I spent on the Nexus 5 was a large price increase over the Nexus 4. When I see people at work spending £40-£50 a month on a 24 month contract just to have an iPhone 6, it always strikes me as a bit mad. I'd rather spend up to £300 on a phone off contract and £15 a month on a SIM only deal myself- just makes more sense to me. Over a similar 2 year period the monthly cost would still top out at well under £30, and lets face it phones are getting cheaper with better features away from the flagship end of the market.
>>When I see people at work spending £40-£50 a month on a 24 month contract just to have an iPhone 6, it always strikes me as a bit mad.
Eh. New iPhone costs $650 and is current for 3 years. At the end of 3 years, it can be sold for $200-$250.
So as long as the phone doesn't break, you're paying $150 per year for a device that you will use (probably) pretty frequently every single day for any number of tasks. Or $0.41 per day.
Usually I hate these sorts of "per-day" cost calculations but I consider it valid for a modern smart phone, considering how many functions they serve and how much use I get out of mine. Phone, email, IM, maps, calendar, GPS, podcast/music player, pedometer, camera, blah blah blah. You know the list.
I use my phone more than I use my laptop, and my phone is cheaper. I don't mind too much.
As the unhappy keeper of a new works Galaxy Ace 4 (one of Samsung's bargain basement cheapy all plastic models) I've found that it too has absolutely atrocious reception compared to preceding Samsung models on the same networks in the same places, to the tune of "one to two bars of displayed reception". Previously I've found S2, S3 and S3 mini models all to offer acceptable standards of reception.
This extremely limited and unscientific survey may suggest that the problem is linked to something other than an aluminium chassis, and maybe down to some other SOC, antenna or signal processing problem that has arisen because Samsung have forgotten that they're making phones.
What is the experience of other users with recent Sammy handsets, such as the Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Core Prime?
I too started rolling my eyes at the mention of bars, but there is convincing evidence that the thing has a problem:
"At various spots near Hampstead Tube station, the Galaxy S6 had dropped back to 3G, while an iPhone 6 (also on EE) registered one to three bars of 4G. This was on EE’s network, and I had two other EE SIMs running at the same time showing three bars – so it wasn’t the network."
"Does it drop calls? "
Referring to the Galaxy Ace 4, yes. And it has no connection where previous handsets did, so that it won't pick up data signals (eg work email) when I know from the wired broadband account that emails have been sent. As this is well away from the frontiers of 4G, that's not the issue either.
Maybe Korean mobile coverage is so good that they don't need to major on sensitivity, but if that's the case then they could perhaps withdraw from the UK market, where weak signals are the norm.
My Galaxy S3 and S5 phones both have fine reception - significantly better than any of the iPhones. These work well in areas where the Apple things can't detect a signal at all. The sample S6s I've seen work just the same as the S5, so perhaps you've got a damaged one!
This is the second Andrew O article where he says that Android 5 is incredibly buggy, without any substantiation. I've been on it almost since launch (Nexus 5) and cant say I've noticed it being any more buggy than its predecessor - isn't it time we had some examples? Play Music in particular seems to have carried over all its pre-existing bugs intact. Random playlists and Voice control not working, so I'd be interested in knowing what is actually new if anything.
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Not noticed any burn in here. Had my Note 3 for about 6 months now. But do always use power saving mode so the screen is not overbright. If it's up to 100% it does look too bright for the display...
PS, it is the risk of AMOLED screens. Go for a LCD screen phone instead. It's horses for courses as they are less bright and may use more battery power up, but last a little longer. AMOLED is possibly at the 2 year plus lifespan, but not the same extended lifespan of LCD.
People just aren't gonna use it. And this from a wireless evangelist - I loved wireless charging on my Pre 3 and I love wireless charging on my Lumia. In fact people probably won't even know it's there, and if they do there is no way 90% of those people will bother ponying up even a tenner for a charging plate.
No, people will start raving about wireless charging when Apple's marketing juggernaut starts talking about it...much as I hate to admit it.
Nice thing to have though for those who can arsed, props to Samsung
It won't do, as batteries no longer need topping up with distilled water at regular intervals any more. I too had an irrational hatred of non-removable batteries until I got one. They last long enough for the phone to be completely out of date/scratched to pieces, and the world is full of neat portable battery packs if you need to recharge them on the move.
My rationale is that I still use older phones (I'm still using my Sammy S2) and I prefer a larger battery as I live in a poor signal area. In fact, I used the extended battery for the S2 to make it a bit chunkier in my hand. It magically became much nicer to hold when I had a better grip on it and had a little more weight to it.
I really can't stand these super slim, slippery, light as a feather phones. I also have an external battery pack, but it's a real pain to walk around with the battery pack cabled to the phone in my jacket pocket. Cramps the style somewhat :-)
... as I'm due an upgrade of my work mobile later in the year, buck sucky reception, no SD card slot and lack of a removeable battery come together to make a dealbreaker.
Shame really as I think my S4 is really very good (have had iPhones and Blackberries in the past) and I may be the only person in the entire world who quite likes Touchwiz and didn't find the S4 plasticky.
What annoys me more is that there is no longer a flagship android with a removable battery - using this as a work phone (with some games & podcasts added for my commute) I swap batteries more often than you would imagine and having to wander round the office talking on the phone while an external power pack is dangling away off the phone will annoy me.
Yes, yes, I should remember to charge it while I'm at my desk or bring my charger to meeting rooms etc, but I'm sometimes too busy and forget. A quick battery swap is easily the most convienient option, now sadly not available if/when i upgrade and choose a flagship android phone.
Interesting that this review claims the S6 isn't the fastest phone you can buy when all of the other reviews and benchmarks that I've seen show it as noticeably faster than anything else out there. Is there any evidence to support the claim that the HTC One m9 is actually faster?
@AC You are reading the wrong websites then. The most scientific of the technical review websites are Anandtech (these guys are serious silicon boffins and have always given the most detailed breakdown of silicon capabilities of any site out there).
The reality is these measures mean increasingly little to real world use, however Samsung are still beaten by Apple in almost every category. Pretty impressive For Apple, since they have been out for the better part of a year now and showing that when systems need to be tuned for lower power consumption, a greater number of cores is not a synonym for better performance.
@werdsmith, great answer
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Still using my S4 and have yet to find a compelling handset to replace it with. Battery is crap, but i've learnt to adjust and its made of plastic, but then so is the Speck case on it that hides the entire device bar the screen. Even if i were to get a swanky metal and glass upgrade, it would be hidden by the plastic cover.
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> The only fly in the ointment was the worst-in-class signal reception
That's an enormous fly, seriously... "My phone is pretty, my phone is fast, my phone takes adequate pictures fairly fast - the only thing it fails to do adequately is phone calls".
Jeez, what in the world would make someone buy a phone that doesn't work properly and for a huge sum of money - reminds me of the previous iPhone reception debacle and the laughable visions of people holding them with as little of their hand as possible.
It's no wonder hardly anyone has the same phone as me, my priorities are so different.
but I figured someone else would have.
Most people have enough problems with reception based on flaky networks without having to worry that their phone is part of the problem. Granted lots of people use their phones as the main wifi device at work/home but it's still a phone. If it's crap as a phone then I won't be spending £600 or even £60 on it.
My new T-mobile S6 edge accepts multiple fingerprints. I read that the update that was applied at first power on addressed issues with the fingerprint scanner, so maybe the author had an old version. I also found the reception excellent, but I upgraded from a non-lte S3, so maybe that was the difference for me. I do love the phone, but it is very slippery!
Three days ago I had to charge my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 at least twice a day.
Two days ago I replaced the battery in my 1.5 year old Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and charged it.
Two days later I have not recharged the battery, have hammered the phone usage and I still have 45% charge left!
I also have a 128Gb Sandisk card in place that contains a significant percentage of my music collection encoded as flac files. The 128Gb Samsung S6 is available in the UK for £699 whereas a Note 3 plus card cost me £680 so not much in it by price but I can't swap the card and my Note 3 has an additional 32Gb of internal storage.
Both of these factors mean that I won't be touching an S6, OR the Note 5 if it has the same limitations, with a bargepole.
At least with Apple you can walk into a store and get a battery changed in under an hour, and there are plenty of Apple stores, i did this with my iPhone 5 after 2 years and cost me £39. I know its still not as convenient as having interchangeable batteries, but at least its not the most awkward thing to get done.
Im guessing with the Samsung or even HTC you will have to send the phone off for a battery replacement meaning being without your phone for days. They battery on my Galaxy S2 had to be replaced after 12 month as it went really really bad (as did others i know with this phone). I don't think Samsung have thought about this well as my experience of Samsung phones has left me very unimpressed battery wise.
No need for an Apple Store, replace iPhone batteries, it's kids stuff and takes less than 5 minutes and costs less than a tenner. If you are not so keen doing it yourself, then plenty of independent repairers will happily relieve you of £25 for 5 minutes work.
Samsung is probably the same.
But, as a reason to get all indignant? It's a peach.
Ooh, I'll never buy one of those (pursed lips)....
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Just put my order in for a HTC One M9.
Sammy removed my favourite features - SD card and battery I can change out.
And kept the features I disliked - teenage girl touchwiz theme, touchwiz itself, and power button location.
It also looks too much like an iPhone. I mean they are not even bothering now.
Having had an S2, then S4, then having a Galaxy Tab 3, one think Samsung (and most Android manufacturers) is delivery phone updates. Each of the devices I've had have had 2 limited non-major updates maximum, then the phone is forgotten about by the manufacturer. This isn't only a usability and functionality issue, but also a security issue.
Dare I say it, I'm almost tempted to go iPhone, if only then because then at least I'll have a few updates to get through before my phone is rendered/considered obsolete by the manufacturer. Guess either that or move to the not quite so astehtically pleasing, but cheaper Moto G models or Nexus handsets.
"The market has clearly signalled, at this end of the price range, that many buyers don’t regard the omission of a flash slot as a deal-breaker if the overall package is attractive."
How clearly has it signalled? The main reason I bought a Galaxy Note 2 is that it had a removable battery, and an SD card slot. This S6 has neither. When out and about and away from any power source it is extremely convenient to be able to pull out a dead battery and replace with a charged one and carry on using the device.
"How clearly has it signalled?"
Like a giant flag by the millions sold to people, who are not El Reg readers and clearly don't care about batteries and SD cards and have spent the money.
You can carry a small external battery booster as easily as a spare battery. 2000mAh, £6. Carry on using the device.
"making a case a necessity"
So now my really thin, light phone has become a brick.
I don't need a removable battery so I can have a spare battery - external battery packs do that task better. I need a removable battery so that my £500 investment isn't worthless in 2 years because it needs £100 of dismantling to fit a new battery.
True. Sadly they want your £500 investment to be worthless. Or for us to pay for a swap of the battery.
I hear some companies do it for free (Apple?). But I prefer the risk/choice/responsibility in my court. Once had a bicycle returned and the pedals fell off. If people cannot be trusted with something that simple, I'd not trust them with my phone! :P
iFixit seems to suggest that your chance of swapping the battery on an S6 without breaking something serious is very minor. The S5 might have been and looked plastic, but the battery was swappable. I wonder to what extent the mobile phone companies are helping the drive against terrorism by removing uSD slots and making opening the case without damage near impossible?
The Samsung reception problem is confirmed anecdotally - I'm replacing my wife's phone with the product of another manufacturer after finding that all the places in which hers keeps dropping calls have solid reception on my BB Q10, both on EE.
"Where the Galaxy S6 really stands out is ease of use for taking photos and videos demonstrating a versatile level of performance. "
Still not as nice as the Nokia Lumina, but then again try buying one new... Now that was the best camera that doubled as a phone. If only they weren't handicapped by a lousy OS...
Really? You like looking like a twat walking around using your phone with something unsightly dangling from it?
Like the owner you mean?
You'd really have to be a twat if you do it that way.
Those with more than 2 brain cells notice their phone is on 10% and plug in the charge for 15 minutes.
Not really that hard.
Or is this truly the deathknell of the smart"phone" actually being useful as a phone?
Cos you know, sometimes, I actually need to make calls.
What next - a resurgence of Nokia bricks as we all buy a dumb handset that actually gets a signal.
So have O2 and Samsung have teamed up and decided to discriminate against the Welsh?
Given most of Wales has no signal, a very weak signal and pretty much non-existent 4G, you could be forgiven for thinking that both companies have an Anti-Welsh agenda.
Lets get 2G coverage removed from Ofcom coverage maps, and show the bare naked 3G/4G coverage map Lady for what it is. In Rural areas on O2 Data is nearly all 2G and useless.
So tl;dr - it's more expensive than an iPhone 6, the battery only compares well with iPhone 6+, it's outstanding feature is the camera and it's outperformed by the iPhone 6, the reception is even worse than the original "you're holding it wrong" iPhone 4... WTF? Why would I ever buy this thing? Oh because it's got an OS that's open to hackery, trojans, malware and anything else you can put in an app from the largely unregulated Wild West Store.
Really don't think so.
Tick one of the following:
A) I read this article and came to some conclusions
B) Everything made by Apple is Inferior Rubbish for Sheeple
C) Everything made by Samsung is Wonderful Joy
D) Whatever, I just hate Android
E) I love Apple and Samsung are just wannabe's
F) None of the above
The S6 appears to be an inferior phone in many important areas to its predecessor, the S5 namely.
1. Waterproofing ( why is this not now with nano coatings a default on a device designed for use outside?).
2. Robustness, the use of metal not better than plastic here. The automotive, motosport, defence & aerospace are dropping metal in favour of robust plastic ( when did you see a metal bumpers on a car last!) Add thinness to the mix & you have the complete iPhone 6 problem of bending.
3.Built in battery, see my above post and add that most lithium batteries are only good for 500 charge cycles (2 yrs average use then back to Sammy for a new phone they hope).
4. Data is the most valuable thing in your phone, if the S6 is accidentally dropped down the loo, you may as well pull the flush as there is' nt the chance of real data recovery you have with a removable SD card.
All the Tech site writers are singing the praises of this S6, and the comments sections are fairly consistent in damming it. The question is, how much pressure or lucrative incentives is Sammy exerting on these sites? Where & who in history said if you said something false often enough that it would be eventually held to be true by the masses
Clicky: Moto E edges the Samsung Galaxy S5 in speed test video
I'm not saying for one minute that the Moto E is "better" mind you, and I realise this article is talking about the S5 not the S6, but when you consider the price difference it puts things into perspective a little bit.
God forgive me but that Hello Kitty theme looks fun. Imagine pulling that out in a meeting... I wantz...
As for the Lego theme. Quite how The Reg can pull its nose up to a LEGO theme, of all things I'll never know. Come on people you know you want them .All this slick stainless, where's the fun gone in you all?
The inability to replace the S6 battery is a total deal killer for me. I have owned some fine Samsung phones. I always had a spare battery to pop in, say if I took too many snaps, or forgot to charge it. If I can't swap out the juice, I might as well own some POS like an iPhone.
..If it can sway an obviously biased reviewer who mentions the iPhone 6 in nearly every paragraph.
Yes, it looks like an iPhone6. Samsung was obviously influenced in their design by Apple... who were obviously influenced in their design of the 6 by Samsung and other Android models. And so it goes in every sphere of the marketing world. A car becomes popular and all the other manufactures ape the design. True innovation is rare. While I will be sticking to my S5 for a while longer, it makes me happy that Samsung has gotten rid of the 50s diner/kitchen table border around the phone, though the 6 does look more fragile, as the iPhone 6 definitely is. (and I can vouch for that, having replaced at least 20 at our company)
I too wish the author could substantiate his comments about the Android OS being "buggy". All phone software is buggy. I have stationery in my email describing the iPhone reboot process as I've had to explain it so many times I got sick of typing it. It's not worth getting into a pissing contest about which OS is better, though I will say that at least those of us partisan to Android don't have to suffer the kick in the nuts that is iTunes.