One of the most anticipated Android smartphones of this year is Samsung's Galaxy S6 and its Galaxy S6 Edge curved-screen brethren that are set to release on April 10, but recent leaks and tidbits of news have us more excited than ever for that release date.
First up, it's being reported by several outlets that Samsung will allow users of these phones to remove the pre-installed apps, including those from Samsung. This has always been a sticking point for Samsung users, and this news opens up more flexibility for new users and a possible return for veteran users who might want to give the Korean company a second chance.
Bloatware, especially those on Android devices, has caused several lawsuits to be filed from users who are tired of the precious space on their smartphones and tablets being taken up by un-used apps. Google has faced everything from antitrust claims to U.S. District Court lawsuits regarding accusations of secret arrangements, so this is certainly a step in the right direction.
But the pre-order release of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge in India this week is working toward getting the rest of the world excited for the device pair.
The Galaxy S6 features a 5.1-inch display at 1440 x 2560 Quad HD Super AMOLED resolution, giving an impressive 577 pixels per inch. The in-house Exynos 7420 processor replaced Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 that was originally set to power the S6 after some overheating issues during preliminary tests caused concern. But 3 GB of DDR4 RAM and storage capacity of 32, 64, or 128 GB round out what is sure to be a powerhouse of a smartphone.
As for the external features, the S6 includes a 16-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera, and all within a lightweight 4.9-ounce metal shell.
The Galaxy S6 Edge, on the other hand, is a bit lighter (4.7 ounces) with many of the same exact specs aside from that curved screen on the sides.
The S6 ad S6 Edge were both designed from the ground up to address several of the issues that customers had with the S4 and S5. Although the Samsung phones are still one of the biggest sellers in the Android market, the company knew that sales were not anywhere near expected, driving profits significantly down for 2014. The ground-up approach was set into place right away, clearing the path for a sequel that really need to deliver on its promises more than ever.
The result is a streamline of extra features found in the S5 that were removed for the S6, including the USB 3.0 port, the microSD card slot, and, of all things, waterproofing. The absence of a removable battery has raised some eyebrows, but in its place lies the fast AC charging with support for both wireless charging standards that should help to alleviate the need to replace a battery, anyway.
Pre-orders for the S6 and S6 Edge are expected to begin this Friday, March 27, at Best Buy with availability options for AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint at that time. There's no word yet on what T-Mobile plans to do on launch day or with pre-orders, but stay tuned as we find out more this week.
