Samsung recently launched the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ in India. The smartphones resemble the Galaxy S8‘s design with a new camera setup with variable aperture. After launching its flagship series, the company is updating its older portfolio with the newer version of Android OS. Samsung follows the two-letter OS upgrade for its flagship smartphones. The Galaxy S8 was released with Android Nougat and the device has received an update for Android Oreo.
According to an official document found on Samsung’s website, the company is planning to upgrade at least 6 devices, which have completed the two year’s OS cycle. However, unlike the S8 or the S7, these devices will not receive the latest Oreo update. Instead, these OS builds will be based on an older Android version with security patch and bug fixes. Though these devices are listed to receive the software update, no time frame is mentioned.
Left to right: Update for Galaxy S6 Edge, Update for Galaxy S6 Edge+, Update for Galaxy S8
According to the document, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge will receive Android 7 Nougat update G9250ZCU2ERB2. The update weights at 1233.30MB, which upgrades the smartphone from Android Marshmallow to Android Nougat. However, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5 are expected to receive the incremental software update. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Note 8 will receive Android 8 Oreo update with Samsung Experience UI 9.0. In fact, the update for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8 is already live in most of the countries.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ is the company’s first big S series phone, as an add-on to the Galaxy S line of devices. Last year the company thought it better to launch an edgier Note in the form of a Note Edge. However, this year Samsung found it more favourable to make a bigger S6 edge.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ also marks a new chapter, one where the line between a smartphone and a phablet is basically blurring out. Samsung has slowly killed the category it created with the Note in 2010. Large screen phones are now mainstream and Samsung is basically reinforcing that with the S6 edge+.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ is designed to one up the iPhone 6 Plus in terms of specifications and hardware. The Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge both had huge success in the global markets and Samsung expects no less from the Galaxy S6 edge+.
The elder and bigger sibling is identical to the Galaxy S6 Edge, so identical that you won’t be able to tell them apart unless you put them together. There is a massive screen size different however a minor change in actual dimensions. The S6 edge+ just like the S6 Edge is flanked on both sides with edge displays.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ does become slightly more difficult to handle, and hence Samsung has added one handed operation and screen size reduction, similar to Apple’s double tap to pull down screen on the iPhone 6 Plus. This feature was also seen on the recent Galaxy A8 from Samsung.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ is actually slimmer at just 6.9mm vs the 7 mm of the Galaxy S6 and the feel in the hand is very premium. Samsung has really done a good job with the design of the S6 Edge and hence they, didn’t change anything, but make the phone bigger with the S6 edge+.
Everything from the display resolution to chipset and cameras are identical to the Galaxy S6 Edge, however thanks to the new large display of the S6 edge+ the pixel density drops to 515 ppi vs the mammoth 577 ppi on the S6 Edge. The Edge Plus variant also sports a larger 3,000 mAh battery to combat the drain from the larger QHD Super AMOLED display. An additional 1 GB of LPDD4 RAM, takes it upto 4 GB on the edge+ however the phone is missing the 128GB storage option as only the 32 and 64 GB variants will go on sale.
The software department on the edge+ too remains same as the S6 and the S6 Edge, with a cleaner and simplified UI and new apps window to the edge display Samsung is trying to leverage the screen real-estate. You will also still get a Flipboard news feed to the left of the home screen and gestures like flipping a ringing phone to mute the call. Double clicking the home button will quickly launch the camera.
You still get the fingerprint scanner and ability to remember internet passwords and Samsung Account details using your fingerprint as a security mechanism.
Some would argue that the Galaxy S6 Edge was the right size handset and that it fit well in almost all departments. Whether you were an executive or college student, the S6 and the edge variant seemed to be the right size for your hands.
With the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ the company is trying to reach to those who liked the iPhone 6 Plus and those who loved the Note category but found it to be a niche. With the S6 edge+ Samsung is trying to make the page size phone more mainstream, and by the looks of it, it seems to be headed in the right direction.
Stay tuned for our Full Review of the Galaxy S6 edge+
With just a little less than month left for the launch of Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Samsung has not released any sort of promotional material so far, leaving us to speculating about the phone. A new detail has emerged about the phone, regarding its rear camera this time.
The Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will sport a 16MP camera, spotted by Zauba, a website which tracks Indian exports and imports. The camera will come with a 1/2.6″ sensor, which is similar to the rear camera in the Galaxy S6 Edge. The website has posted the memo for the import, dated 24th July, 2015. It seems Samsung may have imported the camera unit into India for further research and development.
The memo for Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus’ camera unit. As you can see from the memo, the model is named SM-G928. Source: Zauba
The Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will supposedly run on an Exynos 7420 processor with 3GB, instead of the Snapdragon 808. The display will probably be a 5.5″ or a 5.7″ QHD Super AMOLED curved touchscreen. Samsung is expected to launch the device in mid-August, probably two weeks before it launches the galaxy Note 5.
Keep checking iGyaan for more details about the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.
While everyone was looking forward to the Samsung Note 5 and the S6 Edge Plus to be launched together, rumour mills have now gone bust. A recent report shared says that the two devices will now be launched on different dates and venues.
For those waiting for the Note 5, looks like the wait is going to be extended as the Note 5 will be launched in the first week of September, at the IFA Berlin. The S6 though, will be launched mid-August almost 2 weeks earlier than the Note 5.
The reasons for delaying the launch can be a strategic move to create hype and increase profits and also to avoid the clash with the iPhone 6s Plus, which is speculated to release on the 14th of September. Therefore, since this is Samsung’s highly anticipated device, the company naturally wants to do everything right.
Meanwhile, the S6 Edge Plus will hit the markets soon. Watch this space for more information on the launch.
To read more about the Samsung Galaxy S6 Plus click here and for more info on the Note 5 here.
Samsung has been doing rounds in the news feed for some time. After advancing its launch dates from September to August, Samsung, according to blog site SamMobile, will be launching the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus along with the big-screened Galaxy Note 5. Looks like Samsung has got a lot of work for the month of August.
SamMobile confirmed that the Galaxy Note 5 will be announced on 12th August and will officially be launched later on 21st August. Later, the source also learnt that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Plus will follow the same announcement and launch plan.
But, why has Samsung decided to launch both the devices together? Won’t it risk one device eating the sales of the other? It is viewed that advancing the launch dates may work exponentially in Samsung’s favour, as the new handset is not ready to go up against Apple’s iPhone 6S, which will be launching on September. Samsung’s plan to launch both of the new phones at the same time came from Korean press leaks, according to SamMobile.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is likely to feature a 5.4-inch or 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with curves on both the edges. The display is likely also to feature a 4K resolution. According to reports, the Note 5 will feature a 32GB of eMMC (embedded multimedia card) along with a controller. The phone may also feature a 16MP rear camera, 8MP secondary shooter, 4GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. The Note 5 might even be powered by an enormous battery of 4,100mAh, which is important for a phablet with these specifications. The Note 5 should pack Samsung’s trademark S Pen in a new form.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is basically the phablet version of the Galaxy S6 Edge. The device is assumed to have a curved display and run on Exynos 7420 processor with 3GB, instead of the Snapdragon 808. It is also highly possible that the device may be available in the same colour options as the Note 5.
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
Samsung’s event will be the highlight event of August with the launch of these two handsets. What are your opinions about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge Plus specification leaks? Comment below.
Today, HTC brought out the One M9+ in India, skipping the speculated launch of the original M9 unveiled at MWC 2015. The One M9 might not make its way to the Indian sub-continent, but we’ve got the bigger Plus version to weigh against its competition. The top of the line smartphone packs hefty specifications, which may even manage to put a dent in Samsung’s market.
Let’s check out how the smartphones fare against each other:
Specs
HTC One M9+
Samsung Galaxy S6
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Display
5.2-inch WQHD (1440x2560p)
5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED (577ppi)
5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED (577ppi)
Processor
2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6795T
2.1 GHz Quad + 1.5 GHz quad Exynos 64-bit
2.1 GHz Quad + 1.5 GHz quad Exynos 64-bit
RAM
3GB
3GB
3GB
Storage
32GB, expandable up to 128GB
32GB, not expandable
32GB, not expandable
Rear Camera
20MP + 2MP Duo Camera
16MP with F1.9 + OIS
16MP with F1.9 + OIS
Front Camera
4MP HTC UltraPixel
5MP
5MP
Battery
2840mAh
2550mAh
2600mAh
Operating System
Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with HTC Sense 7
Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
Price
Rs. 52,500
Rs. 49,900
Rs. 58,900
Clearly, the pricing of the phone might lead the audience to shift focus on the Galaxy S6 rather than HTC One M9+, especially since the smartphone runs on a MediaTek processor. The display size of the phones is similar, and the RAM of the three handsets also stands parallel. The battery and rear camera of the HTC One M9+ are slightly bumped up, but overall the devices hold comparable specifications.
Since we’ve got our hands on both the devices, we have to admit that the HTC One M9+ feels more sturdy in the hand. Another area where HTC One M9+ wins is the fact that it comes with an expandable memory option, a feature that would be appreciated by many. HTC has brought the One M9+ to compete with the big-sized rulers in the Indian market. We’ll have to now wait and watch how this move turns out for the company.
Samsung recently brought out their gold-plated smartphone, Samsung Galaxy S6 Gold, starting at a price of Rs 58,900 for the 32GB variant. Here, we unbox the device – iGyaan style!
As you can see, the phone sports a 5.1 inch Super Amoled screen with a QuadHD resolution with a total of 577 ppi. Powered 2600 mAh battery, the handset is available only with fixed storage of either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB, which are all based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage). With 16MP primary camera, it is capable of shooting 4K video as well.
Connectivity options included in the phone are LTE Cat 6, Bluetooth 4.1 and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and globally unlocked variants will work on TDD and FDD LTE bands. The most eye-catching feature of this handset is its gold plate. It is also notable that the phone features Corning Gorilla Glass 4 glass panels on both the front and back. The metallic frame that holds the two panels gets a gold treatment too.
The curvy S6 Edge is priced at Rs. 58,900 for the 32 GB variant, Rs, 64,900 for the 64 GB and Rs. 70,900 for the 128 GB variant.
You can know more about the specs and features of the phone in the table below:
Along with the Galaxy Note 5, Samsung has also launched the much awaited high-end Galaxy S6 Edge+, and we finally have all the official information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q-p-zkydLQ
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ has a 5.7” Quad HD Super AMOLED 2560 x 1440 (518ppi) dual edge screen and is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The device runs on the Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop) with an Octa core (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad), 64 bit, 14nm processor.
The device comes in two variants – 32GB and 64 GB both with a 4 GB RAM. The primary camera has a 16 MP, 2988 x 5312 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash while the front camera has a 5 MP, dual video call, Auto HDR one.
Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi , dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, a bluetooth v4.2, GPS and a nano-SIM.The S6 edge+ come with a non-removable Li-Ion 3,000mAh, fast charging both, wireless charging compatible with WPC and PMA and has been launched in various colours such as – White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium etc. The price of this product will be announced on the 19th of August 2015, along with the Galaxy Note 5.
Samsung has also announced the launch of its new smartwatch Gear S2 which will take place at the IFA Berlin Launch Event in early September. Watch this space for more updates and details.
We had recently mentioned to you that Samsung is all set to take the markets with the new S6 Edge Plus. However, the coming of this new device might see the exit of the 128GB variant of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge that have been taken off the shelves of Indian and Dutch markets.
Earlier, these devices were available in three variants: 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB in countries like Singapore, UK, Australia etc. But now, it is likely that the 128GB will exit these countries as well.
While the actual reasons for taking the 128GB off shelves are unclear, it could be due to the exorbitant price tag it had. That’s right. The 128GB Galaxy S6 model costed a whopping Rs.61,900 (970$) while the Edge variant costed Rs.70,900 (1110$). Keeping these rocketing prices in mind, bidding farewell to this variant, won’t be such a bad decision, after all.
Last week, we reported that Samsung may have advanced the release date from September to August for Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, to boost the struggling sales the company has been experiencing for past few months. Earlier today we gave you a sneak peek into what the Galaxy Note 5 would look like and along with it were a new set of images that were posted, giving us an idea about how the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus would look. All About Samsung has posted photographs of what looks like a storage dummy for the upcoming phone.
In the above photo, the S6 Edge Plus looks to be around the same height as the Galaxy Note 4, but is slightly less wide. The Note 4’s display clocks at 5.7 inches, which makes the Galaxy S6 Edge + bigger than its predecessor.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is basically the phablet version of the Galaxy S6 Edge. The device is assumed to have a curved display and run on Exynos 7420 processor with 3GB, instead of the Snapdragon 808. Samsung will probably release the official photos in the next few weeks, and judging by the above photo, this one looks to be a serious contender to Apple’s upcoming iPhone.
Samsung is reportedly working on a new phone, SM-G928, code-named Project Zero 2. What makes it interesting is that the phone will be similar to Galaxy S6 Edge, save for the display and processor. The phone will reportedly sport a 5.4-inch or 5.7-inch Super AMOLED dual-edge curved screen.
According to the report, the SM-G928 will run on a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor. In addition to that, the phone will have a 32GB internal storage space, a 16-megapixel primary camera with optical image stabilizer and 4K video recording, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
As far as physical dimensions are concerned, the phone is around 151 mm tall and around 73 mm wide, which makes it taller and wider than Galaxy S6 Edge. The report speculates that the display will be larger than 5.1 inch, which is currently the display size in Galaxy S6. An increase in physical dimensions should allow the phone to create space for a larger battery, which is rumored to be a 3,000 mAh battery.
The Project Zero 2 is being called Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. However, Samsung has not confirmed anything yet. The report states that an official announcement will be made by the company shortly.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge back in September 2014. As an icing on the cake, the Korean company in collaboration with Oculus revealed the Gear VR, a virtual reality headgear developed to work along with the Note 4. A year after, Samsung released its latest flagship devices, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in April 2015. The company also announced that a similar VR set will accompany the handsets soon, but no such headset were up for purchase.
Today, Samsung made this device available for purchase. The device, named as Gear VR Innovator Edition for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, is a smaller and lighter version of the Note 4 Gear VR. It comes with a redesigned strap and a built-in fan to help in air-flow. According to Samsung, the Octa-Core Exynos 7420 chipset, which is the powerhouse of S6 and S6 Edge handsets, and the high PPI display will provide its users with better and smoother virtual reality experience. The other side of the coin would be the smaller screen of the S6 and S6 Edge devices, which may result in a narrow field of view.
This device is available at Samsung’s official website and BestBuy. This device can be purchased for $199.99 (Rs 12,741) and is available only for its US customers right now. No other details about its price and availability in India has been disclosed.
After their formal introduction at MWC 2015, Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge instantly became one of the most sought-after devices. They received a record of 20 million unit orders within a week of their launch. Over the years, Samsung has become a company that is known for experimenting with unique variants of its products. Carrying on the trend, Samsung affirmed that they will be releasing a limited set of Avengers-themed Galaxy S6 Edge, starting off with an Iron Man themed handset.
Samsung confirmed on Monday that Iron Man themed Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will be launching by next month and will be based on Iron Man’s standard red and yellow suit colour. Though Samsung Mobile Exec, Young Hee, did not mention where and at what price.
Avengers: Age of Ultron one of the most-anticipated films of 2015 broke the world record by making over $40 million in IMAX theatres in just 12 days of release.
Meanwhile, Samsung and Marvel teamwork resulted in a free app called ‘Battle for Avengers Tower’ that uses Samsung Gear VR headset. You can check out the 360-degree video below.
In a strange turn of events, we’re hearing that Japan will be receiving Samsung’s newest flagship – the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge without the company logo. These handsets will instead be dubbed as Docomo Galaxy and au Galaxy, with respect to the associated Japanese telecom service provider. The company has also renamed its Japanese Facebook page to Galaxy Mobile Japan.
One reason being cited is that even though Samsung might triumphant globally, its grip in Japan is not up to the mark. The second reason is that this may be due to communal tensions between Korea and Japan. These are all speculations based on its market evaluations, since Samsung has chosen to remain silent on the subject.
Apple products sell the most in Japan, followed by Sony, Sharp and Fujitsu. When Samsung released the Galaxy Note Edge in November 2014, Samsung chose Japan to be the first country for the release. Sadly, the company received less than 5% market share, selling only ten thousand units four months after its launch. Apple, on the other hand, captured over more than half of the market, attributing mainly to the popularity of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Samsung already withdrew its TV television business in 2007 when the product sold only 0.1% in the Japanese market. Though not having a good start in Japan, Samsung hopes the name change reverses their fortune in Japan.
To read about Samsung S6 and S6 Edge, click here. Here’s are quick hands on with the devices:
The most recent offering of Samsung, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, will be open from today for public across the globe. The South Korean smartphone behemoth expects record shipment of Galaxy S6 handsets, but it has to struggle to meet the demands of the curved screen smartphone. The news surfaced the day before when the company’s Mobile Chief J.K. Shin explained the problem in manufacturing Galaxy S6 Edge screens could lead to the limited supply of the curved edge version.
The statement by Shin about the S6 Edge reads, “We’re working hard to resolve the difficulty in supply” and that the problem could persist “for a while.” This is clearly not a good message by the company at a time when the curvy S6 Edge is ready to retail in different markets across the globe. The company might have to face the frenzy of the audience for not accomplishing its promise on time.
Samsung reported a record pre-order of 20 million Galaxy S6 series smartphones, out of which 15 million were for the standard Galaxy S6 and 5 million orders were placed for its edgier counterpart. The company might be facing a challenge to deliver the 5 million S6 Edge handsets that have already been pre-ordered.
The revolutionary design of the smartphone gave an ‘edge’ to the device. There have been reports by various analysts that potential hiccups in supply could prove to be a roadblock to the success of Samsung.
It would be interesting to observe how Samsung cope up with the manufacturing complexities. Meanwhile, you can watch our hands-on video below:
