Samsung has been known to release new flagship smartphones on an annual basis. With its release of the Galaxy S5 and the Note 4 last year to upgrade its flagship Galaxy S and Note lineups, respectively, it can be expected that it will release updates for both this year. Although Samsung didn’t confirm or mention any impending smartphone release at the recent Consumer Electronics Show 2015 (CES 2015), we can still safely assume that it is working on something, and that something will be revealed soon. Rumor has it that the release date can be on the first quarter of this year or between February and May.
In December 2014, we have already seen several leaks about the Samsung Galaxy S6. Of course, the general expectation is that it will have a beefed-up specs to provide faster performance, improved display resolution, and better camera capabilities.
On the outside, our hope is that Samsung switches from the cheap and plasticky chassis into a premium metal body. Actually, rumors of the Galaxy S6 having a metal frame keep coming in so hopefully on its release, all of these are true.
From one concept, done by Josip Jakubiv, the upcoming Galaxy S6 is expected to have the same mottled back but to sport a much larger screen and a refined design with perhaps a dash of metal there.
Still Super AMOLED
There is no sign that Samsung is leaving its signature Super AMOLED display behind so we can expect it to make a comeback on the Galaxy S6. Yet, we can expect it to have an improved screen resolution since Samsung already had a 2560 x 1440 resolution on its last smartphone, the Galaxy Note 4. At the very least, we can expect the Galaxy S6 to have similar resolution as this one, if not higher.
Actually, in the past, Samsung mentioned its hopes of having smartphones with 3840 x 2160 resolution, which we all know as “4K”. Thus, there is a possibility that Samsung will attain its hope with the Galaxy S6, jumping from the 2K resolution to the 4K resolution. However, with the expected announcement on the first quarter of the year, this can be quite surprising if it really does happen. So, having 4K resolution on a phone is more likely for the Galaxy Note 5, but Samsung have surprised us in the past so who knows?
On top of its Super AMOLED display, an innovation that is also possible on the Galaxy S6 is having a flexible display. Samsung has already introduced a similar technology on the Galaxy Note Edge, where its display flows on one side like a screen waterfalls. Although the Note Edge is not entirely flexible but more of a curved display, it’s a start.
Although a flexible display is possible, it still seems unlikely because Samsung is not a brand that implements untested technology on its flagship devices. So, maybe next year.
On Samsung HD blog, it has been mentioned that the Galaxy S6 might have curved display on both edges. Prototypes are said to have been made but it is still quite unclear if Samsung will really reach a Galaxy S6 with curved edges. It would be awesome though and what’s more awesome is if it had a screen that bends.
The Power Inside
Since Android Lollipop already has 64-bit support, we can expect the Samsung Galaxy S6 to carry a 64-bit processor. However, the specific processor that will be used is still undefined. What’s for sure is that it will be a Snapdragon processor, possibly a Snapdragon 808 or a Snapdragon 810.
The Snapdragon 808 is a six-core 64-bit processor with 2K display support while the Snapdragon 810 is an octa-core 64-bit processor with 4K display support. If Samsung is pushing for a 4K display, it will use the Snapdragon 810 then. But knowing Samsung launches different variants of even one model, there is still a possibility for a Snapdragon 808 unit. Another possibility is for Samsung to stick with the Snapdragon 805 used in the Galaxy Note 4, but that’s too convenient and Samsung is known to go beyond boundaries so hopefully it will surpass that.
Samsung has a strong Exynos chip, which is used in the Galaxy Alpha, so that’s also another possibility.
In terms of RAM, GSM Arena posted that it will have 3GB. However, 64-bit processors are known to work well with 4GB RAM so for optimum power that is another likelihood. Moreover, Samsung is allegedly mass producing 4GB RAM modules so these might make their way to the Galaxy S6.
Another performance bump is when flash memory is introduced in smartphones. Galaxy S6 might have a Universal Flash Storage (UFS) for enhanced data speeds and power consumption savings.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Eye
According to reports, the Galaxy S6 will feature a 20-megapixel main camera. This is the same expectation made for the Galaxy Note 4 but upon launch, it also had a 16-megapixel camera. This was done to keep the device thin while still have OIS technology.
If the Galaxy S6 arrives with a 20-megapixel eye and OIS technology, we can expect it to be fatter and heavier compared to its predecessors.
Some Nifty Features
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 is expected to retain some the features of its predecessors like the heart rate monitor, UV sensor, multi-directional microphones, and fast charging. The fingerprint scanner might also appear on this smartphone although Samsung has been holding it off on some its phones and tablets.
A new feature that we we’d like to see and rumored to might arrive, though still unlikely, in this device is a retina scanner, specifically iris detection. The technology for this is still far off so it might be unlikely that this feature will be on the Galaxy S6. Still, we’d like to see Samsung surprise us.