Samsung has unveiled two versions of its next flagship phone, the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge – which has a screen that curves round its sides.
The curved screen of the Galaxy S6 Edge provides a quick way to stay in touch with select contacts, and to alert owners to important information.
Changes and improvements to the new device include making the TouchWiz user interface simpler to use by cutting the number of pop-up messages and introducing a metal frame and glass back instead of the plastic styling of earlier models.
However, these phones are not water-resistant, they do not have a microSD slot for extra storage and their backs cannot be removed to change their batteries.
The S6 Edge uses its curved screen to provide features of its own such as:
- People Edge – provides a quick way to bring up calls, texts and other messages from five acquaintances of the owner’s choice. Each person is assigned a different colour, which the phone’s edge flashes when it rings, providing a hint of the caller’s identity even if the device is face down.
- Information Stream – displays the time, weather and selected notifications on the curved part.
The front camera has been upgraded to 5 megapixels, while the rear one stays at 16MP.
By having a wider aperture, this should improve their ability to take photos and videos in low light conditions.
According to Samsung, the device now takes less than a second to double tap the home key and snap a shot.
Also a “world first” by the company, embedding support for both the PMA and WPC wireless charging standards.
These Android-powered (5.0) handsets are also faster to recharge, and will give you 4 hours of battery life with just 10mins of charging. Samsung has also said that this was half the time it would take to charge an iPhone 6.
These devices will be available in 3 storage capacities: 32GB/64GB/128GB while the RAM is upgraded to DDR4.
Other improvements over the S5 include:
- Increased screen resolution – 5.1-inch quad-HD Super AMOLED display, with a pixel density of 577ppi (pixels per inch) and the ability to go 20% brighter
- New 14 nanometre processor designed by Samsung, rather than bought from Qualcomm, that should be more energy efficient
- The addition of Samsung Pay, a smart wallet service that allows the handsets to act as a credit or debit card when tapped against a shop’s NFC chip reader or used to transmit magnetic stripe data
The firm also revealed it had developed a new version of its Gear VR virtual reality kit that could use the S6 as a screen.
Vodacom has confirmed it will sell the Galaxy S6 in South Africa. The device are set to go on sale on 10 April in 20 countries. They will come in different colours such as White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz, and Green Emerald.
