Samsung Galaxy S6 Vs Galaxy S5: Should You Upgrade?
Out with the old, in with the new. For Samsung the old was dreadful: lackluster Galaxy S5 sales and an even worse 2014, but the good news is the new has never been newer. The newly launched Galaxy S6 is Samsung’s most radical reinvention of its Galaxy S range to date. So is it enough?
My initial impressions are… maybe. The Galaxy S6 is a handset so determined to break from the past that it takes risks which may alienate the millions of owners still loyal to the range. On the flip side there are also so many positive changes that the S6 may do enough to attract a whole new audience.
Let’s break it down…
Design – Practicality Vs Style
If there was one thing Samsung knew it had to change about the Galaxy S5 it was the design and stylistically the (admittedly much leaked) Galaxy S6 is a breath of fresh air. This is immediately apparent on the page:
- Galaxy S6 – 143.3 x 70.8 x 6.9 mm (5.64 x 2.79 x 0.27 in) and 132 g (4.65 oz)
- Galaxy S5 – 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm (5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 in) and 145 g (5.11 oz)
While fractionally taller, the Galaxy S6 is noticeably narrower, thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S5 despite packing the same size 5.1-inch display (more later). That said the dimensions and weight are not really where the major interest lies.
The big talking point is the shift from the Galaxy S line’s much derided plastic finishes to premium materials of aluminium and glass. As such the Galaxy S6 has been brought into line with the likes of HTC’s One range and the iPhone 6.
Galaxy S5 (left) vs Galaxy S6 (right – proportional photo – image credit Samsung
Yet it is not all plain sailing. The step up in build materials and to a unibody chassis bring two major compromises: the loss of expandable storage and removable batteries.
For many Galaxy users these were crucial differentiators and now LG’s G3 (and presumably the upcoming G4) will be their only premium options to provide both going forward. I find that a little sad.
I also have long term durability questions about the Galaxy S6’s move to a glass back. Apple never solved the problem of cracking which haunted both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S and I’m not overly convinced it is a smart move of Samsung to revisit it, despite using the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4.
This isn’t the end of the practical compromises either as another victim of Samsung’s focus on style is the loss of the Galaxy S5’s water resistance. The S5 was never fully waterproof, but it could be splashed, sprayed or even briefly submerged in water without a problem. It was a nice differentiator so I’m sad to see it go with the S6.
Consequently while I find the Galaxy S6 to be a significantly better looking phone than its predecessor, it also feels like a much less practical device.
Galaxy S6 (right) ditches plastic removable back for fixed glass – image cired Samsung
Displays – Extreme But Improved
I get a similar feeling from the Galaxy S6’s upgraded display:
- Galaxy S6 – 5.1-inch, 2560 x 1440 pixels (577 ppi), Super AMOLED display
- Galaxy S5 – 5.1-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels (432 ppi), Super AMOLED panel
Objectively the jump to 2k from 1080p will deliver an even sharper screen and the improved contrast ratio and colour accuracy is welcome. That said I still fail to see the practicality of 2k on such small screens considering the hit they deliver to performance and battery life.
I appreciate the counter argument that these displays can match or even be slightly more efficient than older 1080p panels, but I’d rather see even greater savings passed onto new 1080p panels. Apple claims the human eye can’t distinguish pixels beyond 326ppi and while I disagree, I think jumps beyond the Galaxy S5’s 432 ppi verge on pointless.
Performance – Massive Hardware and Software Improvements
Given all premium smartphones arguably have more power than is necessary, it would seem the major upgrades Samsung has made to the Galaxy S6 are pointless – yet for me they are actually the most exciting aspects to the new phone:
- Galaxy S6 – Exynos 7420, Quad-core 21.GHz and 1.5GHz CPUs and Mali-T760 GPU, 3GB RAM
- Galaxy S5 – Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 CPUs and Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM
What the hardware changes to the Galaxy S6 represent are a change in Samsung’s mindset. For the first time since the Galaxy S2, Samsung has ditched Qualcomm as its primary chipset supplier and gone all in with its own Exynos 7420 chipset.
The 7420 is a potentially fascinating addition to the smartphone world which breaks from the monotony of all premium handsets choosing whatever is the latest Snapdragon option. Furthermore if Samsung’s performance and efficiency claims (35% versus rivals) bear out, it will crack the Android smartphone landscape open in a manner which is long overdue.
Yes the shift also comes with risks (all Android apps are primarily coded for compliance with Qualcomm chips), but Samsung’s influence on the sector should mitigate any major app compatibility problems.
Galaxy S5 (top) is thinner than the Galaxy S6 (bottom) – image credit Samsung
Furthermore the Galaxy S6’s hardware innovation goes hand-in-hand with a hugely welcome overhaul of TouchWiz. Samsung made minor attempts to trim the fat on the Galaxy S5, but the real revolution comes with the Galaxy S6.
Gone is the much of the Samsung bloatware and the company has stressed its new priority is speed and efficiency. Given every TouchWiz smartphone up to now has suffered from lag (no matter the hardware) and wasted a lot storage space (crucial now micro SD expansion has gone) this is a very welcome and long overdue change of approach.
Galaxy S5 owners will inevitably see some benefit from this when the updated TouchWiz software is made available for their phones. This is unlikely to fully remove all the bloat, but it could make your existing S5 (and even S4 or S3) feel like a brand new device.
Where the S5 won’t be able to catch up, however, is the fingerprint sensor. The S5’s swipe-based sensor was fairly clunky and the S6 has a new (and slightly enlarged) fingerprint sensor which works with just a touch. This now matches a certain fruit-named company and the introduction of Samsung Pay also sees the S6 dive into the fight for smartphone-based transactions.
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