News & Reviews:   Samsung Galaxy S6

Featuring a new and much improved design the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge look to make a splash on 2 April 2015 here in Malaysia but before that, more than 60 lucky winners may get the opportunity to get one for free. From 23rd of March onwards, Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge hunters can hunt down Mr.S6, a fugitive on the run with 30 Samsung Galaxy S6 and 30 Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones to give away. Done in collaboration with www.hitz.fm and www.era.fm, I want #myGalaxyS6 hunters must hunt down Mr.S6. Clues can be obtained from Samsung Mobile Malaysia’s Facebook page daily from Monday to Friday and 23 March 2015 till 10 April 2015. Identify the location of Mr.S6 and find him. If you think you’ve found the correct Mr.S6, say the password “I want #myGalaxyS6”, answer the question and you will be the lucky winner of either the Samsung Galaxy S6 or the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. Of the 60 lucky winners, 19 have already been found so check it out soon. Here's what Samsung Malaysia had to say about it.

“People are the starting and end point of Samsung’s design philosophy and we are always looking for ways to create new experiences for our consumers. With that in mind, we organised the “I want #myGalaxyS6” hunt for you to join us as we gear up for the official arrival of two latest smartphones with capabilities no other phone can match; the ground-breaking Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge,” Lee Sang Hoon, President of Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn. Bhd.

With the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge launch date all but finalized for 2 April 2015,Maxis, Celcom and DiGi have come out with teasers for these devices. For Maxis, asides from a teaser image they also announced that the 1st 1000 buyers will get a free wireless charger and screen protector worth RM280 along with the chance to buy the Emerald Green coloured version. Stocks of this colour are limited and it certainly makes the Galaxy S6 Edge look more striking. Celcom and DiGi have been less specific about what is coming with their plans or bundles and have just come out with a teaser image each saying that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are coming soon. 

While most of the smartphone consumers in Malaysia are anxiously awaiting the upcoming announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in Malaysia this 2 April 2015, Samsung Malaysia would like all it's enterprise users to know that these two devices also offer some of the best enterprise-level security features as well. While this is partly due to the software and hardware architecture built-into the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge (like the fingerprint sensor), most of this enterprise-level security is provided for by the Samsung KNOX end-to-end mobile security platform which has also been integrated with both devices. Secure enough for government use the Samsung KNOX platform offers real-time protection all the time including malware monitoring and OS-level protection. In addition the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge offer the latest 64-bit 14nm fabricated processors with improved battery life, faster charging and built-in wireless charging for both PMA and WPC standards. Both devices also come with the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for better scratch resistance. The latest Samsung KNOX release is KNOX 2.4 with new features that includes integration with Samsung wearable devices, enterprise billing and Enterprise ID integration for wearable device login. The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are expected to be announced for Malaysia with Samsung KNOX built in on 2 April 2015.

Samsung Electronics Malaysia recently sent out invites for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge for 2 April 2015. Featuring a new glass and metal body, the Galaxy S6 features tech specs that include a 64-bit 2.1GHz octa-core Samsung Exynos processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB / 64GB / 128GB storage, 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution (577 ppi), a 16MP rear camera with f/1.9 aperture and smart OIS, 5MP front camera and 2550 mAh battery. The Galaxy S6 Edge on the other hand is the only smartphone in the world with a dual-edge bended display. Tech specs are equally high-end with a  64-bit 1.8GHz octa-core Samsung Exynos processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB/64GB/128GB storage, a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2K resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 4, a 16MP f/1.9 aperture rear camera and 5MP front camera. Neither offers IPx7 water proofing, but both look simply stunning. No Malaysia pricing details yet, but the Galaxy S6 is expected to cost around $650 (RM2359) while the Galaxy S6 Edge cost $750 (RM2722) or so. Check out all the videos so far in this article.

Finally, the YOUM flexible smartphone with dual-edge bended display makes an appearance with the official announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. Featuring a metal frame with a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 backside, the Galaxy S6 Edge looks something awesome. However, while it does sport an edge to edge, dual-edge design, neither of said side touchscreens are as functional as the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. True, you can get a clock but that's about it. Other tech specs include a 64-bit 1.8GHz octa-core Samsung Exynos processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB/64GB/128GB storage, a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2K resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 4, a 16MP f/1.9 aperture rear camera and 5MP front camera. Granted, the Galaxy S6 Edge does not offer IPx7 water proofing or an external microSD slot but like the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Edge also has a much streamlined TouchWiz interface. Despite being slower than the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Edge is expected to cost $750 (RM2722) or so and comes with a single-touch fingerprint scanner. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details but it could come with the Galaxy S6 in April 2015.

After years of waiting, Samsung have finally moved on from plastic to both glass and metal for their new Samsung Galaxy S6 flagship smartphone. Officially announced tonight, the new Galaxy S6 uses a rounded metal frame similar to the Lenovo Sisley with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on both front and back. Available in black, blue, gold and white, the Galaxy S6 trades in it's water proofing for a whole new design. Weighing in at 138g and measuring 6.8mm thin, the Galaxy S6 is slimmer and lighter than the Galaxy S5. Tech specs include a 64-bit 2.1GHz octa-core Samsung Exynos processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB / 64GB / 128GB storage, 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution (577 ppi), a 16MP rear camera with f/1.9 aperture and smart OIS, 5MP front camera and 2550 mAh battery. While the back cover and battery are not removable nor is there any microSD slot, the bloated TouchWiz interface has been streamlined to just the important features. In addition the Galaxy S6 also supports built-in wireless charging. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details but it is expected in April 2015 for around $650 (RM2359).

We are just a few hours away from the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S6 flagship smartphone which is probably the most anticipated phone of the year. It is said that under its project zero initiative Samsung will rebuild the new flagship device from scratch. Recent leaks confirm this news as the S6 was spotted in a number of images online. The alleged pictures of the S6 reveal that Samsung has seriously stepped up its design in the new phone. According to the pictures, the device will have a metal frame and a glass panel both on the front and the back. Unlike predecessors, the back will be non-removable and there will be no memory card slot. Instead, it is rumored that the Galaxy S6 could come with a 128GB flash storage that was recently announced by Samsung. The new storage is said to be 2.7 times faster at random data reads as compared to regular flash storage and its sequential speeds are in line with that of SSDs. In the software area too, Samsung will streamline the user experience with reportedly less bloatware. The overall UI will be like the Nexus Vanilla Android experience. A recent report also revealed the full list of apps that will come pre-installed on the S6. They are as follows: S Voice, S Health, Facebook, WhatsApp (download link), Microsoft One Drive, Microsoft One Note, Skype, All Google apps, Galaxy Apps. The company will officially announce the Galaxy S6 today, but a Dutch carrier has already made the device available for pre-order on-contract for free at EUR 44 per month. We will be covering MWC 2015, so stay tuned for more updates. 

With MWC 2015 just a few hours or so away, HTC is all set to unveil its flagship smartphone of the year, the HTC One M9. The new HTC device is said to retain the design philosophy of its predecessors, which is actually a good thing considering all the praise that it received in the past few years. HTC UK recently released a teaser video for the One M9 on twitter. The video reveals little about the device but shows off a violet material ripple which could hint at the new HTC Boom Sound front facing speakers. Finally, there are the words "let them stare", which once again fails to reveal anything concrete about the device.  As for the tech specs, it is almost confirmed that the HTC flagship will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor. The chipmaker recently released a Vine on twitter which showed off a device similar to the One M9 with the words '8:10'. Moreover, in the video, the clock style figures '10:08' changes to '10:09' hinting that the One M9 will succeed the M8. Other leaked tech specs include 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, 5-inch Full HD display, 20MP rear camera and 4MP ultrapixel front shooter and finally a 2900 mAh battery. The company has an event scheduled for 1st March 2015 at 10 AM EST. So, the event will start here in Malaysia at 11PM on Sunday (today). You can check out the live stream for yourself as well but we will be covering MWC 2015, so stay tuned for more updates. 

Samsung has been going on a teaser video frenzy lately for the upcoming Samsung Unpacked event with most of them on the SamsungMobile twitter channel. Many are expecting the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge to make an appearance and from all the hints in the teasers this could well be so. While no actual tech specs or features are mentioned the teasers do indicate that we could see an all metal or premium body, intelligent camera, front stereo speakers, curved borderless displays, wireless charging and an experience like no other. Unfortunately, we've heard all that before for the previous Samsung Galaxy flagships. Thankfully, we won't have to wait long to find out as the next Samsung Unpacked event is set for 1 March 2015, which is just next week. Check out the teaser video below for yourself.

Biometric sensors are usually located on home buttons like in the Apple iPhone 6 or the Samsung Galaxy S5. This forces companies to increase the space below the display so as to accommodate the fingerprint sensor on the button. However, CrucialTek from South Korea has come up with a better solution. The company recently patented a new technology which allows biometric sensors to be embedded directly in the touch screen panel. Once this tech is incorporated in smartphones, users will no longer have to rely on different areas for fingerprint recognition as the touchscreen itself will act as a sensor. This will save a lot of space, especially at the bottom where the sensor is located on the home button. A similar tech was expected to feature in the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 4, but that just didn't happen. As CrucialTek just received the patent, it seems doubtful that we'll see it come in the Galaxy S6 as this is set for release in the next few weeks. However, you can expect future launches, like the Galaxy Note 5 to feature this new age fingerprint module. Apple too is said to be experimenting with a similar technology and even recently patented it. Of course there are no exact Malaysia release dates but we expect such devices to appear later in the year.