Samsung Confronts Apple With Release Of High-End Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung launched two versions of its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, on Sunday during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, striving to match the success of its high-end mobility competitor Apple.

Solution providers applauded the Galaxy S6's improved focus on design and wireless charging technology, but were unsure whether the new phones would help Samsung beat out Apple for the coming year's global smartphone market share.

"I think the Galaxy S6 is interesting and will attract people because it's different, but I don't personally see anything Samsung can do that will move consumer interest from an iPhone to the Galaxy S series," said David Felton, founder of Norwalk, Conn.-based solution provider Canaan Technology. "The Galaxy S6 Edge is flashy and will definitely get some buzz. But as far as taking market share, that is more about the customization of the operating system."

[Related: Samsung Galaxy S6: Five Features Samsumg Partners Expect ]

The Galaxy S6 contains a 5.1-inch flat panel, while the Galaxy S6 Edge contains a 5.1-inch curved panel. Both new versions of the phone feature a thinner and lighter design, and are manufactured primarily with aluminum and Gorilla glass, a refreshing change after the previous Galaxy S phones' cheaper, plastic frames, according to Samsung.

The two smartphone versions also are equipped with features such as a front and rear camera with F1.9 lenses and high-resolution sensors, wireless charging technology, and a 14 nm mobile processor with a 64-bit platform. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will be available globally beginning on April 10, according to South Korea-based Samsung.

Executives explained that the innovative designs in the two new Galaxy S6 versions were driven by consumer feedback.

’With the all-new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, Samsung is offering what’s next in mobility, along with a new standard to drive the global mobile agenda,’ said JK Shin, CEO and head of IT and Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics, in a release. ’By listening to our customers, and learning from both our success and missteps, we continuously push forward new technologies and ideas. With a re-imagined design, robust partner network and novel services, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge offer users the ultimate experience in smartphone options.’

The new smartphone design may help the smartphone company gain a firm foothold in the global marketplace again. According to market research firm IDC, Samsung remained the leader in the worldwide smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2014 with 20 percent share, but Apple's 19.85 percent share loomed right behind.

In addition to pressure on the high end from Apple, Samsung also has faced tight competition from midrange vendors, like Xiaomi and Huawei.

Canaan Technology's Felton stressed that, while the new Galaxy S smartphones may not rival Apple, they would probably take market share from other smartphone companies.

"As far as Apple, I don't see Samsung taking customers from them, But if anything, it's going to take on HTC and LG's products," he said.

Patrick Moorhead, president and principal Analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy, a tech analyst firm based in Austin, Texas, acknowledged the marked similarities between the iPhone and the new Galaxy S6, but agreed that Samsung is not in a position to "slow Apple down."

"Samsung took a few steps forward with the Galaxy 6 and the Edge. The design is much improved and shares a lot of design elements with the iPhone 5 and 6," he said. "In fact, someone could potentially confuse the two phones, particularly if the look at the top or bottom of the phone. All in all, I don’t think that this will slow Apple down, but could potentially hurt other higher-end Android smartphone players."

NEXT: Galaxy S6 Boasts New Enterprise Features

In addition to design, Samsung placed an emphasis on appealing features for the enterprise demand with an announcement that its new payment system, Samsung Pay, would launch on Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge during the second half of the year.

The mobile payment system news was anticipated after Samsung purchased LoopPay, a Burlington, Mass.-based payment system working with near field communication (NFC) and magnetic secure transmission (MST) to enhance payments.

The two Galaxy S6 versions are also built on Samsung's upgraded end-to-end security platform, Samsung KNOX, offering security features such as Find My Mobile for securing lost devices, a touch-type fingerprint scanner to provide authentication and save encrypted data and a remotely-controlled "reactivation lock."

Moorhead said that, while some of the features displayed in the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were good, some remained skeptical about the new smartphones.

"I liked Samsung’s improved fast, tethered charging and support for both wireless charging standards," he said. "There are a lot of unknowns about the Galaxy 6. One of these is the ease, security and privacy of Samsung Pay. The other is the performance of their own SoC and modem. We’ll have to wait for SoC benchmarks."

PUBLISHED MARCH 2, 2015