10 Ways Samsung's New Galaxy S6 Is Worth The Hype

Samsung's New Mobile Direction

After months of buildup, Samsung released two versions of its newest flagship phone, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, Sunday at Mobile World Congress.

Partners and analysts alike were impressed by the variety of new features unveiled by Samsung, which made the phones markedly different from their predecessors.

Other than the Galaxy S6 Edge's curved panel, compared to the Galaxy S6's flat panel, the two versions of the Galaxy S6 are similar. But both versions of the new Galaxy S6 have several other impressive features. Following are the new features seen in the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, which will be available April 10.

10. Enhanced Display

The 6.8mm-thick Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge both feature a 5.1-inch, quad HD high-pixel density 577-ppi display, including Super AMOLED. However, while the Galaxy S6 contains a flat panel, the Galaxy S6 Edge contains a panel that is curved at both vertical edges of the phone.

Analysts and partners said the new curved display on the Galaxy S6 Edge, in particular, would help boost the South Korean company's smartphone sales.

"The curved display on the Galaxy S6 wraps around both sides, which is interesting," noted Charles King, analyst at research firm Pund-IT. "The curve may be subtler than what people were expecting, but it helps the phone to stand out from its competitors."

9. Metal And Glass

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge use metal and glass around their bases, as opposed to the Galaxy S5's less expensive, underlying chromed plastic construction.

The new smartphones contain glass bodies, made from Gorilla Glass 4, and are available in an array of jewel tones such as white pearl, black sapphire, gold platinum, blue topaz and green emerald.

Partners praised the new, more high-end materials, saying they would likely bolster the new smartphones' popularity, putting Samsung on par with high-end competitors such as Apple.

8. Front And Rear Camera

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge boast a front and rear camera with F1.9 lenses and high-resolution sensors on both cameras. The cameras also contain Auto Real-Time High Dynamic Range, Smart Optical Image Stabilization, and IR Detect White Balance to attend to light sensitivities.

The Samsung Galaxy S6's camera includes a new Quick Launch feature, allowing users rapid access to the camera from any screen by clicking the home key button. The devices also include features like virtual shot, fast and slow motion, pro mode, and selective focus.

7. Wireless Charging

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge also include wireless charging with any wireless pad available in markets supporting WPC 1.1 and PMA 1.0 standards, or protocols for different power transfer avenues.

Samsung's previous Galaxy S phones did not support embedded wireless charging technology, and partners think the new move will help boost interest in the new devices.

"I liked Samsung’s improved fast, tethered charging and support for both wireless charging standards," said Patrick Moorhead, president and principal Analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy, a leading tech analyst firm.

In addition to wireless charging, Samsung boasted that its new phones support wireless charging 1.5 times faster than the Galaxy S5, providing four hours of usage after 10 minutes of charging.

6. Core Technology

As expected, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge use Samsung's own Octa-core 64-bit Exynos processor, a 14nm mobile processor with a new LPDDR4 memory system, upgrading the products' underlying core technology and pushing higher performance and upgraded memory speed. The devices also use Quad 2.1GHz, Quad 1.5GHz and Octacore application processor.

Previous Samsung smartphones, such as the Galaxy S5, used Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 SoC, with a 32-bit quad-core processor running at 2.5GHz and 2 GB of RAM.

5. Mobile Payment

Samsung said 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 announcement was highly 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.

Samsung Pay puts the South Korean company's mobile division on pay with other payment platforms, such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay.

4. Enhanced Security

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are also built on Samsung's upgraded end-to-end security platform, Samsung Knox.

However, unlike previous devices, the platform offers upgraded security features such as a Find My Mobile app for securing lost devices, a touch-type fingerprint scanner to provide authentication and save encrypted data, and a remotely controlled "Reactivation Lock."

3. Price

The price of the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge were not yet revealed by Samsung during Mobile World Congress. However, the company did state that the Galaxy S6 Edge would cost more than the Galaxy S6. The Galaxy S5 began shipping last year for around $200 with a contract.

2. Microsoft Apps

Samsung will bundle at least three Microsoft apps on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, according to the company.

The Galaxy S6 will include Microsoft's Skype, OneDrive 115 GB for two years, and OneNote apps pre-installed in a Microsoft Apps folder pinned to its home screen. The development on Microsoft's part comes as the Redmond, Wash.-based software company attempts to push more apps for platforms other than the Windows Phone.

Samsung new Galaxy S6 devices also includes Google apps and services, including Gmail and Chrome.

1. Additional Features

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge also contain an array of additional features on top of their mobile payment system, enhanced security features and bundled Microsoft apps.

A few additional features for the phones include Ultra Power Saving Mode, S Health 4.0, an upgraded health app on the phone, as well as Smart Manager, S Finder, S Voice, and Download Booster.