Even though the MWC officially kicks off today in Barcelona, Samsung and HTC unveiled their new flagship devices at respective events. All three smartphones – the Galaxy S6, the S6 Edge, and the One M9 – come with premium, sleek designs and interesting specs.
Almost the Same: Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge
The only difference between the two is that the Galaxy S6 Edge comes with a curved screen, and the Galaxy S6 doesn’t. The rest of the specs are the same, and you can see them below:
Display: 5.1” (curved on S6 Edge), Super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Resolution: QHD (2,560 x 1,440 pixels)
Pixel Density: 577 ppi
Processor: Samsung Exynos 7420; 64-bit
RAM: 3GB
Camera (rear): 16 MP, OIS, LED flash
Camera (front): 5 MP
Storage: 2GB / 64GB / 128GB (non-expandable)
Battery: 2,550 mAh (S6), 2,600 mAh (S6 Edge); wireless charging
Connectivity: LTE Cat.6, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, GPS with GLONASS and Beidou, IR blaster, FM radio
OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop (with TouchWiz)
Both Galaxy S6 phones come with a design similar to that of the iPhone 6, plus they offer two volume buttons, no microSD card slot, and a non-removable battery – just like Apple’s flagship phone. The fingerprint scanner is located in the Home button, and to activate it, all you have to do is press your finger to it. Thanks to Android 5.0, the interface of both phones is cleaner and simpler – no unnecessary apps and programs, but there is a new Smart Manager app that will turn out to be really useful in the long run. It allows you to manage RAM usage, phone storage, the battery life, and security of your S6 duo.
The Galaxy S6 will be available in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, and Blue Topaz, while you’ll be able to get the GS6 Edge in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, and Green Emerald. Both phones will go on sale on April 10 in 20 markets, but exact pricing details are yet to be announced.
HTC One M9: Not Much of a Difference
Similar to its predecessor when it comes to design, the HTC One M9 is the fourth generation of the company’s “One” phones. The brushed-metal rear cover gives the phone that unique HTC look, and the beautiful 1080p screen will provide you with fantastic image quality. Although similar to the One M8, the One M9 is in fact lighter and smaller. Let’s check out the phone’s main specs.
Display: 5”, Super LCD3, Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Pixel Density: 441 ppi
Processor: Snapdragon 810
RAM: 3GB
Camera (rear): 20.7 MP, autofocus, dual-LED flash, HTC Zoe (moving pictures sharing)
Camera (front): 4 MP, UltraPixel tech
Storage: 32GB (expandable up to 128GB)
Battery: 2840 mAh (+ fast charging)
Connectivity: LTE Cat.6 or Cat.9 (depends on the region), GPS + GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and Wi-Fi ac
Sound: BoomSound stereo speakers with Dolby Sound technology
Colors: Silver with Rose Gold accents, Gun Metal Gray, Gold, Pink with Gold accents
OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop (with HTC Sense UI 7.0)
There aren’t a number of new things when it comes to the phone’s software, but what you can do is customize the colors and themes to your liking, download custom themes, and even upload and share them. A new widget suggests which apps you should use based on your location.
Although it won’t be necessary for you to switch your One M8 with the new One M9, the latter will definitely be remembered as one of the best phones this year. Pricing and release details are yet to be announced, but we suspect it will cost around $650 in the US.