SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 LEAK DAMAGE SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

Above: Samsung teaser promotion alludes to wireless charging and speed.

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
SAMSUNG GALAXY S6:
LEAK DAMAGE?

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! How goes it? Well, it’s not long before we learn what the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S Edge is all about! Are you planning on getting either the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S Edge? I’ve got to have the Galaxy S Edge as I gave the Galaxy Note Edge a miss for the Galaxy Gear VR!

Here’s a question: Do you think that all these “leaks” are damaging Samsung’s chances for success?

#Samsung #GalaxyS6 #GalaxySEdge  #Leaks

NO SURPRISES?
Do you think that there will be no surprises on the day of the reveal, 1^st March 2015?

What do we really know about the Galaxy S6 apart from some “leaked” specs? Not a lot, right?

Here’s what we don’t know:-

The new cameras
The camera is a big deal on smartphones these days and Samsung knows more than any manufacturer just how important it is to get this feature right. We’re seeing many Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei putting in some serious MegaPixels on the front-facing camera these days i.e. 13MP! Gosh! Golly! Gee! But at the end of the day it’s easy enough to take selfie pictures with the main camera. Besides, many selfie pictures are fodder for social network feeds; 13MP may be overkill for that purpose. If the rumoured 5MP front-facing camera on the Galaxy S6 & S Edge is accurate then I’d say that Samsung has got it right (for the front-facing camera).

As for the main camera... ...it seems there is some fluctuation between 16MP and 20MP. I am going to place a bet on 20MP as this was a big rumour for the Galaxy S5. We are still in the dark (hee hee) about how the main camera will compete against strong efforts from other manufacturers. I would imagine that in any event (Mobile World Congress 2015) Samsung will make a massive effort in outdoing the iPhone cameras. Samsung should be aiming to obliterate the iPhone cameras in terms of quality of results and not just a high MegaPixel rating alone. As well as optical image stabilization we want more quality night shots.

Battery life
It looks as though the battery will be smaller due to the fact that we are expecting not only a metal / glass unibody but the Galaxy S6 (and possibly S Edge) will be ultra-thin. As a result the battery is said to be 2600 mAh. Now there are several factors to a handset that can drain a battery fast:-

a) The operating system... Lollipop (Android 5) may be causing the battery to drain rapidly as it is a major upgrade. No doubt that Google will keep releasing updates to improve the overall Lollipop experience as they have done with other incarnations of Android.

b) A QHD display! Samsung could reveal an improvement upon its Super AMOLED technology that is less taxing on the battery.

c) The processor; as soon as you start using your handset to consume media i.e. YouTube videos, games and music the battery starts to diminish considerably. It seems to me that the tech media keeps forgetting that Samsung is an experienced chip manufacturer and that it has been responsible for the iPhone A series of processors. Many showed concern regarding the use of Samsung’s own chip, Exynos 7420 for the Galaxy S6 (and S Edge) instead of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 but Samsung would not jeopardise its flagship knowing how high the stakes are. Who knows how long Samsung has been working on the Exynos 7420? To hazard a guess I would say since Apple engaged Samsung to realize its 64-bit processor; it was just waiting for Lollipop.

We have an idea that the Exynos 7420 chip will be less of a strain on the battery.

Biometric scanner
We have yet to get details on the fingerprint scanner. Apparently the swipe to unlock fingerprint scanner is out! The fingerprint scanner should work in a similar way to the iPhone. But that is just hearsay! It could be that Samsung removes this feature totally from the Galaxy S6 and S Edge. To me a fingerprint scanner is just a novelty.

It does appear as though the heart rate scanner will still be a feature.

Samsung specific apps
I am not talking about bloatware but Samsung productivity apps... We have no idea what or if Samsung will provide its own apps that can take advantage of the Exynos 7420 processor and much rumoured 3GB RAM. For all we know it could be 4GB when it is actually released.

It sort of goes with the biometric scanner in that Samsung did a good job with the S Health app to track steps, heart rate, calorie intake, etc. I use it on my Galaxy Note 4. I find it very useful.

Sound
We don’t know if the Galaxy S6 and S Edge will have the same kind of sound features that will appeal to enthusiastic and professional musicians like the Galaxy Note 4 does. Fingers crossed that it does! The functions for sound can make a great difference in sales as music making apps on Android have gotten to a very high standard. Again, Samsung has its own Soundcamp music making app that could see its way on the Galaxy S6 and S Edge.

See?
There is a lot that we really don’t know. I could post up “leaked” pictures of the Galaxy S6 and its Edge variant but you have probably seen them already. And the chances are is that those pictures are genuine. Samsung and other manufacturers “leak” the images and benchmarks on purpose to generate excitement and to keep the media (in general) writing and talking about the Next Big Thing. The images are also leaked so that we don’t expect too much of the design so when it is actually revealed it shouldn’t come as a shock if you were expecting something outlandish. Once the look of the handset is “revealed” we should then start to focus on what the handset can do.

In a way we’ve been looking at “leaks” ever since Samsung put the Galaxy Alpha out there which has morphed to the all metal Galaxy A series. Some of that design ethos will go into the Galaxy S6 & S Edge (as I have pointed out already).

SHOWTIME
The reason why the Galaxy S5 didn’t do so well wasn’t because of the “leaks”... Well, kind of... We’ll get to that in a bit... It was simply because Samsung didn’t do a presentation in a similar vein to the Galaxy S4. Samsung should get back to those big reveals; while the introduction of the Galaxy S4 didn’t go down with everybody – it was seen as patronizing to women – it still showed off the great functionality of the handset. I would imagine that Samsung was feeling deflated after the Apple witch hunt and when the tech media panned the Galaxy S4 Unpacked event it (Samsung) felt rejected and decided to tone things down for the Galaxy S5, “Back to basics...” If the “leaks” did damage the Galaxy S5 it was because some of the “leaked specs” didn’t live up to the hype. I was initially disappointed with the Galaxy S5 design (even though it was “leaked”); I found myself hoping that some of the concept renderings (at the time) would have been based upon a Samsung design. I was also disappointed with the spec. We Android folk want our premium handsets to have the best tech crammed inside it! As it turned out the Galaxy S5 “Prime” was the LTE-A G906S variant of the Galaxy S5 and there are so many variants of it! Here in the UK – at least – we were expecting the LTE-A G906S to be on the market but it wasn’t. As a result some consumers opted for the LG G3 instead.

I reckon had Samsung stuck to its flamboyant Unpacking sense of showmanship with a more thoughtful approach to women, for example, I think that the Galaxy S5 would have shifted more units. I don’t know about you, but I do appreciate when Samsung shows us situations where its innovations are useful. Samsung didn’t go all out on presentation with the Galaxy S5 so much so that I can’t even remember the whole event like I do the Galaxy S4 Unpacking.

UNPACKED 1^st MARCH 2015
I am hoping that Samsung will restore the Unpacked flare that they are famous for since the introduction of the Galaxy S3 at this year’s Mobile World Congress. I want to see what Samsung has envisioned for us. I love it when they make a great show of it combing the use of video projection and actors. The Unpacked event is not just for the media and tech-heads out there... Uh-uh! Many consumers are watching to learn as much as possible on what could be their next handset. Consumers like to see how what could be their next handset differentiate from the competition. It’s these unique selling points that went into the adverts for the Galaxy S3 and S4. For the Galaxy S5 ads I remember the battery saving capabilities and heart rate monitor... Whereas with the Galaxy S3 I learned about the great camera functionality and unique design! And with the Galaxy S4 it was not only the camera but Air Gestures and Smart Pause!

In other words the Galaxy S5 was undersold. That said there was a great interest on the UK launch that took place in London’s Westfield shopping complex in Stratford. Since then Samsung has closed its Stratford retail outlet. It’s a bit of a shame but the Central London Samsung shop is still in existence and is very busy!

A SENSE OF WOW
What I have taken from the various “leaks” is that the Galaxy S6 and S Edge will most likely be the most powerful handsets in the world.

It’s also going to have a different design language that befits an ultra-thin unibody while being recognizable as a Samsung handset. Yeah, yeah... ...some people are saying, “It’s like an iPhone...” already... If the “leaked” pictures are for real then it is more like a hybrid between the HTC One and iPhone. I would have preferred that it had front-facing stereo speakers but as Samsung seem to be aiming to create the world’s thinnest handset it’s not going to support it (front-facing speakers). Maybe, just maybe those “leaked” images are a red herring and we could be in for a surprise with the actual Galaxy S6 and S Edge. I am not going to hold my breath on the design for the reasons mentioned above i.e. the “leaks” are meant to get people used to the design (instead of expecting something from another galaxy... hee hee...). I saw the leak for the Galaxy S3, S4 and S5 and I did hope that they would be different. But the designs never detracted from the functionality of the handsets themselves. I have yet to see the camera on a premium Galaxy handsets bettered; the camera is one of the reasons why I have stuck with the Galaxy S and Note ranges.

I don’t think the media and consumers will be disappointed when it comes to the functionality; functionality is Samsung’s speciality and I expect to be wowed once more on what the Galaxy S6 and S Edge can do!

If Samsung presents the Galaxy S6 and S Edge right I don’t see a reason for them not to sell like hotcakes!

64... BIATCH
That’s right! Samsung’s 64-bit Exynos processor is going to be another selling point for the Galaxy S6 and S Edge. As a result I envisage that the Galaxy S6 and S Edge will be the biggest selling handsets this year (not counting the Galaxy Note 5 come September). By the looks of it the Exynos 7420 processor is more advanced than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 and since most premium handsets will be packing it i.e. the HTC One M9, LG Flex 2 and the Sony Z4 - to name a few – the Galaxy S6 and S Edge are going to stand out (from any device using the Snapdragon 810). Samsung are coming back with a vengeance.

Related articles:-

Double Edged Sword

Galaxy S6 Follow-Up

Samsung Throwing A Curve

Samsung Design Principals

Samsung to Fade Away

Apple Biased Media Assault on the Soon To Be Released Galaxy S6 and S Edge

Thank you so much for reading Synapse Circuit!

Expect more reviews, news, opinions, competitions and more from Synapse Circuit!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

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SYNAPSE CIRCUIT SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 FOLLOW UP

Above: Galaxy A7 with unibody design.

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
SAMSUNG GALAXY S6:
THE FOLLOW-UP!

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! What’s happening in your lives? Are you feeling the need to make some noise? I don’t know about you but I just LOVE that computer music technology allows us to express ourselves using sound!  No matter what level you are on when it comes to music it is a joy to make noise! Y’know? Do your own thing and put some beats together! Here’s some great music making software: Computer MusicSoftware / Mobile Applications

Here’s my follow-up to the Samsung Galaxy S6 speculative article...

#Samsung #GalaxyS6

A-OKAY?
As you know Samsung has released the Galaxy ‘A’ series of handsets that has an aluminium unibody, the A3, A5 & A7! Is this an indication for the direction that the Galaxy S6 is heading in? I don’t think that this is in keeping with the “Project Zero” ethos, right? Nonetheless, the Galaxy A handsets is quite interesting in that they do not show off the metal like HTC does for example! They all have the same camera configuration: 13MP main and 5MP front-facing. The screen sizes are as follows: 4.5”, 5” and 5.5” and they appear to be 720 – that ought to keep the battery going for more than a day! The speaker is now next to the camera lens at the back and I am not too sure if this is an optimal setting for the speaker!

HOW DOES THE GALAXY A SERIES TRANSLATES TO THE GALAXY S6?
I do have my reservations where a unibody, non-removable battery is concerned on a premium daily driver for what should be obvious reasons. I am trying to imagine the double edged Galaxy S6 and how a removable battery can be incorporated in the design; if it is anything like the Galaxy Note Edge I can see how a removable battery would work... There again, I can see Galaxy S6 Dual Edge being a unibody to make life easier and therefore I envisage a huge battery on it! I also envisage a 5.5” qHD display looking like a diamond sitting upon a metal bed! That can work!

And if the standard Galaxy S6 is to also sport a unibody then it makes me wonder as to what Samsung will provide as accessories... Could we be seeing protective covers with an auxiliary battery pack that kicks in when the nonremovable battery expires?

As for the camera; I still have it as 20MP and 13MP front-facing as it is a premium flagship over the mid-range Galaxy A.

Is the positioning of the speaker on the Galaxy A series an indication of things to come on the Galaxy S6? I wouldn’t like to think so because I know that one of the features of a premium Galaxy handset is audio! The Galaxy Note 4 features Ultra High Quality Audio (192KHz, 24 bit) support; however I do think that the speaker could have been better on the Galaxy Note 4 to do the sound more justice. It’s very good but I felt that it could be better still! Again, if the Galaxy S6 is going to feature a unibody design on both standard and dual-edge I feel that the logical place for the speaker is at the front and by the exceptional design standards set by HTC, Motorola and ASUS (apologies if I left any other manufacturer out) I think it is time that Samsung goes stereo front-facing speakers on this one! If not I would like to think that Samsung will make more space for the speaker(s) at the back. This tiny thing on the Galaxy Note 4 is pushing it a bit!

A MASS EXYNOS
Did you see what I did there? Hahaha! Anyway, when I put the Synapse Circuit ideal Galaxy S6 innards I was toying with the idea of stating the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 as it has apparently been outed! But in any event I just put down the fastest 64-bit CPU that is going into the LG Flex 2 and a few other handsets! Heating problem? Who can tell? Samsung, as far as I am aware, has not made an official statement about Qualcomm’s flagship processor! I have always wondered how it is possible that Samsung has its own chip manufacturing business as it makes chips for Apple and only some international markets get premium Samsung devices with its own Exynos chipset!

I have understood that the Exynos 7420 is touted to be the 64-bit processor in ALL the Galaxy S6 handsets! It makes sense for Samsung to push its own chipset due to the profits taking a dip of late. Sometimes I wonder if the tech media are trying to make something out of nothing and make-up statements such as the Snapdragon 810 “overheating” and that Samsung have more or less turned its back on Qualcomm... Snapdragon is a part of the Galaxy A range! I think this is a good time for Samsung to put its Exynos processor to work internationally!

The Samsung Galaxy S6 may be revealed at the Mobile World Congress 2 – 5 March 2015, Barcelona, Spain!

GALAXY ROUND?
In addition to the Galaxy S6, Samsung could be revealing a round Moto 360-like smartwatch that is said to be running the full version of Android! Knowing Samsung I reckon there will be a couple more wearable devices with the Tizen operating system!

Bring it on!

FINALLY...
...can Samsung turn its finances around?

Look, I can’t deny the fact that I am a Samsung person; the Galaxy S and Note series of handsets have given me what I want: power, speed, a great camera and removable battery. I would like to see Samsung cleaning up this year!

What a lot of people don’t realize is that many Samsung handsets sell steadily over time. I think the Galaxy S2 or a variant of it was selling up until the last couple of years here in the UK! I would imagine that the Galaxy S3 Neo, S4 and S5 will still be a choice for upgrades for a while to come – especially the S5 as I am sure that active people would get it due to the water and dust resistance! I can see it becoming a secondary or even third daily driver for those that like to have multiple handsets for different functions! Oh, another rumour is that the Galaxy S6 will not have the water and dust resistance... Even more of a reason to have the GS5 as a driver for when you’re at the gym, jogging, etc!

IS THE iPHONE 6 & 6 PLUS SELLING OVER SAMSUNG?
To be totally honest with you I can’t trust anything with regards to Apple as they are not truthful. iPhone 5C... Ahem... Sssh... I think Apple puts out these press releases to make people think that they are selling by the masses when they are not. If you have been following my articles I have exposed a number of discrepancies with Apple stories! I have also exposed a definite undeniable bias in the tech media! So, I really can’t believe any of it! One of the main reasons why I don’t believe is that the iPhone is behind in terms of technology.

1. Retina display: DEAD.
2. Design: SURPASSED.
3. iOS: SURPASSED.

If anything disgruntled iPhone owners that got fed up for waiting for Apple to deliver a phablet may have come back from going Android. I would imagine it is because it’s like having an iPad which has now been cannibalized. I can’t deny that the iOS platform doesn’t have great apps! Android is catching up and I wish Google would step in and step up! Samsung is very clever by having special apps only available for its own handsets such as Soundcamp (as I keep going on about)! I wish on the Galaxy App Store that Samsung just provides apps of its own making and / or collaborations with other developers; I think wading through the crap on Google Play is enough!

The point I am making is that the iPhone is always going to sell and that Apple fanatics have gotten a phablet at last! However, for Android a 5.5” display is no longer considered to be a phablet. So, Apple is still trailing! When Apple gets around to putting out its smartwatch, Apple Watch, I can see that hardcore Apple fanatics will rush out to get it and the press will lap it up just like they’ve made a big deal about the 6 Plus! I find it very odd that the press aren’t as enthusiastic about the Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge. But that’s good because these handsets sell themselves! You will find that the sales for the Galaxy S6 will be like that of the iPhone 6 Plus because of the following factors:-

1. 64-bit Exynos processor (and hopefully 4GB RAM). Now that 64-bit on Android has truly arrived I can’t see how Apple can vie for the Android market. I would also imagine that developers would want to create apps that can take advantage of that processing power! Here come some more serious apps at last!

2. Quad-HD screen – hopefully it will be a 5.5” as that worked for LG G3. Also a 5.5” qHD screen may entice disgruntled iPhone 6 Plus users as it was not what they are expecting (I have showed you the crazy amount of iPhone 6 Plus devices dumped in the computer exchange shops already)!

3. Android 5 Lollipop and a super-optimized TouchWiz. ASUS has shown that a UI overlay doesn’t mean lag! Zen UI is pretty decent!

Some people like pure Android and some like what TouchWiz brings to the table! I appreciate them both hence why I have a Nexus 6 and a Galaxy Note 4! I would imagine that with the 64-bit capability and possible access to 4GB RAM that TouchWiz can possibly do even more and without the occasional lag!

Bottom line is: The Galaxy S6 should sell extremely well! It is almost certain that the Galaxy S6 will be my next handset!

And that was the follow-up to the GalaxyS6 Double Edged Sword article!

Thank you so much for reading Synapse Circuit!

Expect more reviews, news, opinions, competitions and more from Synapse Circuit!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

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SYNAPSE CIRCUIT SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 A DOUBLE EDGE SWORD

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
SAMSUNG GALAXY S6:
A DOUBLE EDGE SWORD?

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! How’s it going? I hope that you have made some resolutions to get more involved in tech – if you haven’t already! You really should get that website built! I do think that in this stagnated miasma of corporate looking websites from overused templates is missing unorthodox, untrained and individual websites! Check out a great web design program for absolute beginners here: Web Design Software

Yes, yes, yes! It’s that time again... Time to speculate over the impending Samsung Galaxy S6 handset! Seriously, what are you looking for in the Galaxy S6? Let me tell you what I am looking for...

#Samsung #GalaxyS6

A DESIGN DEPARTURE
Yes, I think it is about time for a new design where the Galaxy S range is concerned and by the looks of things it looks like there will be a double-edged Galaxy S6 along with a standard one. I would imagine that this double-edged design will be in short supply. Fair enough! I am not too sure if this strategy works... I am curious to find out how the limited edition strategy worked with the Galaxy Note Edge. I wanted a Galaxy Note Edge initially but then I thought about the Gear VR and that it’ll only work with the standard Galaxy Note 4! I was toying with the idea of getting the Note Edge in addition – just for the novelty of it! And I do think it will become something of a collector’s edition further on down the line!

STANDARDS
So, what about the design of the standard Galaxy S6? According to news sources it is said that the Galaxy S6 has been redesigned from scratch with “Project Zero” and so I can be forgiven for expecting a totally fresh outlook for the coming Galaxy S6! Dare I hope? I mean, “zero” means a new beginning, right? It’s old news that Samsung have hired Lee Don-tae of London-based design firm Tangerine, the company that British designer Jonathan Ive started before his Apple gig! Can we assume that Lee Don-tae has had a hand in the Galaxy S6 design?

As always the rumour machine is jacked up to the point where the vibrations are causing it to self-destruct! One interesting rumour is that Samsung will add a larger circular home button for a touch fingerprint sensor as opposed to swiping. As you know, I do prefer to swipe as I reckon it’ll be harder for someone to grab my hand and swipe my finger whilst I am asleep! I am sure that I would wake up during the process! Whereas a touch sensor will leave my handset just as vulnerable in certain conditions i.e. during sleep! 

I ask: Do we really need the fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S6? Look at it this way: the most secure way to keep your phone inaccessible is to lock it with a password!

Another question I ask is: Why doesn’t Samsung do away with a physical home button for a virtual set of buttons like Google intended? That way Samsung could incorporate a beautiful set of stereo speakers to usurp the HTC One M8! Again, the reason for doing so is that Samsung caters to musicians with its set of audio facilities that can be found on the Galaxy Note 4! It’s even got a music making app – exclusive to the Galaxy Note 4 (for now) – Soundcamp! No! It’s the way I talk! Ha ha! See what I did there? “Sound” and “camp”? No worries! Anyway, Soundcamp looks like a potentially great music making app and I reckon it deserves some serious front-facing speakers!

If Samsung is going to have a fingerprint scanner wouldn’t it be ideal to place it on the back? Would this prevent the Galaxy S6 from having a removable battery?

Given the state of the art 3D printers out there I do wonder if Samsung prints out dummy handsets to test new designs... Anyway, even though I do find the home button on my Galaxy S4 useful I would appreciate if it were removed to accommodate the front-facing speakers! Having the Google Nexus 6 convinces me that this would be a very strong design move for Samsung. Not even the iPhone has gone there (front-facing speakers)!

THINNING OUT
If you compare the Galaxy Note 4 to the iPhone 6 Plus you will notice that is a little thicker! Let me tell you something right now: This notion of the “thinnest” handset in the world has gone too far if the battery is crap! I LOVE that the Galaxy Note 4 is thicker to accommodate a larger, longer lasting battery! I would honestly like the same for the Galaxy S6 too! I want the handset to be thicker for a strong battery! So far the battery on the Galaxy Note 4 is outstanding! The big Nexus 6 battery ebbs away even on standby! Or is my Nexus 6 using up the battery recording my every move and conversations while appearing to be idle??? Hahaha! In any event Samsung leads the way in battery longevity thus so far and I think it is such a boon to be able to swap the battery out!

AS ONE
Another and somewhat disturbing rumour is that Samsung are going to give the Galaxy S6 an aluminium unibody like the iPhone and HTC One M8! It is also rumoured that the aluminium unibody will be sealed with glass at the back! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! The Galaxy Note 4 feels every bit as premium for having a removable battery! Jeez, Louise! God forbid Samsung to take away the removable battery from the Galaxy S6!

Again, this Apple iPhone “premium” thing is a joke that is very much at their expense! Most iPhone fanatics are very much in denial. They really think that the materials that make up the iPhone makes it “premium”! That is so freaking bizarre! “Why?” I hear you cry! I reckon that I have gone over it in great detail... Let’s see if I can condense it...

1. As pretty as it might appear to iPhone fans they do suffer from low battery! Every iPhone user I know complains regularly about battery drainage! Dare I say it, but many of my iPhone friends are women and, scientists say, they like to converse a lot. So, it is ironic that so many women opt for an iPhone when they can’t get to finish a good conversation! <Ducks flying stiletto> Hey! That could have taken my eye out! Tell me I am wrong! Ha ha!

2. Apart from the camera lens at the back there is nothing for the iPhone user to interact with like on some Android handsets whereby some buttons have been placed for things like volume control and some manufacturers have placed the fingerprint scanner there (on the back). Oh, and not forgetting that Samsung has placed a heart rate sensor at the back next to the camera flash! So, this is how vain iPhone users are: they want to show off the Apple logo at the back! That’s it! “Oooh, look at me! I am so trendy with my Apple iPhone...”

3. If you are going to put a protective cover over the jewel-like iPhone it defeats the purpose!

I think that this is a testament to the fact that Jony Ive isn’t a practical designer! I bet you any money that if Ive had created a handset with a non metal removable battery cover they’d have gone mad for it in the same way! But, as usual with Apple and its followers, they chose to be ignorant where practicality is concerned! The future is... ...until the battery runs out!

To be completely honest with you, the only handset with a back worth showing off is the non metal Nexus 6 with the sexy “Nexus” logo on it! For sure, I can understand people wanting to flash that! But the iPhone???

With Samsung’s Galaxy S and Note series come some very brilliant flip covers that replaces the original battery cover and it still looks awesome! I recently bought a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 cover with the window that displays the time, date, steps that I have taken (or not) and the weather!

So, I can only hope that Samsung keeps the removable battery and gives us great flip cover options! Us Galaxy S and Note owners can get to actually interact with the battery cover by a) Removing it to replace an expired battery and b) To place a practical flip cover on it (and still retain the NFC capabilities)!

ALPHA BETA
As you are probably aware, Samsung has already phased out the experimental Alpha handset! I think the idea was quite solid and I liked that they maintained a removable battery! The cover had a nice rubberised texture to it that made it easier to handle. But mind you, the Galaxy Alpha was quite small to begin with! I am all for a bit of metal on the Galaxy S and Note series of handset but in the right places!

Just like the Galaxy Note 4, I suspect that the Galaxy S6 will have a metal frame.

IS SAMSUNG REALLY COMPETING AGAINST APPLE AND THE iPHONE?
Something’s not right... Nothing was ever right about the Apple assault on Samsung because of the Galaxy S1! I’ve always said it was bad PR for Apple as it showed that they had nothing in the tank design-wise! The iPhone just got a little longer and gained a 64-bit processor! Big deal! And considering Android is supposed to be a “stolen Apple property” why is it that with each update iOS gains aspects of Android such as notifications?

I know there is a huge market for Apple computers in the States and there’s no doubt with regards to Apple’s contributions to computing and multimedia. PC users benefited from the QuickTime movie format and some of us took to iTunes. When the iPhone was introduced to the world it had a market just waiting to be exploited! Did the Galaxy S1 (and Android) pose a threat to that definite Apple market? No! But the Samsung’s Galaxy S1 (and Android) proved to a great alternative to those who hadn’t bought into the Apple ecosystem i.e. PC owners – like me! But come to think of it, Apple didn’t kick up a fuss when HTC had the Hero handset out! I don’t recall Apple losing its marbles over the first Android handset, Dream G1 by HTC!

It’s funny... I never saw the iPhone as an option... I have to confess that I had no idea what the smartphone could amount to in terms of being computers with a facility to make phone calls! I thought that the Nokia N95 was pretty much a big multimedia deal! At the time Adobe Flash as a ubiquitous media format for the Internet and when Apple made a spectacle of ostracizing it from the iPhone claiming “security issues” it put me off even further! Jobs had this unmistakably evil looking smugness on his face when he dismissed Adobe and its Flash media! So, when the Galaxy S1 came along with full support for Flash and no security issues it must have given Jobs kittens! I guess Jobs and co decided to go after Samsung claiming “infringements”. However, the lawsuits backfired on Apple as the mightiest battle since Ali and Foreman made the public think more about Samsung products... “They must be really good if Apple is trying so hard to get Samsung products off the shelves...” Samsung kept progressing and released the groundbreaking Galaxy S2! The Galaxy S2, in my opinion, was the progenitor design of subsequent Android handsets for other manufacturers: Sony, Huawei, ZTE, etc. Then Samsung changed it up again for the Galaxy S3! What’s odd is that there was no real criticism with regards to the Galaxy S3 being made from plastic as opposed to the “premium” iPhone! The Galaxy S3 was the real game changer for Samsung. People really took to the friendly design and the functionality such as the various camera modes. Sales were very, very good!

Now the Galaxy S4... Hmmmm... What happened there? Well, I have one! I love it and I have to say that I was a little disappointed initially to see that the design was quite safe; what was undisputed was the great amount of functionality that came with it such as the Air Gestures / View, Smart Screen and the camera functions were as sweet as ever! According to the retail outlets the Galaxy S4 sold over the iPhone and other handsets. That’s what they told me! Add to the fact that random people approached me at different mobile retail outlets to tell me what they think of the iPhone and that they were going to get a Galaxy S or Galaxy Note handset instead! I kid you not! I find it so odd that people would approach me, a complete stranger, to divulge such information.

For the Galaxy S5 Samsung kept the design similar (to the Galaxy S4) but added a fingerprint scanner, a sporty pimpled battery cover along with water and dust resistance. I liked it but wished Samsung had pushed the design envelope a bit more! Unfortunately for Samsung the Galaxy S5 didn’t sell as well as expected. But I don’t think the sales went to the iPhone! I got the impression that other Android handsets got a look in such as the LG G3! After all, the G3 had a quad-HD screen! For all the hype in the run up to the Galaxy S5 it just didn’t come across as the superphone we were expecting what with no quad-HD screen for a start!

Where the iPhone is concerned I do believe that Apple prices it out of competing with Android as is the dominant operating system on the planet! I would imagine that the minority of Mac computer owners have stuck with the iPhone because of the excellent symbiosis between the OS X and iOS. Not to forget that there are some excellent apps to be had on the App Store! But I know of many onetime iPhone devotees switch to the Galaxy Note as they tell me it’s “like having a computer... I don’t know how I stuck with the iPhone for so long...” One guy in particular was intrigued as to why I have so many Samsung handsets (Galaxy S, S2, S4 and Note 2) and kept asking me, “When are you going to get the iPhone?” So, one day I took some time out to show him what the little Galaxy S1 could do up to the S4 and Note 2. Honestly, the next time I saw him he got a Galaxy Note 3!

WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE FROM THE ABOVE?
The way I see it is that Samsung is competing with itself! Look, even I was thinking about the possibility of owning both a Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge simply because the Galaxy Note is powerful and compared to the Galaxy S5, it is more advanced in terms of design and components. It would have been the icing on the cake to have a bit of water and dust resistance! But who as a Samsung fan wouldn’t want the Note Edge?

I would say that Samsung has always beaten the iPhone from the Galaxy S1 and continued to do so arguably up until the Galaxy S5. Don’t get me wrong; the Galaxy S5 is still a better design than any make of iPhone but I reckon that A7 64-bit processor sort of gave the iPhone an edge as a marketing bullet point! I do think that some had it in mind that the Galaxy S5 was going to go 64-bit! But there’s no way that the iPhone 6 Plus is a better handset than the Galaxy Note 4 – in my opinion it doesn’t even come close to the Galaxy Note 2!

So, I can conclude that the current Galaxy S has been superseded by the Galaxy Note 4. Yes, there are those that may have been tempted away by the G3 and possibly the One M8. The 5.5” quad-HD screen on the G3 whilst retaining a manageable form factor was quite hard to beat! What made the Galaxy S5 strong beyond the water & dust resistance is the superior camera and the quality of results. I would love to see the sales results for the Galaxy S5, G3 and iPhone 5S; I’m sure in the UK the Galaxy S5 came out ahead! Of course, I can’t be 100% certain. Looking on the streets I would say that the Galaxy S5 came out ahead!

Last year I stated that the phablet is dead! Long live the phablet! The LG G3 certainly proved that a handset with a 5.5” screen isn’t a literal stretch. I look at my Galaxy Note 4 and compared to my Nexus 6 it no longer looks like phablet! I keep saying that my Galaxy S4 so small that I wouldn’t want to upgrade to anything as small as that again and it’s 5”!!!

HAS THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS IMPACTED UPON SAMSUNG?
Again, I have not seen anything from the various Chinese manufacturers such as Oppo, Xiaomi, ZTE, etc that would make me want to give up my premium Samsung Galaxy S and Note! But I do think that these strong handsets are having an impact upon Samsung’s mid to budget ranges of handsets. Please let me know of a Chinese handset that is better than the Galaxy Note 4 or S5!

ASUS, of Taiwan looks certain to give Samsung a challenge with the Zenfone 2 and Zenfone Zoom! Look at some of the specs for the Zenfone 2:-

2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom processor
5.5-inch Full HD IPS display
13MP / 5MP PixelMaster cameras
4GB RAM
4G / LTE

From what I have seen on the Zenfone 2 it could very well be a big hit for ASUS as it is said to come in at $200! Yes, really! I don’t know what that will translate to in UK and European currency but it is certain to undercut many handsets in the mid to low end! I think budget end of the market is in for a shake up! The PixelMaster cameras should seal the deal!

I would imagine that Samsung will have a handset to match in that price range! I am curious about that!

THE IDEAL GALAXY S6
Here’s my ideal Galaxy S6:-

Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit CPU
4GB RAM
5.5” 4K Super AMOLED screen protected by Gorilla Glass 4
20MP main camera that records unlimited 4K video – naturally limited to the microSD card capacity
13MP front-facing camera
32GB / 64GB / 128GB internal storage
5TB microSD for the 4K video recording
4400 mAh removable battery
Front-facing stereo speakers

I think it should be obvious as to why I have chosen this configuration. The Galaxy S6 has to be a powerhouse in order to re-establish the notion of “premium” and being in the driving seat! The 5.5” screen will probably end up being quad-HD but you never know if Samsung might just up the ante some more!

PICTURE PERFECT
I think Samsung needs to take the camera side of things up a notch! 20MP is good but a picture requires more than just pixels! It’s also about the lens and flash! I am hoping that Samsung equips the GS6 with a stunning camera! The cameras on the Galaxy S and Note series have always been very, very good... Now that 64-bit processors have truly arrived for the Android platform it can support a more powerful camera! I would like better night photography functionality! I would like to take night shots quickly without having to freeze like a statue!

I would like to see Samsung ditching photo sharpening in the camera software because the GS6 camera is solid! By all means Samsung should provide a decent photo editing app that can deal with the high resolution photos!

There should be better capture rates for video from 1080p to 4K and that the GS6 supports a very high capacity microSD card! I am also hoping that the Snapdragon 810 64-bit processor will cut the ambient noise on videos a great deal so that they are not hard on the ears when playing the footage back!

I would like to see Samsung continuing to develop its serious video editing app as I am tired of waiting for app developers to come up with one worthy of installing to my handsets! In fact Samsung should get into developing Android apps big time and sell them!

AUDIO
I expect the same high quality audio standards as found on the Galaxy Note 4! If the Galaxy S6 becomes my next handset I would want to compose music! Samsung’s Soundcamp music making app has such great potential!

MULTIMEDIA
The combination of the fastest 64-bit CPU and 4GB RAM should see the Galaxy S6 as a multimedia beast!

WHAT WILL WE GET?
I shudder to think! I don’t think I will join in the game of posting up “leaked” pictures of the maybe it is or maybe it isn’t Galaxy S6! I think will allow myself to be surprised!

The Samsung Galaxy S6 may be revealed at the Mobile World Congress 2 – 5 March 2015, Barcelona, Spain!

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