Samsung Galaxy S6: Full Review, Specs, And Price

Hey everyone! Today, we're diving deep into the Samsung Galaxy S6, a phone that once set the standard for Android flagships. Even though it's not the newest kid on the block anymore, the S6 still holds a special place in many hearts. So, let's take a closer look at what made this phone so iconic, shall we?

Design and Build Quality

The Samsung Galaxy S6 marked a significant shift in Samsung's design philosophy. For years, Samsung had been criticized for using plastic in their flagship phones, but the S6 changed all that. The S6 boasts a premium design, featuring a glass back and an aluminum frame. This gave the phone a much more luxurious feel in the hand, and it definitely looked the part of a high-end device. The curved edges on the back made it comfortable to hold, and the overall build quality felt incredibly solid.

The Gorilla Glass 4 on both the front and back provided excellent scratch resistance, which was a huge plus. However, glass is glass, and it's still susceptible to cracking if dropped, so a case is definitely recommended! The phone was also surprisingly slim and light, making it easy to slip into your pocket. The button placement was pretty standard – the power button on the right, volume rocker on the left – and they were all easily accessible.

One thing that some people weren't too thrilled about was the lack of a microSD card slot and a removable battery. This was a first for Samsung flagships, and it definitely ruffled some feathers. However, Samsung argued that this was necessary to achieve the sleek design and improved build quality. The available storage options were 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB, so most users could find a model that suited their needs. And while the battery wasn't removable, it offered decent battery life for most users.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy S6 featured a stunning 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. This resulted in an incredibly sharp and vibrant picture, with a pixel density of around 577 ppi. Colors were rich and saturated, blacks were deep and inky, and the viewing angles were excellent. The display was also incredibly bright, making it easy to see even in direct sunlight.

Samsung's Super AMOLED technology is known for its punchy colors and high contrast ratios, and the S6's display was no exception. Whether you were watching videos, browsing the web, or playing games, the screen looked fantastic. The high resolution also meant that text and images were incredibly sharp and detailed. The display was protected by Gorilla Glass 4, which provided excellent scratch resistance.

One of the standout features of the S6's display was its ability to adapt to different lighting conditions. The phone had an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusted the screen brightness based on the surrounding environment. This ensured that the display was always easily visible, whether you were indoors or outdoors. The display also had a number of different color modes, allowing you to customize the look of the screen to your liking. For example, you could choose a more natural color profile for accurate color reproduction, or a more vibrant color profile for a more immersive experience.

Performance

Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S6 was powered by Samsung's own Exynos 7420 octa-core processor. This was a 14nm chip, which meant it was incredibly efficient and powerful. The phone also had 3GB of RAM, which was more than enough for smooth multitasking. The S6 was a speed demon, handling everything you threw at it with ease. Apps launched quickly, games ran smoothly, and the phone never felt sluggish.

The Exynos 7420 was a major leap forward in mobile processing power. It featured four Cortex-A57 cores clocked at 2.1 GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5 GHz. This combination of high-performance and energy-efficient cores allowed the phone to deliver excellent performance without sacrificing battery life. The phone also had a Mali-T760MP8 GPU, which provided excellent graphics performance.

In benchmarks, the S6 consistently outperformed its competitors. It was one of the fastest phones on the market at the time, and it still holds up pretty well today. Whether you were browsing the web, watching videos, or playing games, the S6 felt incredibly responsive. The phone also had excellent thermal management, meaning it didn't get too hot even during heavy use. The 3GB of RAM was also sufficient for most users, allowing for smooth multitasking and app switching.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S6 boasted a 16-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and an f/1.9 aperture. This was a fantastic camera for its time, and it still takes great photos today. The images were sharp, detailed, and had excellent color reproduction. The OIS helped to reduce blur in low-light situations, and the f/1.9 aperture allowed for plenty of light to enter the sensor. The result was excellent low-light performance, with minimal noise and plenty of detail.

The camera app was also incredibly fast and easy to use. It launched quickly, focused quickly, and captured images instantly. The camera had a number of different shooting modes, including a Pro mode that allowed you to manually adjust settings like ISO, white balance, and focus. The phone also supported 4K video recording, which was a huge plus. The front-facing camera was a 5-megapixel sensor with an f/1.9 aperture, and it took great selfies.

The image quality from the S6's camera was truly impressive. The photos had plenty of detail, even when zoomed in. The colors were vibrant and accurate, and the dynamic range was excellent. The camera also performed well in challenging lighting conditions, such as bright sunlight or low light. The OIS was a huge help in reducing blur, and the f/1.9 aperture allowed for shallow depth of field effects. The S6's camera was definitely one of the best on the market at the time, and it's still a capable performer today.

Software and Features

The Samsung Galaxy S6 launched with Android 5.0 Lollipop with Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top. TouchWiz had a bit of a reputation for being bloated and slow, but Samsung had made significant improvements with the S6. The interface was much cleaner and more streamlined, and it felt significantly faster and more responsive. The phone also had a number of useful features, such as Multi Window, which allowed you to run two apps side-by-side, and Smart Stay, which kept the screen on as long as you were looking at it.

Samsung's TouchWiz UI had undergone a significant overhaul with the S6. The company had removed a lot of the unnecessary bloatware and had streamlined the interface. The result was a much cleaner and more user-friendly experience. The phone also had a number of Samsung-specific features, such as S Health, which allowed you to track your fitness activities, and S Voice, which was Samsung's voice assistant.

The S6 also had a fingerprint scanner, which was integrated into the home button. The fingerprint scanner was fast and accurate, and it allowed you to quickly and securely unlock your phone. The phone also supported Samsung Pay, which was Samsung's mobile payment service. Samsung Pay used both NFC and MST technology, which meant it was compatible with a wider range of payment terminals than other mobile payment services. The phone also had a heart rate sensor, which was located on the back of the phone next to the camera.

Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy S6 had a 2,550 mAh battery, which was decent for its time. Battery life was generally good, and most users could get through a full day of moderate use. However, heavy users might need to top up the battery in the afternoon. The phone supported fast charging, which allowed you to quickly charge the battery from 0% to 100% in about 90 minutes. The phone also supported wireless charging, which was a convenient feature.

While the battery capacity wasn't the largest on the market, the S6's efficient processor and display helped to extend battery life. The phone also had a number of power-saving modes that you could use to further conserve battery life. For example, the Ultra Power Saving mode limited the phone's functionality to essential tasks, such as making calls and sending texts. This could significantly extend battery life in a pinch.

Overall, the battery life on the S6 was decent, but not exceptional. Most users could get through a day of moderate use, but heavy users might need to charge the phone more frequently. The fast charging and wireless charging capabilities were definitely helpful, and they made it easy to keep the phone powered up.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S6 was a fantastic phone that set the bar high for Android flagships. It had a premium design, a stunning display, excellent performance, and a great camera. While it's not the newest phone on the market anymore, it's still a capable device that offers a lot of value. If you're looking for a used phone that offers a great experience, the S6 is definitely worth considering. So, what do you guys think about the S6? Let me know in the comments below!