I think Samsung is making a mistake with their S6

[Tomy K]

Hi all. I joined the Android community last year after my first cheapie smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 520. For me it was trying a smartphone after years of having a dumb phone. It eventually stopped working and so I decided against investing in a top end Windows device with such limited and poor quality apps.

I bought a Galaxy S5 which I couldn't be happier with, plus of course the Android os and the vast Google play store. The final clincher for me was the removeable back so that I could replace the battery myself, change the back cover (which I did) and even change the outer camera lens (again which I did as I scratched it).

I have been reading an enormous amount of journalistic criticism over Samsung's "cheap" plastic covers. I then read an article stating that even though Samsung have been criticised over this for years, the average actual Galaxy buyer has not been bothered by it. I agree with this completely. I see Samsung engaging in marketing which I believe is detrimental to them.

Firstly, quad HD displays. By matching the LG G3, Samsung is now committed to a PPI war which will only place heavier strains on the battery and processer. Look at the hugely successful iPhone 6. It doesn't even have full HD! But a meager HD and the average iPhone user could care less. As a consequence, Apple doesn't have to spend vast resources on a technology that brings almost no benefits on a small screen and in fact places burdensome demands on the rest of the device. If Apple can still get away with HD then Sammy can thrive with full HD.

Smaller battery on the S6. Yes I know it will have an uber fantastic 8 core processor but it still can only do so much against a quad HD display and a smaller battery capacity compared to the S5, all whilst still having at least the same size screen. Let's say the Exynos processer pulls off an engineering miracle and the S6 has better battery life than the S5. How much would it have been better again if full HD was retained and the battery capacity at least the same? Would not this be a far better selling point than quad HD?

Slimmer build. I seriously doubt there is an S5 user on the planet who wishes their phone was slimmer. In fact when I got my S5, I found it hard picking it up off a flat surface because I couldn't get an easy grip on it. I bought a clear back cover from eBay which added thickness and made it a lot easier to pick up. Making the S6 slimmer I believe is a mistake which only leads to a smaller battery capacity.

And finally, the real big one. Non replaceable back. Look at the success of the LG G3. With a better finished plastic back. I believe a lot of Galaxy users chose a Galaxy because they could replace the back. Samsung are giving up a key marketing feature. What would I have done? Make something like a premium finish carbon fiber replaceable back. Or a replaceable metal back.

I think Samsung have been paying too much attention to internet critics and not listening to their own users. Even though the S5 did not sell as well as projected, it had nothing to do with users wanting a higher pixel display or a slimmer device. Sure, ditch the obviously cheap plastic and replace it with a more premium material, but don't ditch it's advantage over all other makers. Now for eg, when I eventually replace my S5, I will more consider other devices as the Galaxy line won't have replacement back covers.

Samsung should keep their replaceable back covers, make it more premium, not slim down their phones any further and not engage in a pixel war. The focus should be on increasing battery life whilst developing new and better current features like imaging-which they are.

But the smaller battery, non replaceable back covers and higher PPI screens are a step in the wrong direction I strongly feel.

Thoughts?

 

[Hadron]

In fact when I got my S5, I found it hard picking it up off a flat surface because I couldn't get an easy grip on it.

That's OK: it looks like the camera bulges out of the back, so that will fix that problem

Seriously though, Samsung have always had a tendency to use "big numbers" in their phones, and "highest screen resolution" is a simple marketing message. TBH I agree that qHD in a 5.1" screen is specs for specs' sake, and even if the SoC can handle it you'd still get better performance and battery life with 1080p. So I'm with you that I'd have preferred 1080p.

I think the fixed battery is a very interesting departure. They did need to change their design, but it will be very interesting to see how many of the people who say "I buy Samsung because I can still change the battery" really mean it when it comes down to the choice. Obviously they think not enough do, and I assume they've done some market research (would be fools not to), but how will thi pans out in reality? Remember that us enthusiasts are a tiny fraction of the market, so if it annoys us but attracts the average punter then they will be happy - all they care about (like any company) is the bottom line.

 

[Poweranimals]

I'm not sure what to think at this point. I am interested in purchasing the S6 but I'm not entirely sure about certain decisions that were made. I do have an upgrade this year so I guess I'll just see how this plays out. My S4 is starting to slow down so an upgrade is seems like the logical next step. I just hope they can impress.

 

[Bearsyzf]

I also have an upgrade , but do we think it will be worth the wait or should i just go ahead and get the Note 4 ?

 

[Hightech]

I also have an upgrade , but do we think it will be worth the wait or should i just go ahead and get the Note 4 ?

You only have a few more days til the S6 is shown at Mobile world conference....

 

[Hadron]

If the leaked photos that are circulating tonight are genuine you can add one more error to the list: no removable storage.

I do find it hard to believe that Samsung would be that daft, after Sony and HTC restored SD slots to their phones a couple of years ago. But the device there does seem consistent with those chassis photos of a few weeks ago, so it may be. Hope not, obviously.

 

[EarlyMon]

Has anyone verified the prices mentioned in the comments section here?

http://phandroid.com/2015/02/26/galaxy-s6-edge-pictures/

Over $1,000 for a 128 GB phone with no storage.

I'd love a 128 GB and to forget sd cards.

But seriously - if true, how many will pay that price?

And given that carriers like Verizon have been known to not offer all Samsung storage models, how many are not going to get access to it anyway?

I hope these rumors are not true - I don't get it.

 

[dynomot]

While a removable battery is nice, (and has gotten me out of many a simple bootloop) it isn't a deal breaker, having no SD card support however is, definitely. I doubt very much Vodafone UK (my carrier) will stock the 128GB version, and the cost to buy it outright rather than get an upgrade on my current price plan is prohibitive.

It may be good bye Samsung come upgrade time in July. I still can't see Sammy making an error like that. 4G is just not universal enough to stream the media I want access to all the time and I have over 70Gig of music on my Note 3 with a 64Gig card and 32Gig on board. I like the fact my media is accessible all the time, and also that my pocket (I have huge pockets!) device mirrors my laptop. A more serious concern for me regarding storage is I use my Note 3 to store huge all in one file video reports rather than burn them to DVD on site. I'm talking perhaps 4 x 3Gig seperate reports per day, Each dumped to a dedicated office based server over Wi-Fi overnight from home or done the old fashioned way with USB 3 (which is noticeably faster than USB 2) should I get into the office the next day.

 

[rushmore]

Samsung should have offered a 32GB and 64GB and left the sd slot in. They are trying to act like Apple, but without the same consumer clout that Apple has. The pricing of the 128GB model is $200 higher than simple getting a 32GB model and having the option to buy a 128GB card. That is IF the $1,000 pricing is accurate.

Time will tell, but this all seems another move that will further shrink Samsung's market share.

 

[quest7]

I like(ed) Sammy because of the sd card slot and I could have a Zerolemon battery with it. I don't mind the extra thickness cause I'm a power user. May sit this one out.

 

[DILands]

The one thing is that no one can comment is the unknown - which carriers are going to release which (color/memory) variant.

 

[Quickdawn]

Has anyone watched the presentation video? They had to built in the battery because its using special features like quick charge and god knows what else optimized with it to keep the battery charging quickly and lasting longer. I believe there is more to the battery then what samsung announced. As fasr as the SD card its a shame but them doing a hybrid flash SSD combo so it can write and read files faster I think is well worth the sacrifice. they got rid of the 16 gb into level and start out with the 32gb so I'm looking at a nice 64GB for the sweet spot. It's using ddr4 ram which will be awesome, and probably why the camera can always stay open and be ready to go in a seconds time. I think this smartphone is a lot more advanced internally, On the looks department it looks horrid witht hat glass back I wish they would have a done a note 4 ordeal.

 

[Baggins101]

I was so disappointed when I read the specs for the s6. No sd card slot and no changeable battery. My s5 is in a flip case so the plastic back is still in the box and doesn't worry me at all.

I won't be buying an S6. The Galaxy is now just an expensive iPhone clone... and if your going to buy an iPhone why would you buy an expensive clone rather than the real thing?

 

[Quickdawn]

I was so disappointed when I read the specs for the s6. No sd card slot and no changeable battery. My s5 is in a flip case so the plastic back is still in the box and doesn't worry me at all.

I won't be buying an S6. The Galaxy is now just an expensive iPhone clone... and if your going to buy an iPhone why would you buy an expensive clone rather than the real thing?

Because android... Clone or not Htc m7 did this and it still sold was considered one of the best android phones with a crappy 4mp camera that OIS then the Sony z1 did this glass front and glass back no SD card and no removable battery but had a shitty 1080 screen but still was considered a breakthrough design. Chamfered metal edges and glass design.

 

[rushmore]

The positive is I really really like my Note 4, so no direct concern other than truly think Samsung is playing into Apple's hands trying to be Andrapple (and Note 5 design). The Gear VR they want to agressively push will be a joke without no OTG ability and the fact most will buy the 32GB version and have to content juggle. No sd slot on space hogging Lollipop seems futile to me and will hurt devs in the Play market since less storage space for apps. If I were a dev, I would not bother making large games since you will have a constrained sales opportunity due to general lack of storage overall.

JMO of course, so we shall see. We have to first deal with Samsung's usual touting of near worthless sell-in numbers. Most large channel partner contracts as written means Samsung gets almost nothing in revenue until devices actually sell-through to actual consumers.

That, or the channels get 100% credit for returns. This is a reason you see a lot of deals that are subsidized by the phone makers since they would rather eat margin than take inventory back.

 

[iowabowtech]

I don't mind the non removable sdcard or battery. But with the high screen rez and smaller battery (than S5), I don't think its going to cut it for me as long battery life is among the highest priorities on my list. I was actually considering trying another Samsung, which is a big step for me to even say as I haven't been a big fan in the past. But I do feel their build quality has gone way up. Gotta have serious battery life though so I'm probably going to pass on this one.

 

[rivera02]

I really think Samsung nailed the design of the note 4 and would've liked them stay that course with the s6. The n4 is solidly built without sacrificing functionality.
I wasn't planning on getting the s6 anyways, but I'm worried that it will sell so well that Samsung will see it as an affirmation that nobody cares about sd cards or removable batteries and they'll ditch them for the note 5.

 

[rushmore]

I really think Samsung nailed the design of the note 4 and would've liked them stay that course with the s6. The n4 is solidly built without sacrificing functionality.
I wasn't planning on getting the s6 anyways, but I'm worried that it will sell so well that Samsung will see it as an affirmation that nobody cares about sd cards or removable batteries and they'll ditch them for the note 5.

Note 4 rocks.

 

[Mcgee10]

Hi all. I joined the Android community last year after my first cheapie smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 520. For me it was trying a smartphone after years of having a dumb phone. It eventually stopped working and so I decided against investing in a top end Windows device with such limited and poor quality apps.

I bought a Galaxy S5 which I couldn't be happier with, plus of course the Android os and the vast Google play store. The final clincher for me was the removeable back so that I could replace the battery myself, change the back cover (which I did) and even change the outer camera lens (again which I did as I scratched it).

I have been reading an enormous amount of journalistic criticism over Samsung's "cheap" plastic covers. I then read an article stating that even though Samsung have been criticised over this for years, the average actual Galaxy buyer has not been bothered by it. I agree with this completely. I see Samsung engaging in marketing which I believe is detrimental to them.

Firstly, quad HD displays. By matching the LG G3, Samsung is now committed to a PPI war which will only place heavier strains on the battery and processer. Look at the hugely successful iPhone 6. It doesn't even have full HD! But a meager HD and the average iPhone user could care less. As a consequence, Apple doesn't have to spend vast resources on a technology that brings almost no benefits on a small screen and in fact places burdensome demands on the rest of the device. If Apple can still get away with HD then Sammy can thrive with full HD.

Smaller battery on the S6. Yes I know it will have an uber fantastic 8 core processor but it still can only do so much against a quad HD display and a smaller battery capacity compared to the S5, all whilst still having at least the same size screen. Let's say the Exynos processer pulls off an engineering miracle and the S6 has better battery life than the S5. How much would it have been better again if full HD was retained and the battery capacity at least the same? Would not this be a far better selling point than quad HD?

Slimmer build. I seriously doubt there is an S5 user on the planet who wishes their phone was slimmer. In fact when I got my S5, I found it hard picking it up off a flat surface because I couldn't get an easy grip on it. I bought a clear back cover from eBay which added thickness and made it a lot easier to pick up. Making the S6 slimmer I believe is a mistake which only leads to a smaller battery capacity.

And finally, the real big one. Non replaceable back. Look at the success of the LG G3. With a better finished plastic back. I believe a lot of Galaxy users chose a Galaxy because they could replace the back. Samsung are giving up a key marketing feature. What would I have done? Make something like a premium finish carbon fiber replaceable back. Or a replaceable metal back.

I think Samsung have been paying too much attention to internet critics and not listening to their own users. Even though the S5 did not sell as well as projected, it had nothing to do with users wanting a higher pixel display or a slimmer device. Sure, ditch the obviously cheap plastic and replace it with a more premium material, but don't ditch it's advantage over all other makers. Now for eg, when I eventually replace my S5, I will more consider other devices as the Galaxy line won't have replacement back covers.

Samsung should keep their replaceable back covers, make it more premium, not slim down their phones any further and not engage in a pixel war. The focus should be on increasing battery life whilst developing new and better current features like imaging-which they are.

But the smaller battery, non replaceable back covers and higher PPI screens are a step in the wrong direction I strongly feel.

Thoughts?

Very good write up, it's really me. After having tons of problems with my HTC M7 dead battery or bad battery for a year. No more no replaceable battery for me. And having my sd card is a must. I to think Samsung needs to get back to making phone we want to buy and stop chasing someone else. There will be no S6 for me and if they stay this coarse no more Samsung phone for me and I will ride my S5 as long as possible

 

[pieq314]

I also believe Samsung made a huge mistake with S6. I use Note 3 so this is not a big concern for me. However, I worry that Samsung will do the same thing to the Note series: no SD card and no replaceable battery. If that happens, I will search for a different cellphone when upgrade time comes.

 

[rushmore]

We will need to wait several months once analysts figure out sell-though numbers and sift through Samsung's usual near worthless sell-in numbers. Selling into carriers and most warehouses makes them little revenue. Actual consumer sales is where their main revenue comes from and little from other channel sales.

 

[buttercup24]

Yeah Note 4 rocks. I'm getting the S6,too. Oh well, it was the S6 edge that I'm rooting for but it's kind of way above my budget.

 

[rushmore]

Presuming battery life has not backtracked to the S3 (some users and some reviews so far suggest this could be the case), the S6 seems a good device if do not want a lot of storage. I do, so will stick with the Note 4 and hope the Note 5 does not follow the same iPhone wannabe path.

The Note 4 with 128gb sd has more storage than the S6 128gb and costs less than the S6. That to me does not seem a good direction for the consumer and less differentiation from the iPhone makes Apple happier.

 

[Mcgee10]

I think the Samsung galaxy S6 will be popular. I also think that people will compromise what they wanted for what Samsung gave them. I see this everyday. No sd card is the killer for me and my needs.
My phone is the one that no one seemed to like and I think it's by far the best phone I have ever had. I guess time will tell on the S6.

 

[Matrix Leader]

Very good write up, it's really me. After having tons of problems with my HTC M7 dead battery or bad battery for a year. No more no replaceable battery for me. And having my sd card is a must. I to think Samsung needs to get back to making phone we want to buy and stop chasing someone else. There will be no S6 for me and if they stay this coarse no more Samsung phone for me and I will ride my S5 as long as possible

I bought the Note 4 simply because I knew with the small mAH of the S6`s battery it couldn't logically power that powerful phone and I was right, on the Android Central Forums, it's full of people complaining about battery life. That is to be expected when you up the specs of the phone and rather than increasing the battery size, you make it smaller. Couldn't be happier with my Note 4's 3200 mAH battery I get 2 days of heavy use with it (location services off though)