Welcome to the biggest smartphone battle of 2015.
The result is a smartphone head-to-head which has never been closer at a time when the stakes have never been higher. Let’s get straight to it.
Note: iPhone 6 review sample provided by Vodafone UK. Galaxy S6 review sample provided by Samsung UK
Design And Build Quality: Class Leaders
There’s only one place to begin when looking at Samsung’s new contender: design. Quite simply, Samsung has thrown almost every traditional design aspect of previous Galaxies away with the Galaxy S6 in an effort to create the same premium feel as the iPhone 6. The end result is both good and bad as well as being incredibly divisive.
- Galaxy S6 - 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm (5.64 x 2.77 x 0.27 in) and 138g (4.86 oz)
- iPhone 6 - 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27in) and 129g (4.55oz)
First the good. By ditching the plastic back for glass and plastic faux-metal sides of the Galaxy S5 for glass and aluminium, the Galaxy S6 does indeed feel far better built. Logic suggests it would be almost impossible for that not to happen and it now matches the iPhone 6 by feeling every bit as luxurious (regardless of whether you like either individual design).
Read more - Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S6 Edge: The Differences Between The New Samsung Smartphones.
It is important to state this isn’t just about the materials, it is the attention to detail Samsung has shown. Every edge, button and seam is meticulously crafted and for my money this also places it ahead of
The Galaxy S6 also feels good in hand and it isn’t as slippy as the ridiculously slick iPhone 6. Both phones could do with cutting down their huge top and bottom bezels and they wouldn’t suffer from being a little thicker to fit bigger batteries (more later), but if I were to pick a favourite it would be the Galaxy S6.
Then again Samsung’s major changes also come with major downsides. Compared to the Galaxy S5 the Galaxy S6 no longer has a removable battery, upgradeable storage and it isn't even waterproof. In fairness these aren't great losses compared to the iPhone 6 which also has none of the above, but it does open a window of opportunity for other Android phone makers to differentiate.
Are the trade-offs worth it? For those who rely on one or more of these lost features, obviously not – they are deal breakers. For most, however, I suspect they will be accepted and record shipments suggest this is the case.
Galaxy S6 (right) switches to a glass back, but aluminium like the iPhone 6 may have been wiser -... [+]
So has the Galaxy S6 ultimately stepped up to the iPhone 6 without any real head-to-head issues? Not quite. Moving to a glass rear brings back memories of the iPhone 4 and 4S which were plagued by cracks. Countering this the Galaxy S6 uses
Personally I think Samsung should’ve taken a different track here: fit a removable aluminium back which gives access to both the battery and a microSD slot. Surely that would’ve been a win, win? As it stands, it is a win some/lose some that stands up well to the iPhone 6 but less so to more feature rich Android handsets.
Read more - Samsung Galaxy S6 Vs Galaxy S5: Should You Upgrade?
Displays: Great Meets Greater
- Galaxy S6 - 5.1-inch QHD flat panel, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 577 pixels per inch (ppi), Super AMOLED display
- iPhone 6 - 4.7-inch, 1334 x 750 pixels, 326 ppi, LED-backlit IPS LCD
Let’s stamp on an urban myth straight away: the iPhone 6 has a poor display. It is a common perception that because the phone only has a 326ppi screen it is somehow substandard. This is garbage. To put it in context a 4K 50-inch television has 88ppi and no-one complains about lack of pixel density when staring up close. The iPhone 6 is perfectly sharp and it has superb brightness, great levels of contrast and rich colours – all of which are all far more important.
Then again, make no mistake, the Galaxy S6 has the better display of the two. Yes the S6 has a much higher resolution and if you squint really hard you can see the benefit this brings, but it isn’t how you will use the phone in real life and it isn’t the reason why the S6 wins out.
The fact is the Galaxy S6 takes what the iPhone 6 display is good at: brightness, contrast and colours and cranks them up to a whole new level. Something I think would've looked equally stunning on a 1080p panel, a gripe I’ll get back to later.
So yes, the PPI wars need to end – they’re just as silly as the perception that more megapixels = better photos. But Samsung has nailed the elements that really matter and the result is the best smartphone display I’ve ever seen. The Galaxy S6 is the hands down winner.
Next page Performance and Software...
Performance – Rivals Left Eating Dust
There may be rubbish spoken about pixel density and megapixels, but they pale in comparison to the utter drivel proclaimed about chipset performance. So let’s take a look at the internals:
- Galaxy S6 – Samsung Exynos 7420 – CPU: Quad-core 2.1GHz and 1.5GHz CPUs; GPU: Mali-T760, 3GB RAM
- iPhone 6 - Apple A8 - CPU: Dual-core 1.4 GHz Cyclone; GPU: PowerVR GX6450, 1GB RAM
So we’ll get this out of the way quickly: pulled out of their respective phones, Samsung’s Exynos 7420 chipset is significantly more powerful than Apple’s A8. There’s no denying this. The Exynos 7420 has a more powerful CPU, GPU and triple the RAM.
All of which means nothing, because they have to drive the displays and software of their respective handsets which changes the picture dramatically. Simply put: Android and the S6’s QHD panel ask vastly more from the Exynos 7420 than iOS 8 and the 750p panel in the iPhone 6.
Samsung has the more powerful chipset, but the more demanding handset and OS - image credit: Gordon... [+]
The good news is these combinations largely even out. Both phones feel ludicrously fast when navigating the OS, each producing a level of seamless response unmatched by any rival (including
Read more - Samsung Galaxy S6 And Galaxy S6 Edge: Best And Worst Features
Which is faster? Given the different demands on each device benchmarks are pointless and the long and short of it is that they are on a different level to any rival phones currently on the market. It really doesn’t matter.
What is perhaps a better question is which phone’s performance is likely to age better and here I’d give the plaudits to the iPhone 6. While games will always scale to the iPhone 6’s 750p resolution and should therefore be no problem for a number of years, games will start to scale up to the Galaxy S6’s QHD resolution (currently most Android games don’t run in 1440p) and that will cause problems.
To repeat a familiar line: a 1080p resolution would've been the smarter choice both for now and in the long run.
Software: Age Sees Both Pile On The Pounds
And now we enter the typical weak and strong points of both manufacturers. Apple’s iOS has long been famed for its stripped down, hyper-efficient experience while Samsung’s TouchWiz layer on top of Android is seen as the antithesis of this adding needless bloat, wasting space and slowing down devices infested by it.
But here’s the problem: neither perspective is entirely true anymore.
Where the stereotypes are still valid are iOS consumes less space than TouchWiz-flavoured Android and it installs less apps by default. But the gaps are closing.
- Galaxy S6 – Android 5.0.2 Lollipop (at time of review) with TouchWiz
- iPhone 6 – iOS 8.3 (at time of review)
Apple is increasingly bloating out iOS 8 with non-essential apps. Meanwhile Samsung, as just mentioned, has made TouchWiz so much more efficient that the Galaxy S6 now runs as quickly and smoothly and the iPhone 6.
Yet not all is well. Contrary to marketing claims, Samsung has actually loaded the Galaxy S6 with record amounts of bloatware. 52 apps to be exact and while most can be ‘hidden’ very few can be uninstalled. So yes we still have two calendar apps, three email clients, two calculators and more. It borders on ridiculous and Samsung needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror about who it is really serving with this approach – especially now it has taken away expandable storage.
A similar case can also be brought against Apple. With the company still selling a 16GB model do we really need two new Apple Watch apps and non-removable golden oldies like Tips, Stocks, Compass, Newsstand and many more?
Read more - Apple iOS 8.3: Should You Upgrade?
Then again some bloat works. For TouchWiz the highlight is the slick software which accompanies the upgraded fingerprint reader in the S6 – a reader which can finally match accuracy and responsiveness of Touch ID in the iPhone 6. The look of the software is embarrassingly close to Apple’s, but it also works every bit as well and bulks up a part of Android that’s underdeveloped.
In operation it doesn’t always dovetail nicely with Android 5.0 Lollipop. The ability to double tap on lockscreen notifications as a shortcut is hamstrung by then also needing to unlock with the reader which feels clunky, but its isn't overly painful.
There’s less to commend about S Health and S Voice. The former should clearly be optional, though the S6’s heartrate scanner (hidden in the camera flash) works better than before while the latter still is nowhere near as good as Google Voice Search, though it has got faster.
There are niceties such as the ability to use most apps in a windowed mode, but it is a better option on a huge screen like the Galaxy Note 4 or Nexus 6 phablets. Ultimately for all Samsung’s good work I still suspect the best version of the Galaxy S6 would still be a phone with stock Android. Something that can be partially achieved via the Google Now Launcher.
Furthermore with stock Android the S6 most likely would be on Android 5.1 now not 5.0.2 as it was at the time of review, a version which lacks niceties such as 5.1’s quick dismissal of notifications.
As for the iPhone, it is both to Apple’s credit and somewhat to its tedium that iOS 8 is a case of same-old, same-old. What it lacks in things like homescreen widgets and aged notifications, it makes up for in speed and smoothness. The inability to check off numerical notifications on apps without opening them feels like a trip to the stone age, as does the lack of a universal back button and the space either side of the home button feels wasted.
TouchWiz bloatware is worse than ever, but some features are very useful - image credit: Gordon... [+]
Still Apple seems keen to update iOS at high speed right now - iOS 8.4 is already in beta - even if bugs keep slipping through the cracks. With WWDC in a few months I would expect a lot more from iOS 9.
Read more - iOS 8 vs Android 5.0 Lollipop Review: Material Difference
Who do I give this round to? I’m tempted to say Samsung, which is a shock since I’ve never been a fan of TouchWiz, but it can certainly do more and now is every bit as fast as iOS. I suspect my viewpoint could change with iOS 9, but right now Apple really does need to move beyond its soulless, eight year old grids-of-icons
Next page: Cameras and Battery Life...
Cameras: The Best Just Got Bettered
It is easy for me to name my favourite aspect of the iPhone 6, it has been the same for generations now: the camera. There are rivals which can push the iPhone 6 all the way, but the advantage Apple’s devices have is incredible consistency. If I could pick one phone to capture a vital moment, it would be an iPhone (technically the 6 Plus).
Or it would have been an iPhone… because, for me, my go to smartphone camera would now be the Galaxy S6. Samsung has finally broken the Apple stranglehold of quick, easy, quality photos and produced a game changer.
Galaxy S6 (left) has greater detail and is less effected by direct sunlight - image credit: Gordon... [+]
- Galaxy S6 – 16 megapixel sensor, F1.9 lens, OIS, autofocus, LED flash – 4k video recording. Front: 5 megapixel sensor, F1.9 lens
- iPhone 6 and 6 Plus – 8 megapixel sensor, F2.2 lens, DIS, Focus Pixels, dual-LED flash – 1080p video recording. Front: 1.2 megapixel sensor, F2.2 lens
Looking at the specs should bring a sense of deja vu: an Apple rival pushes much greater specs only for Apple’s combination of a great lens and class leading image processing software to beat them down.
Except this time it doesn’t happen. As you will see from the shots in the garden, the Galaxy S6 not only matches the slick image processing of the iPhone 6 (no more horrible oversharpening) but the extra megapixels then give it the capability to pull ahead when it comes to the level of detail produced.
Read more - Why iPhone 6 Plus Camera Beats iPhone 6
A crucial factor here is Samsung’s move to an F1.9 lens which allows in up to 60% more light. This enables shots to be taken faster making it great for moving subjects (such as the yellow flowers which were moving in a breeze causing the iPhone 6 to blur - below) and for capturing detail in low light.
Flowers blowing in the wind - the F1.9 lens in the Galaxy S6 captures moving images far better than... [+]
If there is a fault it is that in low light the Galaxy S6 can make scenes a little yellow, but this can be tweaked in the settings and I would expect an update from Samsung before long to fix this for good. It’s no dealbreaker.
In very low light the S6 still captures more detail, but has an overly yellow tint - image credit:... [+]
Furthermore the Galaxy S6 takes an even bigger lead when it comes to the front facing camera. Again the use of an F1.9 lens combined with the extra megapixels leaves the iPhone 6 standing - as does its clever use of the heart rate sensor as a shutter button shortcut - and the iPhone 6’s 1.2MP sensor is something Apple desperately needs to address with the iPhone 6S in the age of the selfie.
Video? Despite the Galaxy S6’s support for 4K Ultra HD, I find the two very close. Samsung has aped Apple’s slo mo and time lapse features with ‘Slow Motion’ and ‘Fast Motion’ settings to good effect and its optical image stabilisation is great, but 4K takes up a lot of space and in the more everyday 1080p modes the duo are too close to call.
Battery Life - Samsung Duplicates Apple’s Biggest Weakness
It may be crude to say the Galaxy S6 succeeds in part due to Samsung’s ‘admiration’ for key Apple hardware and software design, but there is a certain truth to it. Then again one aspect I wish Samsung hadn’t been so keen to mirror is the iPhone 6’s mediocre battery life.
Read more - iPhone 6 Vs iPhone 6 Plus Review: Which To Buy?
To do this Samsung has actually had to take a step backwards. Not by ditching the removable battery, but by reducing the size of the fixed one compared to the Galaxy S5 (2550 mAh Vs 2800 mAh). The Exynos 7420 chipset may be more efficient, but the simple fact is the Galaxy S6 doesn’t last as long as the Galaxy S5 and - just like the iPhone 6 (1810 mAh) - with heavy use you’ll need to find a charger long before the end of the working day.
Galaxy S6 battery consumption is a step backwards and is dominated by the display - image credit:... [+]
The good news is if you go more gently with both phones they should make it through the day, but if you are caught short the Galaxy S6 supports both wired and wireless charging (including both main standards) making it the more flexible of the two to get back up and running.
This also extends to charge times. The iPhone 6 does support quick charging, but Apple doesn’t supply a quick charger in the box unlike the Galaxy S6 which can restore 35% charge in just 15 minutes. Unfortunately the downside to the convenience of wireless charging is it is much slower and you’ll need closer to three hours for a full charge.
Ultimately both phones still need to do better. I don’t personally think either company should have made them so thin and I’d gladly have put up with another millimetre or two for a much larger battery. Will this change in future? I doubt it, but it should.
Next Page: Speakers, Value and Bottom Line...
Speakers - Punching Above Their Weight
While unlikely to be a highest priority for wannabe customers, I think it is worth quickly giving some feedback on both phones’ external speakers. The bad news is neither can hold a candle to HTC’s bassy front facing stereo BoomSound speakers on the One range, but on the upside they are actually loud and clear.
The winner here is the Galaxy S6 which is definitely the louder of the two - even if it can reverberate at maximum volume, but it is certainly good enough to ditch your Bluetooth speaker for the occasional podcast. Front facing speakers are the future, but these two phones have the best mono, bottom mounted speakers I’ve heard.
Value - The Most Expensive Smartphones
It will surprise no-one that the iPhone 6 is expensive, but it may surprise a lot of people to find that off contract the Galaxy S6 is priced even higher:
- Galaxy S6: $699 (32GB), $799 (64GB) and $899 (128GB)
- iPhone 6: $649 (16GB), $749 (64GB) and $849 (128GB)
What is interesting, however, is Samsung’s decision not to play the upgrade card quite so hard as Apple by offering a 32GB entry level model. This is arguably the sweet spot in the line, though many will likely want to splash out on the 64GB model.
Read more - iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5 Review: Apple Gatecrashes Samsung
Then again the vast majority will opt for one of these phones on a long two year contract and here the price differences will all but be absorbed. It is also worth noting that historically Samsung phones tend to fall rapidly in price while iPhones sit rigidly at their original price right until the final months before a new model comes along.
As such those sold of the Galaxy S6 may well do best to wait a few months and see what deals are to be had as stock shortages clear up.
I feel the Galaxy S6 (left) is the better phone, but the iPhone 6S will be step up the challenge -... [+]
Bottom Line
I have to come clean and say I’ve never been the greatest fan of Samsung phones. They have always been devices I could admire objectively, but I would rarely chose to use them as my own personal device.
This changes with the Galaxy S6. I’d still prefer to see less bloat and a lot less TouchWiz, but for the first time Samsung has created a phone which can match the iPhone in build quality, speed of operation and - crucially - in the ease of use, quality and reliability of its camera.
Neither phone is perfect. I think Samsung would’ve been wise to use an aluminium back instead of glass, both phones are too thin at the expense of better battery life and their price tags are excessive. Then again I'm in no doubt that they are also currently the best pair of smartphones on the market and, while choosing a winner is tough, my preference is for the Galaxy S6. It learns key lessons from the iPhone 6 and then uses them against it.
Your move Apple…
Read more - iPhone 6 Vs HTC One M9 Review: Beautiful Beast
___
