Galaxy S6 Specifications Allegedly Leak Out On Benchmarking Site
Following on from last week's news of two potential Samsung Galaxy S6 variants , online benchmarking site AnTuTu has picked up details of an alleged new smartphone from the South Korean company which has all the hallmarks of the next generation Galaxy flagship.
While the specifications have now been removed from the site, AnTuTu reported the new device had a 5.5 inch screen running at 2550×1440 pixels, Samsung's Exynos 7420 640bit Octa-Core CPU, 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage. The handset also came with a five megapixel and twenty megapixel camera (writs Tom Pritchard for Shiny Shiny and others).
The handset is running Android 5.0 Lollipop, and it reports a model number of SM-G925F, which fits in with the European numbering of Samsung's flagship smartphones.
( Read more about Samsung's European roll-out of Android 5.0 Lollipop ).
Assuming these specifications relate to the Galaxy S6 (which is likely to be revealed in Q1 2015), it's not clear if this is the regular model or the 'edge' version where the screen will wrap around the long edge to create a digital programmable spine. The Edge model of the Galaxy Note 4 reports a 2560 x 1440 screen (matching the regular Note 4) even though it has an extra 2560 x 160 strip of pixels.
While the specifications are in line with expectations of a Galaxy S6, they tell us very little about the story that Samsung will be using to market and sell the S6 smartphone. The 'fast follower' strategy that Samsung has employed to build up market share demands that specifications and hardware stay at the top-end of expectations.
The real key will be in the software and the design of the smartphone.
Samsung's style has been utilitarian at best over the last few years, and while the new design language of the Galaxy Alpha appears to be the way forward , that design is reminiscent of both the earlier S3 and the previous generation of iPhone handsets. If the S6 simply be a slightly bigger Galaxy Alpha, then one of the key potential areas to market the smartphone will be neutered.
That's one reason I hope the leak of an 'Edge' version of the handset is true. A digital spine would be unique in the smartphone world. If I was Samsung's Mobile Division Chief JK Shin , I would drop the dual model approach and simply ensure that every Galaxy S6 is an 'Edge' version with the 2550×1440 main screen and a 2550×160 screen wrapped around the spine. Stand up, be proud, and stand out on the smartphone market.
There's also the question of software. With the Lollipop update beginning to appear on the Galaxy S5, the South Korean company has updated its applications to use the Material Design Language and create a more unified experience across the platform. The S6 needs to refresh Samsung's fortunes, and a wholesale revision of TouchWiz would certainly reinvigorate the image of the Galaxy range and the associated first-party software scene.
The hardware appears to be ready to accommodate a flagship, Samsung has some innovative ideas ready to go if the company is brave enough, and there is an opportunity to kick-start the next generation of the software platform.
Will Samsung go all-in with the S6? I hope they do.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, Note 4 And Gear S
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