Sixth sense

Samsung makes good on its promise with the Galaxy S6

Let’s face it: Samsung hasn’t exactly been feeling too good of late. They had to do something to get back. So, guess what? They did.
The South Korean &giant’s Galaxy S6 seems &to have done the trick, and they made good on their pledge to seriously fight for the smartphone throne they relinquished recently. At first glance, the S6’s looks can be a double-edged sword (for me, at least); Samsung has said &it built this phone “from scratch”, and the result is &a simple glass, metal and plastic mesh that may be &a bit too simple for some. However, it gives the line a whole new identity, which I hope they hold on to.
Bright gets even bright-er with its 5.1” QHD Super AMOLED screen. The fingerprint scanner is back on the home button, and it has vastly improved; place your finger on it and it takes just an instant for the phone to recognise it. The device’s wireless charging capability gives it even more appeal — not to mention, all the S Health functions.
I’ve rarely found cameras to rave about in phones, but the S6’s snapper is a great one. Images are sharp and it holds up pretty well, even in low-light conditions. However, I’m not a fan of protruding lenses, and you’ll see why when you get your hands on it.
Battery life is a drawback though. I was expecting it to easily approach the one-and-a-half-day mark, but, alas, it wasn’t the case for my regular usage; it struggled to come even close to 24 hours. Case in point: the S6 uses a 2550mAh battery compared to the S5’s 2800mAh. The reason — if my assumption is correct — is that the smaller battery paved the way for a slimmer phone. Oh well, there are portable power banks anyway, which means (yep!) the battery is built-in.
AND SO…
My review of the S5 noted that it wasn’t a major leap from the S4; I’d label the Samsung Galaxy S6 a “rebirth”. And do my eyes deceive me? The prices are attractive as well! 
alvin@khaleejtimes.com
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