To any tech enthusiast this seems silly. However, it's an understandable blunder. For far too long android handset design has been too ubiquitous, a cheap plastic body, big screen and bloated software. In recent generations handset manufacturers have realized this, and in response we've seen wonderful handsets such as the current gen moto x and HTC One series. In addition manufacturers have cleaned up their Android images. Gone are the days of lagging animations, bloat ware and messy skins. Android has gone from an ocean of vastly different UI's to a sea of different but truer to vanilla experiences.
This was all in the last year or so. LG released the beautiful G3, HTC the One M8 and even Apple detracted from it's phobia of change by releasing the 6 and 6+. What did Samsung have to offer? A phone that took no risks, sought out nothing unique aside from poor design and mediocre improvements. Samsung's answer was ignorance with the Galaxy S5.
Samsung spent years and millions of dollars to create their brand. Commercials mocking the iphone made them the most recognizable phone brand aside from Apple in the United States. Their commercials portrayed them as a company who innovated, was youthful and full of energy, compared to Apple a boring, stagnant company with uninformed buyers. When Samsung released the S5 they ironically became like the company they fought so hard to suppress. As a result last years sales plummeted, investors became worried and market share was lost. The crown Samsung had for years slipped away.
Move on to March 1st, 2015 and Samsung is back, but the story of their revival truly begins with the Note 4 and Note Edge. The Note 4 and Note Edge were somewhat unusual for Samsung because unlike other Samsung phones they incorporated metal frames, a step in the right direction. The Note Edge had a unique feature with a curved right side. Like I said these phones were only a step in the right direction. This is due to the fact that they still didn't feel like the premium devices they set out to be. The back was still plastic, and the software was still full of bloatware and somewhat clunky. Sure the plastic back was a much nicer feeling plastic than previous generations, but it still didn't feel as premium as an iphone.
Back to March and we now have the Galaxy S6. It still looks like a Galaxy device, but it now feels like a luxurious piece. Samsung scrapped the old plastic materials in favor of aluminium sides and gorilla glass 4 on the front and back. The result is truly beautiful and unique.
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| Image via Mashable |
The S6 Edge borrows the curved Edge from the Note Edge, but realized it on both sides. This means lefties aren't left out. The curved edges look stunning, and offer their owners something different, but is it actually useful? Time will tell if people embrace Samsung's screen tech or mark it off as another gimmick.
These devices also pack powerful hardware, making them more than just a pretty face. A speedy cpu coupled with 3GB of ram ensure it won't be left behind by other phones making their debut.
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| Image via Mashable |
So, has Samsung finally produced a device capable of keeping them relevant? I believe so. Samsung has also cleaned up their touchwiz software by removing 40 percent of bloatware. For Android fans this is great news as it strengthens the most recognizable brand in the industry. No longer can the ecosystem be referred to as bland or messy.
To read more about the GS6 and see pictures/videos check out the links below:
