What to Expect When the Samsung Galaxy S6 Appears in March

By Don Reisinger

Samsung was criticized last year for using too much plastic in some of its smartphones, including its Galaxy S5. According to numerous reports out of the company’s supply chain, that will change in 2015 with the Galaxy S6. Samsung is reportedly turning to an aluminum design for the S6 to respond to Android competitors that are using metal in their own products.

Unlike many Android-based devices that only come with a single storage option, the Galaxy S6 will come in three versions. The first will come with 32GB of storage, while the others will offer 64GB and 128GB. That would nearly match the iPhone 6 Plus, which offers 16GB, 64GB and 128GB of storage across its line.

One of the big debates surrounding the Galaxy S6 is what size screen it’ll come with. Media reports say that the device will come with a screen size ranging from 5 inches to as much as 5.5 inches. In any event, expect the S6 to have Quad HD screen resolution.

Late last year, a report surfaced claiming to show the SKUs of all of the Galaxy S6 units. That report showed that Samsung is not going to make the mistake Amazon did last year with its own flagship smartphone, the Fire Phone, trying to sell it through only a single mobile carrier. Instead, Samsung will be completely platform-agnostic, allowing all of the major U.S. carriers to get their hands on its handset.

Over the past few months, several photos have leaked purportedly showing the actual Galaxy S6. Every one of those images shows a device that has a much different look than its predecessor, including an extremely thin bezel around the screen. It appears that Samsung is thinking outside the box with its Galaxy S6 design.

All signs point to Samsung bundling Android 5.0 in the Galaxy S6. Such a move would make sense, since the Galaxy S6 is designed to be a flagship handset, and Android 5.0 is the latest available Android distribution. Samsung has also reportedly overhauled its TouchWiz user interface to run with Android.

Look for Samsung to make a major play for the mobile photographer in the Galaxy S6. The company will reportedly offer a 16- or 20-megapixel camera in the Galaxy S6, though it’s unclear at this point which lens will get the nod. Either option would put the Galaxy S6 in the upper end of the mobile market and put it ahead of the iPhone 6 Plus, its archrival.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but the Samsung Galaxy S6 is likely to ship with Samsung’s own Exynos processors. The processors will be 64-bit and offer far more power than what customers have seen in previous versions of the Galaxy S line, according to reports. That should help Samsung as it competes with its legion of rivals.

Some observers have suggested that the curvilinear graphic design of the Samsung Unpacked invitation lends credence to speculation that the Galaxy S6 will have a curved profile. In addition, the Galaxy S6 will not come in a one-size-fits-all package. Instead, reports suggest that the Galaxy S6 will have design variants, including different screen configurations.

Samsung is looking to grab as much worldwide attention for its latest flagship smartphone. So the company will release the Galaxy S6 worldwide in March rather than deliver it gradually in various markets. Exact pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but some reports have said that unlocked versions could start at 749 euros. American pricing has not been leaked to the press just yet.