Samsung S6 — Disappointment Or Improvement?

A quick look a the things missing on the latest Samsung flagship phone.

So… Samsung’s just launched it’s hot new flagship phone, the Galaxy S6.

The first impression? It’s Different.

Not to say it’s revolutionary as the original iPhone was, yet Samsung loyalists may not be as displeased as their Apple counterparts are with the latest version of the flagship.

That said, the launch of its two new flagship devices at Mobile World Congress (MWC), an annual technology conference in Barcelona, Spain, has also left Samsung fans not completely satisfied.

Being fair to the flagship, the new Galaxy S6 promises to be an amazing smartphone. It is thinner, made of glass and metal, has a powerful processor and also comes with a curved screen option called the Galaxy S6 edge, which has reviewers very excited.

So, why are they not completely satisfied? Well, it’s not that which is new but what has been taken away, that has reviewers riled.

Samsung has for some reason, seen sense in removing two key features that set Samsung apart from its biggest rivals — the detachable battery and the ability to add storage at whim. The S6 duo come with a sealed back, and also have no SD card slot.

Going back in time, Samsung emerged on the global smartphone picture with the arrival of Galaxy S2 in April 2011, which proved to be a big hit. The reason behind it’s success was that it was different besides being capable — it offered great flexibility to the users, they had a removable battery and expandable storage. All this without a compromise in the design.

After that success, Samsung gained a reputation of providing flexibility with its phones.

That said, materials and design were the continued nemeses of Galaxy phones, no matter the price. Over the years, Samsung’s materials (mainly chromed plastic) began receive criticism when compared to premium metal and glass used by Apple.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha and Note 4 introduced a change in design In the Samsung flagship phones.

The Galaxy S6 now takes that theory forward, switching from plastic to metal and glass, and pushing it to the extreme. Thing is, Samsung have given the critics some joy at last, but it’s come at the cost of disappointing its fans by taking away the flexibility that set Samsung apart.

There’s hence a problem — Storage

The S6 comes with the storage option of 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB. That to some, might be enough but as the previous Samsung smart phones supported microSD cards, it was cheaper and more convenient for the users. Now, a decision taken because of a temporary paucity of money at time of purchase, becomes a permanent disability. And that’s not something that will go down well with people — especially those who’ve enjoyed the privilege earlier.

Fixed Battery

The non-removable battery denies the users the flexibility of carrying around a spare battery so as to swap out a depleted battery. Earlier, the users could just carry around a spare battery in case the primary battery got depleted. Even after the fact that batteries today have improved on their longevity, people who were habituated to this flexibility will find the detachable battery inconvenient. We at Chip-Monks honestly don’t agree with this outcry though.

No Water Resistance

A phone as expensive as the Galaxy S6, was expected to have features such as water resistance. Well, that is not included in the deal. And Sony owners are chortling at the miss.

Wireless charging

One of the new features included with the Galaxy S6 is wireless charging — in fact, the S6 is the first Samsung phone to have in-built wireless charging feature. However, no charging pad is included with the phone. Customers are expected by buy a pad on their own.

All the above apart, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are very impressive phones that promise to give Apple a run for its money. In fact, they stand up to every other brand’s flagships, in any market in the world.

I’d say that the ‘disappointments’ due to the removal of the two key features is a result of Samsung’s own history. But in comparison with any other phone in the market, the duo of Samsung Galaxy S6 phones, are amazing smartphones in their own right.

I think Samsung aficionados should get with the program.

Originally published at Chip-Monks.