Galaxy S6 is not pathbreaking but you can hold it with elan

The Galaxy S6 definitely has all the right ingredients to make smartphone users hold it with elan.

Image: Samsung Galaxy S6 has an amazingly responsive TouchWiz interface, certainly the lightest we've seen in some years. Photograph: Courtesy, Samsung

A colleague who doesn't claim to be tech savvy could identify the Galaxy S6 as a Samsung product from eight feet away.

But at three feet, we started having doubts.

Err, doesn't it look like the Apple iPhone 6? Suggested someone who'd said Apple had done a Samsung after his first look at the iPhone 6.

Let's take a closer look at Samsung's latest flagship.

Design

At first glance it's difficult to believe that this glass and metal unibody phone has come from the same people who steadfastly stuck to a plastic body, a removable battery and expandable memory for their phones all these years.

While the phone is good to hold the glass back picks up fingerprints and feels slippery.

Image: The Galaxy S6 definitely has all the right ingredients to make smartphone users hold it with elan. Photograph: Courtesy, Samsung

Performance

Samsung's flagships never skimp on top-end hardware and this one's no different.

But what is different is the amazingly responsive TouchWiz interface, certainly the lightest we've seen in some years.

Devoid of bloatware, the UI on top of Android Lollipop feels zippy and isn't in your face.

The phone didn't heat up at all, even while playing graphic-heavy games or running multiple apps in the background.

Call quality, too, was as good or bad as the network.

The fingerprint reader is a massive improvement over its predecessor - and thankfully one just needs to put one's finger over the home button, not swipe it.

Screen and camera

The 5.1-inch, Quad HD Super AMOLED screen is brilliant, has great viewing angles and works well in sunlight, as do displays on most flagships today.

But what sets it apart is the pixel density, at 577 ppi, the sharpest in the market.

Image: The S6 features wireless charging built-in and a top-up charge lets the battery last through the day with heavy usage. Photograph:Reuters

Such sharpness, however, isn't quite discernible to the human eye during regular usage.

But CNET notes that it might come in handy while using the phone with the Gear VR accessory from Oculus Rift.

The 16-megapixel (MP) rear camera is fast and captures true colours outdoors. The rear camera also captures videos in UHD.

The 5MP front camera is great for selfies though the skin tones might not be true.

Battery

The battery of the S6 should last through the day with moderate usage. The S6 features wireless charging built-in and a top-up charge lets the battery last through the day with heavy usage.

Image: Samsung S6 has definitely set the benchmark for flagship Android devices this year (2015). Photograph:Reuters

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S6 (Rs 49,900 for 32GB), while not a pathbreaking device like the Galaxy S3, has definitely set the benchmark for flagship Android devices this year.

Samsung Galaxy S6

Price: Rs 49,900

Screen: 5.1-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 pixels at 577 ppi Super AMOLED

Weight: 138g

OS: Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop)

RAM: 3GB

Processor: 2.1GHz octa-core

Memory: 32GB non-expandable

Camera (rear/front): 16MP with LED flash/5MP

Battery: 2,550 mAh