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Samsung won me with VR but is losing me with updates
I want to get a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, I really do. I like my Galaxy S6 Edge, with its striking curved screen, and the new model improves on it in nearly every way. Most importantly, I like to dabble in virtual reality -- I'm not ready to commit $700+ to a PC-based headset yet -- and I can still get a new Gear VR headset free with the S7 Edge. Shamefully, though, my S6 Edge hasn't received an update to Android 6.01 Marshmallow, leaving me high and dry with Lollipop. I certainly didn't expect that with a $800 flagship phone, and I refuse to let it happen again.
Samsung brings back its free Gear VR promo
Miss out on your chance to get a free Gear VR headset by pre-ordering a Galaxy S7? You can rest easy. Samsung is launching a US Father's Day promo that gives you a gratis Gear VR when you buy one of the company's higher-end phones from the past year, including most Galaxy S6 and S7 variants (sorry, no S6 Active) and the Galaxy Note 5. The deal also gives you an Oculus bundle with "hit games and experiences." You'll have to buy the phone between now and June 19th to qualify, but that's no big deal if you were already thinking about an upgrade and just needed a nudge to get moving.
Apple and Samsung are feeling the mobile sales pinch
So Apple had a pretty good financial day yesterday. The broad strokes: it reported $75.9 billion in revenue and a whopping $18.4 billion in pure profit, the biggest of any public company ever. And yet, not all was well among the company's investors and shareholders. Apple's first quarter results are always pretty insane because they encompass the holidays and the launch of its newest model iPhones. And every year, iPhone sales surge pretty dramatically come Q1. Every year, that is, except this one.
Vodafone brings WiFi calling to the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
Vodafone launched its seamless WiFi calling service in early autumn, opting for a native experience over the kind of apps O2 and Three use. For several months, only iPhone 6s and 6s Plus owners have actually been able to use the feature, but today the carrier announced it's added Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to the list of compatible handsets (as long as you got yours from Vodafone directly). While it's good news for a subset of customers, it also highlights the sluggish rate at which native WiFi calling is being made available across the network. In the three-plus months since switching on the service, Vodafone has managed to enable the feature on a grand total of four handsets.
Verizon's WiFi calling is available December 8th on two phones
Verizon didn't take too long to get the ball rolling on WiFi calling. The carrier has announced that it'll make the feature available to customers with Advanced Calling (read: voice over LTE) starting December 8th. Unfortunately, you'll have to be picky about your choice of phone at first -- it's only available on Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to start with, and Big Red won't have updates for more phones (including iPhones) until early next year. Still, it's hard to knock this too much -- between this and AT&T's recent addition of WiFi calling, you can now go to any major US carrier and expect to make online calls when your cellular signal has gone down the tubes.
For $200, Samsung's latest Gear VR headset is a no-brainer
If you're the owner of a new Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, an extra $200 will get you Samsung's Gear VR Innovator Edition, one of the first virtual reality headsets available to the public. Like others following the Oculus Rift story, I assumed that all VR headsets still presented issues like nausea and lag and weren't yet consumer-friendly. But I wanted to see for myself what the fuss was all about, and since I already have an S6 Edge, I decided to splurge on one. In a few short days, my prejudices have melted away: The Gear VR isn't perfect, but it already does plenty of things, and does them well.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge+ now up for pre-order in the UK
Samsung's Galaxy Note 5 may never come to the UK, but if you're a phablet fan that doesn't mean you're out of options. The company is also pushing its monstrous 5.7-inch Galaxy S6 Edge+, which is available to pre-order today ahead of its full debut on September 4th. You can buy the 32GB model from Samsung's site for £749, or splash an extra £80 for double the storage. For comparison, the company is selling the Galaxy S6 for £499 at the moment and the regular S6 Edge from £669. If buying the device off-contract sounds absurdly expensive -- you can buy four new Moto Gs for the same price, after all -- you can always pick up a subsidised device with your preferred mobile network. Vodafone, O2 and Three, among others, have a wide array of plans for you to mull over.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge+ is a super-sized sequel that plays it safe
It's been less than six months since Samsung pulled back the curtain on the eye-catching Galaxy S6 Edge, and now it's getting a very familiar-looking sibling. Say hello to the Galaxy S6 Edge+, a super-sized sequel that powers up the original formula with a larger screen, more RAM to help its multitasking prowess and... well, not a whole lot else. Oh, and before we go any further, you'll be able to pick one up from all five major US carriers starting on August 21st (update: we have pricing, see the end of the post). Right, shall we continue?
Samsung will discount Galaxy S6 phones after launch sales disappoint
Samsung's earlier prediction for the second quarter of 2015 was spot on: the company has failed to hit its goals when it comes to the sales of its flagship devices. Its operating profits fell four percent to 6.9 trillion won ($5.9 billion), and the mobile division's, in particular, slid to 2.76 trillion won ($2.4 billion) from 4.42 trillion won ($3.8 billion) from the same quarter last year. While those profit numbers are still three percent higher than the last, it's going to be tough to play catch up this second half of 2015, as Apple's slated to reveal its new iPhones -- its main rival in the world of high-end smartphones. In order to combat the expected sales drop, Samsung is "adjusting" (read: dropping) the prices of both the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge. It's already planning to introduce new premium smartphones: the company has already teased an event for August 13th, where it's likely to introduce a new Galaxy Note and a larger S6 Edge.
Samsung's big Galaxy S6 Edge Plus reportedly breaks cover
Samsung may not be pinning all its hopes for summer phone supremacy on the Galaxy Note 5. All About Samsung has posted photos of what's supposed to be a store dummy unit for the Galaxy S6 Edge+, an extra-large version of its dual-curve flagship. There isn't much to reveal about what's under the hood, but it's clear that the screen is about as large as what you'd see on the Note 4 (that is, around 5.7 inches). Also, there are no obvious hardware tricks here -- the curve isn't pronounced enough for a Note Edge-style strip, and you certainly aren't going to find a pen, microSD slot or removable battery.
Samsung's profits down again as it misreads demand for newest phones
Samsung predicts that its earnings from April-June of this year will likely be down four percent from last year, suggesting that sales of its newest flagship smartphones have failed to hit the mark. However, it will still be the company's highest quarterly profit since Q2 2015. The company's forecast is thin on details -- revenue is also down 8.4 percent from the same period last year-- but many analysts think supply shortages have stymied sales of Samsung's S6 Edge. The WSJ's sources say that the company struggled to match production to the demand of customers, who wanted the curved Galaxy S6 Edge over the original S6, initially predicting to sell four Galaxy S6 smartphones for each S6 Edge. At the same time, the company's lucrative component business, which puts parts in rival phones as well as PCs, will likely have another strong quarter, putting an equally strong spotlight on the mobile arm's struggles.
Living with the Galaxy S6 Edge: Is that curve worth the cost?
Samsung launched two Galaxy S6 models this spring, but let's face it: The spotlight was really on the curvy, attention-grabbing S6 Edge. I know I was dead-set on trying that one-of-a-kind smartphone as soon as I could. However, I couldn't help but wonder if it was really, truly worth the $100 premium to turn heads and score a couple of clever features. Moreover, would that design actually hold up in the real world? There was only one way for me to find out. I spent several weeks with the Edge to see whether its curved display would grow on me, or if I'd be desperately wishing I had made the safer choice and snagged the regular S6. As it turns out, the answer was a bit of both.
Samsung's Iron Man edition Galaxy S6 Edge lacks J.A.R.V.I.S.
With Samsung being an active promoter of Marvel's latest Avengers movie, it's no surprise to see the tech giant releasing some sort of special edition product to sweeten the deal. Why yes, it's an Iron Man limited edition Galaxy S6 Edge with matching red-and-gold color theme -- something that HTC should have done a while back. This curved 64GB device is quite a looker, and the special package even comes with an "arc reactor" wireless charger plus a clear cover, but you'll have to make do with Google Now instead of the snarky J.A.R.V.I.S. Here's the real bad news, though: right now Samsung is only releasing this phone in South Korea on May 27th, followed by China and Hong Kong in June. So while you're searching for the earliest flights to Asia, feel free to keep yourselves entertained with the official unboxing video after the break.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 uses 'several' different camera sensors
When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S6, you might have noticed that the company stopped touting its in-house ISOCELL camera tech. Was it relying on someone else's sensor instead? As it turns out, the answer is yes... sort of. The Korean firm has confirmed owners' discoveries that the rear sensor is alternately made by Samsung or Sony. There are "several different vendors" making S6 cameras, a spokesperson says, although there's no mention of how Samsung distributes those components. Not that you'll need to be worried, apparently. The company insists that they all meet "strict global quality and performance standards," and SamMobile has conducted tests showing that the practical differences are slight. In short, you'll likely get quality photos regardless of whose imaging hardware is under the hood.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge is ridiculously expensive to make
It's no secret that Samsung's curvy Galaxy S6 Edge costs a pretty penny, but there's now a good explanation as to why. IHS estimates that the raw price of assembly for a 64GB Verizon model is $290. That's more expensive to make than not just the Galaxy S5 ($256 when new), but also the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus ($263) -- if true, Samsung is giving up a lot of profit to make this exotic hardware affordable. The bendy AMOLED screen is unsurprisingly the costliest element here with an estimated $85 price, although the Exynos 7 processor ($30), 3GB of DDR4 memory ($27) and flash storage ($25) certainly aren't cheap.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge is a royal pain to repair
You're probably aware that you can't easily pry open the Galaxy S6, but what's it like if you do try? It's something of a nightmare, if you ask iFixit. The repair-it-yourself shop has torn down a Galaxy S6 Edge, and it's pretty clear that Samsung didn't design its latest smartphone with fixes in mind. While most of the parts crammed into that thin frame are modular, the glass on both the front and the back makes it hard to get inside without cracking something. And you can probably forget about replacing the battery at home -- it's glued to the back of the display, beneath many of the other components. The S6's design may be sleeker than ever, but you're losing a lot of the accessibility of years past.
Samsung fights fears of Galaxy S6 bending with a video
Sadly, the he-said-she-said disputes over bending smartphones aren't ending any time soon. Samsung has responded to SquareTrade's allegations that the Galaxy S6 Edge is easily bendable by posting a video that shows the official stress tests for both the Edge and the regular S6. As you might expect, both devices hold up in this company-sanctioned clip -- they can withstand up to 79 pounds of force at three different points, which is enough to snap five pencils in half. Supposedly, this is more pressure than you'd put on your phone if it was in your back pocket. The Korean firm also notes that SquareTrade only tested on the front, not the back where tolerance levels are different.
Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge review: Samsung's best phones in years
Samsung found itself in sort of a bind last year: Its flagship Galaxy S5 wasn't the blockbuster the company hoped it would be. That, coupled with the news that Samsung was going to focus on a smaller number of devices in 2015, signaled a pretty dramatic change for a brand that seemed like it was unstoppable. As if to silence the doubters, Samsung has not one, but two flagships on offer -- the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge -- and they're surrounded by questions. Can they restore Samsung to its former glory? Has the company figured out how to build a truly interesting smartphone again? It's too early to make a call on the former, but after a week of testing, the answer to the latter is a clear and definite "yes."
Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will debut in the US on April 10th
Yes, you can lay claim to an HTC One M9 of your very own at the stroke of midnight on March 27th, but what if your craving for a flagship leads you in another direction? No problem: Samsung has just announced that you'll be able to pre-order the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge also starting on the 27th, with a full nationwide debut to follow on April 10th. Frankly, between these two bitter smartphone rivals and their near-identical announcement times this morning, it's hard to say whose actually managing to steal the other's thunder. It's the thought that counts, right?
The Galaxy S6 lets you remove most apps (including Samsung's)
It's no secret that Samsung scaled back on bloatware with the Galaxy S6, reducing the clutter and hopefully giving you a leaner, meaner smartphone. However, there's one more treat in store: you can cull many of the apps that are included, too. XDA forum member Jeshter2000 has noticed that a pre-release Galaxy S6 edge lets him disable or uninstall many of the preloaded programs, including some of those from Google and Samsung. If you'd rather ditch S Voice entirely and rely solely on Google's (frankly superior) native voice commands, you can. So long as this carries through to the GS6 you buy in stores, it'll represent a big change of heart for Samsung -- the company is notorious for bundling redundant, non-removable apps, but it's now determined to give you much more control.
