Given we don't know a whole lot about the new Galaxy S6 at this
point, here are the key things we think Samsung must chuck in there to make it
a roaring success, rather than an unimpressive flop:
A
better body
It would be fair to say that the dimpled back panel on the S5
wasn't universally well received. Everyone has been crying out for a new design
in the Galaxy S series for a while now, but Samsung seemingly hasn't been
listening.
An S6 with a metal unibody and a premium feel would be a
potential crowd pleaser. If a redesign is on the cards, why not take it further
and go for a new form factor? A new premium profile could refresh the range and
make it feel special again.
Given
that the Samsung
Galaxy Alpha and Samsung
Galaxy Note 4 have more premium builds
it's likely that the Galaxy S6 will too, but we hope it goes all-metal rather
than just packing in a metal frame.
A 2K
display
No one is impressed by 1080p any more, not when 4K TVs are in
the shops. We wouldn't have been surprised to see a 2560 x 1440 pixel
resolution on the S5, but it seems QHD displays were not ready for prime time
back at the beginning of 2014.
It's all
change now though, with the Galaxy Note 4 and LG
G3 both packing 2K screens, so anything less than a QHD display in
the S6 will be a bit of a disappointment. Just make sure it doesn't hurt the
battery while you're at it, Samsung.
A
64-bit processor
Perhaps the lack of a 64-bit processor in the S5 was an
acknowledgement that there aren't many advantages yet, or maybe it was a
statement about not copying Apple.
The good
news is that Android
Lollipop supports 64-bit processors, so it's likely that the Galaxy S6
will take advantage.
While you're there, for heaven's sake add more RAM – 2GB is not
enough to satisfy the modern day demands of multi-tasking, especially if you're
going for a 64-bit chip.
A
flexible design
Remember
that advert where the guy folds his phone out to tablet size? That would be a
real slice of fried gold and we've heard Samsung
has a folding prototype already. Failing that, a
squidgy, bendy phone that can take all sorts of damage and return to its
original shape unblemished would be nice.
Squeezy
controls could bring a fresh tactile element to smartphone ownership. At the
very least we expect flexibility to deliver greater durability and new
potential shapes, but it has got to be better than the Samsung
Galaxy Round. Samsung's on the right track with the Galaxy
Note Edge,
so we're looking forward to the next step in curved and bendy screens.
A bendy screen
is a prime candidate for abuse
A
bigger battery
We can
hold the sum total of humanity's achievements in one hand, accessing all of our
scientific knowledge, and our greatest works of art, but only for a few hours
at a time. Why
are mobile phone batteries still so crap?
We need bigger batteries, more efficient power management, and
faster wireless charging. The 2,800mAh battery in the S5 might be a slight step
up from its predecessor, but it has an extra 0.1 of an inch of screen to power.
You're treading water, Samsung. Free us from the daily charge.
A
decent pair of stereo speakers
Sadly
there's just one speaker on the S5. We don't want to have to wear headphones or
hook up speakers all the time. It's a mobile device. The HTC
Oneclearly
demonstrated the benefits of dual front-facing speakers. Sony heard it, because
the Z2 and Xperia
Z3 have them too.
Screens are big enough to watch movies with friends now. How
about bringing that sound quality up to scratch? A good set of stereo speakers
in the S6 would be welcomed by everyone.
A DAB
chip
Wi-Fi isn't always available and mobile data can be costly, so
streaming tunes from the cloud or internet radio can be tricky and
prohibitively expensive. FM radio seems to be rapidly disappearing from mobile
devices and the quality is pretty patchy anyway.
Isn't it
about time digital radio made it into smartphones? Access to high quality
stations without the fiddling or the network connection would open up a world
of music, sport, and talk. DAB
chips are coming to smartphones and we'd love to see one
in the Galaxy S6.
Always
listening
The Moto
X was a mixed bag, but it's undeniably cool to be able to talk to
your phone and have it blink to life. Google continues to improve Now and add
more functionality. If the Galaxy S6 was always listening, we'd get more value
out of it.Google Now has been updated to
listen for commands from any screen, but on the S6 we want it to listen even
when the screen is off.
Voice recognition is improving fast. Given that our smartphones
are starting to connect to wearables, home electronics and cars, the ability to
issue voice commands brings us a step closer to the futuristic utopia we've all
been dreaming about.
We want more
functionality and we want it NOW
A new
UX
In our eyes Touchwiz is no longer adding much value to stock Android, but that
doesn't mean it couldn't. A radical rethink of the stagnant UX could wash away
childish fonts and pointless features to deliver something fresh and stylish.
Samsung
must have bags of data on how we interact with our smartphones and a cursory
glance at popular launchers reveals a world of possibilities. Be bold Samsung, offer
us something new and exciting! As long as it isn't a candy-fuelled, garish,
neon nightmare, we'll give it a try.
By:teachradar.com
