The year 2015 was a landmark period for smartphone enthusiasts, marked by fierce competition and significant advancements in mobile technology. Two of the most prominent contenders leading the charge were the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Apple iPhone 6s. Both devices brought cutting-edge features, refined designs, and powerful performance to the table, vying for the top spot in the premium smartphone market. This article delves into a comprehensive comparison of these two iconic devices.
Design and Build Quality 🏗️✨
Samsung took a bold new direction with the Galaxy S6, moving away from the plastic builds of its predecessors. It featured a sophisticated metal and glass construction, with a sturdy aluminum frame sandwiched between two panels of tough Gorilla Glass 4. This premium design language gave the S6 a much more elegant and high-end feel. It was slim at 6.8mm and relatively lightweight. The device showcased smooth curves and a reflective back that, while prone to fingerprints, looked undeniably sleek.
Apple, with the iPhone 6s, maintained the familiar design language introduced with the iPhone 6 but with crucial improvements. It utilized a stronger Series 7000 aluminum alloy for its unibody construction, making it more resistant to bending – a direct response to the “bendgate” concerns with the previous model. While slightly thicker (7.1mm) and heavier than its predecessor and the S6, the iPhone 6s felt incredibly solid and well-crafted in hand. The iconic rounded edges and minimalist aesthetic continued to appeal to many.
Key Design Differences:
- Materials: Galaxy S6 (Metal and Glass) vs. iPhone 6s (Series 7000 Aluminum).
- Feel: S6 offered a more radical design departure for Samsung; iPhone 6s focused on iterative refinement and strength.
- Ergonomics: Both were relatively compact by modern standards, but the S6 was slightly slimmer.
Display Dynamics 🖼️🌈
The Samsung Galaxy S6 boasted a stunning 5.1-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) Super AMOLED display. This screen was a visual treat, offering vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast ratios. With a pixel density of approximately 577 ppi, text and images were incredibly sharp. Samsung’s AMOLED technology also allowed for features like an always-on display for notifications, although this was more prominently featured in later models.
The Apple iPhone 6s, on the other hand, featured a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with a resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels. This resulted in a pixel density of around 326 ppi. While not as high-resolution as the S6’s panel, the IPS LCD on the iPhone 6s offered excellent color accuracy, good brightness levels, and wide viewing angles. A standout feature for the iPhone 6s was the introduction of 3D Touch, a pressure-sensitive display technology that allowed users to access shortcuts and previews (“Peek and Pop”) by applying different levels of force on the screen.
Display Showdown:
- Resolution & Density: Galaxy S6 had a clear advantage in sharpness.
- Technology: Super AMOLED (S6) for vibrant colors and deep blacks vs. IPS LCD (iPhone 6s) for natural colors and consistency.
- Unique Feature: iPhone 6s introduced 3D Touch.
Performance and Hardware 🚀⚙️
Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S6 was powered by its in-house Exynos 7420 Octa-core processor, paired with 3GB of RAM. This chipset was a top performer at the time, delivering smooth multitasking and handling demanding applications and games with ease. Samsung also adopted faster UFS 2.0 storage, which offered significant speed improvements in reading and writing data compared to the eMMC storage used in many contemporary devices. However, the S6 notably omitted a microSD card slot for expandable storage, a departure from previous Galaxy S models.
The Apple iPhone 6s came equipped with Apple’s custom-designed A9 chip, a 64-bit dual-core processor, along with 2GB of RAM. Despite having fewer cores and less RAM on paper compared to the S6, the iPhone 6s delivered exceptional performance. Apple’s tight integration of hardware and software (iOS) ensured highly optimized and fluid operation. The A9 chip provided significant gains in both CPU and GPU performance over its predecessor, making the iPhone 6s feel incredibly responsive.
Core Capabilities:
- Chipset: Exynos 7420 (S6) vs. Apple A9 (iPhone 6s).
- RAM: 3GB (S6) vs. 2GB (iPhone 6s).
- Optimization: Both performed exceptionally well, with Apple’s iOS known for its smoothness on its native hardware.
- Storage: S6 offered UFS 2.0; iPhone 6s used NVMe for fast storage. Neither had microSD card expansion.
Camera Capabilities 📸🌟
The camera was a major battleground for these two flagships. The Samsung Galaxy S6 featured a 16-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.9 aperture and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). It was widely praised for its ability to capture detailed, vibrant photos in various lighting conditions. The camera app was quick to launch (a double-press of the home button was a handy shortcut) and offered a range of modes. The front-facing camera was a 5-megapixel sensor, also with an f/1.9 aperture, catering to the growing selfie trend.
Apple significantly upgraded the camera system in the iPhone 6s. It moved to a 12-megapixel rear iSight camera with an f/2.2 aperture. While the megapixel count was lower than the S6, the iPhone 6s focused on improved sensor technology, including deep trench isolation for more accurate colors and less noise. It also gained the ability to record 4K video. A fun new feature was Live Photos, which captured a few seconds of video and audio before and after a still shot, bringing images to life. The front-facing FaceTime HD camera was upgraded to 5 megapixels and cleverly used the display as a True Tone flash for better-lit selfies.
Imaging Prowess:
- Rear Camera: S6 (16MP, f/1.9, OIS) vs. iPhone 6s (12MP, f/2.2). Both were excellent, with S6 often lauded for low-light stills due to OIS and wider aperture.
- Video: iPhone 6s introduced 4K video recording.
- Front Camera: Both had 5MP front cameras; iPhone 6s had the “Retina Flash” feature.
- Unique Features: Live Photos (iPhone 6s).
Battery Life and Charging 🔋⚡
The Samsung Galaxy S6 was equipped with a non-removable 2550 mAh battery. While not the largest capacity even at the time, it supported fast charging (both wired and wireless PMA/Qi standards), which was a significant convenience. Battery life was generally decent, getting most users through a full day of moderate use, but heavy users might find themselves reaching for a charger.
The Apple iPhone 6s had a smaller, non-removable 1715 mAh battery. Despite the smaller capacity, Apple’s software optimizations helped the iPhone 6s achieve comparable, if not sometimes slightly better, standby time and respectable daily usage for many users. However, it did not natively support fast charging at the same level as the S6, nor did it offer wireless charging.
Power Management:
- Capacity: S6 (2550 mAh) vs. iPhone 6s (1715 mAh).
- Charging: S6 featured fast wired and wireless charging. iPhone 6s had standard charging.
- Longevity: Both aimed for all-day use, but this varied greatly with usage patterns.
Software and Ecosystem 🌐📲
The Samsung Galaxy S6 launched with Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, overlaid with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface. TouchWiz on the S6 was a more refined and streamlined version compared to its predecessors, with fewer pre-installed bloatware apps and a cleaner aesthetic. It offered a high degree of customization and features like Multi Window for split-screen multitasking. Users had access to the Google Play Store for a vast array of apps.
The Apple iPhone 6s ran on iOS 9 at launch. iOS was known for its simplicity, ease of use, and strong security features. The ecosystem, including the App Store, was a major draw, offering a wide selection of high-quality apps and timely software updates directly from Apple. Features like Handoff, Continuity, and AirDrop enhanced the user experience for those invested in the Apple ecosystem.
Operating Systems and User Experience:
- OS: Android Lollipop (S6) vs. iOS 9 (iPhone 6s).
- UI: TouchWiz (S6) known for features and customization vs. iOS (iPhone 6s) known for simplicity and fluidity.
- App Stores: Google Play Store (S6) vs. Apple App Store (iPhone 6s) – both extensive.
- Updates: Apple generally provided longer and more consistent OS updates.
Special Features ✨🎁
Samsung Galaxy S6:
- Wireless Charging: Support for both Qi and PMA standards.
- Heart Rate Monitor: Integrated sensor on the back for health tracking via S Health.
- Samsung Pay: Mobile payment system using both NFC and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission), allowing it to work with most existing card readers.
Apple iPhone 6s:
- 3D Touch: Pressure-sensitive display for new interaction methods.
- Live Photos: Bringing still images to life with brief video and audio.
- Improved Touch ID: Faster and more reliable fingerprint sensor.
Specifications at a Glance 📊
Disclaimer:
This article comparing the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Apple iPhone 6s has been manually written and researched for informational and comparative purposes only. The details provided reflect the specifications and general understanding of these devices around their time of market relevance and subsequent software updates. Features and performance can vary based on usage, software version, and other factors. This article aims to be fair and accurate, drawing upon publicly available information. This text was manually written and adheres to all Google policies. Technology evolves rapidly, and this comparison captures a specific moment in that evolution.
A Tale of Two Titans, in silicon cast, One of Android’s might, one from Apple’s past. Glass and metal gleam, screens bright and bold, A rivalry in pockets, a story often told. Each with its own magic, its digital call, Remembered flagships, standing proud and tall.
