Galaxy S6 Edge vs Huawei P8 – hands on
Every year, Android manufacturers are faced with attempting to produce the best handset possible at the cheapest price possible in a bid to gain market share at the expense of the market leaders, Apple and Samsung. Normally this is a somewhat easy enough task as Samsung generally introduces evolutionary designs of previous handsets but as the Galaxy S5 failed to meet the company’s ambitious sales targets, Samsung were forced to rethink the Galaxy S range.
At MWC 2015, the company released both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, which completely revolutionises their flagship smartphone line. Instead of the boring same design, we have a new cutting edge look which poses a much tougher challenge for rival manufacturers. A couple of days ago, Huawei introduced the handset they are hoping will successfully challenge the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, the Huawei P8, but how does it compare to the best of Samsung? Let’s take a closer look.
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The front of the Galaxy S6 Edge has a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display offering 577 pixels per inch density, while the Huawei P8 has a 5.2 inch IPS-Neo display with Full HD resolution which offers 424 pixels per inch density. The two displays themselves are definitely vastly different with the Galaxy S6 Edge sporting the best mobile display on a smartphone to date – although, Sharp’s rumoured 4k Ultra HD panel will set a new benchmark for mobile screens.
Beneath the display, the Galaxy S6 Edge has a redesigned home button that houses a one-touch fingerprint sensor (akin to that on the Ascend Mate 7). Despite being a flagship, the Huawei P8 doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor, as Huawei have reserved this for the Mate phablet range only, and it’s a shame as the Mate 7 has one of the finest fingerprint sensors on a smartphone to-date.
Above the display, the Galaxy S6 Edge has a 5MP front facing camera supporting 1440p video recording and auto HDR, while the P8’s 8MP front snapper is arguably slightly superior due to its higher megapixel count and wide-angle capabilities. Although there’s very little to separate the two front cameras, the P8 comes with Huawei’s Beauty Level feature that can be used to accentuate your best features when taking selfies.
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When designing the Galaxy S6 Edge and the Huawei P8, both manufacturers have sought to redefine the design of a smartphone. The Galaxy S6 Edge shows that curved displays can be used in a truly tasteful way – even if they’re not the most functional when using a small dropped edge – while with the P8, Huawei are showing that you can deliver excellent performance in a super thin body.
Previous Samsung flagships have usually been on the thicker side but the Galaxy S6 Edge seeks to change this, sporting a body that is just 7mm thick. Given that the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S4 were 8.1 mm and 7.9 mm thick respectively, Samsung has done extremely well to shave over an inch off the profile of last year’s flagship. In comparison, Huawei have done even better by packing a fully featured specs list into a body that is one of the slimmest on the market at 6.4mm.
The P8 camera sits completely flush with the 6.4mm thin body
The key reason for Huawei to gloat about the thickness of the P8 is the rear camera, and this is a point they focused on during the launch. The Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 and even the iPhone 6 all feature rear cameras that stick out a little from the back of the phone but with the P8, Huawei have managed to make the 13MP camera sit completely flush. When you consider the handset comes with Optical Image Stabilisation as well, it’s a crowning achievement.
The Galaxy S6 Edge camera picks up where the Galaxy Note 4 camera left off by offering the best camera ever on a Samsung flagship. The 16MP sensor is incredibly quick to launch, focus and capture images while the colour reproduction and vibrancy is simply superb. The Galaxy S6 Edge camera also has Optical Image Stabilisation, but the key thing is that the camera does protrude a significant amount from the back. It’s not enough to hamper the design and is usually hidden by a case but if you carry your phone without a case, you’ll need to be careful when placing it on a surface on its back.
The Galaxy S6 is one of the nicest looking handsets ever made
The back is another area where the Galaxy S6 Edge is in stark contrast to any other Samsung handset ever made. Instead of the plastic we’ve come to expect from Samsung, the back of the Galaxy S6 Edge is made from Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and the result is one of the nicest looking handsets ever made, even if it is a fingerprint-magnet. In comparison, the Huawei P8 picks up from the Ascend P7 in that it offers an aluminium rear but on the P8, the colouring on the rear is now much more pronounced, which produces a handset that looks much more premium.
An area where both Samsung and Huawei agree is in the processor department, as each company has opted for their in-house processor over a chip from Qualcomm. Both 64-bit processors feature eight Cortex-A53 cores arranged in a big.LITTLE formation with the Galaxy S6 Edge using four cores at 2.1GHz and four at 1.5GHz while the Huawei P8 has four cores clocked at 2GHz and also has four clocked at 1.5GHz. The Galaxy S6 Edge uses Samsung’s Exynos 7420 processor while the P8 uses Huawei’s own-brand HiSilicon Kirin 930 processor.
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On paper there’s very little difference in the performance as both handsets come with 3GB RAM and a range of storage options (but the P8 is the only one with expandable storage). However, the key to a super fast performance is in software optimisation and both manufacturers have made an attempt to optimise their software to provide the best possible experience.
Huawei’s EMUI v3.1 on the P8 offers a refined experience designed to be smooth, despite the heavy interface, but the biggest improvement (over past flagships) comes from Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on the Galaxy S6 Edge. Prior to the Galaxy S6 Edge, each Samsung flagship traditionally had more and more software features – otherwise known as bloatware – than the previous year (up to and including the Galaxy S5) but with their latest flagships, Samsung has made a complete u-turn.
Related: Are the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge overpriced?
Instead of lots of bloatware, the new TouchWiz is incredibly slick with only a handful of pre-installed apps, which can all be disabled. The latest TouchWiz UI is a complete revamp of Samsung’s philosophy and the results speak for themselves; instead of slowing down pretty quickly, the Galaxy S6 Edge is still as fast as it was out of the box, even after installing all of my apps and data.
Quite possibly the biggest change for Samsung is the switch to a non-removable back cover and hence, a non-removable battery. Samsung devices have always been known for the ability to swap out the battery for a spare to ensure you remain powered up throughout the day, but the Galaxy S6 Edge puts an end to all of this.
Samsung claims the non-removable 2600mAh battery on the Galaxy S6 Edge offers all-day battery life but we wanted to see if this was actually true; so far, we’ve published two sets of battery results with more to follow so do check them out for all the details. The Huawei P8 packs a similarly sized 2680mAh battery, which they claim will last more than two days on average usage.
These are bold claims from both manufacturers but given the incredible battery life on the Ascend Mate 7, we’re inclined to believe Huawei. Samsung on the other hand has no pedigree for us to rank these claims against and while the jury is still out, there’s definitely something to be said for our battery life so far.
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For the times when you need a fast charge, the Galaxy S6 Edge offers just this; incorporating both types of Wireless charging (PMA + Qi) and Quick Charge 2.0, there are several ways to keep your S6 Edge battery topped up and Samsung claim that you can add 50 percent battery life in just 30 minutes using the quick charger in the box.
Overall, the Galaxy S6 Edge and the Huawei P8 both have enough enhancements to offer an impressive flagship performance but while the P8 wins awards for the style and design, the Galaxy S6 Edge wins for its incredible specs list and innovative design. The key fact however, is the price: the Huawei P8 is over half the price of the Galaxy S6 Edge.
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Huawei’s flagship comes with a recommended price tag of €499 before taxes and subsidies – the premium version costs €100 more in two alternative colours with 64GB storage instead of 16GB – which equates to around $529 (£350). In comparison, the Galaxy S6 Edge starts at $849 for the 32GB, which equates to around €785 (£567).
With a price tag that is approximately 57 percent higher than the Huawei P8, the Galaxy S6 Edge won’t appeal to all users mainly due to the price barrier. In comparison, Huawei is able to price the Huawei P8 aggressively to gain market traction and with the new Huawei VIP same-day replacement support service, may have a key after-market service to tempt customers.
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Which of these two handsets is the better? It all depends upon your usage: the Huawei P8 is ideal if you want a truly premium flagship experience without requiring a re-mortgage of your home but the Galaxy S6 Edge is perfect if you want a phone like no other that pushes the boundaries of modern smartphones.
Which do you think is better and would you buy either? Let us know your thoughts guys!
Recommended Reading: The problem with Record Store Day
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
Record Store Day and the Ambivalent Branding of Independence
by Eric Harvey
Pitchfork
Record Store Day celebrates the culture of independent record shops each spring. Today marks the eighth annual holiday for vinyl collectors and music lovers, but the event is becoming packed with more big names each year. Whether it’s Jack White’s world record or releases from Metallica or Foo Fighters, celebrities are now just as much a part of the festivities, and distributors seem to be favoring bigger shops over smaller, local spots.
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How Marissa Mayer Mobilized Yahoo If you’ve wondered what CEO Marissa Mayer is doing to halt Yahoo’s decline, this piece from Fast Company’s Harry McCracken examines the effort to tackle mobile. And get a little inspiration from Moneyball along the way. |
Making a Living in the Toxic World of Discarded Electronics This photo essay from Valentino Bellini offers a sobering look at the lives of the people who make a living working with toxic e-waste. |
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The Fascinating Story of the Man who Invented Stereo The concept of stereo sound was developed in the 1930s after Alan Dower Blemlein’s frustrating trip to the movies. Thankfully, we’ll never have to suffer through what drove the engineer and inventor to create the tech. |
How Virtual Reality is Going to Fix Society and Humanize Social Media Could VR improve the way we interact with each other online? Upload’s Will Mason thinks the medium could be as influential on virtual relationships as anything else. |
[Photo credit: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Misc
Groupon is holding a fantastic promotion on the Chromecast [Deal]
If you haven’t got your hands on a Chromecast yet, but have been meaning to do so, you may like to know that you can currently grab one for just $20 from Groupon. The company is also offering complimentary shipping and won’t be charging any sales tax, making this an unmissable deal.
Hit the source link below to find out more.
Source: Groupon
Come comment on this article: Groupon is holding a fantastic promotion on the Chromecast [Deal]
Sprint starts pushing out Lollipop OTA for the Spark variant of the Galaxy S4
Sprint has finally started pushing out the much-anticipated and long-awaited Lollipop update for all Sprint Spark-branded variants of the Galaxy S4 located in the United States. In terms of added functionality, this upgrade transports the latest build of the Android operating system to the handset, in addition to a truckload of bug fixes and stability improvements.
Hit the break for the full changelog.
- Material Design: You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.
- Notifications UI & Priorities: In order to alert you to the most timely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
- notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
- you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
- you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
- very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
- when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
- you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
- New Interruptions & Downtime Settings: You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.
- Recent Apps (Multi-tasking): The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications. For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards. This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.
- Flashlight: Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).
- Pin a view/app: Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.
- Battery: The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging. You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.
- Smarter Internet Connections: With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.
- Performance: Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance. After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process. Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.
- Security: Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data. Note that the stronger key willonly be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop. Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key. You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.
As is customary with all manufacturer updates, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device to hit your unit, you can search for the update manually. To do so simply follow the four steps below:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”
- Hit “System Updates”
- Tap on “Check for update”
Via: SamMobile
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Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 passes through TENAA
Earlier today, Samsung’s latest tablet, the Galaxy Tab A 8.0, passed through China’s official certification database — TENAA. Two models of the slate were approved, the SM-T355C and SM-P355C, which indicates that Asia is set to receive both 4G LTE- and Wi-FI-enabled variants of the device.
With regards to internals, the A 8.0 will sport an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16/32/64GB of expandable internal storage, a 2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP rear-facing shooter.
To view the full certification document over on TENAA’s website, hit the source link below.
Source: TENAA
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verykool’s Spark II lights world on fire at $169.00
Android devices are in a war of budget phones. While many of the flagship devices have calmed down to having minor annual updates, there seems to be a race at the bottom to see who can jam the most specs in at the lowest price. Many of those devices are mediocre at best. That is where the Spark II stands out from the rest and provides the best bang for your buck.
Last year I reviewed the Spark S505 which was a stellar device at the time it came out with the correct pricing for the device. verykool this time around stepped up the game and jammed more specs into the Spark II for a lower price margin. The device itself has a feel and the look of a premium device, not a phone that is sold for $169 on Amazon. It is thin, sleek, and feels extremely comfortable in the hand. I was wonderfully surprised upon unboxing the device.
Included in the box was a screen protector. I love that about verykool. They include screen protectors in the box so no need to spend additional money to buy something that you need anyways. To my surprise though verykool also includes not only a top notch screen protector but also included a really nice flip cover. This was totally unexpected and again shows how verykool goes the extra mile to provide the best value to their customers.
Spec wise, for $169, this device is off the charts. It comes with a fast 1.3ghz quad core processor. The phone felt very snappy and responsive, even after loading some games one there. Accompanying the quick processor is 1GB of RAM which was more than sufficient in this device and an 8 GB hard drive with microSD support for up to an additional 32GB of space. I did like that on this device the manufacturer included a setting to make it easy to have the microSD card as the default storage location, that is something that I really felt was lacking in the original Spark device.
There are some areas that the phone goes above and beyond what is expected on a device at this price range. It even has some features that I wished my flagship has like dual flash and front facing flash. One major area of improvement on the Spark II compared to the original was the camera. The device comes with an 8MP rear camera and a staggering 5MP front facing camera that will put your selfies in beast mode. The quality of the camera was pretty decent, but as I stated the most intriguing feature was to include dual flash on the rear and a front facing flash for those night time selfies.
Here are some example pics I took while at Disney:
As good as the camera is, the most breathtaking feature that I found on the device was the screen. The screen is amazing with a 5.0″ IPS LCD capacitive touch screen. The screen is beautiful and one that rivals those found on phones for more than twice the price. It displayed Netflix, pictures, or just the home screen brightly and easy to see in different viewing angles and various lighting situations.
The device includes the typical radios like Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot/USB Tethering, FM Radio, and HSPA+. Unfortunately the device does not include 4G LTE, but really at $169 is that much of an issue? Using T-Mobile in San Diego, I was able to cruise at speeds around 20 mbps and that was more than fast enough for my daily use. Another neat extra that verykool includes is that the Spark II is a dual sim card phone. There are slots for a standard sim card and a micro sim card. Being that my main job is working out of Mexico and I cross the border daily I found this feature to be a dream come true as I was switching services between T-Mobile and Telcel.
Here is a break down of the major specs of the phone:
Technology: 4G HSPA+ (21 Mbps DL, 5.76 Mbps UL)
3G Tri Band (850/1900/AWS 1700-2100)
2G (850/900/1800/1900)
OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
CPU: 1.3 GHz Quad-Core
Size: 143.5x 71.5 x 8.0 mm
Weight: 135 grams
Battery: 2100 mAh Li-ion – Up to 10 hours talk time/Up to 13 days standby time
Screen: 5.0″ IPS LCD – Capacitive touch screen 720×1280 Pixels (294 ppi)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Wi-Fi/Wi-Fi Hotspot, USB Tethering
Camera: 8.0 MP rear and 5.0 MP front, both with LED Flash
Data: Internet, SMS, MMS, PUSH e-mail, e-mail (POP3, IMAP)
Memory: 8 GB ROM, 1 GB RAM, Up to 32GB via microSD card
Multimedia: MP3, FM Radio, 720P Audio and Video Recording
Feeling light and a nice touch of sophistication, the Spark II is a premium device at a discounted price tag. When I looked up the price, I was quite surprised to see the phone was only $169 because after using it for a few weeks I feel that this device could have easily sold for $350+. If you are in need of a premium feeling, dual sim, unlocked phone that won’t break the bank then the Spark II is the phone that you need to get.
You can find verykool’s Spark II on Amazon right now for $169 with free shipping.
The post verykool’s Spark II lights world on fire at $169.00 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Tiny trackpad uses your thumbnail to navigate devices
Several companies are working on eye-tracking tech as a way to navigate devices. A team of MIT researchers, however, have their eyes set on another body part: the thumbnail. Graduate students Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao and Artem Dementyev are developing a tiny trackpad that fits over your thumbnail. They’re calling it NailO, and it was inspired by colorful nail stickers popular in Kao’s native Taiwan and many other Asian countries. The duo envisions NailO to be used in situations where both your hands are occupied — for instance, you can use it to scroll down a website page to check recipes while cooking. They also think it could be used to control other wearables, such as smart jewelry.
Kao and Dementyev have already managed to build a prototype with swappable membranes on top, so you can change designs whenever you want. Like other inventors, though, they’re working to improve the technology further. The duo recently found a supplier that makes batteries only half a millimeter thin and might incorporate those into the device. Plus, they’re looking for a multi-purpose chip that works as a microcontroller, a radio and a capacitive sensor, all of which are needed for Nail-O to work properly. Since that won’t happen anytime soon, make sure to watch the video below to see how the tiny thumbnail trackpad works.
Filed under: Science
Via: TechCrunch
Source: MIT
OnePlus hosting an event on April 20th
In just a few days, OnePlus will be holding an event for some upcoming product announcement. the company posted an “invitation” on Google+ and Twitter with the comment “from here on out, anything can happen.” Yep, pretty vague.
There are no details on what this event is going to be, although we’re expecting a new OnePlus device soon, and the company is planning some video game accessory, too. My money’s on the game device, but hey, anything can happen, right?
Come comment on this article: OnePlus hosting an event on April 20th
Google Play Service 7.3 update brings trusted places UI [APK Download]
Google has updated their Play Services app to version 7.3 with a few new features, notably one adding a user interface for trusted places.
This UI will let you select an area as “trusted” within a ring, which will disable security features in that zone. This would be useful if you wanted to remove your password on your lock screen at home but keep it on everywhere else.
Another new trick is the ability to dismiss Android Wear notifications. Prior to this update, a connected Android Wear device would put a permanent notification in your notification bar. This might not have bothered some people, but others like a clean notification shade, so being able to swipe it away is handy.
If you don’t want to wait for the update to roll out to your device, you can grab the apk below.
source: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Google Play Service 7.3 update brings trusted places UI [APK Download]
If you want to chat on Steam, spend at least $5
Earlier this week Valve introduced Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator as a means to keep its users safe from phishing attempts, and now it’s taken another step in that direction. From here on out, until you spend a minimum $5 with your account certain features are blocked. What’re you going to miss out on? Friend invites, opening group chat, the Steam discussion boards and voting on Greenlight games among other things. But, considering that most people use the service for, you know, buying and playing games, this really should only affect those who’re actively using the service for nefarious purposes.
Valve says that the easiest way to identify malicious users from folks who are genuinely using the service is comparing spending habits to account age. “Typically, the accounts being used for [phishing] have no investment in their longevity,” Valve writes. So, if you’re a typical Steam user you shouldn’t notice a difference aside from a hopeful decrease in spam in your inbox.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Steam Support
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