Cricket Wireless to launch the Samsung Galaxy S6 April 24th

Cricket Wireless is just 9 days away from bringing consumers the latest flagship device from Samsung. This morning they have announced that they will be launching the Samsung Galaxy S6 on April 24th with a full retail price tag of $649.99. However, Cricket also now offers a Phone Payment Plan that lets customers get the device for $19.99 down with approved credit, or $49.99 down without.

“The Samsung Galaxy S 6 is a must-have device for smartphone lovers, and consumers are beginning to shop for a great deal.  That’s where we come in,” said Andy Smoak, head of devices for Cricket Wireless. “Cricket’s low monthly rate plans combined with our new Phone Payment Plans make the latest premium devices like the Samsung S 6 easier to get.  Add in the fact that Cricket has more 4G LTE coverage nationwide than T-Mobile, Metro-PCS, Sprint or Boost, and it makes Cricket a great choice for smart consumers.”

Pre-paid services often kept the higher priced flagship off their shelves in the past. The last few years though, has seen a change to that. While you will still find some of the more “off” type of devices like the ZTE Prelude 2 or Galaxy Grand Prime, Cricket has been keen to put the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5 and now the Galaxy S6 in the hands of those who can’t, or don’t want to, be on the big 4 networks. Now that they are offering phone payment plans too, things might just heat up a bit more.

Source: Cricket

The post Cricket Wireless to launch the Samsung Galaxy S6 April 24th appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

On the fence? Try the Samsung Galaxy S6 Experience app

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is now available globally and for many, it’s an excruciating task to choose between the Galaxy S6 and its age-old rival, its HTC counterpart, the HTC One M9. To help you perhaps swing their way, Samsung has once again released an app that showcases the features from its latest flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Experience app. Like its previous iterations, the Experience app takes you through a virtual tour of the major selling points of the Galaxy S6. Samsung has even included a “Lifestyle Curator” which, after answering a few questions, will help you decide what accessories are available to the Galaxy S6 that match that particular lifestyle.

Whether or not apps like this actually help with device sales, it’s undeniable that the Galaxy S6 probably doesn’t need the help after multiple reports that the Galaxy S6, and its more expensive brother, the Galaxy S6 Edge, are selling like hotcakes everywhere. Then again, if you are on the fence, then maybe this app will convince you. To check it out, you can hit the Play Store link below and try it out for free.

Source: TalkAndroid

The post On the fence? Try the Samsung Galaxy S6 Experience app appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

Try out Samsung’s newest software features with the Galaxy S6 Experience app

Samsung has just released it’s new Galaxy S6 Experience app in the Google Play Store, which lets users demo the handset’s best software features without the need to have the phone. The app, which is free to download, will give users a good look at GS6’s new camera sensor, revamped S Health application, design changes and Samsung’s new theming engine.

The app even shows off a few official Samsung accessories that you can purchase if you decide to buy the phone. And if you can’t decide on which accessories are right for you, the Experience app will quiz you to help you decide which ones best fit your lifestyle.

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We’re sure you’ve heard in our full review that the software on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge has been revamped to provide a smoother, more simplistic experience to it’s users. The Galaxy S6 Experience app won’t install Touchwiz on your phone, but it will give you a good look at the company’s new design language with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

If you’re on the fence about whether to buy one of Samsung’s newest flagships, this app may help you reach a decision. If you’re interested in checking it out, head to the Play Store link below.

New Samsung ad showcases Galaxy S6 built-in wireless charging

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have arrived, and sales already seem to be quite positive. Of course, Samsung isn’t holding still, doing its best to advertise the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, and new Samsung features as best as possible. In a new ad from Samsung, British singer/songwriter Rita Ora stars, highlighting the wireless charging functionality built into the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. This isn’t the first Samsung ad to feature the singer, and likely won’t be the last.

Beyond baking in out-of-the-box wireless support for the GS6 and S6 Edge, Samsung also is the first company to offer a phone with support for both PMA and WPC wireless standards, meaning just about any wireless charger will work with Samsung’s latest Galaxy offerings. For those curious, Samsung’s official wireless charger utilizes WPC’s Qi standard, but it’s important to note that existing wireless chargers of the PMA and WPC Qi standard should all play wonderfully with the Galaxy S6and S6 Edge.

Considering the Galaxy S6 wireless charger is listed at $70, you might want to consider other options like the Anker Ultra-Slim Wireless Charging Pad ($25.99) or even the Samsung-made “Samsung Mini” wireless charging pad ($32.53) — to name just two of the many alternatives out there.

How much does it actually cost to build the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge?

Over the weekend, my colleague Nirave Gondhia wrote a feature exploring whether or not the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge were overpriced, considering the increased price tags over their predecessors and how the handsets compare to other devices including Apple’s iPhone family. Curious as to how much the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge really cost, as far as bill of materials is concerned? A new report from IHS helps shed some light on the matter.

Although the full report isn’t available just yet, Re/Code has highlighted some of the information from it, focusing specifically on the 64GB Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. As it turns out, the cost to build the Galaxy S6 Edge 64GB model for use on the Verizon network comes to about $290, including parts and assembly. That’s about $34 higher than the 64GB Galaxy S5 cost.

Breaking things down a bit further, the most expensive component on the Galaxy S6 Edge is the curved display, which comes to roughly $85. Next up, is the Exynos 7 processor, at a cost of about $29.50. Continuing on, some of the other higher-cost items are the DDR4 memory at $27, and the Qualcomm baseband chip at $15.

Samsung pricing compared to Apple

To put things into perspective, let’s look at the Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The 64GB models of each of these devices are priced at $247 and $263 respectively, with retail pricing (from Big Red) set at $649.99 and $749.99. That’s a markup of roughly $403 for the 64GB iPhone 6 and $487 for the iPhone 6 Plus. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S6 Edge 64GB model is set at $699.99 through Verizon, a markup of nearly $410. As you can see, the markup for both Apple and Samsung products are actually rather similar.

As you can see, the markup for both Apple and Samsung products are actually rather similar. Before you start screaming “We are being ripped off”, let’s not forget that there’s much more involved than a simple breakdown of parts and assembly cost. There’s also packaging, advertising, research and development, and tons of other aspects that Samsung and Apple recoup by keeping that price tag as high as possible.

Could Samsung and Apple price more aggressively? Absolutely. But considering their reputation, they really have no real need to, as they have a highly established reputation and no shortage of consumers lining up to pick up what they have to offer.

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Yet another report of Samsung being surprised at Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge popularity

By now, you will have heard that Samsung‘s flagship devices, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, are quite amazing devices. Accordingly, they are extremely popular pretty much everywhere that they have gone on sale, so it should come as no surprise that both devices are killing it in Samsung’s native South Korea. Yonhap News is reporting that sales for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have been “much higher than expected” and that sales have reached an “all-time high” compared to previous Galaxy S devices, and that’s high praise indeed seeing as the Galaxy S4 sold like hotcakes too.

What’s most interesting is that up to 50% of the sales in Korea have been for the S6 Edge, the more expensive of the two flagship. Even an anonymous Samsung official has admitted that their company had “failed to make a precise prediction of demand”, which isn’t exactly a bad problem to have, but customers wanting the S6 Edge might have to wait a little longer for theirs as Samsung catches up on supply. You can bet that Samsung will come out with some pretty impressive statistics in the next few days to highlight exactly how good sales have been.

What do you think about the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge’s popularity? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Yonhap News via Phone Arena

The post Yet another report of Samsung being surprised at Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge popularity appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

Are the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge overpriced?

If you’re thinking of buying a new smartphone, chances are the new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge have crossed your mind. Arguably Samsung’s best ever smartphones, the new devices are packed full of features but as the saying goes – everything comes at a price – and this has never been truer than with Samsung’s new devices.

The biggest change in the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge is the lack of removable storage which means – just like the iPhone – you are limited the storage option you buy. With previous Samsung devices, you could buy the lowest storage option and then increase this using a microSD card but with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, this is no longer an option.

Related – Best Android Phones of 2015

With the lack of expandable storage in mind, we want to ask the question – are Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge overpriced? To answer this, first we’ll look at what the smartphone gives you and then we’ll look at how it compares in pricing to the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which are traditionally the most expensive smartphones on the market.

The devices

Armed with almost everything Samsung can pack into a mobile device, the range of features includes an outstanding 16MP OIS camera, an Octa-Core 7420 Exynos processor, 3 GB of industry leading LPDDR4 RAM and UFS 2.0 memory (seriously quick stuff) a stunning glass finish and a Quad HD 2k Super AMOLED display that offers an eye-popping 577 pixels per inch density. As we said before however – all of these outstanding features come at a price and a hefty one at that.

The other notable features include a revamped fingerprint sensor, all new TouchWiz experience and dual-wireless charging allowing you to use either the PMA or Qi wireless charing standards. The latter especially is a new feature for mobile devices which have traditionally used either of the standards but not both and as it’s baked into the device, there’s also no need for an awkward after-market accessory. There’s a lot more to both of Samsung’s new devices which you can read in Josh’s Galaxy S6 review and Lanh’s Galaxy S6 Edge review.

Related – Wireless charging in 2015 – what you need to know! 

Is the price too high?

Now to the price – as the most expensive Samsung smartphones made, how do they compare to the smartphone price benchmark set by the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus?

In the table below, we’ve included the US and UK pricing for each of the handsets from either the supplier direct or Amazon (in the US, Samsung sells the Galaxy S6 off contract through Amazon). Pricing in bold is estimated based on the latest available market information and is not a confirmed price.

On average, the Galaxy S6 is about $50 more expensive than the comparative iPhone 6 variant in the USA whilst the Galaxy S6 Edge works out at around $100 more than the iPhone 6 Plus (except for the 128GB model which is approximately $50 more). That’s not too bad when you consider the Galaxy S6 has vastly superior specs compared to Apple’s latest smartphones.

The key issue of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge pricing comes in the UK where Samsung’s availability is somewhat suspect. Firstly, the 128GB models aren’t available (the pricing in the table is based upon inside information that’s an estimate) which means importing them from Amazon Germany which actually works out cheaper than buying from Samsung UK. Secondly, the Galaxy S6 Edge is only available in 64GB – the 32GB model doesn’t seem to be coming to the UK – which is priced at £760 and is £60 more than the iPhone 6 Plus.

Overpriced or value for money?

So are Samsung’s devices overpriced or do they deserve their tag as the most expensive Samsung smartphones ever made? At first glance, the handsets do seem to be overpriced but once you begin to experience them and use them, you quickly realise there’s a reason they have such a large price tag.

We’ve already covered the key specs here but how do they compare to the iPhone and iPhone 6 Plus? Let’s take a look:

On average the Galaxy S6 is $50 more than the iPhone 6 whilst the Galaxy S6 Edge is around $100 more. Buying a handset off-contract is certainly an expensive proposition and on contracts (both in the UK and the USA) the pricing of both handsets is quite comparative. In the UK, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are on average around £5 per month more than the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch price.

Looking at the comparative specs, it’s clear that the extra money is definitely worth it. Sure we’re comparing Apples and Oranges here (pun intended) but spec-for-spec, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are far superior to Apple’s new devices. Apple has always insisted that specs don’t equal the experience and this has been proven before but this doesn’t prevent comparisons of the specs.

The best specs that money can buy

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are certainly the most expensive main-stream commercial handsets made but there’s good reason for that – simply put, they feature the best specs that money can buy. From the best display to the fastest processor and from an excellent camera to outstanding design, the handsets are packed full of the best that Samsung has to offer.

To the original point – are they overpriced or do they offer value for money? This answer is one that will change for each person but from an impartial view, they certainly offer value for money. The question really is whether you will gain enough from the device for it to offer you value for money.

Do you think the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are overpriced or should the best specs that money can buy come with the highest price tag? Let us know your views in the comments below.

Related – Here’s where you can get the best deals on the Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge now

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