Ahead of Sunday’s huge Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge unveiling at the annual Mobile World Congress trade show in Spain, there was a lot of chatter focused on similarities between the Galaxy S6 we saw in leaks and Apple’s iPhone 6. Many people suggested that Samsung was getting ready to copy the iPhone once again with its new flagship phones — in some ways of course, that would be a good thing — and leaked images of handset prototypes certainly made it appear as though that would be the case.
Now that the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are official and we have spent some time with both new models, it’s time to determine once and for all whether or not Samsung’s latest and greatest is the blatant iPhone ripoff many Apple fans have said it is.
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Samsung Galaxy S6 hands-on preview
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge hands-on preview
Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge specs
We spent some time with both of Samsung’s new flagship phones last week, and then again following their official unveiling in Barcelona on Sunday. There is absolutely no question that these phones are different from and better than anything Samsung has launched in the past in every way.
But are they iPhone clones?
Samsung has a long history of taking inspiration from Apple, and at times, the company completely went overboard and put a huge amount of effort into copying Apple’s products.
In some ways, there is no question that Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge bear a resemblance to Apple’s iPhone 6. Look at this photo comparison for an example of an area where there is an unmistakable similarity between the Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6.
The rounded shape of the aluminum that surrounds the perimeter of the phone is also clearly reminiscent of Apple’s latest iPhones. Samsung cut a groove out of the aluminum on both sides on the S6 model in an effort to separate its phone a bit from the iPhone 6, but it’s still clearly a similar design.
That is where the similarities end.
Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 is packed full of cutting-edge components that mark huge steps forward in many different areas. The 5.1-inch quad HD display features a class-leading (and jaw-dropping) pixel density of 577 ppi; the new 14-nanometer Exynos processor is a 64-bit, octa-core beast with new class-leading technology; the 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM is an industry first; the UFS 2.0 storage is far faster than anything else on the market; the reflective material under the Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back of the phones adds a great unique effect; and the bold new curved design of the Galaxy S6 edge is beautiful and comfortable.
The new Galaxy S6 phones are beautiful, powerful, and unmistakably original in many, many ways.
Yes, there are some areas where Samsung’s new phones bear similarities to the iPhone 6 and even to other models. Similarly, Apple’s iPhone designs haven’t always been very original.
But as far as the total package is concerned, the new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are like nothing else in the world, and they are unquestionably two of the sleekest and most powerful smartphones on the planet right now.
