Currently, there is a Material Design theme for rooted Galaxy S6 devices over on XDA Developers thanks to the user who goes by the name cambunch. Although you need root to install it now, it will be on the Samsung Theme app soon. He recently got accepted as a Samsung Theme Designer, so pending Samsung, Material Design could be hitting your Galaxy S6 device soon.

According to cambunch, the theme should show up in the store in around two weeks, so mark your calendars. The theme also has a light and dark versions, so you can get your Material Design preference. The themes have the ability to change nearly all aspects of the device. The notification shade, status bar, settings, icons, and other stock apps get the treatment.

So if you are using the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge, are you going to be on the look out for this new theme? I know I sure will be. If not, be sure to let us know what theme you are currently using.

Source

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Now that the Galaxy S6/S6 edge are officially receiving the latest version of Android Lollipop, it will bring along with it new features and performance enhancements. One of the top additions is the ability to add user profiles, something that wasn’t included on the original software. One of the top enhancements is the dreaded memory leak issue, which was fixed in version 5.1.1. On top of it all, the devices should see a bump in battery life.

I am currently downloading the full update, so once it is done and I’ve had some time to play around with it, I will give an update on the Galaxy S6 edge’s performance. Now that we finally got our hands on an official build, it’s time to go back to the S6 for awhile and set the G4 down.

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One of the main features of 5.1.1 is that it supposedly fixes the memory leak issue that first debuted with Android Lollipop back in November. On top of that, it adds a huge performance boost and adds a few extra features.

For the Galaxy S6/S6 edge, the device will receive a camera update that brings new modes and multi-user support. Multi-user support was something that debuted with Android Lollipop, but Samsung didn’t include in on the initial software of the devices. Another big change will the ability to disable the S Finder and Quick Connect in the notification shade.

There are also many other additions and tweaks throughout the UI, but we won’t know until its finalized in the official build. For a good idea of what is to come, watch the video above from SamMobile. The update is rumored to be released sometime around the middle of the month.

Source

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According to the Canadian carrier Rogers, their Galaxy S6 and S6 edge will get the Android 5.1 update in June with no specific dates given. If you’re curious as to what it will bring to your S6, it will bring the Guest Mode normally enabled on stock Android 5.0, the ability to shoot images in RAW format, and multiple enhancements to performance and memory management.

If a smaller Canadian carrier like Rogers is expecting to receive the highly-anticipated Android 5.1 update for the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, it is more likely that American carriers such as Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile will get it sooner. Especially with the latter, two, they have closer relationships to Samsung.

We’ll keep our eyes peeled on the interwebs as to when the Android 5.1 update actually gets announced by either American carriers or Samsung. We’ll be sure to update you guys as well as when the OTA gets deployed.

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According to the report, the camera update will be a part of the large-scale release of Android 5.1.1, whenever that rollout should begin. This is completely different from the 5.1.1 update rolled out through T-Mobile, which may have been an accident. We can speculate that the update will enable Google’s API which would allow S6/S6 edge users to shoot images in RAW format for better editing. HTC’s One M9 and LG’s upcoming G4 already have those capabilities, so it would make sense for Samsung to follow suit.

Now, it is only a matter of time before the Android 5.1.1 update hits the airwaves for the Galaxy S6/S6 edge. Since an early version has already been released, it is likely to happen within the coming month, especially since it is so functional.

Source

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First, disable all of those unwanted apps. There is nothing worse than booting up a brand new phone and finding it is loaded with tons of apps that you have probably never heard of or even wanted to use. Unfortunately, Samsung doesn’t give us the power to completely install those pre-installed applications like WhatsApp, Microsoft services, Lookout, etc.

While there still isn’t the ability to uninstall those default apps, Samsung at least made it easier than ever to disable them. All it takes on the Galaxy S6/S6 edge is going to your application drawer, press edit in the top right corner, then press the minus on any app that you want to disable. It will still be there, but it will no longer ask for updates, take up extra storage, etc.

Once you have the apps of your preference disabled, its time to take care of another prevalent issue with the Galaxy S6/S6 edge. Currently, this is only a problem with T-Mobile because of HD voice, but I’ll go over it nonetheless; it helped me. One issue plaguing T-Mobile users is excessive battery drain from cell standby. The culprit, T-Mobile’s HD voice, also known as VoLTE.

If you are experiencing some battery drain from cell standby in your battery stats, just go to your phone dialer, press ‘more’ in the top right corner, and that will bring some hidden settings. The third selection down is the option to enable or disable Voice over LTE. This will turn your cell standby battery drain from a pesky annoyance to being undetected.

The last thing we will turn off in this list is the annoying Flipboard Magazine Samsung loves to bake into the homescreen.  While it isn’t the worst, it isn’t optimized as much as it should be. There is slight lag when swiping from the Flipboard screen over to the next screen. All you need to do to disable the Flipboard screen is pinch the homescreen to zoom out. Once you are there, swipe to the left and uncheck the box over the top of Flipboard.

Now that the little performance hogs have been disabled, it is time to add a few customization features to the Galaxy S6/S6 edge. One thing that Samsung has clearly left out from these devices is the ability to control the amount of time the capacitive keys stay lit. Previously, you could have them always on, always off, or last a certain duration. For whatever reason, Samsung decided to leave this feature out, probably to save that little extra bit of battery.

Luckily for us, developer NotQuiteInsane found a way to control the lighting duration without the need for root permissions. It is called Galaxy Button Lights and can be found on the Google Play Store. I currently use this and have not had one problem. I use the always on settings and even after a reboot, it still remains enabled. There has been no effect on battery life for me.

[pb-app-box pname=’com.notquiteinsane.galaxybuttonlights’ name=’Galaxy Button Lights’ theme=’discover’ lang=’en’]

Lastly, this is a little trick that can give you battery percentage without taking up precious notification panel real estate. One thing I don’t understand is why the big OEMs don’t include the circular battery icon. It is by far the best looking and it doesn’t take up much room, but I digress.

Once again, there is an app on the Play Store called Battery Percentage which employs a percentage inside the battery icon. That means there won’t be an enormous 24% taking up space. The only issue with the Galaxy S6/S6 edge, is that Samsung still follows some KitKat color scheming and the percentage inside the battery icon is white. It is visible, but only starts after the battery gets lower than 75%. Regardless, it is definitely convenient, even if it isn’t always visible.

[pb-app-box pname=’net.edavid93.kitkat_battery_percentage’ name=’Battery Percentage’ theme=’discover’ lang=’en’]

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With all that power and prowess, one of the first things that comes to Android users minds is whether to root their device or not. This article is here to give you 5 reasons NOT to root your Galaxy S6. I’ll be sure to follow this up with 5 reasons to root your Galaxy S6, but this is just here to give you both sides.

Disables OTA updates

One of the biggest reasons not to root devices is that it disables OTA updates. That means, once you root your device, whether it is from the Chainfire method or something else, your device will no longer receive incremental updates automatically. This is one of the main reasons not to root, so you’re going to want to think about this ramification.

If you aren’t going to flash a custom ROM on to the device, it is hard to come by the latest Samsung firmware. SamMobile does have a great repository, so all hope is not lost. If you do find the latest firmware for your device, you will have to flash over the top of the existing one, which leads to loss of data, so be sure to back-up if you plan to do so.

Rooting trips the KNOX counter

Tripping KNOX is another big factor on why to not root the Galaxy S6. KNOX is essentially a service employed by Samsung to give after-sale service a better idea if the device has been tampered with. There are also rumors that the counter can keep track of how many times the device has been flashed with different ROMs, although that is unconfirmed.

Since KNOX is capable of detecting changes to the device, once root privileges are enabled, the KNOX counter will be tripped and there will be no way of reversing it (there are some exceptions). This means that if you ever have to warranty your device, they have right to refuse service if they feel that rooting and or flashing was the culprit of the issue.

Lose out on KNOX capabilities 

Samsung’s KNOX is a misunderstood service as it brings more to the device than just helping Samsung detect if you tampered with your device. If someone were to find your device or steal it, this said person cannot use it. Without your account, the thief will not be able to factory reset the device or flash a new ROM to it. With a $700+ device, I’d take all the help I could get.

Along with helping deter potential thieves, KNOX also protects your data and information by using technologies that are patented by the National Security Agency (NSA). I had to throw that one in there just for the heck of it. If you are curious about KNOX and its capabilities, here is the actual overview from Samsung.

Disables Samsung Pay

One of the newest features on the Galaxy S6 is Samsung Pay, which is Samsung’s direct competitor to Apple Pay. If you plan on using Samsung Pay, it was just reported by SamMobile that when users root their device, this feature will not work anymore and is disabled.

SamMobile cites that “when you root your device, the integrity gets breached, which is necessary for important and sensitive features like mobile payments.” This has been seen on many other apps as well, such as banking apps, media apps such as TiVo, and other apps that have sensitive data.

This may sound like it’s not a big deal, but Samsung has completely revamped their fingerprint sensor to be used on mobile payments, similar to Apple Pay. Gone is the sliding fingerprint sensor, replaced by a touch-based sensor, which is much more accurate and much more convenient.

TouchWiz isn’t the same as years past

The Galaxy S6 is one of the, if not, the top performing device on the market right now. Samsung’s in-house processor blows the competitors away, and scored an insane score of 68,000 on the AnTuTu Benchmark. Couple the amazingly fast octa-core processor with a slimmed down version of TouchWiz and you have yourself a pretty fast device.

One of the strong reasons for rooting a Galaxy device in the past was to de-bloat TouchWiz and speed it up. It has always been knocked for being a performance hog, but the latest version is quite different. Samsung took the complaints about their UI to heart and have drastically improved TouchWiz. They have also made it easier than ever to disable pre-installed apps, but you still can’t completely uninstall them.

Since having the Galaxy S6 for nearly a month, I can say it is one of the best performing devices I’ve ever used… even with TouchWiz. It comes free of any stutters or lags that have been seen in the past, plus Samsung adopted much of Google’s Material Design.

Conclusion

All in all, the Galaxy S6 is not like any Samsung device we have seen in the past, as seen in our review. Once you root your device, there is no turning back, so you better be in it for the long haul. Not only will it disable key features on your device, it will also void your warranty.

I advise that if you do decide to modify your device, READ UP on everything, especially if you are new to rooting and flashing. All it takes is one wrong move and your $700 flagship device is a great paperweight.

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The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are by far Samsung’s best devices to date. It all started out as “Project Zero”; that’s when we found out Samsung was serious about revamping their design. What sets the S6/S6 edge apart from their predecessors is not only their high-quality build construction, but what’s on the inside powering the devices. The S6 is the features the highest specs of any Samsung device to date, which includes a beast of a processor in the Exynos 7420, 3 GB of RAM, and a best in class 16 megapixel rear-facing camera that sports optical image stabilization.

What makes the Galaxy S6/S6 edge so different is that Samsung has a full-on premium device. Not only that, but with Samsung pushing full force into marketing, they have a legitimate chance at taking down Apple and the hugely successful iPhone 6.  The iPhone has long held the throne over Android phones as a premium manufacturer. While companies, such as HTC, have a premium Android device, they don’t have the marketing ability or the money that Samsung has. Now that Samsung has a premium device that they can tout, it’s their time to assume the throne. Here are five ways for Samsung to make that happen.

Keep the device(s) in stock

When new devices come out that are extremely popular, the easiest way to be successful is keep the device in stock. Nothing can kill a devices buzz more so than lack of availability. For example, the Nexus 6 received wide demand, but Motorola had a tough time keeping the device in stock. This led to consumers (sans die-hard Nexus fans) to choose a different device. There is nothing worse than waiting for a new phone, only to find out it is backordered.

For the most part, Samsung is doing a swell job. They have already sold more devices than they expected and have already surpassed Galaxy S5 sales. Most carriers continue to have the devices available, and only some outlets, such as Best Buy, have the S6 edge on backorder.

This is by far the easiest solution for Samsung to overtake Apple. With the latest reports, the Galaxy S6 edge demand has risen much higher than Samsung expected, so they have to up production. The Galaxy S6 buzz is in high gear and the last thing Samsung wants to do is let that die off. Samsung hasn’t received this much attention since the Galaxy S3, so they are definitely on to something. Easiest solution: keep making the Galaxy S6 and MORE Galaxy S6 edges.

Fast updates

This has been a sore spot for users of Samsung devices in the past. Google would come out with the latest version of Android, but Samsung wouldn’t push out updates for quite a while; sometimes upwards of six months in between updates. There is only one thing worse than waiting for a backordered device, and that is waiting for it to receive the next major Android update. If you pay for a premium device at a premium cost, you expect for it to receive timely updates.

This is something that always shied die-hard Android users away from the South Korean giant, but they have been making strides to improve that. Nearly every Galaxy device from the past two years has already received Android Lollipop, which is amazing when coming from Samsung. The newer devices, such as the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3, and Galaxy Note 4, all received the update within 90 days, give or take.

If Samsung wants to take another shot at Apple, they need to continually improve their update times. One thing that Apple has over Android is that they make the device and the operating system. This expedites the process; one update applies for all devices; whereas there are thousands of Android devices on the market and they all have to wait until Google pushes out the newest version. Once that happens, the smartphone manufacturer needs to tailor the upgrade to their device and their specified hardware.

If Samsung can continually deliver Android updates in 90 days or sooner, they will be well on their way to making consumers happy. The Galaxy S6 has changed many things about Samsung, so let’s hope update times follow suit.

Hardware is top of the line

If there is one area where Apple phones, specifically the iPhone 6 are criticized, it’s in the hardware department. It’s 2015 and the latest iPhones run dual-core processors and 1 GB of RAM. Now, I will add it is quite a feat to get the performance they do out of those phones, but Apple is definitely behind the times. Enter Samsung.

Samsung has always put the top of the line equipment in their devices. They have always used the latest processor on the market and packed it with ample amounts of RAM. What makes the Galaxy S6 so special is that they went with the “top of the line” equipment that was available, which just so happened to be their in-house processor. That in-house processor is the octa-core Exynos 7420, which tops the benchmarks through and through. The Exynos 7420 coupled with 3 GB of LPDDR4 RAM brings out a blazing fast device.

One of the most used features on a smartphone in 2015 is the camera. Everyone loves taking pictures, whether it is of themselves, others, or even the scenery around them. Smartphones have turned everyone into professional (or so they claim to be) photographers.

Not only does the Galaxy S6/S6 edge blow the iPhone away in the performance category, it also features the best camera in a smartphone on the market… yes on the market. Once again, Apple is behind the times with an 8 megapixel camera whereas the S6/S6 edge touts a 16 megapixel monster that has optical image stabilization. Although, megapixel count doesn’t necessarily mean better picture it sure helps.

The Galaxy S6 may have twice the megapixels as the iPhone 6, but it also has a larger aperture. The S6 has an f/1.9 aperture compared to the smaller f/2.2 aperture of the iPhone 6. This means crisper shots in lower light, which is a challenge for most phones.

Market, market, and… market some more!

The standard Galaxy S6 is definitely a well-crafted device, there is no denying that. The S6 edge on the other hand is more than just a well-crafted device, it is an innovative device. Samsung needs to continue to market the device and not let up. The more people see the device, the more they will realize how premium the devices actually are.

The timing is perfect for Samsung to take hold of Apple defectors as well. Everyone knows that a year after the latest iPhone comes out, the next year an upgraded device comes out touting the ‘s’ moniker. Many people are waiting to see what Apple has in store for the iPhone 6s, but there is little to no hype surrounding the device. Not only that, it usually gets released sometime in early Q4, so there is a lot of time to sway potential customers.

Apple has had marketing down to a science and definitely knows how to ‘woo’ potential customers. For example, look at how many people are buying a $350+ Apple Watch.; it’s all in marketing. All Samsung needs to do is market the aforementioned categories about how it is better than the Apple iPhone. If Samsung can channel Apple’s marketing genius, they will be well on their way.

Don’t stop here, keep going

If there is one thing Samsung has learned is that once you make a great device, you can’t sit back and let other companies pass you by. They’ve done it in the past by being complacent with their new devices and their designs. The Galaxy S5 was just a slightly updated Galaxy S4, so much that it could have been called the Galaxy S4s in my opinion.

If Samsung really wants to take down the Apple giant, they need to continually build off their strong performances. The Galaxy S6/S6 edge are one of a kind devices and it will definitely be hard to build upon the strong showing the devices have made so far.

The Galaxy S6 edge is innovative, but there is so much potential for it to be improved. If the Galaxy S6 edge shows Samsung anything, it is that there is room for devices like that on the market. Hopefully, Samsung will put more time and effort into making it more usable and practical than ever.

According to analysts, the Galaxy S6 edge makes up for 50% of the S6 sales, so come this time next year, we may be looking at only a Galaxy S7 edge; you never know. It is feasible, and if that’s the case, the edge must bring along more defining features.

Samsung has definitely come a long way and their fate is completely in their hands. They have a ‘hit’ device on their hands and it is completely up to them where they are headed. If they have learned anything, they need to continue to push forward.

The post 5 ways the Galaxy S6 can help Samsung topple Apple and the iPhone 6 appeared first on FWNED.

The Galaxy S6 is upgraded in nearly every category vs. its predecessor. It features Samsung’s most powerful processor, the Exynos 7420, which backed by LPDDR4 RAM that is amazingly fast. Couple those two together with a revamped TouchWiz and you have a device that is buttery smooth.

The question is, do you think its worth an upgrade? One thing important worth noting is the S6’s lack of water resistance. Of course, Samsung doesn’t dare to mention that, so we went ahead and did it for you.

Aside from the lack of water resistance, I personally see no comparison for the devices. The S6 is what the S5 should have been, but it’s too late now. Let us know what you think of the S6!

Source

The post Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy S5 comparison (infographic) appeared first on FWNED.

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge have been slated for a April 10 release date for some time now, but pre-order information has been missing. Today, Samsung has come out to let us know that the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge will be available for pre-order starting tomorrow on all major carriers.

Samsung’s latest phones, which are definitely head-turners, are expected to be their best selling device in some time. Pre-orders from carriers already exceeded 20 million units a few weeks back and it looks like it won’t slow down any time soon.

Exact pricing will vary between carriers and stores, but it is expected that AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon will all have plenty of the devices in stock come April 10. The pricing so far can be seen below.

AT&T

Sprint

Sprint pricing has been announced, sort of. Sprint is offering up a free Galaxy S6 with the purchase of the all-new Sprint Unlimited plan. It comes with unlimited talk, text, and data. The plan with the Galaxy S6 will be $80 per month, with an extra $5 per month for the Galaxy S6 edge.

You are also able to upgrade the storage space for an extra $5 per month for the 64 GB variant and an extra $10 per month for the 128 GB option.

T-Mobile

Just yesterday, T-Mobile announced that it would send every S6 purchase with a free year of Netflix, but it gets better. Not only can you pre-order the S6 and S6 edge starting tomorrow, T-Mobile will send out the devices before the April 10 release date. Pricing information can be seen below.

Galaxy S6

• 32 GB – $0 down (and $28.33 per month for 24 months)
  • outright price – $679.92
• 64 GB – $99.99 down (and $27.50 per month for 24 months)
  • outright price – $759.99
• 128 GB – $199.99 down (and $27.50 per month for 24 months)
  • outright price $859.99

Galaxy S6 edge

• 32 GB – $0 down (and 32.49 per month for 24 months)
  • outright price – $779.76
• 64 GB – $99.99 down (and $31.66 per month for 24 months)
  • outright price – $859.83
• 128 GB – $199.99 down (and $31.66 per month for 24 months)
  • outright price – $959.83

Verizon

Verizon pre-orders will actually begin on April 1st.

• 32 GB – $249.99 down  ($50 mail-in rebate) on-contract | $24.99 per month for 24 months off-contract
  • outright price – $599.99
• 64 GB –  $349.99 down ($50 mail-in rebate) on-contract | $29.16 per month for 24 months off-contract
  • outright price – $699.99
• 128 GB – $449.99 down ($50 mail-in rebate) on-contract | $33.33 per month for 24 months off-contract
  • outright price – $799.99

Galaxy S6 edge

• 32 GB – $349.99 down ($50 mail-in rebate) on-contract | $29.16 per month for 24 months off-contract
  • outright price – $699.99
• 64 GB –  $449.99 down ($50 mail-in rebate) on-contract | $33.33 per month for 24 months off-contrant
  • outright price – $799.99
• 128 GB – $549.99 down ($50 mail-in rebate) on-contract | $37.49 per month for 24 months off-contract
  • outright price – $899.99

We will add Verizon and Sprint when their pricing becomes available.

Sources: AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon

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