As is usually the case around flagship Android device launches, the manufacturers make sure we know all about the new phone, how it was built and why it is so special. Today, we are hearing from Samsung, they want us to know that the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge have been designed and built to perfection, at least as far as materials go.
In a fair amount of detail, Samsung explains two factors to their device build, the glass and the metal. After all, that is what we see, feel and have asked for, right?
Starting with the glass, Samsung has gone with a new glass and technique, called 3D Thermoforming, to rise above the other boring old 2.5D glass on other phones today. Basically, 2.5D glass has fairly strict tolerances to bending, reducing the amount of bend available in design.
The process of 3D Thermoforming, in short, brings a couple layers of glass to the verge of melting, about 800 degree Celsius, then gently presses them into a mold. The result gives what we see in the upcoming Galaxy S6 Edge, that being, glass that bends in more ways than one. Take that LG G Flex 2.
After taking care of the front glass, Samsung again went a step beyond previous techniques with their metal choices. In short, they went with aircraft/automobile grade aluminum, called 6013 aluminum. The result, they say, is metal that is one and a half times stronger and 1.2 times more scratch resistant than the 6063 aluminum used for most current metal built Android phones.
All that metal, will it have an impact on the antenna? Why yes, so Samsung used ultrasonic welding to, in a way, incorporate the antenna into the metal frame. They say this gives more durability, a better signal and saves space inside the device, so they don’t have to put a big black bar on the front of the phone with their logo, take that HTC. OK, Samsung didn’t exactly say all that.
To give the ‘premium’ metal that luxurious look and feel, Samsung put special coatings on it, the result, if nothing else, gives that gleam you see in all the Galaxy S6 images out there.
In the end, Samsung has indeed stepped up their game, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are most certainly a step above the Galaxy S5. To answer just how much better may have to wait for the devices to actually ship to consumers, in April? May? Maybe even June?
Head over to Samsung Tomorrow to see all the details of The Art of Craftsmanship in the Galaxy S6.
Are you overly concerned with the process Samsung used to build the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, or, like me, do you plan to judge the build quality for yourself when the phones land in your hand?