Galaxy S6's Sales Disaster, New Samsung Galaxy Launch Date, Xperia Z4 Tablet Review

Galaxy S6's Sales Disaster, New Samsung Galaxy Launch Date, Xperia Z4 Tablet Review

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Taking a look back at seven days of news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit highlights a number of stories including the low sales of the Samsung Galaxy S6 family, the early arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, early reviews of the Sony Xperia Z4 tablet, Microsoft Office preview for Android, the new OnePlus 2 handset is benchmarked online, Android Wear updates, MixRadio arrives on the platform, and the release of AdBlock’s Android browser.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can read the weekly Apple news digest here).

Galaxy S6 Sales Disaster

While there are no confirmed numbers (and Samsung’s comment is “no comment”), the reporting of the first month of sales on the Galaxy S6 is not what the South Korean manufacturer would have been hoping for. Ten million is not just on the low-end of expectations, it’s crashing through the floor and have a serious effect on the finances of the parent company.

Korean news agency Yonhap reports that it has taken a month for sales of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge to reach 10M. Speaking to Yonhap a ‘high-ranking Samsung official’ confirmed this figure for the first time. Trying to put a positive spin on it the official said: “The sales of the Galaxy S6 series have already surpassed 10 million.”

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (image: Ewan Spence)

Forbes’ Gordon Kelly expands on the detail behind that number, especially with Samsung’s focus on selling 70 million S6 branded handsets this year:

Notably the Galaxy S4 shipped 10M units in 27 days while the much criticised Galaxy S5 took 25 days to ship 10M units. In fact it was the lack of growth from the Galaxy S5 that inspired the radical reboot of the line seen in the S6es.

Consequently for combined sales of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge to only pass 10M in a similar timeframe to the S5 and S4 represents a disastrous return. This is particularly true for the cheaper Galaxy S6 given Samsung has already confirmed demand for the Edge variant has been unexpectedly high.

All of which poses the obvious question: if Galaxy S6 Edge sales are performing above expectations, just how bad are Galaxy S6 sales?

I’ll be keeping a close eye on the numbers around the Galaxy S6 family. Given the crash in profits and revenue during 2014, right now Samsung’s Mobile Division looks to be a huge fiscal drag on the company’s bottom line.

Is The Galaxy Note 5 Arriving Early?

Will Samsung reveal the Galaxy Note 5 ahead of the expected annual schedule? Traditionally Berlin’s IFA event has seen the South Korean company refresh its phablet line, but sources in the supply chain point to a potential earlier release.

…Samsung is also apparently preparing to release its Galaxy Note 5 in late July, according to WhowiredKorea. It is claimed Samsung has already confirmed the final specification of the phablet and shown prototypes to global telecoms partners… For Samsung bringing forward the Galaxy Note 5 launch would make sense. Samsung Pay is set to launch in July which would unite it with the new phablet and it would also give Samsung the drop on Android rivals expected to launch their devices at the IFA tech show which is held in Berlin in September.

Given Apple’s tendency to release devices in September, Samsung may also have thought this would give it the drop on the new iPhone 6S Plus. If I was looking for an easier answer, I’d suggest Samsung want far more units available at launch than in previous years to get an immediate ‘hit’ phone.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet Reviews

The Guardian’s Samuel Gibbs has been taking a look at a pre-release version of Sony’s latest tablet. The Xperia Z4 Tablet doubles up as an ultraportable laptop with the keyboard cover, and continues to push the idea of a high-specification waterproof tablet:

The Xperia Z4 Tablet will be familiar to anyone who has laid eyes on a Sony smartphone or tablet made in the last couple of years: a thin, waterproof body, black bezels and a brilliant LCD screen.

The big change for the Z4 is the size of the housing. The screen is the same 10.1in, now quad HD with a pixel density of 299 pixels per inch, but the bezels around the screen have shrunk – the tablet is 12mm shorter and 5mm narrower, making it one of the smallest 10in tablets available.

While the future of Sony’s mobile division is still unclear, the hardware that is being manufactured continues to impress. We’ll have the Z4 Tablet to review on Forbes when it is released to the public.

Microsoft Office Preview App Released For Android

Following on from successful release of OneNote and Outlook, Microsoft has rolled out Office for Android as a preview application. Tony Bradley takes a look at the strategy behind Microsoft’s next encroachment into the Android world:

Initially Microsoft worked to just get some version of the Office apps out there for competing platforms like iOS and Android. The focus lately has been on ensuring the look and feel are consistent across all of the different devices and operating systems. It’s nice to be able to use the same basic tools on different devices but users shouldn’t have to re-learn how to use Word, Excel or PowerPoint depending on which device they choose. It should be simple and intuitive to use a Microsoft Office app no matter which platform it’s on.

Microsoft’s move to a cloud-based strategy has an impact on how the mobile Office app earns money. While it works as a viewer for free, the single sign-up to Office 365 will open up all the features in the application.

Microsoft has made the basic functionality of viewing and editing Microsoft Office files free for everyone. You must subscribe to Office 365, though, if you want the full range of features and capabilities. That shouldn’t really be an issue for most people—Office 365 is a much better value than buying Microsoft Office the old-fashioned way.

Next OnePlus Handset Shows Up In Benchmarking Tests

Shenzhen-based manufacturer OnePlus is expected to release its second handset by the end of the year. Named the OnePlus 2, it appears that some handsets have browsed to the online benchmarking sites to see how they compare to the competition. 9to5Google has the details:

Rumors regarding the successor the popular OnePlus One smartphone began emerging earlier this year and now a mysterious device from the company has appeared in GeekBench test results. While the results don’t reveal much, the show what is likely the OnePlus 2. The device appears to be running Android 5.1 and features an 8 core processor, likely in the 4+4 setup, clocked at 1.55GHz.

The processor is most likely the Snapdragon 810,which has been said to suffer from overheating issues since its launch. The test results show the device as carrying the model number A2001. The original OnePlus One carried the A0001 model number.

The OnePlus 2 is expected to arrive during Q3 2015, and a potential budget-priced model may appear before the end of 2015.

Google Sends Out Android Wear Update

Paul Lamkin details the changes and additions in Google’s latest release of Android Wear. Taking the platform up to Android 5.1.1, the wearable OS with a large smartwatch footprint now features improvements in the app launcher UI, connecting directly over Wi-Fi to the internet, gesture control, and emoji support.

Rather than an awkward list of task-specific commands, Google has gone back to smartphone-esque basics with a simple, icon-heavy, app launching page – easily reachable with a simple tap of the home screen. From this apps list you can scroll left for your contacts (nicely sorted with your most popular first) and, from here, you can send a text or email; or kick-start a call to start on your synced smartphone.

When you do fire up an app you’ll also notice that, much like the watch face, the display will be blacked out after a short period of time. This ‘always-on’ app feature is very handy for things like shopping lists and will help to preserve battery power.

Android Wear interaction (photo: Ewan Spence)

MixRadio Launches On Android

While Microsoft is promoting the ability for Android (and iOS) developers to port apps to Windows Phone, it is busy porting apps the other way with MixRadio the next app to jump out of the silo towards the major platforms in the market (reports The Next Web). The ad-supported streaming music app is free of charge, and while there some restrictions in place (much like any other nine streaming application, e.g. limited skips per hour, and limited number of repeating artists per hour) it’s an interesting choice to help you explore the music:

MixRadio’s expansion comes amid a hotbed of activity in the genre. A Spotify event tomorrow will likely reveal news about that service, while listeners anticipate more information about Apple’s new Beats music service. MixRadio, which is ad-supported, is free of charge.

And Finally…

AdBlock has entered the browser wars on Android with the launch of a new browser that blocks advertising on your handset. The Next Web looks at the tech behind the browser:

ABP’s developers have launched Adblock Browser for Android, which is basically Firefox 37 for Android with ABP baked in. The app is currently in beta, and you’ll need to sign up to ABP’s Google+ community to download it… Adblock Browser for Android looks and feels about the same as Firefox’s mobile browser, but it doesn’t support other add-ons or Firefox’s Sync feature. ABP claims that users will enjoy increased battery life, save on data usage and avoid malware injected into ads.

‘Android Circuit’ will round-up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch.

Galaxy S6's Sales Disaster, New Samsung Galaxy Launch Date, Xperia Z4 Tablet Review

11:14 AM android, galaxy 6, samsung, smart phones, sony, xperia

HTC One M9 vs Galaxy S6

Now they're official, but which one wins?

Last month I wrote an article asking readerswhich phone they thought would come out ahead as the more popular device this year. Although this will be an ongoing battle between the Samsung Galaxy S6 and theHTC One M9 over the course of the year, we can now paint a much more accurate picture of which one we, the consumers, like the most.

In my article, I predicted that the Samsung Galaxy S6 would be the one that brought the most surprises and would “wow” people the most. Fast forward to today, and I feel like the Galaxy S6 did indeed steal the show over the HTC One M9.

I did write an article earlier today talking about how I felt that the design changes in the Galaxy S6 weren’t worth the two (arguably) major sacrifices that Samsung had to make in order to get there. I meant what I said, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think that the Samsung Galaxy S6 isn’t still a great device – it just happened to get rid of two very important (and seldom seen anymore) features that many people still wanted to see out of Samsung. As disappointing as that is, I can’t exactly call the Galaxy S6 or the S6 Edge “underwhelming”, which is a term I had used when discussing the HTC One M9.

I’ve been a big fan of the HTC One since the M7 made its debut in 2013, and not-so-big of a fan of the Galaxy S4 given my less-than-ideal experience with the device. In 2014, I was given the chance to do a 30-Day Challenge for the M8, and was also happy with the device (but not with the size). I’m one of the few that actually didn’t mind the UltraPixel camera, and was in fact happy with the results the pictures made. As for the Galaxy S5, I ended up feeling indifferent about it.

Visually, though, I guess I am a bit underwhelmed by the HTC One M9 this year. I think it still looks good, but when you’ve already seen it once, there’s not a whole lot of wow-ing going on.

That Galaxy S6, though. Yeah, it does look good on the outside. Like, really good – I even like the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, which I think makes the whole “edge” concept look better when there are two sides instead of just one. And I’ve never been a big fan of TouchWiz myself, but I do notice a bit of a clean-up going on there. Nothing as drastic as I had hoped, though.

On the spec-side of things, it’s hard to tell at this point if there’s a clear winner in how they measure up to each other. They’re about the same size (S6 has a 5.1-inch display, One has a 5-inch); each has 3GB of RAM; each uses an octa-core processor, although HTC went with Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 and Samsung went with their own Exynos 7420; the S6 has a much higher pixel density (577 ppi compared to 441); HTC has a 20-megapixel rear-facing camera vs. Samsung’s 16-megapixel, but Samsung’s uses OIS and HTC’s doesn’t (why?); Samsung took away the microSD card this year, but offers larger internal storage options, and HTC only has a 32GB option for the M9 but has a microSD card slot; the S6 features a 2550 mAh battery, and the One features a 2840. Both run on Android Lollipop.

So, either way you go you’re going to get a flagship experience. It just depends on which sacrifices you personally are willing to make if you’re looking to buy one of these two devices. Would you rather have a 16-megapixel camera with OIS over a 20-megapixel one that doesn’t, or would you rather have the opportunity to expand your memory with microSD cards? At least the two are on par when it comes to the quality of materials they’re made out of – that is no longer truly an issue.

At the end of the day, we are presented with two wonderful phones. When it comes to which one will be liked the most and produce the most sales, though, I still predict that the Galaxy S6 will continue to win over consumers despite the loss of microSD and removable battery. 

HTC One M9 vs Galaxy S6

7:48 AM android, COMPARE PHONE, featured, galaxy 6, HTC ONE M9, samsung

Samsung Norway Published Yet Another Galaxy S6 Teaser, A See-Through All-Glass Phone

A see-through All-Glass Mobile Phone

Samsung’s marketing machine has been working round the clock lately in order to hype up the company’s upcoming Galaxy S6 flagship(s). 

Samsung is going to unveil their next-gen Galaxy S smartphone, or should we say smartphones (Galaxy S6 Edge will also get launched quite probably), on March 1st in Barcelona as part of MWC (Mobile World Congress). Samsung has already scheduled their Unpacked event and they’ve been throwing teasers at us back and forth for a while now. Well, another one arrived, this time from Samsung Norway.

Samsung Norway has released yet another teaser

 After teasing displays and stereo speakers, the site is now teasing the glass surface of the Galaxy S6 handset, which could cover the metal chassis of the Galaxy S6. As you can see in the image, this teaser is just totally off, on purpose. Samsung basically showed us a see-through phone made out of glass entirely which won’t look like that for sure, but it’s good enough to tease the materials the company will use in their upcoming phone, or at least totally confuse us. This might as well be a decoy, Samsung’s way to mock the rumors that have been thrown around recently. Speaking of which, do you think this is Samsung playing with us, or could the upcoming Galaxy S6 truly be covered in glass (other than the screen, of course)? What are your thoughts here?

Samsung will launch their flagship in less than a week now

And we’ll surely see more similar leaks before that. The company is expected to launch the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge handsets on March 1st, and according to previous benchmark leaks, both of those handsets are expected to sport a quadHD display over 5-inches in size, 3 or 4GB of RAM and multiple storage variants. Samsung’s very own 14nm Exynos 7420 64-bit octa-core processor will power on the Galaxy S6 handset(s), and 16 or 20-megapixel camera will be a part of the package as well. You can also expect Android Lollipop to come pre-installed here, with Samsung’s TouchWiz on top of Google’s operating system, of course.

Samsung Norway Published Yet Another Galaxy S6 Teaser, A See-Through All-Glass Phone

6:21 PM galaxy 6, samsung, see through all glass mobile, transparent mobile