Samsung has officially confirmed that its two newest flagship devices -- the Samsung Galaxy S6 and its curvy sibling, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge -- will be available for preordering on March 27, and will be made available for purchase from wireless carriers and retail stores starting on April 10th.
The timing of the official date of release for the South Korean phone maker's two latest smartphone offerings is interesting, to say the least. Indeed, April 10th just happens to be the same date as the launch of HTC's newest flagship device, the HTC One M9, and at the same time, Apple will start accepting preorders for its first ever wearable device, the Apple Watch, on the date, too.
It goes without saying that Samsung will be facing some tough competition when it launches its two latest Galaxy devices. As far as product specifications go, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones certainly have plenty to offer. Both devices feature high quality materials, including aluminum and glass, that are far superior than past Samsung flagship devices, which mostly utilized plastic casings. The most cynical of Samsung's fans though might find the lack of a microSD slot (for expanding storage) as well as the discontinuation of the removable battery, kind of a bummer.
Still, customers, be they fans of Samsung products or not, will mostly find the new Galaxy devices worth their while. Those based in the United States can expect to get the black, white, and gold colored editions of the handsets.
So how much will the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge cost? Sprint is selling the Galaxy S6 through its leasing program, which starts at $80 per month for the device and service charges. As for the S6 Edge, it will go for $85 a month. Boost Mobile, Sprint's prepaid brand, is offering the device for $650 (no contract). Those who want their S6 with 64 gigabytes of memory will have to pay $5 more; $10 more for the 128 gigabyte edition.
At AT&T, the 32 gigabyte model of the Galaxy S6 starts at $22.84 per month via the AT&T Next 24 plan. The S6 Edge will start at $27.17 per month. If you opt for a two-year agreement, the Galaxy S6 will cost $200, while the S6 Edge will cost $299. Without contract, the Galaxy S6's price is $685 while the Galaxy S6 Edge's price is $814.
Those who want to get the devices from T-Mobile will pay $28.33 per month for two years (or pay $679.92 outright) for the Galaxy S6. The Galaxy S6 Edge will go for $32.49 per month, or for $779.76 full retail price.
As for Verizon Wireless, the Big Red is offering the Galaxy S6 at $200 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) or $24.99 per month for two years (full retail price is $600). As for the Galaxy S6 Edge, the carrier is offering it starting at $300 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) or $29.16 per month for two years (full retail price is $700).
On US Cellular, the Galaxy S6 will be sold for $199 on a two-year agreement, while the Galaxy S6 Edge will be priced starting at $299.
Samsung is certainly hoping that the release of its two newest flagship devices will rejuvenate its sales. The South Korean company experienced a considerable dip in market share as well as in its profit margins when its previous flagship offering, the Galaxy S5, failed to hit its targeted sales figures. Samsung is hoping that the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge, with their new design and top quality specifications, will bolt the company to the top again.
It is not going to be easy. First and foremost, the field is filled with competition. Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which were launched in September of last year, is still selling, and Samsung might be hard-pressed to beat Apple's record numbers in the last quarter of 2014. Furthermore, Chinese phone makers like Xiaomi and Huawei are continuing to introduce feature heavy but inexpensive smartphones, eating away at some of the market share that Samsung has built over the last few years.
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