Samsung Galaxy S6 vs iPhone 6 – which is best?
The Samsung Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6 are two of this year's best handsets, but which one should you buy? We put both head to head to find out
Software
The Galaxy S6 runs Android 5.0.2 and comes with Samsung’s latest TouchWiz interface. Thankfully, it’s much more streamlined this time round, and there aren’t nearly as many pre-installed apps and widgets taking up room on your home screen as we’ve seen on other Samsung devices.
It still comes with several Samsung-related apps, though, such as S Health, S Planner, S Voice and Samsung’s Smart Manager apps, but you also get Microsoft’s OneDrive and OneNote apps and Peel’s Smart Remote for controlling your TV as well. Others, such as Skype and WhatsApp, are mere placeholder icons, so you’ll have to download them properly from the Google Play Store before you can start using them.
If you don’t like the default TouchWiz interface, you can download other skins from the Samsung Store. These are free, but do require you to sign up for a Samsung account. We particularly like the one which is modelled after stock Android, but there are plenty to choose from to suit your style.
Samsung has also included its Multi-screen feature on the Galaxy S6 as well, which lets you use two apps simultaneously. This means you could be looking at Google Maps while sending a text, for instance, or surfing the web while checking Twitter.
The iPhone 6 ships with iOS 8, but will receive a free upgrade to iOS 9 when it launches this autumn. In terms of appearance, Apple’s mobile OS hasn’t changed much over the years, but it does have several handy features such as Apple’s Continuity and Handoff. These are only useful if you own other Apple products, but the former lets you answer your phone and send SMS messages from a Mac or iPad, while the latter lets you finish a task you started on one Apple device and finish it on another. For example, you could start writing a text on your iPad and finish it on your phone. As a result, iOS is a great choice for people with multiple Apple devices.
Conclusion: Each operating system has its own merits and a very similar range of apps and services, but which you prefer will come down to a matter of personal preference. If you like being able to customise your phone’s appearance, then Android is definitely more versatile, but iOS will be more useful if you already own another Apple product.
Samsung Pay vs Apple Pay
We’ve seen a swathe of new contactless payment systems arrive in recent weeks, but now Samsung and Apple are throwing their hats into the ring as well. Samsung Pay has yet to launch in the UK, but it’s due to arrive in the next couple of months. Apple Pay, on the other hand, is now available to use across the UK in a wide range of stores and for in-app purchases.
Apple Pay supports NFC contactless card readers and you need to store your existing credit or debit card in Apple’s Passbook in order to use it. It’s completely secure, though, as rather than storing your actual card details, it assigns a unique Device Account Number which is then encrypted and saved in the phone’s Secure Element chip. When you make a purchase, your Device Account Number is used together with a code specific to each transaction so you never have to reveal your full card details. Transactions are also protected by TouchID, Apple’s fingerprint sensor.
Samsung Pay, on the other hand, supports both NFC and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MTS), so it can be used with magnetic strip terminals as well. This means it will be more flexible than Apple Pay in countries which still use MTS, such as the US, but when MTS has been largely replaced by chip-and-pin in the UK, it’s likely that we’ll only be able to use it on NFC card readers.
Apple Pay also doesn’t have any transaction limits, but in reality most contactless terminals are set to allow a maximum transaction of £20, so you may still find that purchases are capped. For higher limits to apply, retailers need to support Apple Pay and increase the amount that can be spent. Unfortunately, we still don’t know whether Samsung Pay will have a maximum transaction threshold.
Conclusion: With so much still up in the air about Samsung Pay, it’s hard to say which contactless payment system is better at the moment. However, Apple Pay is incredibly convenient and easy to use, and unless Samsung is able to match its flexibility, we suspect Apple Pay will remain the best mobile contactless payment system for the foreseeable future.
Price
The iPhone 6’s SIM-free prices haven’t changed since launch, so if you’re looking to buy one outright, you’re looking at £539 for the 16GB model, £619 for the 64GB model and £699 for 128GB. The Galaxy S6, however, has just had a price-cut and is now available (at time of writing) for just £446 for the 32GB version, which is down from £600 when it first launched. The 64GB version, meanwhile, can be found for £540, and the 128GB model for £600.
On contract, it’s a more level playing field, as both phones start from around £32-per-month with no upfront cost for 500MB of data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts at Carphone Warehouse. However, those after more data will quickly find that iPhone prices rise much faster than those for the Galaxy S6, which, all things considered, leaves the Galaxy S6 feeling like the better value handset.
Verdict
There’s no denying that the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 are both fantastic smartphones. In terms of build quality and design, you simply can’t get any better, and performance is almost too close to call. Each one has an excellent camera as well, and both can be used for contactless payments.
However, when the Galaxy S6 is almost £100 cheaper SIM-free and consistently less expensive on contract, its superior display, longer battery life and larger storage capacity make it a far more practical choice for those looking to keep costs down. Of course, some will have already made up their mind based on operating system alone, but for those who want a great flagship smartphone that’s also great value for money, the Galaxy S6 is our undisputed winner.