Samsung Galaxy S6 specs, price and release date: all you need to know about the phone that stole the MWC stage

The company’s new phones look built to take on the competition, in particular the iPhone. But how?

Samsung Electronics President and CEO JK Shin presents the Samsung Galaxy S6 during the 2014 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (AFP/Getty)

Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge last night. Here’s everything you need to know.

What’s new?

There’ll be no more plastic case; instead, the phone is built out of metal and glass. It has wireless charging, using both of the popular standards. It has a new design, that looks a bit like an iPhone, and a new screen. There’s also an upgraded fingerprint sensor and other under-the-case upgrades.

What isn’t new?

Fast. At least on the numbers, the S6 outstrips the iPhone on pretty much every measure.

What colours does it come in?

Both come in four colours, with one of those unique to each handset. Both can be bought in white pearl, black sapphire and gold platinum.

Only the S6 has blue topaz, and only the Edge has green emerald.

What’s the screen like?

Still big — but nowhere near as big as other phones. The S6 has a 5.1-inch screen, exactly the same size as the HTC One M9. That’s slightly bigger than the iPhone 6, which is 4.7-inches, and smaller than the 5.5-inch screen of the iPhone 6 Plus.

The race to make the phone with the biggest screen seems to have finished – as can be seen in the graph above, phones are starting to agree on a size of about 4.5-inches to 5.5 inches. The new S6 sits right in the middle of that.

The new one has the highest resolution display of any smartphone, with 577 pixels per inch. It’s also got new colour technology and has been tweaked to be more visible outdoors.

How long will the battery last?

It’s unclear, at the moment – but it could be less than the S5. Though wireless and speedy charging will help it recover when it runs out, the phone could last less long than competitors and its predecessors.

How much will it cost?

Samsung hasn’t released details on price yet, but rumours before launch suggested that the Edge could cost up to £699.

You’ll be able to buy both phones from most of the major carriers in the UK.

When will it come out?

Both phones will be released around the world on April 10.

How good is the camera?

The big update this time around is on the front camera – which is now far better than any of its competitors’. The back one is little changed from the already excellent S5 camera.