Here's Everything We Think We Know About Samsung's Galaxy S6

Next month, Samsung is expected to launch its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S6, as well as a curvier version of the phone, called the Galaxy S6 Edge. Luckily for us, the Internet is where secrets go to die, which means there are plenty of leaks and rumors about Samsung’s next big smartphones floating around.

Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphones is wildly important for the company, and the Galaxy S line, in particular, is Samsung’s iPhone competitor. It accounts for more worldwide sales than any of Samsung’s other phones; in other words, the Galaxy S6 has to be a major winner. That’s especially true when you consider that the tech giant’s profits have plummeted in recent months due to a stale product line and increase competition.

The Galaxy S6 Edge, on the other hand, is more about flashiness than high sales. It sports two curved edges similar in design to the one found on Samsung’s Galaxy Note Edge. It’s likely to be more of a concept phone than an every day device for Joe Briefcase.

Now that you’ve got some background on these handsets, let’s get to the important stuff. Here’s everything we think we know about the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.

How will it look?

For the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge it appears Samsung is finally ditching the crummy plastic used on the S5 and its predecessors and is instead going all in on metal. The cheap plastic feel of the Galaxy S series was constantly derided by critics as a downside of owning a Galaxy S phone.

According to the site nowhereelse.fr, which claims to have obtained leaked photos of the S6’s chassis, Samsung’s latest handset will feature an all-metal unibody design similar to Apple’s iPhone.

That’s a big change from the faux metal found on last year’s Galaxy S5, and could put Samsung’s upcoming handset on a par with the iPhone 6 and the HTC One M8 in terms of looks and premium feel.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be much in the way of information regarding the look of the Galaxy S6 Edge, though we expect it to follow a similar design theme.

Will it have a removable battery?

If Samsung does choose a unibody design for the S6 and S6 Edge, it would mean that neither phone would have removable batteries. That could be a huge turnoff for power owners, who enjoy swapping in and out charged batteries throughout the day. Most consumers, however, likely won’t give it a second thought.

How big will its screen be?

According to CNET, Samsung will actually decrease the Galaxy S6’s screen size compared to the S5 ever so slightly from 5.1 inches to 5 inches even.

Still, the site PhoneArena.com points to rumors claiming that the Galaxy S6’s screen size of between 5.2 and 5.5 inches. Again, there’s not much word on the Galaxy S6 Edge.

In terms of display resolution, it looks like the S6 is a lock to come with a 2560 x 1440 QHD screen rather than the 1920 x 1080 HD panel found on the S5.

Sure that sounds like a big change, but to be honest, most people won’t notice any real difference in terms of overall image sharpness between an HD and QHD screen on something as small as a smartphone.

What kind of camera will it have?

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 came with a 16-megapixel camera that took great pictures in well-lit settings, but struggled in low-light situations. The Galaxy Note 4 upped the ante by improving low-light performance and adding optical image stabilization, which helps ensure your photos don’t look blurry if your hands are shaking.

For the Galaxy S6, SamMobile.com says Samsung will use either a 16-MP or 20-MP camera with OIS. Here’s hoping the company can continue to improve on its camera’s low-light capabilities, as well as its overall image quality.

How much storage space will it have?

According to a variety of rumors, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will come with your choice of 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB of storage. Apple’s iPhone starts at 16GB of storage and then jumps up to 64GB and 128GB versions.

That means you’ll have plenty of space to keep all of your favorite photos, music, and movies. It’s important to note, however, that the 64GB and 128GB versions of the Galaxy S6 will likely cost more than the 32GB version –– probably $100 more for each level.

Will it have a fingerprint sensor?

According to SamMobile, the Galaxy S6 will feature a new, more accurate touch-based fingerprint sensor similar to the one found on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus rather than the finicky swipe-based sensor found on the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4.

SamMobile says you’ll still be able to use PayPal, log into websites and unlock your phone with the new sensor; it’ll just work better.

What will the software be like?

Samsung’s smartphones run on Google’s Android operating system. But the company has a history of making so many tweaks and changes to the OS that overall performance and ease of use become compromised.

According to BusinessKorea, however, Samsung is cutting back on the changes to Android with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, ensuring users get a more streamlined, easier to navigate experience.

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at@DanielHowley or on Google+ here.