Samsung Galaxy S6 (AT&T)
Samsung Galaxy S6 (AT&T)
We’ve already reviewed the Galaxy S6$679.92 at T-Mobile on T-Mobile, so head over to that review for a full rundown on design, features, and performance. For this review, we’ll focus on the carrier software load and network performance.
Call Quality and Network Performance
As should be expected, the S6 supports the full range of AT&T’s HSPA+ and 4G LTE spectrum. I experienced strong reception and mobile network speeds using the phone in New York City. Call quality was excellent in my tests, with more than enough volume in the earpiece to cut through louder environments. Voices on the other end of the line were clear and maintained a balanced, natural tone, though at higher volumes things tend to get a bit harsh. Transmissions through the mic were clear and artifact-free, and noise cancellation worked well in both indoor and outdoor settings. Samsung gives you the option to tune call audio to suit your tastes, but note that this also affects media playback audio.
Editors’ Note: The slideshow below is of the T-Mobile Galaxy S6, which is physically identical to the Verizon model.
VIEW ALL In a battery rundown test where we streamed a YouTube video over LTE with screen brightness set to max, the S6 lasted 6 hours, 33 minutes. That’s a bit below the 7 hours, 48 minutes we saw with the T-Mobile model, but still better than theiPhone 6‘s 4 hours, 33 minutes in the same test.
Software and Conclusions
With its lighter customized software load, the S6 retains more of its advertised storage than in years past. Our 32GB test unit came with 24.55GB available to users out of the box. There’s a whole host of AT&T and Samsung branded apps, along with a handful of third-party apps, including the painfully anachronistic Yellow Pages app. Unfortunately these can only be disabled, rather than uninstalled completely.
The Galaxy S6 is the finest phone ever produced by Samsung, and an excellent choice for Android smartphone shoppers on AT&T. It matches the HTC One M9$649.92 at T-Mobile on design, while outperforming it in key respects, like display quality and camera performance. The LG G4 is an impressive phone in its own right, but its design leaves a lot to be desired. Motorola will likely release a new flagship later this year, but rest assured that if you opt for the S6 now, you won’t be disappointed. The S6 easily earns our Editors’ Choice distinction.
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