Samsung Galaxy S6 Smartphones Unveiled at Mobile World Congress

Samsung CEO called the products a result of "relentless innovation."

By
ALYSSA NEWCOMB
March 1, 2015, 2:04 PM ET
4 min read

— -- Samsung is making a play for the market share Apple gobbled up with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The South Korean electronics company today unveiled the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

"These products are the result of a simple philosophy," Samsung CEO J.K. Shin said. "It comes to two words: Relentless innovation."

Samsung Galaxy S6: What to Expect From the Big Reveal
Samsung Galaxy S6: How the Electronics Giant Is Poking Fun at the Rumors
Samsung Galaxy S6: You May Be Able to Charge It Anywhere

Samsung boasted that it would have the "fastest, brightest camera on the market" and showed how it was able to illuminate a night scene.

Following the success of Apple Pay, Samsung also said its new devices would be equipped with Samsung Pay, a contact-less payment system.

While Apple's mobile payments solution requires participating merchants to have Near Field Communication readers, Samsung said its payment solution can be used anywhere credit cards are accepted.

Samsung has been working with Visa and MasterCard on the payments system and expects to release it to customers in the United States and South Korea this summer.

Both phones are outfitted with wireless charging, making power cords obsolete. In ten minutes, Samsung says the devices can get enough charge for four hours of everyday use.

Appealing to enterprise users, Samsung said the security of the phones is top of the line, making them ideal for business and government use.

As for the revamped design, the plastic backing of previous Galaxy phones has been replaced with durable Gorilla Glass, a welcomed design improvement for many Galaxy users.

"The new Samsung Galaxy S6 phones are a big improvement in design," Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategies, told ABC News. "[But] Apple's consistency versus Samsung's inconsistency will win most consumers over."

The biggest difference between the two phones is the curved edge in the aptly named Galaxy S6 Edge.

The curved screen is designed with the purpose of helping users stay in touch with the people closest to them.

The edge will light up with that person's corresponding color, meaning the user won't even have to lift their phone to find out who they got a message from.

Both devices will be available on April 10 in 20 countries.