Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. yesterday unveiled its latest phablet-sized smartphones, the Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5. Originally expected at IFA 2015 set to take place September 4 – 9, Samsung moved the launch forward in an effort to beat rival Apple to market.

Apple is expected to unveil its latest smartphones, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus at an event in early September.

Samsung’s new devices will be going head-to-head with Apple’s new offerings, especially in the phablet category. With this in mind, we compare Samsung’s new phablets to Apple’s upcoming 5.5-inch phablet-sized iPhone 6s Plus below.

Design and dimension

Galaxy S6 edge+: 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9mm, 153g. The device will be available in a new color, Silver Titanium, along with existing colors Black Sapphire, White Pearl and Gold Platinum.

The Galaxy S6 edge+ is designed with a bigger screen, but the device itself is smaller and has been described as ‘deceptively compact.’

Galaxy Note 5: 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm, 171g. The Note 5 has a curved back, and an improved S Pen stylus for more precision and a clicking mechanism to easily pop the S Pen out.

iPhone 6s Plus: The device is expected to look identical to its predecessor and will likely be the same dimensions: 158.1 mm x 77.8 mm x 7.1 mm, 172 grams.

Display

Galaxy S6 edge+: 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED, 2560 x 1440 (518ppi), dual edge screen

Galaxy Note 5: 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED, 2560 x 1440 (518ppi)

iPhone 6s Plus: Apple is expected to stick to the same 5.5-inch, 1920×1080, Retina HD display as found on the current iPhone 6 Plus, with one addition: Force Touch. First seen on the Apple Watch, rumors suggest Apple has already started production of its “S” iPhone models that include Force Touch. More recent rumors suggest the next iPhone’s screen may support an Apple stylus.

Internal components

Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5: Both devices come with Samsung’s Exynos 7422 64-bit Octa core chip (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad), 4GB RAM, and 32GB or 64GB onboard storage.

iPhone 6s Plus: The iPhone 6s Plus is expected to come equipped with Apple’s new A9 chip and have 2 GB of RAM, up from Apple’s standard 1 GB of RAM used in iPhones to date. Onboard storage options will include: 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB models.

Camera

Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5: Both phones come with 16 megapixel rear cameras and 5-megapixel front cameras capable of shooting 4K.

iPhone 6s Plus: Apple’s next iPhone is expected to boast a significant bump up in camera technology and may feature a 12-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization. The FaceTime camera may see a significant update this time round.

Sensors

Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5: Accelerometer, Proximity, RGB Light, Geo-magnetic, Gyro,
Fingerprint, Barometer, Hall, HRM.

iPhone 6s Plus: Touch ID, Barometer, Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor.

Battery

Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5: 3,000mAh, 90-minute wired charging time and 120-minutes wireless charging.

iPhone 6s Plus: Apple is unlikely to include a larger battery in the iPhone 6s Plus, choosing instead to make efficiency improvements in other components and new power saving features in iOS 9 – the  device will likely ship with a non-removable Li-Po 2,915mAh battery.

Operating system

Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5: Android 5.1 (Lollipop)

iPhone 6s Plus: iOS 9

Special features

Galaxy S6 edge+:  The dual edge screen is a unique feature and the addition of Apps Edge allows users to access most-used or favorite apps and contacts by swiping the edge of the device. Samsung also introduced Live Broadcast which allows users to directly stream from your phone to YouTube.

Galaxy Note 5: Air Command has been improved for the S Pen, which delivers more functionality when you hover it on the screen. The S Pen is now more precise, gives instant access to your favorites, and even when the screen is turned off, you can now write on it using the S Pen. Another upgrade is improved screen capture for longer, larger screenshots. The Samsung phablet comes with a physical keyboard add-on called the Keyboard Cover. It gives you the option of using your phone with a full multitouch screen or enjoy your device with a smaller multitouch screen and physical keyboard to make typing faster and easier. The Note 5 also features Live Broadcast.

Both devices support the new Samsung Pay, which is compatible for use with NFC and MAGSTRIPE readers so it is virtually accepted everywhere a credit or debit card is accepted. It can store credit and debit card information and it is the first mobile payments solution to support store-branded credit cards.

iPhone 6s Plus: Like its predecessors, the iPhone 6s Plus will support NFC transactions via Apple Pay. The biggest addition to the phone’s features will likely be Force Touch, which will bring a revised user interface to iPhone.

Pricing and availability

Galaxy S6 edge+: 64GB at $914.99, 32GB at $814.99 from AT&T with no contract.

Galaxy Note 5: 64GB at: $839.99, 32GB at: $739.99 from AT&T with no contract.

Both devices are available for pre-order in the U.S. now, and will be available in retail stores starting August 21, in the U.S. and Canada.

iPhone 6s Plus: Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 6s Plus at its annual fall launch event rumored to take place on September 9, and the device will likely go on sale the following week.

Image via Samsung Mobile