Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Samsung Galaxy S6

A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Galaxy S6, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.

Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S5

From $3,791
Full specs, price & review →
VS
Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S6

From $69
Full specs, price & review →

Head to head

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
Price$3,791$69
Our rating7/108/10
Battery2,800 mAh2,550 mAh
Wired charging—15W
Storage (max)128 GB128 GB
Screen size5.1 in5.1 in
Main camera16 MP16 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)145 g138 g
ReleasedApr 2014Apr 2015
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S5 is ahead on battery. Samsung Galaxy S6 is ahead on our rating, weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S6 is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.

Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.

Display

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
TypeSuper AMOLEDSuper AMOLED
Size5.1 inches5.1 inches
Resolution1080 x 1920 pixels (Full HD)1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~577 ppi density)
ProtectionCorning Gorilla GlassCorning Gorilla Glass 4

Platform

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
OSAndroid 4.4.2 KitKat, upgradable to Android 6.0 MarshmallowAndroid 5.0.2 (Lollipop), upgradable to 7.0 (Nougat)
ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon 801 (LTE version) or Exynos 5 Octa 5422 (3G version)Exynos 7420 Octa (14 nm)
CPUQuad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 (Snapdragon 801)Octa-core (4x2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 & 4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53)
GPUAdreno 330 (Snapdragon 801)Mali-T760MP8

Memory

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
Internal16GB or 32GB32GB/64GB/128GB UFS 2.0
RAM2GB3GB LPDDR4
Card slotmicroSDXC, up to 128GBNo

Main Camera

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
Single16 MP, f/2.2, 31mm (standard), 1/2.6", 1.12µm, PDAF16 MP, f/1.9, 28mm (wide), OIS, AF
FeaturesLED flash, panorama, HDRLED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Video2160p@30fps (4K), 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR, OIS

Selfie Camera

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
Single2 MP, f/2.4, 22mm (wide)5 MP, f/1.9, 22mm (wide)
Video1080p@30fps1440p@30fps
Features—Dual video call, Auto-HDR

Battery

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
TypeRemovable Li-IonLi-Ion 2550 mAh, non-removable
Capacity2800 mAh—
Charging5W wired15W wired (Quick Charge 2.0), Qi/PMA wireless

Body

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
Dimensions142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm (5.59 x 2.85 x 0.31 in)143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm
Weight145 g (5.11 oz)138 g
BuildPlastic body, textured rear coverGlass front (Gorilla Glass 4), glass back (Gorilla Glass 4), aluminum frame
SIMMicro-SIMNano-SIM
IP RatingIP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min)—

Comms

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth4.0, A2DP, EDR, LE4.1, A2DP, LE, aptX
GPSYes, with A-GPS, GLONASS—
NFCYesYes
Infrared portYesYes
USBmicroUSB 3.0 (MHL 2 TV-out), OTGmicroUSB 2.0, OTG
Positioning—GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Radio—No

Launch

Samsung Galaxy S5Samsung Galaxy S6
AnnouncedFebruary 24, 2014March 1, 2015
ReleasedApril 11, 2014April 10, 2015

Frequently asked questions

Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy S5 or Samsung Galaxy S6?

Samsung Galaxy S5 — 2,800 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S5 versus 2,550 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy S5 or Samsung Galaxy S6?

Samsung Galaxy S6 — 145 g for the Samsung Galaxy S5 versus 138 g for the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy S5 or Samsung Galaxy S6?

Samsung Galaxy S6 — Apr 2014 for the Samsung Galaxy S5 versus Apr 2015 for the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Is the Samsung Galaxy S5 or the Samsung Galaxy S6 rated higher?

We rate the Samsung Galaxy S5 7/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 8/10.

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