New Samsung Phones Score Lower Than Their Predecessor, Consumer Reports Says

There’s “plenty to like” about the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, but “surprisingly, these phones don't score as highly as their top-ranked predecessor,” the Galaxy S5, Consumer Reports said in ratings published Tuesday. “Bleeding-edge innovations” are what helped the Samsung Galaxy S line “earn its reputation as the leading alternative” to the iPhone, the report said. But with the new S6 and S6 Edge, “Samsung has pulled an about-face on the Galaxy S line's anti-iPhone persona,” it said. They’re “significantly more Apple-like than previous models” and these modifications “actually hurt these devices” in CR’s ratings, it said. For example, these are the first Galaxy S models with nonremovable batteries, it said. Also gone are the memory-expansion slots, it said. “That means Galaxy S6 owners will have to bring their phone to a service center to replace the battery, or buy a more expensive version of the phone if more onboard storage is needed (just as you do with an iPhone).” They’re also not water-resistant like their predecessor, “so you’d better hold on to it tightly when you’re near a sink, puddle, or pool.” Samsung representatives didn’t comment.