SONY XPERIA Z5 VS SAMSUNG GALAXY S6: WHAT'S THE BEST ANDROID PHONE?

SONY XPERIA Z5 VS SAMSUNG GALAXY S6: PRICE & UK AVAILABILITY

While the Sony Xperia Z5 has only recently gone on sale, and the black UK version still commands £599 (Amazon; the Gold and Green versions will be available on Amazon on 22 October at the official RRP of £549), Samsung's Galaxy S6 has now been on sale six months and is available much more cheaply at £376 SIM-free (Amazon). If you're looking to buy either phone on a contract this price difference will be largely irrelevant. Also see: Sony Xperia Z5 UK release date, price and specs.

It's worth pointing out that you might find better value with the slightly slimmed down but also cheaper Sony Xperia Z5 Compact. To see how it differs from the standard Sony Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 premium read our comparison of the Xperia Z5 series.

SONY XPERIA Z5 VS SAMSUNG GALAXY S6: DESIGN & BUILD

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Sony Xperia Z5 are premium-looking phones with metal frames and stylish glass front and rear covers, with the Xperia Z5 slightly more boxy in its appearance. While the Z5 uses frosted glass at the rear, the S6 has a mirror finish. It's available in black, white, green and gold, and the S6 in black, white, gold and blue. Also see:Best phones 2015.

Both smartphones have fingerprint scanners, but the Xperia Z5's implementation is arguably more user-friendly, built into the power button on the device's right edge and falling naturally under the thumb as you pick up the phone. Samsung's fingerprint scanner is found in the Home button at the front of the device, and a double-tap of it instantly launches the camera app - a nice touch.

While Samsung also includes a heart-rate scanner on the device's rear, which pairs with the S Health app to keep tabs on your health and fitness, Sony has included some extras that could potentially turn the heads of long-term Samsung fans. Also see: Best Android phones 2015.

The Galaxy S6 sits at the top of our best smartphones chart, and we think it's a brilliant Android phone. But Samsung has made some compromises in its design, which has infuriated fans. The S6, unlike its predecessor, is not waterproof, it doesn't feature a removable battery, and there's no support for microSD.

The Xperia Z5's battery isn't removable either (although it is higher in capacity at 2900mAh vs 2550mAh and likely to last longer given the lower-resolution screen - Sony says up to two days for most users), but Sony has included support for IP68 dust- and waterproof protection, plus a microSD slot that can accept memory cards up to 200GB in capacity.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is smaller, thinner and ligher than the Sony Xperia Z5, measuring 143.4x70.5x6.8mm and weighing 138g against the Z5's 72x146x7.3mm, 154g. This doesn't surprise us, given the aforementioned higher-capacity battery in the Z5, plus the larger screen.

You're unlikely to notice the difference in size between the 5.1in panel on the S6 and the 5.2in panel on the Z5, but what you will notice is the difference in both resolution and appearance. Sony fits a full-HD (1080x1920) Triluminos IPS screen, while Samsung plumps for a Quad-HD (1440x2560) SuperAMOLED panel with a super-high pixel pitch of 432ppi. (If you want a Quad-HD Sony you'll need to look to the more expensive Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.)

Given the differing screen technologies, you will notice a difference in more than just clarity. SuperAMOLED is thinner and more energy efficient, with typically oversaturated colours; IPS is known for its realistic colours and excellent viewing angles. Which you like best is very much down to personal preference. See all phone reviews.

SONY XPERIA Z5 VS SAMSUNG GALAXY S6: HARDWARE & PERFORMANCE

Sony has fitted the Xperia Z5 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip and Adreno 430 GPU originally intended to go in the Samsung Galaxy S6, but overheating concerns led Samsung to instead opt for one of its own chips, the Exynos 7420 (the Z5 doesn't overheat in normal use as did the Xperia Z3+). Both are 64-bit octa-core processors and immensely powerful, especially when backed with 3GB of RAM as they are here - in real-world use you will find neither phone slow.

In our performance benchmarks the Samsung Galaxy S6 outran the Sony Xperia Z5, recording 4438 points in Geekbench 3.0 against the Z5's 4212, 462ms in SunSpider against the Z5's 644ms, and 30- and 14fps in the onscreen elements of T-Rex and Manhattan. The Z5 managed a faster 53- and 26fps in GFXBench, but has far fewer pixels to power. Also see:What's the fastest phone 2015?

For storage both phones come with 32GB built-in, but while the S6 is also available in 64- and 128GB variants the Z5 accepts microSD cards up to 200GB.

As we mentioned earlier the Sony Xperia Z5 has the higher-capacity- and likely longer-lasting battery, but only the Samsung Galaxy S6 supports wireless charging. Quick Charge is possible with either phone.

SONY XPERIA Z5 VS SAMSUNG GALAXY S6: CONNECTIVITY & EXTRAS

Whether you buy your smartphone from Samsung or Sony you'll need a nano-SIM to take advantage of its 4G cellular connectivity. For Wi-Fi they each support dual-band 802.11ac with MIMO, and you'll get Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and GPS.

The Sony Xperia Z5 will offer the better audio experience. While the S6 has a single speaker, found on the device's bottom edge, the Z5 has S-Force front-facing speakers and support for hi-res audio. It also supports PS4 Remote Play.

Of these two Android Lollipop smartphones (both will be upgraded to Marshmallow in time), the Xperia Z5 has the plainer implementation of Android. However, in fairness to Samsung it has stripped back TouchWiz and the user experience is much more friendly here than it was with the S5.

SONY XPERIA Z5 VS SAMSUNG GALAXY S6: CAMERAS

On paper the Sony Xperia Z5 blows away the Samsung Galaxy S6 on the photography front, but more megapixels doesn't necessarily translate to better performance, and in our tests (prior to the Z5's release) we found the Galaxy S6 to be one of the best camera phones on the market. It really is an awesome camera. Also see: Best camera phones 2015.

The Xperia Z5 comes with 1/2.3in 23Mp Sony Exmor RS rear- and 5Mp 25mm wide-angle lens front cameras. The primary camera can focus in 0.03 seconds (and more often than not it did in our tests), and features 5x Clear Image and 8x digital zoom, a Pulse LED flash, a 24mm wide-angle G Lens, SteadyShot stabilisation, and can operate up to ISO 12800 (3200 for video). This camera is capable of 4K video recording, too.

By comparison the Samsung Galaxy S6 matches the 5Mp front camera, but at the rear it has a 16Mp camera with smart optical image stabilisation and an f/1.9 wide-angle lens that allows for better shots in low light. The S6's camera is always on in the background, so it will spring into action and be ready to shoot in just 0.7 seconds. Plus an IR sensor can automatically detect and adjust white balance.

The Z5 camera is very good but while DxO ranks it as the best in the world, we wouldn't go quite so far. It's up there with the best and we'll be updating our best camera phone group test with a detailed comparison with rivals soon.

Read next: Best new phones coming in 2015/2016.

Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter.

SONY XPERIA Z5: SPECS

• Android 5.1 Lollipop
• 5.2in Triluminos Display IPS (1080x1920, 424ppi)
• 2.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU
• Adreno 430 GPU
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB internal storage
• microSD slot (up to 200GB)
• 23Mp rear camera AF with LED Flash
• 5Mp front camera
• Video recording at up to 2160p
• Wi-Fi up tp 11.ac
• Bluetooth
• NFC
• 4G LTE Cat 6
• Nano-SIM
• 2900mAh battery
• Dust and waterproof (IP68)
• 72x146x7.3mm
• 154g

OUR VERDICT

If you're buying these phones SIM-free then the Samsung Galaxy S6 wins, more than £200 cheaper, faster, with a higher-resolution screen and an excellent camera. If you're buying on a contract, though, the Galaxy just got some real competition - the Xperia Z5 has the microSD support and waterproofing protection Samsung fans are crying out for, and with better battery life and more impressive audio quality to boot. Of course, it also has an outstanding camera and offers plenty of raw processing power, especially in graphics. Our SIM-free money is on the Galaxy S6, but if you're buying on a contract then you will find it difficult to fault the Xperia Z5.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 release date, rumours, specification

Like many companies, Samsung has an annual product release cycle, which means it's normally pretty easy to guess when we can expect to see a new smartphone announced.

The Galaxy S series takes the beginning of the year, while the Note series tends to fall within the last quarter of the year, so now is the time when the rumour mill start to turn.

As we are still a good few months away from the next Galaxy Note, speculation is still thin on the ground, but we will update this feature as and when new details appear.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Galaxy Note 5, or at least everything we have heard so far.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 release date

The Samsung Galaxy Note series typically launches during IFA, a consumer electronics trade show that takes place in Berlin at the beginning of September.

A handset has recently appeared on the IMEI database thought to be the Galaxy Note 5. It came under the code name Noble with the product name SM-N920F, which is similar to the current Galaxy Note 4 that goes by SM-N910.

There was also the codename Zen that appeared, which was at first considered to be a new variant of the Galaxy S6. Rumours have since suggested that the Zen device was referring to the Note 5 Edge. Samsung has reportedly changed the Zen codename to Project Zero 2.

There has been no official word from Samsung of course, but we would guess the Note 5 and any variant of it will appear around September time again. IFA will run from 4-9 September this year, so expect an announcement before the show kicks off on 2 September. If that is the case, it's likely that a new phablet, or phablets, won't hit stores until October.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 display

Rumour has it that Samsung is working on a 5.9-inch 4K Ultra HD Super AMOLED panel that could be used in the Galaxy Note 5. It is said to be unveiled in August, which would fit in with the Note release time scale, although if accurate, this would put it into Nexus 6 and Huawei P8 Max-size territory.

Phone Arena claims it was told the display panel will have a 3840 x 2160 resolution and would deliver a pixel density of 746ppi. Mass production will also begin in August, allegedly.

Samsung previously said it would offer Quad HD devices in 2014, which it did with the Note 4 and UHD handsets in 2015, so a 4K display on the Note 5 is plausible.

Phone Arena also claims a dual-edge Note 5 could appear with a 5.78-inch display. There has also been a patent granted to Samsung for a device with curved displays on both sides, which could perhaps be referring to the Zen device, although that is just speculation for now.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 design

Samsung opted for a metal and glass design for its recently launched Galaxy S6 and some are suggesting the Note 5 will follow the same direction in terms of design.

Phone Arena published some Note 5 renders that were created with the Galaxy S6 as the inspiration. Of course, they are just renders, but they give an idea of what the Note 5 could look like if it takes the same path as the S6. The renders present a 7.9mm-slim handset. More recently, however, we've seen leaked CAD files. Said to be from a reliable source,they suggest that the Note 5 will be close in design to the SGS6.

One thing we can be certain of is that the Note 5 will come with the S Pen stylus the Note series is known for.

However, there's some speculation that a new version of the Note Edge won't be getting the S Pen. We suspect a double-curved display, like the SGS6 edge.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 camera

The Galaxy Note 4 features a 16-megapixel, OIS-enhanced primary shooter, but Gizbot has claimed the Galaxy Note 5 will take things up a notch with a 18-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera. However, Valuewalk is reporting that the camera could be 21 megapixels in resolution, paired with a 6-megapixel front-facing camera.

Incremental increases in resolution don't yield better results, and with Samsung enjoying the successes of the SGS6 cameras, we'd be surprised if there was any change in this department.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 specs

There haven't been many solid rumours floating around when it comes to the specs, butPhone Arena has suggested up to 128GB of internal storage, USB Type-C port and a fingerprint scanner. However the recent CAD leak clearly shows a Micro-USB in place.

The site also speculated that a 4100mAh battery capacity would appear on the Note 5, while others have claimed a 3900mAh capacity would be powering the handset.

In terms of processor, Gizbot and Valuewalk.com have both suggested the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, supported by 4GB of RAM. However, GSM Arena has said the Galaxy Note 5 could take the same route as the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge by moving the processor in house.

It has been speculated that an Exynos 7420 chipset will be under the hood instead of Qualcomm's latest, for instance. Some rumours have even dabbled with the Exynos 7422 paired with a chip that combined RAM and storage into one component, and there has also been talk of the Exynos 7430, which is still in development, so we would expect the latter is unlikely for the Note 5.

Indeed, the Exynos 7422 is the one that pops up in speculation the most.

In

A more recent rumour also suggest that leaked schematics show a design that doesn't feature room for a microSD card slot, suggesting that all storage will be housed on the device and it will be unable to expand.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 pricing

The original Galaxy Note cost £599 including VAT when it launched, while The Galaxy Note 2 cost £550 including VAT. And both the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 4 cost £599 including VAT when they launched.

With that in mind, the Galaxy Note 5 should cost between £550 and £599 including VAT when it launches. It's difficult to say where the Zen device will sit as the Note 4 edge and Galaxy S6 edge were more expensive, but they offered the same flagship specs as the normal variants. If the Zen model takes a hit on the specs, but offers a curve display, it might sit at the same price as the Galaxy Note 5.

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge Plus and S6 Plus release date, Specification

We've heard in the recent past that before it unveils the Galaxy Note 5, expected to be the highlight of its pre-IFA press event in Berlin at the start of September, Samsung will be supersizing its current flagship Android phone. There has been word on the street that a Plus-sized version of the Galaxy S6 is on its way.

But that's not all. More recent rumours have pointed to a Plus version of the Galaxy S6 edge too, bringing that gorgeous wrapped screen design aesthetic to the larger phone market. Indeed, it might be the only of the two to make it into stores.

So we've decided to round-up all of the rumours and speculation so far to give you an idea of what, where and when the Galaxy S6 Plus and/or Galaxy S6 edge Plus might appear.

We'll also regularly update this feature as and when more speculation surfaces.

ALSO READ - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge Plus and S6 Plus release date, Specification

Name

The first mention of a bigger Galaxy S6 called the device the "Grand", as in Galaxy S6 Grand, but more recently alleged sources have taken to call it the Plus.

That first surfaced after reports said that Samsung was working on a device it was calling Project Zero 2, and as both the original SGS6 and SGS6 edge were codenamed Project Zero, it makes sense that the new moniker referred to a larger-sized handset in the same family.

Where the actual "Plus" name came from originally though is unclear.

More recently, a Samsung filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office was found that listed the name "S6 EDGE+", with the symbol rather than the full "plus". The application for the trademark was filed on 26 June and is yet to be approved.

Companies file trademarks all the time on names they never use, but this does suggest that Samsung is considering a larger S6 edge at the very least. Whether that is instead of a standard S6 is yet to be seen.

Release date

At this early stage in the gossip and speculation, there are no actual indications on a release date.

However, considering that Samsung would not want to detract from the impact of a Galaxy Note 5 launch - expected at the beginning of September - it would make sense that a larger SGS6 or edge would have to come out before then. August perhaps.

Display

So far only one indication of how large the display could be on the SGS6 edge Plus (or SGS6 Plus). OnLeaks, the online source for many a phone leak - more often than not genuine - claims that the edge Plus will be 154.5 x 75.80 x 6.85mm. The regular SGS6 edge is 142.1 x 70.1 x 7mm so doing the math the Plus version is 8.7 per cent larger than its current equivalent.

That means that, with the SGS6 edge having a 5.1-inch screen, the SGS6 edge Plus will have a screen around 5.54-inches. You can round that up or down depending on top or bottom bezel. Most are rounding it down to 5.5-inches in reports.

It is likely to be a Quad HD display, much like the current model, regardless of whether we get an SGS6 Plus, SGS6 edge Plus or both.

Design

Apart from either phone's larger form factor, the design is expected to remain the same respectively. OnLeak has tweeted more information on the phone than just its measurements, including images of a dummy version of the Galaxy S6 edge created by a Chinese case manufacturer.

These things can be shady, so take it with a pinch of salt, but you can judge the speculated size against the original in the images posted, at least.

Specs

To be honest, few other details about either Plus-sized phone have emerged so far, but we would doubt that many of the specifications of the original handsets will be altered.

Expect 3GB of RAM, 16-megapixel camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing cam, for example. It is likely that the battery size with be bigger though, as the phone(s) will need to drive a bigger screen.

Also new to this model, at least where the leaks and rumours are concerned, is an indication that Samsung might head back to Qualcomm for the chipset, instead of use the same Exynos processor as before.

Sammobile claims that the edge Plus is likely to adopt the hexa-core Snapdragon 808 instead.