Is Samsung's Galaxy S5 better than the S6? Some think so

Samsung Galaxy S5
The Galaxy S5... it's still got it.

What's not to like about the Samsung Galaxy S6? It's got an amazing screen, a brilliant camera, speedy software and a neat design - it's "the best Android phone you can buy right now" according to our recent review.

But hold on just a moment - there are those who rate last year's Samsung Galaxy S5 more highly. The industry watchers at Consumer Reports have decided that the S5 beats the S6 and is the one buyers should opt for.

The biggest problem for the Consumer Reports team are the features the S5 has but which the S6 leaves out: IP67 dust and waterproofing capabilities, the removable battery and the microSD card slot, to name three.

Swings and roundabouts

Those are fair points but it's likely that most punters would put up with those sacrifices in return for a speedier, sleeker handset. Battery life is another area where the S5 beats the S6, though the latter does bring wireless charging to the table.

The Consumer Reports review doesn't appear to approve of the iPhone-like design direction that Samsung has taken with the Galaxy S6, which makes it less distinctive when compared to Apple's own range of handsets.

Still, the Galaxy S6 doesn't get a slamming: Consumer Reports admits there's "plenty to like about the S6 and S6 Edge" in its review - just not enough to beat the S5. A common sense appraisal or just a little deluded?

How do you rate Samsung's flagships from the last two years? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.