Samsung’s latest devices, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are now available in Kenya. The two devices, first shown to the world at Mobile World Congress back in February, were officially launched at a media event in Nairobi this morning.
The devices are eerily similar save for the Galaxy S6 Edge’s double curved display and of course the negligible difference in battery capacities. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge pack a very pixel dense 5.1 inch Quad HD display that has 77% more pixels as compared to what we had on the Galaxy S5, support super-fast charging, a camera with better low light performance and, finally(!), a working fingerprint scanner that will let you unlock the device from whichever direction you place your finger on the physical home button. See all the specifications of the two devices here.
The two devices are also 4G-ready since 4G is now a thing in the Kenyan market. It interesting to note that just as expected Samsung has gone slow on the many useless pop-ups that used to display information and also cleaned up the UI. Holding the two devices and navigating the revamped user interface actually feels like a breath of fresh air. No annoying notifications, no bloop sounds etc.
The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will be available from tomorrow all over Kenya in Samsung brand shops, Safaricom shops and other retailers in 32, 64 and 128 GB versions. Only the 32 GB and 64 GB versions of both devices will be available in Kenya. For now, the two devices will be available in Gold, White Pearl and Black Sapphire colours. The Topaz Blue and Emerald Green-coloured devices will only be available in this market from June.
Buyers of the two devices from tomorrow will be getting free covers while other accessories like the wireless charging pad, powerbanks and other types of covers will be available for sale immediately. There will be a consumer launch at Galleria Mall on Saturday the 18th where buyers of the two devices can get free accessories.
Pre-orders of the two devices in Kenya were at the 500 units mark as of yesterday according to Samsung. That number could rise since pre-orders close today. Globally, the two devices had already scored over 20 million pre-orders by the second week and the Galaxy S6 Edge is turning out to be a huge fan favourite since it is reported to account for 50% of the pre-orders in Samsung’s home market, Korea. There are some goodies to go with the pre-orders as Samsung will be giving out a free case and wireless charger and for those who pre-order through Safaricom, a 4 GB data bundle on top of that.
The recommended retail prices of the two devices are as follows:
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32 GB: Ksh 77,999
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 64 GB: Ksh 89,999
- Samsung Galaxy S6 (Regular) 32 GB: Ksh 69,999
- Samsung Galaxy S6 (Regular) 64 GB: Ksh 81,999
