Samsung's Galaxy S5 ranks higher than the Galaxy S6 in Consumer Reports' ratings

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is a stark departure from last year’s Galaxy S5, when talking of both build quality and software. The move to include more premium materials this time around has been nothing short of controversial among Samsung fans, seeing as how the company ditched the removable battery and microSD card slot that’s been present on most other Samsung devices. Because of these changes, Consumer Reports has given the Galaxy S6 a lower rating than the Galaxy S5, which currently sits at the top of the publication’s smartphone ratings.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S5 quick look

Consumer Reports has long been known as a significantly unbiased publication, so how could it choose last year’s more cluttered, plastic model over the shiny newness that was just launched a few weeks ago? In terms of being practical, the Galaxy S6 definitely doesn’t offer as many features as the S5 did. The new model has done away with the microSD card slot and removable battery, as well as the IP 67 dust and water resistance rating. What’s more, the Galaxy S6 offers up an overall smaller battery capacity than its predecessor, despite having a more power-hungry Quad HD display. 

From the report:

Also missing: memory-expansion slots. 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.

The majority of the report wasn’t all negative for the GS6, though. Maria Rerecich, head of electronics testing at C.R., noted that the addition of rapid charging technology and support for both wireless charging standards were a welcome change this time around.

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Most of the report was focused on hardware-only features, and barely touched on the software of the devices. Samsung toned down the software features in the Galaxy S6, making the overall experience much more pleasant for the end user. But unfortunately, the publication barely touched on that aspect, allowing the overly feature-filled plastic Galaxy S5 to score higher than the more reserved, sleek Galaxy S6. Be sure to take a look at the video below to see the full report.

What are your thoughts on the report? Do you think you’d recommend the Galaxy S5 over the Galaxy S6? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.