2. Refuel and reduce range anxiety
External battery packs and battery charging cases for smartphones have made the removable battery an obsolete requirement for long work days.
Although a removable battery, a battery pack and a battery charging case all serve the same purpose to charge your smartphone and reduce range anxiety when you're away from a power outlet, there are benefits to having external batteries.
Having a removable battery on the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5 are convenient, as I am able to slip a spare battery into my pocket and keep the form factor unaffected. However, when I need to swap batteries, my workflow is interrupted.
This means the phone powers off, my call is terminated and all my apps vanish.
With an external battery pack or a battery case, it's more like having hot-swappable batteries on laptops. Just before the internal battery is depleted, I can just plug in the external battery or switch on the battery on my charging case, and I can keep going - my calls won't terminate when the internal battery depletes and my apps won't vanish on me. I can continue to "hot swap" my batteries as well if I have multiple battery packs or charging cases.
Samsung's 3,100mAh battery pack, which provides more than a full charge to the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge, costs $15 (£10, AU$20) on Amazon, and there are a range of third-party cases from a variety of different manufacturers in different capacities. Larger battery cases are less portable, but come with a higher mAh rating, which could deliver two, three, or even ten times the charge of a normal smartphone.
Mophie's Juice Pack typically runs around $100 (£70, AU$130), depending on capacity, and offers between 80% to 120% of the device's charge.
A Juice Pack not only offers extra battery life, but it also adds impact protection to the device. Similar to a hard case for a phone, battery cases like the Juice Pack can also shield the device from minor drops.
Amazon, eBay, and other resellers also carry Mophie alternatives - most are made in China, so quality will vary - that are more modestly priced, but lack Mophie's brand recognition. These start at around $30 (£20, AU$40).
Still, given the built-in wireless charging capabilities of the Galaxy S6, a third option is to carry a Qi-enabled battery. These are more expensive than battery packs, but they're convenient, as you don't need to also carry a charging cable for your phone.
About the size of a small, flat brick, Qi-enabled batteries have wireless charging built in so you can set your phone on top of the battery, and your Galaxy S6 will automatically begin charging.
Various after-market solutions are available on Amazon and start at $30 (£20, AU$40). The LUXA2 comes with Qi built-in and a 10,000mAh capacity battery for $70 (£45, AU$90). That's almost four times the 2,600mAh capacity of the battery in the Galaxy S6.
3. Conquer aquaphobia
Even though the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge do not have the water resistant rating of last year's Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S5 Active models, early consumer tests show that a splash or two won't hurt. If you're more accident-prone, then a waterproof case will be a great option to conquer your fear of water.
It might be easier to find a custom-fitted waterproof case for the Galaxy S6 than a Galaxy S6 Edge given the latter's dual curved screen edges. Lifeproof, which has been a popular option for iPhone users, will release a version of its waterproof case for the Galaxy S6.
The $80 (£55, AU$105) Lifeproof Fre for the Galaxy S6 offers a hard case for impact resistance in case the phone is dropped onto a hard surface and comes with internal rubber gaskets to seal the phone off from liquid environments.
I've used prior versions of Lifeproof's solution on older iPhone models, and they're great for the pools in summer, perfect for reading ebooks with my iPad in the bathtub, and excellent for those who have butterfingers, in case you want to rescue a fallen phone from the sink or toilet.
There are also less expensive third-party options on Amazon and eBay, but quality will vary.
The water resistant SUP case for the Galaxy S6, priced at $20 (£15, AU$25), seems to be getting high reviews on Amazon currently. Another place to search would be eBay.
A potential downside with many of these cases is that they come with a screen film, which could degrade the sensitivity of your touchscreen. Another issue is that they cover the ports, making them difficult to access, and the speaker may be covered so audio output may be muffled.
For the Galaxy S6 Edge, a waterproof pouch may be your only option. I've used these before for kayaking and rafting, and they do the job of keeping my gadgets dry, but lack the elegance of a form-fitted case.
Many of these pouches retail for under $20 (£15, AU$25) on Amazon, and you should do your research to find trusted sellers and brands. The most important thing is to test the pouches first before placing your phone in it and submerging your $600 (£400, AU$775) investment into water.
