SAMSUNG launched its two new mobile phones — the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge –yesterday evening at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, with a boast that in just one week heavy consumer demand has resulted in 20 million units being reserved worldwide.

“Analysts predict that the success of the series will include sales of 55 million units in 2015, while others forecast even more aggressive sales figures closer to 70 million units. Some experts even wager that the Edge will sell better than the base version,” Samsung said in a pre-launch new release yesterday.

The company pointed to what it said were five key characteristics that will help consumers better understand why the two devices “have become the newest gems in the category of smartphones”.

The first is ‘purposeful design’.

“The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge seamlessly blend premium materials with the most advanced Samsung technology to offer consumers an unmatched mobile experience,” the company said, adding that the body is made from the toughest glass to date (Corning Gorilla Glass 4) “and stands out for its exceptional beauty”.

The company also said that the Galaxy S6 Edge “comes with the world’s first curved display on both sides”.

The company listed ‘brighter and crisper images’ as the second characteristic, saying that the phones are equipped with “incredibly bright” and fast front and rear cameras.

“The F1.9 lenses and high-resolution sensors on both front (5MP) and rear (16MP) cameras provide the most superior image quality in a smartphone, even in the dark. In addition, the Smart Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) feature allows users to take bright and crisp photos without losing focus. Furthermore, a new Quick Launch feature provides fast, direct access to the camera from any screen in just 0.7 seconds by simply double clicking the home key button,” the news release said.

‘Wireless charging’ is the third characteristic, as the devices work with any wireless pad available in the market that supports WPC and PMA standards.

“They also sport incredibly fast wired charging, 1.5 times faster than the Galaxy S5, providing about four hours of usage after only 10 minutes of charging,” Samsung added.

The company pointed to ‘Cutting-edge technology’ as the fourth attractive feature, saying that the devices are not only some of the thinnest and lightest within the Galaxy family, they also integrate the most advanced, cutting-edge, Samsung core technology available today.

“They come with the world’s first 14nm mobile processor with 64-bit platform, new LPDDR4 memory system and UFS 2.0 flash memory, which provide higher performance and enhanced memory speed with lower power consumption,” Samsung said.

“In addition, the 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display offers users the highest pixel density of 577ppi. Enhanced outdoor visibility with a brighter display (600cd/mm) lets consumers experience content without compromise.”

‘Security’ is the fifth feature as the devices are “built on the upgraded Samsung KNOX, end-to-end secure mobile platform, offering defence-grade features for real-time protection from potential malicious attacks”.

“The Find My Mobile feature secures lost devices and protects personal information through a number of services, including the all-new remotely controlled ‘Reactivation lock’. With an enhanced touch-type fingerprint scanner, it also provides quick authentication and saves encrypted data in secure device storage,” the company said.