Shortly after HTC announced that it's taking One M9 orders starting at midnight (EDT), Samsung jumped in with its own release details (along with pricing info, courtesy of T-Mobile) for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge.
We already knew that the Galaxy S6 and GS6 edge sales would begin on April 10, but Samsung today added that pre-orders will start tomorrow, March 27. Though the phone will be available on the big four US carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint), the release's language adds that carriers will announce their own pricing and availability on their own time (meaning all of them won't necessarily take pre-orders on the 27th, or launch on the 10th).
T-Mobile was the first US carrier to offer more specifics, with pre-orders for its versions of the GS6 and edge kicking off at 7 a.m. PDT on March 27, and in-store availability starting on April 10. The "Un-Carrier" says that its pre-orders will begin shipping early, potentially getting in customers' hands before that 4/10 launch date.
T-Mobile was also the first carrier to announce pricing, with its 32 GB Galaxy S6 ringing up for US$680 full retail (with installment plans also available). The edge will have a $100 markup, starting at $780 without financing. T-Mobile's full retail pricing for the GS6 is only slightly higher than the $650 off-contract pricing that's typical of today's flagships. This could potentially translate to around $200 on-contract for the carriers that still prefer two-year blood oaths.
Stay tuned for more on 2015's first big-ticket smartphone releases, including the GS6, GS6 edge and HTC One M9, in the coming days and weeks.
