In October 2014 we posted a report titled "It's Official, Samsung Profits Plunge 60% with Q4 Looking Dismal Due to iPhone 6 Mania," and last month we posted a report titled "Samsung's Net Profit Plunges 39% in Q1 2015." What do these reports have in common? That sales of Samsung's Galaxy S5 against Apple's iPhone 6 proved to be disastrous. More recently we pointed to the Galaxy S6 embarrassingly sitting at the 30th position in Japan while the iPhone is sitting comfortably at number one in that country. We also pointed out that Samsung's Galaxy S6 isn't selling all that well in their own country to make the point that not all is well sales of the new Galaxy S6. Some are making excuses for this by claiming that yield's for their new Edge models were having problems but that Samsung has since ironed out those problems. However, a new report published by Consumer Reports still gives consumers reason to pause buying Samsung's latest smartphones.

In new Consumer Reports' finding published yesterday, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge each scored 77 points out of 100. They noted that the top-ranked smartphone was still the Galaxy S5, which was released in May 2014. The Galaxy S5 got a better review in battery life and camera images, which brought the model up to 79 points, two points higher than the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. But as we've shown earlier in this report, even though the S5 was technically better, it hit a brick wall with consumers who flocked to the new iPhone 6 in record numbers.

When the two new Samsung smartphones were unveiled in March, they were favorably reviewed by IT news sites. Consumer Reports continued, "But with the new S6 and S6 Edge, Samsung has pulled an about-face on the Galaxy S line's anti-iPhone persona. The new devices are significantly more Apple-like than previous models. Both new Samsung smartphones are made of glass-and-aluminum. (The S6 Edge's screen also bends at both edges.) A decidedly more elegant look, but other Apple-like modifications actually hurt these devices in our Ratings—ironically, putting them on-par with Apple's iPhone 6," instead ahead of the iPhone 6.

To make the Galaxy S6 series thinner with have better designs, Samsung sacrificed removable batteries and memory-expansion slots. As a result, they lost the Galaxy S series' merits, and even those changes were considered to be Samsung's attempt to imitate Apple's iPhones. Furthermore, the S6 series are not water-resistant like the Galaxy S 5.

Certainly the Consumer Reports' findings contribute to delivering more bad news for the Galaxy S6 – even though die-hard Samsung fans are pleased with the latest phones. It's hard not to like the S6 design being that it borrows heavily from Apple's 4S and iPhone 6 frame design factors. The key going forward will be what Samsung decides to do with their Galaxy Note design upgrade later this year to take on Apple's iPhone 6-Plus. For now the S6 with its 5.1 inch display is struggling against phones from Apple, LG, Xiaomi and an army of others.

In the end, will the new Galaxy S6 break smartphone records like the iPhone 6 has for Apple over the last two quarters – or will it struggle? While only time will tell, the hype surrounding the S6 is being countered by reports to the contrary which doesn't bode well for the new smartphone. And if you happen to trust Consumer Reports, then they've made it clear that Samsung trying to follow Apple's focus on design was a bad move.

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