About that Qualcomm 4G sticker on your Galaxy S6

One of the more important details surrounding the launch of Samsung's flagship duo was the decision to go all-in on their Exynos processors for this generation. After years of using Qualcomm for some versions and Exynos for others, the unified release is a big deal for Samsung. With the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge on shelves now, several users have pointed out a sticker that reads "Qualcomm 4G" on the top edge of the device. We've got one here on the Verizon Wireless variant of the S6 edge, but not on the T-Mobile variant. This doesn't mean there's a Snapdragon hiding under the glass of the VZW S6 phones, but it does mean Samsung licensed some things from Qualcomm in order to ensure everything works as intended.

While most of us know Qualcomm as the manufacturer of just about every mobile processor in smartphones today, from an industry perspective the big thing this company is known for is the technology that started mobile to mobile communications. CDMA exists largely because of Qualcomm, and on the foundation the company has continued to be deeply involved in the evolution of mobile radios being used for calls and data today. As a result, Qualcomm's patent portfolio is both extensive and — when it comes to releasing phones on networks that rely on CDMA technologies — largely unavoidable. Verizon Wireless relies on CDMA for their non-LTE networks, which means Samsung needs to recognize their license to use Qualcomm's patents.

As you can see, there's no cause for alarm. The Verizon Wireless Galaxy S6 has all the same inside parts as all of the other Galaxy S6 variants, but sometimes when you're a giant corporation you have to give credit where credit is due. You're safe to remove that sticker and never think about it again, assuming you haven't already.

Russell Holly

Russell is a Contributing Editor at Android Central. He's a former server admin who has been using Android since the HTC G1, and quite literally wrote the book on Android tablets. You can usually find him chasing the next tech trend, much to the pain of his wallet. Find him on Facebook and Twitter