Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
UPDATE: 08/03/2016:
Last year was a great year for smartphones, but Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge may just have been the best handset of 2015.
Now that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge have been launched, there's never been a better time to invest in the company's previous flagship device.
Combining innovative design and top performance with one of the best cameras on the market, the S6 Edge remains one of the most impressive handsets you can buy – especially now prices have fallen in the wake of the new generation of Galaxy phones release.
What's more, the S6 Edge recently received a refresh with Samsung's launch ofAndroid Marshmallow. You can find a rundown of all the new features in ourAndroid 6.0 for Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge piece. But here's a brief list:
- A new memory manager that allows you to check how much memory each app is using
- Battery optimisation on a by-app basis
- Better Google Now integration with Google Now on Tap
- More control over app permissions
- A new power saving feature called Doze
- A wider edge panel allowing for more content to be displayed
- Enhanced content in the edge panels with more options and information
- Edge handle customisation – adjust the size and position of the tab
- Third party edge content
What this means is that not only are the S6 Edge's design, build quality, and features still outstanding, but the new Marshmallow OS means you'll get the same user experience as you would with the S7 Edge.
You can read our original review of the Galaxy S6 Edge below.
You can read our original review of the Galaxy S6 Edge below.
What is the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge?
Attention may currently be firmly locked on the recently unveiled Galaxy S6 Edge+, but it’s important to remember there’s a smaller alternative option for smartphone buyers looking to reap the benefits of Samsung’s “Edge display tech.”Unveiled alongside the Galaxy S6 earlier this year, the Galaxy S6 Edge is is the second ever smartphone to feature the Edge display technology Samsung debuted on the Galaxy Note Edge phablet.
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Edge displays are curved screens that wrap around smartphones’ sides. They are designed to complement the phone’s main screen and offer increased display space for the users.
This combined with its super sharp 5.1-inch, 2560x1440, 577ppi, Super AMOLED main display and blazingly fast octa-core processor make the Galaxy S6 Edge a great choice for any smartphone buyer.
Watch our S6 Edge hands-on video from MWC 2015
Related: Samsung Galaxy Note 6
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge – Design
Metal edge; Gorilla Glass 4 rear; 142 x 70 x 7mm; 132g; Home button; Soft keysThere’s a refreshing honesty about the S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge’s design. There’s no attempt to make smooth plastic look like metal, or textured plastic look like leather. No, this time around the edge is made of aluminium alloy that feels just as strong as it looks. The front is covered in Gorilla Glass 4 – the latest version of the popular toughened glass – and so is the back. Nothing feels cheap about the S6 Edge apart from a couple of tiny throwbacks to a bygone era – the ear speaker grille looks like metal-painted plastic and the inside of the SIM tray is plastic.
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It’s not just the materials that are top notch, either; it's the way they’re put together. The diamond-cut edging brings a lustre to the metal border that’s reminiscent of the iPhone 5, but thinner and more tasteful. The SIM-card tray sits flush with the top of the phone and looks better integrated than the slightly recessed tray on the HTC One M9.
What’s most amazing is that Samsung has managed to pack a 5.1-inch screen into a body not that much bigger than the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. That means you can easily get to all areas of the screen, even with normal-size hands, which is something you can’t on the 5-inch HTC One M9.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S5 Specs Comparison
The S6 Edge isn't much bigger than the iPhone 6
The buttons on the Galaxy S6 Edge are also brilliant – firm and with just the right amount of spring. Their location is excellent, with the power button a few inches from the top of the right edge, while the volume ones rest a little higher on the left. You’ll never mistake one for the other – a common complaint made against the One M9.
If there’s one thing we’d change, it’d be the rear camera. It juts out of the back like an unsightly pimple. It’s not quite as ugly as the one on the Galaxy S6, a marginally thinner phone, but it still spoils the otherwise perfect-ten looks of the S6 Edge.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S6 vs S6 Edge
On the plus side, the glass back is surprisingly grippy – much more so than the one on the Sony Xperia Z3. The white version we tested doesn’t have a problem with fingerprint marks, but you might want to keep a cleaning cloth handy if you go for the more colourful options. Some colours, like the gold and green, look a little tacky too.
If there’s a problem with the design, it’s how the edges make the S6 Edge less comfortable to hold than other phones. That’s because the edges taper the wrong way – away from your hand. What little edge there is slopes back into your hand to combat this, but it still has a sharper, pinching sensation compared to other phones. It’s not intolerably bad, but we prefer the iPhone 6’s curved edges and the HTC One M9’s curved rear, which follow the contour of your palm.
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We can put up with some idiosyncrasies for a phone this stylish, though, and there a few other foibles you should be aware of.
One is how, at first, it’s all too easy to hit the soft keys accidentally. There’s so little space left for them that you’ll often find yourself pressing the Back or App Switch key by accident. You learn to hold the phone more tentatively over time, but it’s an issue.
Another is the home button, which houses the fingerprint scanner. It isn’t flush with the front of the phone and, like the Galaxy S5 before it, this means that it can be unwittingly pressed while in your pocket. It might sound like a small issue, and as long as you have a lock you shouldn’t be calling any people you don’t want to, but it does turn the screen on and this could have a direct impact on the S6 Edge’s battery life.
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SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S4 VS S5 VS S6: Which is the right upgrade for you?
Trickier to solve is how the curved screen makes it all too easy for your hand to brush against the edge of the screen, which prevents you from scrolling or hitting a link with your thumb. It takes a moment to realise that the phone hasn’t frozen; it’s just that part of your palm is resting on the edge of the screen. We fear this could become a common problem as brands push edge-to-edge displays.
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But so far we’ve found these little irritations to be just that – little. We can forgive them for the general look and build quality of the S6 Edge. They could grow into relationship-ending resentments, but our gut feeling says they won’t.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
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Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: Screen
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge – Screen
5.1-inch; 1440 x 2560 pixels (QHD or 2K); 577ppi; Super AMOLED; Gorilla Glass 4The screen on the Galaxy S6 Edge is a marvel. It’s not just the soft flowing curves that makes it special – Samsung’s Super AMOLED display technology makes it a cut above anything else on the market right now – barring the standard Galaxy S6, of course.
What makes the screen so special? First, it’s stunningly sharp – its 577ppi (pixels per inch) is a truckload more than the iPhone 6 and a fair amount higher than the Full HD (1080p) display on the HTC One M9. It's incredibly sharp, even if it’s hard for the untrained eye to really care about the extra resolution. Both of those other phones are plenty good enough in the sharpness stakes.
The S6 vs the S5 pixel density
The benefits of the AMOLED screen come from its performance during dark scenes – this is a display that can show true black. That’s because, unlike the LCD technology on most other phones, AMOLED doesn’t rely on backlighting to illuminate its pixels – each pixel is illuminated individually.
Read also: OLED VS LCD
It means when you’re watching a movie in the dark you won’t see light bleeding through the display, making dark scenes look grey. It’s just that bit more immersive. Dimly lit scenes look more authentic because the contrast ratio – the difference between the darkest black and whitest white – is effectively infinite. All this leads to a more engaging viewing experience when compared to the competition.
Colours are good, too, though you might want to tone down the initial, oversaturating settings to something less gaudy. Samsung’s Basic setting is the most true to life, but we find the AMOLED Photo setting strikes the right balance between colour vibrancy and accuracy.
In contrast to the stellar colours and deep blacks, whites don’t look as pure on the AMOLED Galaxy S6 Edge display. They have a slight bluish tinge that gets worse when viewed from an acute angle. It’s not bad – the iPhone 6 and HTC One M9 have a slight pinkish tinge – but the viewing angle on IPS LCD phones appears slightly better.
The curved edges also means that the top and bottom of whatever you’re watching is slightly off the main screen. It shouldn’t bother you too much, but it's most likely to when you're reading. The first letter on the left-hand margin goes a little over the curve. It remains legible, but in sunlight this edge gets some glare, making it harder to decipher the writing underneath.
These are very minor gripes. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has one of the best screens, if not the best screen, you can get on a phone. We score it better than the HTC One M9's and iPhone 6's – the Galaxy S6’s flat screen is the more sensible option in terms of day-to-day use, though.
Samsung Galaxy S6 – Speaker
The single speaker on the Galaxy S6 Edge isn’t as impressive as the screen, but it is very loud – as loud at top volume as similar smartphones, and a little louder than the Galaxy S5's. It’s great for an evening’s bout of Netflix viewing – dialogue is crisp and clear – and it’s a perfect speakerphone for conference calls.But it’s no good for music – there’s just not enough depth and the S6 Edge can sounds harsh and forced at higher volumes. If you want to listen to music then your best bet is to crack open the supplied earpod-style earphones, invest in a more serious pair of cans, or buy a Bluetooth speaker.
The speaker also suffers for being at the bottom of the phone, just like the iPhone 6's. This makes it all too easy to muffle with a finger or palm, so you have to be careful how you hold it when watching a film or playing a game.
Related: Best Headphones 2015
The HTC One M9 is streets ahead of the S6 Edge, thanks to its fantastic BoomSound Dolby Audio stereo speakers, but the Samsung has nothing to be ashamed of, and has improved on last year's effort.
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