The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: A Review of its Features and Performance
As I held the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge in my hand, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. With a glass and aluminum build, killer camera, curved screen, and a totally usable build of Android, this phone had all the makings of a top-of-the-line device. The first thing that struck me was the design, which has moved away from the plastic and fake chrome found in earlier Galaxy S models. Instead, we're treated to a sleek glass and real metal construction, with a single sheet of Gorilla Glass 4 on the back and a matching curved front fascia.
The back of the phone is also notable for its lack of waterproofing, which may be a drawback for some users. However, I'm willing to overlook this in favor of the nicer design. The gold color of my review unit was particularly attractive, although it's worth noting that Emerald Green, another popular color option, is sadly not available in the US market. Side by side with the standard S6, the Edge has a much thinner and more rounded edge, which provides a bit more grip on an otherwise slippery phone. The curved display also helps to make the phone feel smaller, making it ideal for one-handed use.
Swiping gestures just feel cool, and being able to scroll on the side without covering the screen is a nice little feature that adds to the overall usability of the device. While some might argue that the 1440p resolution is slightly overkill, there's no doubt that the S6 has a crazy sharp screen with excellent color accuracy. This latest AMOLED display from Samsung also gets impressively bright, making it totally usable in sunlight - something I can say about most phones.
In terms of performance, the Galaxy S6 Edge is not slouching either. It rocks an eight-core Exynos processor, three gigabytes of RAM, and storage options up to 128 gigabytes. However, I did notice that the phone tends to run out of memory pretty quickly, with apps being forced to relaunch way too often for a phone with three gigs of RAM. Nevertheless, performance is solid for the most part, with Samsung's neat Multi Window feature making multitasking a breeze.
One area where the S6 Edge really shines is in its software. After years of shipping builds of Android saddled with more and more TouchWiz features, Samsung has finally taken the axe to a lot of the duplicate apps and dubiously useful features. What's left over is easily disabled, giving the S6 a totally usable build of Android 5.0 Lollipop. Apps like S Health are downright useful, tracking things like steps along with taking advantage of the heart rate sensor on the back of the phone. The fingerprint reader has also seen a big upgrade, with a touch sensor on the home button that's fast if a little inaccurate sometimes.
Even small things like the keyboard are among the best options I've tried on Android, and the Quick Settings are customizable and nicely laid out. Of course, there's still room for improvement - I'd still prefer something a bit closer to stock Android - but overall, the S6 Edge has one of the most user-friendly interfaces available.
The camera is undoubtedly one of the standout features of the Galaxy S6 Edge. With a 16 megapixel sensor and optical stabilization, this phone takes some of the best photos you'll ever see from a smartphone. Samsung's new shortcut to open the camera by double-tapping the home button is also a nice touch, launching quickly no matter where you are. Snapping pictures is snappy, with impressive detail and accurate white balance.
The app itself is nicely laid out, with options like Pro Mode which gives you a little manual control over focus and exposure. While I mostly stuck to Auto mode, Pro Mode can be really useful for video recording - in fact, it allowed me to create a custom picture profile that made the Galaxy S6 Edge look like a much more expensive camera. The only downside is that this feature only works at 1080p, which might limit its usefulness for some users.
On the other hand side of things, battery life is not exactly where the Galaxy S6 Edge wants to be. With no removable battery and a software update that seems to be struggling to fix the issue, we're left with a significant problem on our hands. Hopefully, Samsung will get this sorted out soon, but for now, it's the biggest issue with the device.
So which one should you go for? The answer is simple: both phones are essentially the same experience, and both are phenomenal in their own right. Of course, there is one major downside to the Edge - its price tag is significantly higher than that of the standard S6 model. However, if you're willing to shell out a bit more cash, the curved screen is truly worth it.
In my opinion, the Galaxy S6 Edge is hands down one of the best phones you can buy. It's not perfect, but with its incredible performance, user-friendly interface, and outstanding camera capabilities, it's certainly a top contender in the market.