Is the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge really that good?
The Galaxy S6 Edge just came out top in our 'Best-designed smartphone of 2015' poll. It also sat at the top of our best Android phones list for a number of months. We awarded it five stars in our in our review and labeled it "revolutionary". But does it really deserve all that praise? We take a look to see if the S6 Edge is as good as everyone says it is.
Too edgy?
The major thing that instigated this discussion is the Edge display and how important its features are. Personally, I don’t find it that useful. As with any innovation, the first iteration is rarely the most impressive, and the software features afforded by the edges of the S6 Edge are interesting, but far from essential.
This is largely because they are concerned with shortcuts to information that is already quite easy to access – news, weather and feeds. Viewing limited snippets of such information on the side of the display is not significantly more convenient than viewing the full information on the main screen with just a couple of taps, and it's better presented on the full display too.
Then there is the Edge Lighting feature, which tells which of your favorite, color-coded contacts is calling you when the device is lying face-down on a flat surface.
If it sounds kind of ridiculous, that's because it is. You get the same information when your phone is face-up – Edge Lighting is a feature that makes more sense for marketing than general use.
This curved screen design also makes the device uncomfortable to hold, because the sides of the device are quite sharp. Larger, thicker devices, such as the standard Galaxy S6, have a more rounded design which feels more comfortable in your hand.
Lastly, the S6 Edge display catches glare more than a regular device, because of the nature of its curves. This means that part of the viewing area is often obscured by the reflected light. Whatever supposed benefits the curved screen has for aesthetics or durability, it seems to detract more from the viewing experience than it adds.
Too expensive?
This is about more than just what the S6 Edge costs – it's also about what it does for the price paid. As things currently stand, the Samsung Galaxy S6 can be picked up for around US$499, and the S6 Edge costs between US$80 and US$120 more.
These devices are basically identical in terms of internal specs, so given that I feel the S6 Edge design is overrated, it seems like a bad deal compared with the standard Galaxy S6.
We discuss value forever. But if we discount the curved display (and its software features), you can pick up devices with very similar specs to the S6 Edge for US$200 less, in the form of the LG G4.
It could be argued that the Galaxy S6 Edge has faster processing and a better camera than these devices, or that the colors of its display are more luscious – and that's fine. But are they worth US$200 more?
Non-removable battery, no waterproofing, poor audio, no microSD card support
These are small quibbles, but quibbles nonetheless. Few devices offer water resistance, great audio and the rest, but is the lack of these features holding the S6 Edge back from being a truly outstanding device? If I were to pay a premium for an Android phone, I would want it to deliver basically every feature (like the LG V10 almost does).
Final thoughts
Before the hate starts, let me make one thing clear: I don’t dislike the Galaxy S6 Edge, nor do I think it’s a bad device. It has many excellent qualities – I’m just looking at its merits critically. Many people have been blown away by the S6 Edge, while I prefer the similar, cheaper, Galaxy S6.
What do you think? Is the S6 Edge really that great? Is it worth the asking price? Let me know in the comments.
I sold my S6 edge this September and bought Note4 because of flexibility and value for money. Additionally i used few payback points from S6 edge and got a 100 dollars discount on buying Note4. I found it a bit underpowered but really it doesn't matter that much. S6 edge is highly vulnerable and i dropped it once, screen broke. Thanks to god it just costed me 11 dollar to replace with new one inspite of 149. I sold it immediately after the repair. I am looking forward for new one. May be in will end up buying an iPhone
I prefer S6 edge+ than S6 or S6 edge
I think that the Galaxy S5 and S6 Edge are over priced for what you get. I love my Galaxy S5 which I have dropped several times and not one mark on the screen. Also having compared the S5 and S6 side by side, you can hardly tell the difference in Clarity and Speed. It's just a status symbol to own the S6.
I've had my s6 edge 32gb since the end of August, and I absolutely love it! I don't even miss the SD card or the removable battery. I upgraded from an s5 16gb. I would recommend this phone to my family and friends!
No thanks on this phone. I'll happily keep my Note 4 with its removable battery, SD card and decent audio. I need a lot of storage on my device and this 6 Edge doesn't have it. If people really wanted an iphone....go get an iphone! Samsung should stick to what has been an excellent line of devices.
I've had the S6 edge since launch date, and I find it an AWSOME phone! The edge screen does have several advantages:
- people edge and apps edge can be launched from the lock screen, which gives you quick access to important contacts and apps
- I do use edge lighting, as in a meeting (I attend many of those) it's important to know when a member of my family is trying to reach me. I always answer calls from my family, in case it's an emergency.
- the night clock is really handy.
- I agree that information stream is not that useful, other than the fact that you can access certain notifications without turning the screen on, and not many other phones have that feature.
So, does the edge screen have any advantages over a flat screen? Absolutely, but only if you actually use them.
said the same things about this device when it was first released but Samsung fans were a bit blinded by its so called specs and design! total waste of money for what you get
Imho my Samsung Galaxy s6 128gb,with IR blaster, is better than the Edge. More memory, cheaper price & without the distraction of side glare.
Sharper holding edges means the device is less likely to slip out of my hands. Unlike the iPhone.
S6 edge also comes with 128Gb storage. In my country at least.
I have the S6 Edge, and I absolutely love it, just as other owners have said, it definitely is the best phone that I've ever owned, and I usually get expensive phones. I don't have any sort of audio issues with mine. I will probably get the new model when it comes out in February or March, unless they make it too big, that would be the only thing that could stop me.
My company has been evaluating phones so we have tested the Edge, the Note 5 and the Edge+. I've been mainly using the Edge+ and I'm still not totally convinced it's the best. The curved screen is sharp and hard to hold and I press things on the side more than I should. I have definitely noticed the glare as well. But when I have a picture or video on the screen, it does look good. The thing that bothers me the most is the glass back. It is horrible to hold...your fingers get sweaty and it's hard to hold. I wouldn't even consider it without a plastic/rubber case over the back. So why give them all the positive reviews on the non plastic build when the first thing you have to do is cover it with plastic? And at the cost of an SD card slot? No, it's not worth it. I can only get a 32 gb model as our carrier doesn't carry 64 gb models. We asked why...they said it's because nobody orders 64 gb models of the s4 or s5. We reminded them that those models have SD card slots and this one doesn't. They're looking into getting a 64 gb model...
And then I got a Clear Cover case that scratched the screen badly...it just seems like they have more problems than advantages with this screen.
If it was my own personal phone that I had to pay for, I wouldn't get the edge. It's a solid phone but Samsung went too far selling out to copy the iPhone. The S7 better address these issues or they will find themselves in trouble.
While I'm sure the hardware specs on Samsung devices are good what turns me off Samsung is the way it looks and the "Compulsory Apps" that come pre-installed which you can't remove ("Chat On" anyone?). The design aesthetics are too gaudy and primitive especially when compared to HTC Sense, LGG4, Sony etc. The Samsung App store is a bit of a joke too, I don't know if the Edge improves it's skin and apps but in my view until they fix that I'm not going anywhere near one.
Google also adds compulsory apps to all Android phones. Samsung apps can be disabled, just like google apps.
I see your point about the S6 but I disagree. I believe you could do this to almost any phone. There was another post about 4K screens and force touch asking whether we really need them. Phone companies are all adding extra features to their phones to promote them and get us interested. We don't reaaly need these features but they are fun and helpful to use.
Yeah, what you're saying is essentially true. At the same time the screen is awesome, and you hold it enough to get used to it very quickly. The battery amazes me as does the quick wireless charge and with a decent data plan 64G is enough storage that I wouldn't ever be looking to add an SD card anyway. Sure, it's a luxury phone, but that's a bit of the point as well. I'll tell you though, the beauty of the screen cannot be overstated and for 100 bucks more the next 2 years of my phone using experience will be that much more of a delight. I wouldn't trade it.
*edge plus not edge
Expensive is good, so that the phone stays classy..
Samsung Is My Best, so s6 Edge is just absolutely fine
You know, you have to break the S6 down in terms of base form and against the competition (at the time it came out). When I walked in to T-Mobile looking for a change in phone from my, IMO, horrid Sony Xperia Z3, I was ready for what would impress me and give me the same feeling I had when I bought the HTC One M7.
A great feeling device that just wows you almost instantaneously after first use. Out of the phones to choose from at the time I bought my S6 Edge, there was The One M9 which I already read the bad about and considering the camera quality is a huge one for me, I couldn't ignore this in the M9. Then there was the LG G3 which was great value for the money but my buddy had complaints about the battery with it and restarting on him randomly so that paired with what I thought was a thick screen turned me away from the LG G3.
It basically came down to choosing the S6 or the S6 Edge which I thought looked and felt great at the store. I knew the Edge was the same thing with a gimmicky feature, but when I held both and just looking at them side by side, it's hard not to want the slick looking Edge version over the standard. I knew I wasn't getting a better deal and that the idea was gimmicky, but just for the look that is intriguing, and the actual display when your scrolling through FaceBook or the NewsFeed Flipboard, it looks awesome.
So yeah, I understand it's not the greatest phone on the planet and it has it's many quirks and complaints but as do any other phone. The only reason for going with the Edge version over the standard S6 is mostly for aesthetics and believe me, it did work. Got plenty of questions throughout presenting bar codes and whatnot to scan at stores.
As much as I never wanted to be part of the Samsung train, there is no doubt, the S6 Edge is a premium feeling device and brought back the excitement I had with the HTC One M7.
P.S, the sound quality is far from terrible. I've gotten compliments on how loud and clear it is as well.
I love my s6 edge 32gb, I've had it since the end of Aug. I upgraded from an s5, but I don't notice the lack of external storage or removable battery. My only gripe is not being able get hold of a full tempered glass screen protector. I've seen a couple on Amazon, but they're out of my price range and not on the high street. Other than that, no complaints!
Going from a S4 to the S6 edge was a no brainer, I don't miss the SD card as I got a 64GB version, running a custom rom (CarHDRom v15.2) at the moment. Poor audio? mine is fine and am using V4A, got myself a Spigen Full Armour Case from ebay for $AU34, fits great and does not obscure the screen at all. Overall a very happy chappy!
Also you really don't need a SD card when OTG works well, as I have used it to install custom roms anyway. All I had on my SD card anyway was mainly music and audio books, and a few moved games. I only have 4 games installed as I use my Tab S 10.5 for games anyway.