The latest Galaxy is dramatically different
We weren’t exactly blown away by Samsung s previous attempt at a curved-screen Android phone, the Galaxy Note Edge, but the company clearly believes there’s a future in this technology. Whereas the Note 4 was curved on its right hand edge only, the new Galaxy S6 is curved on both sides.
The S6 Edge's curved screen is far less pronounced than the one on the Note 4, barely measuring half a millimetre (half that of the Note 4). Nonetheless, the S6 Edge has almost all the same curved-screen features as its predecessor, such as the ability to display notifications, a news ticker and a bedside clock.
Sadly, much as with the Note 4. we found these gimmicky curved screen features of little use. The S6 Edge does add the ability to swipe in from the edge to see a list of your live favourite contacts tap the contact to get in touch via a list of options that include calling, texting and social media. You can also assign a colour to each favourite contact so that the edges light up (in that chosen colour) whenever they contact you. It would have been nice if Samsung had added similar swipe controls to commonly used apps, because this would have made the large 5in screen easier to use for those with smaller hands.
Even taking away the curved screen (and there is a curve-less version simply called the Galaxy S6). the S6 Edge is still a dramatic departure from older Galaxy S phones. The metal and glass construction looks classier and feels more rigid than its plastic predecessors. However, there’s no longer a microSD card slot and the battery is now sealed in place.
The inability to add extra storage isn't a huge problem as the Edge comes with either 64 or 128GB of storage built in. The sealed battery is a concern because it only lasted 18 and a half hours when connected to O2’s 3G network in central London and used for calls, web browsing. GPS and taking photos. This is below average, but it did fare much better when playing videos on a loop, clocking up a lengthy 15 hours 18 minutes. Moreover, the battery is quick to recharge with its included charger just 10 minutes charge gave an extra two hours of video playback.
We’ve got no complaints about the speedy performance of the eight-core processor or the very smooth, almost flawless responsiveness of the touchscreen. The colour accuracy, contrast and sharpness of the screen are also top notch. The fingerprint reader built into the home button is much better than the one in the Note 4 and S5. It now works almost instantly because you no longer need to swipe your finger slowly and deliberately over the home button.
The 16 megapixel rear camera is hugely impressive. It took sharp, well-lit shots in low light with a minimum of noise. One or two colours looked a little off in bright daylight, but otherwise we couldn't fault the superb image quality. Even the front camera (usually an afterthought) impressed us with its reasonably clear footage during a Skype call in poor light conditions.
Despite its gimmicky curved screen and underwhelming battery life. the Galaxy S6 Edge is one of the best Android phones available due to its superb camera, top notch performance and smooth responsiveness. It's very’ expensive though. The curveless but otherwise identical Galaxy S6 is better value at £200 less.
VERDICT
There’s a lot to like, but the curved screen remains gimmicky and the price is sky high.
SPECIFICATIONS
5.1in 2560x1440-pixel touchscreen • 2.1GHz + 1.5GHz Samsung Exynos 7420 eight-core processor • Mali T760MP8 graphics chip • 3GB memory • 64GB storage • 4G • Nano SIM • Android 5.0 Lollipop • 132g • 142x70x7mm (HxWxD) • One-year warranty