Galaxy S6 Edge review: the high-end Samsung revolution

Samsung promised us that its next Galaxy device would be something pretty special. The Korean tech-giant has been suffering from a sales slump following the poor reception of its Galaxy S5 which, despite solid specs, failed to capture the hearts of the masses. Samsung has now brought two Galaxy S series flagships to the table, the Galaxy S6 - a new but familiar approach to the Galaxy series, and the Galaxy S6 Edge - with an all-new curved display. The demand for the Galaxy S6 Edge has been high, but is Samsung's flagship gamble all it's cracked up to be? Find out in our Galaxy S6 Edge review.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge release date and price

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge release date is April 10 and the Galaxy S6 Edge price details are as follows (we're only displaying the lowest tariffs and main networks. Cheaper deals may be found with resellers):

UK

Three, £47 p/m (£49 upfront fee) with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 1GB data

EE, £31.99 p/m (£349.99 upfront fee) with 500 minutes, unlimited texts, 500MB data

O2, £52.50 p/m (£9.99 upfront fee) with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 1GB data

Vodafone,  £41 p/m (£149 upfront fee) with 500 minutes, unlimited texts, 500MB data

Off-contract, the Galaxy S6 Edge costs £760 from the official Samsung UK page. However, at trusty Pixmania you can get the S6 Edge for as little as £689.90, which is a pretty big saving. There are other cheap deals out there too, but many are from untrustworthy sites that we wouldn't recommend here.

US

Verizon, $29.16 per-month with a Verizon EDGE subscription, or $299 on a two-year contract, or $699 outright.

U.S. Cellular has zero down and $39.50 per-month as the installment price, or $299 on a two-year contract, or $790 prepaid.

T-Mobile is offering a full retail price of $779.76 prepaid, or zero down at $32.49 a month for 24 months for well-qualified buyers.

AT&T has a regular price of $814.99, or zero down at $27.17 for 30 months with AT&T Next, or $299.99 on a two-year contract.

All Galaxy S6 Edge prices are for the 32 GB black version unless otherwise stated. All information correct at the time of writing.

While these prices are considerably high, it's important to note that Samsung has set the bar for premium smartphones in 2015, with clever innovation, if not starting a revolution. Much like in 2011 when Samsung introduced the term "Phablet" to the market with the Galaxy Note, it's entirely possible that Samsung is beginning a new smartphone trend here.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge design and build quality

The Galaxy S6 Edge is one sleek machine. It houses the glass and metal finish that many have been crying out for from Samsung, and it marks the first time that the manufacturer has used these materials on a high-end smartphone. It's slim, it's sophisticated, and it's surprisingly lightweight.

The side-panels of the Galaxy S6 Edge are incredibly narrow and also flat, making it slightly sharp. After using it for several weeks, we can't say that the design grew on us, the edges still feel uncomfortable when holding the S6 Edge fully in one hand. This appears to be the current price to be pay for a dual-edged screen.

The front camera is placed to the right of the microphone, while the sensors are on the left side.

The keys dedicated to the management of the volume are positioned at the top left of the right edge.

At the top of the Galaxy S6 Edge is IR blaster, pin hole mic, and SIM hatch.

The dedicated volume buttons are located at the top of the left edge, and the lock button is installed just above the middle of the device on the right-hand side. The button placement is well-suited to right or left handers, but your index finger might naturally sit a little higher up than where the this lock/power button can be found, if holding it in your left, and your thumb will be a little higher up when holding it in your right.

It feels slightly awkward to have to slide down to access the power button every time you unlock the phone, but it's not uncomfortable, as such.

The Galaxy S6 Edge is a wonderful machine to look at.

Side view detailing how the top of the device slides around to the side-edge.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge display

The Galaxy S6 Edge has one of the highest resolution displays currently on an Android device, and it’s one of the best we’ve ever seen. The display comes in at 5.1-inches, similar to that of the Galaxy S6, and it's loaded with pixels; picking out the individuals is near-impossible.

The screen technology used is Super AMOLED, which Samsung has been using since the Galaxy S, and it has a QHD (1440 x 2560 pixels) resolution. The Galaxy S5, by comparison, has a Full-HD (1080 x 1920 pixels) display.

The biggest thing that sets the Galaxy S6 Edge apart from other devices is, of course, the sloping sides of its screen. While these sloping sides do house some additional functionality (more on this later), they also provide the device with a great effect when watching videos. It's not 3D, but it somehow gives videos a more "energetic" feel which isn't apparent on other smartphones.

The S6 Edge houses around 577 pixels per inch. These is an impressive number, and the Edge has an impressive screen tone to match. However, if you find it too garish, it is possible to easily change the contrasts with four options (adaptive, cinema, photography and basic).

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Review: The Design of Galaxy S6

PROS: Stunningly sexy design; Fast camera that excels in low light; Speedy overall performance; Best display on a smartphone; Improved audio

CONS: Edge display doesn't do enough; Shorter battery life than Galaxy S5

VERDICT : While pricey, the Galaxy S6 Edge sports a sexier design than the iPhone 6 along with awesome front and back cameras, a stunning display and friendlier software.

It feels like I'm holding a piece of the future – as if someone sliced me off a piece of a Daft Punk helmet and put it in my hands. And that's exactly the vibe Samsung is going for with the Galaxy S6 Edge, which makes a clean break from the brand’s plasticky past.

With its glass-and-aluminum body and curved, dual-edge display (a first for smartphones), the S6 Edge is easily the sexiest smartphone yet. But given that the regular S6 has all of the same features - including a powerful octa-core processor, quicker and brighter camera and sharp quad HD screen - are those curves enough to justify the $100 premium over the regular S6 and other flagship phones?

iPhone-Beating Design

Most people don't believe me when I tell them that the Galaxy S6 Edge looks better than the iPhone. And this is coming from a long-time, card-carrying iPhone snob.

Samsung has delivered a complete redesign, starting with strong Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back. The frame of the phone uses aluminum, complete with a bottom that resembles the iPhone 6. The result is a handset that's as sturdy as it is alluring.

The S6 Edge comes in Black Sapphire, White Pearl and Gold Platinum. I love the way the black model plays with light so that it looks blue depending on how it's being held. The white version did a much better job resisting fingerprints, but it also looks boring. Having a curved display on both sides makes the S6 Edge sleeker, but there's not a ton you can do with it (see below).

Measuring just 0.26 inches thick and weighing 4.7 ounces, the S6 Edge is thinner and lighter than the regular S6 (0.28 inches, 4.9 ounces) and slightly thinner and a bit heavier than the iPhone 6 (0.27 inches, 4.6 ounces), which has a smaller screen. HTC’s One M9 weighs a hefty 5.5 ounces.

I do have some complaints about the design. At first it felt almost too narrow in my hand while typing; it could be easier to grip. And you need to be careful not to accidentally activate something on screen when you pick up the phone or when you're passing it to someone else to show off a photo or video. That's the cost of having almost all screen up front.

Finally, A Camera That Cures Apple Envy

You don't even have to think about it. A double tap of the Home button is all it takes to launch the S6 Edge’s beefed-up camera. It didn't save me a ton of time versus swiping up on the iPhone 6's home screen (1.5 versus 2 seconds) but I appreciated the convenience.

Although the S6 Edge's back camera has the same 16-megapixel resolution as the S5, Samsung has made some major upgrades. The f/1.9 aperture lets in considerably more light than its predecessor, as well as the iPhone 6 (f/2.2).

In side-by-side shots versus the iPhone 6 Plus, the S6 Edge delivered better sharpness, color saturation and contrast in some shots. Take this photo of a bunch of flowers. The S6 Edge manages to bring out fine shading in the petals, while the iPhone's shot has a hazier look.

Indoors without much light, a portrait of my co-worker Valentina offers more detail - especially in her scarf - as well as better color.

One of the highlight features of the S6 Edge's camera is the tracking autofocus, which lets you keep a moving subject in focus. I just tapped on a moving van and a yellow square appeared on the live view, following it as I continued to hold down the shutter. Surprisingly, all but one of the 11 shots had the writing on the van door in focus.

Samsung has streamlined the number of camera modes available, giving you eight out of the box.

These include selective focus, slow motion, fast motion and panorama. If you want other options - like Sports Shot and Sound & Shot - you'll have to download them.

Sharper, More Group-Friendly Selfies

Samsung deserves kudos for the 5-MP front camera on this S6 Edge (up from 2 MP). Its 120-degree, wide-angle lens let me capture three people at once much easier than with the iPhone 6's front shooter. I could have fit a couple more folks in the frame. I noticed some noise in the photo when I viewed it on my desktop, but overall, the S6 Edge delivered warm colors and a good amount of detail.

Best Quad HD Display, Louder Audio

No, there's not much content that takes advantage of 2560 x 1440 pixels on a phone, but there’s no denying that the 5.1-inch quad HD Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy S6 is the most luscious yet. Text in websites and notifications look as sharp as what I'm used to seeing on the printed page.

When watching The Age of Ultron trailer at 1440p, I could make out nearly every vein in the Hulk's green neck, as well the patches of soot and dirt all over his battle-worn torso. This panel is certainly colorful and bright, delivering 150 percent of the sRGB color gamut and an impressive 536 nits of brightness. That's above the category average but below the iPhone 6­.

During the trailer I had to turn the thumping soundtrack down so as not to disturb my colleagues. According to Samsung, the bottom-mounted speaker gets 1.5 times louder than the S5, and I believe it. Repositioning the speaker from the back was a smart move, because it doesn't get muffled when placed on a table. When I played Muse's "Starlight" on Spotify, the S6 got louder but sounded harsh at max volume; the iPhone 6 sounded a little fuller.

A Softer, Cuddlier TouchWiz

Like a hoarder that promises to clean up its act, Samsung has been reducing the clutter with each iteration of its TouchWiz software. With the S6 Edge, the company says that TouchWiz has 40 percent less built-in features and steps for doing things than previous models, such as making menu selections. The settings menu is definitely more intuitive and less onerous than before, thanks to some Quick Settings shortcuts up top for things like Sounds and Notifications and the Display and Edge Screen.

Overall, TouchWiz looks and feels friendlier than on the S5. For example, the Calendar icon is no longer just a flat white box with a number on it; now you can see a little fold in the middle (like a real desk calendar). And all the icons have rounded, not sharp, edges.

Edge Screen Doesn't Do Enough

As slick as the dual curved-edge display looks on the Edge 6, there's not much you can do with it. Swiping in from the right side of the screen launches People Edge, which lets you quickly access your favorite contacts - each marked with a distinctive color. Note that you can move the edge screen to the left or right side.

If you happen to have the phone turned face down on a table, the edge display will glow that hue when that person calls. Neat. There's even a quick-reply option, which enabled me to send a canned message to an incoming caller by placing my hand on the heart rate sensor.

Unfortunately, Samsung limited access to People Edge to the lock screen and home screens. I’d like to access the feature from within apps as well.

With the display turned off, you can glance at various tickers for notifications, news, stocks and sports, but there's really no reason to versus enjoying the full phone experience. The only thing I'd use with the display off is the clock mode, which was dim enough not to wake me.