We go hands-on with the S6 Edge+!
Along with the Note 5, Samsung also announced the S6 Edge+ last night, the supersized bigger brother of the S6 Edge. The S6 Edge+ is, quite literally, a supersized version of the S6 Edge that we reviewed earlier this year. While the S6 Edge+ and the Note 5 are quite distinct on the outside, they’re almost identical phones in the inside, sporting similar processors, RAM, storage options and connectivity. Will the bigger size and gorgeous edge display make it different enough from the Note 5?
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ specs:
- Exynos 7420 octa-core processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED dual-edge display, 2560 x 1440 resolution
- 32/64GB of storage
- 16-megapixel rear camera with OIS
- 5-megapixel front camera
- 3G, LTE Cat. 6
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, NFC
- 3000mAh
- Android 5.1 Lollipop, TouchWiz UI
Initial impressions: It’s an S6 Edge stretched to become a phablet
When we say the S6 Edge+ is a supersized version of the S6 Edge, we mean it – photograph it without anything to give you scale and you’ll be hard-pressed to see any difference in the overall design of the two phones. Just like the Note 5, the S6 Edge+ has a 5.7-inch, Super AMOLED display in QHD resolution, but the difference is that the display curves downwards from the top to the bottom, which has been the hallmark of the S6 Edge previously.
Unlike the S6 Edge though, the S6 Edge+ has the option to pin shortcuts to apps directly on the edge of the display, which means that for the first time Samsung’s fancy dual-edge display tech actually does something useful aside from looking pretty. We’re not sure yet if this feature will be applied to the original S6 Edge, though we’ve reached out to Samsung for clarification and will update as soon as we get word. One thing that’s unique for the S6 Edge+ is that the version of the phone that’s heading to our shores will have dual-SIM capability.
Just like we mentioned earlier, the S6 Edge+ is essentially the Note 5 on the inside, with the same octa-core Exynos 7420 processor beating inside it, along with 4GB of RAM, either 32GB or 64GB of storage as well as Android 5.1 Lollipop and TouchWiz UI. Speaking of TouchWiz, haters of Samsung’s overlay will be happy to know that the version that’s inside the S6 Edge+ (and the Note 5) is the same stripped down version that we saw earlier this year in the S6 and S6 Edge.
The story is the same for the camera department – the S6 Edge+ will sport a 16-megapixel rear camera with a f/1.9 aperture that’s found in the Note 5, and conversely, the S6 and S6 Edge. Like we said in our Note 5 hands-on, this isn’t that big of a deal – the camera is one of the best we’ve seen in a phone so far this year, and we’re more than happy to see it appear on the S6 Edge+. Just like the Note 5, the S6 Edge+ has the option to livestream to YouTube if needed.
So, is the S6 Edge+ worth the upgrade from the original? It depends on you – it’s not hard to see that Samsung is copying Apple’s strategy of bringing a bigger version of their flagship in consumers hands, just like what Apple did with the iPhone 6+. Interestingly enough, even with its size, the S6 Edge+ is dimensionally smaller than the iPhone 6+ but not by much. The S6 Edge+ is made for consumers who want the design sensibilities of the S6 Edge but with a bigger display. It’s not clear yet if Samsung’s gamble on a bigger version of their previous flagship will pay off in the long run – we’ll have to see later on if people take to Samsung’s new strategy.
