Samsung Galaxy S6 vs S6 Edge: What's different?

Samsung Galaxy S6 vs S6 Edge: Which one should you buy?

Samsung surprised no one when it announced two versions of the Samsung Galaxy S6, the standard 'plain' version and the S6 Edge. We've reviewed them both now and they're probably the best phones we've had our hands on so far this year. That's better than the One M9, the LG G4 and even the iPhone 6. Although that's technically a phone from last year.

But what is the difference between the two and which one should you buy? Bottom line, it's easier to talk about how they're the same as the differences are slight, but they are there. The Galaxy S6 flagships are the most advanced and powerful phones on the market but the choice comes down to whether or not you love the innovative curved edges and can afford the premium.

Samsung Galaxy S6 vs S6 Edge: They share the same basic features

Let's start with how they're the same first. Both feature a 5.1-inch Quad HD display – that's 1,440 x 2,560, up from 1,080 x 1,920 on the Galaxy S5. Next is the Samsung Exynos 7420 processor, an octo-core processor with four cores clocked at 2.1GHz and another four at 1.5GHz. They have the same cameras – 16-megapixel with optical image stabilisation on the back, 5-megapixel on the front – and every other core spec is the same.

In other words, if you're worried that you're making serious compromises to get the curved screen, worry not. You're not losing out anything really serious here. But what do you gain from getting the S6 Edge?

Samsung Galaxy S6 vs S6 Edge: The S6 Edge has bigger battery

One of the key changes for the S6 is this is the first flagship Samsung phone that has a non-removable battery. This battery will last 12 hours of continuous web browsing on Wi-Fi according to Samsung, but its biggest trick is the fast charging. Ten-minutes of charging equates to about three to four hours of use and it can charge from 1% to full in about an hour and 20 minutes - faster than any other rival phone.

But because the SIM-tray on the Galaxy S6 Edge had to be placed at the top of the phone, Samsung managed to squeeze in a slightly larger capacity battery than the Galaxy S6 – 2,600mAh vs 2,550mAh. It shouldn’t make a huge difference, though, as it's only 2% bigger. But in use, there did seem to be some slight disparity in battery performance. Approaching the end of a working day, the S6 Edge seemed to have about 10-20% more battery left.

3D gaming hits both devices pretty hard and will drop the battery by about 40% in three hours, but that will be closer to a 45% drop off if you’re using the non-Edge S6.

They both feature wireless charging, too, but we found that wireless charging was better as

a battery maintenance feature rather than replenishing your phone’s power. Three hours of

wireless charging only gets the battery up to 70% so we’d recommend sticking with the fast

charger for general charging needs.

There isn’t a huge amount of difference in battery performance of these two phones, but the

S6 Edge does have a fractionally larger battery and does appear to last a little longer than

the standard S6.

Samsung Galaxy S6 vs S6 Edge: The S6 Edge is lighter but thicker

Again, we're talking tiny margins, but the S6 Edge is marginally lighter and thicker than the S6. The S6 Edge weighs 132g and is 7mm thick; the S6 is 138g 6.8mm thick – so that's 6 grams lighter and 0.2mm thicker.

Both phones are sporting Corning Gorilla Glass on the front and back and have metal rims. The S6 Edge is of course the most immediately eye-catching and will garner admiring glances and comments pretty much anywhere you go. Both phones also have protruding cameras, which is slightly less apparent on the Edge. The camera units only stick out by a couple of millimeters, so it isn’t a big issue.

The S6 on the other hand could be written off as an iPhone look-alike, but on closer inspection it’s much more attractive; even without the curved Edges.

The standard Galaxy S6 is more comfortable to hold because it’s contoured metal edges sit nicely in the palm of your hand. In contrast, the S6 Edge only offers thin metal to grip and the curve goes in the wrong direction for it it to be ergonomically satisfying.

You may expect that the curved screen would make it easier to use one handed, but having used both phones, that doesn’t seem to be the case. While it may be easier to get your thumb across the side you’re holding it on, only basketball players and freaks have thumbs long enough to reach the other side that curves downwards and away from you.

Another issue we had with the Edge variant was that it is too easy to touch the edges of the screen by accident whilst holding the phone, which renders intentional touches unregistered. It’s a niggle that may become quite frustrating over time as there is no way to 100% avoid accidently touching the screen when using the phone.

Views differ across the TR team, some love the look and feel of the curved S6 variant, but from a purely aesthetic point of view it's a winner. It looks cool.

Samsung Galaxy S6 vs S6 Edge: Call quality

The difference in design shouldn’t have too great an impact on signal strength or performance, but we definitely had differing experiences when it came to testing these two phones. Using the standard S6, we found signal strength to be consistently strong, even underground when using EE Wireless Calling. But our experience with the S6 Edge was a little less satisfying with a few calls being dropped unexpectedly.

It wasn’t a massive number of failures, but it was enough to raise some concern. It seemed that signal strength wasn’t the issue either as it appeared to be fine. It’s a slight mystery that may be unique to our review units, but it’s worth noting.

Samsung Galaxy S6 vs S6 Edge: Extra Software Features

Beyond its good looks, the curves of the S6 Edge provide some additional functionality, none of them are killer features but they do make the phone feel just that little bit more futuristic.

A few examples, however, are how the edge displays the time (see above) even when the phone is asleep – it's very similar to the 'glance' feature seen on some Lumia smartphones.

Notifications and messages can be accessed from the edge using the new ‘People Edge’ mode. You can designate up to five contacts from your list to appear as one of five coloured lines on the edge of the home screen. Swiping across the screen from one of those lines brings up call/message history from those people, making it quick and easy to communicate with frequently used contacts. A white line at the top allows you to access your Edge Contacts at any time, saving you from having to find them in your contact list.

One of the smaller, but more intriguing, features is how you can set the edge to function as a notification light when the phone is faced down. It can also combine with the People Edge mode and be set to glow a specific colour when a particular person calls. This means you can work out who is calling when the phone is face down. If nothing else, it looks cool.

Information Stream from the Galaxy Note Edge is also on the Galaxy S6 Edge and it allows you to check custom information feeds on the edge of the phone. You can also use it to display location specific weather information as well as the time/date and battery status.

The edge can also double as a bedside clock with Night Clock mode. When the phone is in sleep mode, a quick swipe up and down will illuminate the edge. The night clock can only remain active for a maximum of 12 hours, but it will disable automatically if the phone’s battery hits 15%.

Are these additional features worth the extra money? If the price difference between both SIM-free 64GB versions were closer to £40, rather than £100, perhaps we’d be inclined to agree. But if you go for the S6 Edge you’re paying £100 for curved glass, a tiny bedside night clock, a contact/notification app and a glowing notification light when your phone is faced down.

On the other hand, if you’re getting a £660 phone, why not get a £760 one? The price difference on contracts is variable but there’s definitely less of a gap in upfront cost.

Both phones are currently shipping in 64GB capacity SIM-free, with the non-Edge Galaxy S6 also available in 32GB. 128GB models for both have been promised but aren’t available yet.

Neither has a built-in microSD card slot. Each is available in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, but each also has an exclusive colour – Blue Topaz for the S6 and Green Emerald for the S6 Edge.

SIM-free, the Galaxy S6 (32GB) starts at £599.99 and the S6 Edge (64GB) can be purchased from £760. The S6 Edge is naturally more expensive and will be produced in more limited quantities because the curved screen is harder to manufacture.

Contract offers, at least during this launch period, seem to contain a lot of little sweeteners including free gifts and access to mobile TV services. Our advice would be to shop around and use some charm if you’re upgrading but a couple of examples of how much the deals can vary.

Vodaphone is offering the standard S6 for £48.50 per month on a two year deal on its Red 4 L plan which gives unlimited minutes/texts, 7GB data and free Spotify premium access, Sky Sports Mobile TV or a Now TV Entertainment Pass. The S6 Edge on the same deal will cost £53.50.

While EE make the choice slightly tougher for the cheapest options on both phones, offering more data with the S6 Edge, 10GB to be precise compared to just 4GB with the standard S6. You’ll have to pay £49.99 upfront and agree to a two year contract, either paying £43.49 (S6) or £53.49 (S6 Edge) per month.

As we noted above, the main appeal is simply the novelty factor and style that the edge display provides. It truly stands out in a crowd of phones that are becoming increasingly difficult to tell apart. How much you're willing to pay for that difference, however, is entirely down to you.

Watch more reivew S6 vs S6 Egdge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myd0Gg4xut8

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Do you prefer the S6 or the S6 Edge? Let us know in the comments section below.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review

What is the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge?

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is Samsung’s sexiest phone to date. In fact, it’s arguably the most beautiful phone ever made. It makes the standard Galaxy S6 look plain and the iPhone 6 look safe.

The headline feature is, of course, the curved screen. It’s only there for for show, really, but it makes the S6 Edge unique. You could never accuse it of being an “iPhone” clone – an accusation fairly leveled at the standard S6.

The Galaxy S6 Edge isn’t just about the looks. It has a brilliant 16-megapixel camera, an octa-core Exynos processor that’s faster than any other, a better fingerprint scanner and a slicker operating system. Samsung has improved nearly every core part of the phone for the better.

All these improvements come at a price, though, and we’re not just talking about the eye-watering £695 SIM-free price for the 32GB version. In making the S6 Edge more attractive, Samsung has removed features many of its fans have long appreciated, such as the microSD card slot and removable battery. It’s not water resistant like the S5 was and it has a smaller battery, which does impact battery life.

But the benefits outweigh the costs. This is the best phone you can buy right now.

Watch Review S6 and S6 Edge on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myd0Gg4xut8

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge – Design

Metal edge; Gorilla Glass 4 rear; 142 x 70 x 7mm; 132g; Home button; Soft keys

There’s a refreshing honesty about the S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge’s design. There’s no attempt to make smooth plastic look like metal, or textured plastic look like leather. No, this time around the edge is made of aluminium alloy that feels just as strong as it looks. The front is covered in Gorilla Glass 4 – the latest version of the popular toughened glass – and so is the back. Nothing feels cheap about the S6 Edge apart from a couple of tiny throwbacks to a bygone era – the ear speaker grille looks like metal-painted plastic and the inside of the SIM tray is plastic

It’s not just the materials that are top notch, either; it's the way they’re put together. The diamond-cut edging brings a lustre to the metal border that’s reminiscent of the iPhone 5, but thinner and more tasteful. The SIM-card tray sits flush with the top of the phone and looks better integrated than the slightly recessed tray on the HTC One M9.

What’s most amazing is that Samsung has managed to pack a 5.1-inch screen into a body not that much bigger than the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. That means you can easily get to all areas of the screen, even with normal-size hands, which is something you can’t on the 5-inch HTC One M9.

The buttons on the Galaxy S6 Edge are also brilliant – firm and with just the right amount of spring. Their location is excellent, with the power button a few inches from the top of the right edge, while the volume ones rest a little higher on the left. You’ll never mistake one for the other – a common complaint made against the One M9.

If there’s one thing we’d change, it’d be the rear camera. It juts out of the back like an unsightly pimple. It’s not quite as ugly as the one on the Galaxy S6, a marginally thinner phone, but it still spoils the otherwise perfect-ten looks of the S6 Edge.

On the plus side, the glass back is surprisingly grippy – much more so than the one on the Sony Xperia Z3. The white version we tested doesn’t have a problem with fingerprint marks, but you might want to keep a cleaning cloth handy if you go for the more colourful options. Some colours, like the gold and green, look a little tacky too.

If there’s a problem with the design, it’s how the edges make the S6 Edge less comfortable to hold than other phones. That’s because the edges taper the wrong way – away from your hand. What little edge there is slopes back into your hand to combat this, but it still has a sharper, pinching sensation compared to other phones. It’s not intolerably bad, but we prefer the iPhone 6’s curved edges and the HTC One M9’s curved rear, which follow the contour of your palm.

We can put up with some idiosyncrasies for a phone this stylish, though, and there a few other foibles you should be aware of.

One is how, at first, it’s all too easy to hit the soft keys accidentally. There’s so little space left for them that you’ll often find yourself pressing the Back or App Switch key by accident. You learn to hold the phone more tentatively over time, but it’s an issue.

Another is the home button, which houses the fingerprint scanner. It isn’t flush with the front of the phone and, like the Galaxy S5 before it, this means that it can be unwittingly pressed while in your pocket. It might sound like a small issue, and as long as you have a lock you shouldn’t be calling any people you don’t want to, but it does turn the screen on and this could have a direct impact on the S6 Edge’s battery life.

Trickier to solve is how the curved screen makes it all too easy for your hand to brush against the edge of the screen, which prevents you from scrolling or hitting a link with your thumb. It takes a moment to realise that the phone hasn’t frozen; it’s just that part of your palm is resting on the edge of the screen. We fear this could become a common problem as brands push edge-to-edge displays.

But so far we’ve found these little irritations to be just that – little. We can forgive them for the general look and build quality of the S6 Edge. They could grow into relationship-ending resentments, but our gut feeling says they won’t.