The heating of the case in the high-load mode is not uniform - the front and rear panels heat up very moderately, while the metal frame consistently "passes" over 40 degrees. This is far from the temperature at which you want to let go of the smartphone, but, given the small thickness of the side faces and the fact that they are the only “fulcrum” on the slippery body of the smartphone, the feeling in games is sometimes not very pleasant.
The level of reception of 3G and 4G networks is at a high level, the sensitivity of Wi-Fi is also not satisfactory. The speaker volume is average, its potential is enough for almost any conversation. The level of satellite navigation in the Galaxy A7 is very good - the connection is established almost instantly, and 24 satellites are pleasantly pleasing against the background of the "average" 12 in mass smartphones and 7-8 in devices based on MediaTek chips. Even in bad weather conditions in dense urban areas, Galaxy S6 edge will accurately navigate and communicate confidently on the go.
Soft
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge runs on Android 5.0.1 with TouchWiz proprietary shell. After numerous complaints about the too colorful and heavy TouchWiz interface in Android Jelly Bean, the Korean giant "put on a diet" its proprietary software - we felt the first echoes of this decision in the Galaxy A7 interface running Android 4.4 KitKat. The new revision of the shell in Lollipop, according to subjective impressions, has changed little since then.
We should pay tribute to the efforts of Korean programmers - the system interface got rid of most of the frivolities and now fits almost perfectly into the sensational one, which Google recommends to use for all developers of "software" for Android.
Samsung's second promise regarding its own shell concerned getting rid of the abyss of pre-installed software that previously came with TouchWiz and did not always allow uninstallation. Everything is not so simple here: our test sample S6 edge is intended for the German market, and although we did not find a set of programs familiar to the domestic market, customers of fashion stores, ordering hotels or pizza were present in the smartphone. To be fair, they can be removed immediately.
A few days before the start of sales in Russia, read the full review of the hot news from the Koreans. Meet the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge! Further, many photos, rave reviews and a few comments.
About smartphone
At the annual exhibition Mobile World Congress 2015 Samsung has two flagship devices of the Galaxy series at once: Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Both devices received positive reviews from the press, and mere mortals were looking forward to the announcement of prices and the date of the start of sales. And now, after some time, it became known that in Russia the first phones will fall into the hands of happy buyers starting from April 16th.
The price tag of more than sixty thousand rubles seems quite high, because the cool reviews of the owners of the previous flagship, the Galaxy S5, are still fresh in my memory. And in this article we will dot all the Yo, so that, having read to the end, you yourself will decide whether to go to the camp of "androids" or remain an adherent of your native "apple". I am sure of one thing for sure: there will be no one indifferent, because the devices turned out to be really new and technologically advanced.
Was in my hands Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, color Black Sapphfire, with 32 gigabytes of memory on board (of which 25.3 GB is available to the user). It seems to me more interesting than just the Galaxy S6 because of the rounded screen on the sides. Whether this is good or bad, we will try to determine together with you in this review.
Equipment
In a box made of white, thick cardboard with a laconic design are:
- the apparatus itself;
- documentation in a separate box;
- micro USB cable;
- adapter for 220v;
- headset with remote control;
- one set of interchangeable earpieces;
- a paperclip to remove the sim card tray.
There was nothing supernatural in the box: everything you need and neatly packaged. A brief user manual contains a minimum of information. It is assumed that the happy owner of the gadget will be able to read the full instructions on the Samsung website.
first look
When you first touch the device, you understand: the company has done a great job of rethinking the concept of “flagship smartphone”. No plastic, only metal and glass. The aluminum frame gracefully wraps around the edges of the device, and Gorilla Corning Glass 4 protects the electronics on both sides.
There should not be any scratches or scuffs, however, such a coating collects fingerprints be healthy (forensic scientist's dream!). So you definitely need to buy a cover, or periodically wipe the screen and the back of the device with a cloth.
In general, despite the jokes about the two designers, the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 Edge have no similarities. It seems that someone in the depths of the management department of the Korean company slammed his fist on the table and demanded that all past claims and customer dissatisfaction be urgently corrected. The team was excellent. The device does not creak, does not play anything, the movement of all buttons is clear, it is pleasant to press.
The battery is now non-removable, and there are no memory cards (everything we love!). Particularly malicious can compare the location and shape of the elements of the apparatus on the lower edge, but these are trifles.
The color of the device is a separate topic for discussion: indoors, the smartphone seems to be blue-black, but once you hold it up to the light, you realize that in fact the color is deep dark blue. I think that the palantiri in the trilogy about the hobbits had such a color scheme, because such a transition of colors is fascinating: several times I caught myself simply twisting the phone in my hands, watching how its color changes.
The SIM card tray is located on the top edge of the device, next to the infrared port (sic!). S6 Edge "eats" the SIM card of the smallest format, the principle of extracting the tray is simple and familiar: with a paper clip that comes with the kit, you need to press into a special hole, until it stops. Only one SIM card can be inserted, no multi-sim solutions. It's a premium smartphone, remember?
Screen
The screen is awesome. No, really, the screen is just gorgeous! Super AMOLED technology, 5.1 ″ diagonal, with a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels, a pixel density of 577 ppi is no joke. For comparison, the Galaxy S5 had 432 ppi, the iPhone 6 Plus - 401 ppi, the LG G3 - 543 ppi (although the LG G3 has a larger diagonal - 5.5 inches). Black color is really black, all other colors are bright and juicy. In the sun, of course, readability is not very good, but a solid four. When looking at the screen at an angle, there are no changes in brightness and contrast. The curved sides of the screen also do not distort the perception of the picture.
Operating system
I wanted to make a description of the OS as a separate item, because it is clear that the company has done a lot of work to change and optimize the software component. Used as operating system Android 5.0.2(Lollipop), on top of which is traditionally installed its own proprietary graphical interface - touchwiz. However, little is left of the usual clumsy TouchWiz with a bunch of unnecessary software. All unnecessary animation has disappeared, and the controls and overall appearance are as close as possible to the canons of the new Android.
Performance
Several days of active use and AnTuTu tests confirmed that the performance of the smartphone is on top.
It is understandable - eight cores after all. By the way, the Galaxy S6 Edge is the first smartphone in which the company used the Exynos 7420 processor, built on a new 14-nanometer technology. It consumes significantly less energy. The principle of operation does not differ from Octacore chips, where the processor is divided into two clusters of four processor cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and energy-saving ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The overall performance was impartially shown by a test from Geekbench:
"Heavy" games just fly, there are no lags. The Mali-T760 processor is responsible for the graphics, there are no complaints about it.
The 3D Mark test confirmed: in terms of graphics, the Galaxy S6 Edge is more than in order. According to the test results, the smartphone has no analogues on the market at the moment.
Connection
I got the phone with a SIM card from the MTS company, so I did not experience any problems with communication. The device works in GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz networks, and the data transfer rate via 4G LTE reaches 150 Mbps. I tested Internet connections in different parts of Moscow and everywhere the smartphone quickly loaded website pages, I could use streaming radio. Of course, I did not see the ideal 150 Mbps, but the Speedtest service consistently showed the results of receiving and transmitting data at the level of 20-27 Mbps. I have never experienced any problems with the Internet, which I was very pleased with.
In addition, the device has modules Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, Support DLNA, OTG, MTP, Miracast and GPS/Glonass. On the top end there is an IR port for controlling various home appliances (such as a TV) through a standard application.
Also Samsung finally used the technology wireless charging in their flagships of the most common standards - Qi and PowerMat. In addition, the company will release its own wireless chargers. Models are already presented in the colors "White Pearl" and "Blue Topaz". They look, judging by the photos on the Internet, stylish, and during recharging they are also highlighted around the perimeter.
Camera
In the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, engineers used a camera similar in characteristics to that in the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (the same 16 megapixels, with optical stabilizer), but the lens with f / 1.9 decides - in the dark the camera is better than in the notorious Note. There are many settings in the application itself, for every taste.
In general, the camera is one of the strengths of the Korean flagship: real-time HDR shooting (without the need to take several frames in succession) and a special mode for photographing in low light are implemented. The camera starts up and is ready for use within 0.7 seconds. There is no special button to launch the camera, but there is an option to use a double tap on the center key ("Home").
The iPhone 6 was used in comparison, the difference in the photo can be estimated below.
Samsung S6 Edge
Samsung S6 Edge
If you crop the photo, the advantage of the Galaxy S6 Edge camera becomes clear:
Samsung S6 Edge
Filming at night:
Samsung S6 Edge
The device can shoot video in both Full HD and ultra-clear 4K resolution.
HD:
4K
Among other functions of the camera, an interesting 3D photo mode was found. You need to bypass the object of interest with the camera turned on, and the resulting three-dimensional image will be saved in the photo gallery. Subsequently, such a photo can be viewed from different angles using a gyroscope. The best way to illustrate this function is this animation.
The front camera with a resolution of 5 megapixels is simply created for selfies and video calls. The quality is also top notch.
Outcome: the camera in the new device from the Koreans is amazing in its clarity and the number of additional settings. You can manually set the iso parameters, white balance, focus, various color filters. Objects photographed in motion are not blurred, continuous shooting produces up to 35 frames in 10 seconds. The resulting images can be immediately shared on social networks, sent by mail or saved to cloud storage.
The camera wants to give five plus. Well done.
Chips
One of the main features of the new smartphone is, of course, the screen rounded on the sides. In a notebook and browser, it is very convenient to scroll through lists and pages by sliding your finger along the side of the screen. In addition, an additional menu has appeared on the desktop, which can be called up by swiping from the right edge. In this menu, the user can assign up to five important contacts from the notebook. Each contact is assigned a different color (purple, green, blue, yellow and orange to choose from).
If the phone is face down, and one of these five contacts tries to reach you, the face of the phone starts to glow in the color that was assigned to the contact. Handy in meetings or in silent mode, and looks very stylish.
Also, the side face can inform about missed calls and notifications regarding five selected contacts. There is an "Information flow" function, when notifications are displayed as a line on the side face when the screen is off, and a "Night hours" function, when the current time is also displayed on the side face if the screen is not working.
Specifications
Dry language of numbers and facts for those who love this:
Conclusion
Samsung listened to the complaints and wishes of its smartphone users. The company's engineers have created unique, original devices that will no longer be compared with "apple" products. I think that you can really fall in love with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, not because it is not the same as an iPhone, but because it is just good. And it's great, because competition spurs progress.
(no votes) 
Over the past few years, Samsung has been criticized for the inexpressive design of the flagships, which did not stop it from increasing sales. But last year they sank, and design delights in the form of styling plastic under the skin did not become mainstream. This was enough for Samsung management to reconsider its future vision for the development of smartphones. The first fruit of the new concept should be the Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone. According to Samsung CEO JK Shin (JK Shin), the company developed the new flagship almost from scratch. Let's try to figure out what is more in S6 Edge: design or technology, and whether Samsung has succeeded in reinventing the smartphone.
Coming up with an interesting design for a smartphone with a large touch screen is actually very difficult. Unlike the variety of models of the early 2000s, which could boast of all kinds of body shapes and buttons, the touch monoblock initially had a number of limitations. The most noticeable of them is the display, which takes up almost the entire front panel, leaving designers with very little room for imagination. What is left to do with it? That's right, you can change the shape of the screen. Actually, Samsung did this, following the Galaxy Note Edge, in which the display was bent to one side, the Galaxy S6 Edge appeared already with two additional screen planes.
At the same time, if in Note Edge the curved display was presented as a purely functional solution, then in S6 Edge it is already more of a design one. And here the company must be given its due, the screen bent on both sides of the case really distinguishes the model from the background of others. During the week of my Galaxy S6 Edge test in interviews and during meetings, they recognized him, they were interested in whether it was convenient to use.
Samsung was the first to use curved displays of this shape in a commercial product, and for some time the appearance of the Galaxy S6 Edge will be unique. But placing a curved screen in the case is only half the battle, you still need to figure out what will be around it. And in this regard, the smartphone also did not disappoint, the same soft lines of the case were added to the smooth curves of the display, which only slightly dilute the sharp edges.
The Galaxy S6 Edge looks an order of magnitude better than last year's flagship, and at the same time it does not stand out from the design concept of the Galaxy line. The company either failed to completely get away from succession, or it deliberately did not want to. Be that as it may, the S6 Edge looks, for my taste, really good. I'm sure even Samsung's design opponents will find it at least cute.
The main body material in the Galaxy S6 Edge is Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which covers the display and the back of the case. Its main feature is its greater strength compared to Gorilla Glass 3, which in theory allows it to survive falls without consequences. Additional structural reinforcement is also provided by a metal bezel that frames the case and protrudes slightly from the sides to protect the curves of the display.
The build quality of the Galaxy S6 Edge is at a high level, with all parts fitted very tightly. Unlike the Galaxy S5, the back cover of the case in the S6 Edge is not removable, and you can’t quickly replace the battery yourself.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge measures 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0mm and weighs 132 grams. The smartphone has become smaller in width, thinner and lighter than the S5, while maintaining almost the same body height. Although small, but the reduction in size had a positive effect on ease of use, with the same display diagonal. The Galaxy S6 Edge feels good in the hand, although the sides of the case seem sharp at first, but you quickly get used to them. If you don’t want to get used to it, you can pick up a case for yourself, since the thickness of the case contributes to this.
As I wrote above, the curved display does not affect the functionality of the Galaxy S6 Edge so much as it affects ergonomics. The curved edges of the display make it more comfortable to scroll through the interface horizontally, because the finger does not cling to the frame of the case.
Display
After the appearance of screens with Full HD resolution in smartphones, it seemed that it was no longer worth inventing anything better. Nevertheless, restless manufacturers have begun to bring models with WQHD displays (2560x1440 pixels) to the market. In the Galaxy S6 Edge, as in the Note 4, Samsung used a Super AMOLED screen with exactly this resolution. On paper, it may seem redundant, but that doesn't change the fact that the S6 Edge's screen looks just fine.
Diagonal 5.1 inches together with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels allows the display to form a picture with a pixel density of 577 per inch. Thanks to this, it seems that you are looking not at the screen, but at a paper page with very high-quality printing. This is facilitated by the fact that there is no air gap in the display of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, the image on it seems to lie on the surface. This effect is also enhanced by the curved screen.
Like other high-end Samsung models, the screen in the Galaxy S6 Edge has four modes of operation: Adaptive, AMOLED Cinema, AMOLED Photo, and Basic. Each of them has its own color reproduction, while the most saturated colors are shown by the Adaptive and AMOLED Cinema modes, while AMOLED Photo and Basic show more naturally.
The factory calibration of the display in the Galaxy S6 Edge is done at a good level, this can be clearly seen in the "Basic" display mode:
The display of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is really impressive, while it is important to note that its curves do not eat up usable area and do not distort the image.
Platform and Performance
Based on my experience with past generations of Samsung flagships, without even going into details, I would assume that the Galaxy S6 Edge is a fast smartphone. But in practice it turned out that it is very fast. At least not a single Android smartphone has demonstrated such high performance in tests. I will not focus on the speed of the interface, it runs quite well on less productive devices, I will go straight to synthetic tests.
For example, in AnTuTu, the smartphone scores 69,618 points, which is currently the best result.
It also delivers excellent results in PCMark and 3DMark, which you would previously expect from a laptop rather than a smartphone.
Where does such power come from? And it's all about the 64-bit 14-nanometer Exynos 7420 processor, clocked at 1.5 GHz and 2.1 GHz, and complemented by Mali-T760 graphics. Add to that the S6 Edge's 3GB LPDDR4 RAM and onboard storage (32GB, 64GB, and 128GB non-expandable) built using Universal Flash Storage 2.0 technology, which combines the benefits of SSD and eMMC.
A side effect of the high performance of smartphones is very often a noticeable heating of the case. This was to be expected from the Galaxy S6 Edge, however, under heavy load, mainly during the game, I was not able to “fire up” the device above 39 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the smartphone case becomes quite warm, but it is still far from hot.
Heart rate monitor and S Health
Like other high-end Samsung smartphones, there is a heart rate sensor window next to the Galaxy S6 Edge's camera unit. Compared to the S5, the algorithm for working with it has not changed; to measure the pulse, you need to put your finger on the sensor in a calm state.
The pulse is measured through the S Health application, which also stores all the information collected about the user's activity.
Compared to the previous version of the program, in addition to the pedometer, measuring the pulse and oxygen levels in the blood, it added the ability to record the number of glasses of water and cups of coffee drunk.
The fingerprint scanner
In the previous generation of flagship smartphones, Samsung used fingerprint scanners built into the central mechanical key. In the Galaxy S6 Edge, the scanner has also not disappeared and is in the same place. But now, in order to unlock your smartphone with it, just one touch is enough.
If you remember, in the Galaxy S5 you had to swipe your finger over the scanner to unlock it, it worked, but it took longer than on the same iPhone. In the Galaxy S6 Edge, the scanner is fast, and most importantly, almost everything is very accurate. In addition to unlocking the display, using the fingerprint scanner, you can enter passwords on websites (only through the built-in Samsung browser), as well as make purchases of applications in the Galaxy Apps store.
New interface
As expected, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is running with an updated proprietary TouchWiz interface. The latter began to look nicer, and got rid of most of the extra elements. At the same time, the interface logic has not changed much, the user can create an unlimited number of desktops and place application shortcuts from the menu or widgets on them.
The menu now does not automatically sort icons and switch their display. The user is offered to work on organizing the menu on their own, which, on the one hand, takes time, but on the other hand, allows you to customize everything for yourself.
The recently launched apps menu now looks exactly the same as in the Android 5.0 interface. Application cards are displayed in a carousel, while they can be closed individually, or all at once with one button.
Multitasking, which was an option in the previous version of TouchWiz, is now enabled by default. With it, you can place two applications side by side, or reduce the program to a miniature window.
The curved display, as in Note Edge, is also used in the Galaxy S6 Edge interface. It is used to display the time, date, weather and alerts on the right side when the main screen is off. This feature is activated by swiping your finger along the right edge of the display. The same side can be occupied by a shortcut to the quick contacts panel, which are literally pulled out to the main screen from the right side. There can be five such contacts in total, and each of them has its own color.
In general, the TouchWiz interface in the Galaxy S6 Edge is better than in previous Samsung models, and the use of the Android 5.0 operating system plays a significant role in this.
cameras
The Galaxy S6 Edge uses a 16-megapixel main camera with optical stabilization and an aperture that reaches F1.9 (Galaxy S5 was F2.2). The latter parameter allows the lens to receive more light, which has a positive effect on image quality. They are really good for the Galaxy S6 Edge.
Separately, it is worth noting that the camera in the smartphone starts almost instantly, while double-pressing the central mechanical key is now assigned to its start.
Shot with automatic settings in normal mode in good light:
Shot with automatic settings in HDR mode in good light:
A shot with automatic settings in normal mode in very poor light:
Shot with automatic settings in HDR mode in very low light:
Flash shot:
Macro:
The front camera of the Galaxy S6 Edge is 5-megapixel, but with the same F1.9 aperture.
Autonomy and wireless charging
The battery capacity of the Galaxy S6 Edge is 2600 mAh, which is not very large by today's standards. However, in usage mode with 20 minutes of calls per day, email, Skype, browsing, reading a book, listening to music, and playing games, the S6 Edge shows a similar level of autonomy to the S5. On average, a smartphone can work for about 19 hours, with 3 hours of screen use. This is quite a good indicator, given the capacity of the battery. But if you activate the energy saving mode, autonomy can increase up to several days.
The Galaxy S6 Edge supports Samsung Adaptive and Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging. With a 10% charge to 25%, the smartphone charges in 10 minutes, which allows it to work for about 4 more hours.
Support for wireless charging is also present in the S6 Edge, while WPC 1.1 and PMA 1.0 are supported at once. Through the wireless charging module, the smartphone will charge longer, but it is more convenient to use than the usual one.
Eventually
With the release of the Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung has really managed to raise the bar for quality in smartphones. A lot of work has gone into creating the new flagship, and you can feel it in the attention to detail. I won’t say that this can be called a rethinking of the concept and the creation of a smartphone from scratch, but a serious improvement in each characteristic is quite possible. And yes, with the Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung hasn't reinvented the smartphone, it's just improved it markedly.
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Contents of delivery
- Telephone
- Charger with USB cable
- Wired stereo headset
- SIM card clip
- Instruction
Specifications
- Android 5.0.2 (5.1 early summer), latest generation TouchWiz shell
- 5.1 inches, SuperAMOLED screen, 577 ppi, 2560x1440 pixels, automatic brightness control
- Chipset Exynos 7420, 8 cores (4 cores A53, 4 cores A57), maximum clock frequency up to 2.1 GHz, 64 bit
- GPU MALI-T760
- 3 GB LPDDR4 RAM, no memory cards
- 32/64/128 GB of internal memory, UFS 2.0
- Front camera 5 megapixels, main camera 16 megapixels, OIS, True HDR, tracking autofocus, F 1.9, white balance detection by IR sensor, shooting mode Pro;
- Samsung Pay payment system
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot, Bluetooth®: v4.1, A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC, infrared for home appliances control
- LTE cat.6
- In-body wireless charging (WPC1.1(4.6W Output) & PMA 1.0(4.2W))
- Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery, extreme power saving mode, fast charge in one hour
- Dimensions - 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 mm, weight - 132 grams
Positioning
Samsung has never sought to create expensive versions of its flagships, the first experiment can be considered Note EDGE, which was released in tandem with the regular Note 4. , by and large, no real advantages, scenarios for working with such a screen have not yet been invented. What is worth at least the ruler, which was placed on this bend - a flight of fancy, but not a real necessity.
It suddenly turned out that Note EDGE became popular, it was often preferred to Note 4. Buyers of this device did not choose it at all for its unique technical feature, but rather for the cost, which was the highest for such devices. That is, the image component of the price played a role here, but the bend of the screen, as it were, confirmed it. I must say that none of the manufacturers made such devices, so there was a certain novelty in this. For Samsung, this cost-effectively increased profits, and at the same time the loyalty of an audience that wanted to stand out. A sort of version of the phone for show-offs.
In the mass flagship S6, they decided to do exactly the same and released the EDGE version, rounding the screen on both sides, but not so clearly. However, this was enough for the model to be perceived in a completely different way. If S6 is often called a copy of the iPhone 6, then no one talks about EDGE, moreover, it is called original. Let me remind you that the difference is only in the bending of the screen on both sides. Willingly or unwittingly, but the device turned out to be unusual, there are no analogues on the market, which means it will attract attention. It will be chosen by those who are not limited in funds, looking for a convenient model in order to work, and at the same time get a fashion effect.
Inside Samsung, until the last moment, they could not decide on the price positioning of EDGE: should the gap be the same as in the case of Note models, or smaller? The pragmatic approach, apparently, wins, the difference will be 5 thousand rubles. As you understand, the cost of EDGE is higher. In my opinion, EDGE may well claim the title of a unique device, which is rare by today's standards. And for those who do not want to be like others, this is a truly curious model. It will not suit everyone, moreover, it cannot be considered mass, however, it is not positioned. But for its consumer, this device will be extremely pleasant, it will give something that other models cannot.
Design, dimensions, controls
The phone turned out to be compact for such a screen diagonal, its dimensions are 142.1x70.1x7 mm, weight is 132 grams (for comparison, S6 is 143.4x70.5x6.8 mm, 138 grams). Fits well in the hand, does not slip.
The side frame and back wall are made of metal, special attention was paid to strength characteristics, it cannot be bent even with great effort. This was especially emphasized at the presentation. Since Samsung decided that the model should indulge the consumer with variety, they presented it in many colors. To achieve this, the back wall is painted over and covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Exactly the same piece of glass covers the front surface. In order not to create confusion, Samsung calls the glass the fourth generation, but in fact, it is different from what other manufacturers get (less scratches, more resistance to falls, which is important with such a screen). You can call this piece of glass Gorilla Glass 4+, although such a name would be very conditional.
Each color due to glass is similar to metallic, they play well in the sun. Just like on Sony devices, handprints remain on the glass, it is easily soiled, but not excessively. In bright light, the marks are almost invisible, but in the room they become noticeable.
Unlike the S6, you can feel the cut of the case in your hand, it is sharp. Someone may not like it, but someone will not pay any attention to it. For aesthetes, it will also be annoying that the camera on the back surface protrudes by a millimeter or more, it was not made flush with the glass.
Compared to Galaxy S6
Compared to Galaxy S5
Compared to Sony Xperia Z3
The SIM card tray is placed on the top end, there is also an infrared port for controlling household appliances and a microphone, and another microphone is located on the bottom end. There is also a microUSB connector (USB 2.0), 3.5 mm for a headset or headphones, a speaker output. The power button is on the right side, the volume keys are on the left.
On the back surface, in addition to the flash, there is a heart rate sensor, it also performs a number of other functions, more about this in the section on S Health. There is a physical button on the front panel, it has a fingerprint sensor (you can unlock the device by placing your finger, you don't need to swipe it). There are also two touch keys, everything is familiar to other devices from Samsung. Above the screen is a proximity sensor, as well as a 5 megapixel front camera.
One of the branded accessories is a plastic case, which is made in a metallic style. In my green machine, it looks pretty good.
The case is quite easily soiled, despite the fact that an oleophobic coating has been added to it. It will have to be wiped often, and it will not suit someone. Of the pluses, I note that in the hand the phone in the case lies better, the edges do not crash. Of the minuses - that you lose the original appearance of the device, it becomes difficult to distinguish S6 from S6 EDGE, and the side edges are covered, becoming non-functional or limitedly applicable.
The case recognizes your pressing (more precisely, the screen), so you can answer calls, view messages, control music and so on from it. This is quite convenient, since you do not need to open the lid, you see all the messages in front of you.
The build quality of the device is excellent, there can be no complaints. The phone is much stronger than similar devices from Sony, outperforming the iPhone 6, which often cracks on the glass after a small drop (it has ordinary tempered glass). Here, strength is brought to the fore, the device is wearable.
Display
Screen with a diagonal of 5.1 inches, SuperAMOLED, 577 ppi, 2560x1440 pixels, automatic brightness control. This is one of the best screens from Samsung, it traditionally has a customization of colors - from bright and sometimes acidic to muted. Here everyone will choose their own option, but the main thing is that, according to the reviews of professionals testing screens in various devices, AMOLED matrices in previous models have already become very accurate in color reproduction and behavior in the sun. In this device, the screen quality has grown even more, the brightness of the backlight has been improved (everything is readable with a bang in the sun).
The high dpi density makes the picture smooth, but you can't really tell the difference from previous models by eye. Other characteristics come to the fore (contrast, brightness, and so on).
The screen curvature in EDGE is not very large, it is noticeably smaller than in the same Note EDGE. And, as a result, it is more comfortable, all the main menus are presented on the entire surface of the screen, it does not go to waste.
In life, the bend is beautiful, but not at all practical. So, on the street, the sun always refracts the left side and the picture glares, not entirely visible.
While working in the browser, the beginning of the address line falls exactly on the left break, it is difficult to click and get to the right place. There are quite a lot of such “little things”, the interface has not been redesigned for the screen in any way, it is standard, and this has its price - a decrease in ergonomics.
Communication options
If you can imagine that the device has all the possible technologies, then this is the case of S6/S6 EDGE. I'll just list them all: Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot, Bluetooth®: v4. 1, A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC, IR port for home appliances control.
Memory, RAM, performance
The phone is a complete copy of the S6, so I will repeat what was said in the review of that device.
The device has 3 GB of RAM (LDPPR4), which has a maximum bandwidth of 3.2 GB / s (64 bits). Built-in memory may vary - 32, 64 and 128 GB. The memory type is UFS 2.0, which also provides maximum write and read speeds, this is actually an SSD array. In terms of speed, the memory subsystem is such that no device has comparable characteristics yet.
The Exynos 7420 chipset belongs to the latest generation, made at 14 nm. Technically, this is an 8-core solution, 4 Cortex-A53 cores, 4 - Cortex A57. The graphics core is Mali T-760, but its version has been updated compared to Note 4 (more frequency, etc.). It is also the fastest processor in existence, which together with the memory makes this machine very fast. In life, it just flies, there are no brakes at all (Android 5 also contributes to this). During my communication with the phone, there were no slowdowns or crashes of applications.
And here is what the results look like in synthetic tests. These are the best values possible for devices of this kind. With performance in synthetic tests, everything is more or less clear, see the values below.
It is more interesting how the device behaves in 3D tests, that is, how predisposed it is to graphics, because the MALI graphics processor has always been inferior to similar solutions from Qualcomm, and even more so from NVidia. The increased frequency, eight cores - all this, in theory, should contribute to performance, but on the other hand there is an increased screen resolution.
There are other tests, we will give their values here.
But it was interesting to see how, for example, Epic Citadel is going. In the initial test on an almost clean device, the result was about 60 frames per second.
But then, when I tried to repeat it, it turned out that the program gives out 50 frames at best, after heating it is 30 frames at all. This is one of the biggest weaknesses of the Galaxy S6 in terms of performance - 3D graphics and how repeatable you get.
Having looked at the 3D toys, I can say that the spread of results in Dead Trigger 2, NOVA3, Asphalt 8, Real Racing 3 is from 30 to 60 frames per second. In some games, the level is kept at 60 almost constantly, in some it is closer to 30. But this is with the maximum settings for textures, resolution, and so on. Even taking this into account, you as a user will not see any problems in the game, since stuttering at 30 frames per second simply does not exist. And this is the lowest value.
For those who want to approach performance in a straightforward and stupid way, I recommend that you definitely compare the gaming component in GTA, since this game is not optimized for MALI graphics, loads not the best textures and is guaranteed to have graphics display problems. In my opinion, this is a flaw in the game and the lack of optimization for a specific platform, but as an example of "flaws" it will do. Today, the question in 3D games is simple - for which platform they are optimized and how well. The same solutions from NVidia tear everyone in terms of 3D performance and graphics rendering quality, but they are not popular. Apparently, not everyone needs it.
Battery
The built-in battery has a capacity of 2600 mAh (2550 mAh in S6), the operating time is about a full day under load. This is about 2 and a half hours of screen operation, data transfer in 4G. The video machine spins for 11 hours.
The question that worries many is a dead battery or not? So far, I don’t have an obvious answer to it, I have to work with the apparatus and see what happens. The phone has fast charging, you can fully charge it in an hour, which is not bad. It also supports several wireless charging formats, everything is built into the case, you don’t need to buy anything else. But I do not think that this option will be in demand by many buyers.
Of the pleasant things, I note that fast battery charging is supported - it takes one hour. If you use a conventional 2A charger, the battery charge time will be 2 hours. The phone has built-in wireless charging that supports several formats, that is, you can buy both a branded device and any other. I had a charger from Lumia (DT-601, Qi standard) at hand, it charges the device perfectly.
Expecting this model to last as long as the Note 4 was not worth it. But the result turned out to be slightly higher than that of the iPhone 6 with the same load (number of calls, transferred data). The difference is almost imperceptible, we can say that these devices live the same time. Again, for most people, this will be a full-time job.
Camera
A separate detailed and large material is devoted to the description of the camera and all its capabilities.
Working with a side face
Unlike Note EDGE, the side edge ideology has changed a bit. First, you can choose where exactly the information will be displayed, on the left side of the screen or on the right. And I note that you can not turn the picture 180 degrees. The opportunity to put your wallpaper on this strip has disappeared, it is very narrow. By and large, there is only a night mode, which displays the time and temperature from the weather forecast, you can set the interval up to 12 hours when this information is shown.
You can display the information flow, these are news headlines that will crawl from the side. Not a very useful option. The main settings are related to five contacts that you can add to the sidebar. Each contact has its own color. In case of missed events, the device can highlight the edge with this color, that is, you see what happened and know who called or wrote to you. The chip is not too tricky, but quite working in practice. Does it make this device very different from the same S6? Definitely not, they are about the same and are perceived on the same level.
Software Features - Android 5.x and TouchWiz
In order not to repeat myself, I refer you to a detailed review of the Galaxy S6, where all the aspects of the menu operation and the functions of the device are considered in detail.
Additional accessories for Galaxy S6/S6 EDGE
For several years, Samsung has been creating the widest range of accessories for its flagships. Starting from the 6th, the set comes with headphones of a new design, which are built by analogy with the Level In, provide good sound and are noticeably better than the previous model.
In terms of cooperation with well-known brands, I would like to note cases from Burton, protective cases with crystals from Swarovski, leather covers from Montblanc, women's handbags from Rebecca Minkoff, cases painted by Britto. It is almost impossible to find these accessories in wide sale, their cost is very high.
Now let's look at the standard set of accessories, they are completely the same for the two models, only the article and color schemes differ. Wireless charging is available in two colors - white and dark gray. I recommend taking a dark color, since the rubber insert at the top gets dirty very quickly on white, which prevents the phone from slipping. More practical dark color.
QI 1.1 standard is supported (backward compatible with 1.0), charging speed is about 4-5 hours, which is typical for such devices. The cost of the charger in Russia will be 3,490 rubles. The fast charger included in the kit costs 2,000 rubles if you buy it separately, so you should not lose it. The same price for a car charger that supports Quick Charge technology.
An ordinary transparent bumper covering the back of the phone will cost 2,590 rubles.
But the opaque cover can be of almost any color, it is of good quality, but it also needs to be matched to the color of the phone so that they match. Its price is 2290 rubles.
The book cover is also available in different colors, the price is 2,990 rubles, this kind of covers make the device very thick.
The S View Cover with a window has become very popular. Different fabric or leather, a huge number of colors - all together create an alternative. You can activate the camera, turn on the dialing of favorite numbers, listen to music, open the quick shortcuts panel - the latter was not available before. In the video I show how this case works, it's worth a look. But the price bites - 4,490 rubles.
You can also choose a mirrored flip case in different colors, it has an NFC tag, so Chinese craftsmen will not do anything like that. When closed, you can answer calls, dismiss messages and reminders. There is no need to open the device.
You can see how all these accessories work in our video.
Impressions
Samsung S6 was pleasantly surprised by the volume of the Samsung S6 speaker, despite the fact that there is only one speaker at the end - it is very clear and loud, the device is well audible in different conditions. The video showed the differences with the S5, they are visible to the naked eye. We can say that in terms of sound this is one of the loudest and most pleasant devices of the company. The vibrating alert is average in strength, there are no achievements here.
The quality of communication with the phone does not cause any complaints in any form. I tried to find differences from my Note 4, I could not find them. The quality of work in LTE is also flawless, I noticed that the phone clings to Wi-Fi networks better than Note 4. Subjectively, it seemed that it was a little better in general in terms of communication quality.
I love how the one-touch fingerprint works, you can watch this feature in the video.
The speed of launching the camera from any menu is less than a second. Just press the Home button twice. And it's convenient. The camera is excellent and comparable to Note 4, which I consider (and not only me) the best device on the market in this parameter.
Among the advantages of S6 EDGE, I would like to note an unusual design, which will be an argument in its favor for many people. I was embarrassed by the bend, and it seemed that the place was disappearing, but in reality you quickly get used to it, the inconvenience is tolerable and does not irritate in everyday use. Although the ergonomics of the S6 is noticeably better.
The TouchWiz shell has become visually simpler, while retaining its main features. I can’t say that I like it one hundred percent, but it has the right to life and is quite convenient in everyday work. Contacts on the side are also convenient, although this is an additional feature, you can safely not use it. I really liked the outer case, which transforms the device and makes it more interesting. True, the appearance is lost, and for many this will not work.
After a closer acquaintance, I have no doubts that if I choose between S6 and S6 EDGE, then most likely I will choose the second device, it turned out to be more interesting. The difference in cost for Russia is 5 thousand rubles, that is, S6 EDGE will cost up to 54,990 rubles. In the new price realities, this is a lot, and you should definitely not expect huge sales. But they will be, just like in Europe and other countries of the world.
The S6 EDGE has its own unique design feature, this device has no analogues, and this is a strong argument in its favor. I repeat that ergonomics suffer a little, but this is not so critical, although the S6 is more convenient. Personally, I am torn between these two models, and if above I said that I would most likely choose the S6 EDGE, then after a couple of paragraphs I think that it might be worth taking the regular S6.
The South Korean manufacturer has announced an improved version of the curved flagship smartphone GalaxyS6edge-GalaxyS6edge+. It got a much bigger screen. This can be seen from the comparison photo. But what other surprises did she give him? Samsung? Let's find it out right now.
1 - size
The first thing that catches your eye when comparing two phones lying side by side is the changed dimensions. New option GalaxyS6edge+ gained height and width, but was able to become a little bit narrower than the original version.
Full dimensions look like this: 154; 76; 6.9 mm GalaxyS6edge+ against142; 70.7 mm GalaxyS6edge.
2 - weight
Of course, this also affected the weight of the new device. The extended version now weighs 153 grams versus 132 for its predecessor.
3 - the structure of the body and cover
Nothing has changed in the material of the body and cover. Still aluminum, still Gorilla Glass 4 on the non-removable lid. It doesn’t happen that the version marked + suddenly starts to be made from something else. So the designers here rest easy, enjoying the well-done previous work.
4 - color palette
The classic black and white body colors remain. Also, both options have gold. And in order to somehow differ, the new phone with a curved display received a silver color, and the old one distinguishes it from the entire line. Galaxy green.
5 - display
It is clearly seen that the new display has become much larger. More precisely, 20 percent. 5.7 inch received GalaxyS6edge+. This is the size of a great phablet, a good replacement for a mini tablet. GalaxyS6edge has 5.1 inches, which is also not bad, but not so catchy.
But nothing has changed in the screen resolution and display type. QHD-screen has 2560 by 1440 pixels. The display type is oleophobic, or AMOLED, as the buyer is more accustomed to seeing on the box with the product. Only the density of pixels per inch has changed. From 577 units to 518. That is, the picture has become less sharp, but it is hardly noticeable to the eye at this resolution.
Of course, there are also curved displays, which are commonly called "triple". Samsung also did not add support for the S Pen stylus, so that the model would not compete with another product of the company - the Note 5 phablet.
6 - processor
The processor has remained the same. For almost six months Samsung did not have time to release a more advanced chip than Exynos 7420. This octa-core and 64-bit chip operates at 2.1 and 1.5 GHz and allows the battery to last much longer than its opponents.
7 - RAM
The update lies in the fact that the new version received the maximum possible 4 GB of RAM for smartphones at the moment. The original version "only" has 3 GB. Multitasking support just got better.
8 - internal memory
In order not to increase the cost of an extended version of a smartphone with a curved display, Samsung I had to abandon the 128 GB version for sale. Then it would cost almost as much as pointless branded phones. And the South Korean manufacturer prefers the phrase "advanced and affordable." Support for a Micro SD memory card was also not added. It will slow down the device since Samsung has switched to a new type of flash memory that offers increased performance of the device.
9 - cameras
The cameras remain the same. 16 megapixels for the main camera, 5 megapixels for the front. Support for automatic digital stabilization is included.
10 - battery
The new height and width (even despite the thinner case) allowed Samsung to solve the flagship's main problem - to put a more capacious battery. The new smartphone received 3000 mAh, while the previous version had only 2600 mAh. A few extra hours of work will not hurt the device.
The batteries are still non-removable, have fast charging capability and support wireless charging.
11 - other
Both devices support instant mobile payments from the company - Samsung Mobile Pay. Both also still have a heart rate sensor. But the new phablet also received support for an additional qwerty keyboard from Blackberry. The device clings to the case, and you can type quickly with both fingers if you miss the physical buttons on your phone.
12 - soft
latest version Android 5.1.1 stands on both smartphones running a proprietary shell from Samsung.
13 - release, price and output
The first version of the smartphone with a curved display on both sides entered the market in April 2015 and is priced at $750. The extended version will appear at the end of August 2015 for $800. For those who don't care about the difference of $50 (and for everyone else), we, of course, recommend the extended version. It has no drawbacks, except for the lack of an option with 128 GB of internal memory. And the huge display of this device can easily replace any tablet. And even the tablets that will be released next year will not be compared with GalaxyS6edge+ by performance.
