Phone review: Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Following the success of Samsung’sGalaxy Note Edge last year, it was widely anticipated that the Korean firm would launch a similar version of its flagship Galaxy smartphone series.

As expected, the S6, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year came paired with the S6 Edge. A more exclusive, expensive and better looking twin.

Weighing 132g and measuring 7mm, the S6 Edge is slim and light with curved edges that provide a sleeker feel.

The metal rim looks great but it does feel a bit steely and sharp in your hand if you hold the phone for a long time. Equally, the curved design, while pleasing to the eye, also sometimes makes it seem like the phone would be more naturally held with the screen facing outwards.

As with most of the new Samsung Galaxy flagship phones, the 5.1 inch quad HD screen offers a crisp and bright display with its super AMOLED touchscreen delivering clarity and colour. The fingerprint sensor is sensitive and recognises you instantly, allowing for a smooth user experience.

One of the most scrutinised features of any smartphone these days is the quality of the pictures it produces. The 16MP rear camera with optical image stabilisation does not disappoint. The panorama option scored particularly well and the 5MP front camera snaps some great selfies.

The now all-too-common bane of phone-makers, battery-life, continues to remain a drag on performance, especially if used extensively for video viewing and gaming. That said, none of its competitors in the market fare any better. Therefore, this is something that all manufacturers need to address immediately to improve their products and satisfy customers.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the device is the functionality of the curved screen, which doesn’t improve upon the offering of last year’s Note Edge.

On the curved edge you can display a list of contacts for easy calling when the screen is turned off. Also, since each of them is assigned a different colour the back of the phone glows with that colour when they call. This is a cool feature. Beyond that however, all the phone’s edge displays (when the screen is turned
off) is generic time and date details, which also require some rubbing on the side to switch on.

In terms of spec, the phone sits near if not at the top of the market with 3GB of RAM, 32, 64 or 128GB of storage, plus Samsung’s new octa-core Exynos processor. Usage is swift, as expected. We welcome Samsung’s choice to decrease the bloat-ware on the Touchwiz interface, making it more similar to default Android Lollipop.

The manufacturer has also done away with some key features, however, including waterproofing, expandable storage via SD card and the ability to remove the battery. This may disappoint some die-hard fans.

Priced much higher than the S6 at between Dhs 3,000 and Dhs 3,200 in the UAE, the S6 Edge offers a great-looking product with some interesting features. Unfortunately, the device does not significantly stand out from its twin.