Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+

In order to compete with the iPhone and HTC, Samsung has finally moved away from the all plastic construction to aluminum and glass. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ comes equipped with an aluminum frame and protects the screen and back with a layer of Gorilla Glass 4. While this glass is meant to protect the phone from scratches, experts do point out it attracts a lot of fingerprints and smudges requiring constant wiping. Still, many find it well worth the effort to own a phone they describe as “stunning,” “futuristic” and “achingly desirable.” As the name suggests, the main reason for its appeal is due to its curved, dual-edge display. Samsung was the first manufacturer to offer this display technology with the release of the S6 Edge and continues to build upon the design with the Edge+.

While the Edge+ shares many similarities with its predecessor, the biggest update is Samsung’s move to a larger screen. At 5.7 inches, experts found the edge to be even more prominent with Digital Trends state, “[the edge]…feels like a real feature of the phone.” Still, the curved edge does come with its disadvantages. With such a large screen, experts had a difficult time using it one-handed and the curved screen compound the issue as there is less frame to hold on to. While they wouldn’t describe it as uncomfortable, when compared to the iPhone or Note 5 they did find it a bit awkward to hold. Samsung states the main reason for the curved display is for a better viewing experience. Unfortunately, reviewers didn’t found the exact opposite to be true as the curve actually distorted pictures slightly and reflected back light. Still they go on to say it is one of the best screens around thanks to its Quad HD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) and its Super AMOLED technology that produces bright colors and deep blacks. As with many AMOLED displays, there was a bit of over saturation and they also noticed a slight blue tint to the whites when viewing it at angle.

As expected of a flagship phone, the S6 Edge+ comes with impressive hardware: an octo-core processor (4 2.1 GHz and 4 1.5GHz) 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. Like other octo-core phones, the S6 Edge+ uses the lower quad processor for more basic tasks like web browsing and then activates the more powerful one during more intensive tasks like 3D gaming. With these specs, it is no surprise reviewers called the performance “butter smooth.” No matter what they threw at it, they did not experience any lag or hiccups. As well they were able to get 13 hours of juice when performing battery draining tests, which translated to about 1.5 days of light to moderate use.

On paper, the 16MB rear camera might not seem that impressive, but when coupled with optical image stabilization technology and lens reviewers were able to produce colorful and finely detailed images in both bright and low light situations. They add this is due to the fast focusing and shooting ability of the camera even when in HDR mode. Besides the basics, it also comes with a Pro mode that allows you to change a range of settings from focus to ISO and a number of filters.

While they had some qualms with the curved screen, reviewers still have no problem recommending the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+. Trusted Reviews states, “the…Edge+ proves that beauty is more than skin deep.” The Verge adds, “It’s without a doubt a very capable and beautiful smartphone, perhaps one of the prettiest smartphones ever produced.”