Otherwise, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ shares hardware guts with the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, including a strong 16-megapixel camera, 4GB of RAM and an octa-core processor of Samsung's own design (that means it has eight computing chips for completing tasks). Like its brethren, the Note 5, S6 and S6 Edge, the Edge+ shows off a snazzy metal-and-glass construction and loses the removable battery and microSD card slot for add-on data storage -- two points of pride for Samsung prior to its design turnabout in 2015.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+'s presence in Samsung's smartphone quiver is significant because it capitalizes on demand for Samsung's smaller S6 Edge, this time in a larger footprint. Samsung is rapidly pulling ahead of LG in creating curved-screen phones that stand out among typical, blocky rectangular smart phone slabs. For Samsung, the Edge line represents its innovation in creating consumer choice. However, the Edge+ marks the fourth similarly appointed handset released in four months, which could confuse shoppers and dilute the sales of any single Samsung device -- a real problem Samsung faces amid an ongoing sales slide.
Besides its snazzier design, though, the Edge+ lacks the Note 5's signature stylus. That leaves potential buyers having to choose between the Edge+'s inviting curves or the Note 5's scribble-friendly practicality. Maybe next year Samsung can bring those two aspects together into one do-it-all design.
Nevertheless, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is a seriously cool-looking phone that belongs in the canon of top smartphones despite its staggering price (see below). Serious buyers who crave those waterfall sides will be rewarded with a large, bright screen unlike most others. For everyone else, there are plenty of other good, large-screen phones out there that you can buy for a lot less.
Design and build
- 5.7-inch display; 2,560x1,440 pixels (518 pixels per inch)
- Metal and glass construction
- 6.1 by 3 by 0.3 inches (154 by 76 by 6.9mm)
- 5.4 ounces (153 grams)
If you're familiar with the Galaxy S6 Edge's curved screen and thin edges, you already know this supersized Edge+'s shapely silhouette. The glass (and display technology underneath) wraps around the left and right edges and meet along the back of the spines.
What's more important than the interesting shape is the fact that the curved sides look beautiful, and seems to make this feel like an entirely different, far more sophisticated, phone than a straight-sided one. The screen seems more immersive than the Note 5's, the curvature pulling you into the action of what's on the display. Maybe it's still some of the novelty, maybe there's a deeper psychology at play. Strangely, the effect is more pronounced on the smaller Edge+, possibly because this phone is personally a little large for my hand.
At any rate, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ feels slimmer than most at its narrowest part (the middle), but a little inherent sharpness along the sides makes it easy to grip. The comparatively thicker corners round out to help carry through the themes of curviness and physical dimension.
Despite the wraparound sides, the screen measures a full 5.7 inches, all of which is fully usable and viewable (unlike the original Note Edge, which had an always-visible strip of navigation screen that you couldn't turn off). Above the screen, you'll see the 5-megapixel front-facing camera and a cluster of sensors. Below it sits the physical home button and integrated fingerprint reader, with its two touch-sensitive sidekicks, the Recent and Back buttons. Press and hold the home button to launch Google Now.
Flip over the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ to find a smooth, reflective backing and 16-megapixel camera mount, flash and heart-rate reader. The camera module does slightly pucker out, but that's also because the rest of the phone is so thin and flat.
Buttons and ports dot the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+'s metal frame, starting with the power/lock key on the right, the micro-USB charging jack and headset jack down below, volume rocker on the left, and SIM card tray along the top. There's no removable backing (or battery), and no space for a microSD storage card.
What you can do with the edge+ screen
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
- New Apps shortcut
- Customizable position for "edge screen" tab
Those curved sides are fun to look at, but they aren't merely for show. Two previous designs -- 2014's Galaxy Note Edge and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge from earlier this year -- gave Samsung the chance to experiment with things you can do on a narrow vertical display. It's forced functionality, but one that makes more sense this time than before.
First, let me reiterate that the special display hides from view until you pull it out, so most of the time, you don't see it. When you do want to summon the edge display (which you can now do from any screen, not just the home screen, as was the case with the original Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge), you grab a slim onscreen tab that tastefully lies low on whichever side you put it, and swipe to reveal the full menu.
There are now two revolving screens to swipe through by default. The first is a shortcut hub for five of your go-to contacts. You can see their missed calls and texts, and tap their names to reach them by phone, text or email. Swipe again and a different shortcuts menu appears, this time one you can customize for your favorite apps.
The settings menu also lets you turn on a newsfeed, so you can see various alerts and news headlines in the sidebar as well as through the customary notifications tray up top. The benefit here: the edge screen's longer window lets you see more text, without expanding the alert the way you would with the notifications shade.
Flexibility means you can place this edge display on either left or right sides of the screen, and can now also position its menu-opening tab anywhere along that strip. I put mine near the bottom of the screen to make it easier for my shorter thumbs to grab.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ also keeps one of my favorite secondary features in this curvy family: the night clock that dimly glows from the strip to tell you the date and time.
Get to know the hardware inside
Samsung bestowed the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5 with the same internal specs, all laid out below. For full details and camera test, read my Note 5 review.
- 16-megapixel camera
- 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 4K video resolution
- Samsung Exynos 7 octa-core processor (2.1GHz quad-core, plus 1.5GHz quad-core chips)
- 32GB/64GB storage options
- 4GB of RAM
- 3,000mAh battery (nonremovable)
- No microSD expansion slot
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Automated content-syncing to other screens
Do we need a bigger S6 Edge?
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is expensive, and it's that curved screen you're paying for. That already limits buyers, and rightly so. The Edge display, while neat, doesn't offer anything novel or ultraconvenient that you can't live without.
Do we even need a larger S6 Edge version? Sure, why not? But I'm not sure we need it right now alongside the Note 5 and only a few months after releasing the S6 Edge and S6. I see this bigger Edge+ as Samsung's way of trying to turn around a period of slumping sales, especially since it couldn't keep up with Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge demand.
If you're intrigued by a curved-screen phone, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ has all the hardware you need to take great photos and enjoy viewing videos, pictures and articles on that extra-sharp, clear screen. It's fast and that edge display does give you features you won't find on most phones.
However, if saving money is a priority, and if you couldn't care less about fancy design, skip the Edge+ and shop for something else instead.
There's no shortage of competition for handsets whose screens measure over 5.3 inches, and many are priced a lot better than the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, creating fierce competition. In this landscape, the curved Edge+ is a novelty.
Apple's iPhone 6 Plus and LG's G4 -- both with 5.5-inch screens -- are the logical comparisons. The G4 shares the Edge+'s Android version and camera and battery specs, though it has a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (that's six cores, by the way). Unlike the Samsung phone, LG's big phone can boast a removable battery and a microSD card slot that can accommodate cards of up to a mammoth 2TB (terabytes) of data.
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