Test and review: Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is a flagship with a curved display. Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in Russia

Just four months after the Galaxy S6 was announced Edge Samsung decided to release an updated version of the smartphone. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is designed to compete not only with the iPhone 6 Plus and its successor Paroli, but also with its own line Galaxy Note. Should we wait for the emergence of a new generation of phablets with a stylus? Or will the addition of “+” satisfy phablet fans?

For the first Galaxy look The S6 Edge+ seems to be a larger version. A direct comparison confirms the first impression. But Samsung not only enlarged the display - the larger body allowed it to accommodate a larger battery. In almost every other respect, the smartphones are very close, with a few exceptions. The new model has exclusive software features, but there is no longer a version with 128 GB of internal memory; you will have to be content with options with 32 and 64 GB. In Russia, the 32 GB version can be purchased for 55 thousand rubles, in Europe – 799 euros. A model with 64 GB will cost 84 thousand rubles.

Display

The new display, judging by the specifications, has changed in only one parameter. The original model had a diagonal of 5.1", now it has increased to 5.7". The resolution has not changed, we got the same 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, as a result, the pixel density has decreased from 577 to 515 ppi. An 11% reduction seems serious, but in practice users are unlikely to notice it. You'll still get a display with excellent detail and clarity. Some users criticized the Galaxy S6 Edge for being too a high resolution– even Full-HD would be enough for most scenarios, but for the Galaxy S6 Edge+, high resolution is better suited. When you compare the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and iPhone 6 Plus side by side, you'll notice differences in detail.

As for the two curves of the display, the “ weak spots» original model. When typing, the outer keys become bent, which reduces accuracy. Also, the display in some applications and scenarios adds distortion. This also applies to watching videos in 16:9 format and photos in full screen.

There are no serious complaints about the basic quality of the display. Brightness in manual mode is up to 341 cd/m², in automatic mode it increases to 542 cd/m², which gives a very a bright picture, and thanks to the Super AMOLED panel, blacks stay black. White color is displayed without any extraneous shades, since the color temperature of the white point is at an ideal level of about 6,500 K. But this color rendering mode is available after manually selecting “AMOLED Photo”. There is a noticeable blue tint in AMOLED Movie and Adaptive Display modes. It’s also not encouraging that color rendition depends on the choice of brightness. If you leave automatic brightness adjustment, you will have to put up with lower-quality color reproduction. But only in this mode you will get maximum brightness. Why Samsung took this step is unknown. Perhaps the reason lies in the high power consumption of the screen at maximum brightness.

Frame

The enlargement of the display led to an increase in the dimensions of the case. Samsung has enlarged the body to 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9 mm and weighs 153 grams. So the smartphone is larger and heavier than the Galaxy S6 Edge (142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 mm, 132 g), but it is still more compact than the iPhone 6 Plus. U Apple competitor we get 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm and a weight of 172 g. New smartphone The Samsung is large, but it will fit in most pockets.

There is no need to wait for a new design. However, in appearance the original design was quite good. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ also looks stylish, combining straight lines and curves. The thin sides on the right and left of the display, the border around the Home button and the panel with the front speaker also look good. Among the shortcomings, we again note the protruding camera lens.

The thin side frame looks beautiful, but the thickness of about 3.5 mm is still narrow; holding the smartphone in your hand by the sides is not very pleasant. But Samsung was able to improve the ergonomics. The standby button on the right panel is now better positioned so you're less likely to press it accidentally. In addition, the display now occupies about 76% of the front panel, while the Galaxy S6 Edge had a lower percentage of 72%. But in general, in terms of ergonomics, we rate the smartphone as average, just like the “younger” model. We didn't get the ideal.

If you look closely at the case, you will notice improved workmanship. The “junior” Edge model was not perfect in everything, but there is nothing to complain about here. We found no uneven gaps, button play, or other flaws. Samsung has chosen high-quality materials, a durable metal frame and glass, so that the smartphone will attract attention in appearance.

Rumors had been circulating about the incredible strength of the new generation of protective glass, Gorilla Glass 4, long before the presentation of the new flagships, to which, naturally, Corning marketers had a hand. It's time to find out - have Korean smartphones really become the strongest on the market thanks to innovative materials?

Of course, we are not talking about special devices like Caterpillar, but Samsung’s main competitors in the class of premium devices are the iPhone 6, HTC One(M9), LG G3 and others like them. In this case the release Galaxy S6/edge was accompanied by unequivocal statements from company representatives - the smartphone does not bend and is resistant to household damage. As one would expect, even before the official start of sales there were many who wanted to test this statement in practice.

The first video is a selection of classic drop tests Galaxy S6 edge And . The author dropped smartphones from the height of his trouser pocket and his own height, simulating real situations that happen to hundreds of users every day. Then the devices were tested at a more serious three-meter height and were finally hit by a car. The result is clear - the flagship of the South Korean company is much superior iPhone 6 in strength. An interesting nuance is that when falling on back panel, even the protective glass of the camera, made of the notorious sapphire, broke on the Apple smartphone, while Galaxy S6 edge He held on until the last and received his first serious injuries only after falling from 3 meters.

However, Gorilla Glass 4 is announced for two models, and the author of the following video decided to test more cheap smartphone Galaxy S6, featuring a classic version of the display module. The result was not so optimistic - the glass could not withstand a fall from chest height.

To understand the situation, the human factor should be eliminated as much as possible. This is what the author of the next experiment reasoned. To compare strength Samsung Galaxy S6 And iPhone 6 he used a special drop machine. Manufacturers of consumer electronics themselves use similar devices, and such a comparative test looks much more objective. And this time iPhone 6 and turned out to be the winner - he received much more serious damage to the display, but continued to work properly, while Galaxy S6 was hopelessly damaged.

However, this does not mean at all that every fall of a new Korean smartphone will lead to its breakdown - it’s a matter of chance. At the same time, the strength, resistance to scratches and even heat of the new protective glass from Corning is truly amazing. You can verify this by watching the last video in our selection.

As a conclusion, it can be noted that despite the refusal of most modern premium-segment vendors from water- and dust-proof cases, the shells of models released in recent years have their own characteristics. technical specifications clearly superior to outdated devices, even despite the increase in the average display diagonal and the decrease in the thickness of the cases themselves.

Flagship Samsung smartphones always attract increased attention. The release of the Samsung Galaxy S6 in the spring of this year was also no exception. And the task facing the engineers was not an easy one; every year it became more and more difficult to keep the bar high. Whether we managed to solve it and retain the title of “best among the best”, we’ll see during testing. To do this, we selected the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, presented simultaneously with the main Galaxy version S6. Both smartphones are already available in Russian retail; at the time of writing this review, the company reported 10 million S6s sold worldwide.

If last year the tuned versions of the flagship were released a little later than the main announcement, then this year the announcement and the start of sales took place at the same time. The cost difference between the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge is within 10 percent. However, only the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge will be available in a 128 GB version. The main difference was the use of a screen curved at both edges. This is the second such smartphone in Samsung’s arsenal. Let me remind you that the Galaxy Note Edge debuted last year, unfortunately, we only got to know it briefly, there’s no time to prepare detailed review wasn't enough.

Video review of Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Equipment

The smartphone is delivered in a package with a light design. At the top there is a mark for the color of the case and the amount of data. Main characteristics on the back of the package.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge package includes charger, cable micro USB, headphones with replaceable tips, as well as a set of technical documentation. All accessories are in white.

Appearance

With each generation of Galaxy S, controversy and rumors flared up online regarding the materials used. Will it be plastic or metal, what will the Korean manufacturer choose this year?

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is radically different from everything we could see before. Now the emphasis is not only on characteristics, the smartphone has become a real decoration. And this is especially true for the Edge version. Thanks to the curved edges of the screen, it looks more impressive.

The body has become even thinner; for comparison, the iPhone 6 is thicker. It is comfortable to hold and the weight is well balanced.

Almost the entire area of ​​the front side and lid is covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 4. Now you can forget about the practicality of the materials; it gets dirty catastrophically quickly with fingerprints, although they are erased just as quickly. The second point is the grip itself; the smartphone tends to slip out of your hands; you should not place it on an inclined surface. I assume that there will be many cases of falling, as well as phones with cracks in the protective glass. It wouldn't hurt to buy a cover or bumper.

Several color versions will be available. Light options will better hide stains on the glass, while dark ones will look richer and more glamorous.

The side frame is made of unpainted aluminum, all frames are rounded. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge runs a little at an angle. There is a sharp edge at the point of contact with the display.

The body is now non-demountable, what was long feared has happened. There is no access to the battery; the battery can be replaced even in service center will cause a lot of pain to the owner and his wallet. Unfortunately, they also abandoned the memory card. What Samsung was loved for and was considered a plus when compared with other flagships and, first of all, Apple products, has now become unavailable. If you can still argue with the memory card and talk about cloud storage, then the issue of degradation of battery capacity during active use will not disappear.

At the bottom there is a micro USB, audio jack, microphone and speaker grille. There is a similarity with the iPhone 6. On top there is an IR sensor, a noise reduction microphone, and a SIM slot. On the bottom and top edges there is a plastic insert used for the antenna.

The frame under and above the display is still there. The familiar Home button with an updated fingerprint scanner. When testing the Galaxy S5, I turned off this scanner less than a day after I started using it, I had to look for the position and swipe it correctly. Now you just need to put your finger on it, there are no complaints about recognition.

At the top there is a speaker grille, Samsung logo, front-camera and a set of sensors.

On back cover a camera eye protruding above the surface of the body, an LED flash and a heart rate sensor.

On the left is the volume rocker with separate buttons, on the right is the power button. Everything is intuitive.

The case is assembled perfectly. There are no complaints about the materials. But it takes time to get used to the curved screen; in the first days, false positives are guaranteed.

Screen

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge received an AMOLED screen with OLED backlighting (organic light-emitting diodes). Diagonal 5.1 inches with a resolution of 2560x1440 (Quad HD) with 577 ppi. The picture is flawless, excellent color rendition and maximum viewing angles.

Traditional deep black color and high level maximum brightness. The color balance is close to the sRGB standard.

The user has a choice of color settings. High contrast.

Filling

This is the first smartphone with a chip made using the 14 nm process technology. Samsung refused to use the top Qualcomm processor, the reason was overheating and a number of other problems that HTC and LG are now facing. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge uses an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor with Mali-T760 graphics.

There is 3 GB of RAM on board. The internal volume varies depending on the selected model, you need to approach this issue with care; memory cards are not supported.

In terms of performance, it is comparable to the flagships of 2015. This is enough for all tasks, including resource-intensive games.

Antutu Bench

3D Antutu

Battery

A 2600 mAh battery is responsible for autonomous operation, 50 more than that of a simple Galaxy S6. The volume is not that big considering the powerful hardware and QHD screen. Here Samsung was faced with the task of squeezing the maximum out of this capacity. Energy saving technologies have been improved.

Added wireless charger. An interesting thing worth noting is the mode fast charging, when in 10 minutes you can provide about 4 hours battery life.

Based on experience, the charge lasts for a full working day. Movie viewing time is about 11 hours.

On the issue of autonomy, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is doing well, given the small thickness of the case.

Camera

Traditionally, the Galaxy S line has been strong in the camera department, offering one of the best implementations at the time of its release. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is no exception.

The main module is 16 megapixels with a Sony matrix with optical stabilization and the ability to shoot video in UHD. Very high camera startup and shutter speed.

Shooting modes are available with loading from the additional catalog.

Gestures and detailed frame settings are supported. We examined the general capabilities of the camera in detail in the video review. For selfies – 5 MP front camera. There are no complaints about the quality of the footage, either during the day or at night.

Only a limited volume can upset active photographers internal memory, you will need to upload a collection of photos and videos often.

Software

Installed operating system Google Android 5.0 with TouchWiz shell. The latter has changed for the better, poisonous colors have disappeared, new operating modes have been added, a choice of themes and a lightweight mode have been added. A small amount of additional software is preinstalled.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge received additional settings side frames. The owner can display 5 favorite contacts, each of which is assigned a different color. At incoming call A smartphone with its screen facing the desktop will glow in the corresponding color.

Another interesting feature is the display of notifications in the side frame; these can be either messages or a news feed.

At night, you can display information about the current time and date. Due to the reduced power consumption when outputting black, this mode consumes a minimum amount of charge.

Corporate security, health services, and contactless payment services have not been forgotten. Unfortunately, Samsung Pay will not be supported in Russia.

Results on Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge was a significant step forward; in this generation of flagship, the emphasis was placed not only on characteristics, but also on design. The smartphone looks impressive, especially for the version with curved frames. Buyers are offered an excellent screen, a high level of performance, technologies to increase battery life, a successful combination of glass and metal, wireless charging, a fingerprint scanner, a high-quality camera, and no lags in games and applications. What you might not like here is the lack of support for a memory card, the non-separable case, the lack of moisture protection, and the soiledness of the case.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge receives the well-deserved Gold Award..

Samsung made a knight's move in 2015. She abandoned all the developments of previous years, gave her R&D (Research & Development) department a thrashing and decided to release really interesting smartphones. In past years, the Koreans tried to surprise us with the most powerful hardware and tried to make interesting software, but this year they seem to have been replaced - they put the design of the devices at the forefront, without losing a bit in the other components of success. And if the Samsung Galaxy S6 received a metal frame and glass on the front and back, then for another model, Korean developers came up with something exotic and hitherto unprecedented in the smart gadget industry.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge was a revelation with its curved display. Beautiful, bright, interesting, it amazed absolutely everyone with its smooth edges, and the display created incredible volume. But Samsung went further and, in parallel with the announcement of the Galaxy Note 5, which literally everyone was waiting for, they showed the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ - an enlarged version of its flagship with a 5.7-inch curved display, but without a stylus. A little later, Note 5 with the branded S Pen will be released on our market.

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ is not much different from a device without a plus in the name. In appearance, these two devices are difficult to distinguish from afar, but up close the difference in screen sizes and diagonals is noticeable: 5.7 inches versus 5.1. The screen resolution remains the same - Quad HD (or in numbers - 2560 by 1440). Otherwise, this is the same device, the same appearance, the same processors, however, the plus version has 1 gigabyte more memory (four gigabytes versus three for its younger brother). Naturally, the battery capacity has increased - 3000 mAh versus 2600 for the younger version.

In general, those who like a larger screen will choose the plus version, while others will be content with a smaller screen but a higher pixel density per inch.

As for the camera, there are no changes in the plus version. Samsung decided that the camera, which was recognized as successful, simply did not need to be changed in any way. We can say that the camera began to launch faster by a fraction of a second (0.6 seconds), but it is still the same unit with a Sony Exmor IMX240 sensor with a resolution of 16 megapixels, LED flash, f/1.9 aperture lens and optical image stabilization system . The fact that the unit remains the same is a plus of the device, since photographs for the entire S6 line are simply excellent for a smartphone. The front camera is simpler - a 5-megapixel sensor with fixed focus, also of very high quality.

If you've read my column about device leaks, you know that data from almost all flagships quickly appears online. In addition, Android devices first pass tests for the number of parrots, and from there we learn about the hardware of the new smartphone. Benchmark authors don't bother too much with privacy. The same thing happened with the new Samsung Galaxy S6. However, the appearance of the smartphone was not 100% leaked to the Internet, and at the presentation everyone was pleasantly surprised, if not by the filling, then by the body.

Until now, Samsung's flagships had to compete with Apple, and they succeeded in performance, but not in design. A top-end smartphone should be beautiful and flagship-like pretentious. Having overcome the curse of plastic, the Galaxy S line was transformed only this spring.

Samsung abandoned security and, frankly, terrible thick sides. In Galaxy S6 case metal is the head of everything. From it there is a frame around the perimeter and rear end housings. The front and back of the smartphone is covered with tempered glass Gorilla Glass 4. There seems to be an oleophobic coating on both sides, but because of the distinct marks on the rear non-removable cover, it seems that it is not there at all. The prints gather like rabbits on a box of carrots.

Of course, avid iPhone fans will see many similarities with the iPhone 6 in the features of the Korean flagship, but since everything went off without lawsuits, it means that the Cupertino team did not find plagiarism.

The button layout is classic. Spaced volume up/down buttons are on the left. Food and a tray with a hole for a paper clip are on the right.

The audio jack, speaker and microphone are on the bottom. Well, yes, everything is in Cupertino order. Only on the top edge is a proprietary infrared port and another noise-canceling microphone.

The case glass is absolutely straight, but when viewed from the front it seems that they are slightly rounded towards the sides. This optical illusion, together with the metal shimmering beautifully under the glass, looks very good. The dark blue color behaves like a chameleon, shifting from almost black to purple. However, other body colors also look very juicy. In a room without light, the color becomes matte, and in the light it has a metallic effect.

As we already said, Samsung got rid of the terrible plastic in the smartphone, but another bad habit remains. The hardware buttons are still located on the body, making them pressed at random in the dark. In addition, they always trigger falsely when held horizontally. We think it's time to move them to the bottom of the screen. And “teach” to change places, if it is more convenient for someone.

Fingerprint sensor moved to button and works more stable. In addition, you don’t need to swipe your finger, just touch it. True, the shape of the button forces you to move the smartphone in your hand if your finger is not recognized.

The Super AMOLED screen, as always, is pleasing to the eye. It has a resolution of 2560x1440 with a diagonal of 5.1 inches. Thus, the pixel density was 577 ppi. In the color rendering settings, you can traditionally choose between acidic, juicy and adaptive modes. Maximum The screen brightness has increased and amounted to 377 cd/m2. This is more than its predecessors, so readability is even better in bright light. However, the iPhone 6's screen was still brighter - 494 cd/m2. The minimum brightness of Samsung's sAMOLED screen, as always, is very low, and in dark rooms it will fundamentally not be able to blind you.

Galaxy S6 bombs all benchmarks and forces competitors to reach 70 thousand points in AnTuTu. This is not surprising, because Samsung this time abandoned versions with different processors. Only the Exynos 7420 chip is installed in it own development, made using a 14nm process technology. This chip has eight cores and operates in BigLittle mode: four Cortex-A53 cores and four Cortex A57 cores. Together with fast RAM The 3 GB smartphone is very productive.

You won't find brakes anywhere. The only discomfort will be the heating of the smartphone during simultaneous loads and charging. But with such thickness and a metal body, this is not surprising.

Thanks to the 4+4 processor architecture, optimization and various power saving modes, the autonomy of the Galaxy S6 was not affected. If you work hard with the Internet and calls, it will last for a working day. In addition, there is a function to quickly charge the battery in an hour.

There is also built-in wireless charging, which supports many models. So you can buy either a branded one from Samsung or use one from the same Lumia. By the way, Samsung has started collaborating with IKEA, so when buying another bedside table, you can choose a model with wireless charging.

The main camera of the Galaxy S6 is traditional shoots great photos and videos in Full HD and 4K. The camera interface is a bit simplified. There are few modes in the basic version, but additional ones can be downloaded. Advanced settings will be enabled in a separate mode.

True, the camera slightly yellows the photos. Our colleague takes photographs with an iPhone 6 in much more natural colors. It turned out to be a confrontation between Canon and Nikon. But we will talk about this in more detail in a separate article.

An important update was recycled shellTouchWiz. They removed menu items that, due to their abundance, could not be remembered. Now find desired setting it's really simpler.

The notification shade remains the same. It still doesn't show all the quick setup buttons, and we like the pure Android 5.0 version better. S Health has added motivational calls to set goals (walk more, do more, etc.). Now you can enter your food diary. The heart rate sensor is traditionally on the back of the case near the flash.

Along with the Galaxy S6, its relative was also presented - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. Which, as the name implies, stands out for its sensory edges. They can be seen from afar and now from both sides. The filling and all the features of the shell are the same, not counting the half-needed widgets for display on the side. Several functions related to call notifications have been added. For individual contacts, you can assign your own side edge color. We will tell you more about the Galaxy S6 edge in the following publications.

The new Galaxy S6 looks great. Samsung designers and engineers have worked their hardest. The use of glass and metal took design to a new level. The new processor has set a high bar for competitors. The ergonomics of the case are not only good, but also pleasant. True, there is still a problem with the buttons, but the traditionally high-quality screen and camera so far compensate for this shortcoming. And even though it turned out that the S6 bends easier than the iPhone, we don’t see this as a problem. It really is worth handling such a nice smartphone with care.

Samsung Galaxy S6
OS:	Android 5.0.2, TouchWiz shell
CPU:	Exynos 7420, 8 cores (4 cores A53, 4 cores A57), 2.1 GHz, 64 bit
Video accelerator:	MALI-T760
Memory + RAM:	32 GB + 3 GB LP DDR4
Cameras:
Main:	16 MP, OIS, True HDR, autofocus, F 1.9
Front:	5 megapixels
Communications:	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, mobile point access, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, infrared
Wireless charging/built-in:	Yes Yes
Battery:	Li-Ion 2550 mAh
Dimensions:	143.4×70.5×6.8 mm
Weight:	138 g
Provider:	Samsung Electronics Ukraine,
Price:	from $800
Grade:
+ case design and materials
+ very high performance
+ main camera operation
+ built-in wireless charging
— false positives of hardware buttons