Beauty Personified

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is a work of art. The Gold Platinum version we received, in particular, looked especially stunning. The Gold Platinum Galaxy S6 edge is certainly a smartphone that stands out from the crowd, and is unlikely to be mistaken for something else.

Detractors will point out that the only real difference is the curved edge on both sides of the screen, but they do really make a big difference in how it looks and feels. Despite being a little thicker than the Galaxy S6, it looks slimmer and more elegant. Whenever we bring out the two Galaxy S6 models for people to try, they will all reach out for the Galaxy S6 edge first.

When you turn it on, you will be blown away by its Super AMOLED display. Apple may have "invented" the demand for high-resolution displays (which they dubbed "Retina HD displays") but Samsung has one-upped them with the Galaxy S6 edge. Take a look.

If you compare these smartphones side-by-side, there is no doubt that the Super AMOLED screen is far superior to the IPS display (as excellent as that may be). It is not only super bright, it can deliver true black, which results in an infinite contrast ratio. To top it off, the Super AMOLED display is protected by the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which is not only tougher but also thinner than Gorilla Glass 3.

Looks Are Deceiving

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is slightly taller and wider than the Apple iPhone 6, but they managed to pack in a significantly larger 5.1" display. This is partly due to much narrower bezel and the flatter fingerprint sensor / Home button on the Galaxy S6 edge. This gives you a 18% larger display area with 3.68X more pixels in a form factor that allows for single-handed use.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is actually slightly thicker than the slab-sided Galaxy S6, but it looks slimmer because of its curved edges.

How Does It Feel In The Hand?

As pretty as they may be, the thinner edges of the Galaxy S6 edge make it harder for some users to grip. In our survey of those who tried it out, just under half of those surveyed preferred it to the Galaxy S6. Some felt that the thinner edge allowed their fingers to wrap around more of the Galaxy S6 edge than would have been possible with the regular Galaxy S6, while others felt that the thin edge was uncomfortable to grip. Even those who prefer the grip would find themselves accidentally triggering an app whenever their fingers wrapped around too much and activate the touch screen.

Another thing users would notice is that it is harder to feel for the buttons on the sides of the Galaxy S6 edge. This is because the thin edges merge closely with the buttons. Aesthetically, this is more pleasing, but tactilely, it is harder to differentiate the side buttons from the thin edges, compared to the more slab-sided Galaxy S6.

The two buttons on the left are the volume control buttons, which double as the physical shutter button for the front and rear cameras (when they are activated). The single button on the right is the Power button. A long press will give you quick access to four options - Power Off, Flight Mode, Restart and the Emergency Mode.

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