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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
The Evolution of Samsung's Galaxy S Series is Near Complete
By Johnny Saigon®
Wow, what a difference a year makes. While last year's S5 took many steps in the right direction(being somewhat waterproof with better material and craftsmanship), it still wasn't there to make it a mouth-watering phone yet, like what HTC did when they first introduced their One M7, or whenever Apple introduces a new iPhone size. This year, Samsung has finally learned from both of their competitors, and made a phone that has all the good qualities of both, plus some of their own, specifically these "edges." - finally, this is the Galaxy S that you've always wanted and been dreaming of.
I LOVE my S6 Edge! When the Note Edge first came out, I thought that was the spiffiest thing ever. Not just that single edge on the screen, but also that lovely design and form factor - it was just a BEAUTIFUL phone. Now with the S6, I get twice the edge, in a smaller form factor that's a lot easier to handle and use.
* The very first thing you notice when you handle the phone, is its new design and form factor - finally Samsung has completed their transformation of getting rid of all that ugly plastic parts. Now it is just all glass and metal, and now it is truly beautiful. The metal fully wraps around the edges ofthe phone. The back is beautiful, the sides are beautiful - heck, even the buttons are beautiful. It feels great in the hand, and oozes style and sophistication. And specifically, the S6 Edge is just the coolest-looking phone by far. The S6 regular might be the best functioning/overall phone right now, but to add another $100-130 to obtain something that is so unique and cool is a worthy sacrifice to me. The edges make the phone feel very angular in your hands, but I think it provides better grip, and you can get used to it very easily. Besides, most of us will cover it with a case anyways, so it should not be an issue.
* The very next thing you notice, of course, is the screen. I am continually pleasantly surprised at the evolution of Samsung's AMOLED technology - it has now became the best screen in the industry, hands down. I used to defend the LCD technology of the HTC M7, and at that point it was in fact overall superior to the Samsung S4 because the AMOLED then had issues in the sun, and color reproduction(it was too saturated and not natural). But now, they have fixed those issues, and the S6's screen is just quite simply the best. If you don't believe it, just compare an LG/Samsung OLED TV to any LED TVs today.
I still think 5.1 inches for a screen of a PHONE is still too big, but overall, for what smartphones represent nowadays, it is acceptable - we have conditioned ourselves to accept the bigger sizes of smartphones(I remember when I first held a 4.2" smartphone when it first came out - the HTC HD2 - and thought, "what the h3ll is this monstrosity??").
* It doesn't hurt that Samsung boosted up the resolution to 1440 x 2560 pixels, which is approximately 577 ppi in pixel density. Although this is quite overkill right now, it's always nice to have the latest and greatest technology - that's the reason why we buy these overpriced phones in the first place, isn't it? It is also very bright, and sunlit legibility is excellent. Color reproduction is quite accurate, and like the S5, you can choose different color modes to suit your liking.
* An important aspect to discuss is the battery life, now more than ever because there is no removable back cover to make replacing the battery easily like before, not to mention there is no microSD slot for you to add memory space to your phone. Comparatively, the S6 Edge is supposed to last a little less than the S6 regular, which I've read is less than last year's S5. But I'm one of those who are always around a charger, and I always carry external battery packs in my backpack when I travel, so that's never a concern. Seriously, who even buys an extra battery anymore - which you can only use for a single specific phone model - when your external battery can charge ANY and ALL phones and tablets?? This scenario only makes sense if your work is so demanding that you don't have extra time to charge the phone, and need to swap batteries IMMEDIATELY. I don't think that scenario is realistic nowadays when external batteries are so small, light, and cheap nowadays.
My S6 Edge goes from 100% at 10 am to about 20% at 10 pm with moderate use - so no complaints there. I get home, plug it up, and there are no issues.
* What's better this year, is the wireless charging standards are already built into the phone, so you can just buy a charging pad for about $50 and feel even more cool.
* The missing microSD expansion issue is a legitimate concern, since everyone loves to store their music, videos/movies, and all their apps in their phones. Now, you have to be selective and choose what to include or not. But I also have a Samsung Tab Pro, so I put my videos and games in their, while my phone carries my music and apps. This situation is perfect for me when I travel, and would only be a deal-breaker for people who always want to hoard everything in their phone.
* The Samsung user interface called TouchWiz used to be bloated and sluggish. It would slow down(navigating throughout the phone, switching between apps, and using the apps themselves) once you start installing more and more apps and put more and more shortcuts and widgets on the home screens. Worse, they would cram all their Samsung apps on you, which for the most part are inferior to their Google counterparts. They came preinstalled, and uninstallable - you can only downgrade and disable them, but you can't take them off completely. Now, with the new TouchWiz working in conjunction with Google 5.0 Lollipop, things are a lot smoother and faster. There are also fewer of those Samsung apps - now you have the option of downloading them, but they no longer come pre-installed and wasting your space, which is now more precious than ever.
* Another "con" is that the S6 family is no longer IP67 water-proof/dust-proof like the S5 family anymore. That is quite a bummer as that was a huge relief for those times when we regret certain actions to our phones but could get away with it. Now, we have to go back to being extra careful.
* Finally, the camera: It is great, what can I say? This area of technology will keep continuing to progress and advance for the next 5-10 years at least, but we have already came so far. I would go as far to say that besides dedicated DSLR cameras, you would not find better compact cameras like these for under $500 from a dedicated camera. And to have it be already included in your phone is quite amazing, when you really think about it. This year, it even includes optical image stabilization, which you can see actually working as you pan/tilt/shake the camera. I used to buy $300-500 super-zoom point-and-shoot cameras for my travels back in the days of 7-8 years ago, and they didn't come out half as good as what this camera can do. And there are built-in enhancements and edits that you can do straight from the camera that are quite robust and powerful.
So, why did I say the evolution is near complete, and not yet? Well, besides the theoretical ideal that nothing is perfect, to the practical ideal like things like the camera continue to improve for the foreseeable future, I felt that while Samsung took some big strides forward, they also took some steps back. For instance, by making it non-plastic, they open themselves to being less experienced in sealing it up, so they couldn't make it waterproof anymore. In the same vein, they can no longer make the back plate removable to replace the battery(although it is not impossible - you can actually get around it, but then you would negate Samsung's warranty). And I'm guessing they didn't have enough research time in the metal production assembly good enough to include holes for the microSD slot.
So what can they practically improve on to make this as near perfect as possible? Make it waterproof like before(or better), and if you can't make the back plate removable, then improve on the battery life, and allow for the microSD expansion slot. And keep improving on TouchWiz, and get the Google updates out quicker. Once those are set - and because we know you will always continue to improve on the processor(phone power and graphics power), the screen(resolution, image quality, color reproduction, brightness, sunlight legibility), and the camera, next year's edition should make it as near-perfect as possible for the S family, and maybe then after that you can start a whole new phone family, and bring out those bendable/rollable screen technologies we know you're already working on, or something even more outrageous.
So overall, while there are certain niggles which make this phone take a step back, there are enough advances to make this a true 5-star phone. However,this 128GB version is valued at about $1,100-1,150 in the open market, so I would recommend you waiting a little while so the prices can settle. And if you don't really need the international version, but want to still be able to use it overseas, yet don't want to be stuck in a contract, then buy from one of the big GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile and pay for the whole phone up front. Since the phone is not under contract then, you could call customer service and ask them for an unlock code so you can use the phone overseas. :)
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Amazing Flagship of a Phone.... Rivals iPhone in every way!
By DT
Disclaimer : This review is for the Galaxy S6 EDGE in General.
The new Samsung Galaxy S6 EDGE is in many ways, a giant leap in improvement and innovation for this Flagship series. It brings together elements which I love about the iPhone (refined metal and glass build quality, responsive fingerprint reader, and elegant design) and elements I love about Samsung phones (Super-Amoled Screen Technology, Innovative design such as the curved screen edges, and wireless charging) and combines them into one phone. There are things from the last iteration of this flagship series (S5) that did not migrate into this new version though… and I do miss them. Among these features that are lost are the removable battery, expandable memory (micro-SD expansion capability), and waterproof design. I’m guessing that the water-proof design will at least show up in the S6 Active version of this phone if they make one (and it’s pretty likely they will). I’m also guessing that Samsung will perhaps bring the removable battery and micro-sd expansion back in the future Galaxy S7 perhaps.
Even when considering the features that were lost, I have to admit that I really dig this phone. It is really aesthetically pleasing, and a joy to hold in one’s hands. It’s also darn fast… like zero lag fast! And the curved Super High Resolution 5.1” Screen with 1440 x 2560 pixels (~577 ppi pixel density) is amazing to behold. If you haven’t had a chance to see the phone at a retail store or at your carrier store… I’d highly recommend checking it out. I tested this phone out with my Qi wireless charging mat and it worked great too! So no need to buy Samsung’s fancy (and expensive) charging mat. You can just buy an inexpensive Qi Standard Mat and you’re good to go. The fingerprint reader is also a joy to use. You no longer need to swipe your thumb down (like previously on the S5), you simply press your thumb down on the sensor and it unlocks almost instantly… exactly like on the iphone fingerprint sensors. Overall, I am really loving this phone. I’m really happy that Samsung finally upped the build quality of their Flagship phone… it is honestly better than the build quality of the current iphones because making a curved (Amoled) screen phone is immensely challenging and Apple can’t quite compete with it at this time. Of course, this is partly due to the fact that Samsung is at the cutting edge of Amoled screen tech which Apple is only beginning to utilize (in its smart watch). It will be interesting to see if Apple will utilize Amoled screen technology in their next generation of phones and/or tablets. But that discussion is for another day. Today, I will definitely recommend this phone to anyone who is in the market for a cutting edge phone who doesn’t mind too much the omission of a removable battery and expandable memory.
PROS:
-Beautifully Sharp Screen
-Nice form factor.
-High build quality
-Super fast and responsive with zero lag time
-Fantastic Camera Quality and Video quality… can shoot up to 3840x2160 UHD Video!
-Unique curved Amoled screen design is unique. Super hi-resolution as well.
-Finger-Print Sensor works great! …Very similar to iPhone finger-print sensor.
-Samsung Music player has great MP3 sound output.
-The “sapphire black” colored version of this phone has a great subtle dark blue hue to it.
-The lowest tier of capacity they offer is 32GB … which is awesome. The 16GB standard capacity should have been ditched long ago.
-Slow motion video capture function.
-Built-in Wireless charging is compatible with Both leading standards “Qi” and “Powermat”.
CONS:
-No Expandable Memory
-Not water-proof (like previous S5)
-No removable Battery
Special Note for the Fanboys:
FYI: I’ve owned many iphones and Galaxy phones in the past. I love both iOs and Android. I believe both operating systems are excellent. I don’t believe anyone should limit themselves to just one OS or manufacturer. Diversity is the spice of life… is it not? Try all the flavors, it’s more fun that way '
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Very nice version of a galaxy that really stands out!!
By Justin Blackburn
The choice to go with Glass and Aluminum makes this phone's appearance and quality appear to be much better than previous models. The button layout is still the same as older Galaxy models but the button presses now have a reassuring click. The frame is still similar to the other styles as it remains curved. The back gorilla glass is not removable and no longer allows for additional storage or easy battery replacements. The camera sticks out quiet a bit and creates a noticeable bulge on the back of the phone. The glass crystal that should protect the camera is not as strong as the sapphire module found on the iPhone line. The S6 is so lightweight and has a slight slippery feel to it. These are some of my first impressions, but I will break it down more in the rest of the review.
Display:
The 5.1 inch display is a good size for those who don't want a huge phone, but want a nice size screen. It's a quad-HD 2560X1440 resolution which works out to be 577 pixels per square inch. It has a wonderful display with deep blacks and highly vivid colors. You can always change the saturation to tune the color to your preference. It's incredible to watch with it's 2K resolution. The game play on this is awesome as the screen comes to life. It's bright enough to view in outside sunlight, although you get some glare on the screen. The screen is very sensitive to touch, but that's not always a bad thing.
Hardware:
The processor Exynos 7420 2.1ghz of performance with 3gb ram minimizes lag with lighting fast reactions from one task to the next. Mali graphics processor really enhances game play. The S6 is missing any expansion slots for external micro sd cards. The base storage for this phone is 32gb, with 64gb and 128gb available as a separate model. It's not upgradeable and you've got to decide what storage needs you have before purchase. It does have the best speakers Samsung has ever put out in the past. They are bottom facing speakers and don't give you as much sound as a rear or forward facing speaker would, but it does have a clear loud sound. The S6 has a much better heart rate monitor than other galaxy's, because of the placement of it. The finger print sensor is now a press type not a swipe type. It works much better than previous models. You can wake the phone while pressing and it unlocks the phone quickly when done as one motion.
Battery:
The battery is smaller than before at 2600mAh. It should be good for all day for most users. However some users may find it needing to be charged during the day. The s6 does support wireless charging. You can set power saving modes at different battery levels to help you get all day on a single charge. Power saving mode will reduce screen brightness, limit CPU performance, reduced frame rate, turn off touch key light, disable vibration and reduce time before the time is turned off after notifications. I really wish they would have improved the battery and given it a bigger battery capacity. This is potentially the biggest disappointment with the phone for me as I am a heavy user.
Camera:
The 16 megapixel camera on the back is an improvement as well as the 5 megapixel front facing camera. The camera has a Pro mode which adds extra features and effects. The ability to adjust the focus of a shot is great, you can even change it after the fact. It has good low light photo taking ability with both cameras. Video is available is slow mode as well as 4K, but you cannot benefit from HDR as you would in 1080p. HDR auto appears to be to light when you view your photographs. It does create stunning photos in regular lighting conditions. It features motion tracking and auto focus and keeps the image steady with out tapping the screen to refocus. This is the best camera on a Samsung model to date.
Software:
Touch wiz works flawlessly and the OS seems smooth thanks to the new hardware. Wiz no longer has those annoying sounds, just simple clicks. The setting screen is now decluttered and simpler to use. The lollipop layout allows for your multi task bar to be accessed easier. You can create multi layer screens with floating icons. The S6 now features themes that can be easily applied to your home screen to customize the look. It is clearly the smoothest running Touch Wiz version produced to date.
Samsung is finally producing what we all desire and will be highly sought after by die hard Samsung buyers. A few things really turned me off like subpar battery performance and the lack of expandable storage via a micro-sd card, but in the end you gotta take the bad with the good, and there is clearly plenty of good here. I guess i'll always be hoping for a little more but am thankful for what is offered.
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