South Korean manufacturer announced an improved version of the curved flagship smartphone GalaxyS6edge -GalaxyS6edge +.He got a much larger screen. This can be seen in the comparative photo. But what other surprises did she give him Samsung? Let's find it out right now.

1 - size

The first thing that catches your eye when comparing two phones lying side by side is the changed dimensions. New variant GalaxyS6edge +gained height and width, but at the same time was able to become slightly narrower than the original version.

The overall dimensions look like this: 154; 76; 6.9 mm y GalaxyS6edge +against142; 70.7 mm y GalaxyS6edge.

2 - weight

Of course, this also affected the weight of the new device. The extended version now weighs 153 grams versus 132 for its predecessor.

3 - the structure of the body and cover

Nothing has changed in the body and lid material. Still aluminum, still Gorilla Glass 4 on the non-removable lid. There is no such thing that a version marked with + is suddenly started to be made from something else. So the designers here rest in peace, enjoying a well-done previous work.

4 - color palette

Remained and the classic black and white body colors. Also, both options have gold. And in order to somehow differ, the new phone with a curved display received a silver color, and the old one differs from the entire line. Galaxy green.

5 - display

You can clearly see that the new display has become much larger. More precisely, by 20 percent. 5.7 inches received GalaxyS6edge +.This is the size of a great phablet that can easily replace a mini tablet. GalaxyS6edgehas 5.1 inches, which is also not bad, but not so catchy.

But in the screen resolution and display type, nothing has changed. The QHD screen has 2560 by 1440 pixels. The display type is oleophobic, or AMOLED, as the buyer is more accustomed to seeing on the product box. Only the pixel density has changed. From 577 units to 518. That is, the picture has become less sharp, but it is hardly noticeable to the eye at this resolution.

Of course, there were also curved displays, which are usually called "triple". Samsung also did not add support for the S Pen stylus, so that the model does not compete with another product of the company - the Note 5 phablet.

6 - processor

The processor remains the same. For almost six months Samsung did not manage to release a more advanced chip than that of Exynos 7420... This octa-core 64-bit chip operates at 2.1 and 1.5 GHz frequencies and allows the battery to last much longer than the opponents.

7 - RAM

The update lies in the fact that the new version has received the maximum possible at the moment for smartphones 4 GB of RAM. The original version has "only" 3 GB. Support for multitasking just got better.

8 - internal memory

In order not to increase the cost of the extended version of the smartphone with a curved display, Samsung had to abandon the 128 GB version for sale. Then it would cost almost as much as meaningless branded phones. And the South Korean manufacturer prefers cutting edge and affordable. Micro SD card support was not added either. It will slow down the device as Samsung switched to a new type of flash memory, which offers improved performance.

9 - cameras

The cameras remain the same. 16 megapixels for the main camera, 5 megapixels for the front. Support for automatic digital stabilization is included.

10 - battery

The new growth and width (even despite the thinner body) allowed Samsung to solve the main problem of the flagship - to supply a more capacious battery. The new smartphone received 3000 mAh, while the previous version had only 2600 mAh. A few extra hours of work will not hurt the device.

The batteries are still non-removable, have fast charging capabilities and support wireless charging.

11 - other

Both devices support the company's instant mobile payments - Samsung Mobile Pay. Both also still have a heart rate sensor. But the new phablet also received support for an additional qwerty keyboard from Blackberry. The device clings to the case and you can type quickly with both fingers if you miss the physical buttons on your phone.

12 - software

Latest version Android 5.1.1 stands on both smartphones running a proprietary shell from Samsung.

13 - release, price and withdrawal

The first version of the smartphone with a curved display on both sides entered the market in April 2015 and is offered for $ 750. The extended version will appear in late August 2015 for $ 800. For those for whom the difference of $ 50 does not matter (and for everyone else), of course, we recommend the extended version. It has no drawbacks other than the lack of a 128GB storage option. And the huge display of this device can easily replace any tablet. And even tablets that will be released next year will not compare with GalaxyS6edge + by performance.

One of the most attractive and powerful models of the new season

Along with the updated model of the flagship smartphone Galaxy S6, the Korean company Samsung presented last spring its more unusual modification called the Galaxy S6 Edge. This model is unusual precisely for its screen: developing the theme begun once in the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, there is also a side bend of the display and, accordingly, of the front glass itself. Only, unlike its predecessor, here the curl is present on both sides, the glass in this case is symmetrical. At the same time, the back side, also covered by a glass panel, remains absolutely flat, which introduces a slight dissonance, but at the same time, some freshness in the design.

In addition to its eye-catching design, the new flagship Galaxy S6 lineup boasts Samsung's industry-leading in-house hardware platform, delivering superior performance yet unmatched by competing solutions. All in all, the new Galaxy S6 series smartphones are a great combination of beauty and power. We have already analyzed the basic and more familiar “flat” version in the corresponding review, now it’s time to carefully examine its “curved” modification. It should be noted that the two Galaxy S6 models are similar in most parameters and characteristics, so a lot in this review will seem familiar to our readers who have not missed the Samsung Galaxy S6 review.

Video review

To get started, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone:

Now let's take a look at the characteristics of the new item.

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S6 (model SM-G925F)

	Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge	HTC One M9	Meizu MX4	Lg g4	Nexus 6
Screen	5.1 ″, Super AMOLED	5 ″, S-LCD 3	5.36 ″, IPS	5.5 ″, IPS	5.96 ″, AMOLED
Resolution	2560 × 1440, 577 ppi	1920 × 1080, 441 ppi	1920 × 1152, 418 ppi	2560 × 1440, 538 ppi	2560 × 1440, 493 ppi
SoC	Exynos 7420 (4x Cortex-A57 @ 2.1GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.5GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (4x Cortex-A57 @ 2.0GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.5GHz)	Mediatek MT6595 Octa-core (4x Cortex-A17 @ 2.2GHz & 4x Cortex-A7 @ 1.7GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (2x Cortex-A57 @ 1.8GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.5GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (4-core Krait 450 @ 2.7 GHz)
GPU	Mali-T760	Adreno 430	PowerVR G6200	Adreno 418	Adreno 420
RAM	3 GB	3 GB	2 GB	3 GB	3 GB
Flash memory	32/64/128 GB	32 GB	16/32/64 GB	32 GB	32/64 GB
Memory card support	—	microSD	—	microSD	—
operating system	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 5.1	Google Android 5.0
Battery	non-removable, 2600 mAh	non-removable, 2840 mAh	non-removable, 3100 mAh	removable, 3000 mAh	non-removable, 3220 mAh
Cameras	main (16 Mp; video 4K), front (5 Mp)	main (20.7 Mp; 4K video), front (2 Mp)	main (20.7 Mp; video 4K), front (2 Mp)	main (16 MP; 4K video), front (8 MP)	main (13 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP)
Dimensions and weight	142 x 70 x 7 mm, 132 g	145 x 70 x 9.6 mm, 157 g	144 x 75 x 8.9 mm, 147 g	149 x 76 x 9.8mm, 155g	159 x 83 x 10.1 mm, 184 grams
average price	T-12259971	T-12259334	T-11036319	N / A	T-11153512
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (32GB) offers	L-12259971-10

• SoC Exynos 7420 (64-bit), two clusters of four processor cores: ARM Cortex-A57 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 1.5 GHz
• GPU Mali-T760
• Operating system Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Touchscreen Dual Edge Super AMOLED-display, 5.1 ″, 2560 × 1440
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB LPDDR4
• Internal memory 32, 64 or 128 GB
• No microSD card slot
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Max 4G LTE Cat6 data rate up to 300Mbps
• Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 / 5 GHz) HT80 MIMO, Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
• Infrared, USB OTG
• GPS / A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Position, proximity, lighting, barometer, fingerprint sensor, Hall and heart rate sensors
• Camera 16 MP (F1.9), optical stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (F1.9), front
• Battery 2600 mAh, non-removable
• Wireless charging support
• Dimensions 142 x 70 x 7 mm
• Weight 132 g

Appearance and usability

You can praise or criticize the new design of the updated line of top-end smartphones of Koreans, someone liked it (and there are really a lot of such people), someone is not happy with such drastic changes (and they can also be understood), but the fact remains: the company's designers have made a giant leap in quality and have managed to raise the image component of their products to a completely different level. According to their clothes, as they say, they meet, and this very "clothes" of the new smartphones of the Korean company is now, if not chic, then expensive and catchy for sure. From glossy and metal-like plastic, the developers have finally moved on to truly respectable premium materials such as tempered glass and real metal, and I must say they did it.

Aside from the obsessive thought that the design option, which implies two glass halves of the case, connected by a metal rim, is not that not new, but even very badly beaten and jaded (before Samsung, it seems that most manufacturers have tried it in their products from Sony to Huawei), then such changes in the appearance of the popular line of smartphones can only be welcomed. Smartphones Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge definitely began to look more solid, expensive, impressive, and even somewhere noble. In any case, now these devices look quite decent in any, even the most expensive environment.

As for ergonomics, in this case it fades into the background and modestly falls silent - now they did not give her a word. Against the background of admiration for the beauty and quality of workmanship, users somehow try not to think that glass is a rather fragile material that easily cracks when dropped on a hard surface, and that thin metal edges, coupled with smooth glass panels in Samsung Galaxy The S6 Edge is so slippery that it's scary to take your smartphone out of your pocket on the street. Perhaps it is the S6 Edge with its rounded glass and refined sides that can rightfully be called the most slippery smartphone of our time.

In pursuit, it is also worth noting that everyone who first took the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge in their hands (in the off state) wanted to turn it over in their hand, turning the device upside down, and take the curved front panel with sloping sides in the palm of your hand, because it would be more convenient.

Otherwise, there are no complaints about the external structure of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge case: the smartphone is not so large in size when compared with many modern tablet phones, it easily fits in a hand of an average size, the weight and thickness of the case are comfortable. The assembly raises no objections, everything is well-fitted, although perfectionists have already noted the fact that all the elements on the case, such as buttons, microphone holes, speaker grilles and connectors for cards, the developers managed to place crookedly relative to the central axis. Nor is it delightful that most of the surface, apart from the thin metal side frame, turned out to be extremely brand - glasses on both sides are instantly covered with fingerprints, which annoys many. On the other hand, hiding such beauty in a case is somehow blasphemous, you have to put up, at least at first.

As for the aforementioned hardware controls, their location on the case is as follows: the power and lock button has logically taken its rightful place in the upper half of the right side edge, the volume keys are symmetrically located on the opposite edge. It should be noted that for the first time in Samsung they threw away the last constraints and broke the same volume rocker into two separate buttons - now, on this point, Korean smartphones are indistinguishable from Apple iPhone.

The grill of the main speaker is made in the form of an array of round holes and is logically placed at the bottom end. This part of the case is loaded with elements to the eyeballs: in addition to the speaker grill, there are also Micro-USB connectors and an audio output for a headphone minijack (3.5 mm). These elements, as mentioned above, unlike the iPhone, for some reason turned out to be displaced relative to the central longitudinal axis, which looks somehow sloppy and unfinished.

On the opposite upper end, in addition to a small IrDA window and an auxiliary microphone hole, there is a slot for a Nano-SIM SIM card. The card slides, which are somehow undignifiedly made of plastic, are habitually removed by pressing the secret button with a key or paper clip. A slot for a second SIM card, as well as for a memory card, is not provided in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone.

The front of the smartphone is completely covered with Gorilla Glass 4. To the left of the earpiece grill you can see the notification LED, its large dot shines in different colors, indicating the charging status and incoming events. The indicator can be controlled through the corresponding section of the settings.

In the lower part under the screen, there is an oval mechanical key and two touch buttons on either side of it. The touch buttons have a bright white backlight. A fingerprint scanner is integrated into the center key, which has undergone some changes for the better. Now you do not need to slide your finger over it - a simple touch is enough, it is more convenient than the option implemented in previous models of the series.

The device has support for wireless charging, compatible with WPC 1.1 (output power 4.6 W) and PMA 1.0 (4.2 W). The smartphone has no protection against dust and moisture, there is no strap attachment on the case either.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, like its "flat" sibling, the regular S6, comes in several vibrant body colors, and unlike the regular S6, only the curved version has a green color scheme in the assortment, branded as "Noble Emerald" ... Perhaps the element of novelty and surprise plays a role here, but it was this iridescent greenish tint that attracted the most public attention. Many of those who prefer the regular version of the Galaxy S6 even regret that the green version is not available to them. In addition to green, the Galaxy S6 Edge is available in black (dark blue), white and gold color options.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is equipped with a Super AMOLED touchscreen protected by Gorilla Glass 4, which has been specially shaped with curved edges (Dual Edge). It should be noted that despite the physical curvature of the screen, there are, nevertheless, no separate side matrices on the bevels, as was the case with the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. That is, the display here is a single whole, although with the help of software, the curved edges of the screen can really carry additional load, acting as separate side mini-displays.

The physical dimensions of the display are 63 × 113 mm, the diagonal is 5.1 inches. The screen resolution in dots is 2560 × 1440, so the dot density is very high at 577 ppi.

The bezel around the screen is rather thin: the distance from the edge of the case to the edge of the screen from the sides is about 3 mm. It should be noted that it is this frame that accounts for most of the curved surface of the glass - the screen itself bends quite a bit, only a couple of millimeters around its edges. The concern of some users about accidentally clicking on the curved edges of the display that are right under the fingers has not been confirmed. It is possible to feel some inconvenience and achieve accidental clicks only during special experiments, and in ordinary life, unintended clicks were practically not noticed.

The brightness of the display has manual and automatic adjustment, the latter is based on the operation of the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that locks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to handle 10 simultaneous touches.

Alexey Kudryavtsev, editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, carried out a detailed examination using measuring instruments. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. (However, in addition to the bend to the edges, we also note some smoothed unevenness of the outer surface.) Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are not worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, then they can be distinguished by their size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is slightly darker (brightness according to photos is 93 versus 96 for the Nexus 7, glare curled edges are excluded from the tested screen) and does not have a pronounced shade. Note that reflections from bright objects on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge display have a faint bluish halo more pronounced laterally. The doubling of reflected objects on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass / air) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. The outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but it seems a little worse than the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower speed than in the case of regular glass ...

When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 340 cd / m², the minimum was 1.4 cd / m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case the smaller the white area on the screen, the lighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, readability in the daytime in the sun should be at a fairly good level (we did not have the opportunity to check the possibilities). The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device without any problems even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the slot of the front speaker). You can make adjustments to how this function works by moving the setting slider. Further, for three conditions, we give the screen brightness values \u200b\u200bfor three values \u200b\u200bof this setting - for 0%, 50% and 100%. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 1.4, 6.5 and 15 cd / m2, respectively (the first and second are too dark, the third is normal), in an office illuminated with artificial light (about 400 lux), the brightness is set to 50 , 130 and 250 cd / m² (darkish - just right - a little bright, which corresponds to the specified correction), in a brightly lit environment (corresponds to illumination on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) - increases to 340 cd / m² regardless of the position of the slider. This value is equal to the maximum with manual adjustment. If we increase the brightness of the ambient light (in the area of \u200b\u200bthe light sensor) somewhere up to hundreds of thousands of lux (corresponds to direct sunlight), then the screen brightness rises to 550 cd / m². This brightness should definitely be enough for the image on the screen to be well distinguished in any natural conditions. In general, the result of the automatic brightness control function is as expected. At any brightness level, there is significant modulation at 237.5 Hz. The figure below shows the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time (horizontal axis) for several values \u200b\u200bof brightness adjustment:

It can be seen that at the maximum brightness and close to it, the modulation amplitude is not very large, as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases, modulation appears with a large relative amplitude. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in the test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, such flickering can cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full color image is created with subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a micrograph:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs of screens used in mobile technology.

In the fragment above, you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), while repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without gaps and overlaps. For such matrices, Samsung has introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer considers the screen resolution for green subpixels, for the other two it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is close to the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen and some other newer Samsung devices (and not only) with AMOLED screens. This PenTile RGBG version is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and green subpixel stripes. Nevertheless, some uneven contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they have minimal impact on image quality.

The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color is just black at all angles. So black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed from perpendicular view, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. For comparison, here are the photos on which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (profile AMOLED movie) and the second comparison participant displayed the same images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m2, and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. White field:

Note the excellent uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field (except for the darkening and hue change towards the curved edges). And the test picture (profile Main):

The color rendition is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens is slightly different. Note that in this case the picture occupies in height (with this screen orientation) the entire area available for displaying the image and goes over the curved edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which further interferes when viewing images displayed in full screen. And even the picture of films with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 goes to the folds, which greatly interferes with watching a movie. The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Main in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and the surrounding conditions, which is obtained by selecting the two remaining profiles shown below.

AMOLED movie:

Saturation and color contrast are noticeably increased.

AMOLED Photo:

The saturation is still high, but the color contrast is closer to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile AMOLED movie). White box:

The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid severe darkening, the shutter speed is increased compared to previous photos), but in the case of Samsung, the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge screen visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device at least from a slight angle. And the test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness at the Samsung angle is noticeably higher. The switching of the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the turn-on front there may be a step approximately 17 ms wide (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 59 Hz). For example, this is how the dependence of brightness on time looks like when switching from black to white and vice versa:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some "jerky" movements.

For profiles AMOLED Photo and Main the gamma curve plotted at 32 points with equal intervals by the numerical value of the shade of gray did not reveal any blockage in highlights or shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 2.39, which is higher than the standard value of 2.2 (therefore the image is slightly darkened) , while the real gamma curve slightly deviates from the power-law dependence (the captions in parentheses show the exponent of the approximating power-law function and the coefficient of determination):

For profile AMOLED movie The gamma curve has a pronounced S-shaped character, which increases the visible contrast of the image, but in the shadows the distinguishable shades are preserved.

Recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images. As a result, the obtained dependence of brightness on the hue (gamma curve), most likely, does not correspond a little to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of gray shades on almost the entire screen.

Color gamut in case of profile AMOLED movie very wide, it almost covers Adobe RGB coverage:

When choosing a profile AMOLED Photo coverage is compressed to Adobe RGB boundaries:

When choosing a profile Main coverage is compressed almost to the sRGB borders:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In case of a profile Main with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that normal sRGB-optimized images appear unnaturally saturated on screens with wide color gamut without proper color correction. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photographs and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Main, and only if the photo was taken on the Adobe RGB setting, it makes sense to switch the profile to AMOLED Photo... Profile AMOLED movie, despite the name, the least suitable for watching movies and anything else.

The gray scale balance is good. Color temperature in profile AMOLED movie above 6500 K, in the other two it is close to 6500 K, while this parameter does not change very much in a significant part of the gray scale, which improves the visual perception of the color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units for most of the gray scale, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, but the fluctuations in this parameter are already large:

(In most cases, the darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a high maximum brightness and has good anti-reflective properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. It is permissible (and in bright light it is necessary) to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include a good oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance (when choosing the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), excellent uniformity of the white field, noticeably less than that of LCDs, a drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. The disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness. Users who are particularly sensitive to flicker may experience fatigue as a result. However, the overall screen quality is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, there is only harm from curved edges, since this design find introduces very noticeable color tone distortions and reduces brightness at the edges of the picture, and also leads in ambient light conditions to inevitable glare at least along one long side screen.

Sound

The sound of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is more than decent, the device sounds like a true flagship of the highest level should sound. Despite the absence of stereo speakers, the sound, nevertheless, the device emits very loud, saturated with the entire spectrum of frequencies, including low ones. At the maximum volume level, distortion was almost not noticed, wheezing too. The smartphone sounds really nice, there are no complaints at all. The speaker grill is brought out to the bottom end, so that the sound does not overlap when the smartphone is lying on a hard surface. In the conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.

With headphones, the smartphone also sounds at the level of modern flagships; for playing melodies, a branded player with the maximum number of settings is used as standard. All sound effects are united by a technology called SoundAlive - although some of them are available only with connected headphones. The same goes for the sound optimization function. For manual adjustments, an equalizer with preset values \u200b\u200bis available, as well as separate controls for bass and treble.

Traditionally, there was no FM radio in the standard configuration of the smartphone, but there is a dictaphone. In addition to the standard mode, the dictaphone also has specific "interviews" and "voice notes" - all of this is already familiar to us from the previous models of the series. The smartphone cannot record telephone conversations from the line.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 16 and 5 megapixels. The front camera is equipped with a 5-megapixel module with a lens with an aperture of f / 1.9, video shoots with a maximum resolution of QHD (2560 × 1440). You can shoot with the front camera without touching the screen, using an outstretched palm gesture or a voice command. You can also take your own self-portrait by tapping your finger on the heart rate sensor on the back of your smartphone.

The main 16-megapixel camera has an f / 1.9 aperture lens, tracking autofocus, optical image stabilization (OIS) and a single LED flash. There is an opinion that sensors from different manufacturers can be used in different copies of the same model - both Sony IMX240 and Samsung ISOCELL. Quick launch of the camera is possible by double-clicking on the central hardware key under the screen.

Camera settings are combined into a long scroll, in addition to the usual automatic mode and manual settings, here you can also select panoramic, selective focus mode, as well as fast and slow motion video modes. Added an unusual so-called virtual shooting mode to create a multi-angle view of objects.

Video camera Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge can shoot in resolutions up to 4K (UHD). As always, a very interesting option is shooting at 60 fps, while the resolution is 1920 × 1080 (Full HD). The camera copes with any options perfectly, there are no complaints about the quality of the resulting image. The quality of the video can be judged by the test clips.

• Movie # 1 (31 MB, 1920 × 1080 @ 60 fps)
• Movie # 2 (54 MB, 3840 × 2160 @ 30 fps)

	Good sharpness across the entire frame.
	The camera works quite well with shadows.
	Sharpness practically does not drop with the removal of the plan, but a certain soapiness of the image as a whole becomes more noticeable.
	Not a bad working out of details, although the aforementioned soapiness spoils them a little.
	The colors of the sky and the building are fairly even.
	Shadows worked well. In the background, the blur of small details becomes clearly visible.
	Because of the soapiness, the numbers of the remote cars are hardly distinguishable.

As in many modern smartphones, the HDR mode can be turned on automatically, without turning it on forcibly. In this case, the time taken to create the picture does not increase, but the images often look more interesting.

Auto mode	Auto HDR

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.

The pictures look very decent, although they weren't without a little disappointment: many images are slightly soapy, which is why detail suffers, and noise is not always handled neatly.

It would seem that the program in the camera should be the same as in the S6, but the firmware version specified in EXIF \u200b\u200blooks newer, and the camera shoots much worse. However, “noticeably” is still too loud a word, since the difference is clearly visible only on a laboratory test. In the field shots of the S6 Edge, there is a certain soapiness that hides the details, but in the shots of the S6 it was also observed, although it was much less pronounced. The feeling remains that the programmers wanted to improve the processing, but it turned out "as always", since the camera modules of these smartphones are clearly the same.

Nevertheless, our S6 Edge sample looked more advantageous, at least due to the lack of the out-of-focus area on the right, noted in the S6 sample. But objective tests do not allow the S6 Edge to be distinguished either against the background of other smartphones, or against the background of its less shocking brother. Although the shots look very good, comparisons with the LG G4, which were tested under exactly the same conditions at the same time, do not hold up. It is possible that in serial samples such soapiness will be eliminated, but this is doubtful, and sales are already in full swing.

As a result, the camera is quite suitable for documentary and artistic photography, moreover, the detailing suffers noticeably only in the distant shots.

Telephone part and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also has support for fourth-generation LTE Cat6 networks with a maximum possible speed of up to 300 Mbit / s for reception. In practice, with the SIM-card of the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone confidently recognizes and works with 4G networks.

The rest of the network capabilities of the smartphone are also at their best: there is support for NFC technology, Bluetooth 4.1 supports profiles A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT +. Wi-Fi 802.11n / ac, HT80 MIMO (2 × 2, up to 620 Mbps) supports operation in both frequency bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Wi-Fi Direct technology, you can organize a wireless access point through channels Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. It is possible to connect external devices to the USB port in OTG mode.

The navigation module works with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system, and also sees the satellites of the Chinese Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the navigation module, a cold start occurs within a minute or less. The device is also equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the compass of navigation programs functions.

OS and software

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge runs on the fifth version of Android OS with the proprietary TouchWiz shell installed on top of it. The new version of TouchWiz in both S6 models is installed absolutely the same, you can read more about all its features in the Samsung Galaxy S6 review.

The only difference between the interface in the modification for S6 Edge is a special section of the menu dedicated to the settings for working with a curved screen. The device can turn on the backlight of the side of the display, thus duplicating the alert sensor when receiving calls or notifications. Also, this side of the screen is used to display individual selected contacts placed in multi-colored circles on it, and, accordingly, work with them. When calls and messages come in, the sidewall will be highlighted in exactly the color that was assigned to a particular contact - all this is configured in the menu of a feature called People Edge. In addition, a scrolling news feed with news received from subscribed channels can be displayed on the side screen, as well as a clock in night mode. The idea looks quite fresh, and perhaps even saves battery power, but whether this function is really in demand by the owners of the devices, time will tell.

With the updates, another new feature has appeared, which was introduced by Samsung after the announcement of the Galaxy S6 models: a data transfer service called Smart Switch. Smart Switch app for PC and Mac is designed to synchronize data using iTunes, as well as devices based on Blackberry and Windows operating systems. Smart Switch lets you transfer contacts, text messages, photos, music, videos, calendar data, call logs, memos, alarms, Wi-Fi settings, and even wallpapers to your Samsung Galaxy smartphones. IOS users have the ability to transfer music purchased from iTunes to a Samsung Galaxy device. To transfer personal data from Android smartphones (version 4.0 or higher), you need to install the application on both devices and use the Wi-Fi Direct function for wireless transfer. IOS users will also be able to use the USB OTG cable (iOS 5.0 and above).

Performance

The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is based on a single-chip system (SoC) of Samsung's own production, the Exynos 7420, which is manufactured according to the 14-nanometer technological process. The configuration of this single-chip system consists of two clusters of four cores: ARM Cortex-A57 at 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.5 GHz. The GPU is the Mali T760 video accelerator. The smartphone has 3 GB of RAM (LPDDR4 is used). The internal memory is implemented on drives that meet the UFS 2.0 specification. The flash memory is 32 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB. In the case of a model with a minimum volume, the user initially has about 25 GB available from the nominally designated 32 GB. There is no expansion option due to memory cards, but it supports connecting devices, including flash drives, to the USB port in OTG mode.

Below are thermal images of the rear surface (top in the photo - left), obtained after 10 minutes of battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:

The specularity of the back surface leads to the fact that surrounding objects are reflected in it (in particular, the screen of the tablet that was used for shooting, and what is reflected in this screen). Nevertheless, it can be seen that the heating is highly localized closer to the edge near the power button, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 44 degrees.

According to the test results, the hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge showed such high results that it surpassed all previous record holders, including the Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which had occupied first places in the AnTuTu test for a long time.

As a result, Samsung gave the world another record holder in terms of power - a reference smartphone, which will be equal to, trying to catch up and match throughout the season. The device is extremely productive, the capabilities built into it will be enough for a long time to complete any tasks, including the most demanding games.

Testing with the latest AnTuTu and GeekBench 3 Benchmarks:

All the results obtained by us when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks, we summarized for convenience in tables. Several other devices from different segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, therefore, many worthy and relevant models remain "behind the scenes" - due to the fact that at one time they passed the "obstacle course" on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in the game tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Samsung Galaxy S6Edge (Exynos 7420)	HTC One M9 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810)	Meizu MX4 (Mediatek MT6595)	Nexus 6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 805)	Lg g4 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 808)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	21773	20538	16691	23234	18372
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	38 fps	37 fps	21.7 fps	23 fps	25 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	50 fps	36 fps	23.2 fps	29 fps	35 fps
Bonsai benchmark	4155 (59 fps)	4092 (58 fps)	4033 (58 fps)	3633 (52 fps)	3340 (48 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can be truly correct only on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the test results, the subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To play them successfully, you will have to resort to using a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 audio format.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Native video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720 × 400 2200 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720 × 400 1400 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 3000Kbps, AC3		video plays fine, no sound¹
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 4000 Kbps, AC3	video plays fine, no sound¹	video plays fine, no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920 × 1080 8000Kbps, AC3	video plays fine, no sound¹	video plays fine, no sound¹

¹ the sound in MX Video Player was played only after installing an alternative custom audio codec; the standard player does not have such a setting

Testing of video output features was conducted Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720 / 24p

well not

Note: If both columns Uniformity and Skips green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and skipping of frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. Except for 60fps files - one frame is always dropped due to the strange 59Hz refresh rate. It seems that someone at Samsung is sabotaging and in recent versions of AMOLED screens deliberately lowered the refresh rate from the typical 60Hz. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, going into the bends. The clarity of the picture is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experiment, you can switch to one-to-one pixel mode, there will be no interpolation, but the PenTile features will appear - the vertical world through the pixel will be in a grid, and the horizontal one will be slightly greenish. This is on test worlds, the described artifacts on real frames are absent. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

The capacity of the built-in non-removable battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is far from a record - only 2600 mAh, although this is even a little more than that of the "flat" version of the S6. However, despite the powerful platform and a fairly large five-inch screen, the smartphone more than proved itself worthy in terms of battery life. At the moment, Samsung's flagships not only show the best autonomy in the top segment among their own kind, but also demonstrate an enviable consistency in this matter, which cannot be said about many other manufacturers. For example, in the same LG, the G2 was simply excellent in terms of autonomy, but with the release of each subsequent model, this indicator, unfortunately, becomes worse and worse. The same can be said about the flagships of the NTS.

It should be noted that the device's settings traditionally contain two proprietary power saving modes: normal and extreme. The maximum power saving mode significantly reduces the level of energy consumption by turning off secondary and preserving vital functions at the moment, as well as, for visual effect, translating the image on the screen in black and white.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge	2600 mAh	19h 00m	12h 20m	3h 50m
Samsung Galaxy S6	2550 mAh	20 h 00 m	12h 00m	4h 00m
HTC One M9	2840 mAh	11h 00m	8h 20m	3h 50m
Yotaphone 2	2500 mAh	12h 00m	9h 30m	3h 15m
Lenovo Vibe X2	2300 mAh	13h 00m	6h 00m	3h 15m
Meizu MX4	3100 mAh	12h 00m	8h 40m	3h 45m
Meizu MX4 Pro	3350 mAh	16h 00m	8h 40m	3h 30m
Sony Xperia Z3	3100 mAh	20 h 00 m	10h 00m	4h 50m
Lg g4	3000 mAh	17h 00m	9h 00m	3h 00m
Nexus 6	3220 mAh	18h 00m	10h 30m	3h 40m

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted about 19 hours until the battery was completely discharged. The device lasted more than 12 hours while continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) at the same brightness level over the home Wi-Fi network. The device worked for almost 4 hours in 3D games mode. The smartphone supports fast charging technology, so the full charging time is only 1.5 hours, and according to the developers, only 10 minutes "at the outlet" allows you to charge the smartphone for subsequent four hours of use.

Outcome

Samsung has done a great job on its next flagship: if the beauty of design is a matter of taste, and opinions may differ here, then in terms of the hardware equipment of the Galaxy S6 smartphones, you can safely put the highest score. Performance is at the maximum level, but at the same time at the height and autonomy, which is good news. Having one of the best cameras in its category is also a very indicative moment, although this aspect is not important for everyone. The quality of the screen and sound are at a very decent level, the network capabilities of the smartphone satisfy any need. In addition, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge also has most of the flagship features, from a fingerprint scanner to an infrared port and support for wireless charging. True, the new smartphone costs more than all its competitors, but this issue is already beyond the scope of our review and remains entirely on the conscience of the seller.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is an extraordinary smartphone, and in terms of the totality of its characteristics it simply cannot fail to receive our award for original design. But I would especially like to highlight its unusual screen and express the hope that in the future we will see even more daring experiments in this area and discover new applications of "curved" screens.

Over the past few years, Samsung has been criticized for the lackluster design of flagships, which has not prevented it from increasing sales. But last year, they sagged, and design delights in the form of styling plastic under the skin did not become mainstream. This turned out to be enough for Samsung's management to reconsider its further vision for the development of smartphones. The first fruit of the new concept should be the Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone. According to Samsung CEO JK Shin, the company developed the new flagship practically from scratch. Let's try to figure out what is more in the S6 Edge: design or technology, and whether Samsung has managed to reinvent the smartphone.

Coming up with an interesting design for a smartphone with a large touchscreen display is actually very difficult. Unlike the variety of models of the early 2000s, which could boast of all kinds of body shapes and buttons, the touchscreen candy bar initially has a number of limitations. The most notable of these is the display, which takes up almost the entire bezel, leaving little room for imagination for designers. What remains to be done with this? That's right, you can change the shape of the screen. Actually, this is what Samsung has done, following the Galaxy Note Edge, which had the display bent to one side, the Galaxy S6 Edge appeared with two additional screen planes.

At the same time, if in the Note Edge the curved display was presented as a purely functional solution, then in the S6 Edge it is already more of a designer one. And here the company must be given its due, the screen curved on both sides of the case really sets the model apart from the others. During my week of testing the Galaxy S6 Edge at interviews and during meetings, they recognized him, wondered if it was convenient to use.

Samsung was the first to introduce curved displays of this shape in a commercial product, and for a while, the Galaxy S6 Edge will look unique. But placing a curved screen in the body is only half the battle, you still need to figure out what will be around it. And in this regard, the smartphone did not disappoint either, the same soft lines of the body were added to the smooth curves of the display, which only slightly dilute the sharp edges.

The Galaxy S6 Edge looks an order of magnitude better than last year's flagship, and at the same time it does not stand out from the design concept of the Galaxy line. The company either failed to completely move away from succession, or it deliberately did not want to. However, the S6 Edge looks really good for my taste. I'm sure even opponents of Samsung's design will find it at least cute.

The main body material in the Galaxy S6 Edge is Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which covers the display and back of the case. Its main feature is its great strength, compared to Gorilla Glass 3, which in theory allows it to survive falls without consequences. Additional reinforcement is provided by a metal frame that frames the case and protrudes slightly along the sides to protect the display's curves.

The build quality of the Galaxy S6 Edge is high, with all the fittings tightly fitted. Unlike the Galaxy S5, the back cover of the S6 Edge is not removable, and you won't be able to quickly replace the battery on your own.

The dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge are 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 mm and weighs 132 grams. The smartphone has become smaller in width, thinner and lighter than the S5, while maintaining almost the same body height. Although small, but also a decrease in size had a positive effect on usability, with the same display diagonal. The Galaxy S6 Edge fits well in the hand, although the sides of the case initially seem sharp, but you quickly get used to them. If you don't want to get used to it, you can choose a case for yourself, since the thickness of the case contributes to this.

As I wrote above, the curved display does not so much affect the functionality of the Galaxy S6 Edge as it affects the ergonomics. The curved edges of the display make it more comfortable to horizontally scroll through the interface, because your finger does not cling to the frame of the case.

Display

After the appearance in smartphones of screens with Full HD resolution, it seemed that nothing better was worth inventing. Nevertheless, restless manufacturers began to bring models with WQHD displays (2560x1440 pixels) to the market. In the Galaxy S6 Edge, just like in the Note 4, Samsung used a Super AMOLED screen with exactly this resolution. It might sound redundant on paper, but it doesn't negate the fact that the S6 Edge's screen looks just fine.

The diagonal of 5.1 inches together with the resolution of 2560x1440 pixels allows the display to form a picture with a pixel density of 577 per inch. Thanks to this, it seems that you are not looking at the screen, but at a paper page with very high-quality printing. This is facilitated by the fact that the display of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has no air gap, the image on it seems to lie on the surface. This effect is also enhanced by the curved screen.

Like other top Samsung models, the Galaxy S6 Edge has four display modes: Adaptive, Cinema AMOLED, Photo AMOLED, and Basic. Each of them has its own color rendition, while the most saturated colors are shown by the "Adaptive" and "Cinema AMOLED" modes, but the "AMOLED Photo" and "Basic" are shown more naturally.

The factory calibration of the display in the Galaxy S6 Edge is done at a good level, this is clearly seen in the "Main" display mode:

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge display is really impressive, but it's important to note that its curves don't eat up real estate or distort the image.

Platform and performance

Based on my experience with past generations of Samsung flagships, without even going into details, I would assume the Galaxy S6 Edge is a fast smartphone. But in practice it turned out to be very fast. At least, no Android smartphone has demonstrated such high performance in tests. I will not focus on the speed of the interface, it runs quite well on less powerful devices, I will go straight to synthetic tests.

For example, in AnTuTu the smartphone scores 69,618 points, which is the best result at the moment.

In PCMark and 3DMark, it also shows excellent results that you would previously expect from a laptop rather than a smartphone.

Where does this power come from? And it's all about the 64-bit 14-nanometer Exynos 7420 processor, clocked at 1.5 GHz and 2.1 GHz, and supplemented with Mali-T760 graphics. Also add to the S6 Edge's 3GB LPDDR4 RAM and built-in storage (32, 64 and 128 GB, non-expandable) built using Universal Flash Storage 2.0 technology, which combines the advantages of SSD and eMMC.

A side effect of the high performance of smartphones is very often noticeable heating of the case. This could be expected from the Galaxy S6 Edge, however, under high load, mainly during the game, I was unable to "heat" the device above 39 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the body of the smartphone becomes quite warm, but it is still far from hot.

Heart rate monitor and S Health

Like other high-end Samsung smartphones, there is a heart rate sensor window next to the Galaxy S6 Edge's camera block. Compared to the S5, the algorithm for working with it has not changed; to measure the pulse, you need to put your finger to the sensor in a calm state.

The pulse is measured through the S Health app, which also stores all the information collected about the user's activity.

Compared to the previous version of the program, in addition to the pedometer, measuring the pulse and the level of oxygen in the blood, they added the ability to record the number of glasses of water and cups of coffee drunk.

The fingerprint scanner

In the previous generation of flagship smartphones, Samsung used fingerprint scanners built into the central mechanical key. In the Galaxy S6 Edge, the scanner has also not disappeared anywhere and is in the same place. But now, in order to unlock a smartphone with it, one touch is enough.

If you remember, in the Galaxy S5 you had to swipe your finger over the scanner to unlock, it worked, but it took longer than on the same iPhone. In the Galaxy S6 Edge, the scanner is fast, and most importantly, almost everything is very accurate. In addition to unlocking the display, you can use the fingerprint reader to enter passwords on websites (only through the built-in Samsung browser), and make app purchases from the Galaxy Apps store.

New interface

As expected, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge runs with an updated proprietary TouchWiz interface. The latter began to look nicer, and got rid of most of the unnecessary elements. At the same time, the interface logic has practically not changed, the user can create an unlimited number of desktops and put application shortcuts from the menu or widgets on them.

The menu now does not automatically sort icons and switch their display. The user is offered to work on the organization of the menu on their own, which, on the one hand, takes time, but on the other hand, it allows you to customize everything for yourself.

The recently launched apps menu now looks exactly the same as in the Android 5.0 interface. Application cards are displayed in a carousel, and you can close them each individually, or all at once with one button.

Multitasking mode, which was an option in the previous version of TouchWiz, is now active by default. It can be used to place two applications side by side, or to reduce the program to a miniature window.

The curved display, like the Note Edge, is also featured in the Galaxy S6 Edge's interface. It is used to display time, date, weather and alerts on the right side when the main screen is off. This function is activated by sliding your finger along the right bend of the display. The same side can be occupied by the shortcut of the quick contacts panel, which are literally pulled out to the main screen from the right side. There can be five such contacts in total, and each of them has its own color.

Overall, the TouchWiz interface on the Galaxy S6 Edge is better than on previous Samsung models, not least due to the Android 5.0 operating system.

Cameras

The Galaxy S6 Edge uses a 16MP main camera with OIS and aperture reaching F1.9 (the Galaxy S5 was F2.2). The latter parameter allows the lens to receive more light, which has a positive effect on the quality of images. They are really good on the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Separately, it should be noted that the camera in the smartphone starts almost instantly, while the double press of the central mechanical key is now assigned to its start.

A shot with automatic settings in normal mode in good light:

Auto HDR shot in good light:

Shot with automatic settings in normal mode in very low light:

Auto HDR shot in very low light:

Flash shot:

Macro:

The front camera of the Galaxy S6 Edge is 5 megapixel, but with the same F1.9 aperture.

Autonomy and wireless charging

The battery capacity of the Galaxy S6 Edge is 2600 mAh, which is not very high by modern standards. Nevertheless, in a mode of use with 20 minutes of calls a day, working with mail, Skype, a browser, reading a book, listening to music, as well as games, the S6 Edge demonstrates a level of autonomy similar to the S5. On average, a smartphone can work for about 19 hours with 3 hours of screen use. This is quite a good indicator considering the battery capacity. But if you activate the power saving mode, the autonomy can increase up to several days.

The Galaxy S6 Edge supports Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging and Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0. With 10% charge up to 25%, the smartphone is charged for 10 minutes, which allows it to work for about 4 more hours.

Support for wireless charging is also present in the S6 Edge, while two WPC 1.1 and PMA 1.0 standards are supported at once. The wireless charging module will charge your smartphone longer, but it is more convenient to use it than usual.

Eventually

With the release of the Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung has truly raised the bar for smartphone quality. A lot of work has gone into creating the new flagship, and this is well felt in the attention to detail. I won't say that this can be called a rethinking of the concept and creation of a smartphone from scratch, but it is quite possible to seriously improve each characteristic. And yes, with the Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung hasn't reinvented the smartphone, it's just improved it noticeably.

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In the spring of last year, the Korean giant Samsung presented to the admiring audience a version "for the rich" of its flagship smartphone Galaxy S6, which differs from the base model by the screen curved on the sides. The back of the Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone is also covered with glass, only smooth. It looks stylish and unusual, besides, the developers tried to make the most of the side side: selected contacts are displayed on it, and each of them is highlighted in its own color when a call comes in. On the side, news from the news feed is displayed, and in the night mode, the clock. At the bottom of the front is the fingerprint recognition sensor that unlocks the phone. In general, stylish, unusual, modern ... However, unfortunately, a smartphone has not yet been invented based on its merits.

Galaxy S6 Edge - Fast and Smart

The Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone is powered by the Exynos 7420 SoC (System on Chip), created by Samsung developers. This chipset is made on 14 nm technology and is considered by many analysts to be the most powerful mobile processor at present. The chipset contains 4 ARM Cortex-A57 cores clocked at 2.1 GHz and 4 ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5 GHz. The graphics are controlled by the Mali T760 video accelerator, which is also part of the SoC. The transition to 14nm technology allowed to reduce the power consumption of the processor while increasing the performance, which, of course, affects the battery life of the mobile device.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has 3 GB of LPDDR4 memory. This modification of DDR SDRAM also operates at reduced supply voltage. Permanent memory, depending on the model, is 32, 64 or 128 GB, while the design of the smartphone does not provide a slot for a memory card. An alternative is USB OTG support, so you can connect a flash drive to your smartphone.

The Galaxy S6 Edge runs Android 5.0 with Samsung's TouchWiz user interface installed. Among the many useful functions of the shell, one can note an energy-saving mode, privacy mode, work in 2 windows, etc. The proprietary health tracking program S Health controls the heart rate sensor located next to the main camera. Smart Switch data transfer service allows you to transfer any information from devices running iOS, Windows, Blackberry to Samsung devices.

The Galaxy S6 Edge is now the fastest smartphone to outperform its closest rivals Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in AnTuTu benchmarks. There is no lag when working with heavy applications, watching videos and surfing the web.

Galaxy S6 Edge: display and cameras

The 5.1 ”2560-1440 resolution touchscreen on the Galaxy S6 Edge features Super AMOLED technology, which provides full viewing angles, faster response times, wider color gamut and thinner screens than LCDs. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 4, which, according to the developers, with a probability of 80% remains intact when dropped on a hard, rough surface such as asphalt or concrete.

The surprisingly high display quality is the main difference between the Galaxy S6 Edge and the competition. With a viewing angle of 180 degrees. horizontally and vertically, the colors are not inverted, retaining brightness and contrast.

The light sensor controls the automatic brightness control of the picture. You can manually change this parameter in the corresponding menu item. In the light, the screen almost does not glare, and the brightness is more than enough for the picture to be clearly visible on a sunny day.

Front 5-megapixel camera "Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge" is activated by a gesture of an open palm. A heart rate sensor is used for selfies. The main 16 Mpx camera is equipped with an LED flash, tracking autofocus and optical stabilization. The camera can shoot in resolutions up to 4K (UHD), and at a frame rate of 69 fps - 1920-1080 (Full HD). Both pictures and videos are of high quality, worthy of a decent camera.

Galaxy S6 Edge Communications

The nanoSIM format phone card is installed in a plastic tray located on the top of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone. The tray is called up by pressing the included paper clip on the recessed button. The smartphone works confidently in 2G / 3G / 4G LTE networks. There is support for NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11n / ac, HT80 MIMO and Wi-Fi Direct. The navigation module works with GPS, Russian GLONASS and Chinese Beidou (BDS).

Galaxy S6 Edge Battery

The built-in battery capacity is 2600 mAh, which is not at all a special achievement for a smartphone of this configuration. Nevertheless, the charge lasts for 8-11 hours at full load: watching video, surfing the web, talking, transferring data. A special advantage of the battery is high-speed charging: 1-2 hours to fully charge. Wireless charging supported.

Galaxy S6 Edge: design versus ergonomics

We have to admit that in this model, ergonomics was sacrificed for design. On the one hand, the dimensions of the smartphone allow it to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. On the other hand, the thumb just lies on the fingerprint recognition sensor only for those with a small hand, others will have to aim at the button for the device to recognize the owner.

The smooth glass covering the smartphone on both sides does not allow you to hold the device securely in your hands, and the metal edging of the front and back panel joint causes considerable discomfort when calling on the street in winter. The solution may be a protective case, but then all the beauty of the smartphone will be hidden. What, one wonders, was paid for?

Even now, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (13K rubles) remains relevant thanks to a high-quality matrix, high-performance hardware and a pleasant appearance. If we talk about the configuration, the smartphone is equipped with a Samsung Exynos 7420 processor with 8 cores and 3 GB of RAM, this performance is enough for most applications, as well as not the most demanding games. It's worth noting that the device looks more expensive than it is worth. About which below. In addition to this, it is necessary to mention the detailed cameras.In general, we will recommend the device for a detailed and close acquaintance, since the smartphone will suit a large circle of users with its convenience and functionality.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: Features and Price

OS	Android;
Screen	5.1 inches;
Resolution	2560 × 1440; 16: 9;
Camera	16 MP;
Frontal	5 megapixels
CPU	Samsung Exynos 7420 8 cores;
Built-in memory	32/64/128 GB;
RAM	3 GB;
Battery	2600 mAh;
Price	About 13,000 rubles

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: owner reviews

- High-quality assembly from decent assembly materials;

- The front and back of the phone is covered with Gorilla Glass 4, while the side frame is made of aluminum;

- When dropped, the side edges will collect scratches and dents;

- Nice appearance;

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- The presence of a 3.5 jack, which is located on the bottom of the device;

- High quality sound, but one speaker;

- The camera protrudes from the body, which means that it can get scratched over time;

- No connector for flash memory;

- Fast operation of the fingerprint scanner, which is also thoughtfully located;

- In the dark, the bright light from the physical buttons will cut the eyes, which is characteristic to adjust the brightness;

- Convenient shell from the manufacturer;

- Excellent matrix with high resolution, screen brightness, realistic color reproduction. The company's engineers have also not forgotten about the large viewing angles;

- Under heavy load, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge does not heat up, which is classified as a plus;

- The battery is enough for a maximum of a full working day, in practice even less;

- Availability of support for wireless charging;

- Of the minuses, it is worth highlighting the fact that the device is constantly trying to fall out of hand;

- With a 2.5D screen, the device supports some unique features. For example, you can call favorite contacts and so on on the side face;

- High-quality connection, but with the work of 4G, everything is not so rosy;

- High-quality cameras, moreover, the pictures are good at night;

Output

Based on the above material, we conclude that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is an excellent smartphone for the declared value, catit is equipped with high-quality ma trice and worthy cameras. In general, we will recommend the device for a detailed acquaintance of the shopping mall for the price category, this is an excellent choice

Pros:

• AMOLED matrix;
• A large number of positive reviews;
• Shell;
• The pictures are not bad;
• Sound;
• Will not warm up under load;

Minuses:

• The battery could be more spacious;
• Some flaws;
• You cannot adjust the button illumination;

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