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The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a fantastic looking handset which is guaranteed to turn heads, and with a heap of power under the hood it can handle pretty much anything you throw at it.
Power and looks will only get you so far though, and the S6 Edge falls down in a few areas which prevent it from hitting top marks. If you're able to splash the cash you won't be disappointed, but you can get an almost identical experience with the Galaxy S6 for less money.
We liked
Front on at least, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is one of the best looking smartphones on the market and many will say it's the best.
The QHD display complements the sweeping, curving design by giving you something visually stunning to look at. It's not a huge step forward from the full HD panel on the Galaxy S5, but it looks great.
I am also impressed with the performance of the Galaxy S6 Edge with the Android interface effortlessly slick under finger and while the improved TouchWiz interface may not be to everyone's taste, it's certainly better than previous iterations.
The camera on the rear of the Galaxy S6 Edge is also worth writing home about, as it's capable of taking some stunning shots without any effort on your behalf.
We disliked
All the good points about the S6 Edge can be applied to its brother, the Galaxy S6, as apart from screen design the two handsets are identical. And as the S6 is a good deal cheaper than the Edge, it's difficult to really make a case for the added cost.
Sure the design is lovely, but in the hand the S6 Edge can get uncomfortable and the lack of a microSD slot and removable battery will be an instant turn off for some of the Samsung faithful.
The lack of expandable storage isn't a huge issue as the S6 Edge comes in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB flavors with the added bonus of 100GB of free OneDrive cloud storage - but battery life isn't up to standard.
You'll struggle to see out a whole day with moderate usage, and that's a real shame. If you're a heavy user you'll be dashing for a charger mid-afternoon.
For all the fanfare of the edge screens, the functionality Samsung has provided to show off its latest innovation is disappointingly limited.
A few feeds on the lock screen and the People Edge quick links on the home screen hardly cry out as must-have features. There's scope for more to be added in the future, but at the moment they're not overly useful.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is one of those phones that sets a line in the sand for smartphones. It makes curved edges viable, offering them in a phone that doesn't look bonkers just for the sake of it.
It won't sell anywhere near as well as the standard S6, simply because it's very expensive and users are always reticent to try something new when there's no proven need for it, and rightly so.
The battery life is not good enough for a 2015 flagship smartphone, the price is difficult to justify and the loss of some Samsung staples in the microSD slot and removable battery will turn some off.
But this is the phone we all hanker after secretly, something that looks premium yet futuristic.
I love the design and I want all phones to follow in its curved screen footsteps. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge lays solid foundations, but this handset is still a work in progress.
First reviewed: March 2015
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