Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ review

Samsung's done really well in some respects with the Galaxy S6 Edge+, and not so well in others. The phone is a joy to use for so many things, and yet there are still far too many elements that don't quite hit the mark to consider this a leading phone.

There's also the issue of how you rate a phablet - many of us think it's just that little bit too big to use in normal life, but for those that like a larger screen, it's perfect.

However, there are some things that phablet users should expect, not least because they're always paying more for the privilege of having a bigger phone: the battery should always last longer, the screen should be the best around and the power is normally among the best on offer.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ delivers on a lot of this, but doesn't do as well as I'd hoped given the larger dimensions.

We liked

That's not to say that there aren't loads of good bits with this phone - there's nothing better than having a powerful phone that has a brilliant camera, yet still looks the business.

In terms of aesthetic appeal, the S6 Edge+ is definitely one of the best around. The curved edges look great, feel great to slide your finger around and help create the bezel-less display that so many concept artists are desperate to see.

They're completely non-functional, with the elements Samsung is using them for proving to be a bit pointless (or something you could put on a flat screen). That said, I'd still choose the curved Edge phones over the normal variant each time.

The camera is brilliant on the S6 Edge+, much like it was on the smaller phones released earlier this year. The speed with which you can get a great picture is awesome, and everything from zooming to color reproduction to clarity is just top notch.

I've had a few arguments with other writers about which phone has the best camera... all I can say is that it doesn't matter which is best, it's just brilliant that we have so many options that are worth getting excited about.

The TouchWiz UI will still divide opinion, and I can see why a number of Samsung users aren't a fan of it... but in reality it's cleaner than ever before and doesn't take so much of the phone's effort on the Edge+, so that gets a tick from me.

The price has already dropped to a more palatable level as well - not bad for a new phone.

We disliked

The battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is still something of a worry for me - it should be a lot better, given the larger size of the phone.

Getting merely to the end of the day isn't what we expect from phablets these days, and that's not even a given here. Samsung's done something odd here, given there's a bigger battery, no more pixels to drive and no extra power bar a sliver of extra RAM - so why can't the battery last longer?

I can only assume that it's the Lollipop OS taking the reins and causing the phone to connect to servers too often. Being out of Wi-Fi range seems to hurt it most, with 3G / 4G connections sucking down too much power.

The size of the phone will be a hindrance to some, mostly because the larger screen stops your finger from getting across the display easily - but that's a compromise most will be willing to make should they be thinking about buying this phone. It's worth thinking about if you're looking at this compared to the smaller S6 Edge though.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is a brilliant phone, packed to the rafters with some brilliant bits... and they mostly add up to an awesome whole.

I've spoken at great length at how I'm a bit disappointed with the battery here, but that's only because I expected such great things from it. It's perfectly manageable, and is slightly better than the smaller version, and you'll be able to work with it easily. However, it definitely could have been better.

But once that point's cleared up, the rest of the phone is great. The camera is awesome, viewing everything on the large QHD screen (backed up by strong Super AMOLED technology) is a lovely experience and, in short, there's no other phone I'd reach for when doing a number of tasks.

Is it a Note 5 replacement in the territories that are being given this instead of the S-Pen enabled model? Not really... the stylus does add something to the mix, where the S6 Edge+ is a just a big version of a normal phone, which doesn't seem that exciting.

If you looked at the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and found it to be too small, this is a great phone for you, but the Galaxy S7 Edge gives you the best of both worlds. The S6 Edge+ is good, but not a great standalone phablet.

First reviewed: September 2015

Competition

Not certain about the Galaxy S6 Edge+? Maybe you will like one of these phones instead.

Nexus 6P

The Nexus 6P is one of the closest competitors to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+. Both phones have 5.7-inch QHD screens, both have high-end specs, both have fingerprint scanners and both have a premium build.

The Galaxy S6 Edge+ wins out in a number of areas though, with a more stylish design, a stunning curved screen, a better camera, wireless charging and an extra gigabyte of RAM.

So is Samsung's phablet better? Not necessarily. While the Nexus 6P doesn't have amazing battery life it will comfortably last a day, which is more than I can say for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+.

The 6P is also cheaper and it runs stock Android, which is both preferable to TouchWiz and guaranteed to get prompt updates. In fact, it's already on Android Marshmallow, while the S6 Edge+ is stuck on Lollipop.

• Read our full Nexus 6P review

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

The brand new, five star Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is a real rival to the S6 Edge+. Its screen is just 0.2 inches smaller, it boasts the same resolution and packs in more power, the same sized battery and Android Marshmallow.

Sure it's a little more expensive, but you're getting a much more accomplished phone with respectable battery life, an excellent camera with superb low light skills, some useful edge screen functions, waterproof body and a handy always-on display.

Unless you're desperate for those extra 0.2 inches, or your budget doesn't stretch to the new Galaxy, the S7 Edge is the Samsung phablet you should get.

• Read our full Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review

iPhone 6S Plus

While the iPhone 6S Plus may not exist if not for Samsung making phablets popular, it's arguable that Samsung was inspired by it in the creation of the Galaxy S6 Edge+, as like the 6S Plus it's basically just a larger version of another phone.

There's a lot to choose between Apple and Samsung's latest phablets though. For one thing the iPhone 6S Plus has just a 5.5-inch screen, which would barely even be considered a phablet in Android land.

It's also not as sharp as the Galaxy S6 Edge's display and the two phones are similarly expensive. But overall it's almost as high-end, just as stylish and rocks iOS 9, which, if Apple's OS floats your boat, is all you need to know.

• Read our full iPhone 6S Plus review

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

An extra gigabyte of RAM, a larger screen and a higher price are all that separate the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ from its smaller sibling. So is it really a better buy? That depends mostly on whether or not you want a phablet.

The battery life on the S6 Edge+ is if anything marginally worse, which combined with a higher price mean it's certainly not a better phone. But the 5.7-inch screen does set it apart and while there's not a huge difference in performance the extra RAM does seem to have been put to good use in ensuring you don't have to wait for the home screen to rebuild when exiting an app.

These are the two most stylish phones Samsung has ever made and while they're both flawed they're also both great buys, you just have to decide how big you want your screen to be.

• Read our full Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Note range is Samsung's main line-up of phablets, yet this year Samsung made the bizarre decision not to launch the Galaxy Note 5 in the UK, so if that's where you call home and you want a phablet Galaxy flagship the Galaxy S6 Edge+ is your only option.

There is talk that the Note 5 might be landing in early 2016 though and both phones are available in some regions.

Samsung has done a pretty good job of differentiating these two phablets, which makes it all the more perplexing that one of them wasn't launched in the UK. The Note 5 may not have a curved screen, and as such doesn't look quite as good, but the S Pen stylus gives it a more useful trick up its sleeve, as it actually serves a purpose.

The Note 5 also has better battery life than The S6 Edge+, making it a superior phone overall, though everything else from specs, to camera, to features is much the same.

• Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review