Article by Jessica Oaks
The latest and greatest from Samsung, the Galaxy S6 Edge “edges out” the competition (pardon the pun) in more ways than one. Not only in its advanced and unique design, which includes a touchscreen that extends “over” the bezel (it doesn’t actually extend over the bezel but it does extend down the sides of the phone, which is an interesting design feature), but also in its capabilities and features. Put simply, the Galaxy S6 Edge is the best phone that Samsung has ever made – and we’re not alone in coming to that conclusion. It is more than capable of taking the fight to devices like the iPhone 6, HTC One M9, and LG G4.
Based on our review, we think that individuals in the market for a new smartphone should definitely give the new S6 Edge some thought. They will not be disappointed.
Features
The features of the Galaxy S6 Edge are impressive, to say the least. In fact, they roll off the tongue like a list of Hall of Fame athletes: Octa-core Exynos 7420 mobile processor; 16mp rear-facing camera; 5mp front-facing camera; LED flash; 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen; built-in heart rate sensor; metal construction; gorilla glass touchscreen; 32GB of internal storage offered as standard (with up to 128GB available as an option); and that unique and beautiful screen that extend down the sides. We could go on and on, but let it be known that the S6 Edge is not lacking for features or benefits. It is a truly capable – and attractive – device. Even dyed-in-the-wool Apple fans will find it hard to fault the S6 Edge when it comes to capability.
All of these hardware features are backed up by the best version yet of Samsung’s TouchWiz Android OS. Most of the extraneous menu options and features have been pared back to provide consumers with a more intuitive and friendly user-experience. Now that we’re nearly a decade into the smartphone revolution, manufacturers are finally starting to realize that when it comes to mobile OS, less can be more. The new TouchWiz is a testament to this. Swipe left and you’ll pull up your Flipboard Briefing of the latest news updates; tap on Recent Apps and you’ll get all of your most-used applications available to you in one place. It’s all highly intuitive and useful.
Tips and Tricks
Most of the articles on the Galaxy S6 Edge will tell you what you can do with the sides of the screen that give the phone its name. But we think that a better tip is providing recommendations on how to get the phone first. After all, the hardware is merely part of the smartphone experience.
If you opt for a contract, you can get the Edge S6 for $299. Which is not bad for a next-generation smartphone brand new to the market. However, thanks to T-Mobile and its Uncarrier plan ($0 down with monthly payments), consumers don’t have to lock themselves into a two-year contract to get this device. Though the initial purchase price of the phone may be a bit higher than if it were being subsidized, the monthly savings offered by the Uncarrier plan will more than make up the difference by the time two years has transpired. Better yet, you can continue to shop around for different plans once you get the phone, since you won’t be locked in.
Once you get the phone, you should set about customizing it to meet your needs. Android devices still have the edge over Apple products when it comes to customization, and the S6 Edge is no different. You can download custom themes for TouchWiz, program privacy settings to hide certain applications, set up shortcuts for the touchscreen interface, and bring up the phone’s Information Stream simply by rubbing the side of the screen. In one quick swipe, you can have the time, weather, news, and latest notifications visible to you – no home button necessary.
New to Android? This is the Phone for You
If you’re an iPhone or Windows user, the Galaxy S6 Edge might just be the phone to cause you to shift allegiances. It is attractive, powerful, useable, and state-of-the-art. Though learning the touchscreen interface may take some time for users who are new to Android, once up to speed, they’ll find that the device (and OS) has a lot to offer. Of course, if you’re an Android user and are looking to upgrade your current phone, you won’t find a better Android device than this. We can comfortably say that you should make the upgrade today.
