THE GOOD Samsung's
Galaxy S6 Edge+ has a compelling design, top-tier specs and excellent
battery life. Its second menu for the curved display adds some useful
shortcuts.
THE BAD One
of the most expensive handsets on the market, the Edge+'s usefulness
doesn't live up to its sky-high price. Fans of removable batteries and
microSD card slots will be disappointed that this has neither.
THE BOTTOM LINE Buy
the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ if you love the idea of a wraparound
screen; otherwise, you'll be able to find less expensive phones that do
nearly as much.
Editors' note: This review has been updated to include information about Samsung's newest Galaxy models, the S7 and S7 Edge, which were introduced at Mobile World Congress in March 2016.
The
5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Edge+ isn't just a larger version of the
5.1-inch Galaxy S6 Edge, but it's close. It has basically the same
hardware guts as the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 including
a strong 16-megapixel camera, 4GB of RAM and an octa-core processor of
Samsung's own design (that means it has eight computing chips for
completing tasks). Like its brethren, the Note 5, S6 and S6 Edge, the
Edge+ has a snazzy metal-and-glass design and omits the popularremovable battery and microSD card slot found
on its predecessor. The Edge+ also lacks the Note 5's signature stylus,
leaving potential buyers a choice between inviting curves or
scribble-friendly practicality.
With
the introduction of the current generation of Galaxy phones in March
2016, Samsung fans need to take a close look at the new lineup. A CNET
Editor's Choice, the Galaxy S7 delivers the goods in spades with a
polished design, awesome camera, long battery life, microSD slot, and
water resistance. And the supersized Galaxy S7 Edge, an Editor's Choice
in its own right, comes equipped with an even bigger battery and screen,
a curved screen with "edge" software navigation, and a sky high price
tag.
That
noted, the Edge+ remains a cool-looking phone that belongs in the canon
of prior-generation smartphones. Buyers craving a phone with waterfall
sides and a large, bright screen who can find the S6 Edge+ at a discount
should consider it. Everyone else should move on and choose between the
Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
Editors' note: What follows is the original review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where can you buy it, and for how much?
The
phone comes in gold, silver, black and white, though different regions
may carry different colors. Prices vary by retailer and country, but the
Edge+ costs more than the Note 5 overall.
In
the US, the Edge+ is available in gold and black but not silver or
white on the AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon
networks.
AT&T:
Full retail: $720 (32GB) or $815 (64GB). Next 24 (30 monthly payments):
$0 down and $27.17 (32GB) or $30.50 (64GB). Next 18 (24 monthly
payments): $0 plus $33.96 (32GB) or $38.13 (64GB). Next 12 (20 monthly
payments): $40.75 (32GB) or $45.75 (64GB).
Sprint:
Full retail: $792 (32GB) or $888 (64GB). Two-year service agreement:
$350 (32GB) or $450 (64GB). Lease program (24 months): $0 down and $30
(32GB) or $35 (64GB) per month, until you pay off the balance or
upgrade. Easy Pay (24 months): $0 down and $33 (32GB) or $37 (64GB) per
month.
T-Mobile: Full retail: $780 (32GB) or $860 (64GB). 24 monthly payments: $0 down and $32.50 (32GB) or $99 down and $31.67 (64GB).
Verizon: Full retail: $768 (32GB) or $864 (64GB). 24 monthly payments: $32 (32GB) or $36 (64GB).
US Cellular: 32GB version only. Full retail: $770. Two-year contract: $300. 20 monthly payments: $0 down and $38.45.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Design and build
If
you're familiar with the Galaxy S6 Edge's curved screen and thin edges,
you already know this supersized Edge+'s shapely silhouette. The glass
(and display technology underneath) wraps around the left and right
edges and meet along the back of the spines.
What's
more important than the interesting shape is the fact that the curved
sides look beautiful, and seems to make this feel like an entirely
different, far more sophisticated, phone than a straight-sided one. The
screen seems more immersive than the Note 5's, the curvature
pulling you into the action of what's on the display. Maybe it's still
some of the novelty, maybe there's a deeper psychology at play.
Strangely, the effect is more pronounced on the smaller Edge+, possibly
because this phone is personally a little large for my hand.
At
any rate, the Edge+ feels slimmer than most at its narrowest part (the
middle), but a little inherent sharpness along the sides makes it easy
to grip. The comparatively thicker corners round out to help carry
through the themes of curviness and physical dimension.
Despite
the wraparound sides, the screen measures a full 5.7 inches, all of
which is fully usable and viewable (unlike the original Note Edge, which
had an always-visible strip of navigation screen that you couldn't turn
off). Above the screen, you'll see the 5-megapixel front-facing camera
and a cluster of sensors. Below it sits the physical home button and
integrated fingerprint reader, with its two touch-sensitive sidekicks,
the Recent and Back buttons. Press and hold the home button to launch
Google Now.
Flip
over the Edge+ to find a smooth, reflective backing and 16-megapixel
camera mount, flash and heart-rate reader. The camera module does
slightly pucker out, but that's also because the rest of the phone is so
thin and flat.
Buttons
and ports dot the Edge+'s metal frame, starting with the power/lock key
on the right, the micro-USB charging jack and headset jack down below,
volume rocker on the left, and SIM card tray along the top. There's no
removable backing (or battery), and no space for a microSD storage card.
We get neutral colors for this series: black, white, silver and gold, though not every region may sell every color.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What you can do with the edge screen
Those curved sides are fun to look at, but they aren't merely for show. Two previous designs -- 2014'sGalaxy Note Edge
and the S6 Edge from earlier this year -- gave Samsung the chance to
experiment with things you can do on a narrow vertical display. It's
forced functionality, but one that makes more sense this time than
before.
0 comments:
Post a Comment