This special version of the Galaxy S6 has a display that curves away from the viewer on the right and left side, giving the phone a tapered look along its edges. The display edges are less pronounced and less functional than the one on its cousin, the Galaxy Note Edge, though it can perform a few interesting functions. For instance, People Edge lets you pull up your five most-important contacts with a sweep of your finger from either side of the display. There's also a night clock feature that shows the time along the edge of the screen when the screen is off and the phone is flat on its back. Otherwise the S6 edge is like the "regular" glass-and-aluminum Samsung Galaxy S6, which is brimming with features many smartphone users will relish. For instance, its display has a very high resolution, the camera has an optical image stabilizer, and the phone can be rapidly charged. Also, this is the first smartphone we've seen that supports BOTH Qi and Powermat wireless charging pads out of the box-a convenience many mixed-family smartphone users will relish. Other features are more regressive, at least for a Galaxy S-class phone. For instance, this is the first Galaxy S model with a non-removable battery. Also gone: the memory-expansion slots. That means Galaxy S6 edge owners will have to bring their phone to a service center to replace the battery, or buy a more expensive version of the phone if more on-board storage is needed (just as you do with an iPhone). What's more, this Galaxy is not water-resistant, unlike its Galaxy S 5 predecessor, so you'd better hold on to it tightly when you're near a sink, puddle, or pool.
The Galaxy S6 edge maintains the ample 5.1-inch display size of its predecessor, and resolution was upped significantly from 1080x1920 (1080p Full HD) to 1440x2560 (1440p Quad HD), which presents photos, videos, Web pages, and other objects with more than 550 pixels per inch of detail-about 100 pixels more per inch than the Galaxy S 5. Most users may not notice the benefits of those extra pixels in everyday use. The excellent quality display is also easy to see in bright light. Though, in one of our tests, the black level shows a loss of dark, near black shadow detail, worse than on many other smartphones displays we've tested. The display also lacks a glove mode, which increases the touch sensitivity of the screen while wearing gloves -a handy option to have during the cold winter months, or while wearing work gloves. Oddly, content displayed on the S6 edge's curved screen looks slightly artificial, much like the fake screens you'll find on devices in a retailer's showcase to show you what it looks like when it's turned on. The Galaxy S6 battery life was good, putting it a notch below other Samsung high-rated models, including the Galaxy S 5. Its talk time was an adequate 16 and a half hours, LTE data time was 13 hours and WiFi browsing time was 10 and a half hours. But with its rapid charging capability, in our tests, it took about 30 minutes to bring a drained battery to roughly 50 percent capacity using the included charger and cable. It also worked effortlessly with both the Qi and Powermat wireless charging pads we have in our labs. The Galaxy S6's camera took very good 1080p video, among the best in our Ratings. It can also record in Ultra HD (4K) video format, whose extra clarity can best be appreciated on an Ultra HD TV. The camera also took relatively very-good stills under low-light conditions. The camera's optical image stabilizer improves your chances of taking better handheld photos under low-light conditions.
The Galaxy S6 also delivered top-notch performance in many key areas of our tests, including Ease of use, Web browsing, and phoning, and has an abundance of other features and capabilities that include:
Safety. This mode will automatically blast SOS messages to designated contacts. This is a feature designed to help if you're in a car accident or other emergency situation. To activate this feature, press the Galaxy S6's power button three times. The screen can also be changed to a black theme to reduce battery consumption via Emergency mode.
Multi window. This convenient feature has evolved for more multi-tasking options. You can choose how to access select applications with full, split or pop-up screens, and can change the size and positioning of apps. You can have up to five apps open at once, but we found it's difficult to manage more than a few on a relatively small screen. For instance, in a split-screen view, you can handily watch a video while viewing an e-mail, or you can use Google Maps and Messaging. Multi window also lets you interact with two apps on a screen simultaneously, so you can drag a photo from the gallery into a text message to attach it, for example. To activate Multi window, press and hold the recent apps key, then just drag and drop two apps onto the home screen. Or you can access this feature by sliding your finger down diagonally from the upper left corner of the screen of the open app. When minimized, they reside as icons on whichever home screen you're on, for easy access.
Flipboard Briefing. This gives you a snapshot of news, business, technology, sports, science, and more. You can customize it to your own interests, or turn it off.
Smart Stay. The front-facing camera monitors your eyes while you're reading a Web page or other document to prevent the screen from timing out.
Smart Remote. The Galaxy S6 comes with an IR blaster and its Smart Remote app, like a universal remote, can be programmed to control HDTVs and set-top boxes (you can even initiate DVR recordings) from a host of different makers. It also shows local cable listings, program details, and reminders geared to your preferences.
S Health. The integrated health and fitness apps include a heart-rate monitor. The sensor is below the main camera's Flash. When you put your index finger on it, you should see your heart rate on the phone's display.
There are also numerous features and capabilities that let you wirelessly connect nearby compatible Galaxy phones or other devices to share pictures, music, documents, and more.
The Galaxy S6, though, lacks some features we've become accustomed to with other Galaxy phones. For instance, you can't accept a phone call, flip through photos, or skip to the next song on your playlist by waving your hand in front of the phone. Also gone is the On/Off toggle switches, in settings, for WiFi, Bluetooth, and more, which we found very convenient.
The Galaxy S6 has two home screen modes: an easy experience mode for new Android users and a standard experience mode. The Easy mode has icons and widgets that are larger and simpler, and there are "+" icons users can push to easily add an app to the phone's desktop or add a contact. In the Standard mode, the Galaxy S6 has intuitive navigation that provides easy access to all its main functions via a highly responsive touch screen that supports more than seven home screens of apps, programmable shortcuts, as well as a home button flanked by recent apps and back keys. The recent apps key lets you see a stack of screen shots of your most recently used apps. Tap any one of them, and you can jump to that app. Pressing and holding the recent apps key launches Multi window. Also, pressing and holding the home button directly launches the search function. The Home button has a fingerprint scanner for unlocking the phone or authorizing purchases with a touch. The phone allows you to launch the camera directly from a locked screen without the need to first unlock the screen. You do this by swiping upward on the camera icon that is visible on the locked screen. The Galaxy S6 lets you perform Google searches by voice command and lets you download applications, services, games, and more from the Google Play Store. Its multi-touch screen lets you zoom in and out of photos or Web pages using two fingers (for instance, your thumb and index finger). A handy on-screen drop-down status bar alerts you to and takes you to new messages, upcoming appointments, and other items that need your attention, even when your screen is locked. Its Android OS offers better text editing tools and controls for managing data usage, and enhanced voice-activated navigation and dictation. The Galaxy S6 supports a "4G" LTE network (some models HSPA+ too), allowing fast streaming, downloading, and uploading of high-definition videos and other large files. The fast network also facilitates better Web browsing experiences. The WiFi connection provides another way to access the Web, e-mail, and other Internet-based content, without using your data plan allowance. The phone supports Near Field Communication (NFC), a short-range wireless communication technology that allows the phone to read "smart" tags or other items that have NFC capability in them (though the technology is not yet widely deployed for mobile phone users).
MESSAGING: The virtual keyboards were excellent to use. In portrait orientation, it features five rows (a rarity among phones) with dedicated keys for numbers across the top row. A useful feature is the cursor control on the Samsung virtual keyboard which makes it easier to change text. You can move the cursor by just sliding your finger across the keyboard. The virtual keyboard also supports a method that allows users to type words without lifting a finger-literally. You enter a word by dragging your finger across the screen from letter to letter. Though it's initially awkward to use, we eventually had a lot of success "typing" quickly and accurately. The virtual keyboard has an advanced voice command feature that supports text fields, allowing you to dictate e-mails, text messages, Tweets, and other normally typed forms of communication. This phone comes with common preset text messages and allows you to create your own custom preset messages for your individual special situations or frequent use. Excellent e-mail readability and attachment capabilities. This phone allows you to create and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets out of the box, which can come in handy when working on the go. The Galaxy S6 also supports Microsoft Exchange and Outlook for work e-mail. When connected to Windows or Macintosh computers, this phone can appear on the computer as another drive. You can then transfer data to and from your phone as you could on a regular drive.
PHONE: We tested the Galaxy S6 under a variety of conditions to simulate environments ranging from the quiet indoors to noisy roadsides. We found voice quality good when talking and listening. Talk time was an ample 16.5 hours. Its Ultra Power Saving Mode can squeeze out even more battery life by adjusting the screen from color to use the more efficient grayscale and limit access to your applications, such as sending and receiving voice calls and texts. The phone has an excellent mixture of controls and features for making and taking calls. Excellent keypad readability under most lighting conditions, even bright light. Its voice command allows you to conveniently dial numbers from your phone book by speaking the name, without the usual training. You can also dial numbers by pronouncing the digits. It has Bluetooth for wireless hands-free voice communication. Some models can simultaneously be on a phone call and an Internet-based connection over the cellular network. Can be used internationally.
MULTIMEDIA: The 15.9-megapixel camera has a very short shutter lag, and produced good-quality pictures at ISO settings up to 800. The camera performed very well under low-light conditions. And the camera's optical image stabilizer improves your chances of taking better handheld photos under low-light conditions. The camera's built-in flash and ISO-setting controls help improve your chances of taking better pictures under low-light conditions. Its face detection comes in handy when you're snapping pics of children or other fussy subjects. Its touch focus feature lets you override the autofocus by tapping on any subject on the screen. You can also snap a still picture at any moment while shooting a video. Its voice control allows you to snap a picture or record a video by saying, for instance, "smile", "cheese", or "record video". The camera took very good 1080p video, on par with what you'd get with the better pocket camcorders. The Galaxy S6 can record in Ultra HD (4K) video format, which has benefits when viewing on an Ultra HD TV, giving you more detail for extra clarity. But the file size in Ultra HD is about three times the size of HD, and you are limited to 5 minutes per recording. An effect, called Virtual shot, lets you take a panoramic image or selfie (imagine how the background would change if you took an image or selfie and slowly rotated in place). Later, you can get the background to pan left or right by tilting the phone. You can also record in fast or slow motion. The front-facing high-resolution 5-megapixel camera allows easy self-portraits, and can support video chats. It can also take wide-selfies, and record at WQ HD (2560x1440).
The music player has the capabilities and controls of a typical stand-alone MP3 player, including an equalizer, music shuffle and repeat controls, and options for sorting music by album, artist, etc. This model also supports Bluetooth stereo headsets, can download music over the phone network, and some models have an FM radio. Its Bluetooth data support enables the phone to wirelessly share pictures, contacts, and other files with compatible printers, computers, and mobile devices.
GPS navigation capability provides spoken turn-by-turn directions and automatic re-routing. The Galaxy S6 also supports the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard. This lets the phone connect via WiFi to share content with other compatible certified devices such as a TV, printer, and computer.
The Galaxy S6 can act as a mobile hotspot for at least eight WiFi-enabled devices. Some models support WiFi calling. It has 32, 64, or 128GB of built-in memory. Its memory capacity is beneficial for storing music, videos, pictures, and other types of files. But the battery is non-removable.
