Overview of the flagship version - Samsung Galaxy S6 EDGE (SM-G925F). Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review and benchmarks

One of the most attractive and powerful models of the new season

Along with the updated model of the flagship smartphone Galaxy S6, the Korean company Samsung introduced last spring its more unusual modification called the Galaxy S6 Edge. This model is unusual precisely for its screen: developing the theme that was once started in Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, there is also a side bend of the display and, accordingly, the front glass itself. Only, unlike its predecessor, here the curvature is present on both sides, the glass in this case is symmetrical. At the same time, the back side, also covered by a glass panel, remains absolutely flat, which brings a little dissonance, but at the same time some freshness to the design.

In addition to the eye-catching design, the new members of the flagship Galaxy S6 line-up boast in many ways the most advanced hardware platform of Samsung's own production, demonstrating the highest level of performance not yet achieved by competing solutions. All in all, the new Galaxy S6 series smartphones are a great combination of beauty and power. We have already analyzed the main and more familiar "flat" version in detail in the corresponding review, now it's time to carefully examine its "curved" modification. It should be noted that the two Galaxy S6 models are similar in most parameters and characteristics, so much of this review will seem familiar to our readers who have not missed the Samsung Galaxy S6 review.

Video review

To get started, we offer you to watch our video review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone:

Now let's look at the characteristics of new items.

Key Features of Samsung Galaxy S6 (Model SM-G925F)

• SoC Exynos 7420 (64-bit), two clusters of four processor cores: ARM Cortex-A57 at 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.5 GHz
• GPU Mali-T760
• Operating system Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Touch Dual Edge Super AMOLED display, 5.1″, 2560×1440
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB LPDDR4
• Internal memory 32, 64 or 128 GB
• No microSD card slot
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Data transfer rate max 4G LTE Cat6 up to 300Mbps
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz) HT80 MIMO, Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
• IR port, USB OTG
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Position, proximity, lighting sensors, barometer, fingerprint sensor, Hall and heart rate sensors
• Camera 16 MP (F1.9), optical stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (F1.9), front
• Battery 2600 mAh, non-removable
• Support wireless charging
• Dimensions 142×70×7 mm
• Weight 132 g

Appearance and usability

You can praise or scold the new design of the updated line of top Korean smartphones, someone liked it (and there are really many such people), someone is not happy with such drastic changes (and they can also be understood), but the fact remains: the company's designers have made a giant qualitative leap and managed to raise the image component of their products to a completely different level. By clothes, as they say, they meet, and this very “clothes” of the new smartphones of the Korean company is now, if not chic, then certainly expensive and catchy for sure. From glossy plastics and metal-look plastics, the developers have finally moved on to really respectable premium materials, such as tempered glass and real metal, and I must say they succeeded.

If we ignore the obsessive thought that the design option, which implies two glass halves of the case, connected by a metal rim, is not only not new, but even very beaten and hackneyed (before Samsung, it seems that most manufacturers from Sony to Huawei), then such changes in the appearance of the popular line of smartphones can only be welcomed. Smartphones Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge definitely began to look more solid, expensive, impressive, and even somewhere noble. In any case, now these devices look quite worthy in any, even the most expensive environment.

As for ergonomics, in this case it fades into the background and modestly falls silent - now they did not give her the floor. Against the backdrop of admiration for the beauty and workmanship, users try to somehow not think about the fact that glass is a rather fragile material that easily cracks when dropped on a hard surface, and that thin metal edges, coupled with smooth glass panels in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is so slippery that the smartphone is even scary to take out of your pocket on the street. Perhaps it is the S6 Edge with its curved glass and thin sidewalls that can rightly be called the most slippery smartphone of our time.

Afterwards, it is also worth noting that everyone who first picked up the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (in the off state) wanted to turn it over in their hand, turning the device with the flat back wall up, and take the curved front panel with sloping sides in the palm of your hand, because that would be more convenient.

Otherwise, there are no complaints about the external structure of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge case: the smartphone is not so large in size compared to many modern tablet phones, it easily fits in an average-sized hand, the weight and thickness of the case are comfortable. The assembly does not raise any complaints, everything is qualitatively adjusted, although perfectionists have already noted the fact that all the elements on the case, such as buttons, microphone holes, speaker grilles and card slots, the developers managed to place crookedly relative to the central axis. The fact that most of the surface, not counting the thin metal side frame, turned out to be extremely branded is not delightful either - the glass on both sides is instantly covered with fingerprints, which annoys many. On the other hand, hiding such beauty in a case is somehow blasphemous, you have to put up with it, at least at first.

As for the mentioned hardware controls, their location on the case is as follows: the power and lock button logically took its rightful place in the upper half of the right side face, the volume keys are symmetrically placed on the opposite face. It should be noted that for the first time in Samsung, they discarded the last constraints and broke the same volume rocker into two separate buttons - now Korean smartphones are indistinguishable from the Apple iPhone on this point.

The grille of the main speaker is made in the form of an array of round holes and is logically moved to the bottom end. This part of the case is loaded with elements to the eyeballs: in addition to the speaker grille, there are also Micro-USB connectors and an audio output for a headphone minijack (3.5 mm). These elements, as mentioned above, unlike the iPhone, for some reason turned out to be displaced relative to the central longitudinal axis, which looks somehow sloppy and unfinished.

On the opposite, upper end, in addition to a small IrDA window and an auxiliary microphone hole, there is a Nano-SIM SIM card slot. The slide for the card, which is somehow undignified made of plastic, is habitually removed by pressing a secret button with a key or a paper clip. The slot for a second SIM card, as well as for a memory card, is not provided in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone.

The front of the smartphone is completely covered with Gorilla Glass 4 protective glass. To the left of the speaker grille, you can see the LED notification indicator, its large dot shines in different colors, informing about the charging status and incoming events. The operation of the indicator can be controlled through the corresponding settings section.

In the lower part, under the screen, there is an oval mechanical key and two touch buttons on the sides of it. The touch buttons have a bright white backlight. A fingerprint scanner is integrated into the central key, which has undergone some changes for the better. Now you do not need to swipe your finger over it - a simple touch is enough, it is more convenient than the option implemented in previous models of the series.

The device supports wireless charging compatible with WPC 1.1 (output power 4.6 W) and PMA 1.0 (4.2 W) standards. The smartphone is not protected from dust and moisture, there is no fastening for a strap on the case either.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, like its “flat” counterpart, the regular S6, comes in several bright body colors, and, unlike the regular S6, only the curved version has a green color option in the range, which has received the brand name “Noble Emerald” . Perhaps the element of novelty and surprise plays a role here, but it was this iridescent greenish tint that attracted the most attention from the public. Many of those who liked the regular version of the Galaxy S6 more even regret that the green version is not available to them. In addition to green, the Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone is available in black (navy blue), white and gold color options.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is equipped with a Super AMOLED touch screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4, specially shaped with curved edges (Dual Edge). It should be noted that despite the physical curvature of the screen, there are, however, no separate beveled side matrices, as was the case with the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. That is, the display here is a single unit, although with the help of software, the curved edges of the screen can really carry additional load, acting as separate side mini-displays.

The physical dimensions of the display are 63 × 113 mm, the diagonal is 5.1 inches. The screen resolution in dots is 2560×1440, so the dot density is very high at 577 ppi.

The frame around the screen is quite thin: the distance from the edge of the case to the edge of the screen from the sides is about 3 mm. It should be noted that it is this frame that accounts for most of the curved glass surface - the screen itself bends quite a bit, only a couple of millimeters along its edges. The concern of some users about accidental clicks on the curved edges of the display that are right under the fingers has not been confirmed. You can feel some inconvenience and achieve accidental clicks only during special experiments, and in ordinary life there were practically no unforeseen clicks.

The brightness of the display has manual and automatic adjustment, the latter is based on the operation of the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to handle 10 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. (However, in addition to the bend to the edges, we also note some smoothed unevenness of the outer surface.) Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left is the Nexus 7, on the right is the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is slightly darker (the brightness in the photos is 93 versus 96 for the Nexus 7, the glare curved edges of the tested screen are excluded) and does not have a pronounced tint. Note that the reflection from bright objects on the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has a pale bluish halo more pronounced in the transverse direction. The ghosting of reflected objects in the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of borders (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. The outer surface of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but seems to be a little worse than the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass .

When displaying a white field in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 340 cd/m², the minimum was 1.4 cd/m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case the smaller the white area on the screen, the lighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a fairly good level (we didn’t have a chance to check the possibilities). The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device without any problems even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). You can make adjustments to how this function works by moving the adjustment slider. Next, for the three conditions, we present the screen brightness values ​​for the three values ​​​​of this setting - for 0%, 50% and 100%. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 1.4, 6.5 and 15 cd / m², respectively (the first and second are too dark, the third is normal), in an office lit by artificial light (about 400 lux), the brightness is set to 50 , 130 and 250 cd/m² (dark - just right - slightly bright, corresponding to the specified correction), in a bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - rises to 340 cd/m² regardless of slider position. This value is equal to the maximum for manual adjustment. If you increase the brightness of ambient light (near the light sensor) somewhere up to hundreds of thousands of lux (corresponding to direct sunlight), then the screen brightness rises to 550 cd / m². Such brightness should definitely be enough to ensure that the image on the screen is well distinguished in any natural conditions. In general, the result of the automatic brightness adjustment function is as expected. At any brightness level there is a significant modulation with a frequency of 237.5 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it, the modulation amplitude is not very large, and as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases, modulation with a large relative amplitude appears. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in the test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with a rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, such flickering can cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light emitting diodes. A full color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphoto:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

On the fragment above, you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), while repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without gaps and overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer considers the screen resolution based on green subpixels, on the other two it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the sub-pixels in this variant is close to the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen and some other newer Samsung devices (and not only) with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some uneven contrasting borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they have minimal effect on image quality.

The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color is just black at any angle. So black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (profile AMOLED movie) and the second comparison participant, the same images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd / m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. White field:

Note the excellent uniformity of brightness and hue of the white field (with the exception of darkening and changing hue towards the curled edges). And a test picture (profile Basic):

The color reproduction is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens is slightly different. Note that in this case, the picture occupies the height (with this screen orientation) of the entire area available for displaying the image and goes to the curved edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which makes it even more difficult to view images displayed in full screen. And even the picture of films with an aspect ratio of 16:9 comes to bends, which greatly interferes with watching movies. The photo above was obtained after choosing a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and environmental conditions, which is obtained by selecting the two remaining profiles shown below.

AMOLED movie:

Saturation and color contrast are markedly increased.

Photo AMOLED:

The saturation is still high, but the color contrast is closer to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile AMOLED movie). White field:

The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (in order to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed is increased compared to previous photos), but in the case of Samsung, the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device at least at a slight angle. And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the elements of the matrix is ​​\u200b\u200bpractically instantaneous, but there may be a step width of about 17 ms at the turn-on front (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 59 Hz). For example, the dependence of brightness on time looks like this when moving from black to white and vice versa:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some “twitchy” movements.

For profiles Photo AMOLED and Basic the gamma curve constructed from 32 points with equal intervals over the numerical value of the grayscale value did not reveal any blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 2.39, which is higher than the standard value of 2.2 (therefore, the image is slightly darkened) , while the real gamma curve slightly deviates from the power dependence (in the captions in parentheses are the exponent of the approximating power function and the coefficient of determination):

For profile AMOLED movie the gamma curve has a pronounced S-shaped character, which increases the apparent contrast of the image, but in the shadows the distinguishability of shades is preserved.

Recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for images that are generally bright. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve), most likely, does not correspond slightly to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential grayscale output almost on the entire screen.

Color gamut in profile case AMOLED movie very wide, it almost covers Adobe RGB coverage:

When choosing a profile Photo AMOLED coverage is pressed to the borders of Adobe RGB:

When choosing a profile Basic coverage is compressed almost to the borders of sRGB:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In the case of a profile Basic with the maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut without proper color correction, normal images optimized for sRGB devices look unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photos and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting does it make sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Profile AMOLED movie, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies and anything else.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good. Profile color temperature AMOLED movie above 6500 K, in the remaining two it is close to 6500 K, while in a significant part of the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of the color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units over most of the gray scale, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, but the fluctuations in this parameter are already large:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale in most cases can be ignored, since there the color balance does not matter much, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is permissible (and in bright light it is necessary) to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include a good oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance (when appropriate profiles are selected). At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected on the screen), excellent white field uniformity, noticeably smaller than that of LCDs, and a drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. The disadvantages include modulation of the screen brightness. Users who are particularly sensitive to flicker may experience fatigue as a result. However, overall the screen quality is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, curved edges are only harmful, since this design find introduces very noticeable color tone distortion and reduces brightness at the edges of the picture, and also leads to inevitable glare in ambient light conditions at least along one long side screen.

Sound

The sound of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is more than decent, the device sounds like a true flagship of the highest level should sound. Despite the lack of stereo speakers, the sound, however, the device emits very loud, saturated with the entire spectrum of frequencies, including low ones. At the maximum volume level, there is almost no distortion, no wheezing either. The smartphone sounds really nice, there are no complaints at all. The speaker grille is brought out to the bottom end, so that the sound does not overlap when the smartphone is on a hard surface. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.

With headphones, the smartphone also sounds at the level of modern flagships; a branded player with the maximum number of settings is used as standard to play melodies. All sound effects are combined by a technology called SoundAlive - however, some of them are available only with headphones connected. The same applies to the sound optimization function. For manual settings, an equalizer with preset values ​​is available, as well as separate controls for bass and treble.

Traditionally, there was no FM-radio in the standard configuration of the smartphone, but there is a voice recorder. In addition to the standard mode, the recorder also has specific "interviews" and "voice notes" - all this is already familiar to us from previous models of the series. The smartphone cannot record telephone conversations from the line.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is equipped with two modules of digital cameras with a resolution of 16 and 5 megapixels. The front camera is equipped with a 5-megapixel module with an f / 1.9 aperture lens, it shoots video with a maximum resolution of QHD (2560 × 1440). You can take a photo with the front camera without touching the screen, with an outstretched hand gesture, or by voice command. You can also take a self-portrait by tapping your finger on the heart rate sensor on the back of your smartphone.

The main 16-megapixel camera has an f / 1.9 lens, tracking autofocus, optical stabilization (OIS) and a single LED flash. It is believed that sensors from different manufacturers can be used in different instances of the same model - both Sony IMX240 and Samsung ISOCELL. A quick launch of the camera is possible by double-clicking on the central hardware key under the screen.

The camera settings are combined in a long scroll, in addition to the usual automatic mode and manual settings mode, here you can also select panoramic, selective focus mode, as well as fast and slow video modes. Added not quite the usual mode of the so-called virtual shooting to create a multi-angle view of objects.

Video camera Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge can shoot in resolutions up to 4K (UHD). As always, the option of shooting at 60 fps is very curious, while the resolution is 1920 × 1080 (Full HD). The camera copes with any options perfectly, there are no complaints about the quality of the resulting video image. The quality of video recording can be judged by test videos.

• Clip #1 (31 MB, 1920×1080 @60 fps)
• Clip #2 (54 MB, 3840×2160 @30 fps)

	Good sharpness throughout the frame.
	With shadows, the camera works quite well.
	Sharpness practically does not decrease with the removal of the plan, but a certain soapiness of the image as a whole becomes more noticeable.
	Good detail work, although the soapiness mentioned above spoils them a little.
	The colors of the sky and buildings are quite even.
	The shadows worked out well. To distant plans, the blurring of small details becomes clearly visible.
	Because of the soapiness, the license plates of remote machines are hardly distinguishable.

As with many modern smartphones, the HDR mode can be set to automatic without forcing it on. In this case, the duration of the snapshot does not increase, but the images often look more interesting.

auto mode	Auto HDR

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench according to our methodology.

The pictures look very dignified, although there were some small disappointments: many images are slightly soapy, because of which detail suffers, and noise is not always processed accurately.

It would seem that the program in the camera should be the same as in the S6, but the firmware version indicated in EXIF ​​looks newer, while the camera shoots noticeably worse. However, “noticeably” is still too strong a word, since the difference is clearly visible only in a laboratory test. On the field shots of the S6 Edge, there is a certain soapiness that hides the details, but on the S6 shots it was also observed, although it was much less pronounced. The feeling that the programmers wanted to improve processing does not leave, but it turned out “as always”, since the camera modules for these smartphones are clearly the same.

However, our S6 Edge sample looked better, at least due to the lack of blur on the right, noted in the S6 sample. But objective tests do not allow the S6 Edge to stand out either against the background of other smartphones or against the background of its less outrageous brother. Although the shots look very good, they do not stand up to comparison with the LG G4, which was tested in exactly the same conditions at the same time. It is possible that in serial samples such soapiness will be eliminated, but this is doubtful, and sales are already in full swing.

As a result, the camera is quite suitable for documentary and artistic shooting, besides, the detailing noticeably suffers only in the background.

Telephone part and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also has support for fourth-generation LTE Cat6 networks with the maximum possible speed of up to 300 Mbps per reception. In practice, with a SIM card from the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone confidently recognizes and works with 4G networks.

The rest of the network capabilities of the smartphone are also on top: there is support for NFC technology, Bluetooth 4.1 supports A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT + profiles. Wi-Fi module 802.11n/ac, HT80 MIMO (2×2, up to 620 Mbps) supports both frequency bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Wi-Fi Direct technology, you can organize a wireless access point through channels WiFi or Bluetooth. It is possible to connect external devices to the USB port in OTG mode.

The navigation module works with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system, and also sees satellites of the Chinese Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the navigation module, a cold start occurs within a minute or faster. Also, the device is equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the compass of navigation programs functions.

OS and software

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge runs on the fifth version of Android OS with the proprietary TouchWiz shell installed on top of it. The new version of TouchWiz in both S6 models is installed exactly the same, you can read more about all its features in the Samsung Galaxy S6 review.

The only difference in the interface in the modification for S6 Edge is a special section of the menu dedicated to the settings for working with a curved screen. The device can turn on the backlight of the side of the display, thus duplicating the alert sensor, when receiving calls or notifications. Also, this side of the screen is used to display individual favorite contacts placed in multi-colored circles on it, and, accordingly, work with them. When calls and messages arrive, the sidewall will be highlighted in exactly the color that was assigned to a particular contact - all this is configured in the menu of a feature called People Edge. In addition, the side screen can display a scrolling information feed with news received from subscribed channels, as well as a clock in night mode. The idea looks quite fresh, and perhaps even allows you to save battery power, but time will tell whether this feature will really be in demand by the owners of the devices.

With the updates comes another new feature that was introduced by Samsung after the announcement of the Galaxy S6 models: a data transfer service called Smart Switch. The Smart Switch app for PC and Mac is designed to sync data using iTunes, as well as for devices based on Blackberry and Windows operating systems. Smart Switch allows you to transfer contacts, text messages, photos, music, videos, calendar data, call logs, notes, alarms, Wi-Fi settings, and even wallpapers to Samsung Galaxy smartphones. iOS users have the ability to transfer iTunes purchased music to a Samsung Galaxy device. To transfer personal data from Android smartphones (version 4.0 or higher), you need to install the app on both devices and use the Wi-Fi Direct function for wireless transfer. iOS users will also be able to use a USB OTG cable (iOS version 5.0 and above).

Performance

The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is built on the basis of a single-chip system (SoC) of Samsung's own production Exynos 7420, produced according to the standards of a 14-nanometer process technology. The configuration of this single-chip system includes two clusters of four cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The Mali T760 video accelerator is used as a GPU. The smartphone has 3 GB of RAM (LPDDR4 is used). Internal memory is implemented on drives that meet the UFS 2.0 specification. Flash memory capacity is 32, 64 or 128 GB. In the case of a model with a minimum volume, the user initially has access to about 25 GB of the nominally designated 32 GB. There is no expandability with memory cards, but it is supported to connect devices, including flash drives, to the USB port in OTG mode.

Below are thermal images of the back surface (top left in the image), obtained after 10 minutes of running a battery test in GFXBenchmark:

The mirroring of the back surface leads to the fact that it reflects the surrounding objects (in particular, the screen of the tablet that was used to shoot, and what is reflected on this screen). However, it can be seen that the heat is strongly localized closer to the edge near the power button, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 44 degrees.

According to the test results, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge hardware platform showed such high results that it surpassed all previous record holders without exception, including Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which had been ranked first in the AnTuTu test for quite a long time.

As a result, Samsung gave the world another champion in terms of power - a reference smartphone that will be equaled throughout the season, trying to catch up and match. The device is extremely productive, its capabilities will be enough for a long time to perform any tasks, including the most demanding games.

Testing in the latest versions of AnTuTu and GeekBench 3 comprehensive benchmarks:

For convenience, we have summarized all the results obtained by us when testing a smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks in tables. Several other devices from different segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in 3DMark gaming tests, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (due to which the speed can rise above 60 fps).

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them depend significantly on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect everything from a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the test results, the test subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed for the full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it also needs to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 audio format.

¹ Audio in MX Video Player only played after installing an alternative custom audio codec; The regular player does not have such a setting.

Video output features tested Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, as well as Mobility DisplayPort in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720/24p

Note: If both columns Uniformity and Passes green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and dropping frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the criteria for displaying frames, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. Except for files with 60 fps - one frame is always dropped due to the strange screen refresh rate of 59 Hz. It seems that someone at Samsung is sabotaging and in recent versions of AMOLED screens has deliberately lowered the refresh rate from the typical 60 Hz. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, going to the bends. The clarity of the picture is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experiment, you can switch to the one-to-one mode by pixels, there will be no interpolation, but PenTile features will appear - the vertical world through the pixel will be in the grid, and the horizontal one will be a little greenish. This is on test worlds, the described artifacts are absent on real frames. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows, only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights, all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

The capacity of the built-in non-removable battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is far from a record - only 2600 mAh, although this is even a little more than that of the "flat" version of the S6. However, despite the powerful platform and a fairly large five-inch screen, the smartphone more than adequately proved itself in terms of battery life. At the moment, Samsung flagships not only show the best autonomy in the top segment among their kind, but also demonstrate an enviable constancy in this matter, which cannot be said about many other manufacturers. For example, the same LG device G2 was simply great in terms of autonomy, but with the release of each subsequent model, this indicator, unfortunately, is getting worse and worse. The same can be said about the NTS flagships.

It should be noted that the phone's settings traditionally include two branded power-saving modes: normal and extreme. The maximum power saving mode significantly reduces the level of energy consumption by turning off secondary functions and preserving vital functions at the moment, as well as, for a visual effect, turning the image on the screen into black and white.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted about 19 hours until the battery was completely discharged. With continuous viewing of video in high quality (720p) with the same level of brightness through a home Wi-Fi network, the device lasted more than 12 hours. In the 3D-games mode, the device worked for almost 4 hours. The smartphone supports fast charging technology, so that the full charge time is only 1.5 hours, and according to the assurances of the developers, just 10 minutes "at the outlet" allows you to charge your smartphone for a subsequent four-hour use.

Outcome

Samsung did a great job on their next flagship: if the beauty of design is a matter of taste, and here opinions may differ, then in terms of hardware, Galaxy S6 smartphones can safely be given the highest score. Performance at the maximum level, but at the same time at a height and autonomy, which cannot but rejoice. Having one of the best cameras in its category is also a very revealing moment, although this aspect is not important for everyone. The screen quality and sound are at a very decent level, the network capabilities of the smartphone satisfy any need. In addition, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has most of the flagship features, from the fingerprint scanner to the infrared port and support for wireless charging. True, the new smartphone costs more than all its competitors, but this issue is already beyond the scope of our review and remains entirely on the seller's conscience.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is not an ordinary smartphone, and in terms of the combination of characteristics, it simply cannot fail to receive our award for original design. But I would especially like to highlight its unusual screen and express the hope that in the future we will see even bolder experiments in this area and discover new applications of "curved" screens.

Operational testing of one of the brightest smartphones of the new season

Every spring, in late February or early March, the geeks of the world look forward to the Mobile World Congress. After all, it is during it that almost without exception, manufacturers of mobile devices announce their new flagship smartphones. The greatest excitement is traditionally caused by the novelties of the leaders of the segment, and Samsung, of course, does not stand aside. We have already been accustomed to the fact that it is during MWC that the Korean company “rolls out” the next flagship smartphone of the Galaxy S line. Well, good traditions must be observed, and this year was no exception: on February 28, during the Zero Day Conference, we were shown already as many as two new devices - Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

It must be said that after 2014 and the Samsung Galaxy S5, the wait has been a bit hectic. It’s not that last year’s leader was a disappointment, but it didn’t cause a true “wow”. There was too much criticism: both a dubious, rather inconspicuous-looking plastic case, the surface of which was compared by many with an adhesive plaster, and practically the same characteristics without significant improvements, and a somewhat "stagnant" proprietary TouchWiz interface. In general, the S5 then became “just another cool smartphone”, and against its background, for example, the elegant four-letter glass devices of the Japanese company looked much fresher, and the Chinese brothers actively pressed their “ultra-fast, ultra-thin, on the Media Library and everything for 200 bucks."

The heat in the cauldron of general distrust was also thrown by the situation with the ruble rapidly going into a tailspin and the global crisis despondency; the situation turned out to be tense, here it was already necessary to either give up and go into the segment of “inexpensive, cheerful and good company”, or go ahead. Samsung chose the latter. It seems that someone stirred up the swamp, pulled out from the depths of bureaucratic oblivion thick Talmuds with claims to the previous devices of the line, angrily hit the table with his fist, and exclaimed: well, everything was fixed immediately! And everything started spinning - they found new components, interesting technical solutions, instead of one of the two designers fired last year (it's not clear: the one who held it, or the one who circled it), they hired a few with good taste, and ... In general, Samsung has finally , after much torment, made a premium smartphone, and not a product for geeks, for whom characteristics are most important.

Instead of one flagship smartphone, it turned out as many as two. One is a more traditional version of the Samsung Galaxy S6. The second is innovative, the Edge modification. The difference between them is minimal - in fact, the devices differ only in the screen (and they also have a slightly different battery capacity by 50 mAh). The “classic” model has a flat screen, while the Edge is rounded to the side edges. At the same time, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge smartphone, where the “bevel” was a separate matrix, the Galaxy S line has a single screen, and it is also absolutely the same for both flagships (in the section about the screen, I will tell you about the difference in detail). Therefore, everything said about the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is also true for the Samsung Galaxy S6. There are some differences in ergonomics, and, probably, the difference could be detected during instrumental testing of the screen, but the smartphone was in our hands for only one night, almost in the "field" conditions, so so far we have not had the opportunity to conduct such tests.

Video review

To get started, we offer you to watch our video review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone:

Now let's take a look at the characteristics of the hot news.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Key Features

• SoC Exynos 7420 (64-bit), two clusters of four processor cores: ARM Cortex-A57 at 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.5 GHz
• GPU Mali-T760
• Operating system Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Touchscreen Super AMOLED display, 5.1″, 2560×1440
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB LPDDR4
• Internal memory 32, 64 or 128 GB
• No microSD card slot
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Data transfer rate max 4G LTE up to 150 Mbps
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
• Support DLNA, OTG, MTP, Miracast
• GPS/Glonass
• IR port
• 16 MP camera with optical image stabilization (OIS)
• Front camera 5 MP
• Barometer, fingerprint sensor, hall and heart rate sensors
• Non-removable 2600 mAh lithium polymer battery
• Dimensions 142×70×7 mm
• Weight 132 g

Appearance and usability

A couple of years ago, smartphones of this size were called "shovels". Today it is a strong middle peasant - 5.1 inches, now you will not surprise anyone with such dimensions. At the same time, due to the narrowed edges, the device looks a little smaller than it actually is, and gives the impression of a kind of “neatness”.

The rounding also causes another generally positive effect - I personally have no particular desire to compare a smartphone with an iPhone. Nevertheless, the constant references to "apple" products at the presentation do their job: I want to remake the classic joke in a new way - they say, "also gay, but now curved." But if you take the issue seriously - no, it doesn’t look like (it’s in the Edge modification), and let the purists compare the location and shape of the grilles. The device confidently lies in my hand, "grip", in my opinion, is much better than that of the Samsung Galaxy S6. However, here you need to make allowances for the fact that I usually go with Huawei Ascend Mate 7 and I'm used to large smartphones.

In terms of materials, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge should appeal to many. Instead of pretty annoying plastic, both sides use panels of Gorilla Glass 4 - a new modification of plasticized glass, which is claimed to be much stronger than the previous one and, in addition, less fragile. The back cover looks very good - the designers specifically sought a “deep” glossy shade. There are 4 color variations for the smartphone: black, which we have in our hands (although it is actually a very, very dark blue), white, bronze and green. The latter, in my opinion, looks especially impressive.

I must say that fingerprints are perfectly visible on both surfaces of the smartphone. Almost all color options are prone to "splattering", and only white does not look like a forensic tool after a few minutes of use. However, company representatives claim that this (test) modification is devoid of an oleophobic coating, and the situation will improve greatly in serial deliveries. This statement seems to be true, but in any case, if “fingers” annoy you, it is better to prefer the white version of the smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is made on an aluminum chassis, the edge of which is visible on the edges of the device. Again, the company's employees claim that the alloy used is "50% stronger than the alloys in other top-end smartphones." And the smartphone will not bend in any case. We did not check this statement, because we did not want to witness the death from a broken heart in one of the exhibition staff in case of emergency.

On the front, curved edge of the smartphone, you can see the speaker grille, the front camera, the screen itself, as well as the mechanical home button. It is worth paying attention to the fact that when you double-click on it, the camera starts - this seemingly incredibly simple solution made it possible to do without an “extra” key and at the same time practically without loss in convenience. The button is pressed distinctly, with a clearly distinguishable click, but tight enough to avoid accidental pressing in the pocket. The remaining two buttons ("Back" and calling the list of applications) are touch-sensitive.

On the back side there is a powerful LED flash, as well as a decently protruding camera. The latter will inevitably cling to the edges of the pocket and anything else, however, in my opinion, the question “whether you want a non-protruding or a good camera” should be left to everyone to decide on their own. I suspect Samsung engineers did their best to fit the optical system between the Megara of the screen and the Athens of the back cover, trying to have as little in common as possible with the well-known hero of Greek myths.

The back cover is non-removable, so it's worth leaving hopes of changing the battery.

The right and left sides of the smartphone are made concisely - on one of them there is a power / lock button, on the second - two volume keys. Since the sidewalls of the smartphone are very thin, the controls turned out to be small and thin, but there are no complaints about their convenience.

On the top edge of the smartphone there is a slot for a SIM card (opened with a paperclip), you can see the hole of one of the two used microphones, as well as an infrared port. By the way, the return of the latter is becoming a trend, and that's good - it's better to control the TV from your usual smartphone than to look for this always lost "lazy" all over the apartment.

On the bottom edge is a Micro-USB connector, as well as a 3.5 mm jack for a headset. Here you can see the hole of the second microphone. In general, both the upper and lower faces look as similar as possible to the iPhone 6, almost copied. However, as I have already said, in general, the device has its own “face”, it is almost impossible to confuse it with the products of the company from Cupertino.

There are no plugs on the case, the device is not protected from water and dust ingress.

Screen

We didn't get a chance to test the screen in our extremely limited time, so I'll just give my personal impressions here. Well, let's start with the fact that the screen is surprisingly sharp, and this is just not surprising. The pixel density here is 577 ppi, while the Galaxy S5 had 432 ppi, the iPhone 6 Plus had 401 ppi, the LG G3 had 543 ppi (the screen resolution of the LG G3 is the same, but the diagonal is larger - 5.5 inches ). The screen produces rich colors, very bright and contrasty, but what else could you expect from Super AMOLED? The inflated color saturation is especially noticeable when looking at photos taken with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. At the same time, the minimum brightness is quite comfortable for reading in the dark. There is the possibility of adjusting the color temperature, as well as an energy-saving mode.

When looking at the screen at an angle, there are no changes in brightness and contrast as a class. Curved "corners" do not look alien and do not distort the perception of the picture. This is partly due to the fact that the screen itself falls only on half of the “rounding”, and the rest is a thin frame.

I haven't been able to find any apps where rounded corners get in the way. However, this effect may appear in some games that actively use the edges of the screen.

There were no differences in screen brightness and contrast compared to the Samsung Galaxy S6. However, as mentioned above, there should not be any difference between them: this is the same matrix, as company representatives told us, the difference is only in the very final stage of creation, as well as in the coating - for Edge, Gorilla Glass undergoes additional heat treatment under pressure.

Sound

The sound of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is decent. The smartphone emits a fairly loud sound, saturated with the entire spectrum of frequencies, including low frequencies. The sound is quite pleasant, it is not distorted at the maximum volume level, there are no wheezing, and there are no complaints about the conversational dynamics. With headphones, the smartphone also sounds at the level of modern flagships.

Camera

Even though the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (and the regular Galaxy S6) use a similar camera to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (same 16 megapixels plus OIS), the f/1.9 lens does the trick. The camera shoots very well in the dark. Useful technologies such as real-time HDR shooting (without the need to take multiple shots in succession) and a special mode for shooting in low light have been implemented. Pleased with the fact that the camera starts up very quickly - in just 0.7 seconds. There is no dedicated button to launch the camera, but it is possible to use a double tap on the center key ("Home").

Below is an example of how the camera performs in low light: in almost complete darkness, in highly contrasting light, without processing.

Test photos can be viewed in the gallery on our photo hosting Fotkidepo:. There, for each, you can download the original, and in addition, additional information about the shooting parameters is displayed on the photo page: aperture, shutter speed, etc.

Several resolutions for shooting photos and videos are available - up to 16 megapixels and up to Ultra HD, respectively. Sample videos are shown below (do not forget to open the video in full screen when viewing!).

Full HD video at night:

4K video at night:

Full HD video during the day:

4K video during the day:

Slo-mo video:

OS and software

The operating system uses a version of the Google Android 5.0 (Lollipop) software platform, on top of which its own proprietary graphical user interface, TouchWiz, is traditionally installed. However, there is little left of the usual colorful-parrot TouchWiz in the updated interface - all redundant whistles with animation are cut as much as possible, the lines are simplified, and they correspond to the guidelines of the new Android as much as possible. Unfortunately, the test sample was blocked from taking screenshots - we had to "take" them in the field, in the old fashioned way, using a camera. However, they are worth taking a look at.

Overall, the updated user interface resembles bare Android more than earlier versions of TouchWiz. Most of the things criticized disappeared or were hidden away. Several special control gestures have been added, "sharpened" for beveled edges. For example, if you swipe your finger from behind the right edge along the top of the screen, a list of the most frequently called contacts will appear (screenshot below on the left), and if you swipe your finger from behind the right edge in the middle of the screen, we will call up a window with missed calls (screenshot below on the right). In general, the new gestures do not look vital and very convenient - rather, it is a demonstration of additional features that appear due to the "convex" screen. In my opinion, it is enough that the screen is very beautiful.

Microsoft software is preinstalled in delivery.

Performance

As already mentioned, the screenshot functionality was blocked in the test sample. And since we were forbidden to modify the phone's software in any way, we had to get out the old fashioned way.

In the complex Antutu in 32-bit mode, the Exynos 7420 SoC used in the new Samsung flagship turns out to be head and shoulders above the nearest (according to the benchmark) competitors. Yes, and with other novelties of MWC 2015, judging by the available information, the Galaxy S6 Edge cracks down effortlessly:

Testing in MobileXPRT, as well as the latest versions of GeekBench 3, Mozilla Kraken and Google Octane

Javascript tests allow us to make at least some performance comparison with the iPhone 6. In Google Octane, the Samsung smartphone lags behind the iPhone 6 (6256 points) quite a bit, but the difference with the iPhone 6 Plus (7056 points) is quite significant. In Mozilla Kraken, Apple products are already a quarter faster. In terms of the performance of one core, Samsung is inferior to the iPhone, but in terms of the performance of all cores, it outperforms its “apple” competitors twice. Which, to put it mildly, can be explained by the ratio of the number of cores in these smartphones. However, in any case, browser tests depend too much on the performance of the browser itself to draw far-reaching conclusions from them.

A new frontier is conquered in 3DMark Unlimited - 22267 points. This is a record! Tablets with the new Tegra have higher results, but they also have a slightly lower screen resolution. And in the smartphone market, the Galaxy S6 Edge, of course, has no competitors yet.

In the most trustworthy GFXBench, the Samsung smartphone beats the iPhone in the most demanding scene, and in the T-Rex HD too. But here, again, you need to take into account the difference in resolution, taking it into account, the gap is quite small. Be that as it may, we have before us, undoubtedly, the most powerful smartphone with Android OS to date.

Battery life

The battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is smaller than even the Samsung Galaxy S5 - its capacity is 2600 mAh. However, the battery capacity of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is even smaller, albeit slightly - 2550 mAh. At the same time, do not forget about the cost-effectiveness of Super AMOLED screens - it is usually on top. However, we have not yet been able to adequately evaluate the energy-saving functions of the new Exynos SoC. The fact is that the device turned out to be with us for a time completely insufficient for any lengthy tests, so we had to limit ourselves to gaming, loading the processor and graphics to the fullest. Note that the firmware on which we “driven” the smartphone may not be the final one at all, so the figures obtained should be taken as preliminary.

So, in the 3D gaming mode, the smartphone worked for a little less than four hours, that is, its autonomy level is average in this indicator. Under heavy loads, by the way, there is a fairly strong heating of the rear wall of the case.

Outcome

It seems that Samsung has finally managed to release the undisputed flagship. Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge combines a lot - here and design, and speed, and a serious "lightness" of the built-in software, and, finally, noble body materials instead of boring plastic. Battery life is at an acceptable level. Among the “chips” characteristic of modern top-end devices, the smartphone has almost everything, including an infrared port, a barometer, a fingerprint sensor, etc. Someone may blame the lack of dust and moisture protection, however, as practice shows, the circle of fans this "chip" is so narrow that it is lost even against the background of a disappearing audience of buyers of premium gadgets.

Alas, you have to pay for everything, and in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, you will have to pay with money. The company is still afraid to name the retail price of the smartphone (because it will have to be in rubles, and it is not clear what the dollar exchange rate will be in a couple of months - 100 or 10 rubles), but various experts talk about the amount from 58 to 63 thousand rubles for the basic modification with 32 GB memory. The cost of the “non-curved” Galaxy S6 is 4-6 thousand rubles lower. However, this price is shocking only until you recalculate it in dollars or until you compare it with the cost of "apple" products.

In other words, the device turned out to be interesting, but it is in the uncompromising and premium segment. If we discard iPhones from consideration, then it has practically no competitors - probably, it is worth mentioning, first of all, the recently announced HTC M9 (but we have not tested it yet), and from the old ones - Meizu MX4 Pro (but it is already lagging behind in speed). The rest of the top smartphones have either an unsuitable diagonal, or insufficient performance, or other case materials.

Flagship with the world's largest double-curved screen

The prerequisites for the creation of such a model as the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + have ripened, as it were, by themselves. In this case, they were largely determined by the users themselves. Firstly, after the simultaneous release of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge models, most people showed much more interest in the variant with a curved screen (edge) than in the usual "flat". Well, the fact that smartphones with huge screens are now popular and that Samsung Note series tablet phones have been in stable and unrelenting demand for several years prompted developers to logically combine all these features in one device. This is what the Koreans did by introducing a huge curved screen smartphone called the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + this fall.

Naturally, the novelty for the most part is a follower of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge, this can be seen with the naked eye. And at the same time, it should not be considered the same device, only with a larger screen. There will be more differences between the two smartphones, they may even seem so significant to some that they will push them to purchase new items, but in any case, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + is worthy of its own review.

Key Features of Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ (Model SM-G928C)

• SoC Samsung Exynos 7420 (64-bit), two clusters of four processor cores: ARM Cortex-A57 at 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.5 GHz
• GPU Mali-T760
• Operating system Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
• Touch Dual Edge Super AMOLED display, 5.7″, 2560×1440
• Random access memory (RAM) 4 GB
• Internal memory 32 GB
• Support Nano-SIM (1 pc.)
• No microSD card slot
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Data transmission LTE (Cat.9 or Cat.6) (FDD LTE Band 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,12,17,18,19,20,26)
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz) VHT80 MIMO (2×2), Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 4.2LE, ANT+, NFC
• USB 2.0, OTG
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Position sensors, proximity sensors, lighting sensors, barometer, fingerprint sensor, heart rate sensor, electronic compass
• Camera 16 MP (F1.9), optical stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (F1.9), front
• Battery 3000 mAh, non-removable
• Support wireless charging
• Dimensions 154×76×6.9 mm
• Weight 153 g

Contents of delivery

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ comes in a traditional packaging for modern flagship Samsung products. The box made of hard matte cardboard is concisely designed, there are a minimum number of inscriptions, there are no pictures or colors. The packaging is not too large in size, the entire set of accessories is located in the lower tier under a plastic tray with the device itself.

The bundle is standard, it includes a charger (5 V, 2 A) with a Micro-USB connection cable, a wired headset, a metal key to remove the SIM card, and several thin paper books with documentation.

The earbuds are individually stowed in their own plastic case, have a tangle-free flat wire and two sets of removable rubber ear cups.

Appearance and usability

As for the design of the novelty, in this respect there are a minimum number of differences from the Galaxy S6 edge, there are almost none. The updated model with the prefix "+" in the name looks exactly the same from the outside as its predecessor. This is still the same rather original-looking smartphone with a “convex” screen, in which both sides are strongly curved, which, in fact, was the very highlight that attracted users so much. The smartphone really looks very impressive, unusual and catchy. Korean designers have made a giant qualitative leap and managed to raise the image component of their products to a completely different level.

At the same time, the dimensions of the smartphone have increased markedly, and all the constituent elements of the case have proportionally increased. The stylish metal frame on the sides is not so thin and unpleasantly cutting into the hand, as it was in the case of the regular S6 edge. On the other hand, due to the fact that the device has grown significantly in size, and holding it in your hand with spread fingers has become not so convenient. Naturally, some users have long switched to tablet phones and have no difficulty handling such "shovels", but still the original S6 edge had much more comfortable dimensions to hold in the average hand.

At the same time, even such a significantly increased in size apparatus did not weigh much more. A very large smartphone with a huge screen in terms of weight barely exceeded 150 grams, which is surprising and pleasant at the same time. Together with a very small thickness of the case, this significantly eliminates many of the unpleasant moments associated with the large dimensions of mobile gadgets. Wide, but at the same time thin and light, the device is quite comfortably placed in the pockets of clothes, though not in any. In any case, with such dimensions, things could be much worse.

As for the quality of materials and assembly, there can be no complaints here, everything is assembled and fitted perfectly, the case is monolithic, nothing creaks, does not play and does not bend. Of course, one can argue about the choice of materials themselves: the slippery and easily soiled glasses used for the front and rear panels make up the largest part of the total surface area, the matte metal frame is lost against their background. Moreover, even this frame is very slippery for comfortable holding in the hand; in this regard, the new flagship Samsung devices cannot be called practical.

As for the elements placed on the case, in this regard, not everything exactly corresponds to the previous model. The enlarged novelty from the upper end suddenly suddenly lost the infrared port, which, in general, defies any logical explanation. But sometimes it was convenient to use the Samsung Galaxy S series smartphone as a remote control, which could not only turn on the TV, but also display the current program guide on the screen.

Perhaps this is due to the relocation of the SIM card slot to the upper end, but it is also not clear what justified this move. In any case, the card is now inserted into a slot located not on the side, but on top. There is no slot for installing a microSD card either on the case itself or inside it, that is, the device, like its predecessors from the sixth Galaxy S series, does not support storage expansion using memory cards, you have to make do with what you have.

On the opposite, lower end, there were more various elements. There is a universal Micro-USB connector embedded in the middle, and an audio output for headphones and a speaker grill located on the sides of it. Thus, a smartphone tucked into a pocket “head down”, even with headphones connected, will not cause discomfort. However, different people carry their mobile gadgets in their pockets in different ways.

The front panel of the smartphone has remained unchanged, it is completely covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 4, which has a curved shape, which is why the metal frame narrows on the sides. All together, this creates the impression that the smartphone does not have side frames at all – naturally, this effect is achieved when the screen is off.

However, with the screen turned on, the smartphone looks even more spectacular, especially when you look at it from the side. The screen is bent on the sides along with the glass, creating a sense of volume, it's impressive.

At the top of the front panel, along with the eyes of the front camera and sensors, there is such a useful element as an LED event indicator. The large round dot lights up in different colors depending on the battery charging status or incoming messages.

In the lower part under the screen, the control buttons are habitually located, the central of which is mechanical, and the other two on the sides are touch-sensitive, having their own backlight. A fingerprint scanner is built into the central key, it works without the need to “drag” a finger - just by a single touch. The finger can be positioned at any angle, the print will still be identified. The sensor works clearly, there are practically no errors recorded.

The remaining buttons are located on the sides of the device: on the right side there is a power and lock key, on the left side there is a double volume button. The keys are not as large as they used to be in the Galaxy S series smartphones. Now they are quite small, thin metal buttons with, perhaps, too hard and short travel.

On the back of the smartphone, a large camera module that sticks out noticeably beyond the surface is still installed, adjacent to a single LED flash and a heart rate sensor that can work as a photo button when taking a selfie with the front camera. The flash can act as a flashlight.

The smartphone is not protected from dust and moisture, there is no fastening for a strap on the case either. The device supports wireless charging compatible with WPC 1.1 (output power 4.6 W) and PMA 1.0 (4.2 W) standards. The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + goes on sale in two design options, which the developers traditionally gave lofty names: “Black Sapphire” and “Dazzling Platinum”.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ is equipped with a Super AMOLED touch screen protected by Gorilla Glass 4. The display glass is curved at the edges on both sides (Dual Edge), the developers claim that this is the world's largest double-curved screen. There are no separate side matrices along the edges on the bevels, the display here is a single whole, although the curved edges of the screen can carry additional load, acting as separate side mini-displays.

The physical dimensions of the display are 71 × 126 mm, the diagonal is 5.7 inches. The screen resolution is 2560×1440, the dot density is 518 ppi.

The frame around the screen is quite narrow. The sidewalls from the edge of the screen to the edge of the case are a little more than 2 mm, and the bulge of the screen itself and the curved edges of the glass further hide the width of these side stripes. When the screen is off, it generally gives the impression that the smartphone is “frameless”. The top and bottom edges are 14mm wide.

The display brightness is automatically adjusted based on a light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to handle 10 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge +, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + is slightly darker (brightness in the photographs is 109 versus 111 for the Nexus 7, the glare curved edges of the tested screen are excluded) and does not have a pronounced tint. The ghosting of reflected objects in the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of borders (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, slightly better than Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

When displaying a white field in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 400 cd/m², the minimum was 1.7 cd/m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case the smaller the white area on the screen, the lighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a fairly good level. The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device without any problems even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). You can make adjustments to how this function works by moving the adjustment slider. Next, for the three conditions, we present the screen brightness values ​​for the three values ​​​​of this setting - for 0%, 50% and 100%. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 1.7, 7.3 and 16 cd / m², respectively (the first and second are too dark, the third is normal), in an office lit by artificial light (approximately 400 lux), the brightness is set to 43 , 130 and 325 cd/m² (dark - just right - bright, which corresponds to the specified correction), in a bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - increases to 450 cd/m² regardless of the position of the slider. This value is greater than the maximum for manual adjustment. If you increase the brightness of ambient light (near the light sensor) somewhere up to hundreds of thousands of lux (corresponding to direct sunlight), then the screen brightness rises to 550 cd / m². Such brightness should definitely be enough to ensure that the image on the screen is well distinguished in any natural conditions. In general, the result of the automatic brightness adjustment function is as expected. Note that even with automatic brightness correction turned off in a dark environment, the smartphone does not allow you to set the brightness above 170 cd / m². At any level of brightness there is a significant modulation with a frequency of about 60 with a small or 242 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it, the modulation amplitude is not very large, and as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases, modulation with a large relative amplitude appears. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in the test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with a rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, such flickering can cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light emitting diodes. A full color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphoto:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

On the fragment above, you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), while repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without gaps and overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer considers the screen resolution based on green subpixels, on the other two it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the sub-pixels in this variant is close to the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen and some other newer devices from Samsung (and not only) with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some uneven contrasting borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they have minimal effect on image quality.

The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color is just black at any angle. So black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + (profile Basic) and the second comparison participant, the same images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 170 cd / m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. White field:

Note the excellent uniformity of brightness and hue of the white field (with the exception of darkening and changing hue towards the curled edges). And a test picture (profile Basic):

The color reproduction is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens is slightly different. Note that in this case, the picture occupies the height (with this screen orientation) of the entire area available for displaying the image and goes to the curved edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which makes it even more difficult to view images displayed in full screen. And even the picture of films with an aspect ratio of 16:9 comes to bends, which greatly interferes with watching movies. The photo above was obtained after choosing a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and environmental conditions, and what happens when you select the two remaining profiles is shown below.

AMOLED movie:

Saturation and color contrast are markedly increased.

Photo AMOLED:

The saturation is still high, but the color contrast is closer to normal.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile AMOLED movie). White field:

The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (in order to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed is increased compared to previous photos), but in the case of Samsung, the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + screen visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device at least at a slight angle. And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the elements of the matrix is ​​\u200b\u200bpractically instantaneous, but there may be a step at the front of the inclusion of about 17 ms wide (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, the dependence of brightness on time looks like this when moving from black to white and vice versa:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some “twitchy” movements.

For profiles Photo AMOLED and Basic the gamma curve constructed from 32 points with equal intervals over the numerical value of the gray tint did not reveal any blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 2.23, which is close to the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma - the curve slightly deviates from the power dependence (in the captions in parentheses are the exponent of the approximating power function and the coefficient of determination):

For profile AMOLED movie the gamma curve has a pronounced S-shaped character, which increases the apparent contrast of the image, but in the shadows the distinguishability of shades is preserved.

Recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for images that are generally bright. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve), most likely, does not correspond slightly to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential grayscale output almost on the entire screen.

Color gamut in profile case AMOLED movie very wide, it almost covers Adobe RGB coverage:

When choosing a profile Photo AMOLED coverage is pressed to the borders of Adobe RGB:

When choosing a profile Basic coverage is compressed to sRGB borders:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In the case of a profile Basic with the maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut without proper color correction, normal images optimized for sRGB devices look unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photos and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting does it make sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Profile AMOLED movie, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies and anything else.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good. Profile color temperature AMOLED movie above 6500 K, in the remaining two it is close to 6500 K, while in a significant part of the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of the color balance. The deviation from the black body spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units for most of the gray scale, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, and also does not change very much:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale in most cases can be ignored, since there the color balance does not matter much, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is permissible (and even necessary in bright light) to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include a good oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance (when appropriate profiles are selected). At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected on the screen), excellent white field uniformity, noticeably smaller than that of LCDs, and a drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. The disadvantages include modulation of the screen brightness. Users who are particularly sensitive to flicker may experience fatigue as a result. However, overall the screen quality is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, curved edges are only harmful, since this design find introduces very noticeable color tone distortion and reduces brightness at the edges of the picture, and in ambient light conditions leads to inevitable glare at least along one long side of the screen.

Sound

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ sounds pretty decent. Both in the headphones and in the main speaker located at the bottom end, the sound is clear, bright, thick, saturated with the entire frequency spectrum - low is not in excess, but the bass is noticeable. There is a volume reserve, although the device is not deafening at the maximum level. The sound at any volume level remains clear, without distortion and wheezing. There are no complaints about the microphone as a whole - however, at the highest frequencies, the interlocutors note a barely noticeable hiss, but this is already from the category of minor nit-picking. The second microphone for noise reduction with its functions as a whole copes adequately. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable.

To play melodies, a proprietary player with a large number of settings is used. Sound effects are united under the common name SoundAlive. UHQ Upscaler enhancements, "Pro tube amp" emulation, and the addition of SoundAlive+ surround effects are only possible when headphones are connected. For manual settings, an equalizer with preset values ​​is available, as well as separate controls for bass and treble. UHQ audio transmission via Bluetooth is supported with the appropriate headphones.

There is no FM radio in the device. The regular voice recorder has several modes, including "interview" and "voice note".

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ features two of the same 16MP and 5MP digital camera modules as the S6 and S6 edge models that preceded it. The front camera is equipped with a 5-megapixel module with a CMOS sensor and a lens with an aperture of f / 1.9. You can take pictures on the front camera using voice or gestures, as well as touching your finger to the heart rate sensor located on the back side next to the LED flash. This is convenient, it allows you to hold the device in front of you at arm's length in a more natural way, there is no need to touch the screen when shooting.

The front module copes with its tasks with dignity. The camera works quickly, the color reproduction is natural, the pictures are bright and detailed, there is even digital stabilization for video shooting. Video, by the way, the front camera can shoot at resolutions up to 2560 × 1440 (QHD). True, the wide-angle module, clearly designed for group selfies, at close range somewhat distorts the proportions of the face. Most likely, the calculation of the developers was to use the now fashionable stick-bracket, which increases the distance to the object being filmed.

The main 16-megapixel camera has an f/1.9 lens, very fast autofocus with subject tracking, optical image stabilization (OIS) and a single LED flash. A quick launch of the camera is possible by double-clicking on the central hardware key below the screen, even if the smartphone is inactive (double-clicking on the Home button turns on the camera in 0.6 seconds).

The camera settings are exactly the same as in previous models of the flagship series. They are combined into a long scroll, in addition to the usual automatic mode and manual settings mode, here you can also select panorama, selective focus mode, real-time HDR (Real-time HDR), the ability to capture a virtual three-dimensional object, GIF animation, as well as quick and slow motion video. You can also use the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ camera to create stunning collages by merging up to four video clips into one clip, each of which can be played back in slow motion.

Of the added, it is possible to note the appeared possibility of saving uncompressed images in RAW format in professional mode, and among the individual modes - a new possibility of direct video broadcasting to your YouTube channel. It is also possible to download additional various specific modes, from sports to food photography.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ video camera can shoot in a variety of resolutions and options, including slow motion, fast motion, 4K resolution (UHD), and Full HD at 60 frames per second. With any of the options, the camera copes with dignity, there are no complaints about the quality of the resulting video image and the sound recorded at the same time. The quality of video recording can be judged by test videos. Speeding up and slowing down is displayed when playing such videos on the smartphone itself, but not every player supports these functions when playing on a computer.

• Clip #1 (64 MB, 1920×1080 @60 fps)
• Clip #2 (55 MB, 3840×2160 @30 fps)
• Movie #3 (40 MB, 2560×1440 @30 fps)
• Movie #4 (40 MB, 1280×720 @120 fps, slo-mo)
• Clip #5 (12 MB, 1280×720 @30 fps, fast)

	Good sharpness across the field and according to plans, although distant plans are slightly blurred.
RAW
	Soapyness is again felt in the background, but the foliage is worked out well.
RAW
	Near and medium shots are excellent for the camera.
RAW
	If you look closely, you can see a barely noticeable sharpening on the wires.
RAW
	The numbers of all cars are distinguishable. Sometimes the camera does not lather at all in the background.
RAW
	The camera copes well with plain surfaces.
RAW
	The shadows worked out well. Again, distant plans are not blurred.
RAW
	Noises in the shadows are muffled neatly and almost imperceptibly.
RAW
	Even with backlight, the noise in the shadows does not go off scale.
RAW
	Good detail in difficult lighting.
RAW
	Sharpness across the field of the frame is almost excellent.
RAW
	The foliage is only slightly merged in places. There is no soapiness in the background again.
RAW
	The text is worked out well, although for some reason it was also processed by the program.
RAW
	The camera does a good job with macro photography.
RAW

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench according to our methodology.

Lighting ≈3200 lux.
Lighting ≈1400 lux.
Lighting ≈130 lux.
Lighting ≈130 lux, flash.
Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка.

Perhaps, there is practically nothing to complain about. Only a slight soapiness in the background and barely noticeable sharpening give out the smartphone's camera. Otherwise, including noise reduction, the pictures already resemble a good compact.

The pictures of the booth show that the quality of shooting is at a fairly high level - even at the edge of the frame. Due to the relatively narrow angle of the flash, the resolution at the edge of the frame drops, but in this case it is possible to adjust the flash output, which allows us to flatten our curve. True, for this it is desirable to have a darker center of the frame so as not to overexpose it.

The S6 Edge+ camera is far from the first to shoot in RAW. Arguing on the topic “why in a smartphone RAW?” we will not, because such a question is not even worth it. If it is possible to make a double in RAW, then why not, but whether to use this opportunity - the owner of the device will decide for himself. But here you need to understand that it is a little more difficult to “pull out” a smartphone RAW than a shot from a good camera, although it is quite possible to do this. Much here depends on the quality of the sensor, and no less - on the quality of the optics. But with optics, modern flagships practically do not sin, but sensors still have room to grow. Below are a few images, with minimal processing, output through Camera Raw and RawTherapee, which prove that it is quite possible to pull out Samsung RAW, and moreover, it is quite possible to work with it.

An archive with RAW images can be downloaded from the link.

The camera takes RAW pictures in DNG format, which avoids special problems with profiles. Perhaps, in anything else, the smartphone should not shoot.

The shots of the booth were taken through Camera Raw in the “As Shot” auto mode, and they show that the computer retains a little more detail than a smartphone, but accurate noise processing and color work in this case fall on the user’s shoulders. In normal scenarios, the machine copes well, even excellently. If you want special colors, it makes sense to use RAW. The size of such a picture is about 32 MB, so shooting in RAW all the time is impractical, but switching between manual and auto mode does not take long.

In general, the camera turned out to be quite flagship. She will do well with shooting in auto mode and in RAW, which she can really afford.

Telephone part and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also has support for fourth-generation networks LTE Cat.9 (or Cat.6 depending on the operator). The following FDD LTE bands are supported: B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1800), B4(AWS), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B12(700), B17(700) , B18(800), B19(800), B20(800). That is, all three of the most common ranges among domestic operators (B3, B7 and B20) are supported by the smartphone. In practice, with a SIM card from the Beeline operator in the Moscow region, the smartphone confidently registered and worked in 4G networks. The quality of signal reception does not cause any complaints, the device confidently maintains communication indoors and does not lose the signal in areas of poor reception.

The rest of the communication capabilities of the smartphone are also on top. Support for NFC technology is available, Bluetooth has version 4.2, the ANT + standard is also supported. Wi-Fi module 802.11n/ac, HT80 with MIMO technology (2×2, up to 620 Mbps) supports both frequency bands (2.4 and 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct is supported. You can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. It is possible to connect external devices to the USB port in OTG mode. Payments in Samsung Pay can be made using NFC or MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technologies.

The navigation module works with all three world systems: GPS (with A-GPS), Glonass and Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the speed of the navigation module, the first satellites are detected during a cold start within the first tens of seconds. The smartphone is equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the compass of navigation programs functions.

The standard keyboard layout has a dedicated top row with numbers, it is possible to change the height of the row. For fans of Swype, a method is provided for continuous input with a stroke from letter to letter with the T9 smart dialing system turned on. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is also carried out immediately by the first letters in contacts. It is possible to reduce the size of not only the virtual keyboard, but the entire working area of ​​the screen as a whole for the convenience of one-handed operation. True, at the same time, all the information becomes too small and difficult to read. In order to reduce the working area of ​​the screen, you need to quickly press the central hardware button under the screen three times.

OS and software

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + runs on the fifth version of Android OS (5.1.1) with the proprietary TouchWiz shell installed on top of it. The TouchWiz interface is pretty much the same as the original Samsung Galaxy S6. Of the features: it is possible to work in multi-window mode (if the application supports split window mode) or in pop-up window mode. Gestures are supported (screenshot or mute with the palm of your hand, calling a contact by bringing the device to your ear, etc.). For the convenience of working with one hand with an enlarged screen, the usual functions for such a case are added to shift the virtual keyboard closer to one of the edges of the screen and reduce the entire working area on the screen as a whole. From the fifth version of Android OS, the interface got pop-up interactive information tiles, a scrolling perspective menu of the last open programs, and a guest mode. From additional themes immediately available for download and installation, you can choose the same soft pink for girls or inky blue with a cosmic bias for boys - you will have to follow the rest in the online theme store.

Naturally, additional functions have been implemented for the curved screen, some of which, however, could well be used with the most ordinary, flat screen - for example, the same multi-colored bookmarks that look like labels on the side and are tied to certain contacts. Of course, with a flat screen, there is no way to backlight the side of the display when receiving calls or notifications, but it is actually only useful if you put the device face down, and hardly anyone does this often.

In addition, a scrolling information feed with news received from subscribed channels can be displayed on the side of the screen, as well as a clock in night mode, which already looks more interesting and useful. At least you don't have to turn on the whole screen to see the time. True, this option is also implemented with a normal, not curved screen: in LG devices, for example, you can pull down the blanked screen, and the time with the date will be displayed on top (Glance View function). So, in general, it seems that the presence of curved edges of the screen does not give any special functional advantages - after all, this is for the most part a spectacularly looking element of decoration.

The set of pre-installed applications is standard and familiar from previous models of the series. The Smart Switch app for PC and Mac is designed to sync data using iTunes, as well as for devices based on Blackberry and Windows operating systems. The SideSync function provides both wired and wireless connection to a computer without additional settings and cables for smartphone synchronization and control. A set of system utilities Smart Manager is responsible for system optimization, memory cleaning and anti-virus security. A widget called Briefing is no longer in the first generation of Korean top-line smartphones and is responsible for collecting and displaying information from various news sources. S Health is usually associated with health indicators: the program works both with a heart rate sensor located on the back of the device, and with numerous separate accessories, such as smart bracelets and watches.

Performance

The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + is based on a single-chip system (SoC) Exynos 7420 of Samsung's own production, manufactured according to the standards of the 14-nanometer process technology. The configuration of this single-chip system includes two clusters of four cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The Mali T760 video accelerator is used as a GPU. The smartphone has a whopping 4 GB of RAM (using LPDDR4), which is more than the regular version of S6 edge (3 GB). The plus version is on sale in Russian retail so far with only 32 GB of internal memory, of which about 25 GB is available to the user. There is no possibility of expansion due to memory cards, connection in OTG mode is supported.

According to the results of testing, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge +, as expected, showed the same high results as both previous flagship models S6 and S6 edge - fortunately they are based on the same platform. The performance in the 64-bit version of the popular AnTuTu benchmark is approaching 67K points, and in the regular 32-bit version it is almost 63K, which has not yet been demonstrated by any of the competing Qualcomm and MediaTek SoCs. The most powerful Huawei platform, HiSilicon Kirin 935, does not reach such heights either. In other comprehensive tests, the results of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + are also maximum.

In terms of graphics and support for 3D games, the Galaxy S6 edge + platform is also on top, although here the Adreno 430 graphics subsystem of the competing Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 platform is almost on par with the Mali T760 GPU, which is part of the Samsung Exynos 7420 SoC.

In any case, the device is extremely productive, its capabilities will be enough for a long time to perform any tasks, including the most demanding games.

Testing in the latest versions of AnTuTu and GeekBench 3 comprehensive benchmarks:

For convenience, we have summarized all the results obtained by us when testing a smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks in tables. Several other devices from different segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in 3DMark gaming tests, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (due to which the speed can rise above 60 fps).

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them depend significantly on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

thermal images

Below are thermal images of the back surface obtained after 10 minutes of running a battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:

The specularity of the back surface leads to the fact that it reflects the surrounding objects (in particular, the hand holding the camera). However, it can be seen that the heating is strongly localized closer to the right edge, which seems to correspond to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 40 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), this is the average heating in this test among modern smartphones.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect everything from a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the test results, the test subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed for the full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it also needs to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 audio format.

¹ Audio in MX Video Player only played after installing an alternative custom audio codec; The regular player does not have such a setting.

Video output features tested Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find an MHL interface, as well as Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720/24p

Note: If both columns Uniformity and Passes green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and dropping frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the criteria for displaying frames, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. In the case of files with 60 fps, one frame per 1-2 s is always displayed a little longer due to the strange screen refresh rate of 60-odd Hz. This effect is also present at a lower frame rate, but it is more difficult to notice it. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, going to the bends. The clarity of the picture is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experiment, you can switch to the one-to-one mode by pixels, there will be no interpolation, but PenTile features will appear - the vertical world through the pixel will be in the grid, and the horizontal one will be a little greenish. This is on test worlds, the described artifacts are absent on real frames. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows, only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights, all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

The capacity of the built-in non-removable battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + is a considerable 3000 mAh. The economical SoC, made according to the 14 nm process technology, and the Super AMOLED screen did their job: the smartphone more than adequately proved itself in terms of battery life. Samsung flagships in the latest generations have always demonstrated outstanding autonomy in the top segment, among their own kind, the last device of the series was no exception.

Traditionally, there are two proprietary power saving modes in the settings: normal and extreme. Maximum Power Saving Mode significantly reduces power consumption by turning off non-essential and retaining vital functions at the moment, as well as, for visual effect, converting the color image on the screen to simplified shades of gray.

The developers themselves promise up to 20 hours of talk time, as well as 11 hours of continuous work on the Internet and up to 66 hours of audio playback. Our own measurements showed that continuous reading in the Moon + Reader program (with a light theme, with auto scrolling) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted about 15.5 hours until the battery was completely discharged. Without the auto-scroll feature, these figures will increase even more. With continuous viewing of video in high quality (720p) with the same level of brightness through a home Wi-Fi network, the device lasted almost 11 hours. In the 3D gaming mode, the device worked for about 4.5 hours.

At the same time, the smartphone is charged extremely quickly. With Samsung's proprietary 2A charger, the smartphone's bulky battery can be fully charged in just 1.5 hours. We did not have the opportunity to check the charging time from a wireless device, but the developers promise that it will be only no more than 2 hours.

Outcome

Samsung once again released a very high-quality product, the main drawback of which is only its high cost: in the current conditions, not everyone will be able to afford it. At the time of going on sale in the Russian market, the official price of a certified Samsung Galaxy S6 edge + smartphone with 32 GB of memory in both color versions is almost 55 thousand rubles. But those who are not afraid of such a price will be able to enjoy all the outstanding features of this outstanding smartphone with a high-quality large screen, one of the best cameras on the market, an impressive set of communication services, good sound and decent autonomy. Not to mention the two most important features of any modern smartphone, such as expressive appearance and the highest performance of the hardware system.

The heating of the case in the high load mode is not uniform - the front and rear panels heat up very moderately, while the metal frame consistently "passes" over 40 degrees. This is far from the temperature at which you want to let go of the smartphone, but, given the small thickness of the side faces and the fact that they are the only “fulcrum” on the slippery body of the smartphone, the feeling in games is sometimes not very pleasant.

The level of reception of 3G and 4G networks is at a high level, the sensitivity of Wi-Fi is also not satisfactory. The speaker volume is average, its potential is enough for almost any conversation. The level of satellite navigation in the Galaxy A7 is very good - the connection is established almost instantly, and 24 satellites are pleasantly pleasing against the background of the "average" 12 in mass smartphones and 7-8 in devices based on MediaTek chips. Even in bad weather conditions in dense urban areas, Galaxy S6 edge will accurately navigate and communicate confidently on the go.

Soft

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge runs on Android 5.0.1 with TouchWiz proprietary shell. After numerous complaints about the too colorful and heavy TouchWiz interface in Android Jelly Bean, the Korean giant "put on a diet" its proprietary software - we felt the first echoes of this decision in the Galaxy A7 interface running Android 4.4 KitKat. The new revision of the shell in Lollipop, according to subjective impressions, has changed little since then.

We should pay tribute to the efforts of Korean programmers - the system interface got rid of most of the frivolities and now fits almost perfectly into the sensational one, which Google recommends to use for all developers of "software" for Android.

Samsung's second promise regarding its own shell concerned getting rid of the abyss of pre-installed software that previously came with TouchWiz and did not always allow uninstallation. Everything is not so simple here: our test sample S6 edge is intended for the German market, and although we did not find a set of programs familiar to the domestic market, customers of fashion stores, ordering hotels or pizza were present in the smartphone. To be fair, they can be removed immediately.

In the spring of last year, the Korean giant Samsung presented to the admiring public a “rich” version of its flagship smartphone Galaxy S6, which differs from the base model with a curved screen on the sides. The back side of the Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone is also covered with glass, only smooth. It looks stylish and unusual, besides, the developers have tried to make the most of the side: it displays selected contacts, and when a call comes in, each of them is highlighted in its own color. On the side, news from the information feed is displayed, and in night mode, the clock. At the bottom of the front panel is a fingerprint recognition sensor that unlocks the phone. In general, stylish, unusual, modern ... However, unfortunately, a smartphone has not yet been invented from mere advantages.

Galaxy S6 Edge - fast and smart

The Galaxy S6 Edge is powered by the Exynos 7420 SoC (System on a Chip) developed by Samsung. This chipset is made using 14 nm technology and is considered by many analysts to be the most powerful mobile processor at present. The chipset contains 4 ARM Cortex-A57 cores clocked at 2.1GHz and 4 ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5GHz. The graphics are controlled by the Mali T760 video accelerator, which is also part of the SoC. The transition to 14nm technology allowed to reduce the power consumption of the processor while increasing performance, which, of course, affects the battery life of the mobile device.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone has 3 GB of LPDDR4 memory. This modification of DDR SDRAM memory also works at a reduced supply voltage. Permanent memory, depending on the model, is 32, 64 or 128 GB, while the design of the smartphone does not provide a slot for a memory card. An alternative is USB OTG support, so you can connect a flash drive to your smartphone.

The Galaxy S6 Edge runs Android 5.0 OS with Samsung's TouchWiz user interface installed. Among the many useful functions of the shell, one can note an energy-saving mode, privacy mode, work in 2 windows, etc. The proprietary health monitoring program S Health controls the heart rate sensor located next to the main camera. The Smart Switch data transfer service allows you to transfer any information from devices running iOS, Windows, Blackberry to Samsung devices.

The Galaxy S6 Edge is now the fastest smartphone, surpassing its closest competitors Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in AnTuTu tests. There are no slowdowns when working with heavy applications, watching videos and surfing the web.

Galaxy S6 Edge: display and cameras

The amazingly high quality of the image on the display is the main difference between the Galaxy S6 Edge and the competition. With a viewing angle of 180 degrees. horizontally and vertically colors are not inverted, retain brightness and contrast.

The light sensor controls the automatic adjustment of the brightness of the picture. You can manually change this parameter in the corresponding menu item. In the light, the screen almost does not glare, and the brightness is enough with a margin so that the picture is clearly visible on a sunny day.

The front 5-megapixel camera "Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge" is activated by a gesture of an open palm. For selfies, the heart rate sensor is used. The main camera at 16 MP is equipped with LED flash, tracking autofocus and optical stabilization. The camera can shoot in resolutions up to 4K (UHD), and at a frame rate of 69 fps - 1920-1080 (Full HD). Both pictures and videos are of high quality, worthy of a decent camera.

Communications Galaxy S6 Edge

A nanoSIM phone card is installed in a plastic tray located on the top end of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone. The tray is called by pressing the paper clip included in the delivery set on the recessed button. The smartphone works confidently in 2G/3G/4G LTE networks. There is support for NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11n/ac, HT80 MIMO and Wi-Fi Direct. The navigation module works with GPS, Russian GLONASS and Chinese Beidou (BDS).

Galaxy S6 battery

Smartphone Galaxy S6 Edge: design vs. ergonomics

We have to admit that in this model, ergonomics were sacrificed for design. On the one hand, the dimensions of the smartphone allow it to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. On the other hand, the thumb just falls on the fingerprint recognition sensor only for owners of a small hand, others will have to aim at the button so that the device recognizes the owner.

The smooth glass that covers the smartphone on both sides does not allow you to securely hold the device in your hands, and the metal edging of the junction of the front and back panels causes considerable discomfort when calling outside in winter. A protective case may be the way out, but then all the beauty of the smartphone will be hidden. What did you pay for, you ask?