In the absence of the Note 5, the S6 Edge+ is the best Android
phablet around, but at current prices it’s just not good value
WITH THE GALAXY Note 5 currently missing
in action in the UK, those after a big-screen
Samsung phone now have only one handset
to turn to: the Galaxy S6 Edge+. As the name
suggests, it’s essentially a larger version of
Samsung’s existing curvy flagship, the Galaxy
S6 Edge, adding a sizeable 5.7in display that
towers over the smaller phone’s 5.1in screen.
Big-screen phones don’t suit everyone, of
course, but the double-edged curves do make
the Edge+ one of the more manageable
phablets. It’s smaller than the iPhone 6 Plus,
despite having a larger display. It’s more
comfortable than the Galaxy Note 4, too, as
its slender, narrower frame provides more
purchase. The glass back is a touch slippery,
but there’s no denying that the S6 Edge+ is a
stylish handset. It uses the same premium
materials as the S6 Edge, and demands
attention when you take it out of a pocket.
As desirable as the S6 Edge+ is, though,
there’s very little to set it apart from the rest
of the S6 family. It even shares the same
2,560x1,440 resolution as the smaller phone.
With the same number of pixels stretched
over a larger screen, pixel density is actually a
fraction lower, at 515ppi compared to the S6’s
576ppi. However, this is still very sharp, and
you’ll be hard pressed to notice the difference.
As a result, the S6 Edge+ is essentially a
carbon copy of the S6 Edge, making the 0.5in
bigger screen its main distinguishing feature.
The large display provides more room when
browsing or using two apps simultaneously in
Screen mode.
The 5.7in, 2,560x1,440 display is excellent,
with the Super AMOLED panel displaying
full 100% sRGB colour gamut coverage.
Contrast also returned a ratio of infinity:1, as
peak black levels are a perfect 0.00cd/m2.
Admittedly a peak brightness of 388.7cd/m2
isn’t huge, and AMOLED panels are
traditionally much dimmer than their LCD
counterparts, but this figure shoots up to
around 600cd/m2 when you’re outside to help
combat screen glare.
Thankfully, the larger screen doesn’t
impact the phone’s battery life, as it managed
a respectable 13h 23m in our continuous video
playback test. While this is almost two hours
less than the standard S6 Edge, it’s only 10
minutes behind the regular S6, so you should
still get more than a full day’s use out of it
even if you’re a heavy media user.
The S6 Edge+ continues Samsung’s streak
of best-in-class performance, too. The
octa-core Exynos 7420 processor comprises
two quad-core chips, one running at 2.1GHz
for more intensive tasks while the other runs
at 1.5GHz to save on power when the phone is
idle. The S6 Edge+ also has the benefit of 4GB
of RAM over the S6 and S6 Edge’s 3GB, giving
it an extra boost while web browsing.
Its huge score of 1,549 in Futuremark’s
Peacekeeper test is the highest we’ve seen,
beating both the S6 and S6 Edge by a clear
300 points. Naturally, surfing the web is as
smooth as could be, with no signs of stutter
or jerky animations whatsoever. The extra 1GB
of RAM made less difference in Geekbench 3,
though, as its respective scores of 1,463 and
the single- and multicore tests are
less identical to those of the S6 Edge.
S6 Edge+ also didn’t fare any better
GFXBench GL’s offscreen Manhattan
test, with 1,514 frames (roughly 24fps)
putting it just behind the smaller Edge’s
score of 1,537 (or 25fps). In real terms,
though, the S6 Edge+ is still a highly
competent gaming machine.
The S6 Edge+ uses the same
megapixel sensor as the S6 and S6
Edge. It can produce clear, bright-looking
photos even in overcast weather conditions,
it banishes the gloom to make sure your
photos still look great even when the sun’s
not shining. Our test shots all had plenty of
detail, and Samsung’s excellent noise
reduction effectively eliminates all traces of
noise and grainy artefacts. Low-light
performance is equally brilliant. Noise was
practically non-existent, and colours remained
rich and vibrant throughout. The flash can be
a little harsh at times, though, as the warm
colours in our non-flash shots all but
disappeared when we switched it on.
With top-class performance and a superb
camera, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ rightly deserves
its title as the best Android phablet since the
Note 4. However, it is undeniably expensive
for what essentially amounts to a relatively
middling set of minor software tweaks and
some serious style points. It simply doesn’t do
enough to make it stand out from the rest of
the S6 family, so while it may be the best
Android phablet you can buy today, at its
current price it simply isn’t good value.
