*The S6 Edge is one of the most unique phones on the market. Instead of the Note Edge having one edged screen, the S6 version has 2. That means that the normal screen is all screen, there will be no notification drops; all of them are displayed at the side.*

*Just a quick disclaimer: I just got this phone today at BestBuy and Ive been playing with it for a lot of time nonstop. So far the experience is great and nearly perfect. I encountered no stutters, no lag, no glitches, nothing. I downloaded a couple graphically intensive games and it ran all of them very well. And all in all navigating through the Touchwiz UI was surprisingly smooth, something that I wish I could've complimented in the past Samsung phones. Right now the battery is at 31 percent for me.*

Oh god this phone is a masterpiece.

Let me just start out by saying that I've had the S5 for about 6 months now. I've mostly liked the phone. I liked it's dependable battery life, it's water and dust resistance, it's gorgeous display, etc. But I felt like some things about it were just a deal breaker. The Touchwiz UI was no better than looking in a trash can. It was slow to respond and had these peculiar bleeps and bloop sounds that were rather annoying than adding something convenient. The air gestures were dope to use first but it quickly got useless. The settings were a total mess and it left a sour taste to a myriad of users including me. I'm most defenitely not the person who will hate any phone because it is made out of plastic and love the other because it has metal, but I did like a well built phone. It's not like I would hate a plastic phone but the S5 did have a better design than the S4, but it still wasn't good. It was an improvement but not one that I loved holding instantly when I picked it up unlike HTC phones. All in all, the S5 wasn't for everyone.

Then I saw this phone at MWC 2015. I didn't go the the event but I did watch some videos of this phone at the event. I saw that the S6 had better design, it was made out of glass, it had no expandable storage or battery replacement option, the Touchwiz UI was less "Touchweezy" and much cleaner and faster, it had much better specs inside, and there was an S6 edge version. I knew that the S6 was a phone that I've wanted from Samsung long time but I had to experience it firsthand to believe it. So I brought this phone Day 1 from Best Buy, and I have to say, this phone is almost everything that I've wished for.

Pros:

-Very premium to hold. There is actual metal around the edges, not just shiny plastic and the back is made out of glass, just like the Nexus 4.

-The display is the best out of any phone in the market at the moment (4/10/15). Samsung upgraded the display from 1080p to 1440p. This makes it sharper and clearer, but you won't notice the difference that much side by side unless you look close. Also, in traditional Samsung fashion, the phone has great colors, excellent contrast ratio, etc.

-Touchwiz UI is cleaner and better than ever. The whole UI seems fast and fluid, especially since it's running on Android 5.0 Lollipop. Some of the features like Air Gesture are no longer there in the settings. It looks flatter.

-Great performance. Samsung ditched Qualcomm for their processors in their phone now and they decided to put their well known Exynos processor inside this phone. They also put 3 GB of DDR4 Ram now. The result is a beastly phone that does almost anything you throw at it. Graphically intensive games run very well even at high settings and everyday tasking is smooth. Runs like a beast.

-Very fast to charge. I had the battery at 21% and charged it for 30 minutes and it instantly went up to 93%.

-Camera has less noise on low light pictures and there is OIS now.

Cons:

-Not IP67, meaning its not dust proof or water resistant. It would've been nice if they still kept that extra protection from the S5 to this phone, but I haven't dropped a phone in the water for nearly a decade, so this isn't a huge problem for me.

-Battery is not replacable. Its quite a sad thing for Samsung to cut down, since most of their old phones had this feature. If your battery is dead, then too bad, you have to either go to an Electronics support store and get it fixed or buy a new phone. Luckily, a phone's battery life R.I.P's after 2 or 3 years, so its a long lifespan.

-No SD Card Storage. This is what bugs me and this is why Im quite confused why Sammy left this feature out. The HTC One M9 has an SD Card storage. Is it made out of plastic? No. The glass back on the S6 is perfectly capable of adding a storage slot to expand memory. Thankfully the base line of the S6 has 32GB, which is adequate for most people.

The choice to go with Glass and Aluminum makes this phone's appearance and quality appear to be much better than previous models. The button layout is still the same as older Galaxy models but the button presses now have a reassuring click. The frame is still similar to the other styles as it remains curved. The back gorilla glass is not removable and no longer allows for additional storage or easy battery replacements. The camera sticks out quiet a bit and creates a noticeable bulge on the back of the phone. The glass crystal that should protect the camera is not as strong as the sapphire module found on the iPhone line. The S6 is so lightweight and has a slight slippery feel to it. These are some of my first impressions, but I will break it down more in the rest of the review.

Display:
The 5.1 inch display is a good size for those who don't want a huge phone, but want a nice size screen. It's a quad-HD 2560X1440 resolution which works out to be 577 pixels per square inch. It has a wonderful display with deep blacks and highly vivid colors. You can always change the saturation to tune the color to your preference. It's incredible to watch with it's 2K resolution. The game play on this is awesome as the screen comes to life. It's bright enough to view in outside sunlight, although you get some glare on the screen. The screen is very sensitive to touch, but that's not always a bad thing.

Hardware:
The processor Exynos 7420 2.1ghz of performance with 3gb ram minimizes lag with lighting fast reactions from one task to the next. Mali graphics processor really enhances game play. The S6 is missing any expansion slots for external micro sd cards. The base storage for this phone is 32gb, with 64gb and 128gb available as a separate model. It's not upgradeable and you've got to decide what storage needs you have before purchase. It does have the best speakers Samsung has ever put out in the past. They are bottom facing speakers and don't give you as much sound as a rear or forward facing speaker would, but it does have a clear loud sound. The S6 has a much better heart rate monitor than other galaxy's, because of the placement of it. The finger print sensor is now a press type not a swipe type. It works much better than previous models. You can wake the phone while pressing and it unlocks the phone quickly when done as one motion.

Battery:
The battery is smaller than before at 2600mAh. It should be good for all day for most users. However some users may find it needing to be charged during the day. The s6 does support wireless charging. You can set power saving modes at different battery levels to help you get all day on a single charge. Power saving mode will reduce screen brightness, limit CPU performance, reduced frame rate, turn off touch key light, disable vibration and reduce time before the time is turned off after notifications. I really wish they would have improved the battery and given it a bigger battery capacity. This is potentially the biggest disappointment with the phone for me as I am a heavy user.

Camera:
The 16 megapixel camera on the back is an improvement as well as the 5 megapixel front facing camera. The camera has a Pro mode which adds extra features and effects. The ability to adjust the focus of a shot is great, you can even change it after the fact. It has good low light photo taking ability with both cameras. Video is available is slow mode as well as 4K, but you cannot benefit from HDR as you would in 1080p. HDR auto appears to be to light when you view your photographs. It does create stunning photos in regular lighting conditions. It features motion tracking and auto focus and keeps the image steady with out tapping the screen to refocus. This is the best camera on a Samsung model to date.

Software:
Touch wiz works flawlessly and the OS seems smooth thanks to the new hardware. Wiz no longer has those annoying sounds, just simple clicks. The setting screen is now decluttered and simpler to use. The lollipop layout allows for your multi task bar to be accessed easier. You can create multi layer screens with floating icons. The S6 now features themes that can be easily applied to your home screen to customize the look. It is clearly the smoothest running Touch Wiz version produced to date.

Samsung is finally producing what we all desire and will be highly sought after by die hard Samsung buyers. A few things really turned me off like subpar battery performance and the lack of expandable storage via a micro-sd card, but in the end you gotta take the bad with the good, and there is clearly plenty of good here. I guess i'll always be hoping for a little more but am thankful for what is offered.

I originally picked up this Galaxy S6 Edge because of the unique look; but, the more I use it, the more I like it!

I've been using Samsung Galaxy phones for several years now; but, I was seriously considering moving on to a competitor until I saw the new S6 Edge. Let me say that this phone not only looks great - it backs up the looks with a fantastic phone!

[*** Curved Edge ***]

The S6 is an awesome phone, but is the curved edge worth the extra cost?

Personally, I see 4 advantages to the curved edge:

1) It looks cool! If you're looking for a unique phone, then this is one of the most unique designs on the market.

2) The alarm clock feature is awesome! I've been using my phone as an alarm clock (like most people), but I've also missed being able to glance over to see the time. (I mean, who doesn't want to confirm that they still have 5 more hours of sleep?)

If you consider that a docking alarm clock can easily cost $100 - then this phone starts to seem like a better deal.

3) Without a case, this phone is a little awkward to pick up off a table; but, with a case it's actually easier to hold and handle. This is definitely something I wasn't expecting.

4) The phone feels extremely thin with the curved edge! As a result, it fits great in my pocket and is easy to hold.

There are some other features that the curved edge offers (like the colored contact notifications) - but I haven't found them to be overly useful. On top of that, it does tend to be more reflective outside since there are 3 angles catching the sun.

I'm glad I went with the Edge, but I can see how that could be a pro or a con depending on who is looking at it.

>>> [*** Update 4/19/2015 ***] <<<

Finding a screen protector for the Edge turned out to be a bit harder than I expected - and I finally got sick of the one that I initially got with the phone and tried some others.

Anyway, if you are looking for a good screen protector, I would highly recommend trying the IQ Shield LiQuidSkin protector. It does a great job of protecting the screen without interfering with the curved edge.

[*** Wireless Charging ***]

Even with my S5, I used a Qi Receiver Card - and I have to admit that wireless charging is extremely convenient.

Fortunately, the S6 has wireless charging built in - and I definitely recommend giving it a try if you get this phone!

The main things to keep in mind with wireless charging are:

1) Thick cases do negatively impact wireless charging - so I'd recommend a case that isn't overly bulky. (There are lots of protective cases for the S6 edge that aren't bulky: like the Spigen Neo Hybrid case.)

2) Even though wireless charging is extremely convenient, it's definitely slower than wired charging - so it's not great for a quick charge if you're nearing empty.

Personally, I keep a wireless charging pad on my desk at work and by my nightstand. I can just drop the S6 on the charger whenever it looks like the phone is going to start running low.

The wireless charging on this phone is more sensitive, and works far better, than using a Qi adapter with the S5 phone.

[*** Wired Charging ***]

Although I prefer wireless charging, the wired charging performance of the S6 Edge is amazing!

When you use wired charging devices, be sure to verify that they're compatible with the Quick Charge 2.0 standard. With my Quick Charge Car Charger, I can get from empty to half full in a matter of minutes!

[*** Non-Removable Battery ***]

This phone does NOT have a removable battery, so battery life is more important than ever.

So far, the S6 Edge seems to have pretty comparable battery life to my previous Galaxy S5 - although I have't done any scientific testing. When combined with the convenience of wireless charging, the battery life isn't an issue at all for me.

Having said that, the bigger issue is that I can't easily replace the battery if it dies. Last year, both my phone and my wife's required a battery replacement; and, although it's possible with the S6 Edge, it's definitely not as easy - and I suspect it would be close to the hassle of a screen replacement

Even with that downside, I do love the thinner profile of the S6 Edge - and the non-removable battery is a big part of what makes that possible.

[*** No SD Card Support ***]

In my opinion, this has been the biggest problem with the S6 Edge!

I don't have a ton of music; but, it's just enough that an external Micro SD card really helps.

At this point, I've come up with a couple of alternate solutions for music:

1) So far, using the Beat Music app with Cloud storage seems to be the best option. It's pretty easy to setup, and my music is easily available when I want to listen. I can also setup a configurable amount of caching locally so files don't always need to be streamed.

2) Since I pretty much only listen to music at work, I ordered an OTG USB Flash Drive, and I'll see how that works once I get it.

At the end of the day, the lack of removable SD card support is more an issue of getting used to it than anything else - at least that's how I'm trying to look at it

>>> [*** Update 4/12/2015 ***] <<<

After playing around with different ways to store my music and files, I've settled on using the Google Play Music service. It was easy to copy my existing music files into it - and the service is free. It player also works at least as well as the player I'm used to using.

As far as the OTG Flash Drive goes, it works well - but isn't as convenient as I'd hoped since I have to remove the phone case to get it to work. It will be a good option for backing up or transferring files - but not for every-day usage.

[*** Case Compatibility ***]

The S6 Edge has tons of case options - and I've actually tried quite a few of them already. Personally, I'm currently leaning toward the Spigen Neo Hybrid case - but I'll give that a few more days before deciding for sure.

[*** Screen Resolution ***]

This screen is sharp! I know most phones in this class have sharp screens these days - but I think this is the absolute best screen on the market right now.

The higher resolution impacts lots of little things you may not expect. For example, this phone can show more notification icons simultaneously on the top notification panel than my S5 - and they look clearer.

[*** Performance ***]

The performance of this phone is excellent! The combination of the S6 hardware and Android 5.0 seems to be a potent combination, and I'm extremely impressed with it.

(Actually, Android 5.0 on it's own is a pretty good upgrade.)

[*** Build Quality ***]

Although I know, logically, that the glass back is probably more fragile than it seems - it makes the phone feel like a top-of-the-line piece of hardware.

This thing absolutely screams quality. It looks and feels like a work of art.

[*** Conclusion ***]

I think Samsung made a great move by improving the feel and looks of the S6 phones. On top of that, offering it in both standard and Edge variants was also a great move since the Edge won't appeal to everyone.

If you're on the fence between the models, then the standard phone is probably the way to go - but if the Edge is calling your name, I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

There is no denying that this is a great looking phone, but I'm only giving 2 stars because my auto-rotate function is stuck after only 3 days of use. My camera is permanently inverted (i need to hold it upside down if I want to take a picture), and the orientation does not change when turning the phone sideways (for everything: camera, games, chrome, etc.). I found many other people online who are having the exact same problem and some have even swapped phones several times.

I went in to the Verizon store, and they contacted their Samsung rep. The first one said he was unaware of this issue. I showed the Verizon salesperson all the websites detailing other people having the exact same issue, and they "said" they contacted a 2nd Samsung rep, who said it was a Software issue and they were working on a patch. The next day I decided to call Samsung support because I didn't fully trust the Verizon folks. The operator said that Samsung was not aware of this issue and he'd escalate the problem the best that he could.

I just want to know if this is a hardware or software issue, and nobody can give me an official answer. I only have 5 more days to wait for a software patch before I reach the Verizon return deadline. I'm probably going to end up returning it and move on to a different device, which is a shame because it is such a fantastic-looking phone.

My advice to potential buyers, is wait a couple months until they figure this out or just go with the non-edge version (the issue appears to only be affecting the S6 edge)

Update ** 5/7/2015 ** The best answer I received from Verizon was that it is most likely a software glitch and Samsung is working on a patch (no timeframe given). They offered to replace the phone, but it would take 2 weeks because of an s6 edge shortage. Samsung Support said they were looking in to my complaint. I could send them my phone and they'd either fix it or send me a replacement in 10 days. I didn't like either option and decided to exchange it on the last day of my verizon "return window" for the regular S6.

I've been using the non-edge version for a week and a half now and I love the phone. I won't go in to long comparison because I didn't get much time with a fully functional S6 Edge, but I will say that the regular s6 feels a lot more stable in my hand. Maybe it's just because I just needed more time to get used to the edge, but it felt "slicker".

You can read about all the regular features in the other reviews, but there were two things that I really like about the phone (both versions) which I did not know before purchasing it. (this is my first samsung, so sorry if these are old features)
1) The home screen's got a cool "floating icon" effect when you tilt the phone --> not useful for anything, but very aesthetically pleasing.
2) The phone allows you to choose up to 30 photos for your lockscreen which will cycle throughout the day. This may not be a gamechanger, but I absolutely love seeing different photos of my 5 month old throughout the day

Wow, what a difference a year makes. While last year's S5 took many steps in the right direction(being somewhat waterproof with better material and craftsmanship), it still wasn't there to make it a mouth-watering phone yet, like what HTC did when they first introduced their One M7, or whenever Apple introduces a new iPhone size. This year, Samsung has finally learned from both of their competitors, and made a phone that has all the good qualities of both, plus some of their own. Finally, this is the Galaxy S that you've always wanted and been dreaming of.

* LOOKS/FORM-FACTOR/MATERIALS: The very first thing you notice when you handle the phone, is its new design and form factor - finally Samsung has completed their transformation of getting rid of all that ugly plastic parts. Now it is just all glass and metal, and now it is truly beautiful. The metal fully wraps around the edges ofthe phone. The back is beautiful, the sides are beautiful - heck, even the buttons are beautiful. It feels great in the hand, and oozes style and sophistication. The S6 Edge is just so unique-looking - it is the most beautiful phone I've seen in a long time. And contrary to what people might say or what you might think, the two sloped edges are not awkward to handle, does not dig into your skin, and is not uncomfortable to grip.

* SCREEN: The very next thing you notice, of course, is the screen. I am continually pleasantly surprised at the evolution of Samsung's AMOLED technology - it has now became the best screen in the industry, hands down. I used to defend the LCD technology of the HTC M7, and at that point it was in fact overall superior to the Samsung S4 because the AMOLED then had issues in the sun, and color reproduction(it was too saturated and not natural). But now, they have fixed those issues, and the S6's screen is just quite simply the best. If you don't believe it, just compare an LG/Samsung OLED TV to any LED TVs today.
I still think 5.1 inches for a screen of a PHONE is still too big, but overall, for what smartphones represent nowadays, it is acceptable - we have conditioned ourselves to accept the bigger sizes of smartphones(I remember when I first held a 4.2" smartphone when it first came out - the HTC HD2 - and thought, "what the h3ll is this monstrosity??").
* It doesn't hurt that Samsung boosted up the resolution to 1440 x 2560 pixels, which is approximately 577 ppi in pixel density. Although this is quite overkill right now, it's always nice to have the latest and greatest technology - that's the reason why we buy these overpriced phones in the first place, isn't it? It is also very bright, and sunlit legibility is excellent. Color reproduction is quite accurate, and like the S5, you can choose different color modes to suit your liking.

*BATTERY LIFE: An important aspect to discuss is the battery life, now more than ever because there is no removable back cover to make replacing the battery easily like before, not to mention there is no microSD slot for you to add memory space to your phone. Comparatively, the S6 Edge is supposed to last a little less than the S6 regular, which I've read is less than last year's S5. But I'm one of those who are always around a charger, and I always carry external battery packs in my backpack when I travel, so that's never a concern. Seriously, who even buys an extra battery anymore - which you can only use for a single specific phone model - when your external battery can charge ANY and ALL phones and tablets?? This scenario only makes sense if your work is so demanding that you don't have extra time to charge the phone, and need to swap batteries IMMEDIATELY. I don't think that scenario is realistic nowadays when external batteries are so small, light, and cheap.
My S6 goes from 100% at 10 am to about 20% at 10 pm with moderate use - so no complaints there. I get home, plug it up, and there are no issues.
* What's better this year, is the wireless charging standards are already built into the phone, so you can just buy a charging pad for about $50 and feel even more cool.

* USER INTERFACE/SOFTWARE: The Samsung user interface called TouchWiz used to be bloated and sluggish. It would slow down(navigating throughout the phone, switching between apps, and using the apps themselves) once you start installing more and more apps and put more and more shortcuts and widgets on the home screens. Worse, they would cram all their Samsung apps on you, which for the most part are inferior to their Google counterparts. They came pre-installed, and uninstallable - you can only downgrade and disable them, but you can't take them off completely. Now, with the new TouchWiz working in conjunction with Android 5.0 Lollipop, things are a lot smoother and faster. There are also fewer of those Samsung apps - now you have the option of downloading them, but they no longer come pre-installed and wasting your space, which is now more precious than ever.
* Speaking of Android 5.0 Lollipop - it is so awesome! Not only is is simplistic, but in its simplistic ways, it is sleek, stylish, and beautiful. Google has done a great job is making everything easier to find, easier to use, easier to function. The color scheme is more coherent and consistent, and uses a basic color code that just makes sense. And it is quick, quick, quick! I know the phone itself is super-fast, but Google has done a great job is getting rid of the bloated feeling of past versions. I also have an old Nexus 4, and have enjoyed Lollipop on there for a while, so I know the speed is not just from the phone.

* HARDWARE: And speaking of the phone's speed - WOW! So Samsung has made the S6 with just one processor this time - their new octa-core(8-core) Exynos, and it is by far the greatest, fastest, and most powerful processor I have ever witnessed. The Snapdragon 810 was supposed to be almost as fast if not equal, but I'm glad I'm finally able to try Samsung's top of the line Exynos processor. Obviously, each new phone is/feels faster than the previous generation, but this is the first time where it's blown me away. And I have used many really fast phones before, like the HTC m7, to the S3-S4-S5 and Note 2-3-4. But this phone blows them all a way by a far, far margin. Trust me when I say you will be very surprised, and very pleased. Here is finally a phone that you don't have to wait for any longer - you tell it what you want to do, and it does it instantly. The S6 is like a Bugatti with its limiter taken off. This phone screams full-throttle!
* The phone comes with 3GB of RAM, and in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB versions.

* CAMERA: Finally, the camera: It is great, what can I say? This area of technology will keep continuing to progress and advance for the next 5-10 years at least, but we have already come so far. I would go as far to say that besides dedicated DSLR cameras, you would not find better compact cameras like these for under $500 from a dedicated camera. And to have it be already included in your phone is quite amazing, when you really think about it. This year, it even includes optical image stabilization, which you can see actually working as you pan/tilt/shake the camera. I used to buy $300-500 super-zoom point-and-shoot cameras for my travels back in the days of 7-8 years ago, and they didn't come out half as good as what this camera can do. And there are built-in enhancements and edits that you can do straight from the camera that are quite robust and powerful.

So, why did I say the evolution is near complete, and not yet? Well, besides the theoretical ideal that nothing is perfect, to the practical ideal like things like the camera will continue to improve for the foreseeable future, I felt that while Samsung took some big strides forward, they also took some steps back. For instance, by making it non-plastic, they open themselves to being less experienced in sealing it up, so they couldn't make it waterproof anymore. In the same vein, they can no longer make the back plate removable to replace the battery(although it is not impossible - you can actually get around it, but then you would void Samsung's warranty). And I'm guessing they didn't have enough research time in the metal production assembly to be good enough yet to include holes for the microSD slot.
So what can they practically improve on to make this as near perfect as possible? Make it waterproof like before(or better), and if you can't make the back plate removable, then improve on the battery life, and allow for the microSD expansion slot. And keep improving on TouchWiz, and get the Google updates out quicker. Once those are set - and because we know you will always continue to improve on the processor(phone power and graphics power), the screen(resolution, image quality, color reproduction, brightness, sunlight legibility), and the camera, next year's edition should make it as near-perfect as possible for the Galaxy S family, and maybe then after that you can start a whole new phone family, and bring out those bendable/roll-able screen technologies we know you're already working on, or something even more outrageous.

If you debating whether the international version is more worth it because you can use it overseas, remember that the international version does not have all the LTE bands, so you might not get the best possible 4G speeds. But you don't want to be stuck in a contract? Well, then, you can buy the phone at full price from the US carrier that you use most, and then call their customer service and have them give you the unlock code. Because you bought the phone whole, you are not under contract, therefore you are entitled to the unlock code. Plus, you can save buying the phone whole from the carriers - versus the international version - and save about $150+.

Overall, this is the very first Samsung phone that has blown me away. Not just in some ways impressed me, but made me very happy and please, and proud, to own a Samsung phone. The Note Edge was almost there, but after a while it became too big and heavy for me. The S6 has the perfect combination: big beautiful screen for all your needs, light-weight and compact for extended use and one-handed use; super-fast for business and gaming, good battery life to last you the whole day, and oh so beautiful that you can show it off proudly. This is a phone that you can have for many years and it will still be just as cool and just as usable several years down the line. The S6 Edge is the most unique phone(not just unique-looking) that I have owned and even seen in a long time. Get it, you will LOVE it!

*Check the photos for some real life shots of the phone.*

X-posted.

Read plenty of online reviews about the Edge before preordering it, most mentioned the "gimmick" that is the curved screen because of lack of functionality. To my mind this is a little like saying flat panel computer monitors were a gimmick because they did everything a CRT did -- they showed the picture, after all, they were just skinnier. "All show, folks, nothing here to see, move along"

Not so much. Now, what is a gimmick is the software that has been developed in order fend off complaints that the curved screen's real-estate isn't used efficiently. Edge contacts? Not all that essential or useful. Edge notifications? Same deal.

What is really impressive is the effect the curved screen has on my viewing experience. One reviewer on another site wrote "gives the disturbing impression that the screen is falling away from me." I balked at this because my experience is precisely the opposite, specifically that the screen is rising up to me. I hesitate to call it a 3D experience because that cheapens a true 3D display through something like MagicLeap, but it truly gives the impression that the screen has depthbecause, well, it does.

This is particularly noticed when using "carousels" to swipe through items on mobile websites & apps, e.g. Netflix. The items roll up one side of the screen then off the other to produce a more immersive experience. Same can be said about scrolling on Web pages while in landscape mode. Another cool/useful effect is when watching videos the "edge" is blacked out preventing distortion of the image but also provides a little extra screen space for widescreen movies. Also when swiping down to check notifications/battery life the notification & progress bar make use of the edge; in effect using less screen space & obscuring less of the video. The QHD display is also excellent with no pixellation visible under a hand lens.

Enough about the screen. Processor & RAM make Android 5.0 run like a dream. I owned an S5 before picking up this gem & seriously regretted updating to Lollipop because the S5 just didn't handle it well -- abominable battery life, laaaaag, & it required multiple restarts through the day. None of these problems are evident on the S6.

Battery life is good, but not excellent. Can stream videos for about six hours before it needs to be charged & survives a typical day with intermittent usage for ten to twelve hours. The real improvement here is the inclusion of wireless charging. I decided to forego the add-on backplate/battery for the S5 so I picked up a few wireless charging options this go around & I'm thrilled with the functionality. I have one in my car, on the end table, the bedside table & my desk. The convenience of being able to just drop/dock-&-go cannot be overstated & as a result my battery is seldom below 70%. The only improvement I can imagine is if they could figure out how to make my body a wireless charger.

TouchWiz is a bit of a let-down, but not significantly so. It is stripped down so I'm not completely inundated with an UI that had the feeling of being added to with each iteration to "improve" it, as if adding every spice in the cupboard makes for a better soup. The app drawer is my biggest irritation because it is entirely inconvenient. Newly installed apps are added to the end of the list but apps can be sorted into alphabetical order by touching the A-Z at the top of the list. Now why is this irritating? First, it needs to be done each time you install an app. Second, while you can customize the app list to include your most frequently accessed apps on the first page so you don't have an entire screen dedicated to app icons that should properly be housed in the app drawer, the customization process is poorly designed, unintuitive & languid in end-user implementation. Third, after spending a great deal of time customizing the first page of the app drawer the next time you want to sort your apps alphabetically you lose all of your customization.

Like every other device, this one is rife with pre-installed apps. I didn't do a whole lot of poking around to see if they could all be disabled, but every useless bit of bloatware I wanted gone -- NFL Mobile, all verizon apps except MyVerizon, Milk, Slacker, Facebook, etc. -- was easily disabled.

NFC is better implemented than in the S5 resulting in less shifting about to find a "sweet spot" so I can more easily use Google Wallet. No problems with BT as there were in the S5, specifically a problem I had with using BT devices such as my fitbit that caused WiFi to go on the fritz while BT was active. IR transmitter is superb & the included Peel Smart Remote app took less than a minutes to configure for both my television & DirecTV box & I haven't needed to reach for a remote since.

I'm not a camera junkie & I seldom take pictures of anything other than my dog being an idiot, but I have to admit that the pictures look pretty amazing. Given my limited experience, the editing tools where pretty intuitive but tbh, I only cropped a few Pics.

Aside from the screen & performance & wireless charging another real improvement is in the audio when compared to my previous devices. Mind you, just as I'm not a camera junkie, I'm also not an audiophile. Like my previous handsets this has a single speaker, but unlike those it is set in the bottom edge of the phone rather than the back. I used to have to turn the volume to max & cup my hand around the back of my S5 to get decent audio but whether the S6's speaker is so significantly improved or its placement is better or a combination of the two, this thing is LOUD! I usually turn on an audio book to fall asleep to & actually had to turn this down to 50% because it was disturbing my sleep. I do occasionally cover the speaker when holding the device in landscape mode, but that's just because I haven't become fully acclimated to the device.

Finally, the form-factor -- that I adore -- will require quite the adjustment from what we've all learned to be standard. It's really an excellent lesson in how uninnovative handset manufacturers have been in re-imagining both the means of delivering content & our interaction with that content -- the screen. When I reach into my pocket I want to grab the rounded bit so I can look at the flat side, because that's the screen, right? The Edge changes that paradigm, perhaps not drastically, but it changes it nonetheless. In my pre-purchase review reading some evaluators considered this an "ergonomic problem", some felt that their fingers hit the edge; I've found neither to be a problem. Just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad & with consistent use I've found my fingers fit quite comfortably on the aluminum surround without messing with the screen.

Form-wise, it is instantly recognizable as a S-Series phone, but this iteration is a superb high-end rendering of that aesthetic. Although I run the risk of overstating how visually appealing this device is, I am willing to label it an objet d'art. One that I was almost afraid to use due to its apparent fragility until a few accidental drops on tile confirmed that it is as durable as it is beautiful as it is functional.

Thoroughly, thoroughly pleased.

Wow, what a difference a year makes. While last year's S5 took many steps in the right direction(being somewhat waterproof with better material and craftsmanship), it still wasn't there to make it a mouth-watering phone yet, like what HTC did when they first introduced their One M7, or whenever Apple introduces a new iPhone size. This year, Samsung has finally learned from both of their competitors, and made a phone that has all the good qualities of both, plus some of their own. Finally, this is the Galaxy S that you've always wanted and been dreaming of.

* LOOKS/FORM-FACTOR/MATERIALS: The very first thing you notice when you handle the phone, is its new design and form factor - finally Samsung has completed their transformation of getting rid of all that ugly plastic parts. Now it is just all glass and metal, and now it is truly beautiful. The metal fully wraps around the edges ofthe phone. The back is beautiful, the sides are beautiful - heck, even the buttons are beautiful. It feels great in the hand, and oozes style and sophistication. The S6 Edge is just so unique-looking - it is the most beautiful phone I've seen in a long time. And contrary to what people might say or what you might think, the two sloped edges are not awkward to handle, does not dig into your skin, and is not uncomfortable to grip.

* SCREEN: The very next thing you notice, of course, is the screen. I am continually pleasantly surprised at the evolution of Samsung's AMOLED technology - it has now became the best screen in the industry, hands down. I used to defend the LCD technology of the HTC M7, and at that point it was in fact overall superior to the Samsung S4 because the AMOLED then had issues in the sun, and color reproduction(it was too saturated and not natural). But now, they have fixed those issues, and the S6's screen is just quite simply the best. If you don't believe it, just compare an LG/Samsung OLED TV to any LED TVs today.
I still think 5.1 inches for a screen of a PHONE is still too big, but overall, for what smartphones represent nowadays, it is acceptable - we have conditioned ourselves to accept the bigger sizes of smartphones(I remember when I first held a 4.2" smartphone when it first came out - the HTC HD2 - and thought, "what the h3ll is this monstrosity??").
* It doesn't hurt that Samsung boosted up the resolution to 1440 x 2560 pixels, which is approximately 577 ppi in pixel density. Although this is quite overkill right now, it's always nice to have the latest and greatest technology - that's the reason why we buy these overpriced phones in the first place, isn't it? It is also very bright, and sunlit legibility is excellent. Color reproduction is quite accurate, and like the S5, you can choose different color modes to suit your liking.

*BATTERY LIFE: An important aspect to discuss is the battery life, now more than ever because there is no removable back cover to make replacing the battery easily like before, not to mention there is no microSD slot for you to add memory space to your phone. Comparatively, the S6 Edge is supposed to last a little less than the S6 regular, which I've read is less than last year's S5. But I'm one of those who are always around a charger, and I always carry external battery packs in my backpack when I travel, so that's never a concern. Seriously, who even buys an extra battery anymore - which you can only use for a single specific phone model - when your external battery can charge ANY and ALL phones and tablets?? This scenario only makes sense if your work is so demanding that you don't have extra time to charge the phone, and need to swap batteries IMMEDIATELY. I don't think that scenario is realistic nowadays when external batteries are so small, light, and cheap.
My S6 goes from 100% at 10 am to about 20% at 10 pm with moderate use - so no complaints there. I get home, plug it up, and there are no issues.
* What's better this year, is the wireless charging standards are already built into the phone, so you can just buy a charging pad for about $50 and feel even more cool.

* USER INTERFACE/SOFTWARE: The Samsung user interface called TouchWiz used to be bloated and sluggish. It would slow down(navigating throughout the phone, switching between apps, and using the apps themselves) once you start installing more and more apps and put more and more shortcuts and widgets on the home screens. Worse, they would cram all their Samsung apps on you, which for the most part are inferior to their Google counterparts. They came pre-installed, and uninstallable - you can only downgrade and disable them, but you can't take them off completely. Now, with the new TouchWiz working in conjunction with Android 5.0 Lollipop, things are a lot smoother and faster. There are also fewer of those Samsung apps - now you have the option of downloading them, but they no longer come pre-installed and wasting your space, which is now more precious than ever.
* Speaking of Android 5.0 Lollipop - it is so awesome! Not only is is simplistic, but in its simplistic ways, it is sleek, stylish, and beautiful. Google has done a great job is making everything easier to find, easier to use, easier to function. The color scheme is more coherent and consistent, and uses a basic color code that just makes sense. And it is quick, quick, quick! I know the phone itself is super-fast, but Google has done a great job is getting rid of the bloated feeling of past versions. I also have an old Nexus 4, and have enjoyed Lollipop on there for a while, so I know the speed is not just from the phone.

* HARDWARE: And speaking of the phone's speed - WOW! So Samsung has made the S6 with just one processor this time - their new octa-core(8-core) Exynos, and it is by far the greatest, fastest, and most powerful processor I have ever witnessed. The Snapdragon 810 was supposed to be almost as fast if not equal, but I'm glad I'm finally able to try Samsung's top of the line Exynos processor. Obviously, each new phone is/feels faster than the previous generation, but this is the first time where it's blown me away. And I have used many really fast phones before, like the HTC m7, to the S3-S4-S5 and Note 2-3-4. But this phone blows them all a way by a far, far margin. Trust me when I say you will be very surprised, and very pleased. Here is finally a phone that you don't have to wait for any longer - you tell it what you want to do, and it does it instantly. The S6 is like a Bugatti with its limiter taken off. This phone screams full-throttle!
* The phone comes with 3GB of RAM, and in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB versions.

* CAMERA: Finally, the camera: It is great, what can I say? This area of technology will keep continuing to progress and advance for the next 5-10 years at least, but we have already come so far. I would go as far to say that besides dedicated DSLR cameras, you would not find better compact cameras like these for under $500 from a dedicated camera. And to have it be already included in your phone is quite amazing, when you really think about it. This year, it even includes optical image stabilization, which you can see actually working as you pan/tilt/shake the camera. I used to buy $300-500 super-zoom point-and-shoot cameras for my travels back in the days of 7-8 years ago, and they didn't come out half as good as what this camera can do. And there are built-in enhancements and edits that you can do straight from the camera that are quite robust and powerful.

So, why did I say the evolution is near complete, and not yet? Well, besides the theoretical ideal that nothing is perfect, to the practical ideal like things like the camera will continue to improve for the foreseeable future, I felt that while Samsung took some big strides forward, they also took some steps back. For instance, by making it non-plastic, they open themselves to being less experienced in sealing it up, so they couldn't make it waterproof anymore. In the same vein, they can no longer make the back plate removable to replace the battery(although it is not impossible - you can actually get around it, but then you would void Samsung's warranty). And I'm guessing they didn't have enough research time in the metal production assembly to be good enough yet to include holes for the microSD slot.
So what can they practically improve on to make this as near perfect as possible? Make it waterproof like before(or better), and if you can't make the back plate removable, then improve on the battery life, and allow for the microSD expansion slot. And keep improving on TouchWiz, and get the Google updates out quicker. Once those are set - and because we know you will always continue to improve on the processor(phone power and graphics power), the screen(resolution, image quality, color reproduction, brightness, sunlight legibility), and the camera, next year's edition should make it as near-perfect as possible for the Galaxy S family, and maybe then after that you can start a whole new phone family, and bring out those bendable/roll-able screen technologies we know you're already working on, or something even more outrageous.

If you debating whether the international version is more worth it because you can use it overseas, remember that the international version does not have all the LTE bands, so you might not get the best possible 4G speeds. But you don't want to be stuck in a contract? Well, then, you can buy the phone at full price from the US carrier that you use most, and then call their customer service and have them give you the unlock code. Because you bought the phone whole, you are not under contract, therefore you are entitled to the unlock code. Plus, you can save buying the phone whole from the carriers - versus the international version - and save about $150+.

Overall, this is the very first Samsung phone that has blown me away. Not just in some ways impressed me, but made me very happy and please, and proud, to own a Samsung phone. The Note Edge was almost there, but after a while it became too big and heavy for me. The S6 has the perfect combination: big beautiful screen for all your needs, light-weight and compact for extended use and one-handed use; super-fast for business and gaming, good battery life to last you the whole day, and oh so beautiful that you can show it off proudly. This is a phone that you can have for many years and it will still be just as cool and just as usable several years down the line. The S6 Edge is the most unique phone(not just unique-looking) that I have owned and even seen in a long time. Get it, you will LOVE it!

*I have the white version, check the photos for some real life shots of the phone.*

Oh, Another year 2015. Another set of phones from manufacturers! I have been hooked onto get the latest phone every year syndrome and love reviewing specifics. Disclaimer, I love Android and have been using from very early days. Samsung Galaxy S6 tries to be a revolutionary, but it is evolutionary. If you have an older phone more than 2 years old, absolutely get this. So do check local specs. I played around with both S6 and S6 Edge for few days and my opinions are based on this. There are tons of reviews going into lot of details, so I am focused on few other aspects like what’s out there and how to compare specs.

First Big Changes: No microSD or removable battery. I know many of you loyal Samsung fans says BUMMER! I was a die hard fan of Samsung till S4, then I went to LG G2/G3. I think this is the best bet for S6 to pull it off after a dismal year for Samsung last year. I was very curious to try out S6 and HTC One M9 as they are most talked about now. Many manufacturers are going away from microSD card slots and this is absolutely a must and is a key differentiator from iPhone. I am really sad Samsung decided to drop microSD card slot as well as no removable battery. Why?! Screen is a beauty on S6 – Just Gorgeous. Just go to a retail store and feel it!

The Edge feature is still gimmicky. Unlike Note Edge, this has both sides so less dorky but still I am not sold yet. Unless you have loads of money, I will shy away from it for one more year and get it next year when they polish it up. It is certainly fancy and nice to show off, but I would rather buy an Android wear watch like Motorola 360 or Samsung Gear or LG R series. I like Motorola 360 but waiting for version 2 to appear. I like Round watches.

IF YOU HAVE LAST YEAR model of any phone, PLEASE DON’T upgrade. Phones are becoming so standard and power packed it makes no sense to upgrade and waste money every year. I buy and sell so many phones as it is like a hobby for me, but I stick to one phone as primary for couple of years now. My main requirements are a 128 GB microSD, good screen, battery life and performance. I am trying hard to see if I can live without one. S6 and S6 Edge comes in a 128 GB variant and I will wait for prices to stabilize on this model.

In my opinion, following are key specs to consider when you buying a phone. Most of others are standard or does not matter at all. First size, weight and resolution are part of look and feel. RAM/CPU part of performance. external Storage is part of expandability. Camera is obvious! SAR (Specific Absorption Rating) is an often ignored, but I feel essential to making a buying choice. Manufacturers don’t advertise or mention SAR prominently.

phone parameters: {size, weight, resolution, ppi, RAM, ext Storage, camera, CPU, USA SAR rating}

Samsung Galaxy S6: 5.65 x 2.78 x 0.27 in, 138 gm, 1440 x 2560 pixels, 5.1 in, 577 ppi, 3 GB RAM, NO MICROSD SLOT (bummer), Internal Storage upto 128 GB, Exynos 7420 Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57, Gorilla Glass 4, 16 MP/5MP camera, SAR 1.15 W/kg (head), 1.16 W/kg (body) NANO SIM

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: Slightly lower dimensions, 0.01 in thicker, 6 gm less weight, Same resolution, Curved Screen,

HTC One M9: 5.69 x 2.74 x 0.38 in, 157 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5 in, 441 ppi, 3 GB RAM, microSD upto 128 GB!, 20.7 MP (rear), 4 MP(front for selfies), Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57

Samsung Galaxy S5: 5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 in, 145 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.1 in, 432 ppi, 2 GB RAM, microSD upto 128 GB!, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, MSM8974-AC Processor: Quad core, 2500 MHz, Krait 400, 0.63 W/kg (head), 0.82 W/kg (body)

HTC One M8: 5.76 x 2.78 x 0.37 in, 160 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5 in, 441 ppi, 2 GB RAM, microSD upto 128 GB!, 4 MP (rear), 5 MP(front for selfies), Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, Quad core, 2300 MHz, Krait 400, 0.94 W/kg (head), 0.83 W/kg (body)

LG G3: 5.76 x 2.94 x 0.35 in, 149 gm, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 5.5 in, 538 ppi, 3 GB RAM, microSD upto 128 GB, 13 MP/2.1 MP, Qualcomm MSM8975AC Snapdragon 801. Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400, Adreno 330, 0.39 W/kg (head), 0.48 W/kg (body) Micro SIM

LG G2: 5.45 x 2.79 x 0.35 in, 143 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.2 in, 424 ppi, 2 GB RAM, no ext Storage, 13 MP/2.1 MP, Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800, Quad-core 2.26 GHz Krait 400, 0.50 W/kg (head), 0.69 W/kg (body)

Google Nexus 6: 6.27 x 3.27 x 0.60 in, 184 gm, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 5.96 in, 493 ppi, 3 GB RAM, no ext Storage, 13 MP/2 MP, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, Quad-core 2.7 GHz Krait 450, Adreno 420, 1.47 W/kg (head), 0.93 W/kg (body)

Google Nexus 5: 5.43 x 2.72 x 0.34 in, 130 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 4.95 in, 445 ppi, 2 GB RAM, no ext Storage, 8 MP/1.3 MP, Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800, Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400, 0.92 W/kg (head), 1.23 W/kg (body)

Apple iPhone 6 PLUS: 6.22 x 3.06 x 0.288 in, 172 gm, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 5.5 in, 401 ppi, 1 GB RAM, no ext storage, 8 MP/1.2 MP, Apple A7, Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based), 1.12 W/kg (head), 1.18 W/kg (body)

Apple iPhone 5S: 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in, 112gm, 640 x 1136 pixels, 4.0 in, 326 ppi, 1 GB RAM, no ext storage, 8 MP/1.2 MP, Apple A8, Dual-core 1.4 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based), 1.19 W/kg (head), 1.19 W/kg (body)

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 N910: 6.04 x 3.09 x 0.33 in, 176 gm, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 5.7 in, 515 ppi, 3 GB RAM, micro SD upto `128 GB, 16 MP/3.7MP, Exynos 5 Octa 5420, Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7, SAR: 0.37 W/kg (head), 0.88 W/kg (body)

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 N9000: 5.95 x 3.12 x 0.33 in, 168 gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.7 in, 386 ppi, 3 GB RAM, micro SD upto 64 GB, 13 MP/2MP, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 or Exynos 5433 ; Quad-core 2.7 GHz Krait 450 or Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A57 (SM-N910C), SAR: 0.24 W/kg (head), 0.72 W/kg (body)

Nokia Lumia 1520: 6.41 x 3.36 x 0.34 in, 209gm, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 6.0 in, 367 ppi, 2 GB RAM, microSD up to 64 GB, 20 MP/1.2MP, Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 CPU Quad-core 2.2 GHz Krait 400, SAR: 0.59 W/kg (head), 0.24 W/kg (body)

Motorola Moto G: 5.11 x 2.59 x 0.46 in, 143 gm, 720 x 1280 pixels, 4.5 in, 326 ppi, 1 GB RAM, no ext storage, 5 MP/1.3 MP, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7, SAR: 1.17 W/kg (head), 1.06 W/kg (body)

Motorola Moto E 2014: 4.91 x 2.55 x 0.48 in, 142 gm, 960 x 540 pixels, 4.3 in, 256 ppi, 1 GB RAM, microSD upto 32 GB, 5 MP/VGA, Qualcomm Snapdragon 200, Dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7, SAR: 0.97 W/kg (head), 1.50 W/kg (body)

Motorola Moto E 2015 LTE: 5.11 x 2.63 x 0.48 in, 145 gm, 960 x 540 pixels, 4.5 in, 245 ppi, 1 GB RAM, no ext storage, 5 MP/1.3 MP, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53

Amazon Kindle Fire: 5.5” x 2.6” x 0.35”, 160 g, 1280 x 720 pixels, 4.7”, 315 ppi, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB, no microSD, 2.2GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, with Adreno 330 GPU, nanoSIM, SAR: 1.34 watts/kg

Given the above key specs, my suggestion to my friends is to choose 2 or 3 KEY features you require (may be large screen size, maybe less weight, maybe more CPU power) and then start nailing down the phones. Definitely and definitely go to a phone or a big box store and feel the phone. Nothing replaces that. In the end you are using it for days and years, so the tactile feel is very important. I have used all these phones and at a high level they are all good. Few things here and there. And yes the cost. If you are in for a new smartphone and has a budget issue, GET LAST YEAR MODEL. They are as good as current year and probably half the cost! In this case I even suggest Galaxy S4 as it is an outstanding phone. It’s much cheaper and you will be happy!!

SCREEN SIZE/RESOLUTION:
I have experimented with many phone sizes and I have come to a conclusion 5” is the best form factor for me. Your mileage may vary, but after using Note for a while, I don’t use it as a primary phone. The display is absolutely stunning with a Quad HD Super AMOLED screen and you have to see to feel it..

ANDROID UI:
S6 has Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. User Interface has a flatter and simpler design, as is now the trend across the industry. Once you get used to user interface you get used to it. Android is very flexible and when I show my phone to a iPhone users they are usually in awe. I recently showed to my friends the details of processes. battery usage like which process takes up more battery.

S-Health is a big deal, the app is beautiful and the heart rate and oxygen level measurements are great to keep track. I use Runtastic Pro, but like the UI of S-Health too.

CAMERA:
Fantastic camera. One of the best smartphone cameras. Period. 5 MP Selfie camera? FTW.

PROCESSING POWER:
Don’t bother about it. For 99% of users, this is good enough. The phone has more processing power than the rocket that went to moon first time and much more. The games are very smooth, the UI is very smooth.

NFC Tags:
Wow, this is the most underrated in all reviews. Get bunch ( I mean around 10) of NFC Tags and use in bedrooms, offices, cars, living room and customize what your phone wants to do in those areas. For example, when I enter the car most often I use a) Navigation b) Listen to Podcasts. So I program my NFC tags accordingly using apps like Trigger and tap my phone to the NFC Tag and boom, phone does both.

BATTERY:
Do you really need to care for battery anymore. I don’t. Just use the phone. I have battery power banks with capacity as high as 30,000 mAh to 8000 mAh that I can charge virtually anywhere without a power supply. So this has become moot for me in past year. I would also suggest you get power banks and not really care of battery drainage. Use the phone and enjoy!

To give a sample, I tried following apps and they just worked awesome.

Amazon Mobile, Androidify, Aldiko Premium, Angry Birds (multiple themes), Asphalt 8, Box, Chrome, NAVIGON (from Garmin - offline maps), Nokia HERE Maps, Google Navigation/Earth/Maps, Google Currents (nice way to read News), Google Drive, Ebay, Linkedin, Google Music, Tapatalk (awesome forum browsing app), Microsoft One Note (legacy docs, skydrive of 25 GB is good), Microsoft Office, (yes they have for Android!), Subsonic Music Streamer, TweetCaster Pro for Android (excellent twitter client), Twit.Tv, Trigger

Ask questions. I will be glad to answer any questions within 24 hours.

Wow, what a difference a year makes. While last year's S5 took many steps in the right direction(being somewhat waterproof with better material and craftsmanship), it still wasn't there to make it a mouth-watering phone yet, like what HTC did when they first introduced their One M7, or whenever Apple introduces a new iPhone size. This year, Samsung has finally learned from both of their competitors, and made a phone that has all the good qualities of both, plus some of their own. Finally, this is the Galaxy S that you've always wanted and been dreaming of.

* LOOKS/FORM-FACTOR/MATERIALS: The very first thing you notice when you handle the phone, is its new design and form factor - finally Samsung has completed their transformation of getting rid of all that ugly plastic parts. Now it is just all glass and metal, and now it is truly beautiful. The metal fully wraps around the edges ofthe phone. The back is beautiful, the sides are beautiful - heck, even the buttons are beautiful. It feels great in the hand, and oozes style and sophistication. The S6 Edge is just so unique-looking - it is the most beautiful phone I've seen in a long time. And contrary to what people might say or what you might think, the two sloped edges are not awkward to handle, does not dig into your skin, and is not uncomfortable to grip.

* SCREEN: The very next thing you notice, of course, is the screen. I am continually pleasantly surprised at the evolution of Samsung's AMOLED technology - it has now became the best screen in the industry, hands down. I used to defend the LCD technology of the HTC M7, and at that point it was in fact overall superior to the Samsung S4 because the AMOLED then had issues in the sun, and color reproduction(it was too saturated and not natural). But now, they have fixed those issues, and the S6's screen is just quite simply the best. If you don't believe it, just compare an LG/Samsung OLED TV to any LED TVs today.
I still think 5.1 inches for a screen of a PHONE is still too big, but overall, for what smartphones represent nowadays, it is acceptable - we have conditioned ourselves to accept the bigger sizes of smartphones(I remember when I first held a 4.2" smartphone when it first came out - the HTC HD2 - and thought, "what the h3ll is this monstrosity??").
* It doesn't hurt that Samsung boosted up the resolution to 1440 x 2560 pixels, which is approximately 577 ppi in pixel density. Although this is quite overkill right now, it's always nice to have the latest and greatest technology - that's the reason why we buy these overpriced phones in the first place, isn't it? It is also very bright, and sunlit legibility is excellent. Color reproduction is quite accurate, and like the S5, you can choose different color modes to suit your liking.

*BATTERY LIFE: An important aspect to discuss is the battery life, now more than ever because there is no removable back cover to make replacing the battery easily like before, not to mention there is no microSD slot for you to add memory space to your phone. Comparatively, the S6 Edge is supposed to last a little less than the S6 regular, which I've read is less than last year's S5. But I'm one of those who are always around a charger, and I always carry external battery packs in my backpack when I travel, so that's never a concern. Seriously, who even buys an extra battery anymore - which you can only use for a single specific phone model - when your external battery can charge ANY and ALL phones and tablets?? This scenario only makes sense if your work is so demanding that you don't have extra time to charge the phone, and need to swap batteries IMMEDIATELY. I don't think that scenario is realistic nowadays when external batteries are so small, light, and cheap.
My S6 goes from 100% at 10 am to about 20% at 10 pm with moderate use - so no complaints there. I get home, plug it up, and there are no issues.
* What's better this year, is the wireless charging standards are already built into the phone, so you can just buy a charging pad for about $50 and feel even more cool.

* USER INTERFACE/SOFTWARE: The Samsung user interface called TouchWiz used to be bloated and sluggish. It would slow down(navigating throughout the phone, switching between apps, and using the apps themselves) once you start installing more and more apps and put more and more shortcuts and widgets on the home screens. Worse, they would cram all their Samsung apps on you, which for the most part are inferior to their Google counterparts. They came pre-installed, and uninstallable - you can only downgrade and disable them, but you can't take them off completely. Now, with the new TouchWiz working in conjunction with Android 5.0 Lollipop, things are a lot smoother and faster. There are also fewer of those Samsung apps - now you have the option of downloading them, but they no longer come pre-installed and wasting your space, which is now more precious than ever.
* Speaking of Android 5.0 Lollipop - it is so awesome! Not only is is simplistic, but in its simplistic ways, it is sleek, stylish, and beautiful. Google has done a great job is making everything easier to find, easier to use, easier to function. The color scheme is more coherent and consistent, and uses a basic color code that just makes sense. And it is quick, quick, quick! I know the phone itself is super-fast, but Google has done a great job is getting rid of the bloated feeling of past versions. I also have an old Nexus 4, and have enjoyed Lollipop on there for a while, so I know the speed is not just from the phone.

* HARDWARE: And speaking of the phone's speed - WOW! So Samsung has made the S6 with just one processor this time - their new octa-core(8-core) Exynos, and it is by far the greatest, fastest, and most powerful processor I have ever witnessed. The Snapdragon 810 was supposed to be almost as fast if not equal, but I'm glad I'm finally able to try Samsung's top of the line Exynos processor. Obviously, each new phone is/feels faster than the previous generation, but this is the first time where it's blown me away. And I have used many really fast phones before, like the HTC m7, to the S3-S4-S5 and Note 2-3-4. But this phone blows them all a way by a far, far margin. Trust me when I say you will be very surprised, and very pleased. Here is finally a phone that you don't have to wait for any longer - you tell it what you want to do, and it does it instantly. The S6 is like a Bugatti with its limiter taken off. This phone screams full-throttle!
* The phone comes with 3GB of RAM, and in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB versions.

* CAMERA: Finally, the camera: It is great, what can I say? This area of technology will keep continuing to progress and advance for the next 5-10 years at least, but we have already come so far. I would go as far to say that besides dedicated DSLR cameras, you would not find better compact cameras like these for under $500 from a dedicated camera. And to have it be already included in your phone is quite amazing, when you really think about it. This year, it even includes optical image stabilization, which you can see actually working as you pan/tilt/shake the camera. I used to buy $300-500 super-zoom point-and-shoot cameras for my travels back in the days of 7-8 years ago, and they didn't come out half as good as what this camera can do. And there are built-in enhancements and edits that you can do straight from the camera that are quite robust and powerful.

So, why did I say the evolution is near complete, and not yet? Well, besides the theoretical ideal that nothing is perfect, to the practical ideal like things like the camera will continue to improve for the foreseeable future, I felt that while Samsung took some big strides forward, they also took some steps back. For instance, by making it non-plastic, they open themselves to being less experienced in sealing it up, so they couldn't make it waterproof anymore. In the same vein, they can no longer make the back plate removable to replace the battery(although it is not impossible - you can actually get around it, but then you would void Samsung's warranty). And I'm guessing they didn't have enough research time in the metal production assembly to be good enough yet to include holes for the microSD slot.
So what can they practically improve on to make this as near perfect as possible? Make it waterproof like before(or better), and if you can't make the back plate removable, then improve on the battery life, and allow for the microSD expansion slot. And keep improving on TouchWiz, and get the Google updates out quicker. Once those are set - and because we know you will always continue to improve on the processor(phone power and graphics power), the screen(resolution, image quality, color reproduction, brightness, sunlight legibility), and the camera, next year's edition should make it as near-perfect as possible for the Galaxy S family, and maybe then after that you can start a whole new phone family, and bring out those bendable/roll-able screen technologies we know you're already working on, or something even more outrageous.

If you debating whether the international version is more worth it because you can use it overseas, remember that the international version does not have all the LTE bands, so you might not get the best possible 4G speeds. But you don't want to be stuck in a contract? Well, then, you can buy the phone at full price from the US carrier that you use most, and then call their customer service and have them give you the unlock code. Because you bought the phone whole, you are not under contract, therefore you are entitled to the unlock code. Plus, you can save buying the phone whole from the carriers - versus the international version - and save about $150+.

Overall, this is the very first Samsung phone that has blown me away. Not just in some ways impressed me, but made me very happy and please, and proud, to own a Samsung phone. The Note Edge was almost there, but after a while it became too big and heavy for me. The S6 has the perfect combination: big beautiful screen for all your needs, light-weight and compact for extended use and one-handed use; super-fast for business and gaming, good battery life to last you the whole day, and oh so beautiful that you can show it off proudly. This is a phone that you can have for many years and it will still be just as cool and just as usable several years down the line. The S6 Edge is the most unique phone(not just unique-looking) that I have owned and even seen in a long time. Get it, you will LOVE it!

Samsung's Galaxy S Evolution is Almost Complete - The Nearly Perfect Phone

X-posted from black sapphire edition.

Read plenty of online reviews about the Edge before preordering it, most mentioned the "gimmick" that is the curved screen because of lack of functionality. To my mind this is a little like saying flat panel computer monitors were a gimmick because they did everything a CRT did -- they showed the picture, after all, they were just skinnier. "All show, folks, nothing here to see, move along"

Not so much. Now, what is a gimmick is the software that has been developed in order fend off complaints that the curved screen's real-estate isn't used efficiently. Edge contacts? Not all that essential or useful. Edge notifications? Same deal.

What is really impressive is the effect the curved screen has on my viewing experience. One reviewer on another site wrote "gives the disturbing impression that the screen is falling away from me." I balked at this because my experience is precisely the opposite, specifically that the screen is rising up to me. I hesitate to call it a 3D experience because that cheapens a true 3D display through something like MagicLeap, but it truly gives the impression that the screen has depthbecause, well, it does.

This is particularly noticed when using "carousels" to swipe through items on mobile websites & apps, e.g. Netflix. The items roll up one side of the screen then off the other to produce a more immersive experience. Same can be said about scrolling on Web pages while in landscape mode. Another cool/useful effect is when watching videos the "edge" is blacked out preventing distortion of the image but also provides a little extra screen space for widescreen movies. Also when swiping down to check notifications/battery life the notification & progress bar make use of the edge; in effect using less screen space & obscuring less of the video. The QHD display is also excellent with no pixellation visible under a hand lens.

Enough about the screen. Processor & RAM make Android 5.0 run like a dream. I owned an S5 before picking up this gem & seriously regretted updating to Lollipop because the S5 just didn't handle it well -- abominable battery life, laaaaag, & it required multiple restarts through the day. None of these problems are evident on the S6.

Battery life is good, but not excellent. Can stream videos for about six hours before it needs to be charged & survives a typical day with intermittent usage for ten to twelve hours. The real improvement here is the inclusion of wireless charging. I decided to forego the add-on backplate/battery for the S5 so I picked up a few wireless charging options this go around & I'm thrilled with the functionality. I have one in my car, on the end table, the bedside table & my desk. The convenience of being able to just drop/dock-&-go cannot be overstated & as a result my battery is seldom below 70%. The only improvement I can imagine is if they could figure out how to make my body a wireless charger.

TouchWiz is a bit of a let-down, but not significantly so. It is stripped down so I'm not completely inundated with an UI that had the feeling of being added to with each iteration to "improve" it, as if adding every spice in the cupboard makes for a better soup. The app drawer is my biggest irritation because it is entirely inconvenient. Newly installed apps are added to the end of the list but apps can be sorted into alphabetical order by touching the A-Z at the top of the list. Now why is this irritating? First, it needs to be done each time you install an app. Second, while you can customize the app list to include your most frequently accessed apps on the first page so you don't have an entire screen dedicated to app icons that should properly be housed in the app drawer, the customization process is poorly designed, unintuitive & languid in end-user implementation. Third, after spending a great deal of time customizing the first page of the app drawer the next time you want to sort your apps alphabetically you lose all of your customization.

Like every other device, this one is rife with pre-installed apps. I didn't do a whole lot of poking around to see if they could all be disabled, but every useless bit of bloatware I wanted gone -- NFL Mobile, all verizon apps except MyVerizon, Milk, Slacker, Facebook, etc. -- was easily disabled.

NFC is better implemented than in the S5 resulting in less shifting about to find a "sweet spot" so I can more easily use Google Wallet. No problems with BT as there were in the S5, specifically a problem I had with using BT devices such as my fitbit that caused WiFi to go on the fritz while BT was active. IR transmitter is superb & the included Peel Smart Remote app took less than a minutes to configure for both my television & DirecTV box & I haven't needed to reach for a remote since.

I'm not a camera junkie & I seldom take pictures of anything other than my dog being an idiot, but I have to admit that the pictures look pretty amazing. Given my limited experience, the editing tools where pretty intuitive but tbh, I only cropped a few Pics.

Aside from the screen & performance & wireless charging another real improvement is in the audio when compared to my previous devices. Mind you, just as I'm not a camera junkie, I'm also not an audiophile. Like my previous handsets this has a single speaker, but unlike those it is set in the bottom edge of the phone rather than the back. I used to have to turn the volume to max & cup my hand around the back of my S5 to get decent audio but whether the S6's speaker is so significantly improved or its placement is better or a combination of the two, this thing is LOUD! I usually turn on an audio book to fall asleep to & actually had to turn this down to 50% because it was disturbing my sleep. I do occasionally cover the speaker when holding the device in landscape mode, but that's just because I haven't become fully acclimated to the device.

Finally, the form-factor -- that I adore -- will require quite the adjustment from what we've all learned to be standard. It's really an excellent lesson in how uninnovative handset manufacturers have been in re-imagining both the means of delivering content & our interaction with that content -- the screen. When I reach into my pocket I want to grab the rounded bit so I can look at the flat side, because that's the screen, right? The Edge changes that paradigm, perhaps not drastically, but it changes it nonetheless. In my pre-purchase review reading some evaluators considered this an "ergonomic problem", some felt that their fingers hit the edge; I've found neither to be a problem. Just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad & with consistent use I've found my fingers fit quite comfortably on the aluminum surround without messing with the screen.

Form-wise, it is instantly recognizable as a S-Series phone, but this iteration is a superb high-end rendering of that aesthetic. Although I run the risk of overstating how visually appealing this device is, I am willing to label it an objet d'art. One that I was almost afraid to use due to its apparent fragility until a few accidental drops on tile confirmed that it is as durable as it is beautiful as it is functional.

Thoroughly, thoroughly pleased.