Galaxy S6 Edge+ announced: what you need to know

The Galaxy S6 Edge+ has just launched, and we have all the key specs, features, and availability information right here.

“The Edge is here to stay,” said Lanh in our Galaxy S6 Edge review, and, several months later, the arrival of a Plus version of the device proves him right. Samsung is betting big on the Edge concept, and for good reason: despite a higher price, demand for the S6 Edge reportedly matched the “regular” Galaxy S6, and many market watchers contended that the S6 Edge is Samsung’s real flagship.

Now Samsung is taking its Edge into phablet territory. In New York, our Lanh Nguyen and Josh Vergara have got their hands on the S6 Edge+ and Note 5, but for now, let’s go through the key details of the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+.

Galaxy S6 Edge+ specs, features, and software

Even if you’re just vaguely familiar with the original S6 Edge, the supersized Galaxy S6 Edge+ will be no surprise. In almost every detail, the Plus is a larger S6 Edge, for better or worse.

The biggest deal here is the display: it’s a 5.7-inch Quad HD AMOLED panel, up from 5.1-inch on the S6 Edge. The pixel density went down a notch to 518 ppi – still, that’s at the top of the class and you will probably need a magnifying glass to truly see the difference in crispness between the two displays. Check out our hands-on S6 Edge vs Edge+ comparison for more.

A bigger screen naturally makes for a bigger device: handling is still pretty good, provided you’re comfortable with large phones. Samsung added a couple of usability features to ease the necessity for finger acrobatics – you can triple tap the home button to bring up one-handed mode (basically, a smaller UI on one side of the phone) and the People Edge drawer can be moved up and down as you please.

The metal and glass build of the S6 Edge+ is basically identical to that of other Samsung phones in this year’s class, and that means you won’t get a removable battery or microSD card. Just mentioning these omissions can spark raging firestorms in comments sections everywhere, but, at least, we have to appreciate that Samsung is consistent in its decisions.

It looks like the S6 Edge+ will only be available in 32GB and 64GB options – Samsung dropped the 128GB option for some reason.

The 3,000 battery on the S6 Edge+ is still pretty great, though the steady march of technology means there are competitors out there that come ahead by a big margin in this department.

In case you need it spelled out, no, there is no S Pen on the S6 Edge+ – this is not the successor of the Note Edge, so no Air Command and screen doodling for you.

More about the Galaxy S6 Edge+ build, specs, and features in our hands-on post.

The Galaxy S6 Edge+ doesn’t bring any big, uhm, pluses on the software side. There are however a couple of new tricks we already mentioned: triple tap to activate one-handed mode (double tapping will still open up the camera) and a more powerful People Edge, which can now include shortcuts to your favorite apps.

Galaxy S6 Edge+ pricing and availability

The Note 5 and S6 Edge+ will go on pre-order from today in the US (all major carriers and retailers) and will begin shipping from August 20.

In Europe (where the Note 5 will not be available) the S6 Edge+ will be available for pre-order from August 18, with shipping from September 4.

As for the price, we expect the S6 Edge+ to be in the top tier, or around $800. Expect official details soon.

Read more

Check out our other Galaxy S6 Edge and Note 5 content:

• Galaxy S6 Edge+ vs Note 5
• S6 Edge vs S6 Edge+ vs Galaxy S6 Edge
• Galaxy Note 5 hands-on impressions
• Galaxy Note 5 vs Galaxy Note 4

What’s your take?

There you have it: no surprises and no big differences between the S6 Edge+ and the S6 Edge. That can be good or bad, depending on what you expected from the phone – in this day and age, some people just can’t go back to sub-5.5-inch, and for them, the S6 Edge+ may be the ideal device. Then again, we also want our phones to surprise and delight us, and there’s very little new here.

What about you? Tell us what you think about the Galaxy S6 Edge+ in the comments.

Press release

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Samsung Remains Ahead of the Curve with Bold, Big Screen Smartphones

Galaxy S6 edge+ features a dual edge display for ultimate multimedia experience; Galaxy Note5 takes multi-tasking on mobile to new heights with an integrated S Pen

Available in the United States on August 21, with preorders beginning today, August 13, at 3 p.m. EDT

NEW YORK, August 13, 2015 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., announced today the global launch of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5. Both devices represent Samsung’s commitment to the big screen smartphone market, which Samsung boldly pioneered in 2011 with the original Galaxy Note.

The Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 blend form and function with industry leading features, including: Samsung’s best screen technology, Samsung’s most advanced camera for high quality photos and videos, fast wireless and wired charging, and an incredibly powerful processor. With increased 4GB RAM, both phones enable users to enjoy more seamless multi-tasking.

With its curved 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen, the Galaxy S6 edge+ makes the edge experience even better and provides a more immersive multimedia experience. The thinner, slimmer and newly-designed Galaxy Note5 has a refined, next generation S Pen and multi window capabilities for a more productive smartphone experience.

Samsung Pay, Samsung’s simple and safe mobile payment service, will launch in the U.S. in September and will be available virtually anywhere you can swipe your card1. Protected by Samsung KNOX, fingerprint verification and digital tokenization, Samsung Pay works with both MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) and NFC (Near Field Communication) technologies, bringing consumers closer than ever to a world without wallets.

“At Samsung, we believed in the promise that big screen smartphones could actively address some major consumers pain points by providing users with a better viewing experience and more productivity on-the-go,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics. “With the launch of the Galaxy S6 edge+ and Note5, we’re reemphasizing our commitment to bold, fearless innovation that meets the needs of our consumers.”

Galaxy S6 edge+ – best for multimedia

With the Galaxy S6 edge+, Samsung is bringing everything consumers love about the S6 edge to a bigger screen in a slim and thin form factor. Beautiful and intuitive, it uses the dual edges as a shortcut from any screen to users’ top contacts and apps. ‘Apps edge’ allows users to access their favorite apps by just swiping the edge display. ‘People edge’ helps users quickly find their favorite contacts and send messages, or give a call directly from any screen.

Galaxy Note5 – perfect for multitaskers

The Galaxy Note5 is a stunning upgrade to Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Note line – more powerful than ever. Inspired by the design legacy of the Galaxy S6, it ergonomically fits in one hand with a narrower bezel and curved back which makes it easier to use the phone with one hand.

Engineered to help people get more done, faster, the Galaxy Note5 includes an all new S Pen that feels more solid and balanced in the user’s hand, offering improved writing capabilities and a variety of practical tools. A unique clicking mechanism pops the S Pen out with just one quick click. Users can now quickly jot down ideas or information even when the screen is off. The ‘Air Command’ feature gets more intuitive and practical as well; now the icon hovers for instant access to all of S Pen tools from any screen at any time. Users can also annotate on PDF files or capture a whole website from top to bottom with Scroll Capture.

Powerful Core Galaxy Features

Both the Galaxy S6 edge+ and Note5 feature unprecedented multimedia capabilities through Samsung’s industry-leading 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display.

As social networking becomes more ubiquitous, consumers expect to share the moments of their lives through video. On both the front-facing and rear-facing cameras your videos will be steadier and smoother with the added Video Digital Image Stabilization. Video Collage Mode allows users to record and edit short videos easily in various frames and effects. The Galaxy S6 edge+ and Note5 also feature 4K Video filming which can be displayed on a 4K TV, as well as full HD Live Broadcast, which lets users instantly stream video straight from the phone to any individual, group of contacts, or even the public through YouTube Live. Anyone who receives the YouTube link from a Galaxy S6 edge+ or Note5 user is able to enjoy live broadcast from his or her smartphone, tablet, PC or Smart TV.

Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 users will also benefit from Samsung’s advanced camera system, including Quick launch (double-click the home button to launch the camera from any screen), Auto Real-time High Dynamic Range (HDR), and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and brand-new filters. Both devices feature Ultra High Quality Audio (UHQA) to upscale audio streams and files for richer, high-quality sound. UHQA is supported over Bluetooth on Samsung’s next generation wireless audio accessories, including the Level On Wireless Pro.

The Galaxy S6 edge+ and Note5 feature Samsung’s built in, fast wired and wireless charging technology which is compatible with virtually any wireless charging pad available today.

Samsung’s newest devices are further upgraded to support SideSync 4.0, which offers both wireless and wired PC-smartphone integration for seamless connection across devices2. Thanks to auto-detection and an ultra-quick setup, users can instantly connect their Samsung device to their PC or tablet to easily respond to text messages, answer phone calls or access and share files and data.

The Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 are built on the upgraded Samsung KNOX, end-to-end secure mobile platform, offering defense-grade features for real-time protection from potential malicious attacks. Both devices are also ready for immediate enterprise adoption, with market-leading MDMs and KNOX enhancements. Right out of the box, Samsung KNOX takes security to the next level.

In the U.S., the Galaxy S6 edge+ will be available in Black Sapphire and Gold Platinum, and the Galaxy Note5 will be available in Black Sapphire and White Pearl – in 32GB and 64GB memory options3. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, UScellular and Verizon Wireless will carry the Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5. The devices will also be available at Samsung Experience Shops at Best Buy, as well as Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Costco Wholesale, Inc., Sam’s Club, Target and select Walmart stores. Carriers and retailers will confirm specific pricing and availability.

Consumers can get an exclusive first look at both devices at more than 7,000 participating AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and Samsung Experience Shops at Best Buy locations across the U.S. starting tomorrow, August 14. The full list of participating locations is available at www.samsung.com/onebigdecision.

For more product information, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com orwww.samsung.com/galaxy

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space through, among others, our Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. We employ 307,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, please visit our official website at www.samsung.comand our official blog at global.samsungtomorrow.com

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