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The Galaxy S6 Edge is stunning (1 Viewer)

Hanson

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It's been a week since the S6 and S6 Edge were revealed at MWC. I'm always up for a model upgrade, but I was hesitant to consider the S6. It wasn't because of the lack of extSD -- Google made extSD support such a pain that it started losing its utility. I'd much rather have 32gb internal than 16gb internal with extSD support. It wasn't because of the sealed battery -- while I love carrying around a charged spare with me, shaving 2mm of thickness is a pretty good trade off, and including wireless charging takes a lot of the sting out of it. No, what made me pause was the glass back. Having seen countless cracked iPhone 4 backs, I was wary of the S6 with a glass back. But the camera, smaller form factor, wireless charging, and improved fingerprint scanner won me over. And while the Edge looked cool, the extra glass on the sides made it that much more fragile. So it was decided -- Galaxy S6 in black, my traditional color of choice.


And then I saw this 360 view:


http://samsungrumors.net/galaxy-s6-edge-360-degree-view/


The gold version is shockingly beautiful. The gold S6 Edge is hands down the sexiest phone I've ever seen. There's nothing in the market that comes close -- I MUST have it. And this is coming from a function over form kind of guy. I have never let aesthetics sway my purchases in the past, but I'm willing to make practical sacrifices to own the S6 Edge.


But it's gotta be in gold.


s6.JPG
 

Ronald Epstein

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Hanson,


I have been an owner of several Galaxy phones prior to moving back to the iPhone.


I have always been very impressed with the Galaxy line. I do miss my Galaxy phone. Both brands have their strengths and weaknesses.


That gold phone is indeed stunning. I also love the edge screen which can act as a news ticker or even bookmarks placer.


I know, initially, it wasn't available widely. When do you plan to purchase it?
 

Hanson

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Ron, you are referring to the Note Edge, which is the phablet with the curve on one side. I thought the asymmetrically sloped side looked kind if goofy.

The phone I'm referring to is the Galaxy S6 Edge which will release in April. One third of the S6 shipments will be Edge models, so it should be readily available. The S6 Edge has dual curves, and while there is very limited functionality (unlike the Note Edge, it isn't a supplemental supplemental syrup), it looks hella cool. I'm hoping the gold model will be available through my carrier when it launches.
 

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I really like the curved edge and would consider this if it wasn't sealed up so I can't change a battery or increase storage. I wonder if it's like this because they made it out of metal like the iphones? Please, plastic for me then, I mean this isn't the 70s, plastic composites are very good. The wife and I are both using Note 2s right now, a few months ago her battery got weak, $15 later and she's back like new! I'm thinking I'll wait and see what the Note 5 looks like in a few months.
 

Hanson

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The battery was sealed to make the S6 as thin as possible. There are multiple ways that a removable battery increases thickness - the shell for the battery ads thickness (sealed batteries are just bags). The housing to receive the battery adds thickness. The shell needed to protect the internals when you remove the back cover adds thickness. By moving to a sealed battery, Samsung shaved a full 2mm in thickness. And that's with induction charging built in.

Once you loosen the glue and remove the glass back, it's quite simple to remove the top circuit board to replace the battery. This isn't something everyone can do, but it is much more DIY compared to other phones and could be done by a professional at a phone store in minutes.
 

Hanson

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Sam Posten said:
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to bizzaro world.

That thought had crossed my mind! I thought up the line, "If Sam Posten can carry around a phablet, I can choose a phone based on looks", but I forgot about it by the time I started writing the post.


And those curves aren't goofy -- they sexy as hell.
 

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Hanson said:
The battery was sealed to make the S6 as thin as possible. There are multiple ways that a removable battery increases thickness - the shell for the battery ads thickness (sealed batteries are just bags). The housing to receive the battery adds thickness. The shell needed to protect the internals when you remove the back cover adds thickness. By moving to a sealed battery, Samsung shaved a full 2mm in thickness. And that's with induction charging built in.

Once you loosen the glue and remove the glass back, it's quite simple to remove the top circuit board to replace the battery. This isn't something everyone can do, but it is much more DIY compared to other phones and could be done by a professional at a phone store in minutes.


All that for a 2mm. I think I would give the 2mm for easy access like I'm use too. I tend to put my phones into cover/protectors that increase thickness anyway. Thin thin...isn't a big deal to me, just so it has a large screen....
 

Hanson

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It was goofy on the Note Edge because it was only on one side and angled off. But by curving it off on both sides, it the the effect of a bezel-free screen.


There are some gimmicky doo dads associated with the edges that no one is going to use, but its real function is aesthetics. And for that job, it kicks total ass.
 

Ronald Epstein

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Wow. The biggest selling factor of the Galaxy brand for me was its replaceable battery.


Now you can't replace it?

I will say this about my Galaxy S4.....


It was a battery hog. I would be hard to get a full day's battery life out of it.


When I switched to the iPhone 6 Plus, I was amazed that at a half day's point, my battery life was still above 85%


Not putting down the Galaxy. Still have a soft spot for it in my heart.
 

Hanson

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All that for a 2mm. I think I would give the 2mm for easy access like I'm use too. I tend to put my phones into cover/protectors that increase thickness anyway. Thin thin...isn't a big deal to me, just so it has a large screen....

First, let me correct myself -- the 2mm was shaved off on the sides. The S6 is thinner than the S5 by 1.4 mm. But you can easily feel the 2mm and 1.4 mm in the hand. If you're going to put it in a case (which I find abhorrent) you could always go with a Mophie pack or something similar. Personally, if I can't use it comfortably in one hand, it's no good. I had to eventually ditch my Note 2 because it was too big. Meanwhile, Mr. "Reach every part of the screen with your thumb" went with a 5.5" monstrosity. Go figure.
 

Sam Posten

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I find myself just using it two hands, and it is jarring and frustrating as I predicted. I've learned to live with it, not love it. The tradeoffs take some of the sting out but it's still there. The thin-ness helps too.
 

Hanson

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What exactly was your thought process? Did you figure the 4.7" phone was going to be uncomfortable anyway, so might as well go for 5.5"?
 

Sam Posten

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No, I wanted the optical stabilization so that drove the decision. I looooove the camera. If that had been in the 6 I might have gone that route, but since it wasn't I went whole hog.
 

RobertR

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Hanson said:
Once you loosen the glue and remove the glass back, it's quite simple to remove the top circuit board to replace the battery. This isn't something everyone can do, but it is much more DIY compared to other phones and could be done by a professional at a phone store in minutes.

The announcement of a sealed battery greatly annoys me, and makes me seriously consider whether I ever want to buy another Galaxy phone, aesthetics be damned. However, the possibility of doing what you suggest interests me. Does it void the warranty? What do you mean by a "phone store"? Do you mean any store that sells the S6? What might they charge for the service?
 

Hanson

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If you have one near you, there are Mom and Pop cell phone stores that already do screen replacements and such. I'd guess it would cost $50-$100. It will totally void your warranty, but if we're talking a year out, the warranty is done for anyway.
 

RobertR

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The more I think about it, the less I'm interested in this design choice by Samsung. I always put my phone in a case, so the "stunning edge screen" and aluminum body (which is actually inferior to plastic from a material property standpoint) mean nothing to me. Add in the absence of a memory card slot and easily replaceable battery, and it's a no go. Samsung lost two key properties that distingushed it from Apple. I just hope LG doesn't go along with this trend.
 

Scott Strang

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Robert, I'd rather have an android and if you're having great luck with them then great. A hatred a Apple is something I've always enjoyed. I guess maybe it's a Motorola thing. Maybe htc or Samsung would be better.
 

RobertR

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I think you'll be happy with one of the top model Androids, Scott. The LG G3 or upcoming G4 is another model you might want to look at.
 

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