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Galaxy S6 Edge review roundup: 'new crowned king' of phones?

Galaxy S6 Edge review scores reward Samsung's curved screen and smart design choices.

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Samsung
Promotional shot of the Galaxy S6 Edge, which was unveiled at the 2015 Mobile World Congress.

As the new Galaxy S6 Edge nears its April 10 release date, reviews are rolling in.

Its sister smart phone, the Galaxy S6, will go on sale the same day (for a couple hundred less), but let's focus on the phone with the most buzz, the Edge. Overall, the differences between the two phones are really only “skin deep,” as multiple reviewers have pointed out. But the Edge has – dare I say it – an edge on its sister. As CNET’s Reviews Editors argued, the Galaxy S6 Edge "has the beauty, brains, and brawn to take down the iPhone 6 and all the Android competition."

Reviewers loved the new metal and glass design of the Samsung device, especially with the dual-curve display.

The Edge will come in gold, white, black, or emerald green. The rounded sides give the Edge a great “in-hand appeal” with an anodized finish that is easy to grip. SlashGear noted that the connecting edges of the case were rather seamless and did away with that “assembled” feel other Samsung devices had. It has a 5.1-inch display with a metal casing that is surrounded by a Gorilla Glass 4 shield to prevent against wear and tear.

Though Samsung appears to have worked hard to make a strong device, it did not stand up amazingly well to SquareTrader’s tests. SquareTrade, a consumer warranty service for electronic devices, found that the Edge’s screen deformed and cracked after 110 pounds of pressure were applied and failed to function at the 149-pound mark. (Samsung released its own testing video in response.)

The curved edges have been called “cute” and “tactile,” allowing for quick access to customizable alerts and favorite contacts. The “third screens” can display e-mail, texts, missed calls, and app activity and will light up with a favorite contact’s corresponding color when they call, including when the phone is face down.

The new design has its drawbacks though. Veterans of Samsung devices will have to make sure to keep the Edge far away from the sink, considering the 2015 model is no longer waterproof.

Another let down for long-time Android fans is that the casing is no longer detachable, which allowed users to switch out memory cards or batteries. Samsung is offering the Galaxy Edge with 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of storage to address the change.

Samsung did attempt to make up for the shortfalls in some very high-tech ways. The Edge’s case has more perks than its rivals, which includes wireless charging. As SlashGear highlighted, Samsung used common wireless charging standards. The Edge can even be used on the power mats that have recently been popping up in Starbucks shops across the nation. CNET found that the Edge ran for 13 hours on a battery-taxing video loop test.

Another introduction is Samsung Pay. According to Forbes, the Edge is compatible with the wireless hardware that Apple Pay uses and can work with the magnetic strip simply by holding the phone next to the terminal. Though late to the game, Samsung has plans to partner with 30 million companies to make its version of the wallet widely used.

The Galaxy S6 Edge is definitely something to celebrate for Android users, and, if you side with CNET, the Edge is the “new crowned king.”

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