Just four months after announcing the Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung has decided to release updated version smartphone. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is designed to compete not only with the iPhone 6 Plus and its successor Paroli, but also with its own line Galaxy Note. Should we wait for the emergence of a new generation of phablets with a stylus? Or will the addition of “+” satisfy phablet fans?

At first glance, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ appears to be a larger version. A direct comparison confirms the first impression. But Samsung not only enlarged the display - the larger body allowed it to accommodate a larger battery. In almost every other respect, the smartphones are very close, with a few exceptions. The new model has exclusive software features, but there is no longer a version with 128 GB of internal memory; you will have to be content with options with 32 and 64 GB. In Russia, the 32 GB version can be purchased for 55 thousand rubles, in Europe – 799 euros. A model with 64 GB will cost 84 thousand rubles.

Display

The new display, judging by the specifications, has changed in only one parameter. The original model had a diagonal of 5.1", now it has increased to 5.7". The resolution has not changed, we got the same 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, as a result, the pixel density has decreased from 577 to 515 ppi. An 11% reduction seems serious, but in practice users are unlikely to notice it. You'll still get a display with excellent detail and clarity. Some users criticized the Galaxy S6 Edge for having too high a resolution - even Full-HD would be enough for most scenarios, but for the Galaxy S6 Edge+, a higher resolution is better suited. When you compare the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and iPhone 6 Plus side by side, you'll notice differences in detail.

As for the two curves of the display, the “weak points” of the original model are preserved here. When typing, the outer keys become bent, which reduces accuracy. Also, the display in some applications and scenarios adds distortion. This also applies to watching videos in 16:9 format and photos in full screen.

There are no serious complaints about the basic quality of the display. Brightness in manual mode is up to 341 cd/m², in automatic mode it increases to 542 cd/m², which gives a very bright picture, and thanks to the panel Super AMOLED black remains black. White color is displayed without any extraneous tints, since the color temperature of the white point is at an ideal level of about 6,500 K. But this color rendering mode is available after manually selecting “AMOLED Photo”. There is a noticeable blue tint in AMOLED Movie and Adaptive Display modes. It’s also not encouraging that color rendition depends on the choice of brightness. If you leave automatic brightness adjustment, you will have to put up with lower-quality color reproduction. But only in this mode you will get maximum brightness. Why Samsung took this step is unknown. Perhaps the reason lies in the high power consumption of the screen at maximum brightness.

Frame

The enlargement of the display led to an increase in the dimensions of the case. Samsung has enlarged the body to 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9 mm and weighs 153 grams. So the smartphone is larger and heavier than the Galaxy S6 Edge (142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 mm, 132 g), but it is still more compact than the iPhone 6 Plus. From its competitor Apple we get 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm and a weight of 172 g. The new Samsung smartphone is large, but it will fit in most pockets.

There is no need to wait for a new design. However, in appearance the original design was quite good. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ also looks stylish, combining straight lines and curves. The thin sides on the right and left of the display, the border around the Home button and the panel with the front speaker also look good. Among the shortcomings, we again note the protruding camera lens.

The thin side frame looks beautiful, but the thickness of about 3.5 mm is still narrow; holding the smartphone in your hand by the sides is not very pleasant. But Samsung was able to improve the ergonomics. The standby button on the right panel is now better positioned so you're less likely to press it accidentally. In addition, the display now occupies about 76% of the front panel, while the Galaxy S6 Edge had a lower percentage of 72%. But in general, in terms of ergonomics, we rate the smartphone as average, just like the “younger” model. We didn't get the ideal.

If you look closely at the case, you will notice improved workmanship. The “junior” Edge model was not perfect in everything, but there is nothing to complain about here. We found no uneven gaps, button play, or other flaws. Samsung has chosen high-quality materials, a durable metal frame and glass, so that the smartphone will attract attention in appearance.

Samsung decided to give it a second try. First time curved display appeared in the Galaxy Note Edge smartphone. But now another smartphone, the Galaxy S6 edge, has been released in the S line, which allows you to choose a standard model or pay extra for a curved display. But how justified is such an additional payment?

Of course, such a step is not accidental. In December, we weren't entirely convinced by the phablet's curved display. In some applications, its potential could be appreciated, but other than the measuring tape and the panel with control icons, there were no significant advantages. Manufacturer with the Galaxy S6 edge, and the first tests confirm progress in some areas.

But a smartphone is good not only because of its display. Its design was developed from scratch, as was its equipment. Starting from the SoC, internal memory and ending with the display, Samsung has made improvements everywhere, including to solve problems with heat dissipation. A thing of the past is a case made of durable plastic, you will have to part with the possibility of expandable memory and a removable battery.

Display

At first glance, the display attracts attention. Samsung remains committed to the previous 5.1" diagonal, but now you get a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels instead of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. So the pixel density has increased by about a third from 432 to 577 ppi. In this regard, we have reached the level that came out in last year with a qHD display, but due to the larger display the pixel density was "only" 538 ppi. For everyday use, such a difference is unlikely to matter, it is not noticeable to the naked eye. But to one degree or another, this is also true about the transition From Full-HD to QHD: The Galaxy S6's display only seems more detailed in a direct comparison, but unless you look closely at fine structures such as text letters or play videos in native resolution, the increased pixel count at this diagonal doesn't make a difference .

But since the basic qualities of the display are not degraded, we do not see any shortcomings. The smartphone showed quite convincing results in terms of brightness and color rendition. With manual brightness adjustment we get a maximum of 335 cd/m², in automatic mode – up to 542 cd/m². Not only this is interesting: not only the brightness is automatically adjusted, but also the color temperature, which depends on warm or cold lighting. Samsung keeps it a secret why the maximum brightness adjustment in manual mode is not available to the user.

But it is possible to adjust the color rendering of the display. Four modes are available, which are optimized for different scenarios, such as displaying videos or photos. The standard mode of the Galaxy S6 edge provides a white point temperature of more than 7,700 K. So a bluish tint appears in the photographs. In AMOLED mode, the temperature of 6,700 K is already closer to the neutral level.

Good color reproduction is ensured thanks to the Super AMOLED panel. Samsung's own development has left inflated "advertising" specifications in the past, we get natural color reproduction. However, OLED technology provides very good contrast. According to our measurements, it is not infinite, but it is above 30,000:1.

The display is based on the much-criticized Pentile matrix, which, given the very high pixel density, has left its main shortcomings in the past. The differences from the RGB matrix in the pixel layout are not so noticeable to the naked eye.

SoC

Even before the announcement of the smartphone appeared detailed information about SoC. It was initially assumed that the manufacturer of the Galaxy S6 edge (according to at least, European version) will become Qualcomm, but then Samsung will do things differently. Among the reasons, among other things, was high energy consumption, which the South Korean giant did not like. In any case, the real reasons are not revealed. Instead of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, the smartphone is equipped with Samsung's own Exynos 7420 chip.

Interestingly, in terms of basic characteristics, the two SoCs are very similar. Samsung uses the ARM Big.Little concept, which relies on Cortex-A53 and -A57 cores with support for 64-bit computing. Both “systems on a chip” are equipped with two quadruple cores of each type, except perhaps clock speeds vary slightly. For demanding scenarios, Cortex-A57 cores are designed, which operate up to 2.1 GHz, “junior” cores operate at a maximum of 1.5 GHz. We received more serious changes in integrated graphics. Samsung used ARM's Mali T760 core at 772 MHz. But the Qualcomm SoC installed a slower Adreno 430 core at 600 MHz. In addition, Samsung was able to achieve lower power consumption. If Qualcomm SoC is still produced using a 20nm process technology, the South Korean company pleases with a new 14nm process technology.

According to the memory interface modern smartphones There are no disagreements, the memory works with high performance. In each case, LPDDR4 memory is used; The Galaxy S6 edge has a capacity of 3 GB.

Since there are many similarities with the Snapdragon 810, the performance of the Exynos 7420 is at a similar level. In 3DMark - Ice Storm Unlimited we received about 21,000 points, in AnTuTu the performance is also high. In 32-bit mode in the test, the smartphone showed more than 48,000 points, in 64-bit mode - more than 55,000 points. The benefits of a powerful architecture are also visible in CPU performance. In 32-bit mode, the performance of calculations with integer numbers and floating point numbers was 5.300 and 5.100 points, in 64-bit mode - 9.300 and 5.600 points; but for a leading position this value was still not enough in both cases. The situation turned out to be similar graphics performance. In AnTuTu we received 1,600 points in 2D mode and 12,000 points in 3D mode - a high level, but not a record one.

Two browser tests, SunSpider and BrowserMark 2.0, showed average performance, but in practice we didn't notice any drawbacks while surfing. The same goes for the system interface, which worked smoothly and without jerks. Switching between Home screens and applications was quick, and programs launched quickly too.

But, as it turned out during our tests, the Galaxy S6 edge has problems with a constant level of performance. In five runs of AnTuTu, we got varying performance results, ranging from 55,000 points to around 70,000 points. The reasons for this behavior are unknown, but they are unlikely to be related to overheating since we performed back-to-back test runs. The diagrams show minimum values.

Additional hardware

Tests benefit from the new internal memory. As a rule, manufacturers rely on eMMC solutions; they are cheap, but for high-end smartphones the performance is not always enough - let’s note the same 4K content. With UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage), Samsung wants to build a bridge between eMMC memory and SSD solutions. UFS 2.0 memory chips are cheaper than SSD memory, but in many cases they provide higher performance regular memory. Samsung promises SSD-level sequential transfer speeds, but most likely they are talking about mass-market drives.

This basis for comparison is visible in the number of operations per second: the South Korean company promises performance of up to 19,000 IOPS, modern SSDs exceed this level four or five times. Compared to existing solutions new technology provides advantages: Samsung has equipped the smartphone entry level 32 GB; There are versions with 64 and 128 GB. As with the iPhone, buyers should choose the amount of memory they need before purchasing the smartphone; there is no expansion via micro-SD cards, although the memory card slot has long been a serious advantage of the Galaxy.

The rest of the equipment is also performed at a decent level. The LTE modem supports Cat 6, that is, download speeds up to 300 Mbit/s, the WLAN module can work with 802.11ac networks, MIMO technology and two bands are supported, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC are provided for short distances, and there is an infrared port. There are also new sensors for fingerprint and heart rate. The latter is located at the back next to the camera, the first is integrated into Home button under the display. Moreover, the sensor’s recognition has improved: instead of rolling your finger over the button, now you just need to put it on the sensor, like with . In terms of recognition reliability, the sensor has proven to be no worse than its competitors, including a wet finger or one with cream applied. Disadvantage: simply placing your finger on the sensor does not wake the smartphone from standby mode – it is still in the lead here.

Changes have also been made to the USB port and SIM card slot. In the first case, we returned to USB 2.0 in Micro-USB format. Cards are now only supported in nano-SIM format. So far, Samsung has not started implementing the new connector. USB Type-C, which would give the smartphone some uniqueness. But, most likely, the development cycle could not be completed on time.

The new feature is not visible to the user externally, but it is not yet supported in Europe and Russia. The function relies on MST instead of magnetic stripe reading plastic card the payment terminal can receive all the necessary information from the smartphone. But, unlike NFC systems such as Apple Pay, the store does not need to separately add support for the service. However, payments through NFC smartphone Samsung are also supported.

In normal scenarios Galaxy phone The S6 edge performed great. The interlocutor was heard well; thanks to the system for suppressing external noise, the owner’s voice was also transmitted clearly. Except that the speakerphone didn't quite convince us. The speakers placed on the bottom panel are limited to high and mid frequencies, even listening to music through them is not entirely pleasant - the sound quality is the same HTC One is one step higher.

One of the most attractive and powerful models of the new season

Along with the updated model flagship smartphone The Korean company Samsung introduced the Galaxy S6 last spring and its more unusual modification called the Galaxy S6 Edge. This model is unusual precisely because of its screen: developing the theme once started in the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, there is also a lateral bend of the display and, accordingly, the front glass itself. Only, unlike its predecessor, here there is curvature on both sides, the glass in this case is symmetrical. At the same time, the back side, also covered with a glass panel, remains absolutely flat, which introduces a slight dissonance, but at the same time some freshness into the design.

In addition to the eye-catching design, the new representatives of the flagship Galaxy S6 line can boast of Samsung's own advanced hardware platform in many respects, demonstrating the highest level of performance still unattainable by competing solutions. Overall, the new Galaxy S6 series smartphones are a great combination of beauty and power. We have already examined the main and more familiar “flat” version in detail in the corresponding review, now it’s time to carefully examine its “curved” modification. It should be noted that the two Galaxy S6 models are similar in most parameters and characteristics, so much of this review will seem familiar to our readers who have not missed the review Samsung Galaxy S6.

Video review

To get started, we suggest watching our video review Samsung smartphone Galaxy S6 Edge:

Now let's take a look at the characteristics of the new product.

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S6 (model SM-G925F)

	Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge	HTC One M9	Meizu MX4	LG G4	Nexus 6
Screen	5.1″, Super AMOLED	5″, S-LCD 3	5.36″, IPS	5.5″, IPS	5.96″, AMOLED
Permission	2560×1440, 577 ppi	1920×1080, 441 ppi	1920×1152, 418 ppi	2560×1440, 538 ppi	2560×1440, 493 ppi
SoC	Exynos 7420 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.1 GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.0 GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5GHz)	Mediatek MT6595 Octa-core (4 Cortex-A17 @2.2 GHz and 4 Cortex-A7 @1.7 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (2x Cortex-A57 @1.8 GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (4 cores Krait 450 @2.7 GHz)
GPU	Mali-T760	Adreno 430	PowerVR G6200	Adreno 418	Adreno 420
RAM	3 GB	3 GB	2 GB	3 GB	3 GB
Flash memory	32/64/128 GB	32 GB	16/32/64 GB	32 GB	32/64 GB
Memory card support	—	microSD	—	microSD	—
operating system	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 5.1	Google Android 5.0
Battery	non-removable, 2600 mAh	non-removable, 2840 mAh	non-removable, 3100 mAh	removable, 3000 mAh	non-removable, 3220 mAh
Cameras	main (16 MP; 4K video), front (5 MP)	main (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP)	main (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP)	main (16 MP; 4K video), front (8 MP)	main (13 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP)
Dimensions and weight	142×70×7 mm, 132 g	145×70×9.6 mm, 157 g	144×75×8.9 mm, 147 g	149×76×9.8 mm, 155 g	159×83×10.1 mm, 184 g
average price	T-12259971	T-12259334	T-11036319	N/A	T-11153512
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (32GB) offers	L-12259971-10

• SoC Exynos 7420 (64-bit), two clusters of four processor cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz
• GPU Mali-T760
• operating room Android system 5.0 Lollipop
• Touch Dual Edge Super AMOLED display, 5.1″, 2560×1440
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB LPDDR4
• Inner memory 32, 64 or 128 GB
• No microSD card slot
• GSM communication 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Data transfer speed max 4G LTE Cat6 up to 300 Mbps
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz) HT80 MIMO Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
• IR port, USB OTG
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Position, proximity, lighting, barometer, fingerprint sensor, Hall and heart rate sensors
• Camera 16 MP (F1.9), optical stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (F1.9), front
• Battery 2600 mAh, non-removable
• Wireless charging support
• Dimensions 142×70×7 mm
• Weight 132 g

Appearance and ease of use

You can praise or scold new design updated line of top-end smartphones for Koreans, some people liked it (and there are really a lot of such people), some are not delighted with such drastic changes (and they can also be understood), but the fact remains: the company’s designers have made a giant qualitative leap and managed to raise the image component of their products to a completely different level. As they say, you meet people by their clothes, and these same “clothes” on the new smartphones of the Korean company are now, if not chic, then certainly expensive and flashy. From glossy plastic and plastic that imitates metal, the developers have finally moved on to truly respectable premium materials, such as tempered glass and real metal, and they, I must say, have succeeded.

If we ignore the obsessive thought that the design option, implying two glass halves of the case connected by a metal rim, is not only not new, but even quite hackneyed and hackneyed (before Samsung, it seems, most manufacturers from Sony to Huawei), then such changes in the appearance of the popular line of smartphones can only be welcomed. The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones have definitely begun to look more respectable, expensive, impressive, and even somewhat noble. In any case, now these devices look quite decent in any, even the most expensive, environment.

As for ergonomics, in this case it fades into the background and modestly falls silent - now it was not given the floor. Amid admiration for the beauty and quality of workmanship, users try not to think that glass is a rather fragile material that easily cracks when dropped on a hard surface, and that thin metal edges coupled with smooth glass panels in the Samsung Galaxy The S6 Edge is so slippery that it’s even scary to take the smartphone out of your pocket on the street. Perhaps the S6 Edge, with its curved glass and thin sides, can rightfully be called the slipperiest smartphone of our time.

In addition, it is also worth noting that everyone who took it for the first time Samsung hands Galaxy S6 Edge (in the off state), I just wanted to turn it over in my hand, turning the device with the flat back wall up, and take the curved front panel with sloping sides in my palm, because it would be more convenient.

Otherwise, there are no complaints about the external structure of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge case: the smartphone is not so large in size when compared with many modern tablet phones, it fits quite easily in an average-sized hand, the weight and thickness of the case are comfortable. The assembly does not cause any complaints, everything is well fitted, although perfectionists have already noted the fact that the developers managed to place all the elements on the case, such as buttons, microphone holes, speaker grilles and card slots, crookedly relative to the central axis. What’s also not surprising is the fact that most of the surface, not counting the thin metal side frame, turned out to be extremely scratchy - the glass on both sides instantly becomes covered with fingerprints, which irritates many. On the other hand, hiding such beauty in a case is somehow blasphemous, you have to put up with it, at least at first.

As for the mentioned hardware control elements, their location on the case is as follows: the power and lock buttons logically took their rightful place in the upper half of the right side edge, the volume keys are symmetrically placed on the opposite edge. It should be noted that for the first time, Samsung threw away the last restrictions and broke the single volume rocker into two separate buttons - now, in this regard, Korean smartphones are indistinguishable from the Apple iPhone.

The main speaker grille is made in the form of an array of round holes and is logically placed at the bottom end. This part of the case is loaded to the brim with elements: in addition to the speaker grille, there are also Micro-USB connectors and an audio output for a headphone minijack (3.5 mm). These elements, as mentioned above, unlike the iPhone, for some reason turned out to be shifted relative to the central longitudinal axis, which looks somehow sloppy and unfinished.

On the opposite, upper end, in addition to a small IR port window and an auxiliary microphone hole, there is a slot for a Nano-SIM format SIM card. The card slide, which is somehow undignifiedly made of plastic, is usually removed by pressing a secret button using a key or a paper clip. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone does not have a slot for a second SIM card, as well as for a memory card.

The front of the smartphone is completely covered protective glass Gorilla Glass 4. To the left of the earpiece grille you can see led indicator notifications, its large dot shines in different colors, notifying about charging status and incoming events. The operation of the indicator can be controlled through the corresponding settings section.

At the bottom, under the screen, there is the usual oval mechanical key and two touch buttons on either side of it. The touch buttons have a bright white backlight. A fingerprint scanner is integrated into the central key, which has undergone some changes for the better. Now you don’t need to run your finger over it - a simple touch is enough, this is more convenient than the option implemented in previous models of the series.

The device supports wireless charging, compatible with WPC 1.1 standards ( output power 4.6 W) and PMA 1.0 (4.2 W). The smartphone is not protected from dust and moisture, and there is no fastening for a strap on the case either.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, like its “flat” brother, the regular S6, is available in several bright body colors, and, unlike the regular S6, only the curved version has a green color option, which received the corporate name “Noble Emerald” . Perhaps the element of novelty and surprise plays a role here, but it was this iridescent greenish hue that attracted the most attention from the public. Many of those who preferred the usual Galaxy version S6, they even regret that the green version is not available to them. In addition to green, the Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone is available in black (dark blue), white and gold color options.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone is equipped with touch screen Super AMOLED, protected by Gorilla Glass 4, which was specially given an unusual shape with curved edges (Dual Edge). It should be noted that despite the physical curvature of the screen, there are, however, no separate side matrices on the bevels, as was implemented in the case of the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. That is, the display here is a single whole, although with the help software the curved edges of the screen can actually carry additional load, acting as separate side mini-displays.

Physical Dimensions The display is 63x113 mm, diagonal - 5.1 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is 2560x1440, so the pixel density is very high and equal to 577 ppi.

The frame around the screen is quite thin: the distance from the edge of the case to the edge of the screen on the sides is about 3 mm. It should be noted that it is this frame that accounts for most of the curved surface of the glass - the screen itself bends quite a bit, only a couple of millimeters at its edges. The concerns of some users about accidental clicks on the curved edges of the display that are right under their fingers have not been confirmed. You can feel some inconvenience and achieve accidental clicks only during special experiments, but in ordinary life, almost no unintended clicks were noticed.

The display brightness has manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 10 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. (However, in addition to the bend towards the edges, we also note some smoothed unevenness of the outer surface.) Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is slightly darker (the brightness in the photographs is 93 versus 96 for the Nexus 7, the glare curved edges of the tested screen are excluded) and does not have a pronounced tint. Note that the reflection from bright objects in the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has a pale bluish halo, more pronounced in the transverse direction. The ghosting of reflected objects on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge screen is very weak, indicating that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but it seems a little worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass .

When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 340 cd/m², the minimum was 1.4 cd/m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the brighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a fairly good level (there was no opportunity to test it). The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device even in complete darkness without any problems. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). You can make adjustments to the operation of this function by moving the settings slider. Below, for three conditions, we present the screen brightness values ​​for three values ​​of this setting - for 0%, 50% and 100%. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness is reduced to 1.4, 6.5 and 15 cd/m², respectively (the first and second are too dark, the third is normal), in an office illuminated by artificial light (approximately 400 lux) the brightness is set to 50 , 130 and 250 cd/m² (dark is just right - a little bright, which corresponds to the given correction), in a brightly lit environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - increases to 340 cd/m² regardless of slider position. This value is equal to the maximum for manual adjustment. If you increase the brightness of external illumination (in the area of ​​the light sensor) to somewhere around hundreds of thousands of lux (corresponding to direct sunlight), then the screen brightness increases to 550 cd/m². This brightness should definitely be enough for the image on the screen to be clearly visible in any natural conditions. In general, the result of the function automatic adjustment brightness is as expected. At any brightness level there is significant modulation with a frequency of 237.5 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it brightness, the modulation amplitude is not very large, and as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases, modulation with a large relative amplitude appears. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, this flickering may cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

In the fragment above you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), and by repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without breaks or overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer calculates the screen resolution based on the green subpixels; based on the other two, it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is close to the case of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and some other newer Samsung devices (and not only) with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some unevenness of contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to very high resolution they have minimal impact on image quality.

The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color is simply black at any angle. So black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (profile Movie AMOLED) and the second comparison participant, identical images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forced to switch to 6500 K. White field:

We note the excellent uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field (with the exception of darkening and changes in hue towards the curved edges). And a test picture (profile Basic):

Color rendition is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens varies slightly. Note that in this case, the image occupies the height (at this screen orientation) of the entire area available for image display and extends onto the curved edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which makes it even more difficult to view images displayed on the entire screen. And even the picture of films with an aspect ratio of 16:9 bends, which greatly interferes with watching movies. The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and environmental conditions, which is obtained by selecting the two remaining profiles shown below.

Movie AMOLED:

Saturation and colour contrast noticeably enlarged.

Photo AMOLED:

Saturation is still high, but color contrast is closer to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile Movie AMOLED). White field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed has been increased compared to previous photographs), but in the case of Samsung the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness samsung screen The Galaxy S6 Edge looks much brighter visually (compared to LCD screens) as the screen mobile device often you have to look at least from a slight angle. And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of the Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the switching edge there may be a step with a width of approximately 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 59 Hz). For example, this is what the dependence of brightness on time looks like when moving from black to white and back:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high clarity and even some “jerky” movements.

For profiles Photo AMOLED And Basic constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, the gamma curve did not reveal any blockage in either highlights or shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is 2.39, which is higher than the standard value of 2.2 (therefore the image is slightly darkened) , while the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence (the captions in parentheses show the exponent of the approximating power function and the coefficient of determination):

For profile Movie AMOLED The gamma curve has a pronounced S-shaped character, which increases the visible contrast of the image, but in the shadows the distinguishability of shades remains.

Let us recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely slightly does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen.

Color gamut in the case of a profile Movie AMOLED very wide, it almost covers the Adobe RGB gamut:

When selecting a profile Photo AMOLED coverage is adjusted to Adobe RGB boundaries:

When selecting a profile Basic coverage is compressed almost to the sRGB boundaries:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In case of profile Basic with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut, without appropriate correction, the colors of regular images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photographs and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on Adobe installation RGB, it makes sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Profile Movie AMOLED, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies or anything else.

The grayscale balance is good. Color temperature in profile Movie AMOLED above 6500 K, in the remaining two - close to 6500 K, while in a significant area of ​​the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) over most of the gray scale remains below 10 units, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, but the fluctuations of this parameter are already large:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored in most cases, since there is no color balance of great importance, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is acceptable (and in bright light it is necessary) to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include a good oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance (if you select the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let us remind you about the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), excellent uniformity of the white field, noticeably less than that of LCDs, and a drop in image brightness when viewed at an angle. Disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness. For users who are particularly sensitive to flicker, this may cause increased fatigue. However, overall the screen quality is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, curved edges are only harmful, since this design discovery introduces very noticeable distortions of the color tone and reduces the brightness at the edges of the picture, and also leads to inevitable glare in ambient light conditions along at least one long side screen.

Sound

The sound of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is more than decent; the device sounds like a true flagship of the highest level should sound. Despite the lack of stereo speakers, the sound, nevertheless, the device produces is very loud, rich in the entire spectrum of frequencies, including low ones. At the maximum volume level, almost no distortion was noticed, nor any wheezing. The smartphone sounds really nice, there are no complaints at all. The speaker grille is located at the bottom end, so the sound is not blocked when the smartphone is lying on a hard surface. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.

With headphones, the smartphone also sounds at the level of modern flagships; to play melodies, a proprietary player with a maximum number of settings is used as standard. All sound effects are combined with a technology called SoundAlive - although some of them are only available with connected headphones. The same applies to the sound optimization function. For manual settings An equalizer with preset values ​​is available, as well as separate controls for bass and treble.

Traditionally, there is no FM radio included in the standard configuration of a smartphone, but there is a voice recorder. In addition to the standard mode, the voice recorder also has specific “interviews” and “voice notes” - all this is already familiar to us from previous models in the series. Telephone conversations The smartphone cannot record from the line.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 16 and 5 megapixels. The front camera here is equipped with a 5-megapixel module with a lens with an f/1.9 aperture; it shoots video at a maximum QHD resolution (2560×1440). You can take pictures with the front camera without touching the screen, using an open palm gesture or a voice command. You can also take your own self-portrait by touching your finger to the heart rate sensor located on the back of the smartphone.

The main 16-megapixel camera has an f/1.9 aperture lens, autofocus tracking, optical image stabilization (OIS) and a single LED flash. There is an opinion that sensors can be used in different copies of the same model different manufacturers- both Sony IMX240 and Samsung ISOCELL. Quick start camera is possible by double-clicking on the central hardware key under the screen.

Camera settings are combined into a long scroll, in addition to the usual automatic mode and manual settings mode, here you can also select panoramic, selective focus mode, as well as fast and slow motion video modes. Not really added normal mode so-called virtual shooting to create a multi-angle view of objects.

Video samsung camera The Galaxy S6 Edge can shoot in resolutions up to 4K (UHD). As always, the option of shooting at 60 fps, with a resolution of 1920x1080 (Full HD), is very interesting. The camera copes perfectly with any options; there are no complaints about the quality of the resulting video image. The quality of video recording can be judged by test videos.

• Video No. 1 (31 MB, 1920×1080 @60 fps)
• Video No. 2 (54 MB, 3840×2160 @30 fps)

	Good sharpness across the entire frame.
	The camera works quite well with shadows.
	Sharpness practically does not decrease with the removal of the shot, but a certain soapiness of the image as a whole becomes more noticeable.
	Good detail work, although the soapiness mentioned above spoils them a little.
	The colors of the sky and buildings are quite even.
	The shadows are well done. In distant plans, the blur of small details becomes clearly visible.
	Due to the soapiness, the license plates of remote vehicles are difficult to distinguish.

As in many modern smartphones, the HDR mode can be set to automatic without turning it on forcibly. In this case, the duration of the photo creation does not increase, but the images often look more interesting.

Auto mode	Auto HDR

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.

The pictures look very decent, although there are some small disappointments: many images are slightly washed out, which is why detail suffers, and noise is not always processed accurately.

It would seem that the program in the camera should be the same as in the S6, but the firmware version indicated in EXIF ​​looks newer, and the camera shoots noticeably worse. However, “noticeably” is still too strong a word, since the difference is clearly visible only in a laboratory test. In the field photographs of the S6 Edge, there is a certain soapiness that hides the details, but in the S6 photographs it was also observed, although it was much less pronounced. I can’t help but feel that the programmers wanted to improve the processing, but it turned out “as always,” since the camera modules of these smartphones are clearly the same.

However, our S6 Edge sample looked better, at least due to the absence of the blurred area on the right, noted in the S6 sample. But objective tests do not allow us to distinguish the S6 Edge either from other smartphones or from its less shocking brother. Although the pictures look very good, they don't stand up to comparison with the LG G4, which was tested under exactly the same conditions at the same time. It is possible that such soapiness will be eliminated in production samples, but this is doubtful, and sales are already in full swing.

As a result, the camera is quite suitable for documentary and art photography; moreover, detail noticeably suffers only in distant plans.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also has support for fourth-generation networks. LTE generation Cat6 with a maximum possible speed of up to 300 Mbit/s for reception. In practice, with a SIM card from the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone confidently recognizes and works with 4G networks.

Rest networking opportunities The smartphone is also excellent: it supports NFC technology, Bluetooth 4.1 supports A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+ profiles. Wi-Fi module 802.11n/ac, HT80 MIMO (2x2, up to 620 Mbps) supports operation in both frequency bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) and technology Wi-Fi Direct, can be arranged wireless point access via Wi-Fi channels or Bluetooth. It is possible to connect external devices to USB port in OTG mode.

The navigation module works with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system, and also sees satellites of the Chinese Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the navigation module; a cold start occurs within a minute or less. The device is also equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the compass of navigation programs operates.

OS and software

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge runs on fifth Android versions OS with the proprietary TouchWiz shell installed on top of it. A new version TouchWiz is installed in both S6 models, absolutely the same; you can read more about all its capabilities in the Samsung Galaxy S6 review.

The only difference in the interface in the modification for S6 Edge is a special section of the menu dedicated to settings for working with curved screen. The device can turn on the backlight of the side of the display, thus duplicating the alert sensor when receiving calls or notifications. This side of the screen is also used to display individual favorite contacts placed in multi-colored circles and, accordingly, work with them. When calls and messages arrive, the edge will light up in the exact color that was assigned to a specific contact - all this is configured in the menu of a feature called People Edge. In addition, the side screen can display a scrolling information feed with news received from subscribed channels, as well as a clock in night mode. The idea looks quite fresh, and perhaps even saves battery energy, but whether this function will actually be in demand by device owners, time will tell.

With the updates another one appeared new feature, which was introduced by Samsung after the announcement of the Galaxy S6 models: this is a data transfer service called Smart Switch. Smart app Switch for PC and Mac is designed to synchronize data using iTunes, as well as devices based on Blackberry and Windows operating systems. Smart Switch allows you to transfer contacts to Samsung Galaxy smartphones, text messages, photos, music, videos, calendar data, call logs, notes, alarms, Wi-Fi settings and even wallpaper. iOS users have the opportunity to transfer music purchased from iTunes to a Samsung Galaxy device. To transfer personal data from Android smartphones(version 4.0 or higher) you must install the application on both devices and use Wi-Fi function Direct for wireless transmission. iOS users will also be able to use a USB OTG cable ( iOS version 5.0 and higher).

Performance

The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is based on a single-chip system (SoC) of Samsung's own Exynos 7420, produced according to 14-nanometer standards technological process. The configuration of this single-chip system includes two clusters of four cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The GPU is a Mali T760 video accelerator. The smartphone has 3 GB of RAM (LPDDR4 is used). Internal memory is implemented on drives that meet the UFS 2.0 specification. Flash memory capacity is 32, 64 or 128 GB. In the case of a model with a minimum volume, about 25 GB of the nominally designated 32 GB is initially available to the user. There is no possibility of expansion through memory cards, but it supports connecting devices, including flash drives, to the USB port in OTG mode.

Below are thermal images of the rear surface (top left in the image), obtained after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program:

The specularity of the back surface leads to the fact that surrounding objects are reflected in it (in particular, the screen of the tablet that was used to shoot, and what is reflected in this screen). However, it can be seen that the heating is highly localized towards the edge in the area of ​​the power button, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat camera, the maximum heating was 44 degrees.

According to the testing results, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge hardware platform demonstrated such high results that it supplanted all previous record holders without exception, including Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which held first place in the AnTuTu test for quite a long time.

As a result, Samsung has given the world another record holder in terms of power - a reference smartphone that people will look up to, try to catch up with, and match throughout the entire season. The device is extremely productive, the capabilities built into it will be enough for a long time to complete any assigned tasks, including the most demanding games.

Testing in latest versions complex tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Samsung Galaxy S6Edge (Exynos 7420)	HTC One M9 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810)	Meizu MX4 (Mediatek MT6595)	Nexus 6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 805)	LG G4 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 808)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	21773	20538	16691	23234	18372
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	38 fps	37 fps	21.7 fps	23 fps	25 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	50 fps	36 fps	23.2 fps	29 fps	35 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	4155 (59 fps)	4092 (58 fps)	4033 (58 fps)	3633 (52 fps)	3340 (48 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the testing results, the subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 sound format.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3		The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹

¹ sound in MX Video Player was played only after installing an alternative custom audio codec; The standard player does not have this setting

Tested video output features Alexey Kudryavtsev.

MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort we are in this smartphone We didn’t find it, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720/24p

Fine No

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

According to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. With the exception of 60 fps files, one frame is always skipped due to the strange screen refresh rate of 59 Hz. It seems that someone at Samsung is engaged in sabotage and deliberately lowered the refresh rate from the typical 60 Hz in recent versions of AMOLED screens. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, going to the bends. The clarity of the picture is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experimentation, you can switch to the one-to-one mode by pixel; there will be no interpolation, but the features of PenTile will appear - the vertical world through the pixel will be in a grid, and the horizontal one will be slightly greenish. This is on test worlds; the described artifacts are not present on real frames. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

Built-in capacity removable battery, installed in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, is far from a record - only 2600 mAh, although this is even slightly more than the “flat” version of the S6. However, despite the most powerful platform and a fairly large five-inch screen, the smartphone proved itself more than worthy in terms of durability battery life. Currently, Samsung flagships not only show the best autonomy in the top segment among their peers, but also demonstrate enviable consistency in this matter, which cannot be said about many other manufacturers. For example, LG's G2 device was simply excellent in terms of autonomy, but with the release of each subsequent model, this figure, unfortunately, becomes worse and worse. The same can be said about the NTS flagships.

It should be noted that the device settings traditionally contain two proprietary energy saving modes: normal and extreme. The maximum energy saving mode significantly reduces the level of energy consumption by turning off non-essential ones and saving vital ones. this moment functions, and also, for visual effect, converting the image on the screen to black and white.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge	2600 mAh	19:00	12:20 pm	3 hours 50 minutes
Samsung Galaxy S6	2550 mAh	20:00	12:00 pm	4:00 am
HTC One M9	2840 mAh	11:00 am	8 a.m. 20 p.m.	3 hours 50 minutes
Yotaphone 2	2500 mAh	12:00 pm	9:30 a.m.	3 hours 15 minutes
Lenovo Vibe X2	2300 mAh	13:00	6:00 am	3 hours 15 minutes
Meizu MX4	3100 mAh	12:00 pm	8 hours 40 minutes	3 hours 45 minutes
Meizu MX4 Pro	3350 mAh	16:00	8 hours 40 minutes	3 hours 30 minutes
Sony Xperia Z3	3100 mAh	20:00	10:00 am	4 hours 50 minutes
LG G4	3000 mAh	17:00	9:00 a.m.	3:00 am
Nexus 6	3220 mAh	18:00	10:30 a.m.	3 hours 40 minutes

Continuous reading in FBReader program(with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) it took about 19 hours until the battery was completely discharged. When watching videos continuously high quality(720p) with the same brightness level via home Wi-Fi network The device lasted more than 12 hours. In 3D gaming mode the device worked for almost 4 hours. The smartphone supports technology fast charging, so the full charging time is only 1.5 hours, and according to the developers, just 10 minutes “at the outlet” allows you to charge the smartphone for subsequent four-hour use.

Bottom line

Samsung did a great job on their next flagship: if the beauty of the design is a matter of taste, and here opinions may differ, then in terms of hardware Galaxy smartphones S6 can be safely given the highest score. Performance is at the maximum level, but at the same time, autonomy is also high, which is good news. Having one of the best cameras in its category is also a very significant point, although this aspect is not important for everyone. The screen quality and sound are at a very decent level, the network capabilities of the smartphone satisfy any needs. In addition, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has most of the flagship features, from a fingerprint scanner to an IR port and support for wireless charging. True, and worth it new smartphone more expensive than all its competitors, but this issue is beyond the scope of our review and remains entirely on the conscience of the seller.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is an extraordinary smartphone, and based on the totality of its characteristics, it simply cannot fail to receive our award for original design. But I would especially like to highlight its unusual screen and express the hope that in the future we will see even more daring experiments in this area and discover new applications for “curved” screens.

If you've read my column about device leaks, you know that data from almost all flagships quickly appears online. In addition, Android devices first pass tests for the number of parrots, and from there we learn about the hardware of the new smartphone. Benchmark authors don't bother too much with privacy. Almost the same thing happened with new Samsung Galaxy S6. However appearance The smartphone was not 100% leaked to the Internet, and at the presentation everyone was pleasantly surprised, if not by the hardware, then by the body.

Until now, Samsung's flagships had to compete with Apple, and they succeeded in performance, but not in design. A top-end smartphone should be beautiful and flagship-like pretentious. Having overcome the curse of plastic, the Galaxy S line was transformed only this spring.

Samsung abandoned security and, frankly, terrible thick sides. In Galaxy S6 case metal is the head of everything. It is used for the frame around the perimeter and the back of the case. The front and back of the smartphone is covered with tempered glass Gorilla Glass 4. There seems to be an oleophobic coating on both sides, but because of the distinct marks on the rear non-removable cover, it seems that it is not there at all. The prints gather like rabbits on a box of carrots.

Of course, avid iPhone fans will see many similarities with the iPhone 6 in the features of the Korean flagship, but since everything went off without lawsuits, it means that the Cupertino team did not find plagiarism.

The button layout is classic. Spaced volume up/down buttons are on the left. Food and a tray with a hole for a paper clip are on the right.

The audio jack, speaker and microphone are on the bottom. Well, yes, everything is in Cupertino order. Only on the top edge is a proprietary infrared port and another noise-canceling microphone.

The case glass is absolutely straight, but when viewed from the front it seems that they are slightly rounded towards the sides. This optical illusion, together with the metal shimmering beautifully under the glass, looks very good. The dark blue color behaves like a chameleon, shifting from almost black to purple. However, other body colors also look very juicy. In a room without light, the color becomes matte, and in the light it has a metallic effect.

As we already said, Samsung got rid of the terrible plastic in the smartphone, but another bad habit remains. The hardware buttons are still located on the body, making them pressed at random in the dark. In addition, they always trigger falsely when held horizontally. We think it's time to move them to the bottom of the screen. And “teach” to change places, if it is more convenient for someone.

Fingerprint sensor moved to button and works more stable. In addition, you don’t need to swipe your finger, just touch it. True, the shape of the button forces you to move the smartphone in your hand if your finger is not recognized.

The Super AMOLED screen, as always, is pleasing to the eye. It has a resolution of 2560x1440 with a diagonal of 5.1 inches. Thus, the pixel density was 577 ppi. In the color rendering settings, you can traditionally choose between acidic, juicy and adaptive modes. Maximum The screen brightness has increased and amounted to 377 cd/m2. This is more than its predecessors, so readability is even better in bright light. However, the iPhone 6's screen was still brighter - 494 cd/m2. The minimum brightness of Samsung's sAMOLED screen, as always, is very low, and in dark rooms it will fundamentally not be able to blind you.

Galaxy S6 bombs all benchmarks and forces competitors to reach 70 thousand points in AnTuTu. This is not surprising, because Samsung this time abandoned versions with different processors. Only the Exynos 7420 chip of its own design, made using a 14 nm process technology, is installed in it. This chip has eight cores and operates in BigLittle mode: four Cortex-A53 cores and four Cortex A57 cores. Together with the fast 3 GB RAM, the smartphone is very productive.

You won't find brakes anywhere. The only discomfort will be the heating of the smartphone during simultaneous loads and charging. But with such thickness and a metal body, this is not surprising.

Thanks to the 4+4 processor architecture, optimization and various power saving modes, the autonomy of the Galaxy S6 was not affected. If you work hard with the Internet and calls, it will last for a working day. In addition, there is a function to quickly charge the battery in an hour.

There is also a built-in wireless charger, which supports many models. So you can buy either a branded one from Samsung or use one from the same Lumia. By the way, Samsung has started collaborating with IKEA, so when buying another bedside table, you can choose a model with wireless charging.

The main camera of the Galaxy S6 is traditional shoots great photos and videos in Full HD and 4K. The camera interface is a bit simplified. There are few modes in the basic version, but additional ones can be downloaded. Advanced settings will be enabled in a separate mode.

True, the camera slightly yellows the photos. Our colleague takes photographs with an iPhone 6 in much more natural colors. It turned out to be a confrontation between Canon and Nikon. But we will talk about this in more detail in a separate article.

An important update was recycled shellTouchWiz. They removed menu items that, due to their abundance, could not be remembered. Now find desired setting it's really simpler.

The notification shade remains the same. It still doesn't show all the buttons for quick setup, and version pure Android We like 5.0 better. S Health has added motivational calls to set goals (walk more, do more, etc.). Now you can enter your food diary. The heart rate sensor is traditionally on the back of the case near the flash.

Along with the Galaxy S6, its relative was also presented - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. Which, as the name implies, stands out for its sensory edges. They can be seen from afar and now from both sides. The filling and all the features of the shell are the same, not counting the half-needed widgets for display on the side. Several functions related to call notifications have been added. For individual contacts, you can assign your own side edge color. We will tell you more about the Galaxy S6 edge in the following publications.

The new Galaxy S6 looks great. Samsung designers and engineers have worked their hardest. The use of glass and metal led to new level design. The new processor has set a high bar for competitors. The ergonomics of the case are not only good, but also pleasant. True, there is still a problem with the buttons, but the traditionally high-quality screen and camera so far compensate for this shortcoming. And even though it turned out that the S6 bends easier than the iPhone, we don’t see this as a problem. It really is worth handling such a nice smartphone with care.

Samsung Galaxy S6
OS:	Android 5.0.2, TouchWiz shell
CPU:	Exynos 7420, 8 cores (4 cores A53, 4 cores A57), 2.1 GHz, 64 bit
Video accelerator:	MALI-T760
Memory + RAM:	32 GB + 3 GB LP DDR4
Cameras:
Main:	16 MP, OIS, True HDR, autofocus, F 1.9
Front:	5 megapixels
Communications:	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-FiDirect, mobile hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, infrared
Wireless charging/built-in:	Yes Yes
Battery:	Li-Ion 2550 mAh
Dimensions:	143.4×70.5×6.8 mm
Weight:	138 g
Provider:	Samsung Electronics Ukraine,
Price:	from $800
Grade:
+ case design and materials
+ very high performance
+ main camera operation
+ built-in wireless charging
— false positives of hardware buttons

Image model on the fastest platform

The flagship Samsung Galaxy S series smartphones do not need any special introduction. Along with Apple products, Samsung smartphones have traditionally aroused keen interest among users of any age, gender and religion. In the new season, the Korean company has prepared a real surprise for its fans. You can call it a rethinking of values ​​or a reboot, as you like, but the fact remains: after many years of boring sameness, Samsung designers have finally decided to make real changes. For the first time in many years, we can say with confidence that Samsung has shown a truly stylish, modern and attractive design. In principle, the option with two glass panels and a metal side frame is not so new; over the past few years we have seen it in the iPhone, Sony Xperia, and even in fashion models of the Huawei P series, but for Samsung smartphones it is really new . And given the experience of past years, when one type of plastic in Korean smartphones was replaced by another, such drastic changes can even be called a breakthrough.

However, it was not only unexpected changes in design and attractive appearance that were pleasantly surprised by the participants of the MWC 2015 exhibition during their first acquaintance with the new products of the Samsung mobile family. Those who managed to get acquainted with the hardware of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were also amazed at the unprecedented level of performance that these powerful mobile devices demonstrated. Thanks to the new SoC, Samsung's new flagships have confidently perched on the top step of the podium and, apparently, will not be ousted from there any time soon.

Of course, there were some disappointments. Fans of the Korean brand have always warmed their souls to the idea that their chosen side in the confrontation between Samsung and Apple is the maximum openness to change. Memory card slot and removable accumulator battery- these are the enduring values ​​that outweighed the scales for them in comparison with the policy of closure, “things in themselves,” which Apple smartphones cultivated from the very beginning. Now the last bastions have collapsed: according to these characteristics, the new Korean devices are indistinguishable from both the iPhone and other modern smartphones, the creators of which reoriented faster than others. In the new Samsung flagships you will not find either a slot for installing a memory card, or, moreover, a removable battery - all of this is considered relics of the past. The funny thing is that this happened exactly at that significant moment when the newest, fifth version of Android finally made it possible for users to install applications on a memory card, and it is on Android 5.0 that the new Samsung devices. Once again, the developers made an unfortunate mistake, but most of the users will most likely forget it very quickly, as if nothing had happened - the fans will understand and forgive. What will remain in my memory is just another nice and very fast smartphone, one of many.

Video review

To get started, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone:

Now let's take a look at the characteristics of the new product.

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S6 (model SM-G920F)

	Samsung Galaxy S6	Sony Xperia Z3	Lenovo Vibe X2	Yotaphone 2	Meizu MX4
Screen	5.1″, Super AMOLED	5.2″, IPS	5″, IPS	5″, AMOLED	5.36″, IPS
Permission	2560×1440, 577 ppi	1920×1080, 423 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi	1920×1152, 418 ppi
SoC	Exynos 7420 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.1 GHz and 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (4 cores Krait 400 @2.5 GHz)	Mediatek MT6595m (4x Cortex-A17 @2.0 GHz + 4x Cortex-A7 @1.3 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (4 cores Krait 400 @2.26 GHz)	Mediatek MT6595 Octa-core (4 Cortex-A17 @2.2 GHz and 4 Cortex-A7 @1.7 GHz)
GPU	Mali-T760	Adreno 330	PowerVR G6200	Adreno 330	PowerVR G6200
RAM	3 GB	3 GB	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	32/64/128 GB	16 GB	32 GB	32 GB	16/32/64 GB
Memory card support	—	microSD	—	—	—
operating system	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4
Battery	non-removable, 2550 mAh	non-removable, 3100 mAh	non-removable, 2300 mAh	non-removable, 2500 mAh	non-removable, 3100 mAh
Cameras	rear (16 MP; 4K video), front (5 MP)	rear (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (2.2 MP)	rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)	rear (8 MP; video 1080p), front (2.1 MP)	rear (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP)
Dimensions and weight	143×70×6.8 mm, 138 g	146×72×7.3 mm, 152 g	140×69×7.3 mm, 120 g	145×69×9.0 mm, 145 g	144×75×8.9 mm, 147 g
average price	T-12259333	T-11028534	T-11168521	T-11743876	T-11036319
Samsung Galaxy S6 offers	L-12259333-10

• SoC Exynos 7420 (64-bit), two clusters of four processor cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz
• GPU Mali-T760
• Operating system Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Touch Super AMOLED display, 5.1″, 2560×1440
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB LPDDR4
• Internal memory 32, 64 or 128 GB
• No microSD card slot
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• Data transfer speed max 4G LTE Cat6 up to 300 Mbps
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
• IR port, USB OTG
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Position, proximity, lighting, barometer, fingerprint sensor, Hall and heart rate sensors
• Camera 16 MP (F1.9), optical stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (F1.9), front
• Battery 2550 mAh, non-removable
• Wireless charging support
• Dimensions 143×70×6.8 mm
• Weight 138 g

Equipment

The Samsung Galaxy S6 comes in a small box made of thick cardboard with several jumpers inside. A cover made of thinner cardboard is stretched over the top of the box.

The kit consists of a miniature but powerful charger (output current 2 A), a Micro-USB connecting cable, and headphones with a flat wire and rubber ear pads exactly the same shape as Apple EarPods.

Appearance and ease of use

Samsung Galaxy S6 is not too large, even somewhat elegant smartphone. Although, probably, we have simply become accustomed to a five-inch screen size as a standard, it has become the norm, and we no longer consider such sizes for a pocket mobile device to be something out of the ordinary. Thin profile, strongly rounded corners, light weight - the device fits quite comfortably in a hand of any size and fits into the pocket of any clothing. However, due to the smooth metal frame and glass surfaces, the Galaxy S6 turned out to be quite slippery; you must always be careful with such a device and make sure that it does not slip out of your hands or break on the floor.

The materials are chosen with taste: both panels, front and back, are made of tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and the side frame that runs along the entire perimeter of the case is made of metal. Thank God, this time the creators did not paint over the metal, cover it with plastic or hide it in any other way, as happened with the Galaxy A series. The frame itself has a fairly thick profile, a noble matte surface, and of course, it is this that is in the greatest degree gives the appearance of the device seriousness and high cost. Thanks to its pleasant coolness and harsh metallic shine, the smartphone will look good with any most expensive suit and in any most expensive setting. Perhaps if the body were entirely metal, it would not look as catchy and expressive as the current combination of glass and metal. But in any case, we won’t know - after all, if the Koreans had made their S6 entirely out of metal, it would have become a copy of the iPhone 6, and this is unacceptable for obvious reasons.

The assembly does not cause any complaints; Samsung is fine with this. Having abandoned the removable cover, the developers resorted to a common solution for placing cards in the side slots: now here, too, you need to press in a secret button with a paper clip to remove the container with the SIM card. The slide is made of metal, designed for a Nano-SIM card, and another slot - for a memory card - cannot be found here. By the way, experts from the iFixit website gave the smartphone only four points (out of a possible ten) for ease of disassembly and, accordingly, maintainability (the situation with the S6 Edge is even worse: it received three points).

The body of the smartphone is quite thin, the camera module protrudes noticeably from the back wall. In this matter, the new Samsung smartphones turned out to be no better than the notorious Apple iPhone 6/6 Plus, which only the lazy did not wash their bones for this option of placing the camera module. Not far from the lens is a block consisting of a single LED flash and a heart rate sensor.

The front part of the smartphone is completely covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 4. To the left of the speaker grille you can see the LED notification indicator; its large dot shines in different colors, notifying about the charging status and incoming events. Interestingly, the indicator’s operation is regulated in the settings section dedicated to sound.

At the bottom, under the screen, there is the usual oval mechanical key and two touch buttons on either side of it. The touch buttons have a bright white backlight. A fingerprint scanner is again integrated into the central mechanical key, and a few special words should be said about it. Finally, Samsung understood why in previous models they failed to competently implement this most useful tool, which had long been perfectly implemented in the Apple iPhone. In the Galaxy S5, you had to hold the device tightly with one hand and slowly and tediously drag your finger across the scanner with the other, which was annoying. As a result, owners quickly turned off the scanner due to ineffectiveness, although the convenience of unlocking a smartphone without having to remember digital codes and the zigzag passes were great, you just had to deliver it correctly. Finally, after waiting for some time, the Koreans decided to exactly adopt the idea of ​​​​the scanner originally incorporated into the iPhone. Now in the Galaxy S6, the button reads the fingerprint simultaneously with the press, unlocking the screen. There is no need to swipe your finger, you can hold your hand at any angle, everything is done with one hand and in one click - everything is exactly the same as in the iPhone. Finally, the scanner in Samsung smartphones has become comfortable to use. It’s just a pity that it took the Korean developers so much time.

The process of reading the fingerprint and setting the lock is identical to that of the iPhone: there is no longer any need to drag your finger along the entire button panel many times; point touches are enough. Naturally, you can add several fingers for recognition, and for reliability you will be asked to come up with a code. Recognition occurs clearly, and if you pick up the smartphone correctly, one touch is enough to unlock the screen, which is very convenient.

Mechanical volume and lock keys are located on opposite side faces and are also made of metal. It should be noted that for the first time Samsung has implemented the volume key not as a single two-position rocker, but as two separate buttons (like other well-known phones...). The buttons are small, protrude well beyond the body, the action is springy and responsive, and there are traditionally no complaints about the controls in Samsung devices.

A Micro-USB 2.0 connector and an audio output for headphones with a diameter of 3.5 mm (under a minijack) were installed on one, lower end. Micro-USB supports connecting external devices and flash drives in OTG mode.

At the top end, right in the middle, there is a small dark window for an infrared port, which serves, as before, to emulate a remote control for controlling various household appliances, from TVs to music centers. The smartphone is already pre-installed with a familiar program called Smart Remote with many ready-made settings for any type of equipment, and you can use the current program guide.

The smartphone is not protected from dust and moisture, and there is no strap mount on the case. But the device is promised support for wireless charging, compatible with the WPC 1.1 (output power 4.6 W) and PMA 1.0 (4.2 W) standards.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is available in several bright body colors, and the developers traditionally gave these colors their own romantic names. In addition to the white (white pearl) and black (black sapphire) color options, the buyer is also offered “dazzling platinum” and “blue topaz”, but the green option (noble emerald) that many people liked will be available only for modification of the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Screen

The Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone is equipped with a Super AMOLED touch screen protected by modern Gorilla Glass 4. The physical dimensions of the display are 63x113 mm, diagonal - 5.1 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is 2560x1440 (pixel density 577 ppi), which is more than decent.

The frame around the screen is quite thin: the distance from the edge of the case to the edge of the screen on the sides is about 3 mm, and on the top and bottom - approximately 15 mm. At this point it is worth noting that since the side edges of the case are straight and almost flat, when you wrap your fingers around the screen, they climb onto the screen more than on smartphones with strongly beveled edges, like the same one. As a result, unwanted accidental taps on the screen were recorded.

The display brightness has manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 10 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy S6, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is slightly lighter (brightness according to photographs is 105 versus 101 for the Nexus 7) and does not have a pronounced tint. Note that the reflection from bright objects on the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 has a pale bluish halo. The ghosting of reflected objects on the Samsung Galaxy S6 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, noticeably better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.

When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 355 cd/m², the minimum was 1.9 cd/m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the brighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a fairly good level (there was no opportunity to test it). The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device even in complete darkness without any problems. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). You can make adjustments to the operation of this function by moving the settings slider. Below, for three conditions, we present the screen brightness values ​​for three values ​​of this setting - for 0%, 50% and 100%. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness is reduced to 1.9, 8.5 and 18 cd/m², respectively (the first is too dark, the rest are normal), in an office illuminated by artificial light (approximately 400 lux) the brightness is set to 65, 140 and 210 cd/m² (a little dark - just right - just right, which corresponds to the given correction), in a brightly lit environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - increases to 355 cd/m² regardless of the position of the slider. This value is equal to the maximum for manual adjustment. In general, the result of the automatic brightness adjustment function is as expected. At any brightness level there is significant modulation with a frequency of 237 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it brightness, the modulation amplitude is not very large, and as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases (somewhere below 75%), modulation appears with a large relative amplitude. Therefore, the presence of such modulation can already be seen in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, this flickering may cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

In the fragment above you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), and by repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without breaks or overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer calculates the screen resolution based on the green subpixels; based on the other two, it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is close to the case of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and some other newer devices from Samsung and not only with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some unevenness of contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they have a minimal impact on image quality.

The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles, although the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color is simply black at any angle. So black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed from a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the white field is excellent, but if you look closely, you can notice a slight unevenness of color tone at the level of groups of pixels. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S6 (profile Movie AMOLED) and the second comparison participant, identical images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forced to switch to 6500 K. White field:

Note the excellent uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture (profile Basic):

Color rendition is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens varies slightly. The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment to the type of displayed image and environmental conditions, which is obtained by selecting the two remaining profiles shown below.

Movie AMOLED:

Saturation and color contrast are noticeably increased.

Photo AMOLED:

Saturation is still high, but color contrast is closer to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile Movie AMOLED). White field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed has been increased compared to previous photographs), but in the case of Samsung the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device from at least a slight angle. And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of the Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the switching edge there may be a step with a width of approximately 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 59 Hz). For example, this is what the dependence of brightness on time looks like when moving from black to white and back:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high clarity and even some “jerky” movements.

For profiles Photo AMOLED And Basic constructed using 32 points with equal intervals according to the numerical value of the shade of gray, the gamma curve did not reveal any blockage in either highlights or shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is equal to 2.22, which is not significantly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma -the curve deviates little from the power-law dependence (the captions in parentheses show the exponent of the approximating power-law function and the coefficient of determination):

For profile Movie AMOLED The gamma curve has a slightly pronounced S-shape, which increases the apparent contrast of the image, but shades are still distinguishable in the shadows.

Let us recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely slightly does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen.

Color gamut in the case of a profile Movie AMOLED very wide, it almost covers the Adobe RGB gamut:

When selecting a profile Photo AMOLED The coverage decreases slightly:

When selecting a profile Basic coverage is compressed exactly to the sRGB boundaries:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In case of profile Basic with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut, without appropriate correction, the colors of regular images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photographs and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting, does it make sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Profile Movie AMOLED, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies or anything else.

The grayscale balance is good. Color temperature in profile Movie AMOLED above 6500 K, in the remaining two - close to 6500 K, while in a significant area of ​​the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) over most of the gray scale remains below 10 units, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, but the fluctuations of this parameter are already large:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale can in most cases be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can most likely be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is permissible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance (if you select the appropriate profiles). At the same time, let us remind you about the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), excellent uniformity of the white field, noticeably less than that of LCDs, and a drop in image brightness when viewed at an angle. Disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness. For users who are particularly sensitive to flicker, this may cause increased fatigue. However, overall the screen quality is very high.

Sound

The sound of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is very decent. The smartphone produces a fairly loud sound, saturated with the entire spectrum of frequencies, including low frequencies. The smartphone sounds really nice, at the maximum volume level the sound is not distorted, does not wheeze, there are no complaints at all. The speaker grille is located at the bottom end, so the sound is not blocked when the smartphone is lying on a hard surface. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.

With headphones, the smartphone also sounds at the level of modern flagships; to play melodies, a proprietary player with a maximum number of settings is used as standard. All sound effects are combined with a technology called SoundAlive - although some of them are only available with connected headphones. The same applies to the sound optimization function. For manual settings, an equalizer with preset values ​​is available, as well as separate controls for bass and treble.

Traditionally, there is no FM radio included in the standard configuration of a smartphone, but there is a voice recorder. For the voice recorder, in addition to the standard mode, there are also specific “interviews” and “voice notes” - all this is already familiar to us from previous models in the series. The smartphone cannot record telephone conversations from the line.

Camera

Samsung Galaxy S6 is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 16 and 5 megapixels. The front camera here is equipped with a 5-megapixel module with an f/1.9 aperture; it shoots video at a maximum QHD resolution (2560×1440). For popular selfie-style fun, there's a group selfie mode, and it's even possible to virtually shoot a specific subject to create a multi-directional view of the subject - in this case, most likely your own head. You can take pictures with the front camera without touching the screen, using an open palm gesture or a voice command. It is also possible to take your own self-portrait by touching your finger to the heart rate sensor located on the back of the smartphone.

The main 16-megapixel camera has an f/1.9 aperture, tracking autofocus, optical stabilization (OIS) and an LED flash that works as a flashlight if necessary. You can quickly launch the camera by double-clicking the central hardware button under the screen.

The settings menu has been completely redesigned, now there is no matrix of interactive square cells, there is one button for selecting shooting modes, and the rest of the settings are combined into a long scroll that opens as needed. In addition to the usual automatic and manual modes, you can also select panoramic, selective focus mode and the same so-called virtual shooting mode to create a multi-directional view of subjects. By the way, specific modes of fast and slow video recording have also been removed here, so you can’t find them in the settings of the camera itself (the resolution is only set there).

The video camera of the Samsung Galaxy S6 can shoot in any of the latest resolutions up to 4K (UHD). As always, the option of shooting at 60 fps, with a resolution of 1920x1080 (Full HD), is very interesting. The camera copes perfectly with any options; there are no complaints about the quality of the resulting video image. The quality of video recording can be judged by test videos.

• Video No. 1 (30 MB, 1920×1080 @60 fps)
• Video No. 2 (43 MB, 3840×2160 @30 fps)
• Video No. 3 (26 MB, 2560×1440 @30 fps)

	Good sharpness across the frame, but it drops off a little towards the edges.
	Even in the shadows the sharpness is good.
	Excellent sharpness in distant shots.
	The color of the sky and building is quite even. Light noise can be seen at the edges of the frame.
	The camera does a good job of capturing details in the shadows.
	Sharping on the wires is practically absent.
	The tree branches are well crafted.
	The license plates of all cars in the frame are clearly visible.
	And on a fairly dark frame, good sharpness and noise reduction work are visible.
	In room lighting and with flash, the text is rendered well.
	The camera does just as well without a flash.
	The camera does well in macro photography in room lighting.

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.

When evaluating a flagship camera, you can’t help but compare it with the others. And as soon as I started taking pictures with it, I already want to say that this particular camera should now be considered the best. Of course, there will definitely be a fly in the ointment, but the camera is truly amazing. To want even more from a smartphone camera, you need to have a good imagination or no idea at all about photography. It's hard to find fault even with little things. The shadows are not noisy, the details are well worked out, there are small defects, but this is not a DSLR camera or even a compact one - it is a smartphone. You can look for a long time for the lack of “soul” or “pleasantness” in the photographs, but objectively there is nothing to complain about.

Now about the fly in the ointment. All images have an out-of-focus area on the right. Most likely, this is not a problem with the camera module used, but specifically with our copy, but doubt has been sown. Having such a defect, of course, is unworthy of a flagship. The camera is really good, perhaps the best, but the problem is still significant. In general, at least check the camera when purchasing.

In a laboratory test, the Samsung Galaxy S6 confidently outperforms its main competitor, the iPhone 6. And if in the center of the frame their results differ slightly, then at the edge the Galaxy S6 produces a very decent result. Moreover, in terms of this result, it is quite seriously superior (and slightly -). In the center of the frame, all the latest Samsung flagships perform approximately the same, but the dependence of resolution on lighting on the Galaxy S6 is the most “smooth and beautiful”.

If we forget about the blur zone on the right side of the frame, which we are ready to attribute to a defective sample, the camera can be called excellent. It is well suited for documentary and artistic photography.

Among the new “chips” in the camera is a mode for shooting two frames with a focus on the distant and near plans, with the ability to subsequently switch between them. We recently saw a similar one in Xiaomi Mi Note.

There is also a mode for shooting a 3D image that can be “rotated”. It is created by moving a smartphone around an object. Again, we recently saw a similar one in Jiayu S3.

Both modes are very questionable in practical terms, so they can only claim to be a fun “trick”.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also supports networks fourth generation LTE Cat6 with a maximum possible speed of up to 300 Mbit/s for reception. In practice, with a SIM card from the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone confidently recognizes and works with 4G networks.

The rest of the network capabilities of the smartphone are also excellent: there is support for NFC technology, Bluetooth 4.1 supports A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+ profiles. Wi-Fi module 802.11n/ac, HT80 MIMO (2×2) (up to 620 Mbit/s) supports operation in both frequency bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Wi-Fi Direct technology, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. It is possible to connect external devices to the USB port in OTG mode.

The navigation module works with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system, and also sees satellites of the Chinese Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the navigation module; a cold start occurs within a minute or less. The device is also equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the magnetic compass of navigation programs operates.

There were no spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing, but surprises did occur. So, after another reboot in normal mode, the device’s screen suddenly stopped responding to any touches - only the mechanical hardware buttons of the smartphone worked. It was possible to get out of the situation only through a forced reboot by long-pressing the power and volume down buttons, otherwise it was impossible to use the device.

The layout and location of the keys are standard for Samsung smartphones: switching languages ​​is not done by pressing a special button with a globe image, but by a horizontal longitudinal gesture along the space bar - not the most convenient option. The standard layout has a dedicated top row with numbers. For Swype fans, there is a continuous typing method using a stroke from letter to letter. Phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing telephone number A search is also carried out immediately using the first letters in contacts.

OS and software

The Samsung Galaxy S6 immediately runs on the latest, fifth version of Android OS, but its own interface in the Material Design style cannot be seen here; it has been completely replaced by the traditional design of a proprietary brand installed on top TouchWiz skins. The new version of TouchWiz has undergone minor changes, but overall everything remains familiar from previous smartphones from this manufacturer. The only thing that was adopted from the most noticeable innovations of the fifth version of the Android OS is the interactive notification panels that pop up on top of running applications, conveniently swiped to the side with a side gesture.

Work with gestures is supported, but their number is reduced to a comfortable and logical minimum. The energy-saving modes, privacy mode, the ability to work in two windows simultaneously, and the Briefing news panel, called by a side swipe on the left - an analogue of HTC Blinkfeed - remain in place. Sidebar removed virtual buttons, there is no way to reduce the working area of ​​the screen to control the fingers of one hand. New Android 5.0, the ability to enable guest mode is removed here and replaced by a proprietary one private mode. The notification panel also has nothing in common with the proprietary panel of Android 5.0, everything here remains the same: the panel does not fold out in two stages, the list of quick access icons is scrolled with a horizontal swipe, and proprietary buttons are built in here for quickly connecting to other devices and S Finder.

The heart rate sensor, located on the back side next to the camera, is controlled by the same proprietary program for global monitoring of one’s own health called S Health. Infrared port serviced special program remote control emulation called Smart Remote. At all, additional programs There are not so many installed, most of them are useful, but I was surprised by the pre-installed block of branded Microsoft programs(OneDrive, OneNote, Skype).

Performance

The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is based on the most powerful single-chip system (SoC) of Samsung's own production Exynos 7420, produced according to the standards of the 14-nanometer technological process. The configuration of this single-chip system includes two clusters of four cores: ARM Cortex-A57 with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and ARM Cortex-A53 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The powerful Mali T760 video accelerator is used as the GPU. Random access memory The device has as much as 3 GB (LPDDR4). Internal memory is implemented on drives that meet the UFS 2.0 specification. Flash memory capacity is 32, 64 or 128 GB without the possibility of expansion through memory cards. In the case of a model with a minimum volume, about 25 GB of the nominally designated 32 GB is initially available to the user. In addition, the device supports the mode of connecting external devices to the USB port (USB Host, USB OTG) - an external flash drive can be connected via an OTG adapter.

According to the testing results, the Samsung Galaxy S6 hardware platform demonstrated extremely high results, displacing all previous record holders without exception from the podium, including the Meizu MX4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which held first place in the AnTuTu test for quite a long time.

As a result, Samsung has given the world another record holder in terms of power - a reference smartphone that people will look up to, try to catch up with, and match throughout the entire season. The device is extremely productive, the capabilities built into it will be enough for a long time to complete any assigned tasks, including the most demanding games.

Testing in the latest versions of comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Samsung Galaxy S6 (Exynos 7420)	Sony Xperia Z3 (Snapdragon 801)	Yotaphone 2 (Snapdragon 800)	Lenovo Vibe X2 (Mediatek MT6595m)	Meizu MX4 (Mediatek MT6595)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	9852	8566	Maxed out!
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	21204	18496	14780	14067	16691
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	30 fps	29.4 fps	23 fps	17.0 fps	21.7 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	46 fps	27.8 fps	22 fps	17.8 fps	23.2 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	4185 (60 fps)	3820 (54 fps)	3362 (48 fps)	3549 (51 fps)	4033 (58 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the testing results, the subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 sound format.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3		The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹

¹ sound in MX Video Player was played only after installing an alternative custom audio codec; The standard player does not have this setting

Tested video output features Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720/24p

Fine No

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the device itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames (with the exception of files with 60 fps - one frame is always skipped due to for a screen refresh rate of 59 Hz). When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the wide border of the screen. The clarity of the picture is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experimentation, you can switch to the one-to-one mode by pixel; there will be no interpolation, but the features of PenTile will appear - the vertical world through the pixel will be in a grid, and the horizontal one will be slightly greenish. This is on test worlds; the described artifacts are not present on real frames. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows only a couple of shades merge with black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

The capacity of the built-in non-removable battery installed in the Samsung Galaxy S6 is far from a record by modern standards - only 2550 mAh. However, even despite the most powerful platform and a fairly large five-inch screen, the smartphone performed well in terms of battery life, showing excellent autonomy in most standard use scenarios. It should be noted that to save energy, the device settings traditionally contain two proprietary energy saving modes: normal and extreme. The maximum energy saving mode significantly reduces energy consumption by turning off non-essential functions and preserving vital functions at the moment, and also, for visual effect, turning the image on the screen into black and white.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
Samsung Galaxy S6	2550 mAh	20:00	12:00 pm	4:00 am
Samsung Galaxy A7	2600 mAh	22:10	12:00 pm	3 hours 20 minutes
Samsung Note 4	3220 mAh	10:30 a.m.	8:30 a.m.	3 hours 50 minutes
Yotaphone 2	2500 mAh	12:00 pm	9:30 a.m.	3 hours 15 minutes
Lenovo Vibe X2	2300 mAh	13:00	6:00 am	3 hours 15 minutes
Meizu MX4	3100 mAh	12:00 pm	8 hours 40 minutes	3 hours 45 minutes
Meizu MX4 Pro	3350 mAh	16:00	8 hours 40 minutes	3 hours 30 minutes
Sony Xperia Z3	3100 mAh	20:00	10:00 am	4 hours 50 minutes
HTC One M8	2600 mAh	22:10	13:20	3 hours 20 minutes
Samsung Galaxy S5	2800 mAh	17:20	12:30 pm	4 hours 30 minutes

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted about 20 hours until the battery was completely discharged. When continuously watching video in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level through home network The Wi-Fi device lasted 12 hours. The device worked for 4 hours in 3D gaming mode. The smartphone supports fast charging technology, so the device charges very quickly. Full charging time is only about 1.5 hours, and according to the developers, just 10 minutes of charging allows you to charge your smartphone for subsequent four-hour use.

Bottom line

With the release of its next flagship, Samsung did not make a noticeable breakthrough or technological revolution, but it gave the market such a polished and polished product that there is simply nothing to complain about this time. The smartphone seems to strive to please everyone with its thoughtful practicality. Not a single unnecessary detail, everything unnecessary has been removed, combed and trimmed, literally every item on the wish list of the average user has been ticked. The dimensions are neither large nor small, they are comfortable, as is the weight of the device. The quality of the selected materials and assembly are not satisfactory; the metal surfaces finally appear in all their glory, not painted over or hidden. All specifications- to the maximum, sensors - any to choose from. A fingerprint scanner, an infrared port, a heart rate sensor, wireless charging - all additional flagship super features are available. The only thing that comes to mind is the lack of protection from water, but in Lately user excitement around the need for such functionality began to fade, and the Koreans immediately deleted it. The smartphone is almost ideal, but it is now not available to everyone. Price for new flagship Samsung is installed in such a way that it makes even hardened gadget lovers turn pale. Not everyone can afford a new smartphone for 50 thousand rubles, but Samsung is on trend here too: all top echelon players, without exception, are gradually but confidently, through joint efforts, raising this bar higher and higher. So we will be surprised more than once in the new season, but for now all we can do is admire these new products, while getting used to the new prices.