With the release of the Samsung Galaxy S6, a huge amount of emphasis has been placed on the new Edge model of the smartphone. The Galaxy S6 Edge is an entirely natural move for Samsung, as the Korean Corporation has become strongly linked with curved screen technology since it first unveiled its range of high-end curved televisions.
This has since become a major technology in the consumer electronics industry, and there are already strong rumors that Apple will produce its first ever curved mobile device when the iPhone 7 hits the stores. These rumors have been catalyzed by the fact that it has been revealed that Apple has already patented such technology.
It is unusual for Samsung to be calling the shots in the mobile marketplace given the success of Apple over the last couple of years, but with its curved display innovation, Samsung has evidently struck a chord with the marketplace. It is therefore not all that surprising that it has chosen to include this technology in what constitutes its flagship smartphone.
The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are both due to be unveiled in a special ‘Unpacking’ presentation on March 1, ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. There will be a huge amount of expectation about this event, particularly as Samsung will be unveiling its first ever curved version of the Galaxy S6. This follows on from the Galaxy Note Edge, which was a major phablet release for Samsung in 2014.
With the Galaxy S6 Edge effectively representing a premium model of the standard Galaxy S6, there will be slight differences between the two devices. So here ValueWalk looks at the ways in which this curved version of the Galaxy S6 will differ from its attendant cousin.
Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S6 Edge
Design
The first thing to note with regard to this subject is that the Galaxy S6 Edge will differ from the Galaxy S6 in design terms. The most obvious manifestation of this is the differing displays of the two devices, but there are other possible design differences as well.
It has been suggested that the Galaxy S6 Edge will feature a slightly different metallic make-up to the Galaxy S6. And Samsung has teased out this potential difference by keeping the Galaxy S6 Edge very much under lock and key up to this point in time. While there have been leaked images of the forthcoming Galaxy S6 published in the media, no such pictures have been forthcoming for its Galaxy S6 Edge cousin.
This has led some analysts to believe that the Galaxy S6 will differ significantly from the standard Galaxy S6 in design and appearance. That’s there have been absolutely no physical manifestations of this device available yet, it is difficult to know precisely what this will entail. However, another tidbit of information which has been suggested in the last 48 hours tends to corroborate this notion.
Technology
Early reports on the Galaxy S6 Edge have suggested that this premium smartphone includes technology which is not part of the slightly more affordable Galaxy S6. There has been no further information on precisely what this entails, but it was reported by a source close to Samsung which also revealed the pricing of both devices.
Price
As mentioned previously, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will retail at different prices, at least according to the most recent leaks. The most recent information on this subject suggests that the 32 GB version of the Galaxy S6 Edge will retail at €849, with the mid-level 64 GB device priced at €949, and at the top of the range 128 GB model released at a €1,049 price point.
This will be €100 per model more than the Galaxy S6 equivalent, at least according to sources which have relayed this information. It is not yet known how this will translate into the United States marketplace. Although one can convert each of the euro figures into dollars, consumer electronics in the American market usually retail at lower prices than in Europe, and thus it is pretty much guaranteed that the US price points for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will be lower than those suggested for the European launch.
The implication of this could be that each model off the Galaxy S6 Edge will in fact be $100 more than its Galaxy S6 equivalent, even though this roughly equates to €90. Samsung will want to keep retail prices as low as possible in the critical United States market considering that the Apple iPhone 6 will potentially cost less than the Galaxy S6 when the Samsung smartphone is released. Apple could put further pressure on Samsung by reducing the price of the iPhone 6 shortly after the release date of both Galaxy S6 models.
Left-handed mode
Another recent suggestion with regard to the Galaxy S6 Edge is that it will feature left and right-handed modes. This has been reported by numerous publications, and it seems to be a unique figure of the premium version of the Galaxy S6 series. It is due to the unique qualities of the Galaxy S6 Edge screen that it is possible to flip the handset over in order to operate it with one’s opposite hand.
Whether this will turn out to be a significant selling point for the Galaxy S6 Edge remains to be seen, but it is important to note that left-handed people constitute a significant percentage of the population; usually presumed to be about 10 percent. If Samsung could significantly corner this marketplace it could be extremely profitable for them financially.
iPhone departure
One of the biggest aspects of the Galaxy S6 Edge is that it might significantly depart from the blueprint which has been laid down by Apple. The design of the Galaxy S6 has already been derided by some critics for strongly resembling the flagship Apple smartphone. The Galaxy S6 Edge could instead represent a unique model of the device which attracts an entirely new audience.
