Introduction

Do we have another good one for you today – the mighty Samsung Galaxy Note Edge goes up against the new Samsung Galaxy S6, and this decision will be as tough as they come…does the phablet, curved edge and S-Pen abilities of the Note Edge outweigh the better specifications of the Galaxy S6.  When the Galaxy Note Edge made its debut alongside the Galaxy Note 4, many hailed it as awesome looking and useful, while others deemed it a gimmick.  Gimmick or not, it made for one interesting device, so much so that Samsung had a ‘companion edge’ to go along with their Samsung S6 unveiling…in fact, the Galaxy S6 Edge is selling as fast as the normal Galaxy S6.

The Galaxy Note Edge and the Galaxy S6 are both Samsung devices, but still have very little in common.  They both use their Super AMOLED QHD display, but different sizes.  Samsung switched to a new and smaller non-removable battery and did away with the ability to add internal storage by taking away the microSD card slot.  They both pack 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, but different types.  The cameras are very similar, but the Galaxy S6 improved upon it by adding a larger f/1.9 aperture and the front-facing camera jumped to 5MP and added the f/1.9 aperture and Live HDR shooting.  They both have the usual dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC capability, and IR Blaster, active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone, heart rate sensor, oxygen saturation sensor and microUSB port v2.0 for charging and data transfer.

Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details.  After that, we will look at each individual device in greater detail and point out some of its pros and cons.  From all of this information we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Each time Samsung puts out a new rendition of their Galaxy Note series, they always take some improvements from the spring outing of their Galaxy S series and apply them to the new device.  Last fall, they chose to release their new Galaxy Note 4, but also introduced us to the new Samsung Galaxy Note Edge and it is simply the best rendition of this incredibly popular series.  It improved on the Galaxy Note 3 in every department – from the display, the build quality, to the processor, the camera and even the S-Pen.  Samsung introduced a metal frame and trim with faux leather back panel, making it even a more premium looking device that feels great in your hand.  Then there is that curved Edge on the right side of the display that simply looks so cool, yet adds even more functionality to the Note Edge.

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge’s display is 5.7-inches with a QHD resolution of 2560 x 1440 x 160 pixels and a whopping 524 pixels-per-inch (PPI) – and that compares to the 577 PPI display on the new Galaxy S6.  The Note Edge for the US uses the excellent 32-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor clocked at 2.7GHz.  However, for the new Galaxy S6, Samsung made a bold move to use their in-house 64-bit Exynos octa-core processor and it seems to have paid off.  The Galaxy Note Edge packs 3GB of DDR3 RAM and 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot to expand that memory.  The new Galaxy S6 uses their own memory chips – a much faster 3GB of DDR4 RAM and a faster flash memory, but offers no room for expansion beyond the 32GB/64GB/128GB models.

Its camera is a 16MP Sony sensor, Autofocus, LED Flash, ISOCELL technology, and added in OIS+ and Live HDR shooting are the basis for the Galaxy S6 that builds on that by increasing the aperture to f/1.9 for even better low light shots.  The FFC is a wide-angle 3.7MP sensor and lens…the Galaxy S6 ups the FFC to 5MP and adds a larger f/1.9 aperture and Live HDR for better low-light selfies.  The 3000mAh battery will certainly last you all day and should you need to extend that time you can use Samsung’s UPSM and its Quick Charge 2.0 feature.

The additional features the Galaxy Note Edge possesses over the Galaxy S6 – the much-improved S-Pen with twice the sensitivity and added mouse-like features, the curved edge for added functionality and the UV sensor.  It is currently running 5.0 Lollipop and the Note Edge is available on all major US networks and will cost you approximately $400 on a two-year contract and about $900 off-contract.

Samsung Galaxy S6

The new Samsung Galaxy S6 took nothing from the Galaxy Note 4 or Note Edge design.  Samsung started on a new drawing board and now the Galaxy S6 uses a solid metal unibody construction with a Gorilla Glass 4 display and Gorilla Glass 4 on the back as well.  It is a solid, well-built and premium looking device that is very comfortable to hold in your hand.

It sports the same sized a 5.1-inch display as last year’s model, but is now QHD with an increase in resolution to 2560 x 1440 pixels and 577 pixels-per-inch (PPI) compared to QHD display with 524 PPI on the Galaxy Note Edge.  Samsung replaced the Qualcomm processor this time around, even on the US model, and bravely went with their branded 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core 14nm processor.  It has four cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz.  It is packing 3GB of DDR4 RAM, much faster than the 3GB of DDR3 RAM used in the Note Edge, and it is using Samsung’s new and faster UFS 2.0 Flash memory offering 32GB/64GB/128GB models with no room for expansion – a first for Samsung’s Galaxy S series.

The Galaxy S6 camera is very similar to the Galaxy Note Edge, except for some significant improvements.  It comes with a 16MP Sony sensor, autofocus, LED Flash, real-time HDR and OIS, but now the aperture is a larger f/1.9 for better low-light pictures and the camera speed was dramatically increased and now takes less than a second to open and be ready to shoot.  The Galaxy S6’s FFC increased from the 3.7MP in the Note Edge to 5MP, kept the wide-angle option, and to that, Samsung added the f/1.9 aperture and live HDR for excellent low-light and group selfies or video chatting.  The Galaxy S6’s 2550mAh battery is smaller than the 3000mAh in the Note Edge, but it should get you through the entire day.  This new Samsung non-removable battery can charge up to 4 hours of usage in only 10 minutes, and they have added built-in wireless charging for the first time.

The Galaxy S6 has a larger and improved speaker on the bottom of the device, a much improved, PayPal approved, fingerprint sensor – no more swiping your finger, just press and go.  It is Samsung Pay ready and wireless charging for both Qi and PMA standards is built-in.  It comes in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and an exclusive Blue Topaz.  It is running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop and is priced at $200 on a two-year contract and $600 off contract.

…And The Winner Is…

Summary

This was tough decision, but I am going to give the nod to the newer Galaxy S6 over the Galaxy Note Edge.  For myself, and many others, the Note Edge is the ‘cooler’ of the two devices because of the extreme curve on the display, the value of the S-Pen, expandable memory and the removable battery, although in all honesty I never once have replaced or kept a spare battery.  If those features are important to you, then you will be very happy with the Galaxy Note Edge at a premium of $200 over the Galaxy S6.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is the future of Samsung and their main flagship, although it would be safe to say ‘dual’ flagship now that the Galaxy S6 Edge has hit the market and is selling so well.  It has a better processor running 64-bit, it uses faster DDR4 RAM and faster UFS 2.0 Flash Memory.  It has an upgraded camera on both sides of the device, a much improved fingerprint sensor, a larger, better sounding speaker placed on the bottom of the device, Samsung Pay ready and wireless charging is built-in.

If you are buying a new phone every two-years like many of customers, the Galaxy S6 will save you $200, give you specifications that will stay relevant, is premium built and looking all around and most people would not use the S-Pen with their daily driver…it is for those reasons I am crowning the Galaxy S6 as the winner of this comparison.

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