Once you decide to upgrade your phone to Galaxy S6 (from Galaxy S5? or Galaxy S4?), the first question you will face is Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge.

Should you pay additional $100 for Galaxy S6 edge?

This buyer guide will show you Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S6 edge and help you decide which one is for you.

Except the two edge screen, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge share almost identical hardware and software

Although Galaxy S6 edge has a slightly larger battery, the difference is marginal (2600mAh vs 2550mAh, less than 2% difference).

All other hardware specs (CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, camera, software..) are almost identical.

In other words, anything between the screen and the back cover is almost identical for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge.

If someone tells you Galaxy S6 edge has better hardware or software, he is wrong.

For example, some reviewers “feel” the camera in  Galaxy S6 edge can take better photos. This is very likely a delusion. If you take two pictures with S6 edge under same conditions with identical settings, some reviewers may still tell you one is taken with a better camera.

Always take reviews with a pinch of salt.

Edge screen in Galaxy S6 edge has really limited function. This is both good and bad.

Samsung first tried the edge screen in Galaxy Note 4 edge.  The reception is mixed. Some embrace additional features from the edge screen. While others are not impressed with these gimmicks in the tiny and isolated edge screen.

Most smartphone users now expect a simple, intuitive, style and functional phone.

Apparently Samsung got this message.

In Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, the bloatware was reduced significantly. Most useless or half-baked S features were removed from the new TouchWiz.

Although some old Galaxy owners may feel the simplification was overdone (see this post on the defects of Galaxy S6), most owners agree that Samsung is moving towards a right direction.

For the edge screen, Galaxy S6 also used a different approach from Galaxy Note 4 edge. The edge screen is now an integrated part of the main screen.  The edge screen functions only when the main screen is locked.

Another improvement on edge screen is  you can use either left side or right side as edge screen. Left-handed owners will not complain about the location of edge screen as that  in Note 4 Edge.… Read the rest

Samsung Galaxy S6 (and S6 edge) is a good, but not great smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are the most beautiful smartphone Samsung has ever designed and manufactured.

The unibody metal design with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 in the back and front makes it standing out among 2015 flagship smartphones.

The curved edge screen in S6 edge makes it very unique, although some may complain on the usability and reduced strength due to the edge screens.

Samsung Galaxy S6 also boosts the performance through their own Exynos SoC, and new storage technology.

The camera in Galaxy S6 is fast and can take decent photos in auto mode.

But if you check the phone carefully, you will easily find the many Samsung Galaxy S6 defects that prevent it from being a great smartphone.

In this post, I share with you the top 6 Samsung Galaxy S6 defects based on my knowledge and hands-on experience.

Samsung Galaxy S6 defects #1: non-removable battery

I would list this as the No.1 Samsung Galaxy S6 defect.

I know many may disagree.

iPhone never has a removable battery.

HTC does not offer removable battery in recent years.

Recent Nexus devices do not have removable battery.  T

he list can be very long.

Removable battery still matters for Samsung Galaxy S6 for those:

• who use the phone heavily. This means the battery  very likely must be replaced within about one year.  Samsung is not Apple: 1). there is no universal and transparent pricing  for replacing the battery. Some Galaxy S6 owners may pay several times higher price for replacing it than someone in other regions; and 2). Samsung has so many models of smartphone that they technicians are often confusing on the models. This means the stock can be an issue. and 3). in some regions, Samsung relies on distributors and subcontractors who only care about immediate profit and are not interested in stock batteries for “old models” when Galaxy Note 5 or Galaxy S7 comes out..
• who want to pass the phone to kids after one or two years. Battery shelf life (3-4 years maximum) is the hard limit, even you are not a heavy user. You will face the same problems when you need replace the battery.
• who lives in a region with limited access to official Samsung service center. In some regions, as mentioned, the distributors and contractors have no incentive to stock batteries or train new staff for previous generation phones.

… Read the rest