Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge Redesigned All in glass

 

 

Samsung has often been accused of being a clever copycat. In the case of its new flagship Galaxy S phones, announced Sunday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Samsung has created phones that unquestionably borrow on the most appealing elements of the iPhone. But they also stand out with their own impressive design twists.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge have been redesigned all in glass, dumping the removable plastic back cover that many complained felt cheap. The phone’s interface is simpler, there’s a greater emphasis on the camera and the fingerprint sensor, and Samsung announced that mobile payments would soon come to the phones in force.

Sounds a little like an iPhone 6, right? But the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are no mere clones, and the S6 Edge in particular brings a new style that actually makes the iPhone look conventional by comparison.

Samsung also announced a new version of its virtual reality headset, the Gear VR, to complement its new phones.

That phone features a curved screen that wraps down along each side of the phone for a sort of infinity pool effect. Samsung introduced the idea of the curved display with its Note Edge, released last year.

At the time, it was more a proof of concept than anything, and indeed, the curved sides don’t add significant functionality. There’s an alarm clock mode — a low-power display that shows the time and date on the curved edge, which is nice on a desk or by the side of the bed. You can add a list of contact shortcuts to the side screen as well, and since the display is curved on both sides, it can be customized for righties or lefties.

But the curved screen doesn’t really demand much extra functionality, because it’s just so nice to look at. With the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge lined up next to each other, the S6 almost disappears — you can’t keep your eyes off the Edge.

That’s not to take away from the S6, which gets its own design-oriented overhaul. Both phones are noticeably thinner and a bit lighter than the previous models, and the glass bodies are made of Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The S6 has a much thinner bezel than the S5, which also helps enhance the look of its screen.