Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review: Once the best Android phone

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review: Camera

Like the iPhone 6, the S6 Edge's camera protrudes from the rear of the handset, so it's not completely flat when you lie it on its back. However, its 16-megapixel sensor has received several improvements since the Galaxy S5, including optical image stabilisation and a brighter f/1.9 aperture that Samsung says should let in 34% more light.

Real-time HDR is also turned on by default, improving the dynamic range of your images. Likewise, a double-click of the fingerprint sensor/home button now launches the camera app in less than 0.7ms; in other words, you'll never miss taking that perfect shot again.

I was certainly impressed with the quality of my photos, as colours were bright and accurate and there was plenty of crisp detail to be seen across the entire picture. It also coped well with correctly exposing the sky and surrounding clouds, but using the HDR mode really helped to bring a little more contrast to any areas that were particularly bright. HDR shots were perhaps a fraction darker overall compared to the ones I took on Auto, but it certainly didn't affect the warmth or richness of the colours.

^ In Auto mode, colours were bright and vibrant and there was plenty of detail on show.

^ Using HDR brought a little more contrast to the picture, but the effect was quite subtle.

There are some new modes, too, including a time-lapse setting to accompany the 240fps slow motion mode, and Virtual Shot, which lets you move the phone around an object to create a 3D image of it that you can then view and rotate later.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review: Verdict

The Galaxy S series has always been excellent smartphones, but the S6 Edge continues to put in a strong showing even a year on from its release. It may have been surpassed by the even more impressive S7 and S7 Edge, but when this year's flagships are still so expensive, the S6 Edge starts to become a very attractive alternative for those that want to save a bit of money. 

Assuming you don't mind buying something that's not completely cutting edge, the S6 Edge's only other serious Android rival is the regular S6. However, when both phones share exactly the same specs (bar the curved screen), it's the S6 Edge that everybody's going to want. It's beautifully made, it looks fantastic and it's a handset like no other. There's also the S6 Edge+ to consider, but unless you're desperate to have a 5.7in phone, it's really not worth spending the extra money, as the S6 Edge+ has exactly the same specs as the regular S6 Edge and doesn't offer anything more to make it good value.

It does have some downsides, namely the arguably frippery of its curved screen, but if you're after a phone that will make others green with envy, there's nothing else that even comes close.  

See all of the best Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge deals on uSwitch