Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ review: One year on

Camera

The S6 Edge+ uses the same 16-megapixel sensor as the S6 and S6 Edge. I was hoping to see Samsung’s 1-um pixel sensor, which is meant to cut down the overall sensor size, paving the way for flush sensors without compromising image quality. The reappearing sensor is a small complaint overall, though, as this is still one of the best smartphone cameras I’ve ever used.

It can produce clear, bright-looking photos even in relatively cloudy, overcast weather conditions, and it banishes the gloom to make sure your photos still look great even when the sun’s not shining. My test shots all had plenty of detail on show, and Samsung’s excellent noise reduction effectively eliminates all traces of noise and grainy artefacts.

Low light performance is equally brilliant, and I was able to capture every last detail of our indoor still life diorama with crisp, pinpoint precision. Noise was practically non-existent, and colours remained rich and vibrant throughout. The flash can be a little harsh at times, as the warm colours in our non-flash shots all but disappeared when we switched it on, but at least it doesn’t make photos look too green as I’ve found on other smartphone cameras.

Conclusion

With its top class performance and superb camera, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ rightly deserves its title as the best Android phablet since the Note 4. However, when its specs are nigh-on identical to the regular S6 Edge, it can’t help but feel like a rather lazy update, especially when it costs so much more for what essentially boils down to a difference of 0.5in. In this sense, it falls into the same trap as the Sony Xperia Z3+, as it simply doesn’t do enough to make it stand out from the rest of the S6 family or bring anything new to the table to justify its higher price.

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It’s a better deal now that prices have come down, but if you’re after the newest, latest phablet, then you’d be better off waiting a few weeks and getting the Note 7. Not only is the Note 7 faster, but it also comes with a stylus for note-taking, a microSD card slot for expanding the phone’s storage and extra waterproofing protection, making it a more practical phone overall.