Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge rumor round-up: features, price, release date and all we know so far

After the experimental Samsung Galaxy Round opened the doors to the new technology way back in 2013 and the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge introduced us to the nifty world of wraparound displays in 2014, Samsung has pretty much confirmed that it is committed to pushing the limits of bendable displays in 2015. The first device to up the ante is the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

The essential idea of the Galaxy S6 Edge can be summarized in just a single sentence: a smartphone with its screen bending to wrap around not one, but both of its side rims.

Samsung itself posted a public teaser showing a device with a curved silhouette coming at the company’s first Unpacked 2015 event, scheduled for March 1st, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Before we dive in all the intricacies of the specs of this upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, let’s first remind you that Samsung Display published a very public roadmap of its expectations for the future of displays. Published way back in 2013, Samsung’s Display division projected that the next step for flagship smartphones after they reach the heights of Quad HD display won’t be another resolution bump, but instead - it will be a switch to flexible screens. Interestingly, analytics firm Display Search projects that as much as 40% of all smartphones in 2018 will feature a flexible screen.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge will have an important role in proving whether this technology will catch up or not.

Design

While the Samsung Galaxy S6 has leaked out in tremendous detail, the Galaxy S6 Edge remains quite the secret. This is not a surprise given that it is still expected to come as a niche device alongside the mainstream Galaxy S6.

We, however, can still make assumptions, and it’s logical to assume that Samsung will follow the same approach with the S6 Edge as it did with the Note Edge. That is, apart from the curved sides, the design of the phone should follow closely that of the flagship Galaxy S6. On its own, the S6 is expected to be an iPhone 6-esque all-aluminum thing of beauty with a sleek profile, and curved sides.

Display

With no hard evidence in the form of leaked images, we can again only assume about the S6 Edge’s display. First, we don’t know the exact size, but since this is a phone that will not be considered a flagship our guess gravitates around 5 and 5.2 inches for the pure size. Since most rumors agree that the Galaxy S6 will feature a Quad HD screen resolution, we do expect the same ultra-high-res display on its S6 Edge brother.

What's interesting is that the Galaxy S6 Edge is expected to come with a much steeper slope of the curve itself, when compared with the Galaxy Note Edge. The reason for this is to keep the smaller S6 Edge narrower.

Interface: the benefits of the curved screen

One thing is clear: Samsung continues getting a lot of negative press for the comparative sluggishness of its TouchWiz user interface, and recent rumors give us lots of hope that the company is finally committed on fixing those issues.

The new TouchWiz is said to be cleaned out of all clutter and to reminisce stock Android in appearance (hopefully, in performance as well).

At the same time, it is the actual functionality of the two strips of wraparound display on the sides. Such a feature might look cool and futuristic, but it also needs to add some meaningful value to the experience for it to be fully justified. The Galaxy Note Edge allowed custom notifications and images on the side screen, plus it also acted as a nifty replacement for the multitasking view. Samsung has granted access to the side screen to third-party developers in the Note Edge, and we’ve seen apps like Twitter and Facebook make use of this with a live ticker of the latest posts, and the same effect can be achieved with weather apps and sports scores.

How will the two side screens work, though, and won’t they result in some accidental taps on the screen? We’re yet to see.

Processor: Exynos-powered

One of the biggest news stories around the Galaxy S6 is certainly the fact that Samsung has parted ways with Qualcomm, and is instead equipping all models of the flagship with its own Exynos system chips.

The same will certainly hold true for the Galaxy S6 Edge as well - it will be a high-end smartphone with an Exynos chip, likely a 7-series one with a big.LITTLE Cortex A53/A57 configuration.

Camera: excellence expected

The Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note Edge, both 2014 flagships for Samsung, shipped with 16-megapixel cameras. In 2013, the Galaxy S4 shipped with a 13-megapixel camera, and in 2012, the Galaxy S III featured an 8-megapixel main cam. If Samsung were to follow this tradition, we should see another bump in camera resolution and rumors say that it is possible for Samsung to use a 20-megapixel sensor in the S6 and the S6 Edge.

However, except for marketing purposes, it seems that Samsung would not make a huge error if it continued improving its 16-megapixel camera, that we found to perform admirably in the Note 4 and Note Edge.

These, in fact, are the 2 most likely options for the camera of the Galaxy S6 Edge: a 16-megapixel or a 20-megapixel sensor. And yes, we’re finally expecting Samsung to really up the ante with a great front camera for good-looking selfies!

Connectivity, storage and the rest

When it comes to connectivity, the Galaxy S6 Edge will have to match up to the high standard of its main rival, the Apple iPhone 6, and this means support for lots and lots of 4G LTE bands.

Good news is that Samsung is also said to double up on internal storage and finally bring the basic model of the Galaxy S6 Edge to 32GB of the stuff. Finally, we should also note that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is expected to come with a fingerprint reader for improved security.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: price, release date, and carriers

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is expected to follow the pricing model of the Note Edge. Put simply, it will be even more expensive than the Galaxy S6. And since all chances are that the Galaxy S6 will cost $199.99 on a two-year contract ($650 off-contract), this would mean that the S6 Edge could well be priced at $299.99 on contract ($750 off-contract).

What we have much less clarity about is the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge release date. Since we’re talking about Samsung here, the S6 Edge should be available on most major carriers: AT&T and Verizon Wireless included, but the release might as well turn out to be delayed further beyond April. This would be one way for Samsung to ensure that its flagship Galaxy S6 does not get cannibalized by this still niche newcomer of a device that is the S6 Edge.

What do you think about the S6 Edge? Is it useful to have a screen curved on both sides? Are you planning on buying it?