Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the Apple iPhone 6 Plus goes up against the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+. How do these two ‘plus’ models compare to one another? Both devices are absolutely beautiful, although the iPhone’s all-metal construction has nothing over on the premium Galaxy S6 Edge+…the glass and metal body with the dual curved display makes the S6 Edge+ one sexy device with that special “wow” factor. Samsung has been making large displays for quite a while, but this is new territory for Apple, who dismissed large displays as unnecessary. Now that Apple has embraced the large display they are selling faster than ever…as if their customers never saw a large display before…go figure?
The iPhone 6 Plus and the S6 Edge+ share very little in common – they are about the same physical size, but despite the .2-inch larger display on the S6 Edge+, the iPhone 6 Plus is actually a little larger overall, including thickness. The both share a fingerprint sensor, although they serve somewhat different purposes…the iPhone’s TouchID is used for Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) and the S6 Edge+ is PayPal certified, good for Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) and will work with Android Pay and at any retailer that has a card-swipe machine setup. Since we are grasping for straws here, the displays are very close in size – iPhone 6 Plus at 5.5-inches and the S6 Edge+ at 5.7-inches – but they incorporate completely different screen resolution and technologies.
The both have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (4.0 in the iPhone and 4.2 in the S6 Edge+), GPS, NFC (only for Apple Pay on iPhone) and both have non-removable batteries that are close in size – 2915mAh in the iPhone 6 Plus and 3000mAh in the S6 Edge+.
Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each individual device in greater detail and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.
Specifications
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
The Apple iPhone 6 Plus is the larger sibling of the iPhone 6 – Apple changed their phones from a glass and metal design to an all-metal design with a new look, and Samsung changed their new design to glass and metal. The 6 Plus is basically the iPhone 6 in a stretched version with a larger display and the addition of OIS to the camera. This is Apple’s first foray into a phone this large – something that Apple firmly preached was not a necessity, yet look how the larger displays have increased sales.
The iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch display – it is a Full HD IPS LCD model with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 with 401 pixels-per-inch (PPI) – compared to the 5.7-inch QHD display and 515 PPI found on the S6 Edge+. It uses a 64-bit A8 dual-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz and it is smooth and fast…comparing nicely to the 64-bit Samsung Exynos 7420 octa-core 14nm processor in the S6 Edge+. The 6 Plus comes with only 1GB of RAM…which is not up to the multitasking powers of the 4GB of DDR4 RAM found in the S6 Edge+. The iPhone 6 Plus offers a choice of 16GB, 64GB or 128GB of non-expandable storage whereas the S6 Edge+ offers a 32GB base and an option of 64GB of faster UFS 2.0 Flash memory with no room to expand.
The camera has always been one of the iPhone’s strong points and each year they make improvements that always keeps it in the top five. The iPhone 6 Plus uses the same 8MP size sensor used on the iPhone 5s, with some tweaking here and there. It has the usual auto-focus, OIS and a dual-LED flash. It has always been one the best point-and-shoot cameras on a smartphone – however, Samsung and LG cameras have actually surpassed the iPhone in recent testing. The front-facing camera (FFC) is still a measly 1.2MP for social media selfies or video chatting – again ONLY through Apple’s FaceTime unless both users download a third party app. This compares to the 16MP and large f/1.9 aperture and a 5MP wide-angle FFC on the S6 Edge+…and is superior in every way. The iPhone has never been known for great battery life and the 2915mAh non-removable battery in the 6 Plus is a minimum size for a phone this large. The S6 Edge+ uses a 3000mAh non-removable battery, which is not much larger, but the S6 Edge+ should easily outlast the iPhone. Should you get low the S6 Edge+ has quick charge and quick charge wireless charging as well.
What does the iPhone 6 Plus have the S6 Edge+ does not? It does have Apple’s proprietary Apple Pay, and its FaceTime video chat feature. It is easy to use and efficient, but rather boring when compared to an Android device and the customization you can perform. The pricing has always been a sore spot with the iPhone, commanding a contract/off contract price of $300/$750 for just the 16GB all the way up to $500/$950 for the 128GB model.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Samsung really changed their approach in designing the new Galaxy S6 series – no more plastic, instead we have a solid aluminum unibody with Gorilla Glass 2.5D on the front and Gorilla Glass 4 on the back. The S6 Edge+ comes in two colors, Black Sapphire and Gold Platinum. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is a real beauty with its dual curved display with a premium feel and solid build.
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ sports a 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 515 PPI compared to 5.5-inch FHD IPS LCD display and 401 PPI on the iPhone 6 Plus. Samsung made several changes on the Galaxy S6 series that carried over to the S6 Edge+ and they started by using their homegrown 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core processor, the first processor to use 14nm technology. It has four cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz. A little more ‘horsepower’ than the Apple A8 dual-core clocked at 1.4GHz found in the iPhone 6 Plus. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is packing 4GB of the much faster DDR4 RAM – the iPhone 6 Plus uses only 1GB of RAM. The S6 Edge+ comes with Samsung’s new, faster, UFS 2.0 flash memory offering models of 32GB or 64GB, although there is no room for expansion. The iPhone 6 Plus has a 16GB, 64GB and 128GB memory options with no means to expand.
The Galaxy S6 Edge+’s camera uses a 16MP sensor with autofocus, LED Flash, a large f/1.9 aperture, Live HDR and OIS. This is without a doubt, the best camera Samsung has ever put in a smartphone and it scored the highest rating to date from DxOMark. Samsung increased the FFC to 5MP and they wisely added the f/1.9 aperture and a 120-degree wide-angle lens for excellent low-light group selfies and video chatting. The iPhone’s have always been known for their cameras and the iPhone 6 Plus is no exception. Surprisingly, the iPhone 6 Plus only has an 8MP camera sensor for the main camera and only 1.2MP FFC for selfies and FaceTime chatting.
The S6 Edge+’s 3000mAh battery is slightly larger than the 2915mAh in the iPhone 6 Plus, but it should easily get your S6 Edge+ through an entire day with moderate usage. However, if you run into trouble, the new Samsung non-removable battery can charge up to 4 hours of usage in only 10 minutes. If you are at work or coffee shop that offers charging pads, then you could also use the built-in wireless charger for either PMA and Qi formats.
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ has a few features not found on the iPhone 6 Plus – it has a fingerprint sensor that is PayPal certified, it is Samsung Pay ready, and can make payments at any retailer that can swipe a credit card. It includes a heart rate sensor and built-in wireless quick charging for both Qi and PMA standards. The dual-curved display offers several features of its own and really adds that cool factor that is certainly not present on the iPhone 6 Plus. It is running Android 5.1 Lollipop and will cost you about $768 off-contract for the 32GB model and $864 for the 64GB model.
…And The Winner Is…
Summary
I know that this is an Android website and I know that the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ took on the design and build of prior Apple devices and yes the price of the S6 Edge+ is equal to the iPhone 6 Plus – but the S6 Edge+ simply has the looks with its dual curved display, a better display, better overall specs, better rated camera and more options and flexibility than the iPhone 6 Plus.
It is true it is Samsung Pay ready, but it can also be used at ANY retailer that can swipe a credit card, which is just about any store. It has built-in wireless quick charge for both formats, a heart rate sensor for the health conscious and the fingerprint sensor is also PayPal certified.
The Apple iPhone 6 Plus is a beautiful device and iOS normally runs fast and smooth, but because it is a closed system it is very inflexible – not customizable like Android’s Lollipop. You are tied into the Apple ecosystem and unable to customize your display, use the keyboard of your choice and many other options the Android OS allows. With the price being the same, how can I pick the iPhone 6 Plus over all of the virtues that the S6 Edge+ provides over the iPhone.
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