Samsung was in trouble in 2014. The Galaxy S5 had just flopped, or at least it felt like a flop compared to the meteoric rise of the iPhone 6. It was plastic. It was iterative. People called it a "Band-Aid" phone because of that dimpled back cover.
Then came the Galaxy S6 Edge.
Everything changed. This wasn't just another phone; it was a total pivot. Samsung ditched the plastic, killed the removable battery, and gave us a screen that spilled over the sides like a digital infinity pool. It was gorgeous. It was also, in many ways, a huge gamble that stripped away features the "hardcore" Android fans lived for.
Honestly, looking back from 2026, the S6 Edge is basically the grandfather of every modern premium phone you see today.
The Design Shift That Killed the SD Card
Before 2015, Samsung users bragged about two things: carrying spare batteries and 128GB microSD cards. The Galaxy S6 Edge effectively ended that era.
By choosing a "glass sandwich" design—Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back with an aluminum frame—Samsung moved into the premium tier occupied by Apple and HTC. But beauty had a tax. The unibody construction meant the back was sealed. No more swapping batteries. No more SD card slot.
🔗 Read more: How Do I Log Out of Yahoo Mail: What Most People Get Wrong
The backlash was real. Long-time fans felt betrayed.
Yet, the market responded differently. In the first month alone, Samsung shipped about 10 million units of the S6 series. People were willing to trade practicality for a device that finally felt like it cost $800. The dual-curved display wasn't just a gimmick; it was a status symbol. It used a process called 3D Thermoforming, where glass is heated to 800 degrees Celsius to fold over the edges. It was a technical nightmare to produce, which actually led to supply shortages early on.
What it was like to actually use the Edge
Living with the Galaxy S6 Edge was a mix of "wow" and "wait, why?"
The screen was a 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED. With a pixel density of 577 ppi, it was ridiculously sharp. Even today, many flagship phones don't hit that level of pixel density. But the curves? They were polarizing.
- Glare: If you were under a bright light, the curved edges caught reflections constantly.
- Color Shift: White backgrounds often looked slightly green or blue at the fold.
- Palm Rejection: It wasn't perfect. You'd be scrolling through a gallery and accidentally trigger an app because your palm touched the "edge."
Samsung tried to justify the curves with software features like "People Edge," which let you swipe in to see frequent contacts, or "Edge Lighting," which glowed a specific color when the phone was face down and someone called. Kinda cool? Sure. Essential? Not really. Most people just liked how it looked on a table.
The Beast Under the Glass: Exynos 7420
One thing people forget is how fast this phone was.
In 2015, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 was having major overheating issues (thermal throttling was a nightmare). Samsung saw the writing on the wall and went all-in on their own silicon: the Exynos 7420.
It was the first 14nm 64-bit mobile processor. Basically, it smoked everything else on the market. Paired with UFS 2.0 storage—which was significantly faster than the eMMC memory used in older phones—the S6 Edge felt like it was from the future. Apps opened instantly. The camera launched in under a second with a double-tap of the home button.
The Battery Struggle
If the processor was a highlight, the battery was the villain.
To keep the phone thin (just 7mm), Samsung put a 2600 mAh battery inside. That’s tiny. Powering a Quad HD screen and a high-performance chip with 2600 mAh was a recipe for anxiety. Most users struggled to get through a full day without a top-up.
📖 Related: Common Mistakes People Make When Calculating the Schwarzschild Radius
Samsung tried to fix this with fast charging. You could get about 4 hours of use from a 10-minute charge. They also built in wireless charging (Qi and PMA), which was rare at the time. It was a "band-aid" for the small capacity, but for many, the trade-off was worth the aesthetics.
Legacy and Impact
We don't get the Galaxy S24 Ultra or the modern "waterfall" displays without the S6 Edge. It proved that people would pay more for "cool" than for "functional."
It also marked the moment Samsung stopped following and started leading in design. Shortly after, the "Edge" became the standard. By the time the Galaxy S8 arrived, there wasn't even a flat version of the flagship anymore.
Why you should care in 2026:
- Hardware Materials: It set the glass-and-metal standard we still use.
- Camera Quality: The 16MP f/1.9 camera with OIS was the first to truly rival the iPhone in low light.
- Market Strategy: It taught manufacturers that "premium feel" sells better than "specs on a sheet."
If you happen to find one in a drawer, it’s a trip. It’s remarkably light—only 132 grams. It feels like a piece of jewelry. But it’s also a reminder of the "dark ages" of Android 5.0 Lollipop and the birth of the non-removable battery era.
If you're looking to buy a vintage device for a collection, check the battery health first. These units are notorious for swelling if left uncharged for years. Also, keep in mind that app support for Android 7.0 (its final update) is basically non-existent now. It's a display piece, not a daily driver.
📖 Related: Electronic Gas Leak Detector: Why Your Nose Isn't Enough
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
If you want to experience the peak of this design era without the S6's battery issues, look for a refurbished Galaxy S7 Edge. It kept the beautiful curves but brought back the microSD slot and added water resistance, fixing almost every complaint people had about the S6.