Galaxy S6 Edge+: release date, news and rumors

You shouldn't need many guesses to work out what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ as while nothing has been confirmed yet the rumors largely match up with the name, which is to say it's likely to be a phablet-sized Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

It's also likely to be here soon, so if you were impressed by Samsung's dual-curved screen smartphone but wanted something a little larger your prayers may have been answered.

It may not have totally identical specs to the standard Galaxy S6 Edge though, in fact it may oddly be a little less powerful, but here's hoping it's not.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Samsung's upscaled Galaxy S6 Edge
• When is it out? Likely announced on August 13 for an August 21 launch
• What will it cost? Possibly around £560 ($875, AU$1204)

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ release date

We're pretty sure that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will be unveiled on August 13 in New York, as Samsung is holding its annual Unpacked event then.

We'll almost certainly see the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 there, especially as Samsung has advised people to 'Note' the date on its blog. The S6 Edge+ hasn't been hinted at, but it's likely to arrive alongside the Note 5.

It will probably go on sale soon afterwards on August 21, as that's been rumored and also hinted at by some leaked press pictures showing that date on the lock screen.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ design

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is likely to have a very similar design to the Galaxy S6 Edge, with a glass back, a metal frame and a screen which curves at both edges.

All the images we've seen so far suggest as much, and we've seen quite a few, including a press shot, a picture of it next to the Note 4, and several other shots of it on its own.

Of course the dimensions will be changing, with the S6 Edge+ rumored to be 154.4 x 75.9 x 6.9mm, up from 142.1 x 70.1 x 7mm on the S6 Edge.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ screen

The biggest change from the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge to the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is likely to be the screen size, with the upcoming handset rumored to be 5.7 inches, with a resolution of either 1440 x 2560 or 1600 x 2560.

Although an earlier rumor suggested it would just be 5.5 inches. Either way it's sure to have a Super AMOLED screen too, so expect bright, vibrant visuals.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ rivals

Oddly the biggest rivals to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ could be other Samsung phones, since it's likely to be a combination of the smaller Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and the less curvy Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

Beyond that there's the Motorola Moto X Style which offers a similarly large screen and the upcoming iPhone 6S Plus, which should also be a premium phone of phablet proportions.

One of the new Nexus handsets is also rumored to be a phablet and could significantly undercut Samsung's offering, though it won't have a curved screen.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ camera and battery

The only camera rumors we've heard are that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will have a 16MP rear snapper and a 5MP front-facing one, just like the normal Galaxy S6 Edge, which is no surprise really.

Presumably all the features of that camera will also remain intact, including optical image stabilisation.

There's no word on what size the battery will be yet, but hopefully with all that extra space it will be bigger than the 2,600mAh one in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ OS and power

A leaked photo shows the Galaxy S6 Edge+ running Android 5.1 Lollipop, which is no surprise, though you can expect it to be overlaid with TouchWiz.

Oddly early rumors pointed to the phone packing a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, which would be a bit of a downgrade on the octa-core Exynos 7420 in the Galaxy S6 Edge, so we'd take that with a pinch of salt.

There's not much word on RAM but 3GB (the same as the standard S6 Edge) seems likely. Failing that it could get pushed up to 4GB.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ other features

We haven't heard much about extra features, but the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ will almost certainly have a fingerprint scanner, just like the S6 Edge.

The curved edges may also be getting more useful than they have so far been on the S6 Edge if a new patent allowing quick access to apps becomes reality. Don't expect the S6 Edge Plus to have an S Pen though. This might be a phablet but it's not a Note.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ cost

Surprisingly the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ might not be as bank-breakingly expensive as we'd thought, as according to SamMobile the 32GB version will come in at €799 (about £560, $875, AU$1204).

That's still pretty pricey, but considering the standard Galaxy S6 Edge launched at €849/£700 (around $1030, AU$1320) it's actually not bad at all. The lower price could be because it's possibly going to be a little less powerful and Samsung has lowered the price of the standard Edge anyway in the face of lower than expected sales, but then again the price could just be wrong.

Galaxy S6 Edge+: what we want to see

If Samsung is to make a larger Galaxy S6 Edge we have a few ideas of our own as to what it should include. Here's our thoughts as to what the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ should have.

1. A massive battery

Perhaps the biggest downfall of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge was its disappointing battery, making it a struggle to even get through a day of moderate use.

So we want to see big improvements in the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and as it's going to be larger there should be plenty of room to stick a meatier juice pack in.

2. More useful edges

The curved edges on the Galaxy S6 Edge sure do look pretty, but they don't really do much. This time around we want Samsung to really give them a reason for existing beyond looking good, whether that's through extra functionality or shortcuts to existing apps and services.

3. A Waterproof build

An ever growing number of smartphones are water resistant, with even affordable handsets like the Moto G 2015 getting in on the act, but the Galaxy S6 Edge isn't. There's been no suggestion that the Galaxy S6 Edge+ will be either but we hope it is.

We're writing this from England where it rains 97.4% of the time, everything needs to be water resistant.

4. A MicroSD card slot

The Galaxy S6 Edge is available with up to 128GB of built in storage and we're hopeful that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will be just as generous, but it would still be nice to have a microSD card slot too, either so we can get away with buying a smaller, cheaper model or so we can store every last megabyte of our digital content on it.

5. A lower price

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge was and is prohibitively expensive, even compared to the flagship Samsung Galaxy S6, so there's a fear that with its larger dimensions the Galaxy S6 Edge+ will be even pricier.

Surprisingly one rumor suggests it could actually be cheaper though and we really hope it is, as it could have far more mainstream appeal if you could buy it without having to give up luxuries like food and housing.

6. A more comfortable design

As stunning as the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge looks it's not the most comfortable phone to hold, with its flat back and sharp-edged frame. A curved back could allow it to sit more comfortably in the hand and may even allow room for a larger battery in the process.

7. A powerful processor

We would have thought a top tier processor was all but guaranteed for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+. After all this is a Samsung flagship we're talking about, but some rumors suggest it will have a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 chip, which while not exactly lacking in power would leave it less powerful than the standard Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

So at a minimum we really want it to have the same chip as its smaller sibling and since it's newer it doesn't seem like it should be too much to ask for something even better.

8. USB Type-C

The OnePlus 2 has arrived with USB Type-C and now we want to see it in other phones, so we'll never again have to do the dance of the USB cable. It's not looking super likely that we'll see it in the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, but you never know.

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