Samsung and Apple continue to leapfrog each other in the phablet game, each one chasing the other's 6-inch smartphone offering on an annual basis. The latest move is from Samsung with the one-two punch of the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+. Samsung frames these two smartphones as a choice between the multimedia-consuming, lifestyle focus of the S6 Edge+ and the multitasking, productivity focus of the Note 5. Regardless, both phones will be pitted against the iPhone 6 Plus and any successors to it, so we're going to compare all three.
| Name | Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | Samsung Galaxy Note 5 | Apple iPhone 6 Plus (Verizon Wireless) |
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| Lowest Price | %displayPrice% %seller% | %displayPrice% %seller% | |
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| Operating System as Tested | Android 5.1 | Android 5.1 | iOS 8 |
| CPU | Samsung Exynos 7420 Octa-Core | Samsung Exynos 7420 Octa-Core | Apple A8 |
| Dimensions | 6.07 by 2.98 by 0.27 inches | 6.03 by 3 by 0.3 inches | 6.22 by 3.06 by 0.28 inches |
| Weight | 5.4 oz | 6.03 oz | 6.07 oz |
| Screen Size | 5.7 inches | 5.7 inches | 5.5 inches |
| Screen Type | Super AMOLED HD | Super AMOLED HD | IPS LCD |
| Screen Resolution | 2,560 by 1,440 pixels | 2,560 by 1,440 pixels | 1,920 by 1,080 pixels |
| Screen Pixels Per Inch | 518 ppi | 518 ppi | 401 ppi |
| Camera Resolution | 16 MP Rear, 5 MP Front-Facing | 16 MP Rear, 5 MP Front-Facing | 8 MP Rear; 1.2 MP Front-Facing |
| Video Camera Resolution | 4K, 1080p | 4K, 1080p | 1080p |
| Read the Review | Read the Review | Read the Review |
In terms of pure specs and power, the S6 Edge+ and Note 5 are almost identical. Both devices use Samsung's Exynos 7420 octa-core processor, the same used in the Galaxy S6. They both have 4GB of RAM, the most Samsung has put in a smartphone. And they both ship with Android 5.1 Lollipop, putting them ahead of the curve on Android implementation. The iPhone 6 Plus uses an Apple A8 CPU running iOS 8 (though iOS 9 comes out this fall), and it remains a powerful device. However, if the S6 Edge+ and Note 5 perform remotely similar to the Galaxy S6, they will likely trounce the iPhone 6 Plus in benchmark tests (though we won't know for sure until we get them into the lab for testing).
The two Galaxy phablets also both have the same 5.7-inch, 2,560-by-1,440 Super AMOLED screen with 518 pixels per inch (just a hair more than the Note 4's 515 ppi and much more than the iPhone 6 Plus's 401 ppi). The iPhone 6 Plus' screen is just 5.5 inches with 1080p resolution, lagging notably behind the S6 Edge+, Note 5, and even last year's Note 4.
With larger screens, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5 could be assumed to be larger than the iPhone 6 Plus. Incredibly, that isn't the case. The S6 Edge+ is slimmer than the iPhone 6 Plus on all sides, and weighs over half an ounce less. The Note 5 is just a hair thicker than the iPhone 6 Plus , but slightly shorter and slimmer and just a tiny bit lighter.
The phablet ball is back in Apple's court, and we'll likely be seeing the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5 facing off against the next iteration of iPhone 6 Plus in the next few months. For now, though, it looks like Samsung has pulled ahead purely on the numbers. Both devices arrive on the major carriers on Aug. 21, but you can place pre-orders now.