Many times, comparing an Apple product to an Android product is like... well, apples and oranges, but Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge is now more like the iPhone 6 Plus than ever before with its metal frame and larger size. But just how comparable are the two biggest smartphones of 2015?
First up, let's take a look at the size of each. The Galaxy S6 Edge comes in at 142mm tall, 70mm wide, and 7mm thick, which is considerably smaller than the iPhone Plus' 158mm height, 78mm width, and 7.1mm thickness. Most of that size is thanks to the iPhone 6 Plus' 5.5-inch screen in comparison to the S6 Edge's 5.1-inch screen, but the jury is still out on what size is just too big for a smartphone as the trend of larger screens continues.
The iPhone's weight is also significantly more than the Samsung product at 172g versus 132g on the Edge, but that's to be expected with that size difference. Samsung's push for smaller and lighter with the S6 may pay off as compared with Apple's push for bigger and heavier with the 6 Plus, but it's that almost-identical weight that might be the biggest factor for consumers.
As for the design, both phones feature aluminum frames, but the Edge has a glass back while the iPhone 6 Plus' aluminum design carrier through all the way. Color choices are also similar, with the iPhone offering space gray, gold and silver, while the Edge offers a couple extra choices with black, white, gold, and green.
As Forbes points out, Samsung's move to be closer to Apple's design has also resulted in a few drawbacks. "The positive here is this puts Samsung right up with Apple in the design and build quality stakes. The negative is the switches mean Samsung has had to compromise on its earlier principles: no removable back, no removable battery and no expandable storage."
As for what lies under those stylish cases, this is where the comparison varies a bit more. The S6 Edge features Samsung's own Exynos 7420 processor, 3 GB of DDR4 RAM, and storage availability in 32, 64, and 128 versions. The rear camera comes in at 16 megapixels while the front camera is set at 5 megapixels, and the battery on the Edge s 2,600 mAh.
The iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, features a dual-core Apple A8 chip with only 1 GB of DDR3 RAM, and storage choices of 16, 64, or 128 GB. The cameras are much lower in megapixel-count with an 8 in the rear and 1.2 in the front, but the battery on the 6 Plus is a bit beefier at 2,915 mAh.
In the software department, Samsung just won some major points with the reveal that its bloatware is now removable on the S6 and S6 Edge, while Apple is actually going in the opposite direction with two more mandatory apps to better coordinate with the Apple Watch.
It will certainly be an interesting year for both manufacturers as we watch how 2015 will unfold for the Galaxy S6 Edge and the iPhone 6 Plus. The Apple product has already had a few months to sink in, but the real test will be on April 10 when the S6 Edge releases.
During Forbes' final thoughts on the two heavy-hitting phones, they point out, "Ultimately though the end result is I think Apple and Samsung have simultaneously produced their most exciting phones in years and that's great. Battery concerns aside, I can't see owners of the iPhone 6, Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge regretting their purchase. Apple will likely still sell more phones, but Samsung is most definitely back in the game."
