Apple iPhone 6s Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+: Double positive

Hardware comparison

The iPhone 6s Plus is as big as the Galaxy S6 edge+. The Samsung's flagship is thinner and comes with a bigger display. This means the iPhone 6S plus has bezel where the S6 edge+ has screen. The size comparison is clearly not in the iPhone's favor.

And there is more bad news. The iPhone 6s Plus has gained some extra weight at 192g, which makes it 40g heavier than the Galaxy S6 edge+. The extra layer of screen pressure sensors not only took a toll on the battery capacity but probably accounts for much of the added weight.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus next to the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+

The Apple iPhone 6s Plus has a familiar design, though its chassis is made of higher-grade Aluminum Series 7000, the same used on the Apple Watch. Even a year later though, most of the people find the subtly curved metal unibody quite attractive. It's just the plastic strips covering the antennas that spoil the excellent impression. But you can have it in rose gold now.

The Apple iPhone 6s Plus

The Galaxy S6 edge+ design isn't fresh off the board either. It's been around for about half a year courtesy of the original Galaxy S6 edge. The curved display is great, the metal frame beautifully connects the rear glass with the front. There are no strips or interruptions of the seamless design.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+

Samsung hasn't yet jumped the rose/pink bandwagon and is sticking to its recent paintjobs, which still look great on the edge devices.

The control set of both devices is kept to minimum - both iPhone 6s Plus and the Galaxy S6 edge+ offer discreet home keys, which double as fingerprint scanners. The second generation Touch ID is blazing fast compared to its predecessor, while the Galaxy edge+ is just a hair behind though its shape isn't as comfy.

The controls on the iPhone 6s Plus and the Galaxy S6 edge+

Both flagships are big and single-handed operations are almost no-go. Samsung has a lot to offer with the Multi-Window feature running two apps side by side, while Apple's only improvement is the double tap on home to bring the status bar closer.

Let's take a closer look now. The front of the iPhone 6s Plus features a new 5MP f/2.2 selfie snapper and the option to use the screen as a selfie flash. The S6 edge+ also comes with an even wider 5MP f/1.9 camera, which often produces better pictures.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+

Flipping both phones around reveals the main camera sensors. Here Samsung's offer has a huge advantage specs-wise - its 16MP Sony IMX240 sensor is much better than the 12MP Apple put on the iPhone 6s duo. It has much wider lens, more pixels and overall produces better pictures. Apple has an edge with the dual-LED true-tone flash though vs. a single-LED one on the S6 edge+.

The rear cameras

Taking a peek at the bottom of both models reveal a rather similar arrangement. The iPhone 6s Plus has a proprietary Lightning port, which might be more comfortable because of its reversible nature, but we'd prefer the Galaxy S6 edge+ microUSB standard connector because of its wider compatibility with accessories.

The bottom of the iPhone and the Galaxy

And finally, handling those two gems is a real pleasure, but the iPhone 6s Plus is quite slippery without a case on and this compromises the day-to-day handling. The Galaxy S6 edge+ isn't much better, but its metal frame provides for a more secure grip.

Handling the iPhone 6s Plus and the Galaxy S6 edge+

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+. The Galaxy S6 edge+ looks are fresher and more innovative than the year-old iPhone 6s Plus design and it's definitely the eye catcher of the two. Add to that the fact it has fitted a bigger screen in the same footprint and the fact it's 40g lighter and you get the picture.

Sure, the iPhone 6s Plus looks and feels premium, as it should, but it's not as premium as a Galaxy S6 edge, not this year at least.