Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ vs Galaxy S9: A Clash of Titans
The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ was a bold design statement, while the Galaxy S9 represented a refinement of Samsung's flagship formula. But which phone offers the better experience today? We're pitting these two titans against each other in a comprehensive comparison to help you decide.
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S9 wins overall thanks to its more modern chipset, improved camera, and slightly better software support. However, the S6 edge+ boasts a unique curved display and surprisingly good battery life for its age, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - G928T, G928A | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20 - G928T | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (2CA) Cat6 300/50 Mbps/ LTE (3CA) Cat9 450/50 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26 - G928F | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2015, August. Released 2015, August | 2018, February 25. Released 2018, March 09 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), glass back (Gorilla Glass 4), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9 mm (6.08 x 2.98 x 0.27 in) | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 153 g (5.40 oz) | 163 g (5.75 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~518 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.7 inches, 88.5 cm2 (~75.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 84.8 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| - | 3D Touch (home button only) Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 & 4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53) | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEAOcta-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA/LATAM, China |
| Chipset | Exynos 7420 Octa (14 nm) | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEAQualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China |
| GPU | Mali-T760MP8 | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEAAdreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China |
| OS | Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop), upgradable to 7.0 (Nougat), TouchWiz UI | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 32GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| UFS 2.0 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 16 MP, f/1.9, 28mm (wide), 1/2.6", 1.12µm, AF, OIS | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., OIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS (30fps) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 5 MP, f/1.9, 22mm (wide) | - |
| Video | 1440p@30fps | 1440p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | microUSB 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 | Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| ANT+ S-Voice natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 15W wired Wireless (Qi) (market dependent) | 15W wired, QC2 Wireless (Qi) (market dependent) |
| Music play | Up to 66 h | - |
| Talk time | Up to 20 h (3G) | - |
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable (11.55 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Silver Titan, White Pearl, Pink | Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, Burgundy Red, Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue |
| Models | SM-G928A, SM-G928F, SM-G928A, SM-G928T, G928I, SM-G928G, SM-G928C, SM-G928I, SCV31, SM-G9280, SM-G928L, SM-G928S, SM-G928K, SM-G928W8 | SM-G960F, SM-G960, SM-G960F, SM-G960U, SM-G960W, SM-G9600, SM-G960U1, SM-G960N, SCV38, SM-G960X, SC-02K |
| Price | About 450 EUR | About 110 EUR |
| SAR | 1.22 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body) | 0.63 W/kg (head) 0.96 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.22 W/kg (head) 0.58 W/kg (body) | 0.36 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.3dB / Crosstalk -93.7dB | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -93.9dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 83h | Endurance rating 78h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.615 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.630 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 65dB / Noise 64dB / Ring 70dB | Voice 68dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 81dB |
| Performance | Basemark X: 26333 | AnTuTu: 250156 (v7) GeekBench: 8830 (v4.4) GFXBench: 14fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| OUR TESTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.3dB / Crosstalk -93.7dB | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -93.9dB |
| Battery (old) | Endurance rating 83h | Endurance rating 78h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.615 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.630 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 65dB / Noise 64dB / Ring 70dB | Voice 68dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 81dB |
| Performance | Basemark X: 26333 | AnTuTu: 250156 (v7) GeekBench: 8830 (v4.4) GFXBench: 14fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
- Unique curved display
- Good battery life for its age
- Compact size
- Still relatively fast for basic tasks
- Outdated chipset
- Limited software updates
- Camera is showing its age
- Potential battery degradation
Samsung Galaxy S9
- Faster performance
- Superior camera
- Better software support
- More modern design
- Wireless charging (QC2)
- Battery life slightly less than S6 edge+
- Can be more expensive to find in good condition
Display Comparison
Both phones feature excellent AMOLED displays with vibrant colors and deep blacks. The S6 edge+ has a distinctive curved edge, while the S9 offers a slightly higher sunlight contrast ratio (4.630 vs 4.615), though both are excellent. The S9's display is generally considered more refined due to advancements in panel technology.
Camera Comparison
The S9's camera is a clear winner. It features a variable aperture, improved low-light performance, and generally sharper images. While the S6 edge+'s camera was good for its time, it simply can't compete with the S9's advancements in image processing and sensor technology.
Performance
The Galaxy S9 holds a significant advantage here. Its Exynos 9810 (or Snapdragon 845 in some regions) is considerably faster and more efficient than the S6 edge+'s Exynos 7420. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance on the S9.
Battery Life
Surprisingly, the S6 edge+ and S9 have very similar endurance ratings (83h vs 78h). However, the S9's more efficient chipset means it will likely last longer in real-world usage, especially with demanding tasks.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+? Those seeking a unique design and decent performance on a tight budget. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S9? Users prioritizing a better camera, faster performance, and longer software support.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the S6 edge+ still worth buying?
If you're on a very tight budget and appreciate the unique curved display, the S6 edge+ can still be a decent option for basic tasks. However, be aware of its limitations in performance and software support.
❓ Which phone has better software support?
The Samsung Galaxy S9 has received more software updates and security patches than the S6 edge+. This makes the S9 a safer and more secure choice.
❓ Can I still find accessories for the S6 edge+?
Yes, but availability may be limited. You can still find cases and screen protectors online, but finding original Samsung accessories might be challenging.