Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is 5.7 inches of dual-curve screen (hands-on)

Start with a dual-curve Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, then supersize it. That, in a nutshell, is the 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, whose size is the only substantial difference between it and last April's clamored-for 5.1-inch Edge.

This larger Edge+ shares every one of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 5's core hardware specs (and most of the S6's and S6 Edge's as well), except that the trademark stylus is missing here. Instead, the Edge+ has a screen that wraps around on each side, and some menu shortcuts that give you something to do on that side display.
Like the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and Note 5, this Edge+ shows off a snazzy metal-and-glass construction that achieves its slimness at the expense of a removable battery and microSD card slot, two points of pride for Samsung prior to its design turnabout in 2015.
The S6 Edge+'s presence in Samsung's smartphone quiver is significant because it capitalizes on demand for Samsung's smaller S6 Edge by offering essentially the same guts in a larger footprint. If customers liked the smaller phone, the thinking goes, giving them a larger one is surely better. However, the Edge+ marks the fourth similar handset released in four months, which could confuse shoppers and dilute the sales of any single Samsung device -- a real problem Samsung faces amidst an ongoing sales slide.
Nevertheless, the Edge+'s distinctiveness comes at a steep price, one that's higher than the Note 5's. Price alone could make the stylus-slinging Note 5 the more popular of these two large-screen Android handsets, even if you never use that S-Pen. Bottom line: you'll pay for those cool-looking waterfall sides.

Samsung's big, curvy Galaxy S6 Edge+ (photos) See full gallery

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Where can you buy it, and for how much?

Along with the Galaxy Note 5, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ sells globally on August 21. The phone comes in gold, silver, black and white, though different regions may carry different colors. Prices vary by retailer and country, but this Edge+ will cost more than the Note 5 overall.
In the US, it'll launch in gold and black colors (but not silver or white) for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon. Expect it to eventually appear on prepaid carriers as well.
AT&T is selling the Galaxy S6 edge+ in black or gold for $0 with its Next 24 (30 total payments), Next 18 (24 total payments) and Next 12 (20 total payments) plans. With Next 24, you get 32GB for $27.17 per month and 64GB for $30.50 per monthly. Next 18 prices the 32GB model at $33.96 monthly and the 64GB model at $38.13 monthly. With Next 12, it's $40.75 per month for 32GB and $45.75 per month for 64GB.
Sprint has four options to get the Galaxy S6 Edge+. With its Lease plan, the 32GB variant is $0 down and $30 per month and the 64GB option is $0 down and $35 monthly, until you pay off the balance or upgrade. With Spring Easy Pay, the 32GB phone is $0 down and $33 per month and the 64GB phone is $0 down and $37 monthly. With a two-year contract, you'll pay $349.99 for 32GB and $449.99 for 64GB. Off contract, 32GB costs $792 and 64GB is $888.
Verizon is charging $32 per month for 24 months with zero interest for the 32GB Galaxy S6 Edge+ (full price is $768), and $36 per month for 24 months with zero interest for the 64GB model (full price is $864). You can get either model in black or gold. Participating stores will have the phone on display starting August 2014.
T-Mobile is offering the phone in black and gold for $0 down, then $29.17 per month for 23 months and $29.08 for the 24th month. The full retail price is $699.99, which you can pay in full up front if you don't want to make monthly payments.
US Cellular will sell the 32GB version of the phone for $299, plus taxes and fees, with a two-year contract. Alternatively, you can get it with an installment plan for $0 down and 20 monthly payments of $38.40.

Design and build

• 5.7-inch display; 2,560x1,440 pixels (518 pixels per inch)
• Metal and glass construction
• 6.07 by 2.98 by 0.27 inches (154.4 by 75.8 by 6.9mm)
• 5.4 ounces (153 grams)

If you're familiar with the Galaxy S6 Edge's laterally curved screen and thin edges, then you already know this supersized Edge+'s shapely silhouette. The glass (and display technology underneath) wraps around the left and right edges and meet along the back of the spines.
This phone feels slimmer than most at its narrowest part (the middle), but a little inherent sharpness along the sides makes it easy to grip. The comparatively thicker corners round out to help carry through the themes of curviness and physical dimension.

Despite the wraparound sides, the screen measures a full 5.7 inches, all of which is fully usable and viewable (unlike the original Note Edge, which had an always-visible strip of navigation screen that you couldn't turn off). Above the screen, you'll see the 5-megapixel front-facing camera and a cluster of sensors. Below it sits the physical home button (and integrated fingerprint reader), with its two touch-sensitive sidekicks, the Recent and Back buttons. (Press and hold the home button to launch Google Now.)
Flip over the Edge+ to find a smooth, reflective backing and 16-megapixel camera mount, flash and heart-rate reader. The camera module does slightly pucker out, but that's also because the rest of the phone is so thin and flat.
Buttons and ports dot the Edge+'s metal frame, starting with the power/lock key on the right, the micro-USB charging jack and headset jack down below, volume rocker on the left, and SIM card tray along the top. There's no removable backing (or battery), and no space for a microSD storage card.
We get neutral colors for this series: black, white, silver and gold, though not every region may sell every color.

What you can do with the edge screen

• Android 5.1 Lollipop
• New Apps shortcut
• Customizable position for "edge screen" tab

Those curved sides are fun to look at, but they aren't merely for show. Two previous designs -- 2014's Galaxy Note Edge and the S6 Edge from earlier this year -- gave Samsung the chance to experiment with things you can do on a narrow vertical display. It's forced functionality, but one that makes more sense this time than before.

First, let me reiterate that the special display hides from view until you pull it out, so most of the time, you don't see it. When you do want to summon the edge display (which you can now do from any screen, not just the home screen, as was the case with the original S6 Edge), you grab a slim onscreen tab that tastefully lies low on whichever side you put it, and swipe to reveal the full menu.
There are now two revolving screens to swipe through by default. The first is a shortcut hub for five of your go-to contacts. You can see their missed calls and texts, and tap their names to reach them by phone, text or email. Swipe again and a different shortcuts menu appears, this time one you can customize for your favorite apps.
The settings menu also lets you turn on a newsfeed, so you can see various alerts and news headlines in the sidebar as well as through the customary notifications tray up top. The benefit here: the edge screen's longer window lets you see more text without expanding the alert the way you would with the notifications shade.

You'll be able to quickly access the apps and people you care about most. Josh Miller/CNET

Flexibility means you can place this edge display on either left or right sides of the screen, and can now also position its menu-opening tab anywhere along that strip. I put mine near the bottom of the screen to make it easier for my shorter thumbs to grab.
The Edge+ also keeps one of my favorite secondary features in this curvy family: the night clock that dimly glows from the strip to tell you the date and time.

Get to know the hardware inside

Samsung bestowed the Edge+ and Note 5 with the same internal specs, all laid out below. For a deeper dive, read my first impressions of the Note 5.

• 16-megapixel camera
• 5-megapixel front-facing camera
• 4K video resolution
• Samsung Exynos 7 octa-core processor (2.1GHz quad-core, plus 1.5GHz quad-core chips)
• 32GB/64GB storage options
• 4GB of RAM
• 3,000mAh battery (nonremovable)
• No microSD expansion slot
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Automated content-syncing to other screens

Making sense of a bigger S6 Edge

With the S6 Edge+ and the Note 5 launching simultaneously, we're now looking at a total of four high-end Samsung handsets you can buy that all have roughly the same internal specifications.
Do we really need a larger S6 Edge version? It seems like overkill to me, but then again, Samsung is doing what it can to respond to customer demand for the Edge screen (Samsung couldn't make them quickly enough) and turn around a period of undeniably slipping sales. However, that still doesn't mean buyers will flock to a larger-body phone.

The night clock makes the edge of your Edge+ softly glow. Josh Miller/CNET

If you're debating which of the quartet to buy, they conveniently break down to which size and shape you want -- 5.1-inch or 5.7-inch, and straight or curvy.
This could change when I get a chance to fully review both phones, but after previewing the Note 5 and S6 Edge+, it shakes out like this: Get the Note 5 if you want the latest and greatest with that multitasking stylus; the Edge+ if you thirst for a larger screen but don't need a stylus (and don't mind paying the price); the smaller S6 Edge if you love the dual-curve design and a more pocket-friendly size; and the Galaxy S6 if you're looking for an all-around premium Android handset.

Versus other large-screen phones

Apple's iPhone 6 Plus and LG's G4 -- both with 5.5-inch screens -- are the logical comparisons. The G4 shares the Edge+'s Android version and camera and battery specs, though it has a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (that's six cores, by the way). Unlike the Samsung phone, LG's big phone can boast a removable battery and a mammoth microSD card slot that can accommodate 2TB (terabytes) of data.
Apple's iPhone 6 Plus is just about a year old, which means it's due for an upgrade, so it's hardly fair to compare the Edge+ against an older model. If you're interested in the 6 Plus at all, it's best to hold off on pre-ordering the S6 Edge+ until you can fully scope out the competition. You won't have to wait long, either -- credible rumors peg Apple's next iPhone announcement hitting the second week of September.