Living with the Galaxy S6 Edge: Is that curve worth the cost?

Samsung launched two Galaxy S6 models this spring, but let's face it: The spotlight was really on the curvy, attention-grabbing S6 Edge. I know I was dead-set on trying that one-of-a-kind smartphone as soon as I could. However, I couldn't help but wonder if it was really, truly worth the $100 premium to turn heads and score a couple of clever features. Moreover, would that design actually hold up in the real world? There was only one way for me to find out. I spent several weeks with the Edge to see whether its curved display would grow on me, or if I'd be desperately wishing I had made the safer choice and snagged the regular S6. As it turns out, the answer was a bit of both.

There's no question that the S6 Edge and its more traditional counterpart are breaths of fresh air after a few years of Galaxy S phones held back by cheap-feeling designs andnot-so-useful gimmicks. It's consistently fast, with less software cruft than before; it's well-built, with metal and glass that feel good to hold (if overly slippery); the camera is one of those rare gems that consistently snaps sharp, colorful photos, even in low light. And did I mention that the S6 has the first fingerprint reader that I enjoy using on an Android phone? Where the Galaxy S5 felt bogged down by features included solely for bragging rights, the S6 feels lightweight and cohesive, as if everything was designed to work well together.

Well, almost everything. While the lack of expandable storage wasn't a big problem for me (I prefer streaming music and movies), the battery life was... less than ideal. I could make it through a typical day of email, Instagram and Twitter, but I would invariably feel nervous by nightfall. All it took was about 30 minutes of streaming music or web browsing to knock as much as 15 percent off the battery, making me worry about how quickly I could reach a wall outlet. I don't insist on a removable battery, but that's only when the battery life is good. Here, it would have been supremely handy to swap power packs. At least the fast charger was quick enough that I could get a top-up before I rushed out the door.