Samsung Galaxy S7 edge vs Apple iPhone 6s Plus: Which one is best for you?

Samsung's new Galaxy S7 edge will soon arrive in stores across the globe, giving consumers yet another great option to choose from in the phablet space. Naturally, many of you will also be considering Apple's iPhone 6s Plus for your next big smartphone, so how does Samsung's latest and greatest fare against it?

Unlike the previous comparison between Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6s, which the former flagship won fair and square, it will be much more difficult to find a winner between Galaxy S7 edge and iPhone 6s Plus. The two phablets are much more similar than their smaller counterparts, making for a much closer fight. But, which one is best for you?

Big vs Small

First off, let's talk a bit about the differences between Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, and between iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus to better understand Samsung's and Apple's philosophies for their two flagship phablets and why this battle is much more heated.

As I explained in my original coverage of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, there are three main differences between the two flagships: screen size, screen shape and battery capacity. Galaxy S7 has a 5.1-inch display, while Galaxy S7 edge packs a 5.5-inch panel that is curved (hence the edge in its name). The former has a 3,000 mAh battery, while the latter has a 3,600 mAh battery. They are virtually identical otherwise.

With iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple has not created two flagships as similar. The differences are much more significant here, because iPhone 6s Plus not only has a bigger screen -- 5.5-inch as opposed to 4.7-inch -- but its screen also has a much higher resolution -- 1,080 by 1,920 compared to 750 by 1,334. The battery is also significantly larger -- 2,750 mAh vs 1,715 mAh -- and its main camera also gets the added benefits of optical image stabilization.

As you can see, there is a much larger gap between iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus than between Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. It is as if iPhone 6s was not cut from the same cloth as its bigger brother. Meanwhile, Galaxy S7 edge is basically just a bigger Galaxy S7 with two curves on the side of its screen.

I suggest reading the previous article first, which is linked in the opening paragraph, because in some areas the same impressions and conclusions will be drawn due to hardware or software similarities.

Display

Galaxy S7 edge has the display with the higher resolution, but iPhone 6s Plus' screen is not really that far off. In practice, both will be quite similar in terms of sharpness, even though their resolutions are not the same. Past a certain point, it is harder to tell the difference.

Galaxy S7 edge, like Galaxy S7, has an active display which can show information during standby. The 3D Touch technology in Apple's flagship lets users hard press on the screen to get different contextual menus depending on the application.

Galaxy S7 edge's display does have a slight edge -- no pun intended -- over iPhone 6s Plus' panel, thanks to the higher resolution. But, really, that is like splitting hairs. Both are great, and you should be very happy either way.

Cameras

In terms of imaging, we are looking at 12 MP cameras on the back, with optical image stabilization in each case, and 5 MP cameras on the front. Both flagships can handle 4K video recording, and 1080p at higher frame rates.

The differences are in the aperture of the lenses. Whereas Galaxy S7 utilizes F/1.7 lenses on the front and rear, iPhone 6s Plus has to make do with F/2.2 lenses. The smaller the number, the larger the aperture. The larger the aperture, the better the low light performance. That is basically why this matters.

In well lit areas, both should produce great photos and videos, however. But, because of that extra low light potential afforded by Galaxy S7 edge's cameras, it wins this round.

Build and Design

What I said in my earlier comparison between Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6s holds true here as well, so I will not rehash it. Both phablets look great, and both use premium materials. It boils down to whether you like the glass build of the Galaxy S7 edge or the metal-clad design of iPhone 6s Plus more. You can't go wrong either way.

Performance

Just as above, the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6s comparison again holds true here as well. Again, read the previous comparison for more information; but the gist of it is that their performance will be too close to call, and very similar in real life. There is no winner or loser here.

Battery Performance

When it comes to battery life, Galaxy S7 edge and iPhone 6s Plus are, however, different. Galaxy S7 is better equipped for a strong showing here, thanks to that notable difference in capacity. That said, you are still looking at all-day battery life with iPhone 6s Plus, even longer depending on your usage.

Still, Galaxy S7 edge comes out ahead in this regard.

Storage

Since there is no notable difference between Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, and iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in terms of storage, my observations from the previous comparison apply in full here as well.

As I explained before, Galaxy S7 comes out ahead in this area because it comes with more storage on the base model -- 32 GB as opposed to 16 GB -- and a microSD card slot for expansion by up to 200 GB. Most people will be perfectly fine with the base model.

Meanwhile, iPhone 6s Plus will be pricier if you want more storage than the 16 GB model offers, but the fixed storage tiers also come with better performance compared to microSD cards. My advice is to pony up for the 64 GB version, which will add to the cost, as the 16 GB model is not future-proof enough to recommend for anything more than very light use.

Software

As above, software-wise, Galaxy S7 is basically identical to Galaxy S7 edge. The same holds true for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. So, it all boils down to whether you want Android 6.0 Marshmallow and slower updates or iOS 9 and faster updates.

Mobile Payments

Same goes for mobile payments, which are possible with both Android flagships. Galaxy S7 edge, however, will not be the best option here because Apple Pay is more widely embraced than Samsung Pay. If you want to buy things with your new phablet, my advice is to go with iPhone 6s Plus.

Anything Else You Should Know?

The rest of the specs are too similar to warrant a comparison, so, at the end of the day, it looks like Galaxy S7 edge is the better option overall, winning in the screen, camera, battery performance and storage departments. It only loses to iPhone 6s Plus in the mobile payments area, so it looks like a clear victory.

However, iPhone 6s Plus should not be easily dismissed because in practice it is a very competent phablet that does plenty of things well. And, if you want an iOS smartphone, it is the best that you can get.

Like I said the last time, it comes slightly short of its Samsung-made rival. Galaxy S7 edge is the better phablet for people who are not too caught up in the Android vs iOS fight, and it just makes more sense to buy from a financial point of view. For these reasons, it wins this head to head.