Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge release date, news and rumors

We all know Samsung will shortly be announcing the Galaxy S6, but with various rumors flooding in and even Samsung itself accidentally leaking it, it's looking increasingly likely that it will also unveil the Galaxy S6 Edge, a variant of its flagship with one or possibly even two curved edges.
Those might not be the only differences either and we've collected together all the latest rumors to get a straight image of Samsung's bendy handset. Rather than being called the Galaxy S6 Edge, we've heard it could be named the Galaxy S Edge, emphasising that it truly is a different beast.
We've also heard the name Galaxy S Dual Edge being mentioned, but most people are still referring to it as the Galaxy S6 Edge, so we will as well.
But if you just want the highlights know this: While the Galaxy S6 is likely to be the star of Samsung's show, there's every chance that the Galaxy S6 Edge will be the more interesting of the two.
Latest updates: Sprint has leaked an official image of the Galaxy S6 Edge, and it looks like it will have a screen with two curved edges.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? A curvy new flagship from Samsung
• When is it out? It's likely to be announced on March 1
• What will it cost? A lot, probably even more than the Galaxy S6

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge release date and price

We don't know for sure when the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge will launch, but the smart money is on March 1 at Samsung's press event, where it's also expected to unveil the Galaxy S6. Invitations to the event show a mostly straight line with a bend at the end, suggesting curvy things are coming.

It's unlikely to launch the same day as it's unveiled of course, but we may see it on shelves sometime in March.
There's still a chance the Galaxy S6 Edge won't emerge, as late last year SamMobile heard from its insiders there wouldn't be one, but that's a relatively old rumor and the number of recent rumors around it (not to mention the curved line on Samsung's invite) suggests there will be.
Hopefully you've been saving if you want one, as AndroidPIT reports that it's received the expected price in Euros and it starts at €849 (roughly £636 / $970 / AU$1241) for a 32GB model, rising to €949 (around £711 / $1085 / AU$1387) for 64GB and €1,049 (approximately £786 / $1199 / AU$1534) for 128GB.
Not only would those prices make it one of the most expensive phones on the market, but it's likely to be more expensive than the Galaxy S6, which had its expected prices outed by the same source and came in at €100 (£75 / $114 / AU$146) cheaper for each size.
Of course direct currency conversions aren't always accurate, but based on these prices we expect the Galaxy S6 Edge will enter the market at between around $749-$849 unlocked. It's also possible that it will be a limited edition device, so availability could be tricky.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge screen

The screen will of course be the Galaxy S6 Edge's standout feature and it's also one of the biggest question marks, as while early rumors suggested it would have one curved side like the Galaxy Note Edge, a number of recent rumors point to two curved edges.
The reason for rumors of both could be because apparently Samsung was still testing multiple prototypes of the phone until recently and hadn't decided whether to go with one or two curved edges.
We're inclined to believe the recent rumors of a dual edged display because, well, they're more recent. They include a patent showing a handset with two curved sides and a report from SamMobile which claims its source revealed that the S6 Edge will have two curved edges.
Only a few days before its expected unveiling at MWC 2015 an official image of the Galaxy S6 Edge, alongside the Galaxy S6, was leaked by the Sprint mobile network.
This has given us a great view of the Galaxy S6 Edge, and judging by the picture the handset looks like it will indeed come with a screen that features two curved edges.

We had kind of guessed this, as earlier we caught a glimpse of a promotional image from a case maker, seemingly showing a dual-edged Galaxy S6 Edge alongside the Galaxy S6.

Some rumors state that these curved screens will have access to the same features as the Galaxy Note Edge, allowing you to view apps, such as a pedometer and news and sports updates at a glance.
The dual curves also supposedly make it comfortable to use whether you're left or right handed and the curves will supposedly light up when you receive a call or a message.
These lights may be customisable to show different colours for different contacts, and as well as viewing alerts you're also likely be able to add app shortcuts to the edges and use them as tools such as a ruler or a night clock.
On the other hand recent rumors argue that the edges will be smaller than on the Galaxy Note Edge and will therefore have reduced functionality. That's one rumor that we hope doesn't pan out.
Little has been spoken about the size or resolution of the Galaxy S6 Edge, but we've heard a lot about those things on the Galaxy S6 and they're likely to be the same or similar here.
The most persistent Galaxy S6 rumors are that it will have a 1440 x 2560 QHD display. Surprisingly there's still no consensus on the size, but it's likely to be at least as big as the 5.1-inch Galaxy S5 and indeed 5.1 inches is exactly what some of the latest rumors point to, though there's some talk that it could go as big as 5.5 inches.
The only rumors we've heard specifically talking about the Galaxy S6 Edge's display size come from a benchmark and again point to a 5.1-inch 1440 x 2560 one.
Whatever size it is you can bet it will be a Super AMOLED screen, like every other Samsung flagship in recent memory.
In more disappointing news a report out of South Korea claims that the Galaxy S6 Edge won't be waterproof, with Samsung producing a waterproof Galaxy S6 Active instead for those who want that feature.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge design

Curved screen aside the design of the Galaxy S6 Edge is likely to be similar to that of the Galaxy S6. That could mean a metal frame and glass back or even a full metal body, as there's still some debate as to which of those the S6 will feature.
But there's the niggling worry that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge might actually have a less premium build. For one thing the fact that the Galaxy Note Edge lacked the metal frame of the Galaxy Note 4 doesn't bode well.

On top of that Business Insider reports that Samsung will announce two phones in March, saying that one (the Galaxy S6) will have a metal body, while the other (the Galaxy S Edge) will have a curved screen. The implication being that the S6 Edge won't also have a metal body.
So while the Samsung Galaxy S6 is likely to be more expensive than its big-name brother it might not actually end up looking quite as high end.

Credit: XDA / graaler

We may have caught a glimpse of the S6 Edge though, as a new leak appears to show it snapped alongside the Galaxy S6. You can see from the photos that its screen curves at both edges and the rear appears to be made from the same (apparently glass) material as the Galaxy S6.

Credit: XDA / graaler