"Hand-polished", "twice-anodised", "stylish" and "exquisite": anybody attending a premium smartphone launch these days could be forgiven for thinking they'd just walked into a badly lit Tiffany's store.
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From the best-selling iPhone 6 to the less revered Oppo R5 and just-released HTC One M9, high-end smartphone manufacturers are throwing the word "luxury" around like it's a pair of Sunday slacks.
Well, if luxury is the name of the game, Samsung has truly nailed it with the Galaxy S6 edge.
The new Galaxy S6 and S6 edge flagship smartphones, available in Australia from April 10 but with pre-orders already open, mark a big departure from their previous iteration, the Galaxy S5.
We had a chance to play with the S6 edge, though the S6 has the same key specs, minus the curved edges and some slight discrepancies in size. The S6 edge also has a slightly more powerful battery at 2600 mAh to the S6's 2550 mAh.
The screen size is the same on both models as it was on the Galaxy S5, at 5.1 inches. However both are considerably slimmer, with the Galaxy S6 at 6.8mm and the Galaxy S6 edge at 7mm, compared to the S5's 8.1mm thickness.
Samsung has done away with the plasticky, removable back and opted for super-tough, super-shiny Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back, with aluminium sides. This is the nicely brushed aluminium you see on iPhones, by the way, not the shiny, cheap-looking stuff seen on the latest HTC flagship, the One M9.
The battery is no longer removable and there's no storage card slot either so, as with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, each model is available with either 32, 64 and 128GB of storage.
And - surprise, surprise - the price tiers are exactly the same as for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, with the Galaxy S6 starting at $999 for the 32GB and the S6 edge starting at $1149.
The Galaxy S6's quad HD (2560 x 1440) 577ppi super AMOLED screen is absolutely scrumptious. This reviewer's myopic eyes couldn't discern a single pixel. At full brightness it's not quite as luminous as the iPhone 6, but the colours still pop and it's considerably better than the HTC One M9.
The screen really comes to life on the edge. Plenty of critics pooh-poohed the curved side of last year's Galaxy Note 4, but Samsung has gone and whacked it on not one but both sides of the S6 edge.
None of those hand-crafted, thrice-bevelled edges on any other phone compare to the jewel-like appearance this creates. Even a few die-hard Apple fans around Fairfax's offices were ooh-ing and ah-ing at our review device.
The iPhone 6 also has rounded edges, but on the S6 edge, the touch screen curves around ever so slightly under the glass, and is fully functional. A new quick contacts feature lets you drag your thumb from the top right and bring up a list of frequent contacts so you can call or message your friends in two swift moves.
Sadly, Australians aren't getting the lovely Gold Platinum, Green Emerald and Blue Topaz colours unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) earlier this month, but the Black Sapphire S6 edge review device we received had a nice, subtle navy tinge to it when it caught the light.
The front-facing camera has received an upgrade from 2 megapixels to 5 megapixels, with the rear-facing still at 16MP. Samsung made a point of Apple-bashing at its pre-Moble World Congress Galaxy Unpacked event with a comparison shot in low light. The iPhone 6 shot was virtually a black blob; the Galaxy S6 shot showed an irksomely happy couple.
It's true, the Galaxy S6 takes better shots in low light, although some may debate this.
We tested it against the iPhone 6 and also the One M9. The One M9 took poor, fuzzy shots (we took a few photos, by the way, not just one) and while the iPhone 6 picture had stronger light, the Galaxy S6 picture had higher definition and more natural light and shadow. Admittedly this may be a little hard to tell from the size of the comparison picture attached to this story, but zoom in and you'll see the Samsung photo is slightly sharper.
In other respects, however, the iPhone 6 camera arguably wins, with better colour, light and definition in both rear- and front-facing comparison shots.
It's hard to get a good angle for selfies on the Galaxy S6 because the zoom is rather low, and putting the phone close to your face distorts the shot. On the plus side, if you want to fit more into the shot, no selfie stick is required!
The S6 camera's "beauty" filter smooths out lines, freckles, moles, scars and just about any other identifying facial feature. It can be turned off, but the front-facing selfie camera still seems to wipe a lot of definition.
In terms of functionality, the Android Lollipop user experience is virtually the same as on the Note 4 and Galaxy S5, bar the favourite contacts feature and a slightly sleeker, more colourful interface on inbuilt apps like phone, messages and contacts.
It also comes fitted with Milk, Samsung's music streaming service.
Transferring contacts and other content from other devices - including iPhones, which we tested - was quick and easy using Samsung's Smart Switch app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play store.
Finally, the new Samsung phones come with wireless charging capability. We were unable to get our hands on a wireless charging unit in time for this review, and they need to be bought separately. Samsung's cost around $50 to $80 but you can pick up a compatible one for much less if you shop around.
If you're in the market for an upgrade and looking for a premium flagship phone, given the price similarities with the iPhone 6 it will probably come down to whether you're an iOS fan or an Android fan.
If it's the latter, the 32GB version is cheaper than the new HTC One M9 ($1099) and is a far superior product. The One M9, however, is expandable to 128GB with a Micro SD card. The same capacity in the Galaxy S6 will set you back considerably more at $1299.
Overall however, the Galaxy S6 edge's innovative design coupled with an impressive screen result in a more beautiful handset than the iPhone 6. But don't take our word for it - it also won best new handset, tablet or device at the Global Mobile Awards.
Samsung Galaxy 6 EdgeTech specs
Screen: 5.1-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440) 577ppi, Super AMOLED
Processor: Quad 2.1GHz + Quad 1.5Ghz, Octa-core application processor
Storage: 32, 64 or 128GB, plus 3GB RAM
Camera: 16MP rear facing, 5MP front facing
Network: 4G
Price: Galaxy S6: $999 for 32GB; $1149 for 64GB; $1299 for 128GB. Galaxy S6 edge: $1149 for 32GB; $1299 for 64GB; $1449 for 128GB.
