Samsung launched the Galaxy S6 when change was inevitable and it was a bona fide hit. Samsung completely changed its design language to a combination of glass and metal. The change was well praised and Samsung stuck with the same design for the next phone the Galaxy S6 Edge.
Every year, Samsung launches a ruggedized version of their flagship Galaxy devices, and this was no different. Samsung launched the S6 Active to take the role of the rugged flagship with IP68 certification.
Design
Design is the place where both Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Active are different in all aspects. One is designed to please and the other to withstand. Galaxy S6 Edge is a merge between glass and metal, as it has a glass back and its front has tapered metallic edges. On the other hand, the Galaxy S6 Active still uses plastic build with a ruggedized feel. The rugged design of Galaxy S6 Active actually makes the phone easier to hold than the Galaxy S6 Edge.
Display
Both phones have 5.1-inch Super AMOLED QHD display with 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution. Two sides of the S6 Edge has two curved display strips, and supports some widgets like clock and weather widget and some more gimmicks from Samsung, which makes the phone easier to use.
Navigation buttons
The Galaxy S6 Edge has two capacitive navigation buttons and a hardware home button in the middle that also mimics as the fingerprint sensor. The Galaxy S6 Active, on the other hand, has actual hardware buttons for navigation. Both phones have power button on the right, and volume rocker on the left side. The S6 Active has a hardware button called the Active key, which can be used to launch any app from a list of supported apps and even works when the phone is asleep.
Battery
Battery is the final major difference between these two Samsung smartphones. Samsung chose to use a smaller 2600 mAh battery capacity for the S6 Edge, and a bigger 3500 mAh battery capacity for the S6 Active.
Watch the full comparison video below: