Samsung has announced not just one but two new phablets - a larger version of its Galaxy S6 edge and the successor to its popular Note 4. Although they were heavily rumoured beforehand, it is still unusual for Samsung to announce two similarly sized flagship smartphones at the same time. Especially as the Note device family usually gets centre stage exclusively.

The biggest difference between the Galaxy S6 edge Plus and the Galaxy Note 5 is that the latter won't be available in the UK from launch, but there are a couple of other variations to the two devices too.

We have put the Galaxy S6 edge Plus up against the Galaxy Note 5 to see how they compare in terms of specs, what their similarities are and which device comes out as the better of the two. Should you buy the S6 edge Plus straight away or should you wait and hope that the Galaxy Note 5 comes to a shelf near you soon?

Galaxy S6 edge Plus is slimmer and lighter, but no S Pen

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge Plus measures 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9mm, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 measures 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm, meaning the S6 edge Plus is a little wider, but slimmer and fractionally shorter in the body.

In terms of weight, the S6 edge Plus hits the scales at 153g compared to the 171g of the Note 5, so the former is the lighter of the two.

Both feature all-metal builds and they both come with built-in fingerprint sensors, but aside from that - their designs are very different. The S6 edge Plus follows in the footsteps of its smaller brother with its dual-edge display, while the Note 5 follows the lead of previous Note devices with its accompanying S Pen.

The S6 edge Plus is the more exciting of the two in terms of design, but the Note has always been a great device and with the Note 5 embracing aluminium over plastic for its rear, it's likely to be popular with Note fans.

Galaxy S6 edge Plus has dual-edge display, but both same size and resolution

Both the Galaxy s6 edge Plus and the Galaxy Note 5 have 5.7-inch Super AMOLED displays. They also both have QHD 2560 x 1440 resolutions, which means a pixel density of 515ppi for both.

It means the displays aren't as sharp as the likes of the Galaxy S6 or the Galaxy S6 edge, but you can still expect a decent sharp and crisp experience from both the S6 edge Plus and Note 5.

As we mentioned, the S6 edge Plus has a dual-edge display, while the Note 5 has a standard display so there is a difference between the two devices there, but in terms of pixels - they both have the same per inch.

Same cameras

The Galaxy S6 edge Plus and the Galaxy Note 5 both have a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front snapper, both of which have an aperture of f/1.9.

With the same optics, lenses and features, you won't find any difference between these two handsets and we expect good things from them given how well the SGS6 and Note 4 perform.

Same processor, storage and battery

Just like the cameras, the Galaxy S6 edge Plus and the Galaxy Note 5 have the same processor, storage capabilities and battery capacities.

There is an octa-core Exynos chip under both of their hoods, supported by 4GB of RAM and a choice of 32GB or 64GB internal memory. Neither offer microSD support which is a shame.

They also both have 3000mAh battery capacities, which although isn't the largest in the phablet market - it's should be ample enough.

Similar software but some variation

The Galaxy S6 edge Plus and the Galaxy Note 5 run on Android Lollipop with Samsung's TouchWiz interface on top. You'll get a very similar software experience from both devices in terms of the standard appearance but there are a couple of differences between these two devices.

The Galaxy S6 edge Plus has specific apps that take advantage of the dual-edge display while the Galaxy Note 5 has specific apps that take advantage of its S Pen. Both devices will offer Samsung Pay.

Conclusion

 The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 are almost identical in specs.

The Galaxy S6 edge Plus is slimmer and lighter, as well as more exciting in terms of design, but the Galaxy Note 5 will be appealing to previous Note users and those that want something a little less extreme in design. It also has the S Pen, which the Galaxy S6 edge Plus doesn't.

As everything aside from the design and some software features are identical - it isn't specs that will help you decide between these two smartphones. The decision will come down to budget, location and preference in design.

Related read: Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review: The new smartphone champion