Samsung is not lagging behind when it comes to innovation and brilliant ideas. As a matter of fact, most of their inventions end up getting picked up on the way by electronics producers all over the globe. Be it phablets or curved smartphone bodies and displays, Samsung has been there. Now, the Korean giant seems to have had new ideas and ways to apply the curved screen technology into the next great thing: the Galaxy Note Edge.
While its classic brother was far from being called a disappointment and actually created a lot of hype on its behalf, Samsung still decided to push it further with a second, slightly delayed release of a variant on the original Galaxy Note 4.
The difference between models came as a surprise to most, incorporating the curved display concept in a new, different way. The variant, known as Galaxy Note 4 Edge reveals a more unusual frame, with the right hand side of the screen slanting and curving around the edge into a separate, thin display showing icons and notifications of its own, interactive through a capacitive touchscreen surface.
Samsung’s Curved Display – A Bold Innovation
The result of this new, peculiar functionality really does add up to the phone’s productivity once you get used to it. Whether it’s just checking time, latest notifications, news or weather, using the side screen will not interrupt the content on your main display, actually giving it more space for anything you decide to put it to use for.
Just like the regular display, the side screen is a simple tool to use and still offers some versatility in customizing it, giving you free reign of what you want it to do, what shortcuts to hold and when to come into effect. Developers have named it a revolving UI that really ends up acting like a multifunctional home screen that you swipe through to navigate through widgets and advance, ultimately circling back to the beginning.
Regular applications such as the camera app will make use of the extra space the edge has to give by moving options and control keys to the side to ensure you can set up your photos perfectly. In addition, swiping from the top of the Edge screen will give you access to a range of tools you can use on the go, such as a flashlight, timer, voice recorder and a convenient ruler. The Edge’s functionality is a very subtle way Samsung is allowing you to check notifications or other pieces of information without having to turn your phone on and unlock it, making it excellent for use during meetings or on-the-go situations.
Design Pros & Cons
The phablet certainly doesn’t inspire the friendliest user experience on first look, we’ll give you that. In spite of the screen being almost the exact same size as its classic counterpart, adding the strip screen on the right hand edge does make the device wider and not the most comfortable thing to hold in one hand. Surprisingly however, most users have mentioned that they were surprised with how much the side screen does NOT really affect the state of business.
The asymmetrical design might at one point suggest that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Edge is biased only towards right-hand users but there was no way the company would have left that through, is it? With the 180 degree rotation capability added in the fray, the phablet can immediately suit lefties just as well, displaying the curved edge on the left side and rotating all the content around for your use.
To top it off, the trademark stylus that comes with the phone can be used on both the flat face and the curved edge as well. Not only that, but with this occasion the S Pen has been given some attention, granting it mouse-like controls that allow copy-pasting, dragging, window resizing and extra amount of functionality.
Short Overview of Specs & Performance
Technical specification-wise, the Galaxy Note Edge is in no way different form its classic counterpart. The Quad HD resolution display, despite the glass-covered curved strip on the side, is still an impressive 5.6” screen, slightly wider than the original, making the whole device measure 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm.
In term of processing units, it has been endowed with the best the marked held at the time of release – more specifically a Qualcomm 2.7 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 805, the only technologies to surpass it right now being the newer versions of the same brand, Snapdragon 808 and 810 respectively, only planned to be incorporated into early 2015 releases such as the fabled Samsung Galaxy S6 that everybody has been talking about.
A hefty 3 GB of RAM awaits on this phablet champion, making it a viable competitor for many full-fledged tablets and even modest laptops in terms of performance, giving you a mere 8.3mm thin, flexible device to take care of most of your computerized responsibilities of the day.
The camera of the Galaxy Note Edge was originally planned to be a 20 megapixel monster but then reduced to a lower, 16 MP sibling. It is, however, packed with goodies to make up for the slightly lower resolution: optical image stabilization to reduce the motion blur you might be getting when taking photos on the run with a fast autofocus and rich HDR tones. Besides the powerful rear camera, the Galaxy Note Edge is complimented by a 3.7 megapixel front-facing camera that has received a rather unusual but frankly, easy to explain focus on selfie quality, giving two options for 90 degree selfie, and a 120 degree “wide-selfie” option.
Still no Lollipop for Samsung Flagships
The only downside of the Galaxy Note Edge at the current time is its operating system – with Android 5.0 Lollipop making a spectacular entry in the kingdom of Android devices, you would hope the new phablet would be the lucky host of the revamped OS. Sadly, the Edge only brings the Android 4.4.4 KitKat to the table, with no news of when the Lollipop update will be hitting this model. Currently, the latest spin-off of the Android operating system is only being tested on a select number of models, with the promise of the update being pushed to most Android devices by the beginning of February 2015.
Release information & Prices
Although the announcement for the Galaxy Note 4 Edge has been made in a timely manner, it wasn’t until November 3rd that carriers started to announce the actual release date for the phablet. Official Samsung statements set it on course for release and delivery on the 14th of November for most carriers, while AT&T seized the opportunity and rushed the device to the keen solicitors a whole week early, on November 7th.
1. AT&T
While news of an early release boomed all over the United States when the carrier made the statement, there was a fair amount of confusion as to what being “on display” in select retail locations entailed. Originally, the device was reported to be a limited edition model available in fixed quantities that was going to come in on a “country by country” basis. That was later on dropped as the Galaxy Note Edge decided to stick and is still being delivered and sold in most retail stores. It was announced at the same time with the Galaxy Note 4, as well as Gear Circle and Gear VR.
AT&T is currently offering the phone with various price plans and contracts. Purchasing the phone with no commitment will cost you a total of $945.99. If you’re looking at starting up with AT&T or just to renew your 2-year contract, you can get as low as $399.99, provided you decide to stick with the company for that long. As an alternative to the previous offers, you can also opt for monthly installment payments for 12, 18 and 24 months respectively. The 12-month plan will cost you a monthly $47.30, the 18-month long would mean an additional $39.42 to your regular price plan, while the 24-month installment will go as low as $31.54 per month.
2. Verizon
This particular carrier has chosen to remain relatively quiet on the matter instead of jumping on the bandwagon of releasing the Galaxy Note 4 Edge early. As a matter of fact, we are two weeks into December already and the release of the phablet is still not set to a date. Visiting the phone’s webpage on www.verizonwireless.com only displays a sign-up option for release information and preorder updates that promises to send you regular updates to your e-mail.
So far, the only e-mail received on the matter was a pretty discouraging “The device you want is coming SOON.” reply, with no further ado or pleasantries. While the webpage is flowing with specs and capability information, we have yet to see any other information on behalf of Verizon, including pricing or price plan offers for it. The only encouraging piece of news that we have received on the matter is that on the 19th of November, the Verizon Galaxy Note 4 Edge passed through the FCC, giving it the pass for the United States.
3. Sprint
The carrier, quick on its toes to follow in the as-soon-as-possible trend of releasing new devices, took it upon itself to offer the Galaxy Note 4 Edge on the 14th of November, preorders having started a considerable amount of time prior to the actual launch. It was announced and confirmed as a Sprint-supported device along with the classic version and the Gear VR, promising customers a 24 hour delivery for the ones who signed up for a 2 year contract with it.
In comparison to AT&T, Sprint is making the device available at a lower full retail price – $840.00 if you don’t want to be bound by a 2-year contract. With a contract commitment however, the Galaxy Note 4 Edge does not go under the $429.00 threshold. Sprint only offers 24 month long installment payments, which will be taxing you $35 every month over a period of 2 years, summing up to the grand total of $840 + taxes.
4. T-Mobile
T-Mobile also started selling and delivering the Galaxy Note Edge early on the 14th of November, giving their customers a chance at the newest Samsung release for a 24-month plan. The pricing has been set at a stable $36.25 per month, totaling a price of $870 over the length of 2 years, without any other payment options as of right now.
5. US Cellular
In a press report before the Galaxy Note Edge made it live, it was announced that while the classic version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will arrive in October, the Edge would only make its appearance in the stories after the holidays. There is no set date for the device’s launch yet, but we are probably looking at January 2015 for the phablet to make it live via US Cellular.
It was a surprise arrival nevertheless, the company having not made any statement on whether it will be selling the Galaxy Note 4 Edge back in September when it was first announced. The classic version of the phone is currently on sale in both the online and retail shops of the carrier at a full price of $749.00, allowing us to estimate that the Edge version will probably be set at around $900 when it does hit the shelves.
User Reviews & Reception
There’s a continuous trend in the world of technology and mobile communication that rules the way most new devices are received upon release. The 2-3 month-long hype ends in either long lines in front of retail stores or UPS vans being waited for like it’s Christmas night. Upon getting their hands on the Galaxy Note 4 Edge, consumers seemed to have split in two camps. A common opinion is undoubtedly the fact that the device packs a top-notch series of specs and competes with most other phablets in a bold and fearless manner.
The difference however sticks its head out when the discussion swings towards the utility of the curved screen. While the general opinion cannot deny its innovative nature that marks the initial steps towards a huge change in future technology, many users have questioned whether this one, tiny difference is worth the considerable price difference between the classic Note 4 and the Edge.
Most people who have purchased it however seem to be happy with the phone that, in some respects seems to be more of a fashion statement than a mandatory feature; and to the tech lovers this would surely allow the owner to stand out. The other side of the battlefield however decides to hold on to their finances in expectancy of Samsung’s next big thing: the rumored Galaxy S6 that has been said to be adopting the curved screen on both sides, hopefully with revolutionary utility.
