Accompanying the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was its curvy brother, named the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. Bendable OLED display is a great concept that was formerly demonstrated by the company, but who could’ve thought that Samsung would breathe life to it so soon. By all means, the Galaxy Note Edge marks the entry of a highly innovated device into the smartphone market.
Interestingly, Samsung has chosen to retain all of the Galaxy Note 4 specs in the Note Edge. It remains to be seen if the curvy display will be sufficient in setting the Note Edge apart from its sibling.
It’s an appealing mobile phone with a bendable screen over one side. The extra screen space can be used in a variety of ways based upon the user’s preferences.
The rounded screen is highly noticeable. Curving off on the right hand side of the phone, it acts as a mini-screen.
Some users may find the curved screen to be positioned on the wrong side, but it doesn’t take very long to get used to its position. If you still find it difficult to get used to the right-sided curved screen, there’s yet another remedy that Samsung has offered. There is the option to completely flip the screen so the home button comes to the top of the screen.
The Samsung phone feels great in the hand. The extra screen dimension offers it a premium look that the Note 4 lacks. While the exact uses of the curved screen may be limited at the moment, it still has the wow factor you can expect from Samsung’s cutting-edge technology.
To make the screen more useable, Samsung has introduced a series of features and functions that can be added to the extra real estate that the phone offers. Items, such as time and date, Twitter, weather and news updates, stock information, and a calorie tracker can easily be incorporated. You can also put on a mini wallpaper to customize the curved area.
If you prefer a clean desktop, you can push important notifications, such as email, phone, Internet and messaging on the side. During video playback, the movie controls appear on the side screen, removing distractions during the video sessions. The curved edge can also deliver notifications without interrupting full-screen video viewing or gaming.
Making the curved screen work independent of the main display is also a positive step as it leaves room for users to customize the extra space in any way they like. It also enables you to use the curved screen while keeping the main display off.
The possibilities of the curved screen are virtually endless, but to make things lighter, Samsung has demonstrated some applications, such as viewing notifications discreetly by swiping the curved screen while the main display remains blank. Again, it may take a little time to get used to the swiping function on the curved edge. In fact, a tap function would’ve made more sense.
It also remains to be seen how the developers will perceive the screen and prepare themselves to enhance the functionality of their apps by complying with the innovative screen edge. Accordingly, Samsung has revealed its plan to keep the software development kit for the curved screen open to developers.
Owing to the similar AMOLED display and 2560 x 1440 2K resolution, the Note Edge appears as vibrant to the eye as the Note 4. In terms of screen size, it is slightly smaller than the Note 4 at 5.6-inch with an aspect ratio of 16:10. It also leaves smaller room for the underlying battery, which is slightly smaller than that of Note 4.
The design features remain more or less the same as the Note 4. It has the same faux leather back that offers a very good grip of the device. It also gets a metal banding around the edges for a more sophisticated feel. However, it still lacks the metallic casing seen in HTC One.
It gets a removable battery and a microSD card slot in the rear of the device.
The Note Edge is powered by a quad-core 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 process. It also gets 3GB of RAM.
It has a 16MP camera that comes with optical image stabilization, delivering decent images even when the lighting conditions are not very ideal. In selfie mode, the camera offers a wider angle, allowing you to capture a group of friends together.
Other new features that were added to the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4, such as heart rate monitor are also seen in the Note Edge. The heart rate sensor, which is located towards the rear of the device, can be used as trigger when using the phone’s camera for taking selfies.
It also receives an advanced S-Pen. It delivers two extra pen styles that include a highlighter and a fountain. The sensitivity of the S-Pen is notably higher than the Note 3, which is the predecessor of the Note Edge and Note 4. It is now more functional and accurate for taking notes and carrying out other functions. Among its new features includes the ability to highlight text, which has been made much simpler than the traditional method of using the fingers to execute this task. The S-Pen can also be used to shrink apps, giving you improved access of the homescreen.
A new prominent feature is the Snap Note. When you capture photos of paper notes, it automatically detects the edges and converts diagrams and texts into digital versions that can be edited. The color and size of the captured notes can also be edited. This is an especially useful feature for students who have to take notes.
Multi-tasking is also simplified as was seen in the Note 4. The multi-window feature can be used to keep two applications running in separate windows at the same time. You can, for instance, check flight options online while referring to your personal calendar.
While definitely an advanced phone, it gets a higher price tag than the Note 4. If you’re looking for an economical version of the phone, then perhaps the only option available to you at this point is to look online for Note Edge used mobile phones.
