Can Samsung's Galaxy Note 'Edge' Past Apple's iPhone 6? | TechTree.com

Can Samsung's Galaxy Note 'Edge' Past Apple's iPhone 6?

Samsung really wants to show people they can do things no one else can

 

Samsung knows it has to fend off the competition from Apple in the Phablet space this year, and for that very reason has decided not to put all its eggs in the Galaxy Note 4 basket. Enter the Galaxy Note Edge, a phone that's a way for Samsung to tell people it can do things with technology that no one else can.

The Galaxy Note Edge is very similar to the Note 4 in almost all aspects, save for the 5.6-inch bent display and some hardware variances that are caused due to it. The device is equipped with a Quad HD+ display, the + representing the extra 160 rows of pixels to the side of the display that make up the edge of the phone.

Those extra rows of pixels aren't just there for eye candy, but serve as an addition to the workspace by displaying icons, menus, notifications and who knows what else. Despite being a part of the same display panel, users will be able to work the edge independently, helping clear up clutter from the main screen.

Thanks to the bend in the display, the Galaxy Note Edge is 3.8mm wider, but Samsung has cut 2.2mm out of the height of the device when compared to the Note 4. The device also gets a smaller 3,000mAh battery, but other than that it's powered by the same processor, and pretty much every other specification remains the same.

Even the design of the device is very similar to the Note 4, with Samsung doing a commendable job of tying in the bend in the display with the overall theme. The Note Edge will be priced at a premium to the Note 4, but it should be worth the bragging rights of owning the world's first phone to feature a bent display.

The Note Edge will be mass produced and sold all over the world, and the company says it should go on sale sometime this fall which is in line with that of the Note 4. However, there are a few problems, that could make the device not everyone's cup of tea.

Since only one edge of the screen is bent, the Note Edge is optimised for right handed use only. While Samsung says flipping the phone to use is with your left hand is an easy fix, it doesn't solve the problem if you're someone who uses the home button a lot, apart from making it harder to do things like make phone calls.

Still, there are a lot of right handed people out there who the device could appeal to, but the next big problem could put them off too. Currently there isn't so much you can do with the bend in the screen - Yes it clears up the screen and puts controls in an position that is easy to access with your thumb, but is it worth it?

Samsung says it will open up the SDK for developers to take advantage of the bend, boosting the functionality, but even then we're a bit skeptical. We're still not sure how useful a bent display will be, but for Samsung its just another way telling people they can do things even Apple can't.


TAGS: Samsung, Galaxy Note Edge, GALAXY Note 4, Phablet, iPhone 6, IFA 2014

 
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