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One of the year’s most talked about and interesting smartphones has hit finally hit the markets. It’s the Galaxy Note Edge with its curved edge, potentially standing out from the rest of the clutter out there. But how useful is it to have a curved edge? Or is it simply something for owners to brag about? We’ll find out here on Absolute Geeks’ review of the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.
The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is almost identical to the Note 4 in terms of specs, features, hardware and software; save for a few minor differences here and there and the obvious difference that stands out which is the curved display on the side.
Check our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 here for full details on performance, software and specs. We’ll be focusing in this review on the features exclusive to the Note Edge.
Build
The Note Edge is identical to the Note 4 in its shape and build save for a couple of notable differences. The first being the curved edge display (more on that later) and the power button which has been relocated to the top from the right side to make room for that curved display.
Having the power button on the top poses a couple of disadvantages:
- It’s easier to press the side button on larger phones than reaching out all the way to the top edge
- Those who are used to Galaxy devices, or any large display smartphones for that matter, will require some time to get used to the shift
That said, it’s not that much of a problem once you get used to it.
That side curve has another very small affect on the phone. The main flat screen is 0.1 inches smaller than that of the Note 4 at 5.6 inches instead of 5.7. You’re probably thinking “Seriously?!”, we like to be thorough and accurate in our reviews 🙂
On a more serious note, one impactful difference between the Note Edge and Note 4 is the battery size. The Note 4 comes with a 3,220 mAh battery, while the Note Edge has a slightly smaller one at 3,000 mAh. That pretty much kills between 1 to 2 hours of battery life between them. For many, 1 to 2 hours make a big difference on a daily basis. That said, 3,000 mAh is still quite a sizable battery which comfortably lasts between 9-10 hours a day with moderate usage in regular mode (in comparison, the iPhone 6 Plus’ battery is 2,915 mAh.). There’s always Power Saving and Ultra Power Saving modes to help stretch its life to the limits.
The Edge
This is what you’re probably interested in reading/knowing about the most. The curved edge sits on the right side of the phone, making it optimal for right-handed people. There’s an option that can be enabled to flip the screen upside down for left handed people to hold the phone the other way around. Of course that would mean that now the power button and capacitive back and running apps buttons are at the top side and the phone speaker is at the bottom. Which means the user would have to flip the phone again every time they need to make a call. Not very handy and while Samsung tried to accommodate left handed users, it is clear that this phone is built for what arguably be the majority of users out there, the right-handed people.
The edge houses interchangeable and scrollable panels. The default one has shortcuts to some of the primary apps, namely, Phone, Contacts, Messages, Internet, Camera, Google Play, and a Google apps folder. These are customizable where you can pretty much add/remove any app you have. There’s also no limit to how many shortcuts you can add as the panel is vertically scrollable as well.
Scrolling left or right brings up other panels like your Twitter feed, latest news headlines, weather, fitness data, among others. These panels are all customizable and interchangeable. More panels can also be downloaded and added from the Samsung app store, Galaxy Apps.
Scrolling from the upper edge downwards brings up a built in set of shortcuts to a Ruler where the edge turns into a proper ruler measuring up to 10 cm (4 inches) at a time. You can also choose between cm and inches. Other shortcuts include a stopwatch, timer, torch on/off toggle, and voice note recorder. These are not customizable and not changeable.
One of the nicest features of the edge display is the Night Clock. You can set when you’d like it to start and stop (say 11PM to 8AM) and the edge display will turn into a nice little night clock for you to glance over on the night stand by your bed’s side.
The above are things you can do with the edge display while you’re on the home screens. If you’re using any app, the edge display switches off, slightly retracts and displays a constant faint writing of your choice. But it can be called into action again by simply swiping it sideways and it also shows your notifications whenever they arrive, replacing the usual notifications location at the top status bar of the phone. Naturally, these notifications are clickable or dismissible. List of notifications can be found in the usual place by swiping the status bar downwards.
One thing that we were disappointed with here is that you cannot use an app and view live updates on the edge display at the same time. As mentioned above, once an app is opened and is in use, the edge display turns off and retracts. If you pull it out again focus from the app is lost, yet it’s still open. Tap anywhere on the opened app again and the edge display shuts down again.
The edge display is particularly handy when the camera is in use. The camera’s main buttons are now placed on the edge display, freeing up space on the main display’s sides, giving you uninterrupted photo taking/viewing experience. The photo-taking button is one of those buttons, giving the feeling like you’re clicking the upper edge to take a picture, like you would with a regular point and shoot camera, albeit with a slight tilt.
It is clear that Samsung is positioning the edge display as a place where live updates can be viewed and shortcuts can be accessed without interrupting whatever is taking place on the main display, as long as you’re on the home screen, which we found to be a little redundant. It adds value by replacing a few widgets and shortcuts on your home screens, freeing up some precious space there. It also allows for the live updates and shortcuts to be accessed regardless of the app currently in use. Beyond that, it’s quite pretty to have and look at.
Everything Else
Beyond that, the Note Edge is pretty much the same as the Note 4 in every way. The S-Pen wielding, multi-tasking powerhouse and feature packed smartphone is ever present in the Note Edge.
The display is superb and the camera is highly impressive and a massive update from its predecessor, the Note 3.
For all other intents and purposes, the Note Edge is a Note 4 with an added edge (see what we did there!).
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is everything the Note 4 is and a bit more. We dubbed the Note 4 as the King of all Phablets. Perhaps this makes the Note Edge its pretty Queen. The edge display does look sexy and provides some handy functionality and an extra “edge” to the very impressive smartphone. It looks pretty and is handy to have. Is it needed or a must have? No. Is it nice to have? Yes. Is it an addition worth the AED 3,500 ($950) price tag? No, it is not. But we’re guessing Samsung doesn’t intend for the Note Edge to be a mass market type of device the Note 4 is. It’s targeting a niche market with users looking for that little extra kick and differentiation in their smartphone. That extra edge!
