It is not every day that we see real innovation in the smartphone battle, which is why
Samsung’s latest device, the
Galaxy Note Edge, is a pleasant change from most smartphones that follow the black slab form factor to a ‘T.’ While it boasts most of the specifications to match
Samsung’s brilliant Galaxy Note 4, the
Galaxy Note Edge introduces a unique curved edge that provides a secondary display, adding real value to the smartphone experience.
The Note Edge’s rounded screen is instantly noticeable. The display curves off on the right hand side of the device, with the curved edge effectively acting as a small second screen that you can swipe with your thumb. The curved display can be personalised and used as a dock for standard phone, message and email icons, or as a display for bits of information like weather updates, reminders and notifications, or even as a second screen which displays controls for video and camera apps.
Boasting a phablet-worthy 5.7 inch AMOLED screen with display resolution of 2560 pixels x 1440 pixels, the Note Edge’s display is sharp and vibrant, as expected from a top-of-the-line device. Design-wise, the Note Edge follows in the footsteps of the Note 4, including the same but improved soft faux leather back and metal banding around the outer edges for a premium feel, a definite improvement from the pure plastic of past Galaxy devices.
Available in black or white models, the Galaxy Note Edge comes with Android 4.4 version, and like the Note 4, packs in a quad-core 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM. Smartphone photography enthusiasts will be pleased with the 16 MP rear camera with Optical Image Stabilisation, which allows for incredibly detailed pictures and videos, while selfie-lovers will be more than satisfied with its front-facing 3.7 MP camera. A heart rate monitor which doubles up as a fingerprint scanner at the rear of the Note Edge is catered towards the health conscious amongst us. For the media hoarders, the Note Edge packs in 32GB of internal memory, expandable up to 128GB via a microSD slot.
The Note Edge’s battery life is also praiseworthy, lasting a full day of fairly intensive use, and the ability to fast charge to 50 percent in 30 minutes is a god sent. Further, the Note Edge packs in features like S-Pen, Download Booster, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, MHL 3.0, IR Blaster, Gesture sensor, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic sensor, Gyroscope, RGB ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Barometer, Hall Sensor, making this one nothing short of a mean machine.
Yantrick’s Verdict: The Galaxy Note Edge is a gorgeous-looking smartphone boasting high-end specifications. Its curved second screen although a welcome upgrade has made the phone pricey with Note Edge retailing for above Rs 90,000.