CHILE: The Note Edge is one of two new Galaxy Notes, and will be the top of the Note line. The company isn’t disclosing details yet about the new models’ prices and availability, but I got some hands-on time with both at a press briefing. The phone runs Android’s KitKat operating system, not its latest Lollipop, and will be available in black and white.
Unlike other curved-screen phones, the Note Edge’s display is mostly flat: It’s just on the right-hand edge that it curves toward the case back. Samsung treats that curved space as a tall, skinny, dedicated area of the interface which it calls the Edge Panel.
What’s been less clear: why a consumer might get all that excited about buying a curved smartphone. The notion has been that they’re more comfy—in the hand when you hold them, and against your face when you make a call. But curved screens still feel like gimmicky technology in search of a practical application.
The design of the Note Edge could be an indication that Samsung is trying to turn heads. Samsung has recently struggled in the smartphone market, and the company has vowed to revamp at a fundamental level. The company reported its lowest operating profits in a few years last week, with a 74% decline in third-quarter income from the last year.
The Galaxy Note Edge is more than an expensive mobile sideshow attraction, though. The phone packs Quad HD on its massive 5.6-inch display and includes a 16-megapixel rear camera, plus a 3.7-megapixel front-facing camera (for selfies, of course).Samsung added that this phone the fastest-charging device of any of its smartphones. The battery can charge up to 50% in 30 minutes and last up to a day on a 10% charge. The phone runs Android’s KitKat operating system, not its latest loolipop, and will be available in black and white.
