Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Review

Introduction

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is a one-of-a-kind, limited-edition device that stands out with a screen that wraps around one of its edges, hence justifying the ‘Edge’ name. We’ve seen curved-screen phones, and other trickery in devices, but it’s the first time that you get such an ‘edge’ that acts as a secondary display that you can control separately from the main screen. You can use it for notifications, quick shortcuts to apps, as well as a quick ticker for information that you care about - stocks, weather, sport scores, and so on.

Apart from this important little detail, though, the Note Edge - introduced alongside the Note 4 - looks very similar to its sibling. It is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 system chip with 3GB of RAM on board, features an identical 16-megapixel camera with optical stabilization, and plentiful 32GB of internal storage. The Note Edge also comes with the signature S Pen stylus that you can use to jot down notes and make more precise selections.

How does this combination of a wrap-around ticker screen, S Pen functionality, and powerful hardware combine in the Edge? And how big of a change does that little edge make to everyday use? Is the much higher price justified? Read on to find out.

In the box:

• Wall charger (with fast charge support)
• microUSB cable
• Headset
• S Pen tip ejector tool, reserve S Pen tips
• User manual

Design

The Note Edge with its curved rim is a bit of a challenge to handle as you have to be careful to not touch something on the edge screen accidentally.

The curved rim is what defines the appearance of the Galaxy Note Edge: it changes the way you hold the phablet, and the way you use it. One simply cannot overlook the added curve: it requires you to pay extra attention to the way you hold the phone and do it in a specific way in order to avoid accidentally pressing something on the curved rim (and while we got used to it after a while, we imagine this could be an issue for many). Also, with the edge screen being on the right side, the power/lock key is now moved to the top of the phone, making it inconveniently hard to reach. Apart from that, physical keys (also including the volume rocker on the left) are clicky and easy to press. In case you’re wondering what happens if you drop the phone on its edge, we should say that there is a metal frame that is slightly more protruded, so it would hit the ground first. This and the fact that Samsung has stressed that it uses a special, strengthened glass for the Note Edge, should be a reassurance.

Save for the bent rim, though, the handset is designed very similar to the Note 4: it has a similar, sturdy metal frame, a faux-leather plastic back cover that you can easily peel off, and a slight camera hump. Up front, you have the large physical home key that houses the fingerprint scanner.

Nestled in the bottom left edge of the Note Edge is the signature S Pen. It’s the same one as in the Note 4, and it is now easier to take it out (it was a bit of a struggle to chop it off on the Note 3, for instance).