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Is It Your Type?

The Galaxy Note Edge from Samsung is for phablet lovers who want a little something extra on the side. It offers all the great features found on the Note 4, but adds a unique, curved display that acts like a notification and control center on steroids. If you don't mind taking a chance on new things, the Note Edge shows promise beyond its unique display.

Body

The Note Edge carries over many of the Note 4's design features. In fact, from 10 feet away you might not be able to tell the two phones apart. That all changes when the screen lights up.

Like the Note 4, the Note Edge is made from several different materials, including glass, aluminum, and polycarbonate. It's awash in varying shades and accents that glint and gleam in the light. It follows in the same semi-conservative path as its predecessors from Samsung, aside from the obvious difference. It looks like the high-end handset that it is.

The glass surface curves very gently to where it meets the aluminum frame along the left, top, and bottom edges. It curves steeply to form the "edge" display along the right side, where the aluminum frame is far slimmer. Despite the curved glass, the aluminum frame is sharp all the way around the phone. You can easily catch your skin on it thanks to the polished, sharp chamfers. Apart from the chamfers, the frame has a matte paint job that looks good. The seam between the frame and rear polycarbonate (plastic) back plate is much smoother. The back plate is patterned to look like leather. It's a high-quality phone, despite the pleather.

The Note Edge is 3mm shorter than the Note 4, but also 3mm wider. Both phones are the same thickness at 8.4mm, and only 0.07 ounces separate their weight. It's a phablet, which means it's large, and somewhat heavy. My thumb can't reach the entire screen; it will be a two-handed device for most people. It's definitely more comfortable to hold in your right hand than your left. Southpaws, like myself, might not appreciate that overmuch. This is one phone that fits better in your pocket with the screen facing out, rather than in. It's still large, and will stretch the pockets of tight pants, but the curve of the screen helps it feel more comfortable when the plastic rear shell is against your leg.

Body  

Glass runs edge-to-edge across the front face. It's mostly black, save for the chrome-colored Samsung logo and the chrome accent that encircles the home button. The home button is excellent; I like both the profile and the action. It's flanked by two touch buttons for multitasking and navigation. Samsung perfected its haptic-feedback touch buttons long ago, and these work perfectly. There's a slit in the glass above the logo for the earpiece. The user-facing camera, notification light, and several sensors are also visible in the right light.

Samsung was forced to reposition many of the buttons due to the edge display forming the entire right side of the phone. The volume toggle is on the left. The flat surfaces are painted the same gray as the rest of the side surface, but the edges of the button are polished to help it stand out visually. The toggle itself has a great profile and excellent travel and feedback. The screen lock button has been moved from the right edge to the top. It has the same design as the volume toggle, and I like the action. Some might be disappointed that there's no hardware camera button, but I say don't worry about it too much (more on why later.) The headphone jack is on top and the USB port is on the bottom. The S Pen stylus is tucked into the bottom edge and is rather difficult to retrieve and replace. It's wedged in there pretty tightly.

The Note Edge's rear cover is removable. I could live without the fake leather texture, but it's better than the materials used on older Samsungs. It peels off with a bit of prying and snaps back in place just as easily. With the cover off, you have access to the battery, SIM card, and memory card slot. All three are easy to interact with. Many count a removable battery as a major selling point. I like that you can swap memory cards without pulling out the battery.

In short, it's a Note 4 with a smoother right edge.

Eric has been covering the mobile telecommunications industry for 17 years at various print and online publications. He studied at Rutgers Newark and University of Kentucky, and has a degree in writing. He likes playing guitar, attending concerts, listening to music, and driving sports cars.

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