On Wednesday, Samsung officially unveiled their newest flagship smartphones - Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is the latest and largest version of Samsung's popular hybrid smartphone/tablet device while the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is a clone of the Note 4 except that the Note Edge's screen is slightly smaller at 5.6 inches but features a curved edge.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
The Note 4 has a 5.7-inch AMOLED display (2560x1440 resolution display). According to Samsung, with an enhanced high-definition 5.7-inch screen, the Galaxy Note 4 offers clearer and more vivid images with deep contrast,s well as better viewing angles, and response times as fast as a millionth of a second.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 specs:
- 5.7-inch Quad HD display (2560 x 1440)
- 2.7GHz quad-core processor (or 1.9GHz Octa-core, depending on region)
- Android 4.4 KitKat with all the new TouchWiz features
- 16-megapixel camera with Smart OIS; 3.7MP front-facing camera
- 32GB built-in storage, with microSD card support (up to 64GB)
- 3GB of RAM
- 3220mAh Li-ion battery
They has also enhanced its ‘Multi Window’ feature, which aims to make multi-tasking easier by accessing apps with full, split or pop-up screens and quickly altering their size and positioning.
Samsung has upgraded the camera technology on the Galaxy Note 4, now features a 16MP sensor with optical image stabilization and the front-facing camera has a 3.7MP sensor (matching the pixel count of the screen) and a fast f/1.9 aperture. Samsung says the camera also offers 60 percent better low-light performance.
Other enhancements include an improved fingerprint scanner and what Samsung is touting as the world’s first UV sensor in a mobile device.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 features 3 microphones for noise suppression that is so advanced that a special app can silence selected sources of noise from an audio recording.
The Galaxy Note 4 has a metal frame like the Galaxy Alpha and there's still a faux-leather style on the back, but the small changes go a long way to making this new Note look much better than what came before it, which will come in Frosted white, Charcoal black, Bronze Gold and Blossom Pink. There's no water resistance.
Naturally, the S Pen is back as well, allowing the phone to be controlled with a stylus. Samsung says that the Note 4 has double the pressure sensitivity of the Note 3.
There's a 3,220mAh battery powering the phablet and you can add the optional Qi wireless charging panel.
The smartphone also come with 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage that can be expand through MicroSD (up to 64GB). The smartphone will be runing Android 4.4 KitKat with all the new TouchWiz features.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
The Galaxy Note Edge is, in almost every respect, a Galaxy Note 4. Almost all of the specs on the Note Edge are carried over from the Galaxy Note 4, including the 2560 by 1440 pixel resolution, Snapdragon 805 processor and 16-megapixel camera, all of which add up to a very capable smartphone.
The biggest difference is that it includes a 5.6-inch display instead of a 5.7-inch display, but it's otherwise the same.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge specs:
- Processor: 2.7 GHz Quad-Core
- Display: 5.6 inches (141.9mm) Quad HD+ Suiper AMOLED (2560 x 1440)
- Operating System: Android 4.4 (KitKat)
- Rear camera: 16 Megapixel Auto Focus camera with Smart OIS
- Front camera: 3.7 Megapixel
- Memory: 32/64 GB internal and microSD slot (up to 64 GB)
- RAM: 3GB
- Dimensions: 151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3 mm
- Weight: 174 grams
With the Edge, Samsung is offering a practical use for the curvature. While the main screen remains flat like previous phones, the right edge extends and curves until it reaches the back.
As it pops out of the phone it can even be used when the cover is closed. The curved screen can also display notifications at the top and bottom while viewing a video without disruption. Thee right hand side of the Edge, which is curved, is where notifications and other icons appear.
That creates a side display so information such as weather and time can be seen from the side when the phone is laid on a table or nightstand. With the side display, the phone's camera functions more like a stand-alone, point-and-shoot camera, as the shutter button and other functions appear on top when the phone is held horizontally
The edge can also be used for notifications, or to provide a contextual screen for the app you are using. You can even display the clock on the edge while laying the device, say, flat next to your bed, while the main screen is otherwise dark.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be available in the U.S. in October with the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge available later in the fall. The devices with be available at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. U.S. Cellular will also carry the Galaxy Note 4, but the pricing isn't announced just yet.
