This is the Galaxy Note Edge: Samsung's exciting new phablet with a bent display

Samsung reserves the IFA stage in Berlin for some of the best in its product line-up and today besides the Galaxy Note 4, it added a new member to its flagship phablet family with the Galaxy Note Edge. The name of the phone is down to the bent display on the right hand side, which seems to stretch the screen beyond the bezel.   We first saw this kind of a display last year at CES and Samsung had called it Yuom. That’s the party piece in the Galaxy Note Edge, which takes a fantastic sounding Note 4 and adds an exciting new design and functionality element.   In terms of specs, the Note Edge is very much like the Note 4, and also has the same 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display, but it features an extra 160 pixels on the X axis and as a result Samsung can get away with calling it a QHD+ display. The resulting resolution is a scarcely believable 1,600x2,560, the highest resolution on a smartphone currently. It’s not just a fancy bend for the display though. When  locked, the curved side will show Quick Glance info such as the time and pending notifications and upon waking up the main display, the side displays shortcuts for timer or the flashlight shortcuts.   [caption id=“attachment_232186” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The side display can hold shortcuts to apps and functions[/caption]   Users get the option of assigning shortcuts to the side when using he phone, and can even turn it into a Twitter timeline or stock market ticker. Samsung has managed to pack in virtual desktop like working environments which can be switched using the side display or you could also navigate the homescreen or app drawer using this edge. Or you can use it to enhance multitasking by switching between several screens (think virtual desktops). Event switching between the pages of the homescreen or the app drawer is also handled by the curved side. Within the camera and video player apps, the side will host controls and there’s even an API soon to come out so that developers can add functions for their apps in this space.   The Note Edge has a slightly smaller 3000 mAh battery, but it shares much of the other internals with the Note 4. This includes the choice of either a Snapdragon 805 or Exynos 5433 chipset, depending on the market Android 4.4 KitKat with all the TouchWiz extras and the same 16MP OIS camera and S Pen stylus as in the N4.   [caption id=“attachment_232184” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Will the Note Edge do for Samsung what the original Note did?[/caption]   If the original Galaxy Note changed the market forever with the introduction of the phablet, the Note Edge is another mark of innovation from a company too often derided for its gaudy materials and boring design. Yes, at the end of the day, it’s just a way for Samsung to show the world that they are still a trend-setter, but the company has managed to use some interesting software elements for this novel addition. However, we cannot be certain that the Edge will do for Samsung what the original Galaxy Note did. After all, it’s still a rather novel concept, but something that we are truly excited about.