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WHILE SAMSUNG IS committed to lowering the number of devices it will release this year, it’s still as busy as ever.
After announcing three new devices as part of its A range (the A3, A5 and A7) in quick succession and to maintain competitiveness, it’s easy to forget that it also released two new phones before the Christmas period.
While the Note 4 was released here two months ago, the Galaxy Edge made its way here last month, but even with Christmas out of the way, it’s still worth a look.
Look and feel
Since the screen curves off on the right-hand side, the lack of symmetry means holding it takes a little bit of getting used to.
When you’re picking it up from a flat surface, the curved screen makes it a little difficult to get a proper grip at first, resulting in a few slips here and there initially. You get better over time, but for those initial first few days, it’s something you need to keep track of.
Apart from that, the design is virtually similar to the Note 4. Aluminium frame, removable leather backing and a Gorilla Glass screen. This isn’t a bad thing as both devices are quite easy on the eye and the curved screen does add a bit of intrigue to it.
Hardware and software
Comparing it to the Galaxy Note 4, the Edge is practically similar in software but has a small downgrade in hardware. The S Pen is there for productivity, the camera has virtually the same specs and feature, and while the layout of the home screen is a little different, the same features are still there. The only major difference is the Edge itself (which we’ll get to later).
Regarding hardware, the Note Edge isn’t as powerful as the Note 4 – it has only one quad-core CPU processor compared to the Note 4′s three – although the screen quality is just that little bit better. That said, games like Goat Simulator run fine and there’s was no evidence of slowdown when dealing with the more demanding parts.
Although there’s an unexpected weak point: the battery. Compared to the Note 4, it just isn’t as good as you would expect, lasting roughly a day and a bit through average use. It has a slightly smaller battery and is effectively powering two screens, but you will be charging every evening with just a bit of power to spare.
Living with the edge
Considering just how apparent it is when you start it up, this will be the feature that will help you decide whether to go for a Note or an Edge.
In its most basic form, the edge is really a quick way to access the most popular apps on your phone. It’s pretty easy to customise and swiping across to bring up different strips (for want of a better term) containing notifications, updates and alerts is a nice touch.
There’s also a ruler feature should you find yourself in a dilemma that can only be solved by measuring a 10cm or less objects, and a night mode, allowing you to use the edge as a bedside clock without having to activate it.
The only thing to note, however, is the strip usually takes up a small bit of your screen when accessing an app. For the most part, that’s not a big deal, but when you’re typing something for example, it does make it a little difficult to hit the buttons located on the edge without hitting a shortcut or notification, which is a minor niggle.
Also, notifications come in through the side, meaning you will have to turn the phone sideways to read it properly.
Having the features the edge brings is nice, but it’s not essential by any means, it’s just a less intrusive way of accessing certain information. When it’s not in use, it just displays a custom message, but you can download extra strips to use later should you need more notifications or info to cycle through and as a starting point, there’s enough there to get you started.
If you’re left-handed, things aren’t as awkward as you think as you can flip the screen 180-degrees. Although it’s easy to forget this setting when you’re answering your phone and realising the speaker and microphone are the wrong way around.
The other factor is the camera, the shutter button and all associated settings are located on the edge which isn’t the best position, either at the top or bottom.
The tradeoff is there’s almost nothing obstructing your view but it means that taking one-handed photos is going to be a bit awkward, but then again, the size of the phone means you’ll be using both hands anyway.
Summary
Just like the Note 4, the Galaxy Edge is well-built and solid to hold, but the main selling point doesn’t add up to more than a nice feature. In the greater scheme of things, there’s not enough there to make it a genuine selling point and it’s not something you would miss terribly if you had to revert back to a more traditional phone.
If you’re the kind of person who absolutely needs to access the same few apps at a moment’s notice, it’s going to be handy, but on balance, you’re probably better off going for the Note 4.
If Samsung decide to make this a regular feature for its more prominent phones, like it did with the Galaxy Alpha, then it will be received warmly. You can see that thought has gone into this, but it needs to think about how it ties into the overall experience for normal users as concepts will only bring it so far.
Pros
- Great screen and build.
- Sloped side-screen works well for both right- and left-handed people.
- Most of the Note 4′s features are transferred here without problems.
Cons
- Battery life is a little disappointing.
- Curved screen makes it slightly awkward to grip.
- Specs aren’t as good at the Note 4′s.
The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is available in Vodafone (€149 – €349 Bill Pay & €829 PAYG)
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The Irish banks are the problem; they are not part of the solution.
The Irish banks, when unleashed on defaulting home mortgagors, will cause pandemonium and will trigger even greater holes in their capital adequacy. The Irish banks are actually insolvent. Some buy to let lending on property is just a superficial pretence that they are back in business.
The elephant in the room is that the Irish banks are bust, insolvent, broken, wrecked and no one wants to recognise that hard reality.
The true extent of mortgage debt default has not yet been properly accounted for by the Banks.
One magazine broadly agrees with your analysis.
http://moneyweek.com/money-morning-ireland-irish-economy-property-and-stocks-60900/
one room to the other room lucky to have the house ..who do you think you are codding Mr Kenny
The emperor has no clothes. Today does not change our dismal economic reality. Combined public and household debt is unsustainable. The burden of debt is too great for Ireland.
The reality is that Ireland is a failed economic state and a steadily failing economy. We can deny that reality for a while but reality will will come knocking on the door.
Platitudes about recovering part of our sovereignty are meaningless and trite.
The article above is a much needed reality check but people will not listen to that reality.
The dismal legacy of he false boom years is a permanent yoke on the necs of the Irish people who, according to Enda Kenny, have only themselves to blame.
The Banks will continue to pursue strategies which are mildly beneficial to the banks but deeply damaging to a failing economy. The mortgage impairment crisis in 2014 and 2015 will be the final nail in the coffin. There is no escaping our fate. The centre cannot hold.
Damien is right to point out the myth that banks have much interest in the real economy of businesses, employment and production of goods and services.
The real economy is merely a sideline that gains them entry to the real game of rent extraction in partnership with the rich, plus, recently, the marvellous public ‘insurance’ that ensures any losses are passed on to ordinary citizens or ‘socialised’.
Globally, this ‘laissez faire’ model has been promoted thru’ deregulation over decades.
Banks have become funds for the purchase of existing assets to be rented out at excessive profit and/or capital gains, with a banking licence tacked on.
Integration with the payments system and various cross connected derivative bets ensure that any failure topples them all in a domino effect, so that governments are obliged to cover any losses they make. This construction was no accident, rather quite deliberate.
And absolutely nothing has been done about it by the political classes. In fact, these ‘systemically’ important ‘too big to fail’ banks are now bigger than ever.
The payments system banking of the high street needs to be separated, as it was following the 1929 crash, from the casino and ‘derivative’ bet banking operations, as a minimum.
But it would appear that the banking lobby has already effectively bought politics and most of the public service advisers, media and mainstream academe.
Mike Hall, well and truly said.
DEFAULT THE ONLY OPTION
So Damien you are basically saying young Irish Citizens were screwed by developers in the noughties, screwed by the Troika for the past three years, and are going to be screwed by bankers and vulture capitalists for the rest of there lives. How did we let this happen under our noses and did nothing?
Welcome to Ireland David. The elite in this country screw it up time and time again. Generation after generation. Just watch reeling in the years, its the same story decade after decade. The PAYE worker foots the bill, and theres no accountability for those who screw it up.
The PAYE will pay.
The law should be set up in away that if the borrower can’t service the loan he just has to hand back the house ,the bank made a decision when they loan the money that the value was in it ,I know it Is not a simple as it sound,s but some mechanism could be worked out ,it would make them more cautious ,it would alter the power they have and stop the big jump in value and it would also control the house selling agents that were riding the wave .
Actually it is as simple as it sounds and works in places such as the US. There are several advantages to the system one of which is that banks that push up a property bubble by imprudent lending pay the cost when mortgages default and they can’t just hound the borrowers forever.
Foreclosure is the name of that system but now it is too late for that solution. The Irish Banks will find that they can’t get blood out of a stillness.
It was the lending policies of the Banks which caused the massive asset bubble. Now they will try to get their pound of flesh. They will fail. The money is not there. The reality is that any home possessions will simply crystallise large losses.
The banks will end up carrying out massive write downs but only after they have caused untold misery.
The situation is totally unsustainable but we comfort ourselves with the delusion that we have successfully exited the bail out.
At least we no longer have to hear commentators describe the Irish electorate as the most intelligent and sophisticated in the world. This electorate putFianna Fáil coalitions into government three times in a row. Madness.
A property obsessed nation followed its love affair with property like a moth to a flame.
Property has been our destruction hastened by plentiful cheap euros.
The Baron of Ballsbridge showed us the madness at work but he was just holding up a mirror to the rest of us.
Ronan Lyons explains here the stimulus for a “no brainer” speculative culture.
http://www.ronanlyons.com/2009/06/12/property-a-shining-example-of-never-a-better-time-to-save/
Most newspapers want this reality hidden from us so their beloved coalition can boast about “regaining sovereignty”
“A Nation once again” – me hole.
It is rather depressing reading the above and the comments. What a mess this country is. I think the saddest thing is the meek reaction of the people. Where is our fight or sense of pride? Why are we not standing up for ourselves.
I guess the reality is that the majority are comfortable enough – in jobs and without huge debts – and not overly willing to see any real change. For the minority who are unemployed or underemployed it is a case of suck it up.
What hope is there for young people who want to get decent employment, start a family and have a home? People are simply locked out with no opportunity. What a legacy has been left.
Where do you arrive at the figure of 52% of pay deducted in Paye/Prsi & Usc? If a Single person is on €33k, they pay €7900 in the three taxes. That works out at 23.8%. A long way off 52%
Good analysis! Question is: what happens next? It doesn’t need an accountant to tell you Ireland is enslaved forever.
If you haven’t seen the Oscar-winning documentary ‘Inside Job’ already I recommend you do now.
Only the little people get hurt, only the little people. We need an Oliver Cromwell to deal with this.
politican vs banker = golf buddies
Great article – a day after a TD suggest Nama are selling off greatly reduced properties to developers. Will we ever be able to stop the money junkies ie bankers, politicians, charity bosses, developers etc? They can’t wait to get their next fix. Like most junkies the price is paid for their addiction by others. It won’t stop until somebody kicks them out of their homes and their comfortable jobs.
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