Samsung unveils Galaxy Note Edge at Rs 64,900

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Note Edge with a curved display, which was showcased at the Samsung Unpacked 2014 event. The phone is expected to be launched in January 2015 in India at Rs 64,900 for the 32 GB variant.

The Note Edge has hardware specification similar to that of the Galaxy Note, which was launched at MRP of Rs 58,500 in October. The Samsung phone uses the same Snapdragon 805 processor, has 3GB RAM, sensors for heart rate monitoring, inbuilt physical activity trackers, 32GB storage, 16-megapixel rear camera and 3.7-megapixel front camera.

But the big difference between the Note and the Note Edge is in their screen. While the Note has a 5.7-inch screen with 1600 x 2560 pixels resolution, the Edge has a 5.6-inch screen with the same resolution. Both also use AMOLED screen panels, which show punchier and more contrasty colours compared to the IPS screens, but the Edge has a screen that curves and wraps over the right side of the phone.

The curved portion of the Edge screen can be used as a notification panel, even when the phone screen is in the locked state or it can be used as a quick launcher.

The Galaxy Note Edge is the first mass-market phone that uses a curved screen. For now it doesn't add much in terms of functionality, but it is expected that in 2015 Samsung will build on the concept. The company is likely to introduce curved screen in more of its phones, particularly in the Galaxy S6, which is likely to be announced in the coming months.