As expected and widely rumoured, Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 at its Galaxy Unpacked event earlier today in New York. The two handsets are very similar, the main differences being the curved screen used on the S6 Edge+ and inclusion of an S Pen with the Note 5.
A move that has caused raised eyebrows is the geographically staged availability of the two handsets. While the pair was launched together globally today, the Note 5 will become available in just North America initially, while over here in Europe and in Asia the big 'n' curvy S6 Edge+ will lead the charge. The rollouts will start this month. It's possible that the accelerated timetable to launch before Apple launches its new iPhones has meant that Samsung hasn't built up enough stock to facilitate worldwide availability of both handsets right now.
As mentioned in the intro, the two smartphones launched today share many similarities. They measure pretty much the same in every dimension. Their screens are both 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED panels with 2560 x 1440 (518ppi) pixels. They use the same Octa core (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad), 64 bit, 14 nm Exynos processor, 4GB RAM, same 16MP OIS (F1.9) , Front : 5MP (F1.9) cameras, same battery capacity with wireless charging, connectivity options, sensors and Android 5.1 OS. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ uses the signature Samsung wraparound display to earn its 'Edge' designation. The Note 5 comes with an S Pen and associated functionality to earn its 'Note' designation, it's also nearly 20g heavier (that's about 10 per cent difference), and nearly a millimetre thicker.
So why did Samsung make two smartphones so similarly? While similarly 'industry leading' the firm reckons the Galaxy S6 Edge+ is the best for multimedia experiences. Plus the distinctive edge with an apps edge or people edge option adapts to what users feel is the most important aspect of a smartphone.
The Galaxy Note 5 is "perfect for note takers," and "inspired by the design legacy of the Galaxy S6". Its curved back and flat screen make it the best Note taking device yet while being easy to operate with one hand. The Note features a unique clicking mechanism where the S Pen is ejected with a quick click. Interestingly users can now quickly jot down notes, ideas and information while the screen is off and locked. Air Command has been expanded and a new feature called 'Scroll Capture' allows inking and annotation of lengthy articles or images that are longer than the screen.
Full specs of the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 are tabulated below:
|
|
Galaxy S6 edge+ |
Galaxy Note5 |
|
OS |
Android 5.1 (Lollipop) |
|
|
Network |
LTE Cat.9 / LTE Cat.6 * May differ by markets and mobile operators |
|
|
Dimension |
154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9mm, 153g |
153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm, 171g |
|
AP |
Octa core (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad), 64 bit, 14 nm process |
|
|
Memory |
4GB RAM (LPDDR4) , 32/64GB (UFS 2.0) , |
|
|
Display |
5.7” Quad HD Super AMOLED2560 x 1440 (518ppi) |
5.7” Quad HD Super AMOLED2560 x 1440 (518ppi) |
|
Camera |
Rear : 16MP OIS (F1.9) , Front : 5MP (F1.9) |
|
|
Battery |
3,000mAh, Fast Charging both on wired and wirelessWireless Charging compatible with WPC and PMA |
|
|
Payment |
NFC, MST |
|
|
Connectivity |
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MIMO(2×2), |
|
|
Sensors |
Accelerometer, Proximity, RGB Light, Geo-magnetic, Gyro,Fingerprint, Barometer, Hall, HRM |
|
|
Audio |
MP3,M4A,3GA,AAC,OGG,OGA,WAV,WMA,AMR, |
|
|
Video |
MP4,M4V,3GP,3G2,WMV,ASF,AVI,FLV,MKV,WEBM |
|
Some people will be disappointed that the two new flagships don't include SD card expansion or a user replaceable battery. The Note 4 has a battery which is both higher in capacity and user swappable. However the infographic designed by Samsung, below, seeks to show the superiority of the Note 5 over its predecessor without mentioning such inconvenient truths.
click to zoom in
It was also announced at Unpacked that the Samsung Pay service is about to go live in the USA and South Korea. It works using MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology which is compatible with existing magnetic readers used for swiping cards. Thus it will be usable in about 10x more places in the USA than Apple Pay can.
Samsung briefly mentioned its first round-faced smartwatch, the Gear-S2, which we will learn about in greater detail at IFA 2015.
