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Samsung threw a lot of new devices at us today. The Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge, Gear S smartwatch, and Gear VR headset all took center stage at IFA. That’s how Samsung does things. They release multiple products several times of year to see what sticks. The Note series has stuck well with consumers, but will these other devices? That’s up to you.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
As per tradition, Samsung has updated the latest Note to match the latest Galaxy S, but with a few changes. The display is still 5.7-inches, but now it’s Quad HD 1440 x 2560. Samsung has also improved the camera from 13MP to 16MP, and made some big improvements in how people will take selfies. The processor has been bumped up to 2.7GHz, and battery life is supposed to be much better too. Overall it’s a very Samsung-like update. Improvements all around, but save for the display, nothing too crazy.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
![1[2]](https://phandroid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/12-e1409768345896-341x350.jpg)
This device took us a little by surprise. The Galaxy Note Edge is basically a typical Note 4, but the display on the right side curves around the edge. This little extra space can be used for notifications, and hopefully more things as developers take advantage of it. That’s what will really decide if this device is just another Continuum. If developers embrace the Edge Screen it could be a cool phone.
Samsung Gear S
Samsung has been hitting the smartwatch game hard lately. Their latest attempt is the Tizen-based Gear S. The unique thing about this device is it doesn’t depend on a phone so much. You need a Samsung device to set it up and install apps, but after that it can operate on its own. The Gear S even has a SIM card slot. To some of you that sounds like a nightmare, but some people have been wanting a wearable that can stand alone.
Samsung Gear VR
Virtual reality is all the rage these days, so of course Samsung is throwing their name in the ring. The Gear VR is a headset that works with the Note 4 to give the user a virtual reality experience. Samsung and Oculus Rift tag-teamed this thing together, surprisingly enough, so you can get the best of Oculus’ expertise while taking advantage of the best of Samsung’s hardware. Think of it like premium Google Cardboard.
Which device will you be buying?
The Galaxy Note 4 and Gear S are slated to be released next month. The Galaxy Note Edge and Gear VR will be coming later this year. Which of these devices do you plan on buying? Let us know in the poll below (multiple choice is allowed)!
[polldaddy poll=8284414]
where is the galaxy alpha at? that is the one i want.
I’m too am surprised that they made no mention of the Alpha since it seems like that’s the device they are going to pit head-to-head against the iPhone 6.
I’m torn between the Note 4 or Note Edge. Been rocking a Note 2 for almost two years.
Go with the Note 4, I mean the edge display seems cool and all but at some point the cool factor is going to wear off, then its just going to seem distracting. On top of that the edge display just doesn’t provide enough functionality yet.
Price is key. If it’s a $100 difference, then don’t bother. Dev support will always be higher on a non-niche product.
None… Not feeling Samsung products
Bummed there’s zero data on water resistance.
Agreed I assumed it was a given it would be ip67. Goes to show u we have no idea what Samsungs doing .
That and 3gb of ram…
Samsung doesn’t know what they want. The speaker is now on the back of the device again, they removed the water resistant feature, and no more USB 3.0 port. I didn’t really care for the latter two though.
I did, usb 3.0 is twice as fast at transferring data than 2.0.
Sumsung galaxy!!,i can sleep with it all!
I voted Edge because I WANT a phone that does things differently but if it doesn’t play well with other launchers then I’ll go Note 4 or Shamu if its the 5.9″ version
None!!! Sony Xperia All the way!!!!!
Not feeling it…
None.
The only device of the bunch I have the slightest interest in is the VR headset, and that depends two things:
1) Will it also be compatible with the Note3?
2) How laggy is it compared to the Oculus Rift? Obviously it can’t be as good since the display is a phone docked via usb VS being wired directly into the system.
they said only compatible with the note 4. i need to see it in use but it is also the only device im interested in.
The VR is only Note 4 compatible. Doesn’t sound like even the Note Edge will work.
Yeah. I am disappoint.
I don’t think the Edge will be the next Continuum. Samsung never released and SDK for the Continuum, so It was stuck with stock functionality, and limited functionality at that.
On the Samsung website it states: “THESE DEVICES HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED AS REQUIRED BY THE RULES OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION. THESE DEVICES ARE NOT, AND MAY NOT BE, OFFERED FOR SALE OR LEASE, OR SOLD OR LEASED, UNTIL AUTHORIZATION IS OBTAINED.”
So… WTF?
It’s called a legal disclaimer. By the time they’re in stock here, they’ll be approved.
The Note Edge just seems like it would be too inconvenient for us left handed people, so unfortunately, I’ll ignore it and stick to the normal Note 4.
I’m left handed, and I’m still very interested.
How? While holding it in your right hand (as I believe most of us left-handers tend to do), the palm of your hand that rests against the side of the device would effectively cover the entire bottom portion of the “edge” screen, which the software/OS could interpret as purposeful touch inputs. Unless of course Samsung has already thought of this a instituted a software trick to disable those sorts of accidents, which would probably only work correctly half the time, like the rest of their software.
It doesn’t accidentally register touches by your palm. I tried to make this happen and it is ignored palm action with great consistency. Unless you’re purposely doing it… probably not going to matter.
Ah. Interesting. Still won’t be buying it, but good to know.
I voted none, but the Note Edge is really cool!
I’m done with samsung after the atrocious GS3. HTC FTW.
I like the S3. Haven’t really tried others though.
Really? Lol! You realize that companies can make leaps and bounds with technology in 2-3 years time. You definitely need to go into a mobile store and play with Samsung newest flagships
My S3 has been just fine. Not a single issue with it.
WTF is with that Edge. What a silly idea.
Droid Turbo or bust
All this sounds interesting, but I’m a Nexus kind of guy. So until Samsung has a real Nexus (not a Google Play Edition) no dice from me.
Right there with you.
im going for edge!
Here’s your sign!
I WANTED THE GEAR S, BUT SAMSUNG F’d UP NOT MAKING IT OPEN TO ALL ANDROID DEVICES
Just wait a bit….someone will come up with an Android Wear watch with that form factor; and it will be compatible with all Android Devices.
Just like how LG is making a round watch to compete with Moto’s.
No Android Wear watch will provide the capabilities of the Gear S until Android Wear gets major updates. Currently it has no support for GPS or native 3G connectivity.
I’m currently using a Note 3, so it’s not a big enough upgrade from what I currently have to justify getting the note 4. I’m skipping this round lol.
I have a note 2 and still don’t feel like it’s a big enough upgrade lol
Lol Yea, I wonder what the Note 5 will be like, I hope they don’t increase screen resolution again, imagine how fast the note 4 would have been if it din’t have a quad display holding it back. The performance difference between the note 3 and note 4 isn’t substantial if at all noticeable. Samsung really needs to pull a rabbit out its hat next year, their devices this year sucked in terms of innovation. The Note 4 bezel increased while every other OEM is trying to minimize theirs.
But If you consider the Edge… it definitely didn’t increase
Yea but the edge is considered more of a novelty, while the idea is very cool and I’m sure Samsung is going to improve on it, as it stands it’s more distracting from the overall experience on daily use. Imagine if you swiped too far from the right and instead of going to a new homepage you accidentally checked notifications on the edge. The only people that I see buying the edge are the early adopters.
And you know this because you’ve actually used one? Imagine what actual knowledge, rather than speculation, could do.
Even If the event you suggest happens, what’s the issue? You lose a second or two to scroll back.
Its just my opinion, and I don’t see it happening only one time as the border for the main screen has no edge(bezel). I would still rather get the note 4 over the edge but once again its just my opinion. To each his own.
But if you don’t have a note at all or iPhone users who are now allowed to have bigger screens then it’s good.
I’m only speaking for myself, if you don’t own a Note then it’s a great experience all around, but from a Note 3 it’s not really worth the upgrade unless of course you’re one of those people who needs to have the newest toy. In that case it’s a battle you cannot win, the Galaxy s6 will be announced in like 6 months lol. Going from a Note 2->3 was a much bigger leap them from 3->4.
Samsung is dead to me. And apparently, to a lot of other poll-takers as well!
You gotta factor in the samsung hate and htc jealous fanboys.
I’ve owned the Galaxy nexus s3 and currently am on an s4 the build quality of their devices seem to be slipping so I am not buying another Samsung.
Looks like they are improving with the Galaxy alpha and the note 4 to me. But to each his own.
True – I’d at least go and see the Note 4 in person before deciding not to buy another Samsung phone. From what I’m reading, the build quality has improved a lot over the S5.
I’ve noticed from these polls in the past, a result of roughly 35% and up = product success.
It’s like the Spice Girls in the old days. Everyone hated them and no one would admit to buying their albums, yet they sold millions of copies. Haha.
I have my note 3 and I was thinking of using my tmobile jump to get this phone but then my oneplus one came and stole my heart ♥.
How will a case work with the edge?
This is a great question
S view or whatever their proprietary cases are called.
In that case the edge is always out in the open
If you mean a case the covers all the edges to offer impact protection, that’s not going to happen. The Edge is cool, but dropping it is not going to be a good idea. That’s the one phone I’d seriously consider insurance for.
I’ve got a lot of Samsung products S2, S3, S4 and S5 phones, 10.1 and 8.0 tablets, TV(s), Refrig and freezer I should be their poster child (except I’m old as dirt.) However, I won’t buy Tizen OS. Just keep with Android. I don’t have an interest in the Edge and I don’t play games that would have a need for the Gear VR(my son would). That being said, I may stop buying their stuff. I have a Gear Live watch and the charger is worthless. Dealing with Samsung support is more than painful. Trying to register a product on their website is nearly impossible. I love my S5 and my Note 10.1. TV is awesome. Kitchen stuff is great…but I can tell that if anything breaks I’m dead in the water.
I Want the note 4 i don’t care about other things but i kinda want the edge
I’m curious to see if iPhone 6 will actually drive up sales of Notes. I would guess a lot of folks don’t know what a note is and there will be inevitable comparisons between the two. And once that happens Notes will get free PR. Then there are those who have poo poo Notes being too large but once they get used to seeing iPhone 6 then magically notes won’t seem that large. The edge might just end up being marketing genius bringing people into Samsung and away from Apple.
Impressive showing for the Edge.
Note 4… just sucks that it is not waterproof.
It’s a bit disappointing that it’s not waterproof but I like the metal edge combined with the leather back for improved grip. My Note 3 still does everything I need, so I’ll probably wait till the 5th Note rolls around.
i am actually REALLY disappointed that the note 4 isn’t waterproof.
I was curious about the Note 4, but I’m disappointed. Will keep my LG G3.
Bit of a tangent but how are you liking the G3? have been considering putting my HTC one M7 down for one.
Simply put, it’s the best phone I have ever had (My previous phones were iPhone 3, iPhone4, Galaxy S2, Galaxy S3, Nexus 4, Galaxy S4).
I have to say on the forums some people are reporting issues (overheating, lag in the UI, random reboots) but I have none of these problems personally, and I’m very happy with the phone.
It lags a little out of the box, but after a few tweaks (root + G3 TweaksBox, a few changes in developer options, Nova launcher) it runs smooth as butter for me.
Thanks. Hows the sound from the device speakers? I have heard about headphone issues as well… A bit hard to find reviews about those parts as people just goo all over the screen…
Sound from the speaker is surprisingly crisp and clear, better and louder than it was on my S4, and I had no issue with headphones. I don’t think the sound quality is comparable to the M7 though (but I don’t have an M7 to compare). The G3 sounds great to me.
I do have some issues with AUX cables though, when plugging in a car. It doesn’t seem to properly pick up and keep playing in the car speakers. I have read it’s a software problem and has probably been fixed by now (or will be soon), as I haven’t upgraded the system through OTA yet (It’s perfect for me now). If that’s important to you, I suggest you do some research (XDA-DEV forum is usually the best source for deep investigation into technical problems).
Another LG G3 owner here. I’ve had the iPhone 4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Lumia 822, Lumia 521, and now the G3. Simply put, the G3 is my favorite phone of all time so far. It’s pretty awesome that it is able to play 1440p youtube videos, the only phone I think with the capability. Everything about the device I love. The knock code/tap to wake, the qHD screen, the 5.5″ display, the price, and I am liking Android more and more.
I would rather wait for iphone 6 before replacing my current LG phone with Note 4. If iphone 6 was coming out several months in future than different story. This is one of my chance to get larger screen smartphone where i don’t have to worry about bloatware/crapware, hate to say that I never will receive current/new android updates, tons of malware lurking to steal your info, every-time switch to new android manufacturer, you get new UI to get used to, most android phones have not so good built quality which tend to go bad faster than iphone. I can go on and on. Thanks God, Apple got sense to come out with larger screen iphones. This is Nirvana to smartphone users.
Ha Ha Haa Haa Haaaaa! that is just so funny. I truly doubt you’ve ever owned an LG, or any other Android phone. The iPhone fangirls must be truly worried about the new Notes.
Well not now that I just bought a G3 about a month ago… Probably should have waited a bit, huh? Haha. Don’t know if I’d want a phone as big as the Note or Note Edge, though the Note Edge does seem to have some pretty neat features. Won’t be interested in a VR headset, for sure, and I don’t think I like the curved display on the watch, sooo… I’m out.
Take my money Samsung! I’ll be getting a Note 4! Love my Note 3 but it’s tile to move onto the Note 4!
My Note 3 has served me well (I still have my original Note as a spare) and the Note 4 offers nothing to persuade me to shell out more cash. The camera upgrade is the only thing i might care about, but the cost to change just for that enhancement would be too high.
I have a dedicated camera already so I never take photos with my mobile devices personally. So yeah. I see no reason to upgrade to the Note 4 over the Note 3 and I am sure that some of the software features will make their way to the Note 3 via third part devs at some point in the future.
Look at all those “Nones” LoL….
note 4 will be a worthy update to my note 2.
i was unsure, but OIS basically sealed the deal for me.
only way i’ll be swayed is if there’s a superior phablet with waterproofing released before my upgrade date (christmas), which is unlikely, unless sony pulls something really impressive.
None. Fingerprint scanner killed the Note line for me.
Same here.
Why? Can’t you just not use it if you don’t want to? Is there some disadvantage to having it on there?
Because, no. I could, but I don’t believe it will be completely disabled, regardless of what the settings say.
Yeah, I can see how that could be a sticking point. However, the way I see it, if you don’t trust them not to do anything nefarious with you fingerprints, what about the GPS, microphone and cameras? Most every phone these days has these features and I imagine that would be much more of a privacy intrusion than your fingerprint would be.
Paranoia is a terrible disease. I’m sure Samsung has a terrible plan to collect the fingerprints of millions of phone users and then use them to set up false, umm, break into, umm, well, do something with them.
How about a “wait and see” option. I think the Note 4 and Note Edge both offer a lot of useful capabilities, and the Edge is definitely cool, but I’m not sure I can deal with a device that large.
Note 4 or Note Edge if it supports Tmobile’s news 700MHz LTE Band 12 if not then next year Note 5 and/or Note Edge 2
How about “wait and see.” I like what I see about the Note 4, but I’m not sure I can deal with a phone that big. And the Edge is interesting. I’m intrigued. But until we get more real-world usage reports, and full reviews, and I can get one in my hands, I’m not ready to make a decision.
So I’m a solid maybe!
I want the Gear Sold it is up to par with the fashion as far as the millennium is concerned it’s Absolutely beautiful
Where and when can I buy it? If sooner that would be awesome please Gear Solo ready it for the USA