Samsung's Galaxy Note Edge is a weird device. The curved screen on the side of the device definitely puts a unique spin on a smartphone, but some people might be put off by how unorthodox the screen is. Samsung knows that, so they've released a brief article going over some of the finer details of the Edge's screen to try and sway buyers that might be on the fence about it.
The first two things that are mentioned are durability and how the side of the screen responds to touches, both of which are pretty major details in day-to-day usage. Fortunately, Samsung takes durability very seriously, and they claim to have made the metal frame of the device in a way that it would protect the screen against drops and falls. Obviously this is still a smartphone, so a huge fall is going to bust it up regardless, but the side of the screen is just as durable as any other smartphone.
Unintentional touches also seem like they would be a major annoyance, especially if you hold the phone with your right hand over the Edge screen. Samsung's engineers realized that, and the Note Edge is designed to be able to tell the difference between an intentional touch and palm pressing against the screen. Palm rejection isn't unique to Samsung's devices, but they have quite a bit of experience with it in their Note lineup.
Samsung also discussed some design choices with the Note Edge, and pointed out that in order to keep the device relatively normal looking, the phone is actually slightly curved on its left side, too. It's not a major, noticeable design trait, but given the asymmetrical nature of the Note Edge, it helps to make the phone look mostly normal.
Lastly, the company detailed just how the Edge screen can be used. Thanks to a recently opened SDK, developers can take advantage of the side screen of the device for unique situations. Samsung has already shown off opening up different apps or navigating the device without taking away from the primary screen, but third-party developers will be able to do much more. Considering the limited release of the device, there aren't many apps that take advantage of it, but that will likely change as more consumers get their hands on the Note Edge.
Are you planning on picking one of these up, or do you think the side screen is just a gimmick?
source: Samsung Tomorrow
