Samsung Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy Note 4 Hands-On Demo From Samsung Unpacked

Yesterday at its Unpacked Event in New York City, Samsung announced a couple of new high-end smartphones and a companion virtual reality headset, namely the Galaxy Note 4, the Galaxy Note Edge, and the Galaxy Gear VR. Just in case you missed the initial announcement, the Galaxy Note 4 features a 5.7-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) Super AMOLED display, 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm SnapDragon 805 processor or 1.9GHz octa-core (1.9GHz quad-core + 1.3GHz quad-core) processor, depending on the region, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 16MP rear-facing camera with fast autofocus and Smart OIS, a 3.7MP front-facing camera with f1.9, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, and a smarter, more responsive S-pen stylus.

 
Samsung Galaxy Note 4

The upcoming Galaxy Note Edge has a slightly smaller display than the Note 4 (5.6 inches) on the front, but it’s also packing a curved display that wraps around the right side. The curved edge display is intended to complement the main screen and give users a new way to access information -- even when the cover is closed, you can still access frequently used apps, alerts, and other device functionality.

 
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Samsung also announced its Gear VR powered by Oculus technology. The Gear VR essentially transforms the Galaxy Note 4 into a virtual reality device. It has a removable front cover which reveals a clip mechanism that’s designed to hold the Note 4 in place. There’s also a divider which splits the screen into right and left sides—one for each eye—and optics to shape the imagery to create the virtual world.

 
Samsung Gear VR

While at the event, we were able to get some hands-on time with Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Edge and had a couple of representatives speak to them on video. We hope to have full reviews posted of all of Samsung’s new devices in the not-too-distant future, but for now you can see both devices in action here.

We should mention that the video does not do the screens justice—in our short time with the devices, we were nothing but impressed by the image quality and clarity of the Note 4’s and the Note Edge’s displays. Build quality also seems top notch and we’re pleased that Samsung decided to use a metal band around the Note 4’s exterior this time around, which made the device feel more rigid and sturdy.