Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Review

We usually start with the rear camera, but this time, we’ll start with the front. Most smartphones have a completely forgettable front-facing camera, but the surging popularity of the selfie have given manufacturers reason to rethink what sensor is embedded above the phone’s display. The 3.7MP camera on the Note Edge’s front is class-leading. It’s certainly not worthy of capturing a beautiful landscape, but for a quick snap of you and your besties at a theme park… well, it won’t get much clearer or sharper. Of course, an above-average front-facing camera isn't likely to woo many consumers, but given the uniqueness, we deemed it worthy to highlight.


Now, to the main attraction: the 16MP shooter on the rear. On the whole, Android phones have had a tough time matching the image performance found in the iPhone and some of Microsoft’s high-end Lumia devices. For numerous reasons, the imaging experience on Android has consistently been a rung or two below the competition.  The sophisticated camera arrangement on the Note Edge does plenty to buck that trend, though. In our testing, we found the shutter incredibly quick to click, and we greatly appreciated the plethora of manual controls.


Even near sunset, we were able to capture images that were vivid, blur-free, and sharp. The Note Edge's camera performance is very good. If you’re picky about cameras, you’ll be pleased with the sensor and software setup here.The Note Edge’s camera really does rival the best of the best. Below is a gallery of unedited shots taken by the Note Edge.


The Note Edge is equipped with a 3,000mAh battery. By all accounts, that’s large. It’s a pinch less capacious than the battery in the gigantic Nexus 6, but slightly larger than the iPhone 6 Plus. It’s user replaceable though, so those who really crank can pop in a backup and keep on keeping on should the need arise. Much like the Droid Charge, the Note Edge also features a fast-charge element that enables multiple hours of usage after just 15 minutes tethered to an AC outlet.

In our testing, the Note Edge petered out a bit more quickly than the Note 4 (expected, given the extra pixels to keep lit), but lasted much longer than other recent flagship smartphones like the 2014 edition of the Moto X. It’s fully capable of getting through an entire day of heavy usage, which is apt to be enough for most.