The rumours were accurate. Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5 today at its Unpacked event, ahead of schedule. We also got a glimpse of the Galaxy Gear S2 smartwatch to be launched at IFA next month. Here’s everything you need to know about the Korean tech giant’s new flagship smartphones.
Picture: Galaxy Note 5 (left), Galaxy S6 Edge+ (right)
First, let’s get something straight. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is the successor to the Galaxy Note Edge, not the Galaxy S6 Edge as the name suggests. By dropping the S-Pen (and therefore the “Note” designation), Samsung is rebranding the Galaxy Note Edge as a high-end, consumer-oriented phablet in the Galaxy S lineup, alongside the Galaxy S6 Edge. Yes, it’s confusing. Don’t even get me started.
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ has a lot in common with its cousin, the Galaxy S6 Edge. It packs in a powerful yet efficient Exynos octa-core processor, a stunning dual-edge Quad HD Super AMOLED display, a 16MP rear camera with optical image stabilisation, a 5MP front camera for high-res selfies, NFC, a fingerprint sensor and Android 5.1 (Lollipop) inside a beautiful glass and metal chassis. In fact, the only differences are that the Galaxy S6 Edge+ has a bigger screen (5.7 inches vs 5.1 inches), more RAM (4GB vs 3GB) and a bigger battery (3000mAh vs 2550mAh).
Picture: Galaxy Note 5 (left), Galaxy S6 Edge+ (right)
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ features a new “Apps edge” for quick access to your top five apps, as well as an enhanced “People edge” that allows you to directly phone or message your favourite contacts.
The Galaxy Note 5 is the successor to the Galaxy Note 4, and it’s aimed at enterprise or productivity-oriented users who want to take advantage of the S-Pen’s software functions. It shares many features with the Galaxy S6 Edge+, including an Exynos octa-core processor, a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display (minus the dual-edge curves), 4GB RAM and a 3000mAh battery.
| Galaxy S6 Edge+ | Galaxy Note 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 5.1 (Lollipop) | Android 5.1 (Lollipop) |
| Dimensions | 154.4mm x 75.8mm x 6.9mm | 153.2mm x 76.1mm x 7.6mm |
| Weight | 153g | 171g |
| CPU | Exynos octa-core (2.1GHz quad + 1.5GHz quad) | Exynos octa-core (2.1GHz quad + 1.5GHz quad) |
| Memory | 4GB RAM, 32GB/64GB (non-expandable) | 4GB RAM, 32GB/64GB (non-expandable) |
| Display | 5.7-inch dual-edge Quad HD Super AMOLED | 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1440 (518ppi) | 2560 x 1440 (518ppi) |
| Camera | 16MP rear, 5MP front | 16MP rear, 5MP front |
| Battery | 3000mAh (non-removable) | 3000mAh (non-removable) |
Samsung has improved the S-Pen’s capabilities on the Galaxy Note 5, including a more premium design, a new method of popping out the S-Pen from the chassis with a single click, the ability to jot down ideas without turning the screen on, instant access to all of the S-Pen’s tools from any screen at any time via Air Command, and the ability to capture complete web pages in one image using Scroll Capture.
Both phones will also come with new and improved multimedia capabilities, including video image stabilisation, a video collage mode, 4K filming and the ability to live-stream full HD videos via YouTube.
Picture: Galaxy S6 Edge+ (right), Galaxy Note 5 (left)
Both phones will ship globally with Android 5.1 (Lollipop) by the end of August 2015 in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium. Check back later today for our hands-on impressions.
Update: Telstra has announced that the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 will be the first 4GX (Category 9) devices to be available on the its network.
Elly Hart travelled to the Unpacked event in New York City as a guest of Samsung.
Update: Samsung Australia’s local mobile boss, Prasad Gokhale, has this to say about the Note 5 and S6 Edge+’s local release: “Following the global announcement, we look forward to launching the Galaxy S6 edge+ and Note 5 in Australia soon… We look forward to sharing more information closer to the launch date.”