Reports are already indicating that Samsung will be hugely ramping up the production of curved screen variants of its mobile devices over the next 12 months, and the first opportunity to do this will be with the release of its second Galaxy Note Edge model.
Galaxy Note Edge 2 – curved screen emphasis
The original Galaxy Note Edge was pretty successful for Samsung, and certainly garnered a strong critical reception. This was a big positive for Samsung in an otherwise lukewarm twelve months, as the corporation had previously been criticized for the physical appearance of some of its devices. By strongly promoting its curved screen technology, Samsung has created a real brand identity for its mobile range, and this could pay off handsomely for the corporation in the coming years.
With the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy Note Edge 2 expected later this year, this is the first opportunity for Samsung to take advantage of this new strategy. There have already been reports emanating from Korea that Samsung will ensure that many more units of the curved model of its smartphone are on sale when the Galaxy S7 is released, and the Galaxy Note Edge 2 is likely to be something of a sounding board for this approach.
Based on previous Galaxy Note release schedules, we can expect Samsung to reveal some concrete news on the follow-up to this device in around four months. So this would mean that the Galaxy Note Edge 2 is unveiled in September, probably at the well-known IFA conference in Berlin. It has been reported recently that Samsung is specifically delaying it smartwatch the Galaxy Gear A in order to release it at this event, and this looks to be very much a companion device for the Galaxy Note Edge 2.
When the the Galaxy Note 4 was released alongside the Galaxy Note Edge, Samsung ensured that the two devices were armed with similar specifications. And this process is expected to be repeated with the release of the Galaxy Note Edge 2, which is set to feature identical specs to the Galaxy Note 5 model of the range.
Display
It is an absolute certainty that Samsung will strongly prioritize the display in the Galaxy Note Edge 2, as this is clearly a critical aspect of the device. Samsung has chosen to make the curved screen something which makes its Galaxy range stand out from the crowd, and this naturally means that the screen technology utilized in the Galaxy Note Edge 2 would need to be of the highest quality possible.
It’s a fact that the previous Galaxy Note Edge device boasted an extremely good display, which will mean that’s the resolution of the device will thus need to be truly outstanding. So there are already murmurings which suggest that the Galaxy Note Edge 2 could feature a 4K display. The previous iteration in the Galaxy Note series was based on quad HD technology, so this would be a natural upgrade if it is indeed feasible for Samsung to include such a high screen resolution. If this turns out to be a little bit too demanding for this particular tablets then a UHD display is instead expected.
Another major decision which Samsung will need to make with the Galaxy Note Edge 2 is whether to opt for its own proprietary processor technology. The Galaxy S6 has already ditched the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor series which had featured in previous variants of the Galaxy S6 series, and it is possible that the Galaxy Note Edge 2 will follow suit.
Exynos or Qualcomm?
Early reports on the device suggest that Samsung will opt for an Exynos 7422 processor that features CPU, GPU, and RAM on a single chip. This all-in-one setup would certainly offer convenience and performance for the Samsung range of mobiles. And this will certainly be required if Samsung intends to include a 4K resolution display in this flagship phablet.
However, some analysts have suggested that Samsung may attempt to cut down costs for the production of the Galaxy Note Edge 2 by including more of a blend of hardware in this particular phablet. It is expected that the production costs for the Galaxy Note Edge 2 will be higher than the Galaxy Note 5, and that this could prompt Samsung to attempt to manage the situation internally.
Thus, it is possible that Samsung will include a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor in the Galaxy Note Edge 2, as opposed to utilizing its own proprietary technology. This is not even necessarily something that would be unique to the Galaxy Galaxy Note Edge 2, and Samsung still needs to make a decision about the entirety of the Galaxy Note 5 range.
Wireless charging
Elsewhere, Samsung will also need to decide whether it will include wireless charging in the Galaxy Note Edge 2. This was an extremely welcome addition to the recent Galaxy S6, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that Samsung will be able to include it in is next-generation phablet. There are technical issues to overcome, and Samsung will also be considering the expense involved. With the Galaxy Note Edge 2 and Galaxy Note 5 both intended to launch very close to a new Apple phablet (at least based on market expectations), there will be pressure on Samsung to ensure that these are affordable devices for consumers.
So wireless charging may yet not feature in the Galaxy Note Edge 2, but it is certainly something that Samsung would like to include if it is remotely feasible. All the specifications that are likely in this phablet include 16 GB of internal storage as standard, a 16-megapixel camera featuring optical image stabilization, and an extremely powerful 8-megapixel front-facing shooter.
The Galaxy Note Edge 2 will be the first ever dual-curved phablet from the Korean corporation, and it is one that will be eagerly anticipated by fans of Android smartphones.
