Samsung Galaxy Note Edge: A side swipe at smartphone design

On the Edge

The side screen also comes into play by acting as a control panel for other apps. One example is the Samsung video player. On the Edge the video controls now all appear on the side screen rather than over the video itself. After a few seconds they fade away to avoid being a distraction but a tap on the screen brings them back.

Camera controls along the Edge strip

Another use becomes apparent you fire up the Edge’s 16MP camera. The controls appear in the edge screen, on top of the now entirely unobscured viewfinder. This means you can touch the shutter key, the video record button, mode button and the front/back and HDR toggles without having to touch the viewfinder or open a menu.

In the pointless-but-decorative category you can set a personal message on the Edge’s side screen which is visible when other panels are inactive. Or use it as ruler. Or change the background pattern for the side lock screen.

The Video player adds controls along the Edge strip too

The ruler function can be launched from a pull-down menu of toggles which is accessible from all edge panels. You can access the stopwatch, timer, voice recorder and torch from the same menu. The Night Clock panel is also worth a mention. You set a start and end time for the edge screen to display the time and date while the main screen is off. The display is very dim so won’t get in the way of you nodding off or staying nodded off. Or flatten the battery.

There are some signs that this whole shebang is still a work in progress though. Take the Twitter and Facebook panels. The latter doesn't actually exist while the former – a downloadable third-party app – just shows trending topics rather than information from your own account, which is close to useless.

Metal band below edge screen avoids accidental Edge presses when held

Another issue is news. Right now there are panels for Yahoo content but nothing else. An edge panel scrolling headlines from the BBC or The Grauniad is what I want. If this edge screen malarkey becomes more popular these and other gaps will no doubt be filled either by Samsung or third party developers. Incidentally, even though all these edgy shenanigans are part of Samsung’s TouchWiz launcher, it still works with third party launchers like Google Now. That's a big plus in my book.

The extra screenage and reduced battery does have an effect on the Edge’s runtime. Looping a 1080p video drained the battery in 12 hours, more than two shy of the time of the Note 4 managed. That said, in everyday use I was still able to get well into a second day before I needed to recharge, so the difference is slight enough to be cancelled out by differing levels of usage.

Quirky yet functional design – all Samsung needs to do now is make phones with a stellar battery life

Incidentally, I reviewed the Edge before the Android 5.0 Lollipop update arrived, though I understand it is rolling out imminently. Also, for the time being, the device is a Vodafone exclusive in the UK – though you can buy it direct from Samsung for 650 quid.

The Reg Verdict

Revolution or gimmick? The Edge is certainly more the former than the latter and kudos to Samsung for pushing a concept to production. Like the YotaPhone 2’s electronic ink rear panel, the Edge’s side screen is one of those ideas that makes you wonder why nobody has tried it before. From the shortcuts panel to improved controls for the camera and video player to turning your phone into a bedside clock radio, the side display has a decent range of uses and a shed-load of potential. ®