First look: Galaxy S6 edge+, Note5 aim to bring back Samsung's groove
NEW YORK — Samsung has an awful lot riding on the success of the Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 handsets that the Korean tech behemoth unveiled Thursday at Lincoln Center here.
Samsung's flagship S6 smartphone hasn't been near the runaway success the company hoped it would be. And Samsung is facing stiff competition from a gaggle of global competitors, including a bevy of low-cost Android challengers coming out of China, not to mention its natural rivalry with Apple, which only intensified after Apple upped the screen size on the iPhones.
I look forward to testing the S6 edge+ and Note5 out in the real world, and not just in demos under Samsung's watchful eye. Samsung start taking pre-orders on the new devices at 3 p.m. ET today. The phones will be available in the U.S. on Aug. 21.
Here is what is evident right away: Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 have much in common. The two devices have the same octa-core processor and 4 gigabytes of memory. Both have large 5.7-inch Quad HD Super Amoled displays — not surprising since Samsung pioneered the phablet category with the original Note.
The curved edge+ is a dual display device that devotes a narrow portion of the screen along the edge — thus the name — to deliver additional or complementary content. You'll find shortcuts to favorite apps or contacts along the curved edge screen. On this latest edge, you'll be able to display the additional content on either the right or the left side. I found this to be pretty cool, though I'm still waiting for the kind of killer content that would make the purchase of such a device compelling.
The camera specs — 16 megapixels for the rear-facing camera, 5 megapixels for the front shooter — are also identical. Both support high end audio formats, and the two devices share fast charging and wireless charging capabilities similar to the Galaxy S6.
On the subject of power — and this will surely disappoint some users — the batteries in these latest models are not removable. They also are smaller than the batteries on last year's Galaxy Note 4. Expandable memory is also no longer an option. The phones come in either 32GB or 64GB configurations.
Samsung is banking on two key new features that will bear watching. The first, and probably most significant, is the launch of Samsung Pay. It hits Samsung's home Korean market first this month, then comes to the U.S. September 28 (later this month in beta).
Samsung's answer to Apple Pay and Android Pay relies on NFC (Near Field Communication) just like other mobile-payment systems do. But it also leverages technology developed by LoopPay, the mobile payments startup that it bought in February. The company's payments technology works at more than 90% of existing merchant point of sale terminals — meaning such stores don't have to upgrade their infrastructure — giving Samsung, in theory, a much wider footprint than Apple. You can authenticate Samsung Pay purchases through the device's fingerprint reader or by entering a PIN. Security is further handled through digital tokenization and a solution called Samsung KNOX. I got to try it at a Dunkin' Donuts in New York City but want to use it in a lot more places.
Another intriguing feature in the new phones is the ability to broadcast live video. If you think this sounds a lot like what Meerkat or Twitter-owned Periscope are doing with their respective apps, you'd be right. Through Samsung's implementation, which I got to briefly demo, your selected audience — or the public — can catch your live broadcast streams on YouTube.
Of course, there are some key differences between the Note and the S6 edge+. The former is aimed at people who use such devices mainly for business or productivity purposes. Along those lines, the S-Pen you can use to write on the screen or engage with various shortcut commands has been improved, and you can now quickly get at the pen by popping it out of its storage compartment with a quick click, even jotting notes right away on a previously dark screen.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ which is more of your standard smartphone, lacks a pen.
For folks who have never taken to touch screen keyboards, Samsung also unveiled an interesting snap-on keyboard accessory with tiny physical keys that in my brief tryout did indeed remind me of a BlackBerry-keyboard like feel.
A key question of course is whether consumers will spring for premium prices. All the major carriers will be selling the devices and the range is between $700 and nearly $900 to buy the phone outright without a contract. The wireless companies are pushing installment pricing and promotions but that's still a big nut to swallow for many consumers. Some subsidized two-year contract options are still available.
The S6 edge+ will be available in black sapphire and gold platinum, and the Note5 black sapphire and white pearl.
By announcing the phones today, Samsung hopes to get a jump on Apple, which if rumors prove to be true, will show off its own new iPhone at a Bay Area event on Sept. 9.
Email: ebaig@usatoday.com; Follow Paste BN tech columnist @edbaig on Twitter.