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iPhone 6 vs Galaxy Note Edge: What Buyers Need to Know

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With the iPhone 6 now out on shelves and the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge release date confirmed for later this year, consumers in the United States and around the world are weighing the iPhone 6 vs Galaxy Note Edge. In this comparison, we take an updated look at the key details buyers should focus in on ahead of the Galaxy Note Edge release.

Last month, Samsung and Apple took the stage to announce their brand new smartphone releases. First, it was Samsung and the Galaxy Note Edge, its high-end flagship that will join the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 later on this year. The Galaxy Note Edge and its powerful hardware and software features make it an appealing device and a device that’s worthy of consideration this fall.

In past years, the Galaxy Note ran unopposed. This year, things are a little different. At its event earlier this month, the company unveiled two new iPhone 6 models including the iPhone 6 Plus, a 5.5-inch iPhone, and a smaller 4.7–inch iPhone 6.

The iPhone 6′s larger screen, powerful features and cheaper price put it in direct competition with the Galaxy Note Edge and it’s a device that consumers around the world are looking at as we head deeper into the fall towards the holidays.

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge release date is inching closer and with a few weeks to go before its arrival, we want to help consumers prepare for its release. Here, we focus in on the Galaxy Note Edge vs. iPhone 6 and present the key things buyers need to know about as we prepare for the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge’s arrival.

Focus on the S Pen & Display

Both of these devices are high-end devices with a lot to offer in terms of hardware specs and software features. What this means is that you’re going to have to really zero in on some of the key differences. If you do this, it’s going to make your decision on one or the other (or perhaps something else entirely) a whole lot easier.

128GB iPhone 6

There are two hardware specs in particular that we think you absolutely must focus in on as we get closer to the Galaxy Note Edge’s release date. The first is the device’s S Pen. The other, the Galaxy Note Edge’s high-resolution display.

The S Pen is the Galaxy Note series’ bread and butter and one of the features that helps to separate it from other big name smartphones like the iPhone and Galaxy S. It’s a feature that many people love but it’s also a feature that some Galaxy Note users end up neglecting in the long run. You’ll need to figure out which one you’re going to be before you buy.

This year, Samsung has made some significant improvements to the S Pen including increased sensitivity to make the note taking experience on the Galaxy Note Edge feel more like writing on paper. More sensitivity also leads to better looking text from handwriting.

Samsung’s also made some significant improvements to the S Pen’s applications including, Air Command, S Note and Voice Memo, and more. While we love these upgrades, we realize that they’re not going to be for everyone. You will want to check them out, in person, before you decide on the Galaxy Note Edge as your next smartphone.

The other feature to focus in on is the Galaxy Note Edge’s unique display. The Galaxy Note Edge comes with a 5.6-inch Quad HD resolution screen that curves down over the edge of the device. Thus the name. The Galaxy Note Edge and its screen can be seen in the video below.

The display quality is stunning but it’s the curve that you’ll want to become familiar with. The bent display offers some advantages. The bent part of the Galaxy Note Edge’s display not only offers better viewing angles for content, it also provides users with an extremely quick way to access their most used applications, settings and more.

It can also display notifications on the side without pausing or interrupting content that’s running on the main screen. So if you’re watching a movie and you get a text or an email, it will appear on the side as opposed to on the main screen.

Before buying, you’ll need to determine whether that curve is going to be an advantage or not. Samsung’s talking the feature up but at this point, it’s nothing more than a gimmick, a concept that looks great but probably won’t be necessary for many smartphone users.

Galaxy Note Edge Software vs. iOS 8

These two hardware features aren’t the only specs to focus on. Both the iPhone 6 and Galaxy Note Edge offer big beautiful screens but only one device is really built with the large screen in mind.

iPhone 6 Plus

After using both devices, you’ll get a sense that Samsung’s done this whole big screen smartphone thing before. The Galaxy Note is now in its fourth-generation Galaxy Note. The iPhone 6 is Apple’s first stab at a massive display.

Over the years, we’ve watched Samsung’s Galaxy Note software mature. This maturation includes features, tweaks and enhancements that truly take advantage of the device’s screen real estate.

One feature that deserves mention is Multi-Window View. Multi-Window View, at its most basic level, allows users to run multiple applications on screen at the same time. With the Galaxy Note Edge, Samsung has made some admirable changes including the ability to access applications in full, split or pop-up screens. Galaxy Note Edge users will now also be able to reposition apps on the screen with just one swipe. The feature can be seen in the video below.

Samsung’s note taking software including S Note also takes full advantage of the device’s massive screen. What we’re getting at here is that the Galaxy Note Edge display comes with a ton of purpose, thanks to years of software upgrades. It’s far more than just a big, pretty, bent screen.

The iPhone 6 display is big but it doesn’t come with this kind of firepower. Apple’s software, like Samsung’s, will mature but you need to decide if you’re willing to wait for that to happen.

Galaxy Note Edge Release Date MIA

We highly recommend going hands on with both of these devices before buying your next smartphone. And while the iPhone 6 is readily available in Apple Stores, in carrier locations and at retailers, the Galaxy Note Edge release date remains missing in action.

We still don’t know when the Galaxy Note Edge release date is. We’ve heard that it will arrive in late October though that information applies to Korea and Japan and no one else. The U.S. Galaxy Note Edge release appears set for the fall while the UK and Canada face delays. Canada won’t get the Galaxy Note Edge until 2015.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Photos 4

This means is that you’ll likely need to wait a few weeks, or months, to go hands on with the Galaxy Note Edge. Again, this is extremely important because of its new display technology. You’ll just need to decide if the Galaxy Note Edge’s unique features are worth the price of admission. For many of you, they might be overkill or simply unnecessary.

Limited Galaxy Note Release

The iPhone 6 is available in a number of different regions around the world. It’s a widespread smartphone and one that should be available where you live. The Galaxy Note Edge on the other hand may not arrive in your home town.

Right now, by our count, the Galaxy Note Edge is confirmed for Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. We’re expecting it to hit China and other European nations though Samsung has made it clear that the device will see a limited release.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Photos 7

Earlier this month, a Samsung executive said that the Galaxy Note Edge would be a “limited edition concept.” In other words, it’s not expected to be a mass produced device like the Galaxy Note 4. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4, by comparison, is expected to hit 140 countries by the end of October. That’s in line with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

If that wasn’t enough evidence, Samsung recently said that “the Galaxy Note Edge will be released in selected markets” which points to a very controlled release in a limited amount of markets around the world. In other words, unless you live in a key battleground, there’s a chance that you’ll be unable to score a Galaxy Note Edge on your favorite carrier.

iPhone 6 vs. Galaxy Note Edge Price

We still don’t know the exact Galaxy Note Edge price but all signs point to an extremely expensive smartphone.

The iPhone 6 starts at $199.99 on-contract and goes up to $399.99 on-contract for the 128GB model. The Galaxy Note Edge is expected to be more expensive than the $299.99 Galaxy Note 4. We don’t know how much the 32GB model will cost consumers but every single price leak we’ve seen hints at a premium price point.

Galaxy Note Edge Photos - 3

What this means is that there will be some added pressure to do your homework ahead of time. You’re really going to have to buckle down and decide if the curved display, the S Pen and the Galaxy Note Edge’s software are worth the price of admission. That’s something we can’t decide for you though we will be able to make some more recommendations in the weeks ahead.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Wayne L. Bright

    10/04/2014 at 12:08 pm

    The author did not give one reason for purchasing an IPhone instead of the Edge. I am a Note lover, however I was looking to see some compelling reasons to consider the IPhone. The author only mentioned the lower price.

  2. Chun lee

    10/05/2014 at 12:51 pm

    It’s really hard to find a compelling reason to buy an iPhone over a Galaxy….

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