You have to hand it to Samsung; just when you thought everything the company had to announce at this year's IFA show in Berlin had leaked ahead of time on the internet, it pulls back the curtain on the Galaxy Note Edge; a phablet with a curved edge that truly makes it stand out from the crowd.
Samsung has remained tight-lipped about a release date and for the Note Edge. So far no details have been announced and UK mobile phone networks are also yet to confirm they'll be stocking it. The same goes for how much it will cost with Samsung and mobile phone networks providing no price details.
Developing the Youm concept shown last year into a full handset customers will actually be able to buy, the Galaxy Note Edge looks stunning in the flesh. The screen appears to melt off the side of the handset, with a row of shortcut icons that lie exactly where your fingers lie when holding a phone. You don't even have to adjust your grip; holding the Note Edge feels as natural as holding any other smartphone, albeit a little pointier on one side as the metal frame edges out over the glass.
The curved panel revolves as you swipe your thumb over it, alternating between several different uses. One shows notifications, another displays football scores and a third shows the weather. You can customise the backgrounds, move the order of apps and add more - it's completly up to the indivudal user. There's also a shortcut bar which pulls down from the top of the screen, revealing timer, stopwatch, torch and voice recorder shortcuts, as well as a novel option to turn the curved edge into a 10cm ruler - it's every bit as bonkers as the phone itself. Turning the phone upside down completely flips the UI, which means left handed users don't have to feel left out; they just have to remember to flip it back again when answering calls.
Although they weren't on show during our hands-on, Samsung also plans to release dedicated case covers which leave the curved edge exposed - letting you check notifications or jump straight into apps without having to open up the case.
We were told that Samsung would be opening up its software development kit (SDK) to let third party developers build their own toolbars. Big names like Yahoo are already on board, so we're excited to see what other major app creators (as well as bedroom coders) can come up with.
Otherwise, the Galaxy Note Edge takes plenty of design inspiration from the Galaxy Note 4, including a faux leather back, metal outer frame and 2.5D glass which protrudes slightly from the top of the display, tricking the eye into thinking the contents onscreen are closer than they appear.
Internally, the Galaxy Note Edge is identical to the Galaxy Note 4, meaning it's powered by Qualcomm's exceedingly fast Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor running at an incredible 2.7GHz, comes equipped with 3GB of RAM and has 32GB of on-board storage as standard. You also get the same 16-megapixel, optically image stabilisated (OIS) rear camera, but the unique display sets the Edge apart from its stablemate. All the onscreen buttons are moved to the curved edge, freeing up the display for framing your photos unobscured.
The heart rate monitor from the Galaxy S5 makes an appearance, as does the fingerprint sensor built into the home button. The HRM now doubles as a selfie shutter, letting you double-tap it to take a snap, but of course still tracks your heart rate using the S Health fitness app.
Naturally for a Note handset, the Edge includes Samsung's S Pen stylus, upgraded from the Note 3 with 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, two new virtual pen tips and a new textured finish that should make it easier to grip. All the same apps and customisations Note users have come to expect are all present and correct, including the tweaks made for the Note 4 such as Smart Select and Snap Note.
We're still waiting to hear from Samsung exactly how much the Galaxy Note Edge will cost, and exactly when we'll be able to get our hands on one. It's a fantastically bizzare concept that we can't wait to put to the test in everyday use, but it remains to be seen if customers want novel and unique or are happy to stick with tried and tested flat rectangles.
