Samsung Galaxy Edge Series: What You Need to Know

Samsung no longer releases phones with the Edge designation. Here's a look at past releases

By
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Senior Editor & Content Strategist
Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology editor and writer for over a dozen years. She runs product reviews for Lifewire, overseeing the process from hands-on testing to publishing.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on December 15, 2023
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
Ryan Perian headshot
Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

The Samsung Galaxy Edge series, which premiered in 2014, is part of Samsung's flagship smartphone and phablet line. Edge smartphones feature screens that curve around one or both edges of a device. The edge feature is a bit different in each iteration of the series. Still, it started as a way to see notifications without unlocking the phone and evolved into a mini command center.

The Galaxy Edge series has been phased out by Samsung. The company now focuses on developing its Galaxy S line, some of which do have curved screens, but they no longer use the Edge moniker.

01
of 03

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Samsung

Display: 5.5-in Super AMOLED Dual edge screen
Resolution: 2560x1440 @ 534 PPI
Front camera: 5 MP
Rear camera: 12 MP
Charger type: micro USB
Initial Android version: 6.0 Marshmallow
Final Android version: 8.0 Oreo
Release Date: March 2016 (no longer in production)

The 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 Edge is a significant upgrade over the S6 edge, with a bigger screen, a larger and longer-lasting battery, and a more comfortable grip. It has an Always-On Display, so you can see the time, date, and notifications without unlocking the phone.

The Edge panel is easier to access than on previous models. You no longer have to return to the home screen. Instead, you swipe in from the right side of the screen. It can display news, weather, a ruler, and shortcuts to up to 10 of your favorite apps and contacts. You can also add shortcuts to actions such as composing a message to a friend or launching the camera.

Other notable features include:

  • A camera with fast focus and shutter speed, plus excellent photos.
  • A Selfie Flash mode for better-lit pictures of you and your friends.
  • 4K resolution video
  • The ability to survive up to 1.5 meters underwater for 30 minutes.
  • Dust resistance to keep the grit out.
  • Support for wireless and fast charging.
  • A Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Octa-core processor runs cooler and faster than previous versions.
  • 4 GB of RAM vs. the S6 Edge’s 3 GB.
  • A MicroSD slot that accepts cards up to 200 GB.
02
of 03

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge+

Samsung Galaxy S6 / Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Samsung

Display: 5.1-in Super AMOLED (Edge); 5.7 in Super AMOLED (Edge+)
Resolution: 1440 x 2560 @ 577 PPI
Front camera: 5 MP
Rear camera: 16 MP
Charger type: micro USB​​
Initial Android version: 5.0 Lollipop
Final Android version: 7.0 Nougat​
Release Date: April 2015 (no longer in production)

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 Edge+ feature two curved edges, compared to the Galaxy Note Edge's one. The Note Edge also has a removable battery and a MicroSD slot, which both the S6 Edge and Edge+ lack. The S6 Edge+ has a larger screen, but it's lighter in weight than the Note Edge.

The S6 Edge comes in three memory capacities: 32, 64, and 128 GB. The Edge+ is available in only 32 or 64 GB. The Edge+ has a more powerful battery: 3000mAh vs. the S6 Edge's 2600mAh. That's necessary to power its giant screen (6 inches bigger than the S6 Edge's), though both displays have the same resolution.

The Edge panel on the S6 Edge and Edge+ has limited functionality compared to the S7 Edge and the Note Edge. You can designate your top five contacts and get color-coded notifications when one of them calls you or sends a message, but that's it.

03
of 03

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Samsung-Galaxy-Note-4-y-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-Edge.jpg

Samsung

Display: 5.6-in Super AMOLED
Resolution: 1600 x 2560 @ 524 PPI
Front camera: 3.7 MP
Rear camera: 16 MP
Charger type: micro USB​
​Initial Android version: 4.4 KitKat
Final Android version: 6.0 Marshmallow
Release Date: November 2014 (no longer in production)

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is an Android phablet that introduced the Edge panel concept. Unlike the Edge devices that followed it, the Note Edge had only one curved edge and was regarded more as an experiment than a fully fleshed-out device. Like many older Galaxy devices, the Note Edge has a removable battery and a MicroSD slot (accepting cards up to 64 GB).

The Note Edge's edge screen has three functions: notifications, shortcuts, and widgets. The idea was to make it easy to view alerts and conduct simple actions without unlocking the phone. You can add as many app shortcuts as you want on the Edge panel and create folders as well. You can also you can view the time and weather. In the settings, you can select which types of alerts you'd like to receive, so it's not too cluttered.

Was this page helpful?