Samsung Galaxy Note Edge review

Performance and Battery

The Note Edge is one of the fastest and most powerful phones out there. It’s powered by the same 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM as the Note 4, so it’s not surprising that both phones had pracitcally identical SunSpider JavaScript scores, with the Edge scoring a super fast 347ms in its default browser and the Note 4 finishing in 349ms. This slowed to a rather disappointing 1,081ms in Chrome on the Note Edge, but it’s more than capable of handling complex desktop and mobile websites regardless of which browser you prefer.

The Note Edge’s graphics performance was similarly impressive, as it maxed out our 3DMark Ice Storm and Ice Storm Extreme tests and scored a massive 19,096 (or 76.1fps) in Ice Storm Unlimited. The extra resolution didn’t seem to phase it when we ran our Epic Citadel test either, as it managed an average of 48.3fps on Ultra High quality settings, which is just one frame behind the Note 4.

Sadly, the Note Edge’s battery life can’t hold a candle to the Note 4, as its 3,000mAh battery lasted just 13 hours and 35 minutes in our continuous video playback test when we set the screen to 170cd/m2. The Note 4, on the other hand, lasted 15 hours and 36 minutes under the same conditions. 13 and a half hours is still a decent score, but we were hoping for more given the size of its battery and it’s by far one of poorer battery scores we’ve seen from a flagship Samsung phone in recent months.

Conclusion

Our biggest concern, however, is the price. At £680 SIM-free and a massive £53.50 on contract with an upfront cost of £49, the Note Edge is more expensive than Samsung’s superior Note 4 and the curved screen does very little to justify the extra price hike other than its role as a glorified alarm clock. If this is Samsung’s glimpse of the future, a lot more needs to be done before the curve becomes an integral part of the handset. If you’re looking for the best large screen phone, the Note 4 remains our phablet of choice.