Samsung unveiled two new mega sized smartphones Thursday including a new S6 Edge Plus and Galaxy Note 5, both with 5.7 inch screens and both thinner and lighter than earlier models. They are slightly larger than Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus at 5.5 inches.
One of the more unusual features of the new Edge Plus is the option of a snap on keyboard with small physical keys that can turn the phone into a BlackBerry-like device.
The new Edge has a faster charging time of 90 minutes and is lighter than the iPhone 6 Plus.
And both the new phones can broadcast live video. You select your audience, (or “public”) and they can now see your live video streams on YouTube.
TechCrunch called the new Edge Plus “Samsung’s answer to the iPhone 6 Plus,” and said, “But the best part is that the S6 Edge+ feels incredibly light. It doesn’t feel like a phablet at all. When you turn the device on, you are immersed in the display. Because of the curved display, it feels like you are just holding a big screen in your hand. You can pin apps to the screen edges, making these edges at least a little useful.”
Specs for both phones are: quad HD Super AMOLED display, 5MP front facing wide angle camera and 16MP rear facing camera with 1080p full HD video recording and 720p playback.
The Note 5 is similar to the Edge except that it has a stylus, S-Pen, for note taking, which makes it more suitable for business use. It also lacks the virtual second screen on the Edge of the phone that distinguishes the S6 Edge.
Additionally, the phones will feature Samsung Pay (similar to Apple Pay).
They will be available August 21 at about $700 to $740 without a contract for the Note 5 and about $75 more for the Edge Plus.
Source: Samsung, TechCrunch, Huffington Post, USA Today
