On the right - hand
edge of the phone there's the volume and power buttons, while the opposite side houses the SIM card and microSD tray.
Not exact matches
The squared
edges mean it feels thicker than some
of the sculpted larger screen
phones out
there - like the Samsung Galaxy S III - but it does mean it will stand, like a monolith, unsupported.
There is a dedicated button for the camera, volume, mute and voice dialling, perhaps reflecting the business
edge of the
phone.
By contrast,
there is a sharp, hard,
edge at the back
of the
phone and given the location
of the lock / unlock on the top
of the device, it's almost impossible to unlock the display comfortably using one hand.
There's a chrome trim running along the
edges of the
phone for some aesthetic appeal, along with chrome - plated antenna bands running across the top and bottom
of the back.
With some
of the best Android
phones on the planet - such as the Samsung Galaxy S7
Edge, HTC 10 and the OnePlus 3 - packing serious processing firepower,
there's never been a better time to hit up Google Play and enter a world
of fantastic mobile gaming.
But
there is one
edge case where I don't want to use either
of them: when I just don't want (or can't) interact with my
phone.
While
there is no confirmation as
of yet from Xiaomi themselves that the Mi Note 2 will have a curved
edge screen, it wont be long before that information goes public as Xiaomi are slated to announce the
phone on October 25th, which is just next week Tuesday.
Judging by the similarities in image output from LG and Samsung
phones, I'd argue
there's an identifiable Korean style
of mobile photography, which is defined by crisp
edges and contours
of objects and aggressive noise suppression in areas
of consistent color.
There's also the S Pen, a stylus that's tucked away at the bottom
edge of the
phone.
It's punctuated by the long
edges of the displays curving subtly off the side, more so like the Galaxy Note 7 than the more dramatic Galaxy S7
edge — and to that point,
there is no «
edge» model here, as both
phones sport the curves.
The design has been totally changed and it would be fair to say that it looks like the iPhone X.
There's a metal core which forms the
edges of the
phone sandwiched between a glass front and back, which both softly curve into those
edges.
There might be some things that the Pixel 2 XL does better with Oreo and the Note 8 has some cool S - Pen and
edge screen tricks, but iOS 11 on iPhone X is the first
phone in years that feels like it's on the verge
of something entirely new.
Plenty
of focus is being put on fingerprint sensors in 2016
phones, but we should remember that Samsung was right
there at the early stages
of this game (at least amongst Android manufacturers) in launching the Galaxy S6 and S6
edge with excellent one - touch fingerprint sensors.
All
of that said,
there seems to be an endless number
of 5.3 - and 5.7 - inch
phones vying for the same phablet audience: iPhone 6S Plus, LG G5, Moto X Style and Samsung Galaxy S7
Edge and, briefly, the now discontinued Note 7.
I have been sceptical about
there being two devices in the S8 lineup, Samsung have given consumers plenty
of time to get used to larger
phones, and dual curved
edges.
There's access to the Lightning port and the stereo speakers on the bottom
edge of the
phone are exposed, too.
There are only three buttons on the
phone: two volume rockers and a power switch, which for some reason, is awkwardly - placed below the volume buttons about midway down the right
edge of the
phone.
Sure, it's essentially a Galaxy Note 4 variant at heart, with the same powerful internals and core functionality, but the difference is right
there in the name: This 5.6 - inch phablet screen doesn't stop when it hits the usual right border, instead pouring over to form a curved
edge on the side
of the
phone.
There is a slight grated effect on the back
of the handset to give better grip to your fingers whilst the
edges are more rounded but it does all round feel you're using a small brick
of a
phone.
While
there isn't much
of a delay between using the Ok Google hotword to launch the Google Assistant as compared to squeezing your
phone, many early users say they actually prefer using Active
Edge to launch Assistant.
Although
there isn't a lot
of flashy technology in either
of the units, the XL may include an Active
Edge feature on the left side
of the
phone that will allow you to mute calls and alarms, as well as launch Google Assistant, by squeezing the
phone.
There are fewer lines and visible bands going around the
phones, and the glass shade on the back (which is now made out
of the more durable Corning Gorilla Glass 5) is better integrated, running right up to the
phones»
edges.
The power and volume buttons can both be found on the right
edge of the
phone, while
there is an IR blaster at the top
of the device which can be used to control TVs and other household appliances.
That's a good thing, as Samsung's use
of the curved
edge is one
of the things that stands it apart from the majority
of flat
phones already out
there.
Unlike many other
phones with 2.5 D curved glass,
there are defined
edges around the front display
of the Moto Z Force with the glass butting up to the metal
edges.
Then
there's the front - facing camera, which somewhat hilariously pops up from the top
edge of the
phone when you switch to the selfie mode in the camera.
There is a version
of the
phone with a hardware trick, the Galaxy S6
Edge with a curved display.
In terms
of sheer consistency, we think the iPhone 7 Plus still has the
edge not just over the Pixel but all other
phone cameras out
there.
Yes
there is a bezel on the bottom
of the
phone, but you're not looking down here — you pay attention to the ridiculously small bezels on the other three
edges.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7
edge are two
of the newest
phones to run the latest version
of Android and with the upgrade,
there are several new features being added to the handsets to make the experience even better.
There is one key difference this year, however: The
Edge model has a larger screen than the «regular» S7 and, as the name suggests, has those trademark curved secondary displays on either side
of the
phone.
The
phone looks beautiful and the
edges are more rounded than with the case
of the LG G5, but
there is still no curved dual -
edge display as many would have expected.
At 72.5 x 156.2 x 7.5 mm and screen - to - body ratio
of 83 percent, the Chinese firm has clearly managed to do a pretty good job in terms
of design, even though
there's still room for improvements to reach other
edge - to -
edge phones like the Galaxy S8 +.
There's nothing to make the 5X really stand out in a crowd, and for a budget
phone that's not too surprising — you want money spent on materials and build, not necessarily design gimmicks or cutting -
edge hardware features that can't be executed fully for this kind
of phone.
There will also be an updated version
of HTC U11's headline feature,
Edge Sense, which allowed users to launch apps by simply squeezing the sides
of the
phone.
HTC's also included Android Oreo's Adaptive Icons framework which adds a squircle background to all your app icons and then
there's the fancy new
Edge Launcher which gives you the ability to have all of your favorite apps and contacts show up on the edge of the phone's screen when you squeeze the dev
Edge Launcher which gives you the ability to have all
of your favorite apps and contacts show up on the
edge of the phone's screen when you squeeze the dev
edge of the
phone's screen when you squeeze the device.
If you find yourself accidentally clicking the dedicated Bixby button on the left
edge of the
phone, constantly opening Bixby Home,
there's a way to turn it off.
There's also an
Edge lighting feature that lights up the sides
of the
phone for incoming notifications and calls.
There's no doubting that the Note
Edge is an incredible piece
of tech.With the curved screen it looks fabulous and with most
phones appearing almost identical it's certainly a head - turner.
There were also previous rumours that the company would consider a standard S6 Plus too, but those have waned
of late and it is thought that only the
edge will get a beefier version, bringing that gorgeous wrapped - screen design aesthetic to the larger
phone market.
There's no image
of the
phone showing its top
edge, so it's impossible to know for sure if the device comes with a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
The
Edges of the phone have some extras, for instance, there are sidebar features that can be brought to life by swiping the screen from the curved e
Edges of the
phone have some extras, for instance,
there are sidebar features that can be brought to life by swiping the screen from the curved
edgesedges.
There's also a USB Type - C charging port along the bottom
of the
phone, volume rocker and power button on the right
edge, headphone jack at the top, and a place to slot your SIM card on the left.
The aluminum bezel surrounding the outer
edges of the
phone play a big role
there, as does the fact that the design, fit and finish on the Moto X are fantastic.
If you're undecided on your next
phone and looking for a top -
of - the - range handset, the Galaxy S7
Edge is easily one
of the best
phones out
there, as we discovered in our review.
All
of these cases seem to be able to handle drops, as they're not exactly the thinnest offerings out
there, plus they have some reinforcement on the
edges in order to make sure that the
phone is well protected.
If
there are complaints, it would be that accidental detections on the
edges of the screen are still a problem, so you'll still want to be careful when handling the
phone.
The only main difference is
there are now a couple side
edges on the back
of the
phone (like the Galaxy S6
edge, but on the opposite side).
Though HTC will be changing some specifications for the U11 Life,
there is one that it won't be leaving out and that's
Edge Sense, perhaps the flagship feature
of the U11, which is good for consumers as the U11 Life will surely cost less money and consumers will still be able to squeeze the sides
of the
phone to launch apps and functions.