Samsung's new smartphones might not offer enough to entice current iPhone users to switch, but they keep Samsung at the head of the class among Android smartphone makers. The new Galaxy devices come weeks before comparable updates from Apple are expected. In a sense, if Samsung can't beat the competition in sales, it can at least beat it to store shelves.
Samsung pioneered jumbo phones with the original Note in 2011, but lost its edge after Apple came out with its own, the iPhone 6 Plus. Samsung's new 5.7-inch phones seek to restore some of that edge.
Of the two, the Edge Plus is likely to appeal to more people. The screen's left and right edges are curved like a waterfall and blend into the phone's aluminum casing. You get a better grip and a more immersive viewing experience, even from an angle.
As with the smaller S6 Edge phone from this spring, you can access frequent contacts and have the edge light up in a different colour, depending on who's calling. With your phone face down, you know whether the caller's important enough to interrupt a meeting. The Edge Plus model adds quick access to frequently used apps. The side screen also displays headlines and clock functions.
The Note 5 model comes with a regular, flat screen and is notable mostly for its stylus. It will appeal primarily to professionals who do a lot of note-taking and messaging. You can write instead of type an e-mail or reminder. Software converts the handwriting - even my chicken scratch - into computerised text. You can jot down a note even with the screen off, so you don't lose your train of thought in turning on the phone and opening an app first. You can also annotate documents and Web pages to share with others.
Both phones have great screens with vivid colours, though colours sometimes look unnatural. Faces appear too orange at times, for instance. The cameras are excellent, but have colour challenges, too. Grass at a baseball game appeared yellowish rather than green. On the other hand, many people want photos to look stunning rather than accurate, judging by the popularity of Instagram filters that do just that.
The phones have great battery life - 13 to 15 hours of Hulu video, while the included wall charger gets you a quarter charge in 15 minutes and more than 85 percent in an hour.
The new phones borrow a number of features from the iPhone. They use metal and glass just like the latest iPhones, while earlier Samsung phones used plastic. And like the latest iPhones, Samsung phones will be capable of making card payments by tapping a store's payment terminal. Samsung Pay will debut next month.
So why don't I believe these new phones will entice iPhone users to switch? Being just as good isn't enough. They need to be much better, given that switching means buying new apps and learning new ways to do things. The pen and the edge screen help, but they won't appeal to everyone.
Samsung has a better chance at luring back some Android users - at least those willing to pay $696 to $740 for the Note 5 and about $75 more for the Edge. Decent Android phones are available for a few hundred dollars less - without the pen or edge screen features.
Comments
0 comment