Skip to main content

The Galaxy Note 7’s Edge-only design may hint at things to come for Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
The Galaxy Note 7, Samsung’s latest smartphone to be announced, only comes with a curved-edge screen. Even if you want a flat-screen version, you can’t have one because Samsung doesn’t make one — and it could signal a shift in strategy that will eventually filter down to the Galaxy S range of smartphones.

That’s the impression given by Samsung’s President of Mobile Communications Dong-jin Koh, when he was quoted as saying the company has, “considered that it would make the Edge display as the identity of the Galaxy S lineup,” by the Korea Herald during the Note 7’s launch in New York.  Currently, Samsung produces the Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge, two versions of essentially the same phone, outside of the curved display.

The Note range was the testbed for the Edge screen itself, appearing first on a version of the Note 4 at the end of 2014, before making its way to the Galaxy S6 Edge in mid-2015. Does this mean that in 2017, only a curved screen Galaxy S8 will arrive? And if it does, will the Edge name remain or like it has on the Note 7, become a thing of the past? Nothing is certain yet, and there’s still one key aspect Samsung wants to get right. Koh continued to say that the Galaxy S range would only go Edge-only if it, “can provide consumers a differentiated user experience through software and user-friendly functions.”

Samsung’s struggled to make full use of the curved screen so far, outside of it looking stunning, but recent updates for Android 6.0 have increased its usefulness. This hasn’t stopped people flocking to the Galaxy S7 Edge over the standard flat Galaxy S7, and for the pair to surpass the Apple iPhone in popularity.

Beyond its curved edge screens, Samsung is also working on flexible displays, and rumors are we’ll see the first examples of these bendy phones early next year.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Have a Samsung Galaxy S23? Don’t update your phone to One UI 6.1
The pink Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus lying on a pillow.

Samsung started rolling out its One UI 6.1 update last week, bringing its Galaxy AI features to the Galaxy S23 series and other Galaxy phones and tablets. Unfortunately, it looks like the update is doing more harm than good.

Over the last couple of days, there have been seemingly endless reports of One UI 6.1 wreaking havoc for Galaxy S23 owners — including everything from unresponsive touchscreens, fingerprint sensors not working, and more.

Read more
A new version of the Samsung Galaxy S24 could be coming soon
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Mint Green color along with a coaster and leaf in the front.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Tushar Mehta / Digital Trends

Samsung could soon be adding a new phone to the flagship Galaxy S24 lineup. Following the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra from earlier this year, it looks like Samsung is getting ready to launch the Galaxy S24 FE.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: news, rumored price, release date, and more
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic next to each other.

Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (left) and Galaxy Watch 6 (right) Andrew Martonik / Digital Trends

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 is one of the best smartwatches that you can buy right now, especially if you’re using a Galaxy smartphone. But as good as it is, there's also no denying how much of an iterative update it was over the Galaxy Watch 5. It's about time we see some bigger changes to Samsung's smartwatch family.

Read more