Skip to main content

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

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.

Recommended Videos

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.

Andy Boxall
Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.
Why the Galaxy S25 Edge is more far experimental than you think
The back of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Samsung hasn’t pushed the boundaries of design in its smartphones for years, but those days have ended with the Galaxy S25 Edge. No longer is it playing it safe, as it gets a head start in the growing 2025 trend for thin, lightweight phones, while bringing back a name associated with some of the coolest Galaxy phones ever made. 

Digital Trends spoke to Samsung’s Annika Bizon, vice president of mobile product and marketing in the U.K. and Ireland, and Samsung’s smartphone specialist product manager Kadesh Beckford shortly after the phone’s announcement about how experimental the Galaxy S25 Edge actually is, and why the design is only part of the story. 

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
A person taking the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge out of a pocket.

It's an undeniable fact that smartphones have gotten larger and larger over the years. Samsung is trying to turn back the years with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, a smartphone that embraces everything we love about modern phones, but tries to make it just that little bit more svelte. The result is a phone that's just 5.9mm thick, making other flagships look like lumbering brutes.

The Galaxy S25 Edge's slimness is going to mean compromises, of course — chiefly, the battery size is smaller than its competitors, and while the build is thinner, there's a worry that could make the phone easier to damage. All of this is pure supposition until we get chance to review the phone, of course, and if you're considering buying the S25 Edge, we'd recommend waiting until our final review until you make a decision. But that doesn't change the fact that there are a number of strong smartphones out there that can do the S25 Edge's job well, and sometimes, better. Here are five phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy S26 Edge is already being tipped to replace a key sibling next year
Galaxy S25 Edge in all three colors

Much of the talk this week is about Samsung’s all-new Galaxy S25 Edge. However, attention will soon turn to next year’s Galaxy S26 lineup. The Elec says that the 2026 lineup will look slightly different from the more recent ones, and here’s how.

Samsung reportedly plans to replace its Plus smartphone variant with an Edge model next year. Historically, Plus sales have lagged behind those of Ultra and standard models, so this would make sense.

Read more