Samsung unveils Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+

Samsung raised the curtain on its two newest smartphones, the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, both of which sport large displays. Staying true to their predecessors, they are designed to be premium handsets that don’t diverge very much from each other. The specs are nearly identical between them, though one is flat while the other curves.

Galaxy Note 5

The Galaxy Note 5 uses a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display that is essentially the same as the previous one, yet lies on a panel that is a fair bit slimmer and slightly thinner. There is no expandable storage beyond the 32GB or 64GB of internal space, but there is wireless charging. The latter has been improved upon in that going from empty to full now only takes two hours. Samsung is also the only vendor that is currently supporting the two prime wireless charging standards — Qi and PMA. A wired charge will go to at least half full in 30 minutes and totally full in about 90.

The back is not removable, so there is no option to switch out the battery, putting the Note now firmly in line with the latest Galaxy S line that came before it earlier this year. RAM gets a boost to 4GB and unlike the Note 4, the Note 5 runs on Samsung’s own Exynos octa-core processor.

The familiar S Pen returns once again. Samsung will now allow users to customize the Air Command feature that fans out a short list of options that make use of the stylus. For example, it would now be possible to add Microsoft’s OneNote, and more apps should follow as Samsung has opened it up to developers.

The improved fingerprint reader from the Galaxy S6 is also included here, adding a security layer that previously wasn’t in the Note series.

And lastly, the Note 5 has been outfitted with what Samsung is calling ultra high-quality (UHQ) audio, meaning that a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) can enhance lower-bitrate music files and make them sound closer to CD quality. It’s unclear how well this will work on all headphones, considering how vastly different some can be in performance and fidelity.

Galaxy S6 Edge+

The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is essentially a Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge rolled into one, given the form factor and specs found on the device. As you can see from the spec sheet, there is little to differentiate the S6 Edge+ from the Note 5. The dual curved design seen in the S6 Edge is the same here, albeit on a larger display.

The edge display is now more customizable, allowing users to do more than just add their most common contacts. Like the Note Edge, it can be used as a shortcut to launch apps, too.

The larger battery (compared to the original S6 Edge), coupled with the same resolution and arguably more efficient internal processing, should theoretically mean that this phone will last noticeably longer than its predecessor. I’ll know more once I’ve tested it out. The faster wireless and wired charging does apply here as well, so refilling the battery is also a factor that plays into how long it lasts.

Not surprisingly, the fingerprint reader is here, too. In almost every respect, this is merely the same Galaxy S6 Edge ballooned to a larger display with a few tweaks in its components. If you wanted a larger display and more active edge, this is pretty much it.

Both phones are available for pre-order in Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores as of August 14. You can also reserve and pick up either phone at your nearest location as they launch to market on August 21.

Check out the latest from Samsung here.