Earlier this morning Samsung unveiled its latest update to the popular Galaxy Note line in the form of the Galaxy Note 5, alongside a phablet size Galaxy S6 Edge creatively dubbed the S6 Edge +.
Both handsets are now open for preorder in the US, and include 5.7″ screens encased in a glass and metal design reminiscent of the design language the firm has adopted with the likes of the S6, S6 Edge, and Galaxy A line.
Both devices arrive loaded with Android 5.1 Lollipop, and feature 16 megapixel front-facing and 5 megapixel rear cameras, as well as Samsung’s own eight-core Exynos 7420 processor.
Samsung has also unsurprisingly moved to bring fast charging (in addition to fast wireless charging in some territories) in addition to new NFC chips to both devices. The NFC chips will specifically allow users to pay for items with Samsung Pay, the company’s Apple Pay competitor.
The similarities of both handsets end at the chassis size; the S6 Edge + is both slightly smaller than the Note 5 – weighing in at some 18 grams lighter. Further, the S6 Edge + will release in a new exclusive colour – silver titanium – in addition to black, sapphire, and gold platinum.
The Note 5 will carry Samsung’s latest S Pen stylus, and will be compatible with an all new Keyboard Cover case which adds a physical keyboard on top of the device’s touchscreen that is reminiscent of a BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard.While this accessory is sold separately, it moves the product into business territory that BlackBerry has enjoyed dominance in for years – hear more of our opinions on the latest episode of Bandwidth Blog On Air.
Out of contract, the Galaxy Note 5 is priced at a premium $696 USD for the 32GB model, and $792 USD for the 64GB version. The S6 Edge + is available from $792 USD for the 32GB model, and $888 USD for the 64GB version.
What are your thoughts on Samsung’s latest premium offering? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Top image source: Forbes