Samsung Galaxy Note Edge vs. Note 8: A Generational Leap?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the clear winner. While the Note Edge offered a unique design, the Note 8 boasts superior performance, a better camera, significantly improved battery life, and a more refined overall experience. It's a generational upgrade in almost every aspect.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note Edge | Samsung Galaxy Note8 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 28 - SM-N915G | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (3CA) Cat6 300/50 Mbps or Cat4 150/50 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat16 1024/150 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2014, September. Released 2014, November | 2017, August 23. Released 2017, September |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3 mm (5.96 x 3.24 x 0.33 in) | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm (6.40 x 2.94 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | Micro-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 174 g (6.14 oz) | 195 g (6.88 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1600 x 2560 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~524 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~521 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.6 inches, 96.2 cm2 (~77.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.3 inches, 101.1 cm2 (~83.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| - | 3D Touch (home button only) Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core 2.7 GHz Krait 450 | Octa-core (4x2.3 GHz Mongoose M2 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A53) - EMEAOcta-core (4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo) - USA & China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm APQ8084 Snapdragon 805 (28 nm) | Exynos 8895 (10 nm) - EMEAQualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (10 nm) - USA & China |
| GPU | Adreno 420 | Mali-G71 MP20 - EMEAAdreno 540 - USA & China |
| OS | Android 4.4.4 (KitKat), upgradable to 6.0 (Marshmallow) | Android 7.1.1 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie) |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 32GB 3GB RAM, 64GB 3GB RAM | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM |
| - | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom |
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.2, 31mm (standard), 1/2.6", 1.12µm, AF, OIS | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, stereo sound rec. | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@240fps, stereo sound rec., HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) |
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 3.7 MP, f/1.9 | - |
| Video | 1440p@30fps | 1440p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.1, A2DP, EDR, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 (MHL 3 TV-out), OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, UV, heart rate, SpO2 | Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| - | Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 15W wired, QC2 | 15W wired, QC2 Wireless (Qi) (market dependent) |
| Music play | Up to 67 h | Up to 74 h |
| Talk time | Up to 18 h (3G) | Up to 22 h (3G) |
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, removable | Li-Ion 3300 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White | Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Gray, Deep Sea Blue, Star Pink |
| Models | SM-N9150, SM-N915A, SM-N915D, SM-N915F, SM-N915FY, SM-N915G, SM-N915K, SM-N915L, SM-N915P, SM-N915R4, SM-N915S, SM-N915T, SM-N915V, SM-N915W8, SM-N915X, SC-01G | SM-N950F, SM-N950U, SM-N9500, SM-N950U1, SM-N950N, SM-N950W, SC-01K, SM-N950FD |
| Price | About 300 EUR | About 500 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.61 W/kg (head) 0.56 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.24 W/kg (head) 0.33 W/kg (body) | 0.17 W/kg (head) 1.29 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -95.9dB / Crosstalk -93.3dB | Noise -92.5dB / Crosstalk -93.2dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 68h | Endurance rating 89h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 3.799 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.148(sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 72dB / Noise 75dB / Ring 70dB | Voice 67dB / Noise 69dB / Ring 71dB |
| Performance | Basemark OS II 2.0: 1255Basemark X: 17108 | AnTuTu: 201065 (v7) GeekBench: 6784 (v4.4) GFXBench: 13fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| OUR TESTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -95.9dB / Crosstalk -93.3dB | Noise -92.5dB / Crosstalk -93.2dB |
| Battery (old) | Endurance rating 68h | Endurance rating 89h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 3.799 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.148(sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 72dB / Noise 75dB / Ring 70dB | Voice 67dB / Noise 69dB / Ring 71dB |
| Performance | Basemark OS II 2.0: 1255Basemark X: 17108 | AnTuTu: 201065 (v7) GeekBench: 6784 (v4.4) GFXBench: 13fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
- Unique curved edge display
- Compact size
- Lower price (now)
- Outdated chipset
- Shorter battery life
- Less powerful camera
- Limited software updates
Samsung Galaxy Note8
- Superior performance
- Excellent camera
- Longer battery life
- Modern design
- S Pen functionality
- Wireless charging (market dependent)
- Higher price (originally)
- Large size
Display Comparison
The Note 8's display is noticeably better. While both have 'Infinite' contrast ratios (a marketing term), the Note 8's sunlight readability (4.148) is slightly higher than the Note Edge's (3.799). The Note 8 also features a more modern AMOLED panel with improved color accuracy and brightness. The Note Edge's curved edge, while innovative, can be distracting and less practical.
Camera Comparison
The Note 8's camera system is a major upgrade. While both offer Photo/Video capabilities, the Note 8 features a dual-lens setup allowing for optical zoom and improved low-light performance. Image processing is also significantly better on the Note 8, resulting in more detailed and vibrant photos. The Note Edge's camera, while decent for its time, simply can't compete.
Performance
The Note 8's chipset (Exynos 8895 or Snapdragon 835) and octa-core CPU are significantly faster than the Note Edge's Snapdragon 805 and quad-core CPU. This translates to smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance. The Note 8's 10nm process also contributes to improved power efficiency.
Battery Life
Battery life is a huge advantage for the Note 8. With an endurance rating of 89h, it significantly outlasts the Note Edge's 68h. This difference is due to the Note 8's larger battery capacity and more efficient chipset.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge? Primarily collectors or those seeking a unique, albeit dated, device at a very low price. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 8? Anyone looking for a powerful, feature-rich Android phone with a great camera and long battery life, especially if they appreciate the S Pen.