Samsung Unveils Two New Phones With Huge Screens
Samsung unveiled two new smartphones Thursday to appeal to mobile users increasingly clamoring for big-screen phones. The Galaxy Note5 and the Galaxy S6 edge+ offer essentially identical specs, but the Note5 has a flat screen and an accompanying pen while the S6 edge+ features a curved screen. Both devices have 5.7-inch Quad HD AMOLED displays, 16 megapixel cameras and 4GB of RAM. The devices also feature 3,000 mAH batteries capable of wireless charging. The Note5 has the same screen-size as last year's Note4 model, but Samsung has shrunk the casing a bit to make it easier to hold in one hand. The curved back also makes it easier to gain a grip on the phone. However, the device is losing the microSD slot and removable battery that were part of older Note models. , In terms of software, the phones will have a new feature called Live Broadcast, that allows users to instantly stream video from their phone directly to a YouTube channel. Users will also be able to record in 4K, the super-high-definition video format. The Note5 also has a nifty feature that allows people to use the pen to write and record messages on the phone's screen without unlocking the device. Both phones will also come preloaded with Samsung Pay, the company's new mobile payment system set to compete with Apple Pay and Android Pay. The Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge+ will be available in 32GB and 64GB models beginning Aug. 21 across all major carriers. Pre-orders for the devices begin Thursday at 3 p.m. EDT.