It’s wonderful to be heard. You get that warm feeling
down in the cockles of your heart that says, “I was on to something.” It
feels good – like vindication. You took a stance on something, and
ultimately were proven right, to the betterment of society. Ok, maybe
I’m diving a little deep on this one, but I do feel better about my
place in the mobile world, because Samsung listened to me.
Ok, I don’t think for a second that Samsung actually saw my words and changed its strategy. I’m not ~that~ vain. Almost, but not quite. But it does feel good to know that something I called for got implemented, maybe not as fully as I’d hoped. realistically what is probably a better implementation. I’m talking about the edge. More specifically, I’m talking about the edge on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge plus. Boy that is a mouthful, isn’t it?
Just last week, we saw the “bigger S6 Edge” revealed, and along with
it came some improvements. Of course there were improvements to the
screen size, battery size, and, well, everything-size. But also, there
was the software improvement that utilizes that edge in a better and
smarter way.
When I wrote my review rebuttal for the S6 Edge, I decried the “handcuffed” edge that Samsung had saddled us with. Relegating that cool feature to a relatively pedestrian use was a real setback to the concept of the edge on the Edge by the edge and for the edge. Ok, I got a little carried away. Now, with the S6 Edge plus, Samsung has re-introduced one feature that I missed – the ability to launch apps from the edge.
Loading apps into the edge is a great first step back along that path. It doesn’t quite bring back all the functionality – there don’t seem to be dedicated apps for the edge, nor do many (if any apps – we’ll have to wait for the full review) utilize the edge for their UI elements, cleaning up the screen for what’s important. But we are starting to see Samsung work back in some functionality into that space, so it becomes more than just a pretty phone but a truly useful phone. I applaud Samsung for that.
It’s not easy to admit when you’re wrong. And it’s even harder to
admit that you were wrong when you originally admitted you were wrong.
But somehow Samsung did just that. I’m excited to see what else Samsung
will bring to the edge of the Edges in the future.
And speaking of Edges in the future, that’s another positive about the app launcher moving back in. It shows that Samsung is reinforcing the idea that the Edge is here to stay. After all, it’s hard to imagine pouring resources into something that the company sees as a gimmick. We are on our (kinda) third generation of edge-bearing smartphone, and there have been a lot of refinements along the way. This shows that the company is interested in making this concept work. Or it shows that Samsung hasn’t made it work yet, so it’ll kill it soon – could go either way.
I, for one, am glad to see Samsung paying attention to this feature and I can’t wait to see what it brings next. What about you? Are you happy to see more functionality in the edge? Were you satisfied with the People Edge alone? Do you think the Galaxy S6 Edge/Edge plus is ugly and want to bury it in a pile of rocks? Sound off below and let’s talk about it.
Ok, I don’t think for a second that Samsung actually saw my words and changed its strategy. I’m not ~that~ vain. Almost, but not quite. But it does feel good to know that something I called for got implemented, maybe not as fully as I’d hoped. realistically what is probably a better implementation. I’m talking about the edge. More specifically, I’m talking about the edge on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge plus. Boy that is a mouthful, isn’t it?
Getting better
Just last week, we saw the “bigger S6 Edge” revealed, and along with
it came some improvements. Of course there were improvements to the
screen size, battery size, and, well, everything-size. But also, there
was the software improvement that utilizes that edge in a better and
smarter way.When I wrote my review rebuttal for the S6 Edge, I decried the “handcuffed” edge that Samsung had saddled us with. Relegating that cool feature to a relatively pedestrian use was a real setback to the concept of the edge on the Edge by the edge and for the edge. Ok, I got a little carried away. Now, with the S6 Edge plus, Samsung has re-introduced one feature that I missed – the ability to launch apps from the edge.
Exploring
On the original Note Edge, I loved the versatility of the edge, from app launching to UI housing to its own app store. Then the People Edge stopped all that. While I admit that the People Edge was handy for quickly dialing my wife, or my father, I missed using that edge in a smart way, beyond just making phone calls. Now it seems Samsung is reversing course…again…back to its original course of exploring what that edge can really do and how it will be really useful.Loading apps into the edge is a great first step back along that path. It doesn’t quite bring back all the functionality – there don’t seem to be dedicated apps for the edge, nor do many (if any apps – we’ll have to wait for the full review) utilize the edge for their UI elements, cleaning up the screen for what’s important. But we are starting to see Samsung work back in some functionality into that space, so it becomes more than just a pretty phone but a truly useful phone. I applaud Samsung for that.
Two wrongs make a right
It’s not easy to admit when you’re wrong. And it’s even harder to
admit that you were wrong when you originally admitted you were wrong.
But somehow Samsung did just that. I’m excited to see what else Samsung
will bring to the edge of the Edges in the future.And speaking of Edges in the future, that’s another positive about the app launcher moving back in. It shows that Samsung is reinforcing the idea that the Edge is here to stay. After all, it’s hard to imagine pouring resources into something that the company sees as a gimmick. We are on our (kinda) third generation of edge-bearing smartphone, and there have been a lot of refinements along the way. This shows that the company is interested in making this concept work. Or it shows that Samsung hasn’t made it work yet, so it’ll kill it soon – could go either way.
Something extra
But what’s exciting for now is the growth of this type of interface – the edge. This is a gorgeous concept, and despite Michael Fisher’s opinion, I think it has been from the start. This much beauty and utility packed into one standout feature could help shape the future of smartphones. That’s a bright future from where I’m sitting. The Edge has the ability to stand out in a crowd of slabs and bring something extra to a field that has been frankly clamoring for a little “extra” of late.I, for one, am glad to see Samsung paying attention to this feature and I can’t wait to see what it brings next. What about you? Are you happy to see more functionality in the edge? Were you satisfied with the People Edge alone? Do you think the Galaxy S6 Edge/Edge plus is ugly and want to bury it in a pile of rocks? Sound off below and let’s talk about it.
