The Note edge and now the Galaxy S6 edge show us that Samsung’s got an affinity for “curves,” whether it be a curved display like the Gear S, or the curved “edges” of its Galaxy S6 edge. The “edges” and “curves” of its products are excellent, but consumers want to have more function. After all, a pretty aesthetic (as is the case with most smartphones) with little significance in daily life is hardly worth getting excited about.
To this end, Samsung has filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for an Apps Edge that will provide quick access to a user’s regular apps. The patent, filed on July 6th, says that the Apps Edge is “for use in organizing and allowing quick access to frequently used applications.” In other words, Samsung looks to make the edge more mainstream in the future. The edge seems to be Samsung’s golden ticket to new form factors (thank goodness for something other than the typical thin “brick” slabs in which Android, iOS, and Windows Phone devices live), and adding utility to it will only make it better.
A number of reviewers have said that the Galaxy S6 edge is the smartphone to beat in 2015, but needs more developers to get onboard and develop apps to take advantage of the curved sides so that Samsung’s apps are not left alone on the “edge.” Samsung intends to give APIs to developers who will start to create apps that are edge-eligible from the outset, but Samsung may have other plans. Phandroid says that Samsung will bring an Apps Edge store to the S6 edge and the Note edge, and this seems likely – considering that the “edge” apps will have a different functionality than the S6 edge’s non-edge sibling and the upcoming Note 5. We’ve reported that a Note edge 2 may be MIA this year, and along with Samsung’s desire to increase edge appeal with the upcoming S6 edge+, the Apps Edge patent seems to breathe some new hope into the Note edge series for the future.
