Although Samsung has backtracked a bit, saying its unique Galaxy Note Edge is a limited-edition experiment, it looks as though at least one U.S. carrier is still moving toward selling the phone: GforGames noticed that the FCC has certified the Galaxy Note Edge for use. The tested phone supports the LTE bands of both AT&T and U.S. Cellular.
AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile initially said they would eventually be selling the phone, which has a rounded, additional touch display along its right edge. After Samsung publicly downplayed widespread availability for the Galaxy Note Edge, however, I thought the U.S. wouldn’t see the phone except maybe for direct sales through Samsung. FCC certification certainly doesn’t guarantee that a particular device will be made available, but it appears that AT&T will offer it; particularly since it has a sign-up page for updates on the phone.
How much will it cost? That’s a big question that will likely have a big figure attached to the answer.
From a general hardware perspective, the phone is similar to the Galaxy Note 4, which costs a whopping $825.99 off-contract from AT&T. The handset is expected to ship on October 14. AT&T offers the Note 4 through monthly payments on its Next plans, but for overall price comparisons, the full retail price is relevant here.
Based on the Note 4 price, I’d be surprised if the full cost of a Galaxy Note Edge is under $900. In addition to the more expensive curved display, there is less of an economies-of scale production benefit since Samsung will produce fewer of this model. That price might be worth it to some, but I’ll hold off judgement until I see how much — or how little — value the side screen brings.



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