Samsung Galaxy Note Edge has a curved edge display, but do you really need it?

The 5.6-inch Note Edge is a variant of the Galaxy Note 4, the latest iteration of Samsung's large-screen stalwart. 

The Edge's main display curves around the right edge of the phone to create a side display for notifications and one-tap access to apps, headlines and tasks.

That side screen is useful in a few ways. When using the camera horizontally, the shutter and other controls are up top, just like a regular camera. 

When listening to music, playback controls are instantly available. At night, the weather, current time and wake-up time are displayed on the side, so you can easily check as the phone lays on a nightstand.

The Edge needs more apps to take advantage of that side screen. 

There are about a dozen, but few of which I care to have. And the side text is sometimes upside down when the phone rests face up. 

It's a first-generation feature, and it'll take time for Samsung and app developers to figure out what works best.

New Samsung SM-E700H Spotted With Mid-Range Specifications

Three deputies to the head of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's (005930.KS) mobile division are leaving, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday, as the world's largest smartphone maker faces a rapid decline in profit.

The person, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the executives directly report to division chief J.K. Shin, who this week retained his post despite sagging smartphone sales and expectations the company will see its worst annual profit in three years in 2014.

The departures included global marketing chief D.J. Lee, the source said, confirming earlier media reports.

Samsung Electronics declined to say if any executives were leaving the company as it announced its annual reshuffle for executive-level staff.

But the announcement showed Samsung had made 165 executive-level promotions, the lowest number in at least four years, underscoring the strains the South Korean company is under.

"Shin was given another chance, given his past contributions, but he will definitely continue to feel the pressure going forward," said IBK Securities analyst Lee Seung-woo ahead of Samsung Electronics' staff announcement.

Samsung's share of the smartphone market has fallen year-on-year for the last three quarters, squeezed by Chinese rivals like Xiaomi Technology Co Ltd [XTC.UL] at the low-end and Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iPhones in the premium segment.

Samsung Electronics is expected to announce its annual business reorganisation plan by next week.

The company has kept mum about the details but the Joongang Ilbo newspaper reported earlier that Samsung will reduce executive-level positions for its mobile communications business by 25 percent. Other media reported the company could hive off its medical equipment business.

Samsung earlier this week said it will sell its fibre optics business to U.S. speciality glass maker Corning Inc (GLW.N), its second exit from a non-core business this quarter.

Samsung Galaxy Core 2 Duos and Galaxy Pocket 2 Briefly Listed Online

Samsung might soon announce the next iterations of two of its popular budget Android smartphones, the Galaxy Core and Galaxy Pocket, if a new online listing (now pulled) is to be believed.

The yet-to-be-announced Samsung Galaxy Core 2 Duos and Galaxy Pocket 2 were briefly listed at a Vietnamese online retailer named Mainguyen before being pulled down. However, GSMArena has obtained the complete specifications and also the press renders of both the rumoured Galaxy Core 2 Duos and Galaxy Pocket 2.

Notably, the Samsung Galaxy Core was launched in June last year, while the Galaxy Pocket was announced back in 2012.

According to the leaked specifications, both the briefly listed Samsung Galaxy Core 2 Duos and Galaxy Pocket 2 run Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box. The Galaxy Core 2 Duos is said to come with dual-SIM support, as the name suggests. The smartphone will come with a 4.5-inch WVGA (480x800 pixels) display and will have a pixel density of 207ppi.

The other specifications listed of the yet-to-be-announced Galaxy Core 2 Duos include a quad-core Cortex A7 processor, 768MB of RAM. It features 4GB of inbuilt storage and comes with expandable storage via microSD card. It is said to sport a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and also include a VGA camera.

GSMArena, citing the online listing, claims that the Galaxy Core 2 Duos comes with 3G connectivity option in one SIM, apart from Bluetooth, GPRS/ EDGE and Wi-Fi. A 2000mAh battery is said to back the alleged Galaxy Core 2 Duos and it will measure 130.2x67.9x9.8mm and weigh 138 grams.

The other yet-to-be-announced smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Pocket 2, is said to come with dual-SIM support and a 3.2-inch QVGA (320x480 pixels). It is powered by 1GHz processor clubbed with 512MB of RAM, according to the online listing. There is a 2-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front camera on board. The rumoured Galaxy Pocket 2 is said to come with a 1200mAh battery and weigh 110 grams.

As of now, there is no word from Samsung on the launch of both the Galaxy Core 2 Duos and Galaxy Pocket 2 smartphones.

Samsung Jet: Smarter than a smartphone?

1. Samsung Mobile unpacked their most ultimate innovation at Communicasia 2009.

2. Samsung Jet, made its mark with a breathtaking, simultaneous launch at three international locations, London, Dubai and Singapore.

3. Jet is rocket-powered, with 800 MHz processor! It's faster than the iPhone 3GS with a 600 MHz processing speed.

4. Jet certainly has enough power and appeal to tackle the hottest smartphones on earth. It is the ultimate solution to smartphone problem, i.e., waiting time.

5. With the 800 MHz application processor, Jet gives fast and instant multimedia and Internet access

6. Its Touch WIZ 2.0 UI gives an unrivalled user experience and includes features such as motion UI, smart unlock, customisable widget screen.

7. There is photo album, music player, video player, FM radio, game and internet around the six faces of the cube.

8. It holds, not just the latest in technology but is 'made' intelligently.

9. With motion recognition engine, you can access a lot of activities on the phone including the motion dial feature.

10. Unlock your mobile by drawing a predetermined shape with your finger called "Smart Unlock". You can do this in three ways - simply unlock, unlock and call, unlock and launch an application.

11. Zoom in and out with just one finger. Jet makes the most of its fast user interface.

12. Its new Dolphin Web browser lets you have a customised web experience, flash objects, initiate multiple downloads consecutively.

13. A rare feature to have in a phone is the Microsoft Exchange and a PC active sync option

14. The Jet lands in India, this month. Samsung will price it around Rs 24,000 and believes that Jet will make its mark as a phone smarter than a smartphone.

15. Specification:

• 800 MHz processor
• Touch WIZ 2.0 UI
• 3.1 inch, 16M, WVGA, AMOLED screen
• 480x800 Resolution screen
• Microsoft Exchange with PC active sync
• Dolphin web browser for customisable web experience
• Geo tagging and traffic update features
• 5 mega pixel camera