Introduction

We have a good one for you today – the new Samsung Galaxy Note Edge versus the Huawei Ascend Mate 7. These are both big phablets, both designed beautifully, fairly small bezels, one from South Korea and the other from China. The Note Edge is Samsung’s variation of its popular Galaxy Note 4 with the right side of the display curved down to form its own display, separate from the main display…pretty cool stuff, but it comes with a high price tag. The Ascend Mate 7 has a beautiful all metal back with some real grip to it and almost no bezels. These two devices have the look and feel of premium devices.

These two devices have very little in common – different displays, processors, different cameras and different batteries. They are about the same size and even weigh about the same. They both have the usual Wi-Fi, NFC capabilities, Bluetooth, microUSB connector for charging and data transfer. They both employ a fingerprint scanner and are running Android 4.4 KitKat.

Please take a close look at the detailed Specifications listed below and there you will be able to see how technically different these two devices really are…then we will look at each device and try to point out some pros and cons in order to pick a winner of this comparison.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

The Galaxy Note Edge was quite a surprise – we expected the Galaxy Note 4, but Samsung threw in the controversial Note Edge with the curved display…but only on the right side. Up until this time, a curved display meant the entire display was curved, not simply one ‘Edge,’ and what could you do with that small bit of real estate? With its all-metal frame and trim, faux leather backing and the curved edge, the Galaxy Note Edge is one sexy looking smartphone with a real premium feel.

The Galaxy Note Edge comes with a 5.6-inch Super AMOLED QHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 x 160 pixels and 524 pixels-per-inch (PPI). This is going up against and winning the battle with the 368 PPI display found on the Ascend Mate 7.  The Edge (in the U.S.) uses the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core clocked at 2.7GHz going up against the Kirin octa-core clock at 1.8GHz and 1.3GHz – Qualcomm’s design and graphics GPU are more than the Kirin can muster up. They both offer a model with 3GB of RAM onboard, 32GB of internal storage, and both have a microSD card to expand that memory, however, the Note Edge offers expansion up to 128GB, and the Ascend Mate 7 only offers 32GB.

When it comes to taking pictures, the ‘Edge’ has the edge…it sports a 16MP sensor, auto-focus, LED flash, ISOCELL technology, Live HDR shooting and OIS. Even the front-facing camera area (FFC) with its 3.7MP wide angle would be a better setup than a plain 5MP FFC – giving you more room to fit people in your selfies or video chats.  The 3000mAh battery does take a hit with the curved display, while the Ascend Mate 7 has a huge 4100mAh battery.

As far as extra features the Note Edge has over the Ascend Mate 7 – the S-Pen and software is a given, the ‘Edge’ of the display for placement of camera controls, notifications, a clock, etc., three microphones to help with background noises, VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling, Quick Charge feature (courtesy of the Qualcomm 805) and Download Booster. It also has a built-in IR Blaster, Heart Rate Sensor, UV and Oxygen Saturation Sensor.

It is running Android 4.4.4 KitKat with TouchWiz and can be purchased on all major U.S. networks for $399 on a two-year contract or about $850 – $900 off-contract.

Huawei Ascend Mate 7

The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is a beautiful work of art…maybe one of the best-looking phones to ever come out of China.  It has some of the smallest bezels I have ever seen on a smartphone and the all-metal back gives it a premium look and feel, much like the HTC One M8. It comes with a massive 6-inch FHD IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a respectable 368 PPI…a fine display, to be sure, but the QHD and 524 PPI of the Note Edge outdoes the Ascend Mate’s 7 display.

The Ascend Mate 7 uses Huawei’s homegrown Hisilicon Kirin 925 octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz and 1.3GHz. Up against the U.S. market, it would be competing with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 and internationally with Samsung’s own Exynos 5433 octa-core processor clocked at 1.9GHz and 1.3GHz.  Both devices have a 3GB of RAM model with 32GB of internal storage, although the Ascend Mate 7 also has an option of 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage as well. They both have a microSD slot for expanding internal memory – the Ascend Mate 7 has up to 32GB available and the Note Edge has up to 128GB available.

Huawei put some decent cameras in the Ascend Mate 7 – a 13MP sensor with auto-focus and LED flash and a big 5MP FFC for selfies and video chatting, although neither one of them have the features found on the Note Edge’s camera. The 4100mAh battery blows the 3000mAh battery on the Note Edge out of the water.

As far as additional features go, the Ascend Mate 7 really has nothing unusual that stands out.  It is running Android 4.4 Kit Kat with Huawei’s EMUI 3.0 running on top, will work on T-Mobile or AT&T (HSPA+ only, no LTE), and will cost you about $700 off-contract.

…And The Winner Is…

Summary

As much as I love the Ascend Mate 7, I had to pick the Note Edge as the winner of this comparison. First, the Galaxy Note Edge has a superior display and processor, more expansion of internal storage, better cameras, provides VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling capable, and many extra features such as the S-Pen, IR Blaster, Quick Charge, several sensors and is available on all major U.S. carriers. True, the off contract price is about $200 more than the Ascend Mate 7 but you do get quite a bit for that extra money. Besides, you can purchase the Galaxy Note Edge on a two-year contract for $399 – yes, still expensive, but the Note Edge has to be one of the top devices of 2014.

The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is a great device – it is well built and beautifully executed, but it has a lesser display, processor and camera. It does have a large 4100mAh battery and an all-metal body, but with no LTE, limited carriers and a price tag of $700, it just cannot out maneuver the Galaxy Note Edge to win this comparison.

Please hit us up on our Google+ Page and let us know which one of these you would pick as the winner in this comparison…as always, we would love to hear from you.