xda-developers: Samsung Unveils the Galaxy Note 7

mardi 2 août 2016

Samsung Unveils the Galaxy Note 7

At a launch event in New York, Samsung has officially taken the wraps off the newest iteration of the Samsung Galaxy Note lineup — the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

So far, courtesy of leaks and rumors, we knew that the next Note device will come bearing the Note “7” moniker, instead of being called the Note 6 (as it should have if it followed convention of the years before it). With the official release done, Samsung’s reasoning behind this jump in numbering is to “unify the numbering with its flagship model Galaxy S7 to better communicate with customers“. There is no tech breakthrough that would justify a jump of a number, it’s just the name. As much as it is to remove confusion within the Galaxy lineup, we suspect the numbering change was also a result of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7.

Enough talk about the name, let’s about the phone. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 bears a 5.7″ QHD AMOLED display, stretched across the front and ending with dual curved edges and with Gorilla Glass 5 on top. Just like rumors predicted, the Note 7 comes in a dual-edge variant by default and there were no talks of a flat variant existing. Further, the Note 7 comes in with IP68 water and dust resistance and unlike the Galaxy S7 which is also resistant to water and dust, you can continue using the Note 7 in wet conditions using the S-Pen stylus. This indicates that the water resistance is effective both when the S-Pen is inserted and when it is not.

The S-Pen also has received some upgrades. The stylus tip has become slimmer from the previous 1.6mm to the current 0.7mm. The pen is now twice as sensitive to pressure compared to the pen on the Note 5. Both of these combined should have a noticeable effect in the multimedia production capabilities of the S-Pen. Further, the S-Pen functionality has been improved on the software end as well. In addition to all the functionality that the S-Pen is known to provide, users can now get instant and automatic word translation when they touch the S-Pen tip on the word on the screen. You can also put the pen in backwards and not break anything, which is a huge plus now.

Moving on to the insides of the device, the Note 7 comes with the Snapdragon 820 in the US markets, and likely the same Exynos 8890 as seen in the Galaxy S7 in other international markets. The device comes in with 4GB of RAM, which is contrary to a few rumors that pitched the device as bearing 6GB of RAM. The Note 7 will come in only a 64GB storage variant, but if you need more, there’s microSD expandability up to 256GB. The Note 7 abandons the micro-USB port and finally replaces it with a USB Type C port. There’s a 3,500 mAh battery powering things up, but unfortunately, this remains integrated and non-removable. You still get quick charging and wireless charging on the Note 7. The Note 7 runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow along with Samsung’s TouchWiz modifications on top.

The camera Galaxy flagship devices tend to sit among the best in the mobile industry. With the Note 7, Samsung is still sticking with its Dual Pixel technology promising good images even in dark environments. The rear camera is a 12MP shooter with a f/1.7 aperture and Optical Image Stabilization. The front is a 5MP shooter with a f/1.7 aperture as well.

The Note 7 also comes in with a feature that Samsung fervently wants you to believe is not a gimmick and is genuinely useful: Iris Recognition. As the name points out, you can use the Iris Scanner features on the Note 7 to unlock your device. Using another new feature called Samsung pass, you can login and authenticate yourself for mobile commerce services using this iris recognition. So when you are out and about using Samsung Pay, you can look lovingly at your smartphone and your Note 7 will know its genuinely you. It is unclear how this can replace the fingerprint scanner in both convenience and security.

Samsung also showcased its new iteration of the Gear VR. This Gear VR has been upgraded for use with the new Note 7, and has a wider viewing angle of 101 degrees.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will arrive in the markets starting August 19th 2016. Pre-orders in the USA start on August 3, and as part of launch promotion, buyers of the Note 7 can get either a Gear Fit device, or a 256GB microSD card.