The next Note is here and Samsung isn’t pulling any punches. The new Galaxy Note7 is packing all the high-end features you’ve come to expect in a premium Android device, as well as some nifty tricks we’ve seen on their current Galaxy S7/S7 edge flagship smartphone.
Here’s everything you need to know about this beastly flagship smartphone from the South Korean electronics giant.
Here’s what’s familiar
The Galaxy Note7 extends Samsung’s history of producing gorgeous smartphone displays as it packs a 5.7-inch Quad HD (that’s 2560×1440 pixels, 518 ppi) Super AMOLED display (with an Always On component) on the front that’s toughened with Corning’s brand new Gorilla Glass 5. The display is also one of Samsung’s Dual-Edge displays. similar to what you’d find on the Galaxy S7 edge which, as we already know, gives you a truly interesting smartphone viewing experience.
Inside, the Galaxy Note7 sports the best that Samsung has to offer with an octa-core Exynos 8890 processor clocked at 2.3GHz mated to 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB of UFS storage. Yup, 64GB of base storage, not 16GB or 32GB. If that’s not enough, internal storage is further expandable via a microSD card slot. Some might be disappointed to find that Samsung has only included 4GB of RAM, however.
In the camera department, the Galaxy Note7 will feature the excellent 12-megapixel Dual Pixel primary camera that’s currently on the Galaxy S7 edge. Paired with an incredibly fast f/1.7 aperture lens and optical image stabilisation, we think it’s one of the best cameras in the market so you can expect the Galaxy Note7’s snapper to be equally as good. In front, it will feature a 5MP snapper that’s also paired with an f/1.7 aperture lens.
Keeping everything running is a 3,500 mAh battery. It’s smaller than the 3,600 mAh unit you’d find in the Galaxy S7 edge, but it also supports fast charging, via a USB Type-C port, which can fully charge the battery in just 100 minutes. Not a fan of cables? The Note7 also has support for wireless charging.
It also looks rather stunning, with a more refined build and a 3D symmetrical front-and-back design. It takes many cues from the Galaxy S7 edge with a heavy emphasis on metal (7,000 series aluminium) and curved glass (Gorilla Glass 5), except that it’s a little more squared out than the S7 edge. Like the S7 edge, it is also IP68 water resistant.
Software-wise, the Note7 will come running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box with a new TouchWiz skin running on top. The new skin is cleaner and more functional but is still fundamentally TouchWiz. Samsung’s new Note will also have dual-SIM support but it is via a hybrid SIM slot so you will have to choose between a second SIM or a microSD card.
Since the new Note7 has an all new USB Type-C port, it will also get a brand new Gear VR virtual reality headset which comes in black like the Batman Gear VR. It also has some updated specs with a 101-degree field-of-view (up from 96 degrees) and a USB Type-C and Micro USB port connection. That means the new Gear VR will be compatible with the Galaxy Note7, S7, S7 edge, Note5, S6, S6 edge and S6 edge+. It is a touch heavier, though, coming in at 345g.
Here’s what’s brand new
So far, the Note7 looks simply like an oversized S7 edge. But here’s where everything changes — the S Pen.
Alongside the improved device, the S Pen also gets a bunch of improvements. To complement the waterproof smartphone, the Note7’s Samsung has also gone the extra mile to give users an IP68 water-resistant S Pen. This means that you can take notes and scribble stuff down in rain or shine. It also has a thinner 0.7mm tip and improved pressure sensitivity to provide a pen-like experience.
Samsung’s screen off memo also gets tweaked, now allowing you to pin those memos to the Always On Display, rather than simply saving it into the smartphone. The Note7’s Air Command feature also gets upgraded with two new features called Magnify and Translate. Magnify does as its name suggests and allows users to magnify different elements on the screen with a simple hover of the S Pen. Translate, on the other hand, will translate text that is hovered over by the S Pen.
To enhance multitasking on the Note7, Samsung has added a Glance feature to the Note7 which lets you peek at minimised apps with the S Pen. Finally, the S Pen gets a new smart select feature that lets you capture and convert videos into GIF animations, perfect for creating all the memes you so desire.
Samsung has also taken security on the Note7 to the next level with a new layer of biometric security. In addition to the front-mounted fingerprint sensor, the Note7 also features an Iris Scanner that you can set up and use to unlock the phone as well as make secure transactions via Samsung Pay. The Note7 will also have a new Secure Folder that adds an extra layer of security to your most private apps and information.
Here’s what you need to know for the Malaysian market
Malaysia will be among the first wave of countries to receive the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note7. That means the device will be hitting Malaysian stores on the 19th of August 2016. Before it goes on sale in authorised retailers locally, Samsung Malaysia will be holding a pre-order sale from the 8th to the 10th of August 2016 with 4,000 units up for grabs.
This brand new handset will come in three different colours — Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium and Black Onyx — and will be priced at RM3,199. This makes it the most expensive Galaxy Note device to date.
You can head on over to the official product page on Samsung Malaysia’s website for more information.
