The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been officially launched and is now available for pre-order online. Available for purchase on August 19th for around $900.
After months of leaks, which revealed pretty much everything about the Note 7, Samsung recently announced the phablet at an Unpacked event. As reported, it is being called the Note 7, so as to stay in line with Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
The new Note is slightly slimmer than the Note 5 and is obviously much better. It is a metal and glass child of the Galaxy S7 and the Note 5, but curvier. And of course, you still get the very useful S Pen for taking notes, drawing, editing, and more. It’s also the first smartphone from Samsung to come with a USB Type-C port.
There’s a lot to know about the new Galaxy Note 7, but if you’ve been following or Note 7 rumor guide, then you’ll probably know it all by now. Anyway, below is everything that’s new with Note 7.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Design
As we mentioned before, the Galaxy Note 7 design isn’t a new one. At first glance, it looks similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge. Look closer and you’ll see the much curvier edges and instantly realize it’s not similar.
Both the front display and the back glass merge into the metal frame. The front screen has dual edges, and the curve is different to that on the Galaxy S7 Edge. According to Samsung, you get more flat surface on the Note 7 than the S7 Edge. The back glass also has dual edges, making both sides of the phones quite thin.
Apart from that, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the Note 7 and S7 Edge. Samsung has used Gorilla Glass 5 for both the front and back glass.
Specifications
Now, the question that’s on everyone’s mind. Is the Note 7 better than the Galaxy S7 in terms of hardware? Let’s find out.
Samsung has equipped the Note 7 with a 5.7 inch super AMOLED display with QHD resolution. The screen is bright, colorful and big, but it doesn’t feel so big thanks to the small footprint of the device. Apart from that, most of the internals are borrowed from the S7 range.
You get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor in China, North America and Japan. Other markets get the Samsung made Exynos 8893 processor. The Note 7 also comes with 4GB of RAM, a 12 megapixel dual-pixel rear camera, and a 5 megapixel front camera.
Other specs includes, a microSD expansion slot, 64GB of internal storage, wireless charging, a USB Type-C port, IP68 water resistance, and a 3,500 mAh battery. Overall, in terms of hardware, it is most definitely better than the Note 5.
Camera
The Note 7 camera is also similar to the one on the S7 and the S7 Edge, no changes. You get a f/1.7 lens with large 1.4µm pixels that can capture a lot more light. This means that low-light photography is brilliant on the Note 7. The photos taken during the day are exceptional.
The front camera is a 5 megapixel sensor with the same f/1.7 lens, which result in better selfies and videos.
The Note 7 can also record 4K videos like the S7 and S7 Edge. The camera UI is also excellent, with a Pro mode that allows you change all kinds of settings such as Shutter Speed, Exposure and more.
Software
The User Interface on the Note 7 gets some welcome changes. The usual bloatware is not as obvious as before. Everything is much more cleaner, with whites used in Menus and Settings.
Samsung will be bringing the new software interface to the S7 models as well. As of now, the Note 7 will be released with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. However, an update to Android 7.0 Nougat will be available in the future. We’re not sure when.
Other Features
Samsung has added a new way to unlock your phone with the Note 7. There’s an Iris Scanner that lets you unlock your phone using your eyes. The Iris scanner is more secure, faster and easier to use. However, Samsung has only added this tech for certain scenarios only. The company knows that it will not be widely used. You can also use it to lock apps, notes, and other sensitive data.
The Edge UI has been improved, and is now better than before. The S Pen also gets water resistance, better sensitivity and lighter design. The Pen has a smaller tip than before and comes with new software features. Learn more here.
As mentioned before, the Note 7 comes with IP68 certification, which means that it is water resistant. You can use the phone for up to 30 minutes under 5 feet of water. The S Pen is also water resistant and sits nicely in its holder. It cannot be inserted in reverse, which was a major issue with the Note 5.
The S Pen allows you to create quick GIFs from videos, has a magnifying feature, and also lets you easily translate text.
Price and Release Date
You can already pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in the United States. The Note 7 price will supposedly be somewhere between $800 and $900. It will be available for purchase on all US carriers (major), starting August 19th. A unlocked Note 7 will also be sold at a later date.
As for colors, Samsung is selling the Note 7 in Black, Silver, Blue Coral, and Gold. As freebies, you can choose between a 256GB microSD card or the Samsung Gear Fit 2. Some carriers will also give away the Samsung Gear VR headset when you purchase the Note 7.
The phone will be available for pre-order in the UK on August 16, and Australia on Aug 5th. Pricing isn’t known, but the UK variant will most likely cost around £749 and available on O2, Vodafone, GiffGaff, EE and Three. We’ll have to wait a little longer for the official Note 7 prices.
Samsung has had a lot of success with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phones. It remains to be seen if the company will see the same results with the new Note 7.
If you’re a phablet type of person, then you’ll love the Galaxy Note 7. You could show off that Iris scanner and all the cool S Pen features.
What do you think of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7? Sound off in the comments below.