The Galaxy Note 7 celebrates the comeback of the S Pen-equipped Samsung phablets, the first to launch in Europe since the Note 4. Whether the Galaxy Note 7, thanks to a new iris scanner and an improved S Pen, makes it better than the Galaxy S7 Edge, you can find out in our hands-on Galaxy Note 7 review.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 release date and price
The early registration period for the Galaxy Note 7 will start August 2, the device’s launch day. And only two weeks later, interested buyers can pre-order the new, iris-scanner-equipped phablet. Those who pre-order the Galaxy Note 7 during this period will also receive the new Gear VR, and the pair will be delivered three days before the official release, which takes place on September 2, 2016.
During our hands-on, Samsung was unable to provide a launch price. However, we assume it will be higher than that of the Galaxy S7 Edge, which would mean that the Note 7 will cost, at the very least, $800. The device comes in Black Onyx, Blue Coral, Silver Titanium or gold.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 design and build quality
The design of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 uses that of the Galaxy S7 Edge as a base, but makes changes to the details, resulting in a symmetrical design.
The symmetry is only evident when one considers the phablet edge-on. From this perspective, the metal frame can be seen to be centered between the dual-edged covers on the front and back of the device. At first glance, this may make no significant difference, but once you take the Galaxy Note 7 in the hand, it is striking how comfortable this 5.7-inch phablet feels.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 display
Samsung again makes use of a Super AMOLED display with WQHD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) in a dual-edged design.
The Note 7’s display is larger than the S7 Edge’s,
coming in at 5.7 inches. A flat version, without the dual edge, will not be released,
killing the rumors surrounding the device prior to the presentation. The jump from the Note 6,
along with the dual-edged display, also seems to suggest that there will be no Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge+.
The display provides sharp and vivid colors and black levels,
continuing Samsung’s strong employment of Super AMOLED technology. HDR videos and games, which are
produced, essentially, with higher color depth and dynamic range. Theoretically, the display of the Note 7
should be able to produce much more realistic colors and brightness values than what we have seen so far.
While it is nice that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 already supports HDR media, there is currently a severe lack of such content,
as the format is still exceedingly new.
Since we didn’t have an opportunity to look at any HDR content on the Note 7 during our hands on,
we cannot currently tell you what the content looks like on the device’s display,
but for our final review, we will be sure to test it out thoroughly.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 special features
One noteworthy addition here is the iris scanner. Much has been said about the new biometric sensor prior to the official presentation on
August 2, and almost all of it has proved right. Above the display, next to the call speaker, is the infrared scanner/camera of the iris scanner.
August 2, and almost all of it has proved right. Above the display, next to the call speaker, is the infrared scanner/camera of the iris scanner.
To take a biometric reading of your iris, it must be illuminated with infrared light. This makes the unique arrangement of fibers, stains,
connections and stripes in the iris visible.
Once this has been done, the camera images any iris presented to it and compares the image to the stored pattern.
The human iris has more unique features, and ones that do not change much in the course of a lifetime, than fingerprints,
which are susceptible to injuries or burns, which can dramatically alter their appearance.
The integration of the iris scanner makes for a smartphone that is mainly aimed at business people who
have sensitive data stored on their phones. For the average consumer, the iris scanner is largely irrelevant.
The demonstration Samsung gave during the hands on showed that the system works quickly and reliably,
but some people at the event, such as my colleague Tobias Költzsch, reported that wearing glasses proved troublesome to the scanner
Whether this problem is only present in the preproduction model we had the chance to try out or whether it goes deeper than
that is something we will have to determine come our
full review.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 software
The Galaxy Note 7 comes with Samsung's TouchWiz skin. On the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge,
Samsung reduced the range of icon colors to create something more elegant and less playful as a result. On the Note 7,
the TouchWiz interface is even more mature.
If you were hoping to see the Note 7 come running Android 7.0 Nougat, you will sadly be disappointed:
it leaves the factory with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. When it will be making the jump, Samsung could not say.
So no new operating system, however, there are a number of small new details and improvements.
First and foremost, the new Samsung Notes app. Instead of
the four different notes apps, as was the case before, there is now a single central app. This can handle your text notes,
handwritten notes, photos, and voice memos.
If you quickly need to note something down in a meeting, or you're in bed you are subject to a flash of fleeting genius,
you no longer need to unlock your smartphone, launch the
app and write the note. Thanks to the Note 7’s extended Always On Display (AOD), you can use the S Pen to write onto your locked
phablet’s screen.
You can pin these note to the AOD or you can save them to the Notes app.
Unfortunately, the implementation of notes on the AOD is not without its shortcomings: once created,
AOD notes can not be edited. It’s is also not possible to transfer notes from the Notes app to the AOD.
Air Command, the S Pen’s software centre, appears, as usual, upon removing the stylus from the phablet. Here again,
Samsung has made some improvements.
Firstly, there is now a zoom function which enlarges content when you hold the S Pen over the display.
You can also translate words and phrases using the S pen.
According to a Samsung employee, this feature is designed to work in combination with the camera.
This should prove convenient for frequent travelers, who
can then, for example, use the Note 7 to translate a menu, poster or instructions.
The new feature that provides the most fun is probably the one that lets you create animated GIFs from videos.
Open up a YouTube video, and you can use the S Pen to record
and annotate a short snippet. Once you’re happy with your creation,
you can choose from a variety of methods for sharing or sending it.
If you want to secure your animated gifs, pictures, documents or apps from prying eyes,
then Samsung has also included a function called ‘Secure Folder’. Store anything in this
folder, and it will only be accessible following a successful iris scan.
There are likely even more software innovations that we could not see
and try in the limited hands-on and demonstration time. But once we have received our review unit, we will inform you
of all new and hidden features.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 performance
There had been much speculation about the internal hardware configuration of the Galaxy Note 7
before the official presentation. But it should be faster than the Note 5 and
optimized for Exynos (Europe) or Snapdragon (USA). What's more,
the Galaxy Note 7 is based on the same architecture as the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which are still among
the fastest smartphones on the market.
Since I tried out the European version, I used the Galaxy Note 7 with
an Exynos 8890 octa-core processor, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage. The latter can be expanded up
to 256 GB using a microSD card. Unfortunately, this does not merge seamlessly with the internal memory,
as the internal storage uses UFS 2.0, which no microSD card uses, and
there is no controller for different memory speeds to merge.
We don’t have benchmarks for the Galaxy Note 7 and we’ll have to wait until we get it in the office for further examination.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 camera
Samsung is progressing at an admirable speed with its top smartphone and phablet cameras.
After all, the camera of the S7 series is one of the best on offer.
The main camera on the Note 7 has a resolution of 12 MP and a 1 / 2.5-inch image sensor. The f / 1.7 aperture lens should,
in combination with the large pixels of the image
sensor and dual-pixel auto-focus, shoot sharp, high-contrast images.
The front camera takes selfies to a new level with 5 MP and an f / 1.7 aperture.
Since the Note 7 is a little bigger than the Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung has a few minor improvements in the camera app,
which are mainly designed for one-handed use. You can quickly switch between the main and front camera,
and access the settings and filters,
with a side swipe.
We will have to wait for our review unit to arrive before we can thoroughly test the Note 7’s camera.
But you can look forward to a detailed report of how good the image quality is
both in terms of photos as well as videos and whether the one-hand software optimizations make sense.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery
Without a decent battery, even the most powerful specs are largely useless.
The Galaxy Note 7 from Samsung has 3,500 mAh battery, and that's actually 100 mAh less than the
Galaxy S7 Edge.
The reason for the lower battery capacity is, in my opinion, the extra hardware
Samsung has squeezed into the Galaxy Note 7 compared to S7 Edge. Firstly, the iris scanner takes
up precious space inside the Galaxy Note 7. But even more space is eaten up by the S Pen.
So is this a weakness of the Galaxy Note 7? We'll find out soon enough.
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