We were at Samsung’s #UnpackedUAE event last night, eagerly awaiting the curtain to be pulled aside, for the unveiling of the company’s new phablet, the Galaxy Note 7. Compared to its predecessor, the Note 5, the new and curvy Note 7 is packed with a plethora of contemporary features including iris scanners and USB-C.
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From a broad perspective, the Galaxy Note 7 isn’t too different from the S7 Edge. The Note 7 features a 5.7-inch, Quad-HD display that has a resolution of 2,560×1,440 pixels. It’s 0.2 inches bigger than the S7 Edge but that does come at the cost of a slightly reduced pixel density: 518 ppi. The biggest feature of the screen is, of course, the dual edge curved display which makes it nearly identical to the S7 Edge. However, there are some noticeable differences one of which is the slightly more inclined edges.
To help navigate the screen Samsung have supplied a stylus that pops out from the bottom of the phone and boasts a smaller pen tip compared to the Note 5’s stylus which makes it more accurate, letting you meticulously paint masterpieces. Furthermore, it’s nearly twice as sensitive to its precursor. It’s also waterproof letting you use it in the middle of a torrential downpour. Samsung has included some innovative new features to go along with the pen such as using it in tandem with the smart select tool to make a GIF, writing a memo on the lock screen and pinning it there and even displaying Google Translation when hovering over a word to see how it’s spelt in 70 other languages.
USB Type-C is becoming ever more prevalent, from the LG G5 to the Nexus 6P, and Samsung has adopted the new industry-wide standard in the case of the Note 7. But don’t worry about shelling out money for a new cable, a micro-USB to USB-C charger is provided with the box, ensuring you’ll be able to super fast charge your smartphone in a jiffy.
Software wise the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will not launch with Google’s upcoming iteration of its Android OS, Android Nougat, but expect to have it upgraded when former releases. A quick glance reveals that Samsung’s custom UI results in the menus looking more colourful and more spacious.
Iris scanning made its way to the smartphone market with Microsoft’s Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL; Samsung has adopted the security measure for the Note 7. However, rather than having you squint at the phone every time you want to use it, Samsung has instead viewed it as a supplemental security feature, for protecting certain folders for instance. Setup is easy, requiring you to merely hold the phone up to your face. The Note 7 does also feature fingerprint scanning via the home button.
The Note 7’s battery and camera are identical to those of the S7 and S7 Edge; with the nonremovable battery packing 3,500 mAh and the camera sporting 12 megapixels, which you can use to shoot 4K video. The front facing camera features 5 megapixels. For storage, the Note 7 has 64GB inbuilt storage that is complemented by up to 256 GB of expandable storage. Furthermore, the device boasts an IP68 rating, ensuring it isn’t susceptible to dust and water damage (you can submerge it up 5 feet for 30 minutes).
Running the device will be a 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor which is assisted by 4GB worth of RAM.
As for price, the Galaxy Note 7 is currently retailing for AED 2,999. Stay tuned for our in-depth and thorough review that’s coming soon!
