After weeks of leaks and rumors, Samsung has finally decided to unveil the next iteration under its flagship phablet series, the Galaxy Note 7. The phablet was unveiled at the Unpacked 2016 event in New York yesterday.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 borrows a few things from the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge smartphones. Of course there are a few additions on the Note 7 that Samsung has included to differentiate it from the S7 and S7 edge.
Starting with the display, the Galaxy Note 7 has a 5.7 inch Super AMOLED one with a QUAD HD resolution. This display is wrapped around in a metal frame and is curved on the edges just like the S7 Edge. A 5.7-inch display may seem big to Samsung but comparing it to other devices on the market, it is the standard size. Samsung was one of the first manufacturers to release smartphones with massive displays (phablets), but the Note 7 isn’t considered big compared to what is available on the market.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
To protect the 5.7-inch display, Samsung has included Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the Note 7. This is actually the first smartphone in the world to come with Gorilla Glass 5. We did a post on Gorilla Glass 5 a few weeks ago which you can check out using the link below.
Read: Corning Unveils Gorilla Glass 5 Which Can Survive a Selfie-Height Drop
Improved S-Pen
Since this is a Galaxy Note device, it comes with an S Pen that Samsung says is much better than the one found on the Galaxy Note 5. This new S Pen is 200mm long and weighs about 3 grams. And no, you cannot insert the S Pen backwards, if you attempt to do so, it will be stopped but will not break like the previous one.
A new feature Samsung has added to the S Pen is the Screen Off Memo. This allows you to take quick notes even when the screen is locked. Still on this, you will be able to pin your Screen Off Memo to the Always On Display and this will allow you to see it when your phone is in standby mode.
The S Pen will also allow you to translate words on the screen instantly, create GIFs and even paint with virtual oils.
An Iris scanner
Another feature Samsung has included in the Galaxy Note 7 is an Iris scanner. This is used as an extra layer of security that we have seen in devices such as the Lumia 950 which we reviewed a few months ago.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Iris scanner
The Iris scanner uses the infrared scanner on the phone’s front panel to search for your eyes. I used the Iris scanner on the Lumia 950 and did not have the best experience so am a bit skeptical with this one on the Note 7.
A new Gear VR for the Galaxy Note 7
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 also comes with the new Gear VR that has a bigger touchpad that is not recessed as in the older one. With this setup, gaming and navigation will be much easier. Samsung also says that the field of view has been bumped from 90 degrees to 101 degrees.
Below is a look at the other specs you will find on the Galaxy Note 7.
[table id=47 /]
Price and Availability
In Kenya, Samsung is yet to confirm when we will be getting the Note 7 but its retail price will be Ksh 90,000. For those who want to preorder it, you can do it from select stores as from today but officially the company will open the pre-order registrations as from next Monday (August 8). Those who pre-order the phone will get the new Gear VR for free.