Samsung unpacks the Galaxy Note 7

Today at events in New York, London, and Brazil, Samsung finally introduced the oft-leaked Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The newest Note will skip the number 6, going straight from the Note 5 to the Note 7 to keep its naming pattern in line with the Samsung Galaxy S lineup released earlier in the year.

• Processor: Snapdragon 820 (Quad Core (2.15GHz Dual + 1.6GHz Dual)
• Storage: 64GB
• Memory: 4GB
• Display: 2560 x 1440p dual-curved 5.7″ AMOLED
• Camera: Rear: Dual Pixel 12MP OIS (F1.7) , Front: 5MP (F1.7)
• Battery: 3,500mAh, Fast Charging (wired and wireless)
• Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), MU-MIMO(2×2) 620Mbps,
  Bluetooth® v 4.2 LE, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC,
  Location (GPS, Glonass, Beidou)
• Sensors: Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, HR Sensor, Iris Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands on

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Samsung made special mention of the new Iris Scanner in the Note 7. DJ Kohn, Samsung’s Mobile Chief remarked that “Parents will be happy because it will keep their kid’s phone safe and kids will be happy because it keeps their phones safe from their parents.”

The evolution of the Note has been five years in the making, but you wouldn’t be remiss if you confused the Note 5 and Note 7 based on physical appearance alone. The Note 7 will retain many of the physical aspects of previous Notes, but the difference lays in the dual-curved display and back, much like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Covering that dual-curved display is new Gorilla Glass 5.

The S-Pen, one of the defining features that sets the Note apart from other phablets, is also getting new features. Samsung Notes will be a single streamlined app to access all of the S-Pen features. You can quickly take notes on the screen (even when it’s turned off) and pin it to your Always on Display to remind you to send that email when you get back to your desk. Samsung reduced the diameter of the S-Pen by 50% and made it more receptive to pressure to give it a more natural feeling while drawing or sketching.

The Galaxy Note 7 will pick up water resistance, just like the Galaxy S7, but what is often overlooked is the water resistance of the S-Pen. It will now have an IP 68 rating which will allow it to survive in up to five feet of water.

High Dynamic Range, or HDR, will now be supported, not only in the Note 7’s camera but also within the Note 7’s display. Samsung leveraged its television chips to create a new chip and driver to allow the Note 7’s display to be even more power efficient while displaying HDR content.

The same camera that can be found in the Samsung Galaxy S7 will be in the Note 7. If you’re using that camera to store a ton of 4K videos you’ll be happy to hear that the Note 7’s base storage is now 64GB, up from 32GB on the Note 5. You can also expand that storage with a 256GB microSD card. To help keep all of that storage backed up, each Note 7 owner will receive 15GB of storage in Samsung’s new cloud service.

Samsung made sure to point out that it’s placing the biggest battery it’s ever put in a Note before in the Note 7 (3500mAh), but it’s still 100mAh smaller than the battery in the S7 Edge (3600 mAh) which has a smaller display (5.5″ vs. 5.7″). Also included with the Note 7 is quick wireless charging, USB type-C, and a USB micro B to USB type C adapter.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be available worldwide on August 19. Pre-orders for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon will begin August 3. U.S. Cellular will kick off its pre-orders August 4.  In addition to carrier stores, you’ll be able to pick up the Note 7 in Samsung Experience centers at Best Buy, Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Car Toys, Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart. If you buy soon you will qualify for a free Samsung Gear 2 or 256GB micro SD card!

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