Samsung unveiled the much awaited Galaxy Note 7 recently and we must admit that with the launch of the phone, it has become the phone of the year (Well, apple is still to launch its iPhone 7!). It was definitely a hard task to bring something new after the launch of the very successful Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge, but the Note 7 has impressed us a lot.
Yet, Samsung has taken cue from the previous phones as far as specs are concerned. Still, the Galaxy Note 7 is the first phone of the decade to have a mobile-HDR display and an iris scanner. And the Note’s signature specs, the S Pen is there but with an upgrade. The Note series has always been more popular among the enthusiasts and well the Galaxy S series targets the mass markets.
The Note 7 uses the same CPU as of the Galaxy S7 and even the same 4 GB RAM. The rumours were that it would come with 6 GB RAM but it hardly makes any difference. The camera 12 MP is the same as of the Galaxy S7 (the best in its class) and you can capture amazing moments even in low light. The dual pixels let more light in giving you amazing picture quality.nit opens up pretty fast and you will find everything you expect from a good cam – 4 K recording, Slow-motion etc.
Curved edges make the phone look simply stunning and easier to hold given the 5.7-inch screen size. Though for the pocket the size is still large. The curved glass back is the same as that in Galaxy S6 and S7, so it might not be that tough. The super AMOLED display gives one of the best displays, with colors bright and crisp text. The screen also features the Mobile HDR technology. This technology enables increased contrast and brightness.
Another exclusive feature worth mention is the iris scanner that gives an extra boost to the Note 7’s security. The sensor above the display will read your eyes and the phone gets unlocked. However, the fingerprint scanner sounds more practical and reliable. Moreover, it is still to be seen how the iris scanner will work for people with glasses. The process involves turning the screen on by pressing the home button and then wait for the sensor to read your eye and then unlock the phone.
The S pen is undoubtedly THE feature that makes it set apart from any other phablet launched until date. It fits perfectly into the bottom of the phone, popping out instantly with a gentle touch whenever required. Well, the upgraded S Pen stylus is full of nice features like the quick text translation tool, magnifying loupe and the ability to create GIFs from the currently playing video on the phone. Another high point about the stylus is that it is water resistant just like the phone. The pressure sensitivity is 4096 levels double than the note 5. So, you could now even enjoy doing arty things with the Stylus.
The Note 7’s battery is 3,500mAh which was 3,600 mAh in the 5.5 inch S7 edge. The difference is small and thankfully, there are fast charging options available – wired and wireless. And this is probably first Samsung phone to have a USB – C which was surprisingly missing in the previous launch S7. Yes, you hear us right. You won’t be able to use the old Gear VR with Note 7. The good news is Samsung has launched an updated Gear VR that has a USB –C port. It is comfortable to wear and has a customizable head strap.
Software, that has always been a low point in the Samsung devices has got a U turn with the Note 7 boasting of the cleanest TouchWiz UI layer. This time you will notice that default apps are cleaner and icons are also worked upon.
The colors the Galaxy Note 7 is launched in are silver, black, blue and gold. Gold is going to be missed in the US while it will launch in other international markets including the UK. Although there is nothing much great about this phone, but once you hold it, you will simply love it. It is an instant attention grabber with its curved sides and minimal bezels.
Apple will have to really pull up the socks if they really want to give Samsung a tough fight in the year 2016. Don’t forget to look for Samsung Galaxy Note 7 contract deals on offer by the leading UK mobile operators Vodafone, EE, three, O2, Talkmobile etc.