Samsung’s Unpacked 2016 is about to begin in a few hours, and we cannot wait to get our first glimpse at the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. Like all previous Note series devices, the Galaxy Note 7 is also expected to be a complete package. Rumours related to the device have been making the rounds from the past six months, so naturally, we “know” a fair bit about it. Here, we take a look at all the leaks and assess which features might finally make their way to it.
Key specifications
Let’s begin with what most of us are interested in: specifications. From what we know, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC, coupled with 4GB of RAM. We expect 64GB of minimum internal storage, going up to as much as 256GB. Like the Galaxy S7 lineup, we also expect expandable storage on the Galaxy Note 7. Notably, though, the microSD card slot has not yet been seen in any leaked photograph.
Image credits: onleaks
Design and Build
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 should have a similar design as the current generation Galaxy S7 Edge smartphone. What we’re looking at is a metal-and-glass build, hopefully without the camera hump like the Galaxy S7. Samsung might also finally move to a USB-C port, finally. The Galaxy Note 7 should also be waterproof!
Image credits: onleaks
Display
Being a flagship Samsung smartphone, we expect a Super AMOLED display panel on the Galaxy Note 7. The device is rumoured to feature a 5.7-inch or 5.8-inch display, which would make the device’s dimensions similar to the Galaxy Note 5. There were also reports that the upcoming phone might sport a Quad HD display. Various renders and leaks of the phone till now also point towards an edgeless, curved display as seen on Samsung’s Galaxy Edge range of smartphones. We also believe that Samsung will continue its Always-On display feature on the Note 7, and add some more info on the lockscreen.
Image credits: evleaks
User Experience
If you have used a Samsung smartphone in the past, you should be familiar with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. The Galaxy Note 7 will be running on the latest version of the UI. For the past two years, Samsung has been toning down the level of customisation on TouchWiz, making it similar to Google’s stock interface. The device is most likely to be running on Android Marshmallow.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S7 presently has the best camera that you might find on a smartphone, and rumours suggest that Samsung will be using the same, 12MP Dual Pixel setup in the Galaxy Note 7. Some rumours also claim that the Note 7 might sport a dual-camera setup but that seems unlikely. There has been little information regarding the front-facing camera.
Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is tipped to house a 3600mAh battery. Some sources have stated that the phone features a 4000mAh battery.
Iris Scanner
Apart from the regular stuff, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been rumoured to come with an iris scanner. Prior to this, iris scanners were used by Microsoft for the Lumia 950XL.
Image credits: onleaks