Samsung (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) is often credited with kicking off the whole phablet craze with the original Galaxy Note back in 2011. With the new Galaxy Note 7, the company shows it’s still on top of the big smartphone game, turning out what many reviewers feel is the best smartphone of 2016.
It’s big, curved and water resistant, with an improved S Pen and new tricks, like an iris scanner for biometric unlocking (one-upping the fingerprint scanner everyone else uses).
It also commands a hefty premium price, starting at roughly $850.
Given the kudos the Galaxy Note 7 is already receiving and the impressive sales of Samsung’s Note series over the years, there’s little wonder that rival Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is rumored to be prepping a curved, premium phablet of its own.
For now, the Note 7 has the playing field pretty much to itself. Here’s what you can expect from Samsung’s newest premium phablet.
Galaxy Note 7 Review: Sixth Time’s a Charm
Samsung has been making the Galaxy Note since 2011.
Chronologically, the Note 7 would have been the Galaxy Note 6 (the Galaxy Note 5 was released last August), but Samsung wants to get the naming convention in sync with this years’ Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.
This time around, Samsung has fine-tuned the Note and run with the successful dual-curved screen design that made the Galaxy S7 Edge so popular.
Only it’s bigger, and it comes with additional features like the traditional Galaxy Note S Pen stylus, an iris scanner, mobile HDR (for dramatically improved video when streamed from HDR-supported services) and a USB-C port.
Previous Galaxy Note models have been impressive, but with the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung’s design team has hit one out of the park.
Galaxy Note 7 Review: Making Amends to the Samsung Faithful
The Galaxy Note 5 was a good smartphone, but it suffered from several issues.
There was an S Pen stylus that could get permanently jammed in its slot if an unfortunate user happened to insert it backwards. With move to a glass and metal design, the microSD card slot was jettisoned, infuriating those who depend on it for cheap storage.
The Galaxy Note 7 not only adopts an even more stunning design, it makes amends for the previous model’s missteps.
The S Pen mechanism has been fixed, preventing jamming with the stylus itself significantly improved. A microSD card slot has been added and base storage boosted to 64GB. And, the Galaxy Note 7 gains an IP68 water resistance rating.
After years of improving the Galaxy Note — along with one-offs like the Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy 6 Edge Plus — the new Note 7 is the big smartphone where everything comes together.
Galaxy Note 7 Review: Specs
- 5.7-inch QUAD HD Super AMOLED touch display (518 ppi), plus dual edges
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU
- 64GB built-in storage
- MicroSD card slot (maximum 256GB)
- 12MP primary camera with Pro Mode and 4K video
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac MU-MIMO
- Bluetooth 4.2
- 3500 mAh battery rated at up to 38 hours talk time, 14 hours Wi-Fi
- Wireless charging
- Iris scanner, fingerprint scanner, heart rate sensor
- IP68 water resistant
- Includes integrated S Pen stylus
- Android Marshmallow
- Gear VR-compatible, Samsung Pay-compatible
- 6.0 x 2.91 x 0.31-inches, weighs 5.96 ounces
- Price $850 (varies by carrier)
Galaxy Note 7 Review: Conclusion
The Galaxy Note 7 is indisputably the best super-sized smartphone on the market.
It looks beautiful, fits nicely in the hand, has an incredible display and takes fantastic photos.
The problem is, Samsung already has another smartphone that does all this and for considerably less. The Galaxy S7 Edge has virtually the same features — including the same camera, water resistance and a Super AMOLED dual edge screen.
The Galaxy S7 Edge’s display is 5.5-inches, which is just a little smaller than the Note 7’s 5.7-inches, but it’s going for $200 less. The main differentiating feature is the Note-exclusive S Pen. If you’re not into handwriting or scrawling notes, then that’s a pretty expensive stylus.
However, to sweeten the deal, Samsung is currently offering a free Gear Fit 2 GPS sports band with the purchase of a Galaxy Note 7. That’s a $179 gadget, which is a pretty nice freebie and if you’re in the market for a decent fitness wearable, it may be enough to justify the Note 7’s steep price.
The iPhone 7 Plus that Apple is expected to reveal in September seems unlikely to topple the Note 7, but the big question will be what happens if/when Apple releases a curved display iPhone? Until then, Samsung is sitting pretty at the top of the big smartphone market.
As of this writing, Robert Martin did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
