Samsung has just unveiled its most advanced smartphone to date with the new Galaxy Note7 – a device that raises the bar in terms of design, features, performance and security.
Revealed to the world in New York, the Galaxy Note7 cherry picks the best features of the the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge and adds a larger 5.7-inch screen and the S Pen to create a product that will be equally useful for work or play and productivity or entertainment.
Another striking new feature of the Galaxy Note7 offers next-level security with an iris scanning feature that can unlock the device just by looking at your eyes.
And to top things off, it’s also fully waterproof as well.
The Samsung Galaxy Note7 will be available in Australia on August 19 for $1,349 or on a plan with pre-orders kicking off on August 5.
Anyone who pre-orders the device will receive a 256GB microSD card valued at $299. The Galaxy Note7 is the only smartphone on the market that can accept a microSD card of this capacity.
The Note7 is made of premium materials and has a symmetrical design with the same glass used on the front and back.
The screen has a resolution of 2560 x 1449 and is covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and goes edge to edge with a slight curve on each side to offer a comfortable grip and the ability to still use the device with one hand.
It’s a cross between the more pronounced S7 Edge screen and the flat S7 display – it’s the best of both worlds. And that’s also the reason why Note went from 5 to 7 in a year.
Samsung wanted this new device to be aligned with the S7 and S7 Edge – the company’s most successful smartphones to date.
The signature feature of the Galaxy Note7 is the S Pen which itself has also been refined with a smaller 0.7mm tip like a real ballpoint pen and now with 4796 levels of sensitivity – twice that of the previous S Pen.
There are even more uses for the S Pen with a richer drawing and painting experience which now features colour blending like real paint.
Users can also write on the lock screen and also pin that note to the Always On Display so you’ll always see your to-do lists or reminders.
S Pen can also be used to magnify parts of the screen and as a translator when swept over text or a photo.
And, like the Note7, the S Pen is also waterproof and can even write on the device’s screen if it’s underwater.
On the security side, the Note7 is the world’s first mobile device with an iris scanner on the front of the device to confirm your identity through your eyes.
This technology can also be used, along with fingerprint and password security, to add another layer of security to a Secure Folder on the device so it can literally be for your eyes only.
These security measures can also be used to make secure payments with Samsung Pay.
Under the hood is an octa core (2.3Ghz Quad and 1.6Ghz Quad) 64-bit processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
The Galaxy Note7 has a rear dual pixel 12-megapixel camera and front 5-megapixel camera. It’s the same excellent camera from the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge – with super-fast image capture and impressive pictures in low light.
But as impressive as the device is for productivity and working – it’s equally suited to entertainment and gaming as well.
And it all starts with head-turning 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display which pops with colour and clarity.
The Note7 screen is also capable of streaming HDR (high dynamic range) content which has become the next evolution for video after resolution for an even more cinema-like experience.
HDR provides brighter whites and darker blacks along with the added detail as well.
On the gaming front, the Galaxy Note7 will include a Game Pack with top game titles that showcase the device’s power and graphics.
The battery has also been expanded to 3500mAh capacity and is managed with the Power Management UX through the onboard Smart Manager to make the best use out of the charge.
And it can be charged quickly through the device’s USB-C port or with the Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Pads.
This is the first Samsung smartphone with a USB-C port and we can assume that all of the devices that follow will be offering the same connectivity.
On the accessory front, the Galaxy Note7 is part of a large ecosystem including a brand new Gear VR headset powered by Oculus.
It has a premium black and blue finish and a wider field of view plus USB-C connectivity to fit the Note7 and a microUSB adaptor to make it backwards compatible with older models back to the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Also available to Note7 users will be the S View Standing Cover that can prop the device at a 60-degree angle to comfortably view content on your desk or on a place.
The Samsung Note7 will be available in four colours internationally – Blue Coral, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium and Black Onyx. Australians customers will have all of these choices except for Blue Coral.
In Australia the Galaxy Note7 will be available from August 19 on a plan through Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, Virgin Mobile or priced at $1,349 from JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and Samsung Retail.
The Samsung Galaxy Note7 pre-orders will begin August 5 with customers receiving a bonus 256GB microSD card, valued at $299, and which will give the device a combined storage of more than 320GB with the internal 64GB memory.
* Stephen Fenech travelled to New York as a guest of Samsung
