Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Release Date 2016: Features Confirmed At Launch Focus On Power, Design And Security  

The Samsung Galaxy S7 made a splash on the market in April by reintroducing several sorely missed components, including water resistance and microSD expansion. Four months later, Samsung hopes to wow consumers with the Galaxy Note 7. The Galaxy Note 7 not only includes many features new to the phablet series, but also to Samsung’s Galaxy line overall.

Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 7 Tuesday at an Unpacked launch event in New York City, showcasing the smartphone’s new features, including a dual-edge display, an iris scanner and USB Type-C.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Standout Design

Consumers will see many firsts on the Galaxy Note 7 from the moment they look at the device. The Note 7 is the first Galaxy Note smartphone to feature a dual-edge curved display, coming full circle from the 2014 Galaxy Note Edge , which was Samsung’s first smartphone with a curved display. The older device featured a singular curved edge on its right side.

Samsung Senior Designer and Lead Designer for the Galaxy Note 7 Hong Yeo spoke with International Business Times about about how the Galaxy Note line has set itself apart from its first iteration to its current.

“If you look at the history of the Note, people have had this kind of physical, almost like an analog, connection with the device, whether it’s with the S-Pen or the large screen,” Yeo told IBTimes.

While critics have already dubbed the Galaxy Note 7 a Galaxy S7 Edge with an S-Pen , Yeo disagrees. He detailed that the design process for the Galaxy Note 7 was unlike any of the prior Note devices.

“[To design for the Note 7] we took a step back and looked at how the Note series really changed the way we use our devices and how to improve that connection between the users and the device,” he said.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Specs And Hardware

The Galaxy Note 7 is encased in 7000 grade Aluminum and Gorilla Glass 5 and will be available in three colors in the U.S.: Blue Coral, Silver Titanium and Black Onyx. There will also be a Gold Platinum color option available outside the U.S.

Internally, the Galaxy Note 7 features a 5.7-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440 resolution) dual-edge curved display and a Quad Core (2.15GHz Dual + 1.6GHz Dual), 64 bit, 14nm process chip, as well as 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage with microSD expansion up to 256GB.

The cameras on the device include a 12-megapixel rear lens and 5-megapixel front lens, both with f/1.7 aperture. The Galaxy Note 7 battery capacity is 3,500mAh, with fast charging capabilities for both wired and wireless charging.

Software includes a Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system with various tweaks to TouchWiz, including an animated GIF creator, new camera shortcuts and a consumer play on Knox Workspace called Secure Folder.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 USB Type-C Introduction Thanks To VR

Like the Galaxy S7, the Note 7 features IP68 water, wind and dust resistance and expandable storage through microSD; however, the USB Type-C and iris scanner are new to Samsung’s smartphones. Samsung first introduced USB Type-C to its product line in March, on the Windows 10 Galaxy TabPro S tablet . At that time, the manufacturer explained the tablet had a more immediate need for USB Type-C because of how it was made to work with peripheral devices, such as a USB-mouse or an external display.

“Usually it’s the phones that get the latest and greatest features and then the tablets get them next. This is the one time where we got it backwards,” Samsung director of mobile product marketing, Jennifer Langan told iDigitalTimes in March . “We all want to have the latest and greatest technology. But it has to serve a purpose.”

Now, that purpose had surfaced with the updated Gear VR headset, which was also announced at Samsung’s Unpacked event. The headset supports both USB Type-C and Micro USB and allows for data transfer as well as power support through USB Type-C. The new Gear VR is compatible with Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge+.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Biometrics Options

The Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner serves as a preferential alternative to the fingerprint scanner, which is also featured on the smartphone. Samsung demoed at a briefing prior to the Galaxy Note 7 launch, how users can set up both biometric options on a handset and use them for different purposes. A user could set a fingerprint to unlock a device and his or her iris to authenticate certain applications, like a payment app, or Secure Folder.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Release Date

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be available for purchase starting Aug. 19, alongside the new Gear VR headset and the Gear 360 camera. The Galaxy Note 7 and will be available for preorder Aug. 3.