For many the Galaxy Note range is the real highlight in Samsung’s smartphone lineup.
Now, following a series of major Galaxy Note 6 leaks, even the doubters may soon be converted.
Following a trio of revelations over the last 24 hours, it seems we now know just about every major feature of the Galaxy S7’s upcoming big brother and together they make for jaw dropping reading. Let’s break them down:
Leak One: Bring Out The Big Guns
First up to bat is GizmoChina which has the following Galaxy Note 6 spec revelations:
5.8-inch display with 2K resolution
Qualcomm Snapdragon 823 chipset
6GB of RAM
4,200 mAh battery
256GB capacity
IP67 water resistance
I’ve already written about the display bump, RAM and battery increases but, considering their value over the Galaxy Note 5’s 5.7-inch display, 4GB of RAM and 3,000 mAh battery, seeing them surface again is hugely encouraging.
Moreover the trio of new additions are also droolworthy. The Snapdragon 823 is expected to be approximately 18% faster than the already lightning quick Snapdragon 820 in the Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and LG G5. It will also be more power efficient thanks to a shift to the 10nm manufacturing process. But will Qualcomm really have it ready so soon?
As for the storage and IP67 water resistance, these make a lot of sense. Samsung has already given the Galaxy S7 IP68 water resistance (a slightly higher rating as it doesn’t have to compensate for the Note’s signature pen) and it would bring the ranges into line.
On top of this Samsung has already talked up its 256GB UFS 2.0 smartphone storage in February which would make the Galaxy Note 6 a perfect fit – especially if Samsung wants to differentiate the productivity focused line from the 32GB limited Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Like these phones, I expect the Galaxy Note 6 will also see the return of MicroSD expandable storage.
Leak Two: Crazy Camera Upgrade
Adding to these treats is Android Greeks which claims the Galaxy Note 6 won’t sit still and offer identical optics to the Galaxy S7, like the Note 5 did following the Galaxy S6 last year.
No, it won’t be getting Samsung’s remarkable new sensor, but the company will boost the already class leading photography of the Galaxy S7 (12MP, F1.7 aperture, OIS) with the addition of infrared autofocus.
Given the Galaxy S7’s ‘Focus Pixels’ already make it the fastest focusing smartphone camera around, throwing infrared autofocus on top verges on joy full overkill but few owners will be complaining.
As for leak number three, it could well cause the biggest shakeup in Samsung’s entire product line.