Bigger is always better, right? A much anticipated refresh of the Samsung Note series will be unveiled tomorrow. Taking place in the Big Apple itself, it’ll also feature the newer and bigger Galaxy S6 edge+.
Introduced 4 years ago, the Galaxy Note series had created a whole new phablet category, promising a tablet-like experience in a smart phone form factor. With a 5.3″ screen, it was considered quite huge during its time and most flagship smart phones are at least 5.5 inches these days. Can Samsung maintain its phablet king status in its 5th generation?
Here’s the stuff we know about the Galaxy Note 5 / S6 edge+ and it’s quite a mouthful.
Practically everything has already been leaked but the weight of this information should always be taken with a grain of salt to ensure no disappointment. For the Note 5, we’ve seen mock-ups, prototypes, benchmarks and even the packaging!
Not short on building the hype for the actual device, which is assumed to carry either a 64-bit Exynos 7420 Octa-core processor or a better Exynos 7422 with an all-in-one chip solution. Screen size will stick to the 5.7-inch footprint and utilise its own Super AMOLED display technology with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (Quad HD).
Performance will be helped along with an ample amount of RAM at 4GB and internal storage will cap off at 32GB. Some will be put-off by omitting the microSD option but will take comfort in the S-pen being improved to auto-eject through a spring loaded mechanism. Some sources go on to say that the device will be as heavily skinned as previous iterations, as TouchWiz and S-pen apps will be taking the load from the 4GB, leaving probably about only half left to be used.
Snapping photos will be made using a 16-megapixel rear shooter that takes advantage of OIS feature and the front will be a decent 5-megapixel sensor, similar to its current Galaxy S6. In terms of battery capacity, the Galaxy Note 5 is said to be having a 3,000mAh capacity battery that’s non-removable. Just like the Galaxy S6, the battery is smaller than its predecessors but Samsung reckons that its frugal Exynos processor and Universal Flash Storage would sip less power.
Skimming only halfway through, we’ve yet to mention the Galaxy S6 edge+. Design aesthetics will not be much to rave about for the S6 edge+ will retain the same design as the S6 edge, just a slight increase in its width and length (obviously being a 5.7-inch display). The processor is likely to be the same Exynos 7420 powerhouse but it gets 4GB of RAM just like the Note 5. The battery is expected to be similar with the Note 5, housing a 3,000mAh capacity unit that’s embedded into its unibody form.
The double edge display will also be updated with more features so you can use it for more than just contacting your 5 favourite contacts. For better productivity, Samsung is expected to introduce a Keyboard Cover accessory which turns the S6 edge+ into a full QWERTY typing machine. A recent leak indicates that the keyboard add-on would cost 60 Euros, or approximately RM263 when converted directly.
For those juggling between 2 mobile plans, the new Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ are very likely to come with dual-SIM support as spotted recently on our SIRIM certification database. While there’s no microSD expansion slots, there are those who are hoping that Samsung might allow you to pop-in a microSD card onto the 2nd SIM slot just like its current Galaxy A8.
Though all this information has come out, we’ve yet to hear anything about the price range of the two devices. Based on past launch prices of these devices, we’ll attempt to speculate the range of Samsung’s newest additions:
Samsung Galaxy S5 – RM2,399 (RM2,542 assuming if launched with GST)
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 – RM2,499 (RM2,649 assuming if launched with GST)
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge – RM2,999 (RM3,179 assuming if launched with GST)
Samsung Galaxy S6 – RM2,599 (w/ GST)
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge – RM3,099 (w/ GST)
Looking at how Samsung priced their previous models and considering GST has kicked in, we reckon that the Galaxy Note 5 could be priced around RM 2,699, while the Galaxy S6 edge+ hovers above the RM 3,100 mark. Definitely they are not going to be cheap but it is still more affordable than the iPhone 6 Plus that’s priced at RM3,126 for its base 16GB model. With 2 new flagship phones, we expect Samsung to slash prices of its current Galaxy S6/S6 edge by about RM200-300 and this is taking place worldwide. In terms of availability, the Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge+ could go on sale as early as end of this month. For Malaysia, we reckon both models could go on sale in early September.
Leaks were abundant with the two devices but Samsung has also teased us with the unpacked teaser with a mysterious third device. Fresh on their Samsung Tab S2 launch, could this mean Samsung might add another tablet to its line-up? If you want to get up-to-date information on it do follow us on our Twitter account as we will be reporting live from Samsung Unpacked 2015 at New York. It’s happening at 11:00PM (local time) this Thursday, 13th August.