Introduction:
Samsung's Note series of devices has "successfully carved out a niche of power users", according to Trusted Reviews, and has a large fan base all eagerly expecting the next phablet, given that the Galaxy Note series has become a bellwether for the market.The firm's current offering, the Galaxy Note 5, still hasn't made it to the UK, despite months of speculation that it would arrive in January.
According to Know Your Mobile, the firm opted instead to offer British customers the Galaxy S6 Edge+, a larger version of its Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone. Now it seems Samsung are planning a complete turnaround for the Galaxy Note 6.
While it should be available in the UK, any Edge+ version of the Galaxy S6-replacing S7 will get the cold shoulder.
The next phablet is coming this year and the rumour mill is already in full swing, with whispers of curved displays, new processor chipsets, Samsung Gear accessories and even the possibility of two devices this year.
Design:
With no leaked images, there's very little on the ground to suggest what the Note 6 will look like. Nevertheless, the IB Times expects the phablet will merely refine the Note 5's design rather than be a comprehensive overhaul. It wouldn't be surprising if the leap from the "faux-leather" of the Note 4 to the metallic, Galaxy S6-inspired touch on the Note 5 sticks around, the site expecting the device to resemble an upscaled version of the Galaxy S7, with the inclusion of a stylus. However, a recent leak suggests that Samsung could shake things up with its next Note – either by introducing two different handsets, or alternatively, basing the sole Note 6 around the same curved OLED display design as the Galaxy S7 Edge. Rumours floating around a number of tech publications, such as Know Your Mobile, cite a leak claiming that Samsung is currently testing two different versions of the Note 6 – a flatscreened phablet, as well as one with an Edge style display.
It's believed that Samsung will only bring one of the devices to market, and many reckon the company will opt for the curved one – it's a signature Samsung design cue now. The Note 6 should be a pretty tough thing, too. The latest word suggests Samsung will make it water and dustproof, albeit with an IP67 rating compared to the IP68 seen on the Galaxy S7.
It's believed that Samsung will only bring one of the devices to market, and many reckon the company will opt for the curved one – it's a signature Samsung design cue now. The Note 6 should be a pretty tough thing, too. The latest word suggests Samsung will make it water and dustproof, albeit with an IP67 rating compared to the IP68 seen on the Galaxy S7.
Camera:
The Note 6 could follow its Galaxy S7 siblings by downgrading to a camera with a smaller megapixel count, says Pocket Lint.Both the Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 handsets came with a 16-megapixel main camera, but the S7 has only 12 megapixels.
They are much larger, though, something Samsung calls "Dual Pixels", and they lock on quickly and accurately for one of the fastest autofocuses on a smartphone.
It would be no surprise if Samsung equips the Note 6 with the same sensor, using an aperture of f/1.7 for vastly improved performance in low lighting conditions and equipped with "Super OIS Plus" stability.Android Geeks claims to have an inside line on the Galaxy Note 6's camera – it says it has been in contact with a Samsung engineer and that while the 12-megapixel rumours are accurate, Samsung could still shake things up.
According to the source, the firm is testing prototype Note 6 handsets fitted with Galaxy S7 camera hardware plus infrared focus capabilities.
At present, there's no information as to what camera hardware to expect on any Lite version.
Hardware:
According to Trusted Reviews, Samsung will make the Note 6 in two hardware configurations – one for the Asian market and another for the west.
In the east, the handset should get a custom-built Exynos 9980 chipset, with western buyers snapping up a version fitted with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. It's rumoured that the Note 6 could come with as much as 6GB RAM, a decent leap from the 4GB of the Note 5 and "sure to appeal to the power-user niche".
The site expects three storage options: 32GB, 64GB and 128GB - although 256GB isn't completely off the cards if Samsung opts to include its UFS 2.0 memory chips.
TechRadar highlights the potential for even more power, citing rumours from China that the phablet could come with a 2.6GHz Snapdragon 823 - a chip so new it "hasn't been announced yet". The 823 would essentially be a speedier version of the 820, but with support for a massive 8GG RAM.
Pocket Lint says this could be "overkill", however, and that 6GB RAM is more than enough processing power for the Note 6 to offer convincing virtual reality headset support, a feature Samsung could push hard.
As well as this, Forbes picks up a flurry of leaks on issues such as what chipset Samsung will use, its memory configurations, battery and the addition of a new port.
Discussing the Snapdragon 823 chip angle, the site says its addition could be "droolworthy" and could be as much as 18 per cent quicker than the Galaxy S7's already rapid Snapdragon 820. However, questions remain as to whether Qualcomm will have the hardware ready in time.
While not much is known about the supposed watered-down Note 6, it's said to be coming with a Snapdragon 820 chipset mated to 4GB RAM. If true, that does point to the idea that the full-fat phablet will get a newer processor in order to differentiate the two devices.
Were the Lite to come with these specs, it would sit on par with the firm's Galaxy S7 smartphone.
Also seeming to be on the cards is a massive 4,200mAh battery, a big leap up from the 3,000mAh cell slotted in the back of the Galaxy Note 5. Samsung could use internal memory as a way of distancing the phablet from its smaller flagship handsets.
UFS 2.0 memory with 256GB could be coming and could be a "perfect fit" for the launch of the Note 6. It's a big differentiator between the phablet and the Galaxy S7, which only comes in 32GB. MicroSD storage will likely appear, too.
One of the biggest changes is in terms of ports, though. According to SamMobile, Samsung will switch to reversible USB-C, abandoning the MicroUSB used on the Galaxy S7 and beginning a transition to what's fast becoming the new industry standard. A new Gear VR headset to use with the Note 6 is likely, too.
Software:
Note 6 is likely to come with Android Marshmallow 6.0, given that it's also in place on Galaxy's latest smartphone. Top of the OS bill on the S7 is the latest version of the TouchWiz interface and it's hard to imagine the Note 6 coming with anything different.
However, some speculate the phablet could come with Android N instead, introducing a new multi window mode, and faster app optimisation. However, with a July release date touted for the Note, the timeframe seems unlikely. Google has only just begun to roll out its Android N developer preview and it's unrealistic to expect a fully fledged launch version by the summer. A third quarter release seems far more plausible.
Release date and price:
According to Expert Reviews, Samsung could release the handset in July, possibly in a bid to build up a head of steam before Apple launches the iPhone 7 in September.
Ewan Spence writing for Forbes thinks that Samsung could introduce the next Note a little later though. He expects Samsung to reveal the Note 6 this summer, but only for it to go on sale around August or September. The company has had some successful Q1 2016 numbers, and waiting it out with the Note 6 until autumn could give the firm some good Q3 figures heading into the festive season.
There's no information regarding prices yet and it's tricky to settle on a price tag, given that the Note 5 hasn't gone on sale in the UK. Regardless, Trusted Reviews expects it to be in the region of £625. Samsung dropped the launch price of its Galaxy S7 in comparison to the S6, so there could be a slight cut on the Note 5.
