Samsung to launch 'Fan Edition' of failed Note 7

01 June

Samsung's next big device arrives later this year. The firm's Note series of phablets has "successfully carved out a niche of power users", says Trusted Reviews, and given that UK consumers never officially got their hands on the Galaxy Note 5, it should be a big release.

Rumours are already coming thick and fast, with suggestions of new displays, huge power and even two devices.

Here's what's being said.

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Could it be called the Note 7?

One of the newest leaks suggests there won't be a Galaxy Note 6 at all.

According to a report on dedicated Samsung site SamMobile, the company will jump straight from the Note 5 and call their next phablet Note 7. There are a couple of reasons for this: firstly, given that the firm this year released new smartphones in the form of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, calling their next phablet the Note 6 could imply it's behind the curve. Naming it the Note 7 puts it directly in line with its smaller siblings. Secondly, it would put the entire Samsung flagship range on par with Apple in terms of naming – the Californian tech giant will release the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus later 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.

Gotta Be Mobile is also expecting the upcoming phablet to look familiar. The site hopes that the backplate design of the device is aluminium for "added durability" and expects a thinner device with a much reduced camera bulge.

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 2016 Note – 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.

More recently, additional evidence that Samsung plans to go curved has emerged. Forbes picks up a leak that at first seems like nothing, but with a big of digging strongly hints that 2016's Note will come with an Edge form factor.

It's all to do with part numbers. Samsung is importing metal frames called "SM-N935G" for mobile production. Comparing this to some of the codenames used on the company's older devices points to a new Note (the "N" in the name) with a curved screen (the "5").

The Note 6/7 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 – the compartment in which the stylus sits could prevent the device from receiving full IP68 protection.

Display

While the Note 5 arrived with a 5.7ins display, 2016's device could grow in size, according to rumours.

A blog post on SamMobile highlights rumours that Samsung will bump the screen size up to 5.8ins, while reverting to the Super AMOLED Plus display last used in the Samsung Galaxy S2.

These screens are technically more advanced than the Super AMOLED displays Samsung has been using these past years, but the firm dropped them after 2011 as they weren't as rugged and tough as normal AMOLED panels.

However, they are thinner and Samsung may use them to open up space for a larger battery.

It is believed the same 2560 x 1440 Quad HD resolution will be used. Of course, with the recent form factor rumour fed into the equation, it could equally be a curved display.

A secondary display option could also be on the cards, given that there are now rumours of a Galaxy Note 6 "Lite" doing the rounds.

The cheaper, less powerful variant, packing different specs, is said to use a 5.8ins panel, too, but rather than being an OLED display with 2K+ resolution, it will be a 1080p unit.

Camera

The Note 6 could follow its Galaxy S7 siblings by downgrading to a camera with a smaller megapixel count, but mated to optimised hardware for an improved package overall, 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.

SamMobile picks up a much broader rumour, and while not namechecking the Galaxy Note 6, claims that Samsung is working on a "huge" camera sensor for use in its future flagship smartphones, tablets and phablets.

"Samsung is working on a brand new 1/1.7-inch CMOS camera sensor with an aperture as wide as ƒ/1.4. The new sensor could have a resolution of anywhere between 18-24 megapixels. The company is also working on a new compact 1/2.3-inch camera sensor", says the site.

The wider the aperture – wider signalled by lower numbers – the more light can enter the sensor, resulting in higher quality photographs. Photos in poor lighting conditions would drastically improve – an area prone to exposing smartphone cameras. The larger sensor itself would allow more light in too. The 18-24 megapixel sensor goes against the megapixel downsizing trend established by the Galaxy S7 though.

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

Just what Android system the Note 6 will be running is a major point of contention. Initial rumours suggested it could ship with Android Marshmallow 6, the same OS as the Galaxy S7.

However, the two main rumoured release dates makes this uncertain. While some tout that the device could come this summer, others argue it will launch in the early autumn, which would mean there's a possibility it could come with Android N.

Trusted Reviews picks up the trail, saying Google is likely to announce Android N launch details this summer but it could take "quite some time" before it begins appearing on handsets. They add that there's also an established trend of Galaxy Note arriving with the "previous generation of Android on-board".

However, the idea of Android N on the Note 6 in 2016 hasn't been completely sunk. The developer preview for the software is already live and it's impossible to rule out a speedy roll-out beginning on Samsung's next big device if it arrives later on in the year.

New communications hub?

SamMobile claims the company is working on a new, centralised communications hub, currently dubbed the Samsung Focus and set to combine various services into one single app.

It should work in a similar way to the BlackBerry Hub, adds the site, integrating the likes of email, instant messages, social networking accounts, contacts and calendars. Email is said to be a big focus, as users will be offered options for viewing and responding to emails from various accounts, similar to Google's Inbox app. Each communication can be accessed simply by selecting it, meaning no more shuffling between apps, and the main screen will act as an organiser, listing reminders for the coming days and incoming messages.

From what the site has seen of the feature, it's got a "clean and modern interface". It will arrive on Samsung's other devices soon after launching on the Note 6.

New S Pen, S Notes features?

Another leak by SamMobile claims that Note 6 users will get some nifty new ways to jot down notes by way of Samsung bringing new functions to the S Note app.

The "Off screen memo" feature introduced on the Note 5 – whereby users can pop the pen out of the bottom of the device and write notes on the phone's off screen for quick handwritten memos – will be expanded, quite literally. Rather than only being able to write on a space the size of the display, it will be bigger. Users will be able to scroll down to take longer, fast off-screen notes if they need to in a function similar to the scrolling screenshot.

Alongside this, the new notes system should be secure – you will be able to lock quick notes using a fingerprint scanner and import notes from other apps. A recycling bin addition will mean that older scribbles can be retrieved if need be. These new S Pen features may not arrive at the launch though, but they could come along as a software update before the year is out.

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 late summer could give the firm some good Q3 figures heading into the festive season.

The summer timeframe is beginning to win credit and August now seems to be the most popular rumour when it comes to the launch date. 9 to 5 Google says that a new leak, courtesy of the more-often-than-not accurate Evan Bliss, means we now have "pretty solid confirmation" as to when the handset will be hitting the shelves.

According to Bliss, the handset will hit the shelves in the US the week of 15 August. There are no details on when it will become available elsewhere, but there's little so far to suggest that UK consumers will be left waiting long.

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.