The Samsung Galaxy Note 6 could be one of 2016's biggest smartphones, so it's time to get excited. Here's everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 6, including the Galaxy Note 6 release date, specs, features and price.
Update (27 June 2016): Prominent leaker and journalist Evan Blass has posted a series of tweets, seemingly revealing new information about the next Galaxy smartphone:
While most Samsung fans are beholden to the Galaxy S-series, the Samsung Note handsets have successfully carved out a niche of power users. That's because Note handsets are big, powerful and feature-heavy – just the way we like them. There's even talk of a dual-lens camera, which is no great surprise.
The good news is that Samsung is rumoured to be plotting a mid-August launch for the Galaxy Note 6 – or Galaxy Note 7, according to recent reports from Korea. More specifically, we've seen two leaks pointing to an August 2, 2016 launch. The first was a tweet from prominent leaker and journalist Evan Blass, and the second was a photo published be specialist blog SamMobile, depicting an invite to 'Galaxy Unpacked 2016' on August 2. More on those below.
If you're still thirsty for more leaky goodness, here's a render of what's claimed to be the Galaxy Note 6, first revealed by pricing comparison site uSwitch and sourced by renowned tech leaker and journalist Steve Hemmerstoffer:
A recent leak out of China – via social media network Weibo – suggested that the Galaxy Note 6 specs would be as follows:
- 5.77-inch display
- 2K (QHD) screen resolution
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 823 processor
- Adreno 530 GPU
- 6GB RAM
- 256GB storage
- 4,200mAh battery
- IP68-certified waterproof/dustproof body
We know what you're thinking – '6GB RAM?! Ludicrous!'. We thought so too, but in May 2016, Samsung finally showed off its 10nm LPDDR4 6GB mobile DRAM, first announced late last year. The tech giant's semiconductor division has successfully manufactured the module, which means we're very likely to see it appear in the Galaxy Note 6.
However, Samsung is yet to reveal any official details about the Galaxy Note 6, so there is a chance that the device doesn't even exist. Nevertheless, we've rounded up the latest in news, rumours, and leaks – plus a healthy helping of speculation to boot.
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 6 FEATURES – WHAT’S NEW ABOUT THE GALAXY NOTE 6?
There are plenty of upgrades rumoured for the Galaxy Note 6, although we don’t have any official details just yet.
First, it’s tipped to include a 6-inch 4K/UHD display, which seems ludicrous for a smartphone – but this is the Note, after all. Then there’s talk of serious memory upgrades. Most notably, it’s suggested we’ll see 6GB of RAM, plus hyper-fast UFS 2.0 memory on a 256GB chip. Samsung has already unveiled its 10nm LPDDR4 6GB mobile DRAM, so the former is very likely. Excitingly, there's also a rumour that the Galaxy Note 6 will feature Google's new Android N – Android Nutella, anyone? – as its launch software.
Confusingly, a recent report suggested that Samsung's next phablet might not be called the Galaxy Note 6 after all. Instead, the company is planning a naming leapfrog and moving straight to Galaxy Note 7, as reported by Korea's Electronic Times. The article cites a high-ranking source in the industry who said: "When a Galaxy Note 6 on release has a model number that's lower than Galaxy S7, which is the newest model, it can give a feeling that it's an outdated phone. It's known that Samsung Electronics has made the numbers the same to unify a premium image." Weird, eh?
We've also seen this leak, courtesy of Android Authority:
The render appears to depict a Galaxy Note 6, and lists dimensions (153 x 74.5 x 7.8mm) for the handset. Those dimensions are different from the ones leaked by uSwitch: 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9mm. We're not sure why there is a disparity in dimensions, but the obvious answer is that one (or perhaps both) of the leaks is wrong. Nevertheless, both leaks seem to agree that the Galaxy Note 6 will feature a dual curved-edge display, just like the Galaxy S7 Edge.
Further details are sure to leak over time, so bookmark this article and check back for regular updates on what to expect from the Galaxy Note 6.
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 6 SPECS
Samsung tends to use a split strategy for its smartphone processors; different chips will feature in different markets.
It’s rumoured that the Galaxy Note 6 will run on a custom-built Exynos 8890 in the East Asia market. However, western markets are rumoured to get a Galaxy Note 6 that boasts Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 SoC.
A more recent rumour, this time courtesy of Chinese gossip hotbed Weibo, suggested that the Galaxy Note 6 will run on the Snapdragon 823. Qualcomm hasn't officially announced this chip yet however, so take this report with caution.
Related: Snapdragon 820 vs 810 vs 808
It's also been suggested that Samsung will opt for a huge 6GB RAM module in the Galaxy Note 6. That’s an impressive amount of memory for a smartphone, but it’s sure to appeal to the Note’s power-user niche. Crazier still, the Weibo report that suggests we'd see a Snapdragon 823 processor also claimed the Note 6 would feature 8GB of RAM. We'd say the 6GB rumour is likelier, on account of Samsung having already successfully manufactured – and unveiled – its 10nm LPDDR4 6GB mobile DRAM in May this year.
In terms of storage, we’re expecting at least three options: 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. However, we’ve heard that Samsung might also include its UFS 2.0 memory chips in the Galaxy Note 6. That would put 256GB of hyper-fast storage at the disposal of Note users. Not bad, eh?
Finally, there’s talk of a 20-megapixel rear-facing camera on the Galaxy Note 6. That doesn’t tell us much, since image resolution is only a small part of a camera’s functionality. However, previous Galaxy Note handsets have offered impressive photography performance, so we’d be surprised if the Galaxy Note 6 was any different.
A recent report from PhotoRumors claimed that Samsung is working on a new 1/1.7-inch CMOS camera sensor. It would feature a f/1.4 aperture, which is much wider than the f/1.7 aperture that appeared on the Galaxy S7, an excellent snapper in its own right. Aperture is, of course, the hole that lets light through the lens to the image sensor, so a wider aperture is generally better.
Perhaps more interesting is the recent rumour that the Note 6 (or Note 7) will feature a dual-lens camera. The Taiwanese media is reporting that this year's Samsung phablet will use two lenses for the rear-facing camera, as cited by China's ZOL industry news site. Samsung has already designed its own dual-lens camera under Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., a part of Samsung Group. When the news broke back in March, the company reportedly had plans to begin mass-manufacturing of the dual-lens module as soon as July this year.
Such a move wouldn't be surprising. After all, Apple's iPhone 7 Plus, also rumoured to launch this year, has been tipped to feature a dual-lens camera. And Huawei recently debuted the technology on its new flagship Huawei P9 smartphone, revealed in April this year.
Dual-lens cameras offer a number of perks compared to conventional single-lens arrangements. These potential improvements include wider angle image capture, better zoon, adjustable post-capture focusing, and improved lighting. However, Samsung hasn't confirmed any plans to debut a dual-lens camera in its next smartphone, so take such reports with due caution.
Unfortunately, we haven’t seen any rumours about the front-facing camera thus far, but stay tuned.
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 6 BATTERY LIFE
There’s only so much we can say about prospective Galaxy Note 6 battery life until we actually test the device.
It’s rumoured that the Galaxy Note 6 will feature a 4,000mAh battery. That’s a significantly higher storage capacity than the 3,000mAh cell used in the Galaxy Note 5. As such, we’d expect better battery life.
Bundle that with the power improvements offered by the Snapdragon 820 – rumoured to feature – and it’s all looking good.
However, the display could be a serious drain on battery. It’s rumoured that the Note 6 will ship with a 6-inch 4K screen, which would be horrendously power-hungry. What’s more, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Samsung’s "Always On" screen tech – debuted on the Galaxy S7 – also featuring on the Galaxy Note 6. That could burn the battery for an extra 1% per hour, or perhaps even more, if it’s included.
With all that in mind, we’ll simply have to wait for the handset to arrive in the office before making any judgement on battery life.
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