Samsung Galaxy Note 6 release date, news and rumors
Update: A Korean news source has suggested the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 - or Note 7, it's still not clear what name it will have yet - is almost ready to start production. Over five million units will be produced for the initial supply of phones. Plus a new advert leak suggests the Galaxy Note 7 will be launching on August 2.
While the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge almost stretches into phablet territory, Samsung fans will have to wait for the Galaxy Note 6 for a true 2016 flagship phablet from the company.
It's a highly anticipated phone, especially in Europe where Samsung made the bizarre decision not to launch the Galaxy Note 5, leaving would-be buyers hungry for their next S Pen hit.
One rumor has even suggested Samsung will skip the Galaxy Note 6 and jump to the Note 7 name for its next phablet as well. It's thought the company wants to bring it in line with the name of the Galaxy S series.
But while the Note 6 or Note 7 probably won't be with us until the end of the summer we're hearing plenty of rumors about it. If that's not enough to keep you sated we've also cooked up a wish list of things we want to see.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Samsung's next phablet
- When's it out? Probably August, it may be at the start
- What will it cost? It's sure to be very expensive
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 release date
The latest leak suggests the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 could land on August 2, or at least that's what an apparent advert shared with SamMobile says.
Supposedly the announcement will happen at 11am EDT. That's 8am PDT, 4pm GMT or 1am on August 3 AEST. Of course the advert could be a fake, but the date almost lines up with earlier rumors.
Twitter leaker @evleaks previously suggested the Galaxy Note 6 – or Note 7 – will be announced in the week commencing August 15, but he's since received updated information suggesting it'll be announced around August 3. That's a little under two weeks earlier in the year than the Galaxy Note 5 announcement.
Plus a Korean news source believes production to be starting in July - so it makes sense for an August announcement.
Samsung typically launches its Galaxy Note flagships during IFA, which this year is happening in early September, so it's possible that we'll have to wait until then though.
The good news is that, according to a TechRadar source high up at one of the UK's major networks, this time it should make its way to the UK as well.
- Let us know what feature you'd most like to see in the Samsung Galaxy Note 6
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 design
We're hearing a number of rumblings about the design of the Samsung Galaxy Note 6. Rumblings like the possibility that it will be waterproof and dust-resistant. A Weibo post echoes those claims, saying it will be IP68 certified. That's one rumor that seems likely, given that the Samsung Galaxy S7 is.
Leaked renders from OnLeaks have suggested the phone will look very similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge, but it will feature room for an S Pen and a slightly larger display as well. You can watch the video below to see the leaked renders and how the phone will look.
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 screen
Word from both Weibo and GSM Helpdesk points to a 5.8-inch 1440 x 2560 screen, with the latter claiming the display might be curved.
We're hearing similar rumors from another Weibo post, which claims the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will have a 5.8-inch screen in both curved and flat varieties. Given that all the rumors so far are pointing to the same size and resolution it's likely that's what we'll get.
Certainly it's going to be at least QHD, given that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is, and 5.8 inches would only be marginally bigger than that phone's 5.7-inch screen.
It's also looking ever more likely that there'll be a curved screen version of the handset, as a teaser leaked to PhoneArena shows just such a display and also suggests that you'll be able to write on the edge. The image could easily be fake, but a Samsung patent for exactly that has also been unearthed by SamMobile, so it's possible.
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 camera and battery
A tipster on Weibo claims the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will have a 12MP camera with Super OIS Plus. Though we'd always advise taking Weibo posts with a pinch of salt. Then again, GSM Helpdesk also claims we'll get a 12MP camera, so it could be true, especially as the Galaxy S7 has the same spec snapper.
While most camera rumors are pointing to a 12MP lens PhotoRumors claimsSamsung is working on a new sensor that will be between 18MP and 24MP and have a wide f/1.4 aperture, which should allow it to take in a lot of light.
Even if Samsung is working on such a sensor that doesn't mean it will debut on the Galaxy Note 6, but it's a possibility.
Whatever spec camera we get it may have an infrared autofocus for speedy focusing according to a post on Weibo.
The same post claims that it will have a huge 4200mAh battery, which would be far larger than the 3000mAh juice pack in the Galaxy Note 5 and slightly bigger than the 4000mAh it had previously been rumored to be.
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 OS and power
There's talk out of China that the Galaxy Note 7 will use a 2.6GHz quad-core Snapdragon 823 chip, which is so new it hasn't even been announced yet. That chip, if the rumors are right, will essentially be a slightly faster version of the Snapdragon 820, albeit with support for up to 8GB of RAM.
Though given that the Snapdragon 820 already allows for 6GB that doesn't mean Samsung will stick that much in its next phablet, but 5GB or 6GB seems likely and indeed 6GB has been rumored and is now looking ever more likely, asSamsung has announced its own 6GB RAM chip.
Various tipsters on Weibo have also claimed the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will have a Snapdragon 823 chip, along with 64GB, 128GB and perhaps even 256GB of storage.
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 other features
Patently Mobile has uncovered a patent which points to a Samsung phablet device being used to power a laptop. Patents aren't products but it's within the realms of possibility that Samsung could launch a laptop dock as an optional accessory for the Galaxy Note 6.
Other rumors include talk of a USB Type-C connector, which seems a likely bet, and the possibility of an iris scanner.
This rumor is based on several things. Samsung has been importing iris scanning modules and has filed trademarks for "Samsung Iris" and "Samsung Eyeprint". Since then the company has even released a tablet packing an iris scanner- though only in India and aimed at government and enterprises rather than consumers.
Most recently we've seen a screenshot supposedly taken from a beta version of Samsung software, which, once translated into English, says 'use iris' as a security method. There's no guarantee this is taken from a Note 7, but it seems to be from a phone rather than a tablet and the Galaxy Note 7 would be an obvious choice for such cutting-edge tech.
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 price
None of the leaks so far have given a clear idea of price for the Samsung Galaxy Note 6. We'd expect a similar price to the Galaxy Note 5 though, which didn't come cheap. In the US the phone retailed at about US$700 on day one, so we'd expect over £500 or AU$950.
Samsung Galaxy Note 6 competition
The Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is going to be pitted against some very tough competition. There's the Samsung Galaxy S7 with a 5.1-inch display and then there's the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, which is basically a phablet already.
There may also be a Samsung Galaxy Note Edge as well. We'd expect a 5.8-inch curved screen on a new Note Edge with an S Pen for extra functionality over the Galaxy S7 Edge.
Apple has the iPhone 6S Plus at the moment, but around the time of the Note 6's launch we'll probably also get an iPhone 7 Plus.
Then there's the LG G5, HTC 10 and many other phones that will prove tough competition for the Galaxy Note 6 when it's officially announced
1. A microSD card slot
With the Galaxy Note 5 Samsung finally gave us a phablet that looked as premium as it was, but that sandwich of metal and glass lost its microSD card slot.
No microSD card slot means significant limits on how much media you can stick on the phone and a phablet more than any other type of handset is built for media, so it was a real shame.
The good news is that Samsung reinstated the card slot for the Galaxy S7, so it's likely to put one in the Galaxy Note 6 too. We certainly hope it does.
2. A removable battery
Another casualty of the move to premium materials was a removable juice pack. This one might be harder to fix without a drastic redesign of the hardware and with a sealed battery in the Samsung Galaxy S7 too we're not optimistic about getting a removable one in the Samsung Galaxy Note 6.
But it would be nice if we did. A removable battery means any concerns about longevity can be muted by carrying a spare and, perhaps more importantly, if and when your battery starts to wear out you can just buy a new one, rather than buying a whole new phone.
3. A sharper screen
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is almost pin sharp with its QHD display. But smaller phones like the Samsung Galaxy S7 also have a QHD screen, so with the extra space on the Note it could arguably benefit from some extra pixels.
Even if it's overkill for general viewing it would be enormously useful for any VR explorers. The Gear VR is a nice bit of kit, but it's held back by a lack of visual fidelity.
4. More compelling S Pen features
One of the main ways in which the Note range differentiates itself from other phablets is the inclusion of a stylus. Yet Samsung's S Pen could stand to be more compelling.
It's useful, but rarely as handy as an actual notepad would be. Solving that problem may not be easy, but hopefully Samsung's thinking about it for the Galaxy Note 6, because the S Pen needs to continue to evolve if it's going to be much more than a gimmick.
5. A waterproof build
Knowing your phone is water resistant can be enormously reassuring, so hopefully the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will be. It's looking likely, given that the Samsung Galaxy S7 is and that early rumors suggest it will be.
But we don't want Samsung to just recycle features from the S7. The Note 6 will be a newer handset, so we want newer, better things, like full waterproofing, rather than just water resistance. We don't just want to take the Galaxy Note 6 out in the rain, we also want to take it on a deep dive into salt water. Or at least we want to have the option to.
6. A new standout feature
Speaking of new things, it would be great to see a truly new feature in the Samsung Galaxy Note 6. Something that people can really get excited about beyond the obligatory spec bump.
It's rumored that it might have an iris scanner, so that would be something, but the Microsoft Lumia 950 already has one of them. Ideally we want the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 to go where no phone has gone before and have a truly revolutionary feature of some kind.
7. Tweaks to TouchWiz
TouchWiz gets better every year, but it's still a poor substitute for stock Android. Some of the features are nice, such as the S Pen functionality we get with the Note, but we could do without the bloat and with a cleaner, more minimalist and more Material design inspired appearance.
8. A bigger screen
Now that non-phablets like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge are stretching to 5.5 inches there's room for the Note 6 to grow beyond 5.7 inches.
We don't want it to get massively bigger, otherwise we might as well just be using a tablet, but we wouldn't say no to an extra 0.1 or 0.2 of an inch. Rumors suggest we might just get that too, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 supposedly stretching to 5.8 inches.
9. A dual-lens camera
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 already has a great snapper. In fact, it uses the same impressive 16MP sensor as the Samsung Galaxy S6.
But the Samsung Galaxy S7 has it beat with a 12MP camera that offers superior low-light performance. It's rumored that the Galaxy Note 6 will also have a 12MP snapper, complete with Super OIS Plus.
But while a similar camera to the S7 would be a good start we'd like to see it combined with a second wide-angle lens, like the LG G5 has, giving users a choice of which lens to use in any given situation.
10. A bigger battery
A removable battery would be nice, but it's not likely. So at the very least we want the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 to have a larger one. At 3000mAh the juice pack in the Note 5 is actually quite small for a phone of its size- it's the same size as the battery in the 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and far smaller than the 3600mAh one in the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
It would be madness for Samsung to put a smaller battery in the Note 6 than the S7 Edge, so we'd expect it will grow to at least 3600mAh, but hopefully it will be larger still.
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