Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review: size matters

Updated 12/09/16: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is officially discontinued.

Yesterday, Samsung peeled the wrapping off its brand new Note, and boy, is it note-worthy.

As pioneers of the phablet genre, Samsung has been the master of its trade for years, though competition has become stronger, forcing the global manufacturer to up its game. The result? An absolute smash hit…

Design

Following on from the stunning form of this year’s Galaxy S7 edge, the Note 7 is Samsung’s first in the series to offer a dual curved screen.

Although not as prominent as the S7 edge’s display, Samsung has balanced the edges perfectly, and carved a curved back to create an almost seamless appearance with the wraparound display.

The materials used to assemble Samsung Galaxy Note 7 are of course exceptionally premium, so will no doubt feel great to hold. But they’re more than just comfortable, they’re incredibly robust, offering water-resistance with an IP68 certification.

Display

Rocking a large 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display means that the Note 7 is a showstopper when it comes to entertainment. Whether you’re watching videos or playing games, you’ll lose yourself in the sublime authenticity.

The extra size lends itself not only to your entertainment, but your work too. If you typically use your phone for productive tasks like blitzing through emails, looking through documents or taking notes, then the Galaxy Note 7 will serve you well.

Power

You’ll find the same innards as those housed in Galaxy S7 edge, specifically an Exynos 8890 octa-core processor, Mali-T880 MP12 GPU and 4GB of RAM.

Such a formidable combo means that you’ll have no issues supporting the latest games, multi-tasking like a pro, or streaming Hi-Res content. Speaking of which, the Note 7 is the first smartphone to feature mobile HDR, meaning contrast and colours are more accurate than ever.

Cameras

The camera setup on the Note 7 is just like the successful S7 range, which, of course, is what you want to hear.

As you may have read in our review of the Galaxy S7 edge, the photography situation is one of the best on any mobile device. The 5MP camera on the front is ideal for clear selfies, and the rear 12MP hybrid camera captures images even in poorly lit conditions.

Other Goodies

You might be thinking that Galaxy Note 7 sounds a lot like the Galaxy S7 edge… And in ways that’s true, but not at all a criticism. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

But there are areas where the latest in the Note series differentiates itself from all other Samsung smartphones, the most obvious of which, is the S-Pen.

Like the Note 7, the S-Pen is water-resistant. So, in theory, you could use it submerged in water, though we certainly wouldn’t recommend doing so. The tip is finer than before, and more pressure-sensitive, so the experience is more like the real deal.

One of the coolest new features is the Iris Scanner. Just like you’ve seen in sci-fi movies like Minority Report, it scans and recognises the pattern of your iris to authenticate access to your Note 7.

Samsung claims this, coupled with KNOX (other methods of unlocking, including pattern, password and pin), make the Note 7 the mobile equivalent of Fort Knox. See what we did there? Of course, you can also register your fingerprint – my preferred method.

Samsung has shifted away from microUSB, in favour of the new USB Type-C connector, which is easier to plug in as the cable’s reversible. It saves fumbling about in the dark.

Samsung, being the sweetheart that it is, hasn’t forgotten that a lot of your accessories are microUSB compatible, taking the step to kindly include a convertor with the Note 7. Thanks Sammy!

Sexy Specs

Right, deep breath! The Note 7 features a generous 64GB internal memory (microSD expandable by another 256GB), NFC, GPS, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, Android 6.0.1, a beefy 3500mAh with fast charge technology, wireless charging and a 3.5mm audio jack… Now breathe.

Verdict

Of course the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is the best Note yet. That’s to be expected. But it goes above and beyond what we hoped for, with a beautiful facelift, booted up specs and some exciting new features. The Note 7 ticks all the right boxes, and is must-have for any Android phablet lover.