Galaxy Note 5 – Release Date, Features, Rumors & Leaks

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With the Galaxy S6 now out of the bag, attention at Samsung will shift to the release of the Galaxy Note 5. The previous iteration of this series, the Galaxy Note 4, was a significant success story for Samsung in an otherwise lukewarm 2014. This premium phablet was extremely well received by critics, and also performed creditably commercially.

It was particularly notable that some critics deemed the Galaxy Note 4 to feature the best display in any smartphone yet to be released. So Samsung has a lot to live up to with the release of the Galaxy Note 5, but this tablet is expected to take the Galaxy Notes series to a whole new level.

4K display

The first element to note about this forthcoming phablet is that the Galaxy Note 5 will almost certainly feature a 4K display. Numerous publications have suggested this in recent weeks, but one doesn’t need to be Nostradamus, or have any inside information, in order to predict this. The Galaxy Note 4 featured a quad HD display, and it is almost unthinkable that Samsung would stand still with the next generation in this range. Therefore there is little else that the corporation can do to improve the screen other than offer a 4K display.

It has also been suggested that the screen featured in the Galaxy Note 5 will be significantly larger than the previous device in the series. A 5.9-inch 4K Super AMOLED display with 2,160 x 3,840 resolution and 746ppi pixel density has been mooted, and this would be a truly impressive prospect. To put this into perspective, the pixel density involved in such a screen would be nearly double that of the existing iPhone 6 Plus.

Additionally, although there is still some media debate on this subject, it seems an absolute certainty that there will be a sequel to the Galaxy Note Edge. With Samsung having unveiled the Galaxy S6 Edge recently, and the company being particularly associated with curved screen technology, it would make very little sense for Samsung to abandon this concept in the Galaxy Note 5 release.

Camera

Cameras have been essential to smartphones ever since the concept was first ushered into the world, and this is becoming more true as the devices develop. There are already considerable rumors doing the rounds that Apple is about to release something truly outstanding in the camera department when the iPhone 7 hits the market, and Samsung will naturally be looking to respond to this.

Thus, early leaks relating to the Galaxy Note 5 suggest that this phablet will feature a 21-megapixel main camera, and a 5-megapixel front-facing lens. This would represent the most powerful camera that Samsung has placed in a Galaxy range device as of yet, and the impressive 5-megapixel front camera would also offer excellent selfie-snapping capabilities.

Chipset and processor

It also seems extremely likely that the Korean Corporation will utilize its own Exynos 7420 chipset in the Galaxy Note 5. Samsung has dropped Qualcomm for the Galaxy S6 range, and considering that the Exynos offers 20 percent faster performance and 35 percent less power consumption, it seems highly likely that the Korean company will opt for the Snapdragon 810. Previous editions of the Galaxy Note series have relied on Exynos technology in the East Asian marketplace, and the time seems right for Samsung to expand this now.

Battery, power saving and wireless charging

Early reports indicate that the Galaxy Note 5 will likely feature a 4,000mAh battery along with wireless charging and enhanced power-saving features. It is interesting that such a large battery is being considered for this device, as the Galaxy S6 surprisingly featured a smaller battery than its predecessor. It remains to be seen what sort of impact this will have on the battery life of the Galaxy S6, but a phablet with a 5.9-inch 4K resolution display will certainly require a large cell in order to be practical.

Galaxy Note 5 - Release Date, Features, Rumors & Leaks

With the Galaxy S6 embracing wireless charging, this also seems an entirely natural move for the Galaxy Note series. With emphasis also likely to be placed on power saving functionality in order to ensure that this extremely powerful device delivers a lot of bang for its buck, this could be an extremely convenient device for consumers to utilize despite its inherent power.

Gear VR

One of the big innovations expected with the Galaxy Note 5 is a large emphasis on virtual reality capabilities. With numerous companies currently working on virtual reality systems, Oculus Rift CTO John Carmack has already suggested that the Gear VR will get a full-fledged consumer launch with the Korean company’s next hardware cycle.

Virtual reality looks likely to become a significant technology in the immediate future. It will be interesting to see how the Cculus Rift project takes off, and indeed how its most obvious rival, the Sony PS4-based Project Morpheus, fares. Video gaming needs a kick up the backside to a certain extent, with companies struggling to deliver games that are truly revolutionary. It is hoped that VR gaming can contribute to this, and if this is the case then the Galaxy Note 5 could benefit hugely from this tie-in.

Samsung Pay

By the time that the Galaxy Note 5 hits the market, Samsung’s new proprietary mobile payment system, Samsung Pay, should be up and running. It is therefore an absolute certainty that the phablet will embrace this critical technology. Mobile payments are expected to become an extremely important commercial niche in the near future, with a Mashable article in 2012 even suggesting that mobile payments could completely replace cash and credit cards by the end of the decade.

This seems a trifle over the top, but it is certain that mobile payments will be a multi-billion-dollar market, and Samsung will be looking to compete strongly with Apple’s Apple Pay offering. The Galaxy Note 5 will benefit from this, and consumers will certainly be able to utilize it in order to make everyday purchases.

Release

Expect the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 to be released in late Q3 and to retail at around $900.

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