The two big handset releases for Samsung in 2016 will be the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy Note 6. The Galaxy S7 is still considered very much the flagship smartphone from Samsung, but the excellent Galaxy Note devices produced recently by the corporation have heightened the reputation of the Galaxy Note range. Both devices will be important for the performance of Samsung during the next calendar year, so here is a rundown of what we can expect from these two major releases.
Galaxy S7
The latest news on the Galaxy S series comes from China, where reports have suggested that the upgrade cycle of the Korean company will switch from a hardware to software emphasis in 2016. With the Galaxy S6 having presented a new look and feel for the hardware of the Galaxy smartphone range, it is expected that the next Galaxy S7 release will focus on software innovations.
Central to this will be the ultimate goal of creating a software experience that Samsung describes as being “non-delayed”. This hints at a fluency in the Android OS of the Galaxy S7 that will make it superior to the Apple iOS operating system. It is expected that this will later be reflected in the Galaxy Note 6 as well. Samsung will achieve this improved fluency in the Galaxy S7 via Android 6.0 Marshmallow and its running of the newest version of Samsung’s TouchWiz software.
Micro SD to be reintroduced
Another new rumor relating to the Galaxy S7 is that this handset could be once again fitted with a micro SD card slot. This would certainly find favor with Android fans, as the non-expandable nature of the most recent Galaxy S releases have been something of a disappointment. However, it should be pointed out that previous Galaxy S range releases have also been linked with this technology, without it coming to fruition.
Some sources have suggested that Samsung will increase the screen size of the Galaxy S7 to 5.3-inches. Regardless of whether this turns out to be the case, or if instead the Korean corporation opts for a 5.1-inch display, a 4K Galaxy S7 is not anticipated. Samsung is expected to stick with quad HD resolution this time round, and save up the Galaxy Note 6 for its first 4K resolution screen.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and Samsung Exynos 8890 octa-core processors are anticipated for this smartphone, with 4 GB of RAM driving this powerful performer. Samsung is thus expected to revert to its previous procedure of releasing devices with differing processor technology in Eastern and Western marketplaces.
Samsung is also likely to arm the Galaxy S7 with a 20-megapixel rear-facing camera, which will be somewhat similar to the Sony Xperia Z5. Although 4K resolution will not be included in this device, it is still expected that the camera will have 4K video recording capabilities. A powerful eight-megapixel snapper will also be included; to put this into perspective, this is equal to Apple’s rear-facing snapper in the iPhone 6S.
The major innovation in the Galaxy S7 will be the introduction of a pressure-sensitive panel to rival the 3D Touch technology now included in the iPhone range. It has also been reported from sources close to the Samsung supply chain that a much greater emphasis will be placed on the curved version of the Galaxy S7 when it is released. This has unquestionably been a success for Samsung since it debuted in the Galaxy Note Edge, and Samsung will begin to produce quantities of units that make the Galaxy S7 Edge a truly mainstream device.
Galaxy Note 6
According to some early reports on the Galaxy Note 6, the release date of the phablet could be shifting forward. There are a couple of reasons for this suggestion, not least the fact that the flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S7, has already been linked with an earlier release date than usual. It would make sense for Samsung to move the Galaxy Note 6 forward as well.
Another interesting suggestion is that the Galaxy Note 6 will be something of a hybrid device, combining its usual capabilities with some laptop-related functionality. This would require the Galaxy Note 6 to be fitted with a particularly powerful processor, and thus the handset is already being linked with a 3.1 GHz 16-core processor. This would certainly put the Samsung device in line with the specifications and performance of the average laptop.
This speculation has been fuelled by a recently leaked patent which suggests that the Galaxy Note 6 will feature a phablet dock enabling a small keyboard to be attached. The dock will allow switching between the Android OS and the Windows 10 OS; a major innovation should Samsung indeed include this in the Galaxy Note 6.
Another major Galaxy Note 6 rumor is the suggestion that the display of the device could be flexible. Samsung first demonstrated this technology, or at least a prototype of it, at a consumer electronics show many years ago, and it could finally be featured in one of its retail devices with the Galaxy Note 6.
Samsung is also expected to increase the screen size of the Galaxy Note 6 to 6-inches or possibly even 6.2-inches, and thus this should be the first ever 4K resolution handset from the Korean corporation. These rumors collectively add up to what looks to be an extremely impressive Galaxy Note 6 display.
Camera
The Galaxy Note 6 has also been linked with some outstanding camera technology, with a quite incredible 30-megapixel snapper possible in the phablet. Britecell camera technology will be included in the device, while an extremely nifty eight-megapixel front-facing camera is also expected. Britecell has also been linked with the Galaxy S7, as Samsung attempts to improve its shooting in low-light conditions.
Other rumored features in the Galaxy Note 6 include a fingerprint scanner, speedy wireless charging, blood pressure and heart rate sensors, and a barometer and thermometer. Samsung is also expected to include an Exynos+ chipset in devices intended for the East Asian marketplace, with Qualcomm Snapdragon technology being relied upon for the Western world.
To cope with the incredibly high specs of this device, Samsung is also expected to arm the Galaxy Note 6 with a pretty staggering 8 GB of RAM memory.
