The highly-rated Samsung phablet could ship with a knockout feature set
Despite the current attention being directed at the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy Note 5 will be a critical phablet release for Samsung later this year. The Galaxy Note 4 was so well received critically that Samsung will have to produce something truly exceptional with the Galaxy Note 5 in order to satisfy the appetite of fans. So here is a rundown of some of the latest rumours features and specs for this hotly anticipated device.
Galaxy Note 5 Display
The Galaxy Note 5 arguably features the best screen in any mobile device currently available. Some might suggest that the LG G3 marginally beats it, but the Galaxy Note 4 is certainly up there with any other mobile device on the market. With its Quad HD resolution, and Super AMOLED technology, the Galaxy Note 4 was an absolutely outstanding device with which to view videos or photographs, and as Samsung has increasingly made its name as a producer of high-quality displays, there will be massive pressure on the Korean manufacturer to deliver something mind blowing with the Galaxy Note 5.
This could mean that the Galaxy Note 5 is the first ever 4K mobile to hit the mainstream market. This comes with a very big ‘if’, owing to the fact that the Galaxy Note 5 will not be released until much later in the year, and the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is now on the horizon. Numerous devices will be announced in Spain, and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that one or even more of these will feature 4K capabilities.
It is also not guaranteed that Samsung will increase the resolution of the Galaxy Note 5 to 4K, but it would certainly seem to make commercial and design sense. The Galaxy Note 5 obviously needs to be significantly improved over previous iterations of the series, and the screen in the Galaxy Note 4 was so good that the Galaxy Note 5 really has to opt for a 4K resolution if it wishes to have a superior panel.
So the Galaxy Note 5 may indeed feature a 4K resolution screen, which could be marginally smaller than 6 inches in size diagonally.
Curved technology
The Galaxy Note series was the first mobile from Samsung to feature its patented curved screen technology, which Samsung unveiled as the Galaxy Note Edge. This was not quite as curved as its range of televisions, featuring, as the name would suggest, a handset with curved edges.
But it is possible, and perhaps even probable, that Samsung will up the ante still further with the Galaxy Note 5. There could be a Galaxy Note device in this generation of the range which features of a truly curved display, akin to the range of televisions which has proved to be so successful for Samsung.
It also seems likely that Samsung will offer mobile users a flatscreen version of the Galaxy Note 5 in order to appeal to all tastes. But it would seem to be sensible for Samsung to make the most of a technology which has become almost a trademark of the corporation, particularly as Apple has also recently patented possible curved screen iPhone tech.
Exynos or Snapdragon
Qualcomm has been one of the major names in mobile technology for some years, and indeed one of the keynote speakers at the forthcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona hails from the company. So it would be a major move for Samsung to via away from having Qualcomm processors in its mobile devices, but there is considerable speculation that if the Galaxy S6 is not based around its own proprietary Exynos technology, that the Galaxy Note 5 will be.
In many ways, this would be a logical step for Samsung given is prominent position as a producer of microchips and processors. It also wouldn’t be a huge technical undertaking for the corporation, as Samsung already retails Galaxy Note and Galaxy S devices in East Asia with its own Exynos technology central to them.
But there have certainly been logistical reasons why this has not occurred previously, and there may also be financial considerations as well. It may be that the Samsung supply chain does not have the sort of robust nature to ensure that enough processors can be produced. But it certainly seems likely that this is something that Samsung would like to achieve, and it will be interesting to see whether it comes to fruition, and for that matter whether the Galaxy S6 features a Qualcomm processor.
Internal storage
There are already rumors that Apple will release an iPhone 7 device with no less than 256 GB of internal storage, and this will put pressure on Samsung to follow suit. Of course, it is very early in the day to make any strong assumptions about the iPhone 7, given that Apple plays its cards very close to its chest at the best of times, and won’t reveal any details about this device until the third quarter of 2015.
But Samsung could pay heed to these rumors anyway, and look to ensure that the Galaxy Note 5 is the first device which it has produced that features 256 GB of internal storage. Ultimately, if this is to be a 4K resolution device, then storing any such video on the handset will require a significant amount of capacity, and this would suggest that Samsung should give some very serious consideration to producing a 256 GB model of the Galaxy Note 5.
Other rumors
The Galaxy S6 is set to feature wireless charging, and while this has not been confirmed by Samsung yet, if it does then it is a certainty to be included in the Galaxy Note 5. Even if this feature isn’t part of the Galaxy S6 functionality, it could be dusted off in time to be included in this phablet. With Apple also preparing what is rumored to be a powerful camera for the iPhone 7, Samsung may also be tempted to include an outstanding snapper in this Mobile release.
