Recent reports have indicated that Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy Note 5 phablet may be slightly different from expectations. The consensus of opinion about this significant mobile release was that Samsung would arm it with 4K resolution technology. But media murmurings over the last few days suggest that this may not be the case after all.
Galaxy Note 5’s Ultra HD display
According to the latest whispers from sources located close to Samsung, the Galaxy Note 5 might be based around Ultra HD technology. This would mean that its display panels were marginally less detailed than the 4K resolution standard, but would nevertheless be at least the equal of any other device available on the market.
It remains to be seen whether any other company will release a 4K resolution mobile intended for the mass-market in the meantime, but an ultra HD version of the Galaxy Note 5 would certainly put Samsung significantly ahead of the iPhone range. As of yet, the 2014 release of the iPhone 6 Plus represents the Apple smartphone with the most impressive resolution, with the Apple phablet featuring a full HD display.
With an early Q4 release expected for the Galaxy Note 5, production is expected to begin in August. According to Phone Arena, a device unveiling around this year’s IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin could be a possibility.
Increased display size
Aside from the resolution of the Galaxy Note 5, the smartphone is also expected to feature a 5.89-inch display. This seems an incredibly specific screen size, which suggests that the sources in question have access to significant inside information. The dual-edge variant of the Galaxy Note 5 – whose name remains open to interpretation – is expected to feature a 5.78-inch screen. Based on the purported resolution of the two devices, Samsung fans can look forward to pixel density of 748ppi and 762ppi, which would effectively encompass a world record figure for the two handsets.
It would also be a significant step forward over the existing Galaxy Note 4. This could be excellent news for Samsung considering that the Galaxy Note 4 was and acclaimed device when it was released in October 2014. The 5.7-inch phablet featured 1,440 x 2,560 pixel resolution and 515ppi density. One can quite easily note by comparing this to the purported specs for the Galaxy Note 5 that this forthcoming phablet release will be a significant step forward in resolution over previous handsets in the series.
Key year for Samsung
Both the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 form part of an important year for Samsung. The Korean manufacturer had to suffer a 60 percent slump in profits during 2014, and the hierarchy of the company responded by stating that its mobile production strategy had been awry in recent months.
This was compounded by the fact that Apple had an absolutely outstanding 2014, notching two massive achievements. Apple became the first corporation to reach a market capitalization of $700 billion, while it also netted the highest single-quarter profit in recorded business history during Q4.
To top these notable achievements, it was also recently reported by the market analysis organisation Gartner that Apple is outselling Samsung in pure sales volume. Apple has been the more profitable corporation of the two for sometime, but Samsung has always relied on its more affordable handsets, which fare particularly well in its native East Asian marketplace. With Apple now hugely popular in China in particular, it seems that the iPhone has steadily closed the gap on Samsung, to the point where Apple can now claim to be the number one mobile seller in the world.
However, Samsung is bullish about its immediate future, and believes that the outstanding Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge models, which it has recently produced, will assist the corporation in winning back its market share. With the flagship smartphone set to release imminently in 20 nations, including South Korea, Germany, India, Australia, UK and, of course, the United States, the Korean electronics giant will be monitoring the progress of the handset very closely indeed.
Exynos Processor
Aside from the display news, it is also likely that the Galaxy Note 5 will feature Samsung’s own proprietary Exynos technology. An Exynos 7 Octa Core CPU has been mooted for this phablet release, and Samsung has already confirmed that the processor will feature in at least some releases in 2015. This suggests that a highly powerful Galaxy Note 5 would be the obvious candidate to debut this processor, particularly as Samsung evidently has some ambitious plans for its display.
Wireless charging
It has also been suggested that Samsung will transfer wireless charging into the Galaxy Note 5, as the technology is debuting in the Galaxy S6. This wouldn’t be a huge surprise, as obviously an existing feature such as this is something that Samsung would want to facsimile in future releases. But the process of doing so is not necessarily as straightforward as one might imagine.
Nonetheless, considering that Samsung devices have had a clear head over the iPhone series in terms of battery life, the combination of a powerful cell and wireless charging would make the Galaxy Note 5 an extremely attractive purchase.
Curved display emphasis
Samsung has become particularly associated with its curved screen technology in recent years, ever since the corporation introduced it in its range of luxurious televisions. And the last generation of the Galaxy Note series was the first Samsung mobile to feature curved displays. The Galaxy Note Edge has been pretty successful for Samsung both commercially and critically, and it now seems clear that Samsung will emphasize this aspect of its handsets in the future.
Reports have already emanated which indicate that there will be a much greater emphasis on curved screen production in the Galaxy S7 in 2016. And this suggests that the same process will occur in relation to the Galaxy Note 5. We might not see Samsung ramp up production to the same degree as the Galaxy S7, but we can expect that the Galaxy Note 5 Edge will be less of a niche device than its predecessor.
