The Galaxy Note 6 will be the next major device release from Samsung, and the phablet is intended to compete strongly with the forthcoming iPhone 7. Galaxy Note and iPhone releases have been sandwiched extremely close together in recent years, and this is also likely to be the case in 2016, even though some sources have suggested that Samsung may push the release date of the Galaxy Note 6 forward somewhat.
Samsung will this have its sites set squarely on the iPhone 7, so what can the Korean electronics giant include in the Galaxy Note 6 to ensure that its phablet closes the gap on the market leader?
Galaxy Note 6 Concepts
Two recent concept designs give indication of how the Korean corporation may wish to approach the Galaxy Note 6 release later this year. Metallic designs are particularly prominent in these concept images, suggesting that Samsung will continue to evolve the design of the Galaxy Note 6 when it is unveiled and released.
Display
It is particularly hoped that Samsung will finally introduced 4K resolution with the Galaxy Note 6. This has been rumored for several years, and the Korean company could finally deliver this coup de grâce when the phablet is released. 4K resolution is becoming increasingly mainstream, and this could encourage Samsung to include the screen resolution in its next generation phablet.
Several television broadcasters have embraced 4K resolution over the last few months, and Netflix also offers 4K content. It seems inevitable that this resolution will become a broadcast and display standard in the coming years, and Samsung would not even ultimately be the pioneer should it introduce 4K resolution in the Galaxy Note 6.
Sony has already released a 4K smartphone in the Xperia range, and the incentive is now clearly there for Samsung to follow suit. This is particularly true considering that the manufacturer is associated with high-quality displays considering its position of being the largest television seller in the world.
Additionally, it is believed that Samsung will consider introducing a six-inch display with the Galaxy Note 6, and indeed recent concept images have featured this prediction. And it is possible that Samsung could finally include the flexible display technology that it first demonstrated several years ago when the Galaxy Note 6 is released.
Camera
Samsung acknowledged the importance of camera technology earlier this year when it released the Galaxy S7, with the dual-pixel technology included in the handset greatly enhancing the capabilities of the smartphone. It is assumed that this technology – which enables superior photographs to be taken in darker conditions – will now migrate to the forthcoming Galaxy Note 6.
In order to incorporate the dual-pixel system, Samsung downgraded the megapixel quotient in the Galaxy S7. This suggests that its premium phablet may also become a 12-megapixel device, but some reports have instead suggested that Samsung will not take this step with the Galaxy Note 6. At one time, the next generation phablet was being linked with a staggering 30-megapixel shooter, but it doesn’t seem particularly likely now considering that dual-pixel will surely be embraced.
But a more modest increase to 20-megapixels is feasible, and if this could be combined with improved performance in low-light shooting conditions then Samsung will certainly have a winner on its hands.
Processor
The Galaxy Note 6 has been linked with a 3.1 GHz 16-core processor that would make the device a superbly powerful performer, and it is also likely that the phablet will embrace Samsung’s proprietary Exynos technology. However, the model of the Galaxy Note 6 intended for the Western marketplace may feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon as Samsung has resurrected its relationship with the chip manufacturer.
There will be an onus on Samsung to vastly improve the processing capabilities of the Galaxy Note 6 if it does indeed increase the resolution of the device to 4K technology. This would explain why the Galaxy Note 6 has also been linked with an incredible 16-core processor, although it seems likely that this would actually entail two bundles of octa-core units.
Memory
In accordance with this, Samsung will definitely increase the quotient of memory in the Galaxy Note 6, with some sources suggesting that this could go as high as 8GB in this smartphone. But expect the memory to be in the 6-8 GB ballpark after the Galaxy S7 received 4G earlier this year.
Storage
One area where Samsung should surely improve the Galaxy Note 6 is the storage offered by the device, with Apple currently outranking the phablet in this department. It is rumored that Apple will include a 256GB version of the iPhone 7 in its range of releases, and this could put pressure on Samsung to match this storage quotient with at least one Galaxy Note 6 device. Again, if the corporation also intends to embrace 4K video then sufficient storage space simply becomes a necessity.
Laptop features
It has been rumored that the Galaxy Note 6 will feature a unique dual-capability, meaning that the phablet can also have a keyboard attached and essentially function as a laptop. A Samsung patent has already revealed that this technology is available, and logistical considerations will decide whether it is implemented in the Galaxy Note 6.
Dual OS
In order to deliver the laptop concept, Samsung could include a dual-operating system in the Galaxy Note 6, ensuring that a Windows-based offering runs in parallel with the customary Android OS.
S Pen updates
After Apple filed a patent featuring an Apple Pencil with dual-functionality, it has already been suggested that Samsung could head it off at the pass and introduce a similar feature into the S pen in the Galaxy Note 6.
Other features
Fingerprint scanners, fast wireless charging, and micro SD support complete the list of features that Samsung could include in the Galaxy Note 6 in order to ensure that it is an iPhone 7 beater, and if all of this functionality is there indeed present in the phablet then it will truly be an outstanding device.
