Korean tech giant Samsung is apparently working on two versions of the soon-to-be-released Galaxy Note 6 phablet.
Reports claim that the company could release a Galaxy Note 6 “Edge” alongside the standard Galaxy Note 6. That is according to a leak published on Dutch website GSMHelpDesk, which was then republished on various other sites, according to The Week.
Two versions in development, say rumors
The leak suggests that Samsung is working on a curved display version as well as a standard flat screen version. However it looks as though only one of them will make it to market.
Know Your Mobile says that a curved version would be better in terms of marketing, given that curved displays are now “Samsung’s party piece.” It would also mean that the Note 6 Edge would have the same design as the S7 Edge, widely considered to be one of the best-looking smartphones today. Data suggests that the curved S7 Edge is also more popular with consumers than the flat version.
However Forbes believes that both versions will be released due to Samsung’s “habit of covering every option and price point.” If both versions do make it to market it looks like the curved Note 6 Edge would be the flagship device and sell at a slightly higher price point.
Larger display and slightly refined design
The Samsung Galaxy Note series has “successfully carved out a niche of power users”, according to Trusted Reviews. There are plenty of people eagerly awaiting the next incarnation of the phablet, whether it is curved or flat.
In terms of design the IB Times thinks that the phablet will remain largely similar to the Note 5. Ubergizmo says it should be a tough cookie, with an IP68 water and dustproof rating.
Rumors suggest that the Note 6 could feature an even larger display than its predecessor, with a 5.8″ unit compared to the 5.7″ display on the Note 5. Other rumors suggest that the company will revert to the Super AMOLED display seen on the Galaxy S2.
Although these displays have not been seen for some time they are technically more advanced than those used on more recent Samsung smartphones. Despite the fact that the displays are not as tough as others, they are thinner. This could leave space for a bigger battery.
Galaxy Note 6 in Asia different than other markets
In terms of the megapixel count it sounds as though Samsung could downgrade the camera on the Note 6. It did the same thing on the Galaxy S7, which has a 12MP unit compared to 16MP on the Galaxy S6.
However Samsung uses its “Dual Pixel” technology which locks on quickly in a super fast autofocus feature. This same sensor could be seen on the Note 6, with better performance in low light.
Trusted Reviews says that there will be one Note 6 for the Asian market and another for other markets. The major difference will be the processor, with a custom-built Exynos 9980 chipset in Asia and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 in other markets.
The rumored inclusion of 6GB RAM would put the handset firmly in power user territory. It is thought that the Note 6 will be available with 32GB, 64GB and 128GB internal storage, with the inclusion of a microSD slot to boost those numbers further if need be.
Release date predicted in July
TechRadar believes the Note 6 could ship with the brand spanking new 2.6GHz Snapdragon 823, which would be able to support 8GB RAM. However Pocket Lint says this would be “overkill” seeing as 6GB RAM is sufficient for all current smartphone applications including virtual reality headset use.
Battery life could also get a boost thanks to the inclusion of a 4,000 mAh unit. That compares favorably with the 3,000 mAh battery found in the Note 5.
The Galaxy Note 6 is likely to ship with Android Marshmallow 6.0 installed alongside the latest version of the TouchWiz interface. Some rumors say that the new phone could include Android N with multi-tasking features, but the timing doesn’t make sense.
It looks as though Samsung will release the new handset in July, and Google has only just released the developer previews of Android N. It would be very surprising if the new operating system were ready for a full launch by summer.
When it comes to pricing and release date, Expert Reviews says that Samsung will release the Note 6 in July to steal a march on Apple before the predicted September launch of the iPhone 7.
There has been no mention of predicted prices, but Samsung did launch the Galaxy S7 at a lower price point than the S6. We could see a similar price reduction for the Note 6 compared to the Note 5.
