The two big phablet releases due for the remainder of 2016 are undoubtedly the Galaxy Note 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Apple and Samsung have dominated this niche over the last couple of years, even if the Korean company is more traditionally associated with this larger form of smartphone. Both will be looking for a big year from their flagship phablets in 2016, so what specs can we expect from these two devices? Here is a rundown of everything we know about the two handsets thus far.
Galaxy Note 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus – Processor
It is expected that Samsung will arm the Galaxy Note 7 with an Exynos 8890 processor, while the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820-series will be relied on in some markets. The clock speed of this unit will be improved over the Galaxy Note 5, with a 2.6GHz octa-core processor linked with the device in some reports. Whether this would be a true octa-core system, or two bundles of quad-core processors as has been the case previously, is open to debate. Probably the latter is more likely.
The Apple iPhone 7 Plus is likely to feature a quad-core A10 processor, clocked in excess of 2 GHz. Fans of the Apple range will be hoping that this is a true quad-core device, and this does seem like a possible innovation for Apple in order to ensure that the iPhone 7 Plus remains competitive. Although Samsung has more impressive specs in this department, the iPhone 7 Plus will benefit from Apple’s unique proprietary hardware and software setup.
Advantage: tie
Memory
The Galaxy Note 7 has been strongly linked with 6GB of RAM in the media, which is an eye-catching number which would make it the most well-endowed device on the market in this department. By comparison, Apple will probably opt for either 3 or 4GB of RAM memory in the iPhone 7 Plus, with fans probably hoping for the higher number, and the California-based corporation more likely to opt for the lower.
Advantage: Samsung
Battery
Samsung will arm the Galaxy Note 7 with a 4,000mAh or 3,600mAh battery depending on which analyst you believe. Considering that the Korean corporation has prided itself on cramming its devices with the most impressive specs in the industry, it is reasonable to assume that a 4,000mAh cell will be included.
With Apple devices having been criticized for delivering a rather paltry battery life, it is suggested that Apple will significantly upgrade the battery included in the iPhone 7 Plus. Estimates have ranged from 3,500 to 4,000mAh for this phablet, indicating that the latest Apple phablet will be a massive improvement in this area.
Advantage: tie
Display
When the Galaxy Note 7 hits the stores, it is likely to be armed with a 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED display, possibly with RGB subpixel matrix. This will allow higher subpixel density than diamond PenTile matrix displays used in most AMOLEDs, and thus sharper images, so the lack of 4K resolution shouldn’t be too much of a disappointment.
Apple is expected to stick with a 5.5-inch screen, and there is still some debate over whether Apple will upgrade the iPhone 7 Plus to quad HD resolution. With reports suggesting that the iPhone 7 Plus will be rather conservative, the likelihood is that Apple will continue to stick with full HD resolution.
Advantage: Samsung
Waterproofing and durability
Both of these devices will come with IP68 water and dust resistance according to the most recent reports.
Advantage: tie
Colors
The Galaxy Note 7 is likely to ship in black, blue and silver color variants. Apple will retain Space Gray, Silver, Gold and Rose Gold For the iPhone 7 Plus, but reports have also indicated that the Cupertino-based corporation is considering introducing a blue or black variant of the iPhone in this generation.
Advantage: Apple
USB
When Samsung releases the Galaxy Note 7, it will ship with USB-C with USB 3.1, taking advantage of the latest technology in this area. There will be no USB-C included with the iPhone 7 Plus according to the latest reports from close to the Apple supply chain, but Apple will upgrade the USB from the v2.0 reversible connector included in the iPhone range last year.
Advantage: Samsung
Storage
The latest reports in this department suggest that Apple will have Samsung licked in 2016. The Galaxy Note 7 will benefit from 64GB internal storage and microSD according to rumours, indicating that the Korean corporation will not stretch to the 256GB variant which is expected from Apple.
Indeed, it is suggested that the Apple phablet will benefit from both 128 and 256GB models, both of which will be achieved entirely via native storage, with no microSD included in the unit.
Advantage: Apple
Camera
The Galaxy Note 6 will ship with a 12-megapixel rear camera, likely the same as that of the Galaxy S7, meaning that the new dual-pixel technology will migrate from the earlier smartphone release. There will also be a five-megapixel front camera, also similar to that included in the Galaxy S7.
Apple is expected to include a 12-megapixel dual-camera in the iPhone 7 Plus, meaning that there is little to choose between the two contenders here.
Advantage: tie
Security
It is mooted that the Galaxy Note 7 will include an iris scanner for added biometric security. Apple is also likely to improve the security provisions of the iPhone 7 Plus, with one suggestion being that the corporation will create a stronger digital locker for the information of users, while hardware will be upgraded to prevent any backdoor exploits.
Advantage: Apple
Stylus
Samsung is expected to bring new updates to the S pen when the Galaxy Note 7 launches, as the stylus once again sets the phablet apart from the other devices in the Korean company’s range. Some reports have suggested that the iPhone 7 Plus will be compatible with the Apple Pencil, but not all analysts agree on this particular suggestion.
Advantage: Samsung
