The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is set to be unveiled today, but on Monday, an anonymous Verizon employee leaked a memo revealing the U.S. preorder and release dates for the much-awaited phone. The leaked memo was reportedly sent by the carrier to store employees.
Preorders start Wednesday
According to the leaked memo, the new Galaxy Note 7 will be up for preorder starting Wednesday, the day after its unveiling, which is set for New York City at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, according to Phone Arena. On Thursday, the Verizon stores will get the Samsung Galaxy Note and the wireless charging pads for the phone, the memo revealed. Then on Aug. 19, the phone will be launched by the nation’s largest carrier.
The leaked memo also informs Verizon store employees that the Korean firm will come up with a new version of the Gear VR for the Galaxy Note 7, and it will also be showcased at today’s “Unpacked” event. The current Gear VR does not support the Type-C USB port, which the Galaxy Note 7 is expected to have, while the new Gear VR will support both microUSB ports and Type-C, reports Phone Arena. In comparison to the 96-degree look provided by the current Gear VR, the new version will support a wider 110-degree view.
On Monday, 9To5Google claimed that the Korean firm is working with T-Mobile and Sprint to offer the Gear Fit 2 smartwatch for free with the purchase of a Galaxy Note 7. Citing multiple sources, the website also claimed that Sprint may offer the $180 smartwatch as one of two options for early buyers of the Galaxy Note 7. A 256 GB memory card (possibly a 256 GB UFS card) could be the second option, provided that the Galaxy Note 7 is compatible with Samsung’s new UFS storage, the website says.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 rumor mill just not stopping
Even though the “Unpacked” event is just hours away, the rumor mill has just not given up on a new batch of shots offering another look at the phablet and notably, its retail box as well. The leak involves three units of the Galaxy Note 7 in Black Onyx, Silver Titanium and the Gold variant as well.
The leak also offers a close-up view of the phablet’s retail box showing a short spec summary on one side of the box. It confirms a few of the rumored specs, starting with the screen size, which the box lists as a 5.7-inch panel, indicating Samsung has kept its signature measurement for another Note iteration. The amount of memory was clearly indicated as 4GB, along with 64GB storage. The storage number is expected to go as high has 128GB across the Note 7 line.
A leaked Sprint planogram revealed other specifications of the Galaxy Note 7 that have been in rumors for quite some time now. Samsung’s new handset will come with the “most powerful and precise S-Pen yet,” says the planogram. Other notable features of the device include water-resistant certification, dual-edge Super AMOLED display, fast autofocus for clear photos, even in low-light conditions, and 64 GB of internal memory.
