Samsung has recently introduced the new Galaxy S7 handset, and with the accompaniment of the Galaxy S7 Edge this may be the biggest impression that it makes on the smartphone marketplace in 2016. However, the highlight of the Samsung product range in recent years has not been its flagship device, but instead the Galaxy Note handset, which is notable for its outstanding specifications.
China reports emerge
Reports on this year’s Galaxy Note 6 suggest that the Samsung phablet could be an extremely impressive addition to the series. Media in China has indicated that the flagship smartphone will include many of the upgrades that were already part of the portfolio of features included in the Galaxy S7.
Based on the technology that Samsung integrated into both the Galaxy S7 and and Galaxy S7 Edge, it is possible to conclude what upgrades are likely for the Galaxy Note 6. In particular, it has been reported that the Galaxy Note 6 is likely to follow the example of the Galaxy Note 5 in screen size, but feature a more compact build, in line with the general desire to produce ever sleeker devices. The Galaxy Note 6 will also be significantly water-resistant; a major feature of the Galaxy S7 earlier this year.
Dual-pixel to migrate
Samsung is also expected to include the camera technology that formed part of the Galaxy S7 armory when the Galaxy Note 6 is released. This will see the dual-pixel technology included in the snapper migrated to the phablet, with the technology intended to ensure improved shooting in low-light conditions.
The Galaxy Note 6 is also likely to be fitted with the same 3,600mAh battery used by the S7 Edge, at least according to reports in China. Samsung will also reintegrate the micro SD technology that it had excluded from recent device releases when the Galaxy Note 6 hits the stores. This would be particularly welcome as storage is increasingly at a premium in such high-end devices as the Galaxy Note range.
In accordance with this, it is also anticipated that Samsung will support the native Android Marshmallow feature of adoptable storage, which had not been included in the Galaxy S7. This would be a welcome inclusion that could really make the phablet considerably more convenient for both consumers and the business marketplace. With Apple rumored to be considering an iPhone Pro release in the coming years, Samsung will have to work harder and produce more in order to attract the corporate sector.
Branding issues
The difficulties that Samsung has experienced over the last few years are perhaps most succinctly underlined in its phablet Range by the confusion that the Korean corporation has instigated over branding. In previous years, Samsung has released Galaxy Edge+ devices, and seemed to make these central to its plans for the future. However, it seems that the corporation has abandoned this branding completely, and that the Galaxy Note 6 will be its sole premium phablet in 2016.
This is indicative of the problems that Samsung has had with its product range. After the share price of the company slumped over a year ago, the hierarchy of the corporation was forced to admit publicly that it had made mistakes with its device range. But the strategy of Samsung does not seem to have become significantly clearer since then, and there seems to be some confusion over how to market Samsung products in comparison to the rather straightforward approach of the market-leading Apple.
S7 Edge+ buried
TechRadar has indeed reported that Samsung has no plans to launch a Galaxy S7 Edge+ handset, so the hopes of the corporation will be invested strongly in the Galaxy Note 6 in 2016. It has been noted that Android fans may actually welcome this, as those who were loyal to the Galaxy Note series were in fact critical of the decision by Samsung to introduce the Edge+ in the first place.
So Samsung really needs to impressed with this latest Galaxy Note release, and thus it is perhaps not surprising that the phablet is being linked with some truly outstanding specs. In particular, the 6GB of RAM that is expected when the Galaxy Note 6 is released is rather noteworthy, as this quantity of memory would be a first for the mobile marketplace. Reports have also emanated recently that Samsung is working on a system to rival the 3D Touch that Apple introduced last year.
The Galaxy Note 6 camera will feature a 12-megapixel rating according to reports, although some analysts have suggested that Samsung will not necessarily have to downgrade the megapixel rating from the Galaxy Note 5 in order to include the new dual-pixel low-light shooting technology.
Hybrid laptop feature in Galaxy Note 6?
Another rumor has emerged since a patent depicted a particularly interesting concept that Samsung is currently considering for the Galaxy Note 6. The patent in question would enable the corporation to deliver a hybrid Galaxy Note 6, effectively turning the phablet into a temporary laptop when required. The Samsung device would then be docked with a keyboard in order to become a desktop computer.
With Samsung needing to close the gap on Apple rather rapidly, it is possible that the Galaxy Note 6 could launch earlier in the year than previous iterations of the series. There is no doubt that the Korean company will be following Apple extremely closely at present, with the latter possibly due to release an iPhone Pro before the end of the year. However, other reports have suggested that Apple will delay the iPhone Pro, owing to the fact that it wishes to include OLED technology in the smartphone for the first time, and this could also influence Samsung’s strategy.
Regardless of this, the Galaxy Note 6 could be the most powerful and revolutionary device in the history of Samsung, and it will be intriguing to see what the corporation ultimately delivers.
