The Samsung Galaxy Note7 stands out at the screen, camera and performance level as one of the best mobiles of 2016. It incorporates water resistance, iris scanner and a redesigned S Pen with important novelties, is it worth buying? We review its characteristics in this analysis.
Samsung’s most complete all-rounder
The original Samsung Galaxy Note was born in the fall of 2011 to retire definitely to the PDAs, which by the beginning of the decade were still quite common in professional environments. The Note range blended the power of new generations of smartphones with the functionality of the stylus, a recipe that has remained unerring to date.
Five years after that launch lands in Spain the Galaxy Note7 that today we carry to analysis, a true all-rounder that according to Samsung is the most complete mobile device that has left its manufacturing plants, reflecting the strong commitment to a family that intends to open up gap within the highest range.
Samsung has decided to skip this family’s conventional nomenclature to match its most iconic range, so that the public can associate the outstanding performance of the S7 and S7 Edge with the note’s new model. And it is a fairly coherent decision since the technological leap from the Galaxy Note 5, which was never officially marketed in Spain, is gigantic.
The new Galaxy Note7 boasts a hugely attractive design, a fantastic curved double screen and a camera as powerful as that of its younger siblings. But it also incorporates interesting innovations such as the redesign of the S Pen, the water resistance -IP68 certification- or the iris scanner to unlock the phone.
On the other hand, the release of the Note7 has been marred by problems detected with some defective batteries in Asia and the United States. To avoid new scares and ensure the safety of all devices Samsung decided to temporarily suspend sales and launch a replacement program for all those customers who had already purchased the terminal.
Once this unfortunate incident is resolved, the Note7 will have the free way to battle, probably with Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus, to become the best smartphone of 2016. At the moment it is time to measure its functionalities in this analysis of the Galaxy Note7.
Premium design and total water protection
The new Galaxy Note7 is a daring bet from Samsung, which for the first time has decided to launch a high-end mobile device with a single variant. The curved display (Edge) seems to be the way forward for Samsung, which has recorded record revenue in the second quarter of 2016 due to the S7’s good pace of sales and, above all, the S7 Edge.
What remains intact is Samsung’s recipe for flagships: premium manufacturing materials and enormous attention to every detail, from the sales box to the metallic finish of the casing. We’re of course talking about a glass-finished unibody terminal on both the front and the back, which triggers the premium feel by holding it in your hand.
We also have Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection against falls and scratches, something that never overste goes on devices of such caliber. The Note7 is symmetrical, which positively impacts its ergonomics, thanks to a spectacular double-curved display that is very reminiscent of that of the S7 Edge.
The Galaxy Note7 surprises anyone because it’s much more compact and lighter than you’d expect in a 5.7-inch terminal. Obviously we are talking about a large mobile device, ideal for playing multimedia contents, but that is probably not the best option if what you are looking for is a compact, lightweight and discreet phone to store in any pocket.
Despite all the dimensions of the Galaxy Note7 are quite reasonable as you can see in the table below, especially if we compare it to other devices with a screen of the same diagonal.
One of the most positive aspects of the Note7 at the design level is a fantastic ergonomics, achieved among other things thanks to therefore the curvature of its screen is somewhat more pronounced than that of the S7 Edge in both the glass and the metal frame, which in turn serves to further stylize the appearance of the phablet.
Above the screen we find the Samsung logo next to the speaker for the calls, placed in the middle and flanked by the LED notifier and the iris scanner (left), and by the front camera and the second element of that iris scanner that we will talk about later.
Under the panel we find the -physical- button of start that also serves as a fingerprint reader, accompanied by two buttons with backlight that by default are elegantly hidden.
On the top edge we find the removable tray to insert a SIM card and a microSD while at the bottom we have the USB Type-C port next to the minijack for the headphones, the main microphone, the speaker and the S Pen that we will talk about later in this Analysis of the Note7.
The volume controls remain on the left side of the device while the lock/off button is located on the right side.
Another Samsung logo sends on the back, very elegant but slightly resupply, in which we also find the main camera – which protrudes slightly from the body – next to the LED flash and the heart rate sensor.
In short we are talking about a phablet with premium finishes in each of its corners, mixing crystal and ultra-resistant aluminum in an outstanding way to offer a very pleasant touch and stand out for its -relative- low weight. And if that were not enough we have IP68 certification, that is, that the Note7 is resistant to water and dust.
Of course, we can’t talk about a perfect terminal either, especially since its thickness – largely forced by the S Pen – is considerably higher than other terminals in the competition and, above all, because the rear is prone to catch the traces of staff.
The best Amoled display on the market
The display was certainly one of the strengths of the S7 Edge and so is this new Note, which is maintained on the traditional 5.7-inch diagonal of the family to facilitate interaction with the stylus and ensure an even more immersive experience when it comes to playing all kinds of multimedia content.
Of course we are talking about a panel with Super AMOLED technology and Quad HD resolution (2,560 x 1,440p), which leaves us with a pixel density slightly lower than that of the S7 Edge but equally outstanding. In the laboratory tests that we have been able to carry out to perform the analysis of the Galaxy Note7 the terminal has excelled in the maximum brightness level by exceeding 400 nits, a figure within reach of very few terminals, with a contrast ratio also outstanding.
Critics of AMOLED panels will surely find the same drawbacks as always, but the truth is that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is one of the best screens we’ve ever seen on a smartphone. Its colors are crisp and vibrant, the blacks are pure and the contrast is simply spectacular.
As if it were not enough Samsung has raised the bar a little higher in this phablet, which gains quite a lot in terms of design with the increase of the curvature of the screen and, above all, is much brighter than its predecessors, being competent even outdoors under the direct effect of light rays.
The Note7 also incorporates HDR technology, a new standard that gradually becomes available on streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Video – outside spain – and enhances brightness and contrast to offer a more realistic viewing experience.