Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Review
Samsung’s latest Note seriously blurs the line between its S and Note premium phones, providing an experience that’s exceptional, if not entirely affordable.
Ever since its inception, the Samsung Galaxy Note has been the "sensible" offering in Samsung’s premium phone line. If you wanted glitz and glamour, you purchased the Galaxy S phones. Galaxy Note phones otherwise stood out because they tended to benefit from a small specifications bump over the premium S phones.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (or Galaxy Note7 if you really must) changes that dynamic pretty markedly, grabbing style notes from the excellent Galaxy S7 Edge while retaining that slightly more work-centric focus. As such, it’s meant to hook in existing Note aficionados as well as a more fashion-centric crowd.
Also, if you think you’re going nuts and can’t work out what happened to the Note 6, given that last year’s model was the Note 5, you’re not alone. The Note 6 doesn’t exist, but the Galaxy Note 7 does, and Samsung will sell it in Australia from 19 August 2016 for an outright price of $1,349.
| Samsung | Galaxy Note 7 |
|---|---|
Screen size
|
5.7in
|
Storage
|
64GB
|
Weight
|
169g
|
Processor
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Octa core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.6GHz Quad)
|
Rear camera
|
12MP
|
Front camera
|
5MP
|
Battery
|
3500mAh
|
Resolution
|
1440x2560
|
Display density
|
515ppi
|
Upsides: Why you’d want the Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- No longer boxy, but still good: The biggest visual change in the Note 7 compared to the Note 5 is that the squared-off sides of the previous version have been replaced with gently curving edges on both sides of the phone. Rather than looking like the boxy productivity Notes of old, it’s a more contemporary style that’s genuinely more pleasant to look at.
- Waterproofing: The Galaxy Note 7 is IP68 rated for both the body of the phone and the S-Pen stylus. Technically that means it’s capable of surviving at up to 1.5m of water depth for up to 30 minutes, although that’s a lab rating based on fresh water, not a warranty to take the Note 7 into the bath with you, or run it through the washing machine for that matter. Certainly it can take a splash or a dip, and while the use cases for the S-Pen in full immersion seem somewhat niche, it does mean you can scrawl notes on the always-on display in the rain. We did have to fake some rain with a tap to do this, but it does work if you need the functionality.
- Great performance: The Galaxy Note series is meant to be all about performance, and the Note 7 doesn’t disappoint on this score, grabbing itself a solid position in the current pantheon of premium smartphones. Here’s how it performs against a range of current premium handsets in Geekbench 3’s benchmark test.
Handset Geekbench 3 Single Core (higher is better) Geekbench 3 Multi Core (higher is better) Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge21696446Samsung Galaxy Note721916395Huawei P917366357Samsung Galaxy S721566240Huawei Mate 817386092LG G523055243Sony Xperia X Performance19885198Sony Xperia Z520765165Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+14924893Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge13244626Google Nexus 6P12514597Samsung Galaxy S613474569HTC One X98924558Apple iPhone SE25384455Apple iPhone 6S25404410Apple iPhone 6S Plus24914391HTC 1019424191The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 acquits itself well in 3D gaming too. Here’s how it stacks up in 3DMark’s Ice Storm Unlimited test:Handset 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited Result LG G529597Apple iPhone SE29276Samsung Galaxy S728903Samsung Note728646Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge28402Apple iPhone 6s28171HTC 1027392Sony Xperia X Performance26125Google Nexus 6P24703Sony Xperia Z519197Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus17981Huawei Mate 817947HTC One X916877Benchmarks are only part of the overall performance story, but real world use does back up the Galaxy Note 7’s test speeds. In our anecdotal testing the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 rarely missed a step, even outperforming the largely similar Galaxy S7 Edge in some instances. Premium phones are being increasingly squeezed by the quality of mid-range handsets, so they really do need to stand out from the pack. - Great battery life: Running a large high definition screen and fast processor takes its toll on your battery. Samsung throws a 3500mAh battery into the Note 7, and it’s a very capable unit. From a purely anecdotal perspective a single day’s heavy use is entirely feasible, and it’s even conceivable that you could get two full days of use out of the Note 7 if you went easy on it. That’s not our style, but it’s clearly feasible. In more comparable benchmark terms, the Note 7 also sits in the top pack of premium phones for battery life. Here’s how it compares using Geekbench 3’s battery test with screen dimming enabled:
Handset Geekbench 3 Battery Test Duration Geekbench 3 Battery Score Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge11:55:007150Huawei Mate 811:14:406659Samsung Galaxy Note711:02:206623Sony Xperia X10:40:406406Samsung Galaxy S710:01:206013Samsung Galaxy Note 59:18:005580Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+8:24:105041Apple iPhone 6S Plus7:48:104681LG G57:36:104561iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case7:21:104407HTC 106:54:304145Sony Xperia X Performance6:46:514068Apple iPhone SE4:27:102671Apple iPhone 6s3:52:102321 - Fast and easy-to-use camera: The optics in the Galaxy Note 7 aren’t that much different from those found in the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge, and that was already one of our favourite smartphone cameras of 2016. Samsung’s only really tweaked around the edges, adding swipe gestures for accessing filters, video or the front-facing selfie camera on the Note 7. We’d love to see a proper shutter button on one of Samsung’s phones, but at least it’s kept the double-tap on the home button to quickly launch the camera
- Improved S-Pen: If you ask Samsung, the S-Pen is the key selling point of the Galaxy Note series. With the Note 7, Samsung’s tweaked away the "wrong way around" problem that plagued the Note 5’s S-Pen. It’s thinner and has a smaller tip, which gives it a slightly more natural feel when writing on the screen. This still isn’t a paper feeling, as you’re well aware that you’re sliding across glass, but it does add precision. New features such as Scroll Capture and pinning notes to the always on display give the S-Pen more of a feeling of genuine utility though, compared to previous years where many Note users may have opted for the phone for the screen size alone.
- Retina scan to unlock: There’s something undeniably cool about unlocking your phone with your eyes. It’s not just a parlour trick either, as there have been instances during testing where flicking to select the PIN/Retina option was faster and easier than using the fingerprint reader. We can neither confirm nor deny that we hummed the theme from Mission Impossible while doing so, however.
- USB C adaptors included: This is a super-smart move on Samsung’s part. One of the big issues with USB C phones has been that they’re still fairly thin on the ground. As such, if your phone starts going flat and everyone else only has microUSB chargers nearby, you’re out of luck. The Note 7 ships with both USB C to USB A and USB C to micro USB adaptors, meaning that it’s trivial to connect it up to just about anything, be it for power purposes or data transfer.
Downsides: Why you might not want the Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- S-Pen translate is terrible: Making your own animated GIFs is cool for a while, but it’s a very niche function. That we can live with, but one of the S-Pen’s lauded functions, being able to translate between languages is borderline unusable. It relies on Google’s translate feature, which means you absolutely require an Internet connection to utilise it, but where it ends up being functionally useless is that it only translates a single word at a time. By the time you translate that "Wrong Way Go Back" sign in Estonian on the Note 7, the truck will have already flattened you.
- Retina scan is hit and miss: The idea of being able to unlock your phone with your eyes has some serious appeal. When Retina scan works it’s lovely, because you only have to swipe right and line up your eyes to unlock. When it doesn’t, it’s frustrating, whether it’s because you’re wearing glasses, or your eyes are more or less closed due to sunlight, tiredness or the existing shape of your eyes in the first place.
- EDGE UX still lacks meaning: Samsung’s been slowly iterating on the Edge UX found on the Note 7, as well as previous curved edge phones. There’s nothing functionally wrong with having a slide out tray of contacts, apps and other information panels, but as yet, nobody’s come up with a use case where doing so is actually more efficient than a standard app or widget. Indeed, having the Edge UX enabled can be a real pain in some situations: if you accidentally touch the edges of the phone, the app and the UX can occasionally have their little battle over who has supremacy. There’s the core of a decent idea in the Edge UX, but Samsung needs to come up with some kind of solid reason why it’s better, not just present.
- The S7 Edge may be better: Previous Notes have essentially been that year’s Galaxy S/Edge phones on slight steroids. It’s not quite the case for the Note 7, however, because while it’s a great phone, the S7 Edge beats it in every one of our benchmark tests. That could well leave it as a pure taste test type issue, were it not for the fact that it’s already possible to score a Galaxy S7 Edge for a sub-$1000 asking price. The Note 7, being brand new, sits at a $1349 price point with the same feature sets and slightly worse (but not bad) battery life. As such, you might just be paying that extra cash purely for the S-Pen functionality. Based on many Note user’s preferences, that might be too much to pay.
- No cobalt blue for Australia: Samsung produces the Galaxy Note 7 in four colour finishes. White, Blue and Silver are officially available in Australia, but not the sexy and definitely differentiated Cobalt Blue finish. What’s the story, Samsung? Haven’t you heard of being True Blue?
- Slippery, even when not wet: An increasing trend in premium phones is the inclusion of smooth sides and backs to give them a refined feel. That you do get, but along with it comes the worrying sensation of the Galaxy Note 7 sliding out of your hands. Given the asking price, a case for the Note 7 would be a very sensible buy.
- It’s not exactly inexpensive: The Galaxy Note 7 continues the trend of quite high priced smartphones, retailing at $1,349 outright. Yes, the iPhone 6s Plus 128GB is even more expensive, but the high price ground might be enough to put you off the Galaxy Note 7 straight away.
Who is it best suited for? What are my other options?
If you look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 as an evolution of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, it’s easily a better device in every respect. Anyone coming from, say, the Note 4 or earlier would find the Note 7 an immense upgrade in speed, functionality and battery life. The stumbling block for the Note 7 as an outright proposition is that outright $1349 asking price.
Another member of the Samsung Galaxy family already offers many of the same functions and performance points as the Galaxy Note 7. The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is less expensive for only a small dip in screen size and the lack of S-Pen functionality, but if the Note 7 entices you and you rarely use the S-Pen, it’s well worth considering.
In the premium large screen space, you could also consider Huawei’s Mate 8, which is markedly less expensive than the Galaxy Note 7. On the iOS side of the fence the obvious comparison phone at the time of writing is theiPhone 6s Plus, which (if you opt for the 128GB version) is actually even more expensive than the Note 7. The 6s Plus would be a poor outright buy right now, however, with its replacement, tentatively the iPhone 7 expected to be launched within the next month.
Where can I get it?
Samsung will sell the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 outright for $1349 directly through its web site, as well as through regular retail outlets. Early pre-orders will be sent a bonus 256GB microSD card to slot into their Note 7.
It will also be offered by all the major carriers on contract. Given the serious asking price that’s arguably the best way to score the excellent Galaxy Note 7 and save a few bucks in the process. Here’s what you’ll pay across all the major carriers.
