Samsung Galaxy Note 6: Imagining the next Note

The Samsung Galaxy Note 6 won’t be with us for several months — but that doesn’t mean we can’t offer up a few early predictions.

With the Galaxy S7 released, reviewed and being snapped up by smartphone buyers around the world, it’s time to turn our attention to what’s next from Samsung — the Galaxy Note 6. At the time of writing, nothing has been announced, and nothing noteworthy has leaked out about the inevitable sixth-generation version of Samsung’s popular stylus-equipped handset. But based on the direction of current Samsung’s 2016 products — and the general trends within the industry — it’s possible to infer a few things about what Samsung’s next big thing.

Galaxy Note 6 Water resistance, removable storage, wireless charging

As in previous years, we’d expect the Galaxy Note 6 to adopt many of the tentpole features of the current Samsung standard-bearer, the Galaxy S7. That means wireless charging (already introduced in the Note 5, water resistance, and microSD expandability are all highly likely to feature in the Note 6.

This would fit with Samsung’s track record of using its smaller handsets as a baseline and expanding upon them with the Note line.

Galaxy Note 6 Battery and internals

Samsung has made a concerted effort to boost its battery capacity in the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Note 6 packing a battery substantially larger than the 3,000mAh cell of the Note 5.

Given the likely size increase relative to the GS7 edge (a phone with a 3,600mAh battery), a capacity of 4,000mAh wouldn’t be out of the question, assuming the proportions stay roughly the same.

As for the other internals, it’s pretty much inevitable that Samsung will cherry-pick the best Exynos or Qualcomm Snapdragon chips at the time, as it has in previous years. The only question is whether it’ll have an upgraded Exynos 8 Octa chip ready in time (so far nothing has been announced), or whether Qualcomm will have refreshed Snapdragon 820 silicon ready to go for fall 2016 devices (again, nothing has been announced.)

Galaxy Note 6 Screen size and resolution

As for screen size, the past three Note handsets have stayed put at 5.7 inches — large enough for an enjoyable big-screen experience, but not excessively hefty. While another 5.7-inch Note is a good bet, another possibility is that the existence of the 5.5-inch GS7 edge may prompt the firm to push to a slightly larger screen size — perhaps 5.8 inches. Given the razor-slim horizontal bezels of the regular Galaxy S7, the company may even be able to bump the screen size further without making it noticeably wider.

A 4K Note might seem crazy — until you consider the implications for VR.

The case for pushing smartphone screen resolution beyond the current high-end standard of Quad HD — 2560×1440 — hasn’t been particularly strong up to now. Sony claimed a world first with the 4K-capable Xperia Z5 Premium, however this phone operated in 1080p mode most of the time.

Assuming Samsung is able to mass-produce a 4K SuperAMOLED display for the Note 6 without sacrificing brightness, color quality or battery life — and that’s still a very big assumption to make — there’s one big reason why a 4K screen might make sense for the next Note. Samsung has been pushing Gear VR in a big way over the past year, with a VR-based launch event for the Galaxy S7, and free headsets for pre-order customers. Smartphone display density is a big, huge limiting factor for VR, so a 4K Note 6 would be able to offer much sharper visuals than Samsung’s current handsets. (For regular apps that don’t need insane pixel density, Samsung could follow Sony’s lead and render this stuff at Quad HD.)

Will the benefits for VR — and 4K gameplay and photo viewing — outweight the technical challenges? We’ll have to wait and see.

Galaxy Note 6 Software possibilities

Conventional wisdom would suggest that the Note 6 would ship with a software experience similar to that of the Galaxy S7 series. That would mean perhaps a slight visual refresh, one or two new features centered around multitasking and the S Pen, and perhaps some cross-pollination with Samsung’s expanded Edge Screen functions.

Android N could be with us by August — and that may affect what we see on the Note 6.

But with the likelihood of final Android N code being with device makers much earlier than in previous years, it’s possible (but far from guaranteed) Samsung may be able to ship the next version of Android on the Note 6. Samsung has certainly had early Android N code for far longer than the first public N Developer Preview has been available. Its own developer documentation, first published in February, refers to APIs to be deprecated “in N.”

In finalizing the new APIs and releasing “stable” builds of Android N earlier in the year than in previous cycles, Google might be looking to avoid the situation that normally occurs with Android phones shipping in the Fall — new devices arriving on store shelves with an old version of the OS. If that’s the goal, what better candidate to lead the charge than a new Galaxy Note?

Speculation aside, it’s far more likely that Samsung will stick to the tried-and-true approach and ship the Galaxy Note 6 with the latest version of Marshmallow at the time of launch. Nevertheless, Android N arriving on a wave of late-2016 phones including the Note 6 isn’t outside the realm of possibility.

Galaxy Note 6 in Europe?

To the chagrin of many, Samsung chose not to offer the Galaxy Note 5 in Europe, instead selling the GS6 edge+ in European countries. This was followed by a near reversal of the decision — sources tell AC that a European Note 5 launch was on the cards for January 2016, before the plug was once again pulled.

So what of the chances of the Galaxy Note 6 suffering the same fate? Well, it seems highly unlikely that Samsung would release a Galaxy S7 edge+, given that this year’s GS7 edge already sports a 5.5-inch display. So instead, the Galaxy Note line might well make a triumphant return to European shelves this fall. Of course nothing is guaranteed until it’s officially announced, but we’re crossing our fingers.

Galaxy Note 6 Camera

Samsung has renewed its focus on low-light photography in the Galaxy S7 series, so there’s a good chance this “low-light camera,” as the company is calling it, will also make the transition across to the next Galaxy Note. So at the very least, Note 6 buyers will be getting a proven smartphone camera.

It’s too early for the details of any new image sensor technologies from Samsung or Sony (both of whom supply sensors for the Galaxy S6, Note 5 and S7) to become known. Based on features we’ve seen from Samsung’s competitors though, possibilities for future handsets could include laser autofocus — already being used by LG, ASUS, Google and others — and further improvements to lenses and optical image stabilization (OIS) components.

Galaxy Note 6 MicroUSB or USB-C?

A move to USB Type-C will have to coincide with new Gear VR hardware.

Many high-end Android phones in 2016 will ship with new-style USB Type-C ports. However Samsung’s Galaxy S7 devices are sticking with the older microUSB standard, in order to maintain compatibility with a range of existing accessories, including the strategically important Gear VR.

So if Samsung chooses the Note 6 as the product to make the jump to USB-C, it’ll have to release a new Gear VR at the same time, and start transitioning its other accessories over to the new standard. And as we’ve discussed previously, there are plenty of reasons why it might not be worth it yet.

With no reliable leaked info to go on, this one’s still 50-50 in our opinion.

Galaxy Note 6 Release date

The only thing we can say with any certainty right now is that the Note 6 should arrive sometime in the latter half of 2016.

In 2015, Samsung chose to release the Note 5 earlier than in previous years, with a separate mid-August launch event ahead of the IFA tradeshow which usually welcomes new Note handsets. This allowed the firm to launch the Note 5 (and GS6 edge+) ahead of Apple’s iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Assuming Apple sticks to its usual September timeframe for the iPhone 7, Samsung might well want to go early again in 2016.

The other wildcard is Android N, if Samsung does choose to launch the next Note with the new version of Android. (Again, that’s a very big “if.”) And if another August launch is on the cards, that’s going to be cutting it close, as the current Android N roadmap points to the developer preview program wrapping up in July or August.

Stay tuned to Android Central in the months ahead for all the news on the Galaxy Note 6 as release approaches!

Medium’s Collections make it easier to find posts on topics that interest you

Medium has introduced Collections, an easier way for you to find coverage on specific topics. Collections are the home for topic and theme-based content, bringing together the best Medium stories on specific topics. Whether you want to keep up on the Oscars, or Samsung’s constant legal battles with Apple, you can now do so with ease.

From Medium:

Our new home experience is powered by a feature called collections. The top list of sections on our home screen will be a mix of popular verticals (like Politics or Culture) and more specific, timely events (think the Oscars or Apple vs. the FBI). You’ll be able to find new collections in these sections every day, curated by Medium and a handful of trusted testers—for now. If you’re interested, you can also read about our curation principles. Collections are homes for topic or theme-based content from Medium and beyond that will allow users to bring together Medium stories, people, and publications to follow, as well ideas from the rest of the web.

You can grab the latest Medium update from Google Play now.

Where to pre-order the PlayStation VR

Sony recently unveiled the PlayStation VR, and at select retailers you can now place a pre-order to guarantee one for yourself. There is already lots of hype around these, as initial listings in the UK apparently sold out in under 15 minutes. Luckily, there is more than just one place to pre-order the PlayStation VR, and here are some of the options you have. If you want to ensure you have a unit when it officially releases in October, be sure to place your order now.

Amazon

Of course, Amazon will have pre-orders of the PlayStation VR. Availability may be limited from the online retailer, so you will want to act quick and check frequently if you aren’t able to grab one immediately. If you prefer to buy from Amazon, you can also sign up to be notified when there is more stock available.

See at Amazon U.S. See at Amazon UK

GameStop

GameStop is currently accepting pre-orders for the PlayStation VR in the UK. The retailer has it priced at £349, and remember, you will need a PlayStation Camera for the full experience, You can order one from GameStop as well.

See at Gamestop

Game (UK)

In the UK, you can also pre-order from Game if you are interested, and the retailer is offering 2,800 Reward points with the purchase as well. Game will be accepting pre-orders both online and in-store, so be sure to get in early on this! It is worth noting that Game may require a £100 deposit with your pre-order.

See at Game

SimplyGames (UK)

SimplyGames is also offering the PlayStation VR with an anticipated availability date of October 28. An added benefit of purchasing through SimplyGames is that you can pay with PayPal credit so you can break up the cost over 12, 18 or 24 months.

See at SimplyGames

LastPass outs its own two-factor authenticator app

LastPass has released its own two-factor authenticator app. Available on all major mobile platforms, this new app allows you to set up and configure multiple accounts for more secured access, including your LastPass vault. Simply connect the app to various supporting services and a 6-digit code will generate every minute that will unlock access to protected accounts.

There are already a handful of apps that offer the same functionality, but with an official app from LastPass fans of the platform will be able to remain locked inside the more secure ecosystem. There’s also the added bonus of a one-tap login via notifications for your LastPass vault, which should save you some time whenever you require access to saved credentials.

The app is TOTP compliant, meaning it’s compatible with all apps and websites that support Google Authenticator like Facebook, Dropbox, Evernote, WordPress and more. Give it a download and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Sky Q to get 4K Ultra HD TV shows and movies from summer, Now TV too

It’s been known since the unveiling of Sky Q last year that the Sky Q Silver box would be getting Ultra HD programming at some point in its future, we just didn’t know when.

The main box in the Sky Q line-up has the required HDMI output to transmit 4K images, but that functionality will only be turned on when there are actually broadcast Ultra HD shows and movies to play.

Now it seems that the cat is out of the bag, with a Sky executive revealing that the pay TV company will start its own 4K Ultra HD channels this summer.

READ: Sky Q review: The future of multi-room television?

Speaking at the Connected TV Summit in London, director of strategy for Sky, Nick Herm, announced that the company plans to launch UHD TV services “in time for the summer”.

Sky

In addition, he revealed that the new Now TV box, which was first unveiled in a teaser in January, will not just offer online streamed services like the current Now TV device, but a digital TV tuner too.

This will make it an ideal solution for those who cannot have a Sky satellite dish as part of their home setup.

READ: New, more advanced Now TV box coming soon – 4K anyone?

It will be able to receive the gamut of terrestrial channels offered on Freeview, yet also offer Sky Atlantic, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and the other subscription services through an internet connection. It’s a compelling choice.

It is also believed that, because of its shape and similarity to the Roku 4 set-top-box available in the States, it will be 4K-capable.

The new Now TV box is also slated for a summer release.

READ: What is Sky Q, how much does it cost and how can I get it?

Oculus Rift games: The complete list of launch titles and how to get them

With Oculus Rift landing on 28 March, the company has provided some of the missing pieces of the puzzle. While a lot of the talk has been about the hardware and some of the early demos, attention now turns to what you’ll actually be able to play when your Oculus Rift arrives.

Unveiled at GDC 2016, there are 30 titles that will be available on launch day, with Oculus sticking to the claim that we’ll be seeing 100 titles available this year. Some of these games we’ve played before, but looking through the list, there’s a wide variety of titles on offer, so there should be something for everyone.

Oculus

How do I access games and content on Oculus Rift?

One of the new reveals from Oculus is Oculus Home. This is the virtual lobby that you’ll use to navigate around the content you’ve got, as well as letting you into the store and keep up with your VR friends.

It’s similar to Gear VR’s central lobby, with Oculus saying it’s “evolved significantly” since it originally launched on Samsung’s device, but that gives you an idea of how it will work.

This will let you move around your VR content and switch from game to game, but you’ll also be able to access the Oculus store through a desktop app, so you can customise your Rift, as well as browse content on the Oculus Store.

How much do Oculus Rift games cost?

Games will be available through the Oculus Store, with prices ranging depending on what you choose.

There will be titles for as little as $4.99, such as Adventure Time, but ranging all the way up to $59.99 for premium titles like EVE Valkyrie or Elite Dangerous. Project Cars will be $49.99, as will Chronos.

Sitting in the middle will be some of the puzzle games, like Rooms which is $14.99. Some prices are yet to be announced.

We’re yet to see how the local prices will break down, but we expect to see all this information on 28 March.

Oculus

Oculus Rift launch games list

Here’s a complete list of the titles that Oculus has announced as available on launch day (28 March), but there will be plenty more to follow through-out the year. Lucky’s Tale and EVE Valkyrie are bundled with the pre-ordered Rift.

• ADR1FT
• Adventure Time
• AirMech: Command
• Albino Lullaby
• Audio Arena
• Project Cars
• Chronos
• Darknet
• Dead Secret
• Defense Grid 2
• Dreadhalls
• Elite Dangerous
• Esper 2
• EVE Valkyrie Founder’s Pack
• Fly to KUMA
• EVE Gunjack
• Herobound SC
• Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
• Lucky’s Tale
• Omega Agent
• Radial G
• Rooms
• Shufflepuck Cantina Deluxe VR
• Smashing the Battle
• Vanishing of Ethan Carter
• Vektron Revenge
• VR Tennis Online
• Pinball FX2 VR
• BlazeRush
• Windlands

We’ve played a number of these titles during the development process of Oculus Rift, including EVE Valkyrie, Elite Dangerous, Chronos and more games that are expect to launch later in the year, so make sure you check-out our Oculus Rift preview to give you a run-down of what to expect.

We expect to be hearing a lot more about Oculus Rift games and content during the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned.

READ: Oculus Rift preview: The VR revolution begins here

Waze’s new Planned Drives feature tells you the best time to leave for a trip

Google-owned Waze now factors in bathroom breaks when serving up travel times for road trips.

Waze is a navigation app that offers turn-by-turn directions, route details, and more. It was acquired by Google three years ago. Google hasn’t left Waze to whither away however, especially in favour of its own Google Maps, as the Mountain View-based giant updated the app today with a feature called Planned Drives. It’s all about making it easier for you to get places on time.

Whether you want to go on a road trip to another city or make it to your work meeting on time, you’re likely interested in knowing when is the right time to leave to avoid traffic jams, or maybe you want to know how much time you’ll need if you plan to stop at a service station or restroom area during your journey. Either way, knowing your estimated time of arrival is handy.

Waze is aware of this and thinks Planned Drives is the ultimate solution. It allows Waze  to send you an alert about when to leave. You can add your journey (aka “Planned Drive”) manually into the app or sync your calendar and Facebook so that your appointments automatically become a Planned Drive. Once everything is set, you can add stop-offs/pit-stops to your road trip.

Waze will then factor stops and more into your timings. In fact, according to Google, Waze’s Planned Drives features will “illustrate peak traffic hours along your route, and take into account expected traffic conditions based on smart algorithms, traffic history and predictive analysis”, all with the purpose of “taking the guesswork out of finding the optimal route for every journey”.

So, after you enter a destination, date, and time, Waze will open a new screen with your route and calculated start time, and then you can set an alarm for departure. Waze will automatically adjust your ETA to account for all the conditions we mentioned earlier. If this sort of thing interests you, the update is now available on iOS and will arrive “soon” on Android.

Buy one Samsung Galaxy S7 and get another free with AT&T

If you like the new Samsung Galaxy S7 or the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, we’ve got good news for you. Buy one from AT&T in the US, and you’ll get another Samsung Galaxy S7 for free.

Yep, that’s right, the carrier and leading Android phone brand have teamed up to offer you the chance to buy one Samsung phone and get another completely free. Wow!

The deal, which is available for all Samsung phones on the network is even sweeter, when you consider that the brand spanking new Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge has just been released.

The new phone, which has already won a “Pocket-lint Recommends 2016” badge has “got power, design, a great camera experience and a battery that gets you through the day.”

The Samsung Galaxy S7 features a bigger 5.1-inch Quad Super AMOLED screen, 12 megapixel dual-pixel rear facing camera, is water resistant, and features a microSD card so you can expand the storage for more pictures, movies, and apps. Those that order with AT&T before the 18 March also get a free GEAR VR headset to experience the wonderful world of virtual reality.

To qualify for the deal, you need to choose an AT&T Next installment plan with a Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 edge Plus, S6 Active, or Note 5 and then add to your cart. 

In order to get $695 bill credit per BOGO bundle, both phones in a Samsung BOGO bundle need to be GS7 or GS7 Edge so you could get a SGS7  and a second SGS7, a SGS7 Edge and GS7 Edge, or and SGS7 and an SGS7 Edge.

You can get any combination of Samsung eligible phones in the BOGO bundle where neither phone is a GS7 or GS7 Edge, results in max bill credit of $595 per BOGO bundle.

Any combination of Samsung eligible phones in the BOGO bundle where only one phone is a GS7 or GS7 Edge, results in max bill credit of $595 per BOGO bundle. 

If you agree to keep both Galaxy devices and remain active and in good standing, and you should begin to receive your credit within 3 billing cycles.

It’s as simple as that. So what are you waiting for. Get ordering today. 

SXSW showed me Here’s Active Listening buds are a sound idea

“SXSW is all about the big ideas.” I’ve been saying it all week long. It’s true. Here in Austin is not the place to launch a phone, it’s where you show an idea about how to get people to Mars, or how to feel g-force in mobile VR. This is where apps like Twitter and Foursquare breakthrough and gain mainstream popularity. It’s where vaporous ideas can crystalize into something people understand. Here — a pair of earbuds that modify the audio around you — had me struggling to understand them. Until this weekend, that is.

As a little catch up, Here Active Listening earbuds are not headphones. They do look a lot like headphones, and are totally wireless (and in that regard look a lot like Bragi’s Dash), but that’s where the similarity ends. Here is all about altering, or eliminating the sound around you. It’s basically like having an EQ for the real world, with active noise cancellation thrown in. It’s a niche proposition for sure. And, at $250, one that needs to be clearly understood if it wants to find its way into people’s ears. Enter SXSW.

On Friday night, Doppler labs — makers of the Here earbuds — threw an “augmented concert experience.” Basically a shindig with a live band (Great Caesar, if you’re interested), playing to a well lubricated audience — each person armed with their own pair of Here buds. Doppler Labs head-honcho Noah Kraft opened the show with a short explanation about what was going to happen, and the band’s frontman, John-Michael Parker, guided the crowd through the experience.

Here connects to any iOS or Android phone via a companion app. It’s, ahem, here that you change the settings that will alter the sound you hear. Parker started things off easy with one of the songs played naturally (no settings applied). They then asked the audience to activate the “echo” setting, and repeated the ditty. Neat trick. Parker and crew then played a few more numbers, showing off Here’s ability to mimic the acoustics of famous music venues. For one song, we’re might have had our feet in Austin, but our ears where — so we were told — in Carnegie Hall. I’m not sure they need to re-write the punchline for the famous joke about the venue just yet though.

From an idea standpoint, I like Here. It’s something different. As someone who loves live music though, I’m not sure how I feel about it. It kinda feels like it’s missing the point, if you’re going to mess about with the songs you’ve (probably) paid to hear. I spoke with fellow music-lover, and colleague Mona Lalwani about it, and she shares a similar view.

“While it’s an innovative spin on earbuds, it doesn’t quite work yet. It takes away from the live experience. While technologies that enhance a live experience — like visual displays and graphics — have added another sensory layer to the experience, being able to add an echo or studio setting when a band is performing live seems to break the experience of actually being there.”

The name Here, while problematic for writers talking about how it changes what you hear, is pretty clever. Not just for the double hear/hearbuds pun, but also the clue it contains about the sound it modifies — that which is right here. The idea of something that changes your environment, like an Instagram filter for sound, makes Here feel a little exciting. Like the first time you try VR/AR. But whether live music is the right forum for that remains unclear. Though, the ability to crank up the bass on the real world does have a novel appeal. Likewise, as someone who lost some hearing in their left ear after surgery, being able to nudge certain frequencies up or down at will is pretty handy (there’s a multiband EQ option in the app). It won’t replace a hearing aid though, even if you can bump the ambient volume up a touch.

Here’s not just about adding reverb, EQ, echo and spatial filters though. Perhaps its most practical ability, is its most modest one: active noise cancelling. A friend recently asked me to borrow a pair of ANC headphones as he was going on a flight. He didn’t want them for music, but just so he could kill the background noise while he slept. These were big, clunky over ear cans. With Here, he could just sling them in his bag, and use them for that at any time.

For now though, Here is pressing on with the idea about selling it to music lovers. Currently, only Kickstarter backers have access to Here. If you want a pair, the only way is to join a waiting list. Or, you can go to Coachella. Doppler Labs has partnered with the event to offer festival goers exclusive access to the buds, and in return, it’s laying on some audio experiences optimized for Here.

This is perhaps the real seed from which my curiosity about the product grows. All the time I’ve been trying them out at SXSW, (in line for coffee, in bed, at live music performances and panels), I’ve been thinking about how audio experiences could be deliberately designed to work with Here. Games could include music that, with the right filter, reveals clues that help you progress. Audio tours could link into Here to add reality and depth to different situations — say, adding echo while in the belly of some caves.

Mona isn’t so sure. For her the “augmented concert” fell short of its promise. “I’m all for an interactive future. But to me, augmented isn’t echo modes and studio settings, I’ve always found those lame even on a regular music listening device. But, when they find a way to hear thing that aren’t being played live that’d be rad.” Mona makes a good point. A truly augmented audio experience — to be fair, this isn’t what Here claims it offers, just the concert a SXSW — would be something truly exciting. So, there you go Doppler Labs. I’m digging the chance to massage the sound around me, or cut it out altogether (it does this pretty well), but true augmented audio really does sound like a big idea, ripe for the next SXSW?

The largest planetarium in the West is coming to New Jersey

If you want to see one of the biggest, boldest recreations of the night sky, you might only have to book a trip to New Jersey in the near future. Jersey City’s Liberty Science Center says it’s building the largest planetarium in the Western hemisphere, the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, thanks to a $5 million donation from its namesake. The move will upgrade the Center’s massive IMAX dome theater (88 feet across) so that it can double as a planetarium, adding digital projection in the process. If all goes according to plan, it should be ready sometime in December 2017.

This won’t be the largest planetarium in the world. That honor goes to the Nagoya City Science Museum’s dome, whose 114-foot internal diameter makes the Liberty Science Center seem modest. Still, we’re not about to knock this latest effort. It’ll easily eclipse the nearby Hayden Planetarium in New York City (36 feet across), and it’ll do wonders if it helps convey the wonders of space.

Source: Liberty Science Center