What are the new S-Pen features for the Galaxy Note 7? New Air Command and features explored
If you’re already familiar with the Samsung Galaxy Note series then you’ll know about the power of the S-Pen (Samsung’s fancy name for the included, integrated stylus which comes with the device).
The Note 7 is the latest big-screen phone in the series, which is not only destined for a UK release unlike the absent Note 5, but comes complete with a bunch of new S-Pen applications and features. Here’s an overview of what to expect.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 S-Pen: What’s new in Air Command?
As with all recent Note devices, removing the S-Pen from its dock will fire-up Air Command, a series of application shortcuts specifically designed for stylus use displayed in an semi-circular overlay on the screen. In the Note 5 this comprised Action Memo, Smart Select, Screen Write, S Note and Add Shortcuts.
In the Note 7 the Smart Select and Screen Write options remain, but everything else has changed. The quick shortcuts option has vanished, Create Note replaces Action Memo, while new additions Translate, Magnify and Glance take the list to six in total.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 preview
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Release date, specs and everything you need to know
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 S-Pen: New features overview
Smart Select allows you to draw on screen as before to make selections of words and images, even copy said selections and share them between apps. This time around there’s a new feature to create animated GIFs up to 15-seconds long from, say YouTube clips, which is a fun addition.
Screen Write is the same as before, allowing you to take screen grabs to annotate and scrawl on with additional notes.
Magnify is used to enhance a square on-screen area by 150-300 per cent – selectable in 50 per cent increments, as defined by you – depending on the S-Pen’s position.
Translate, which plugs into Google Translate and can translate words on-page or even from photographs, translates in real-time, but only for one word at a time So no sentences or paragraph selection, which we think massively limits the potential of this app.
Glance is there to take a peek into an app by hovering the S-Pen over an app icon. Ideal for jumping into emails while doing something else.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 S-Pen: New Notes
Now the absence of Action Memo might seem baffling, but fret not, in the Note 7 Samsung is taking a different approach to note-taking, with the Create Note option. It’s less like a yellow sticky Post-It note this time around is all.
All your notes now appear in the Samsung Notes app, which lives in the app drawer, to act as a hub for all your note-based content, divided into relevant categories – handwriting, drawing, image, pen-up – to simplify content access.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Note 5 vs Note 4: What’s the difference?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Galaxy S7 edge vs Galaxy S7: What’s the difference?
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 S-Pen: Screen-Off Memo
Our favourite new S-Pen feature, however, doesn’t concern Air Command at all. As the Note 7 has an always-on Super AMOLED display, even when the phone isn’t fully active its black-out display can show incoming notifications.
By extracting the S-Pen when the phone is in this inactive state, it activates Screen-Off Memo, where it’s possible to take quick notes on this black screen in white text. Ideal for quick-saving notes when there’s no time to sign-in rapidly.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 S-Pen: What else is new?
From a physical point of view the Note 7’s S-Pen is more accurate than before, thanks to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity – twice that of the Note 5.
The S-Pen has been redesigned so that it can’t be placed into the Note 7’s body upside down either, which was an issue some experienced with earlier Note devices.
And, to match the Note 7’s waterproofing (IP68), the S-Pen is also fully water- and dust-resistant. It can even be used to write on the screen when fully submerged in water, and Samsung has been clever enough to identify the pen pressure and ignore any unwarranted splashes also on the screen – so you won’t get caught out when it’s raining.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner: What is it and how does it work?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Apple iPhone 6S: What’s the difference?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7: What’s new?
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Rumour vs reality
You may have heard by now that Samsung has finally officially announced its new Note. Yes, officially. No more rumours. Well, at least not when it comes to the Galaxy Note 7.
If you’re a Note fan and you’ve been following the leaks over the past few months, chances are you probably feel as though you already know what’s coming in the new device. Afterall, there wasn’t a great deal left unsaid or unseen for that matter.
Rumours don’t always become reality though. So which leaks were true and which were false? Here is how the rumours of the Galaxy Note 7 compare to the reality.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 design: Rumour vs reality
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will have a similar design to the Galaxy S7 edge with the addition of an S-Pen.Reality: True, the Galaxy Note 7 is very similar to the Galaxy S7 edge in terms of design. It is a little squarer, a little bigger, and of course has the S-Pen however.
Rumour: There will be a curved and flat model of the Galaxy Note 7.Reality: False. Curved is your only option.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will measure 153.5mm x 73.9mm x 7.9mm.Reality: True, the measurements were exactly on point. The Galaxy Note 7 also weighs 169g.Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will be IP68 water and dust resistant.Reality: True, the Galaxy Note 7 is indeed IP68 water and dust resistant. You can dunk it for 30 mins into 1.5-metres and it should survive.
Rumour: There will be both an iris scanner and fingerprint sensor on board the Galaxy Note 7.Reality: True. There is both an iris scanner, which you can read about in our separate feature, and fingerprint sensor featured.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will have a new and improved S-Pen.Reality: True, the S-Pen has been redesigned. It is simpler and smarter than before and will even work when the screen is wet. It is also waterproof like the phone itself.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will arrive in silver, black and blue.Reality: True. The three initial colours of the Galaxy Note 7 will be Titanium Silver, Black Oynx and Blue Coral, but a gold model hasn’t been ruled out.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 display: Rumour vs reality
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will increase its display to 5.8-inches.Reality: False. The Galaxy Note 7 sticks with the traditional 5.7-inch size.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will stick with a Quad HD resolution.Reality: True. The Galaxy Note 7 has a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution for a pixel density of 515ppi.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will feature a Super AMOLED display.Reality: True. The Galaxy Note 7 does indeed have a Super AMOLED display. It also has Mobile HDR, making it capable of showing mobile HDR content when it becomes available. The latter wasn’t in the rumours.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 camera: Rumour vs reality
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will have Super OIS and infrared-based autofocus.Reality: False, at least from the current information we have.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will have a Dual Pixel 12-megapixel rear camera like the Galaxy S7 edge and S7.Reality: True. The Galaxy Note 7 does indeed have the same camera as the other two Samsung flagships.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will have a 5-megapixel front camera.Reality: True, the Galaxy Note 7 also has the same front-facing camera as the Galaxy S7 edge and S7.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will have dual-rear cameras.Reality: False. There is just one lens on the rear of the Galaxy Note 7.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will come with a technology called Smart Glow that shows notifications via a ring of light around the rear camera.Reality: False. The Galaxy Note 7’s rear camera has no extra technology to the Galaxy S7 edge and S7.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 might have a new 1/2.3-inch sensor with a lens offering an f/1.4 aperture.Reality: False. The sensor rumoured hasn’t yet been confirmed, but even if it is being made, it clearly wasn’t ready for the Note 7.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hardware specs: Rumour vs reality
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will come with either a Qualcomm Snapdragon or Exynos chipset.Reality: True. The Galaxy Note 7 will feature an Exynos chip in the UK. Other regions are still to be detailed.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will come with 6GB of RAM.Reality: False. The Galaxy Note 7 has 4GB of RAM.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will come in 64GB, 128GB and possibly 256GB storage options.Reality: Unclear at the moment.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will have microSD support.Reality: True, the Note 7 does bring back microSD support. Yay.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will have USB Type-C.Reality: True. The Galaxy Note 7 does have USB Type-C over Micro-USB for faster charging and data transfer.
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will have a 4000mAh, 4200mAh or 3600mAh battery.Reality: False. The Galaxy Note 7 has a 3500mAh battery, which is smaller than the S7 edge.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 release date: Rumour vs reality
Rumour: The Galaxy Note 7 will hit US stores on week of 15 August.Reality: We don’t yet know so fingers crossed.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 conclusion: Rumour vs reality
Unlike many devices, the majority of the rumours surrounding the Galaxy Note 7 actually came true.
There were a few that ended up being the stuff of fantasies, such as the huge battery capacity, the idea of curved and flat models, the extra camera features and the substantial RAM claims.
Overall though, we have a beautifully designed device with many of the features that were rumoured actually making an appearance.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 preview
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hub
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: What’s new?
With the launch of the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung added a number of fresh features and updates to its stylus-toting phablet.
If you’ve had a Note before, there are plenty of reasons to upgrade to the new one, especially if your last taste was the Note 4 from two years ago.
In fact, even if you managed to get your hands on the Note 5, the 7 could still be a worthy hardware update for you. Here is everything that’s new in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: S-Pen hardware
Undoubtedly the Note’s biggest unique selling point is the bespoke stylus. The S-Pen has set the standard for natural and reliable on-screen scribbles. In fact, it’s hard to think of any smartphone stylus that’s as enjoyable to use as the Samsung-made tool, and this year’s is even better.
New touchscreen technology has enabled Samsung to make some changes to the design. Specifically, the screen is now twice as responsive as the Note 5 with 4,096 levels of pressure. That means they’ve been able to make the tip smaller, and build a pen that’s now just 20mm wide and weighs practically nothing at 3g.
The pen itself is now IP68 water resistant, so you can write on the screen even when it’s raining, or submerged. And, because the phone detects when the stylus is out of its silo, and where it is, it can ignore water contact on the screen and just accept the input from the pen. It’s virtually as accurate when wet as it is when dry.
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: S-Pen software
As well as the new hardware features for the S-Pen, the software has been revamped with a number of new tricks designed specifically for the new tiny stylus.
While lock-screen scribbling was available on the Note 5, this year’s improvement will allow you to write directly on your standby screen, and then pin (or save) the notes to your lock screen. That means you can access them anytime from the always-on display, without unlocking your phone. A small icon appears under the clock or calendar on the lock screen.
The Air Command menu which shows up when the S-Pen is removed has a few new features too. Glance lets you preview apps by hovering your pen over their thumbnail.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 preview: Take note, this is the big-screen phone to beat
- What are the new S-Pen features for the Galaxy Note 7? New Air Command and features explored
You can also now create GIFs from any video playing onscreen. Simply draw a rectangle around the video, then set it to record, and your phone will make a GIF. It’s a cool tool, just be careful not to break any copyright or licensing laws.
Also among the new Air Command menu options is a new translate feature. A little like Google’s translate app, you can draw over one word at a time on the web, or in photos, and the phone translates it to a language of your choice. As well as that, you can magnify web pages up to 300 per cent using the S-pen.
The new Air Command features are all welcome additions to the S-Pen’s software arsenal, as is the new ability to customise what shows up in the menu. You can remove features you never use, or add ones that aren’t automatically included.
There’s also a brand new Samsung Notes app, which acts as a hub for any clips, scribbles or notes you make with your S-Pen. In essence, it’s all the old S-Pen optimised apps turned in to one single app. Some of the new paint tools found in the Notes are genuinely breathtaking. You can mix colours, and it can detect how hard your pressing and adjust the stroke onscreen to match that pressure.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Iris Scanner
It’s not the first time we’ve seen an iris scanner in a smartphone, but it is the first time on a mainstream Android device. Samsung’s iris scanner can quickly recognise your iris on setup, and then unlocks your phone almost instantly when you’re in good (but not too good) indoor light.
You can read more about the iris scanner in our explainer feature, but in essence, it’s an infrared camera that quickly recognises the individual pattern in your eye.
Because it’s infrared, and your iris pattern is so unique, it can be thrown off by many types of condition changes. Thankfully, the phone still has the home-button fingerprint sensor for those times when the eye-scanner is thrown off by bright light, sunglasses or contact lenses.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner: What is it and how does it work?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7: What’s new?
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Design
The easiest way to describe the Galaxy Note 7’s design is to say it looks like a slightly bigger, squarer version of the Galaxy S7 Edge. Its front and back glass panels are curved towards the edges so that it looks symmetrical from almost any angle.
Colour wise, unlike last time out, we’re getting three colours and none of them are white. Samsung will launch in three subtle hues, all with slightly pearlescent finishes: Black Onyx, Silver Titanium and Blue Coral.
Of all of them, the blue finish is the newest, with a stunning blue colouring offset with an almost gold finished metal frame. It’s truly beautiful in both images and in person.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Note 5 vs Note 4: What’s the difference?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Galaxy S7 edge vs Galaxy S7: What’s the difference?
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Mobile HDR
HDR video content is the future of home entertainment, and Samsung wants to make sure its most powerful smartphone is up to date with the latest video technology. The Note 7 isn’t just Samsung’s first phone with Mobile HDR built in, but the first ever smartphone launched with the feature.
HDR means High Dynamic Range, and brings moving images to life in a way that offers better colour depth, and better distinction between light and dark. In many ways, it’s far more important than how many pixels are onscreen, and it’s coming to your next smartphone.
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: USB Type-C
The Galaxy Note 7 is the first mainstream Samsung smartphone to feature a USB Type-C port.
We were surprised when it wasn’t included in the S7 and S7 Edge, but they were kept as Micro-USB most probably because Samsung would have had to redesign the Gear VR headset. Which they have now done for the Note 7.
Which leads us nicely to…
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Gear VR for Note 7
Samsung has redesigned the Gear VR headset to include a UBS Type-C connector for the Note 7, but also and perhaps more importantly, to make it easier to wear and watch content.
The new all-black finish is designed to cut out any errant reflections which could otherwise ruin your viewing experience. There’s a redesigned home button on it, to make it easier to go back to the home menu, as well as a more comfortable head strap.
As you can tell, then, there’s plenty about the Note 7 to make it a tempting proposition. If your last phone was the Note 4, you’re going to love this one.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hub
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Apple iPhone 6S: What’s the difference?
What is Mobile HDR? Why Samsung’s Note 7 screen is a window into high dynamic range’s future
If you’re up to speed with current television technologies, then you’ll be aware that HDR – which stands for high dynamic range – is the latest and greatest thing for picture quality, promising the broadest range between the brightest whites and deepest blacks and maximum colour.
And now HDR is coming to phones, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 the first available device to feature Mobile HDR. What does it mean for the future of mobile screen technology?
What is Mobile HDR? Screen requirements
HDR requires a screen capable of exhibiting brighter whites and deeper blacks than a standard screen is capable. In televisions there are differing levels of HDR ability, with Samsung’s SUHD panels, such as that of the KS9500, offering greater-than 1,000-nits output (that’s the measure of maximum brightness).
In the case of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which uses a Super-AMOLED screen, it’s capable of 800-nits at its brightest. As this is an OLED panel, however, that level of brightness is still considered to be a premium grade.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 preview
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Release date, specs and everything you need to know
What is Mobile HDR? Versus 4K / UHD Premium
With televisions and UHD Blu-ray, HDR goes hand-in-hand with 4K content. In the case of the Note 7, those are two separate entities, because the phone’s 2560 x 1440 resolution doesn’t achieve 4K resolution.
Furthermore 4K screens and content adhere to a wider 10-bit colour gamut, meaning a potential palette of over 1-billion colours – that’s far more of the visible spectrum than is available from the 8-bit standard of most current LCD screens.
The Note 7 uses a Super-AMOLED panel, meaning more colours are available than a standard LCD panel, but not as many colours as true 10-bit colour of the best 4K TVs.
However, Sony is rumoured to be releasing a 4K HDR capable phone, the Xperia X Premium, later this year. That, potentially, could be the reference device for Mobile HDR’s potential – from a resolution, colour and dynamic range perspective.
- What is UHD Premium and why does it matter?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7: What’s new?
What Mobile HDR content is available?
Just because you have an HDR-capable screen – whether TV or otherwise – doesn’t mean it’s always active. Content needs to be produced for HDR output – and currently there are only a handful of shows available via Netflix, Amazon and others.
So at present it’s all theory, because at the early demo of the Galaxy Note 7 we attended there was no Mobile HDR content available. Not even YouTube HDR, which was confirmed by Google in January 2016, was available.
The key take-away, therefore, is which content providers will produce content for Mobile HDR and make it accessible via mobile devices. We fully expect a partnership with relevant providers to be announced in due course. That’s when it will get truly exciting.
- What is HDR and what TVs support HDR content
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hub
Overwatch heroes are getting Olympic-themed makeovers
With the 2016 Olympics just days away, Blizzard is giving its popular multiplayer shooter an unofficial sporting makeover. To coincide with the events in Rio, every one of Overwatch’s 22 heroes has been assigned a sport in the “Summer Games” and given a selection of new skins, sprays and other in-game emotes to play with. Reaper is a BMX rider and Winston is a keen volleyball player, but nothing beats Roadhog as a high diver.
Between August 2nd and August 22nd, gamers can “celebrate Overwatch’s inaugural Summer Games” with its new themed Loot Boxes. These virtual crates are awarded when a player gains enough experience points (XP) to level up and normally contain four pieces of in-game flair like sound bites, outfits and victory poses. If a player doesn’t wish to commit to the grind, they are also available to buy via various PC and console marketplaces. The company says there are more than 90 Summer Games items to collect, with each box promising at least one themed item.
While the company has yet to share official news of the new Loot Boxes, they have started appearing on international PlayStation and Xbox One stores. They cost the same as standard boxes — between $1.99 and $39.99 — and are not available to purchase using in-game credits. This has already left some gamers, who have been saving in-game credits in the hope of unlocking new skins and emotes, a little frustrated.
That frustration could be lifted by the existence of a new map, which Blizzard appears to be teasing in a Summer Games package sent to prominent Twitch broadcaster Laced Up Lauren (see below). There’s currently no word on whether Lucio will get to return to his home country but we’ve reached out to Blizzard to ask if Overwatch will get its first new map in the coming days.
Here is a closer look at the items inside the @PlayOverwatch box that was sent to me by @Blizzard_Ent. Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/j0busREpAN
— Laced Up Lauren (@LacedUpLauren) August 2, 2016
Source: PlayStation Store (UK)
Instagram’s ‘Stories’ feature looks a lot like Snapchat’s
How do you fight an immensely popular social app like Snapchat? For Instagram, it’s by copying one of Snapchat’s most popular features: stories. “Instagram Stories” lets you post as many photos and videos as you’d like in a slideshow format. And you won’t have to worry about them hurting your meticulously curated Instagram feed, as the stories will disappear in 24 hours (that sure does sound familiar!).
You’ll find stories from friends and popular accounts in a navigation bar at the top of your Instagram feed. Once you tap into one, you can move back and forth through the slideshow at your own pace. You won’t be able to leave public comments or like anything you see in a story, but you can still send a private message to the author. The latter change is a sign that this endeavor doesn’t quite fit into Instagram’s existing feature set.
Naturally, stories will follow whatever privacy settings you’ve chosen for Instagram. You’ll also be able to hide them from specific followers. I haven’t had a chance to test out the feature yet, but judging from the screenshots and videos, it also looks like there are plenty of editing options for making your stories “fun.”
While a bit shameless, it makes sense for Instagram to adopt one of Snapchat’s defining features. Since its inception, Instagram has been focused on curated feeds. Those still have a place today, but the company also needs a more relaxed form of posting to compete with Snapchat’s breezier style, where you don’t have to worry about framing the perfect shot for posterity. Instagram will be rolling out the stories feature on iOS and Android over the next few weeks.
Source: Instagram
Telltale’s ‘Batman’ game does Bruce Wayne justice
Batman comics excel when they dive into the psyche of Bruce Wayne. The moody billionaire is conflicted by his desire to be a good person while protecting Gotham by any means necessary. How much force is excessive? Where do you draw the line? It’s easy for the Caped Crusader to lose sight. Bruce is also a genius, capable of unraveling the most complex mysteries. Watching him scour the city and piece together a supervillain’s plot is as rewarding for the reader as seeing the Dark Knight foil it with fists.
It’s these aspects of Batman that Telltale is trying to infuse into its next point-and-click adventure game. BATMAN, a five-episode series that premieres today, looks and plays like a comic book. Unlike previous games featuring the Dark Knight — which have prioritized action and weaving in every supervillain imaginable — this new title puts story above everything else. The result is an experience that feels closer to the comics, balancing the measured Bruce Wayne and his often brutal alter ego Batman.
The episode starts with a group of thugs flooding into city hall. Gotham City Police Department quickly arrive on the scene, led by Commissioner Gordon, but are thwarted by an explosion that erupts out of an elevator shaft. Batman, meanwhile, is hiding in a nearby building and swoops in using his grapple gun. A series of quicktime events follow — linear, scripted sequences that required carefully timed button presses — with Wayne dashing between desks and using his assortment of gadgets to gain an advantage. He sticks to the shadows, picking off heavies one by one.
Later that night, Bruce walks into a room packed with guests in Wayne Manor. You’ll be asked to explain your late arrival (crack a joke? Make an excuse?) and a cut that’s visible on your left cheek. These conversations add another dimension to your life as a superhero; you have to live through the fallout, covering your tracks and listening to what people think about your actions. One individual, who respects the Wayne family, describes Batman as a vigilante dealing out justice “like the Wild West.” You can choose how to respond and a pop-up will appear in the corner of the screen, reminding you that the guest will remember what you say.
The message here is simple: What you do as Bruce Wayne is just as important, if not more so, than your crimefighting as Batman.
Bruce’s morals are later tested by a mobster, Carmine Falcone. He controls a large part of the city and Harvey Dent, pre-Two Face transformation, wants him to support his campaign for mayor. Here’s the conundrum: As Batman, Bruce would like to destroy the crime lord and his operations. As Dent’s ally, however, he faces a larger dilemma — should he work with the slimeball to get Dent into power, believing the District Attorney will follow through and help Gotham? Or does he stand firm and reject Faclone’s support, jeopardizing Dent’s campaign and the city’s future?
Interactions like this one are littered throughout the episode. You’re forced to make decisions that will shape Bruce’s relationships with other characters, such as Selina Kyle and Oswald Cobblepot. They all have motivations and allegiances, as well as the ability to help Batman. Like many Telltale video games, however, it’s impossible to please everyone. You have to choose a path you think will serve Gotham best.
“You’re not brawling for the sake of beating a boss or racking up combos; it’s to uncover a truth that propels the story forward.”
Bruce’s intellect and detective skills are presented through some surprisingly elaborate puzzles. Midway through the episode, Batman stumbles upon a crime scene inside a warehouse. The game gives you the freedom to walk around, investigate objects and analyze chemicals with the Batsuit. Based on Batman’s musings, you have to link up the various clues in order to build a sound theory. It’s trickier than you might think, with plenty of combinations that ultimately lead nowhere.
The game is constantly flipping between Batman and Bruce. The two characters are distinct but intertwined, providing new insights into the hero and opening up different avenues of investigation. Few games have portrayed the Dark Knight this way, instead focusing on his prowess as a crime fighter. That’s a shame, because Batman is more than a vigilante beating up crooks in the dead of night. He’s also Bruce, a broken man struggling with his past and inner demons. That complexity is why the comics have been so successful, and it’s a part of the character that deserves to be explored in video games too.
We’re live from Samsung’s 2016 Unpacked event in New York!
Samsung is holding its annual Unpacked event in New York City today, and we’re here ready to bring you all the news as it happens. As is often the case with its summer Unpacked events, we’re highly likely to see the new Galaxy Note7 this morning (yup, Samsung is skipping right over “6” in its naming scheme). There have also been rumors of refreshed VR hardware, and the company may have other surprises up its sleeve today. For all the news as it happens, stay tuned in right here — we’ll keep you updated on everything Samsung has to show us today.
Samsung’s big, beautiful Galaxy Note 7 lands on August 19th
Another year, another Galaxy Note. Samsung just unveiled its new Galaxy Note 7 in New York this morning, and you’ll be able to get one for yourself in the US starting on August 19th. We got the chance to take one for a test drive prior to the show, and one thing quickly became clear: Samsung might not have revamped the Note formula, but the Note 7 is a testament to the quality that can come from years of gradual change.
The broad strokes
The US version of the Note 7 packs a quad-core, Snapdragon 820 chipset, an Adreno 530 GPU and 4GB of RAM. Good on you if that sounds familiar: The Note 7 actually has the same internals as this year’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. I spent about 45 minutes playing with the Note 7 and it’s an incredibly fast, responsive little machine. We’re just about to get the first batch of games that lean on the high-performance Vulkan API too, so it won’t be long until we see what the Note 7 and its ilk can really do.
The similarities don’t end there either. The Note 7 has the same 12-megapixel, DualPixel camera as the S7 family, so it should join them as one of the top cameraphones, especially in low-light conditions. Samsung also made the Note 7 IP68 water resistant like its smaller cousins, a feature that should really be standard on flagship phones by now. The Note 7’s gorgeous 5.7-inch, Super AMOLED is curved on the left and right sides too, and makes use of the same Edge interface we know and tolerate for quick access to contacts and apps. Oh, and there’s a spot to fit up to a 256GB microSD card if the 64GB of built-in storage isn’t enough.
Those similarities aren’t all that surprising, but the overall package is nonetheless first rate. I’m calling it now: the Galaxy Note 7 is the most comfortable Note ever made and is even nicer to hold than either of the S7’s. Samsung went with a symmetrical build this year, so the front and back of the Note 7 have the same amount of curviness — that helps the phone fit into your palm more easily and gives your fingers more of a place to rest. Samsung’s improved design might have given us one drawback, though: The Note 7 has a 3,500mAh battery, which is actually a bit smaller than the one inside the S7 Edge.
We’ll see how long that battery actually lasts once we get a device in to really review, but there’s one more design decision worth appreciating in the meantime. While the industry seems to have it out for the standard headphone jack, Samsung didn’t pull a Motorola here. Though the Note 7 ditches micro-USB in favor of USB Type-C, you can still plug in a regular pair of headphones when the mood strikes.
So, what else is new?
For starters, you can now get a blue Note 7 with vaguely copper-looking metal trim. It’s a sort of robin’s egg blue and looks pretty charming (though I’d argue the black Note 7 is the best-looking of the bunch.)
Beyond that, the rumors were true: That iris sensor is here, sitting just about the Note 7’s screen. You can use it to unlock the phone or access content you’ve secured (more on that in a bit). The sensor takes a minute to set up, and works pretty well even with big glasses like mine. (Samsung admits that glasses with certain coatings might make things tricky.) As neat as the technology is, it doesn’t actually seem that useful right at first blush. When I was trying to unlock a Note 7 with my gaze, getting my eyes lined up correctly took more time than a fingerprint scan normally would. This will probably get easier with time, but be sure to keep your expectations in check all the same. More importantly, there’s simply not much to do with that iris sensor right now. Samsung says we’ll eventually be able to use our eyes to log into accounts and authenticate Samsung Pay transactions, but neither of those features are ready just yet.
Now, about that secured content. In a nod to the business customers that seem to have flocked to the Note line, Samsung added a “secure folder” where you can store files and even app instances to which you want to restrict access. Samsung also took effort to clean up its TouchWiz interface a bit (yes!), bringing it ever-so-slightly more in line with Google’s “Material Design” language. This cleaning-up approach goes beyond just looks too: The camera interface has stripped of its rows of shooting modes and settings. Swiping back and forth on the camera display brings those familiar shooting modes in case you need them. Oh, and the Note 7 now supports streaming HDR video too. So, you know, have at it.
Additionally, Samsung combined four of its S Pen-friendly apps into a one-stop shop called “Samsung Notes” where you can capture your handwritten notes and drawings, not to mention edit photos. Speaking of the S Pen…
S Pen, take 7
The updated S Pen doesn’t look much different from the one we got last year, but this year it’s water resistant, just like the phone itself. Since the handset and pen can now withstand liquid, you can actually write things on the Note 7’s screen while underwater, though I’m not sure when anyone would ever actually need to. Writing and sketching with the S Pen feels a little more natural this time too, partially because Samsung dropped the size of its nib to 0.7mm — the same size as a standard ballpoint pen or mechanical pencil.
New commands are also available when you pull the S Pen from its hidey-hole — you can use it to magnify anything you see on the screen up to 3X and translate words on-screen from one language to another. (Pretty helpful if you want to try reading Engadget Spanish, for instance.) That translation isn’t as elegant as I’d hoped, though. The feature uses Google Translate and is therefore as smart as Google’s own technology. Unfortunately, you’re stuck translating one word at a time — I was hoping to highlight entire sentences and paragraphs for Google to interpret, but a Samsung spokesperson was quick to break the bad news.
The best (or at least most viral) new feature is the ability to select parts of the screen with the pen, record them and turn them into GIFs. This part of the process is dead-simple, but you can customize those GIFs further by tweaking how they loop and drawing all over them. One of the Note 5’s best features has been updated for the Note 7 too: You can still draw pictures or jot things down while the Note’s screen is off, but you can pin them to the always-on display in case you need to refer to them later.
At the end of the day, though, is it worth ditching a Note 5 for a Note 7? Unclear. Innovation comes in fits and starts, and I’m left wondering what else can be done to make the long-standing Galaxy Note formula indispensable. Anyone looking for dramatic change here might be disappointed, but at this early stage, the Note 7’s overall package is still impressive. Stay tuned for our full review to see how Samsung’s new phablet really stacks up.
Samsung’s Gear VR headset gets a more comfortable design
Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 7 is neat and all, but its USB Type-C port means it’s incompatible with the Gear VR headset you might have lying around. Never fear, though: The company built a new, more comfortable version of its VR face-screen that you’ll be able to pick up on August 19th, the same day the phone itself goes on sale. I strapped on the updated rig for a bit of face time and, I’ll tell you right now, it’s pretty fantastic.
At first glance, it’s clear there’s something new going on here. The new Gear VR comes decked out in a handsome, bluish-black finish that looks remarkably different from earlier models. As it turns out, the change wasn’t just driven by style concerns. Some users complained about images from the phone’s display reflecting off the white plastic interior of older Gear VRs, so Samsung went for a darker body to help mitigate the issue.
The controls have changed a bit too. There’s now a dedicated Home button to take you back out of menus, so you no longer need to hold down that Back button. Meanwhile, the touchpad on the Gear VR’s right side has received some significant updates. The etched D-pad design is totally gone, leaving more room for your finger to move around. It’ll take a little getting used to if you’re coming from the third-generation Gear VR, but it’s very similar to the touchpad setup we saw way back when on the older Innovator Edition.
Speaking of older hardware, you can use this improved version of the Gear VR with all compatible Samsung phones too. The USB Type-C connector that latches onto the Note 7 can be swapped out for an included micro-USB connector. Just unlock the adapter, slide it off, pop on the other one and you’re all set.
And did I mention the Gear VR is more comfortable than ever? The padding that presses into your face is thicker and more supple than before, and Samsung made the head strap longer to better accommodate large noggins like mine. Combined, these two changes make for a headset that stayed put and irritated my face less.
Since the Gear VR doesn’t seem to move around as much, it’s only fitting that Samsung widened its field of view too: The company’s engineers bumped it from 96 degrees to 101 degrees to help make video and games feel a little more immersive. In my demo I didn’t wear the Gear VR for very long, but the change seemed pretty modest, from where I was sitting. That said, I’ll take just about any optical improvement I can get. All told, the Gear VR is still the best way to get started with virtual reality on the cheap — it’s just more likely now to be a comfortable fit.
AIVAnet 