Samsung Galaxy Note 7
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is a discontinued Android phablet smartphone developed, produced, and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled on 2 August 2016, it was officially released on 19 August 2016 as a successor to the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. It is Samsung's first phone with a USB-C connector and the reintroduction of the microSD slot. It is also the last phone in the Samsung Galaxy Note series to have a physical home button and to have navigation buttons on the bottom bezel. Although it is the sixth main device in the Samsung Galaxy Note series, Samsung branded its series number as "7" instead of "6" so consumers would not perceive it as being inferior to the flagship Samsung Galaxy S7, and to prevent confusion about the order of release due to the same release year.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is an evolution of the Galaxy Note 5 that inherited hardware components and improvements from the Galaxy S7, including the restoration of expandable storage and IP68 water resistance, and new features such as a dual-sided curved display, support for high-dynamic-range color, improvements to the bundled stylus and new software features which utilize it, an iris recognition system, and a USB-C port. Demand for the Galaxy Note 7 at launch was high, breaking pre-order records in South Korea and delaying international releases in some markets due to supply shortages. The Galaxy Note 7 received positive reviews from critics, who praised its construction quality, HDR support, and streamlined user interface. However, it was criticized for its high price and for increasingly similar overall specifications to the main Galaxy S series of phones.
Samsung suspended sales of the Galaxy Note 7 and announced an informal recall on 2 September 2016, following the discovery of a manufacturing defect in the phones' batteries, which caused some units to generate excessive heat and combust, causing the phone to catch on fire or even explode. After a formal U.S. recall was announced on 15 September 2016, Samsung exchanged the affected phones for a new revision that utilized batteries sourced from a different supplier. However, after reports emerged of incidents in which replacement phones also caught fire, Samsung recalled the Galaxy Note 7 worldwide on 10 October 2016 and permanently ceased production of the device the next day. As a safety precaution, they distributed multi-layer fireproof boxes with packing instructions. Due to the recalls, Samsung issued software updates in some markets that were intended to "eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices", including restricting battery capacity and blocking their ability to connect to wireless networks. Samsung stated that it intends to recycle reusable silicon and components from the recalled models, and release refurbished models "where applicable".
The recall had a major impact on Samsung's business in the third quarter of 2016, with the company projecting that its operating profits would be down 33% compared to the previous quarter. Credit Suisse analysts estimated that Samsung would lose at least US$17 billion in revenue from the production and recall of the Galaxy Note 7. In July 2017, nine months after the Note 7 recall, Samsung released a refurbished version of the Galaxy Note 7, known as Galaxy Note Fan Edition. It has a smaller battery of 3200 mAh and is supplied with Android Nougat with Samsung Experience UI, the operating system of the Galaxy S8. The successor to the Galaxy Note 7, the Galaxy Note 8, was announced on 23 August 2017 and released almost a month later.
Specifications
Hardware
Exterior
The Galaxy Note 7's hardware is similar in overall specifications and design to the Galaxy S7, with a metal-and-glass chassis, IP68 water resistance, and a microSD card slot.Chipsets
The Note 7 is equipped with an octa-core Exynos 8890 system-on-chip in most markets, and 4 GB of RAM. In China, the United States, and Canada, the Note 7 uses the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 instead, Unlike the S7, which uses Exynos chips in this market, Canadian models of the Note 7 also use the Snapdragon 820. The Note 7 uses a USB Type-C port, marking Samsung's first mobile phone with the symmetrical connector.Display
The Galaxy Note 7 features a 1440p Super AMOLED display. Similarly to the "Edge" models of the S6 and S7, the display curves over the side bezels of the device; the curvature allows the Note 7 to be narrower than the Galaxy Note 5. The display supports high-dynamic-range video, and is the first Samsung flagship phone to be coated in Gorilla Glass 5.Stylus
As with all Galaxy Note models, the device is supplied with an active stylus branded as "S Pen". The Note 7 stylus supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and is water resistant.Camera
The Note 7 features the same 12-megapixel rear-facing camera as the S7, with a "Dual Pixel" image sensor and f/1.7 aperture lens.Biometrics
The Galaxy Note 7 also offers an iris recognition system that uses a front-facing camera and infrared illumination. The iris scanner can be used for unlocking and for authentication for other device features. A fingerprint reader is also embedded in the home button.Accessories
Optional accessories for the device are the S View Standing Cover with a preview window through which basic device functionality is accessible while closed, and a water-resistant battery case which delivers power wirelessly through its Qi interface.Software
The Galaxy Note 7 is supplied with Android 6.0.1 "Marshmallow" and an updated version of Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz user interface and software suite named TouchWiz Grace UX. It features an "always-on display" mode, which can display a clock and notifications on-screen when the device is not in use; different clock styles and support for notifications from third-party apps were added for the "Grace" version. The Screen off memo feature also leverages this mode, allowing users to write notes on the always-on display. The OS also features several new tools supporting the S Pen stylus, including translation, a screen magnifier, and a GIF recording tool. The previous suite of note-taking apps were also consolidated into a single Samsung Notes app. The Galaxy Note 7 can run Android 10 with One UI 2.5 via custom ROMs.The Galaxy Note 7 introduces a security feature known as "Secure Folder"; it allows users to create a private workspace, protected by an authentication method, with separate user data and apps that are sandboxed from the main system. Installed apps can be cloned into Secure Folder, and users can designate whether notifications generated by apps in the Secure Folder are displayed from outside it. Secure Folder is based on the Samsung Knox 2.7 technology, which also added the ability for enterprises to control the distribution of system updates, and improvements to mobile device management and Microsoft Exchange Server integration.
The device also introduces Samsung Pass, a platform that enables apps to use its iris scanner for biometric authentication. Samsung entered partnerships with several major U.S. banks to explore integrating Samsung Pass into their mobile apps.
Release
Pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 7 opened the day after its unveiling, with a release in the United States on 19 August 2016. Samsung skipped the numbering of the Galaxy Note series directly from "5" to "7" to synchronize it with its flagship Galaxy S series and the Galaxy S7 line. The company stated that consumers may have perceived the Galaxy Note models as inferior in technology to Galaxy S models because the model numbers in their names were one digit lower.Pre-orders in South Korea already broke records, with over 200,000 units pre-ordered within two days. Samsung Canada stated that pre-orders in Canada were "outstanding". The demand also forced countries such as Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia, and Ukraine to delay their releases to September due to supply shortages.