Today the occasion to write a review is very joyful, because I have a brand new one in my hands samsung galaxy Note7! I personally met each of the generations, and even used most of them as main smartphones, so I'm really interested in how things are with each new Galaxy Note release. This is the sixth acquaintance, but the number in the title is "seven" to catch up with the S7. Everyone forgot about it, no analytics, just sharing my impressions about the device.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Parameter	Meaning
Dimensions	153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm.
The weight	169
OS	Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
CPU	Exynos 8 Octa 8890/Snapdragon 820
Graphics	Mali-T880 M12/Adreno 530.
Display	Super AMOLED, 5.7″, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 518 ppi
Memory	64 GB ROM (UFS 2.0)
RAM	4 GB (LPDDR4)
cameras	Main - 12 MP OIS (f / 1.7), video recording in 4K, front - 5 MP (f / 1.7)
Interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), MIMO(2×2) 620 MB/s, Bluetooth 4.2, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, microSD (combined), 3.5 mm audio jack.
Sensors	Fingerprint and iris scanners, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, barometer, heart rate sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor
Battery	Li-Pol 3500 mAh.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 video review

I already said that because the difference between S7 Edge and Note 7 is really small. This is a stylus, USB Type C, +0.2 ” for the screen, minus 100 mAh for the battery, a new protective glass and an iris scanner. But with the Note 5, there are a lot more differences. This is new hardware, a slot for a memory card or a second SIM card, new cameras, curved edges of the display, water resistance, it is 2 mm narrower, and most interestingly, the stylus is no longer inserted backwards! Plus all the differences from S7. So if you're wondering if it's worth changing last year's Note, yes, I would. But this is my personal opinion, protection from moisture is worth a lot to me.

Design and arrangement of elements

The design is similar to that of other "sevens": it is a metal frame and glass front and back. But unlike the S-series, the glass front and rear are equally bent to the metal frame. Therefore, the smartphone turned out to be symmetrical.

However, I don’t understand where they were aiming and in what symmetry system was the new USB Type-C connector inserted? It is somehow strongly shifted to the bottom edge.

But the fact itself is very pleasing - for the first time, Samsung has a USB Type-C connector. This is just epic cool! I really look forward to when the world will have only this one connector for everything.

In terms of the layout of the elements, everything is very similar to what we see in the S7 Edge, except that the S-Pen stylus has been added. However, some elements have changed. For example, I was pleased with the home key, it is now slightly recessed into the frame and practically does not protrude from the case. This means that the scanner will not scratch as much as before.

The headphone jack is still in place, we exhale, and a new window has appeared above the display. I will say a few words about him now.

iris scanner

In addition to the fingerprint scanner, Note7 has added another layer of protection - a PO eye scanner. You add your eyes once, and then the smartphone unlocks by scanning them. And even in total darkness. If you look straight, it works very quickly, sometimes you don’t even have time to notice how the scanner turns on. But in general, it’s just a cool feature, it’s unlikely to become a very popular unlocking method, like face unlock in android.

Display

On paper, it seems that there are few differences from the SGS7 Edge at all - the screen is simply larger by 0.2″. But in practice, we also have a new glass Gorilla Glass 5, as well as a different form of rounding on the sides. This is the most important difference that makes the Note7 much more comfortable to use than the S7 Edge. There are a minimum of false clicks on the edge, although they still happen, it is more convenient to hold it in your hand.

Otherwise, the characteristics are similar: Quad HD resolution, Super AMOLED matrix. The picture in the sun remains perfectly readable, and in general the display leaves the most pleasant impressions. Most likely, at the moment this is the most advanced screen in mobile devices.

S Pen

The S-Pen has gotten a bit better in terms of hardware. In particular, the thickness of the rod itself has almost halved - down to 0.7 mm, and up to 4000 gradations of pressure are now recognized. This is twice as much as in the previous two generations, but this is unlikely to help you, as it seems to me.

But some software pieces are more pleasing. Most of all, I liked the ability to make a GIF from any selected area, whether it be a menu interface or any video. Here's what happens:

Also, the pen can serve as a magnifying glass (I can’t imagine use cases, to be honest), all the previous chips remain. I don’t remember if this was possible before, but there is definitely an icon for adding a new item to the drop-down fan of the stylus. And a whole store to add items.

cameras

Neither the main nor the front camera has changed at all compared to the Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge: the main one is 12 MP, f1.7, pixel size 1.4 microns, optical image stabilization, video shooting up to 4k resolution; front - 5 MP, video shooting in 1440p.

Therefore, both photos and videos are exactly the same, but I still made a few sample photos for you from Galaxy Note7.

Photo examples

But the standard camera application has undergone dramatic changes, it has become more similar to that in Huawei P9. For the latter, I consider the standard camera application to be the best among everything on the market, now the camera is very convenient in tachwiz. A swipe from left to right calls up the main camera modes, from right to left - filters (it would be better if there were settings, they are still called by an icon), and a swipe from bottom to top or vice versa changes the camera. The change is happening very quickly. In general - offset.

Specifications and Software

In terms of hardware, everything is identical to S7 / S7 Edge: Exynos 8890 with or Snapdragon 820, 4 GB of DDR4 RAM, 64 built-in, expandable with a card up to 2 TB, although there are none, battery capacity is 3500 mAh. Everything is clear with the performance, it is the same as in the S7, but the autonomy should theoretically be worse, because the display is larger and the battery capacity is smaller. But judging by personal feelings, the difference is not noticeable. A smartphone is definitely enough for a day of work.

But TouchWiz has been updated again, it is very different even from what is now in the S7 / S7 Edge. And that's not bad, updates are, on the contrary, cool. I do not understand another: these updates do not always reach other, still relevant models. For example, I'm not sure if the new tachwiz will arrive on my S7 Edge. And it's sad that Samsung uses software updates as a tool to lure customers, there is always a feeling that you are no longer with such a cool smartphone. I hope I was wrong here and the update will arrive soon. And there are changes here and there. For example, a safe protected folder appeared to hide content from prying eyes, an optimization item appeared in the already changed settings, all items in the blind now have drop-down functional menus, and so on. Well done, just do the same for other smartphones!

Part 1: getting to know the key innovations

Samsung did not wait a bit for IFA 2016 and announced its new flagship Galaxy Note7 back in early August. And already on August 19, the novelty went on sale in some countries. And although Russia is not among them, we were able to get a smartphone and studied it in detail.

You can read about the key features of the novelty in our news, so we will not re-tell the facts voiced at the presentation here. However, before proceeding directly to getting acquainted with the device, let's think a little about the evolution of the Note line. Exactly five years ago, the first Samsung Galaxy Note was announced, and for quite a long time this line developed in parallel with the Galaxy S series. Moreover, Note devices gradually began to lose their main difference - a large display diagonal. More precisely, a diagonal of 5.5 ″ has ceased to be something unusual, and even Galaxy S devices have acquired screens of similar sizes.

Another signature quality of Note is the stylus included (and, accordingly, support for full-fledged work with it in a smartphone). Here, the manufacturer is already more clearly distinguishing between the two lines, and competitors are not particularly in a hurry to equip their flagships with styluses. However, if earlier you had to pay for the presence of a stylus with the dimensions of the device (after all, the Galaxy Note remained larger than the Galaxy S), now there is no need to talk about any significant difference.

Even more interesting is the situation with the curved screen. Technologists and Samsung fans remember that it was the smartphone of the Note line that was the first to receive a side-curving screen: it was called the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, and the bend there was only on one side (you can also recall here the experimental Samsung smartphone Galaxy Round, but it was not developed). However, then the curved screen chip moved to the Galaxy S line, with S Edge devices getting a screen bend on both sides. In turn, the new Note was produced without a bend. And now the bend returns to Note. And, what's even more interesting, you can't buy Note7 without a curved screen. That is, in fact, Note7 does not replace its immediate predecessor in the line, but the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge smartphone. More precisely, judging by the characteristics, it turns out to be in some way a modification of the S7 Edge with several additional features, most of which will probably migrate to the Galaxy S line in the future.

Based on the fact that Samsung abandoned the word Edge in the name of the novelty, it can be assumed that in the future the only version of the flagship will remain in the Galaxy S series - with a curved screen. And, accordingly, the difference between Note and S will be reduced to the presence of a stylus and, perhaps, a slight difference in display size (although here we can’t help but recall the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge +, which had a 5.7″ display).

Let's take a look at samsung specifications Galaxy Note7.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Note7

• SoC Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa
• CPU Mongoose @2.6GHz (4 cores) + Cortex-A53 @1.6GHz (4 cores)
• GPU Mali-T880
• Operating system Android 6.0.1
• Touchscreen 5.7″ SuperAMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560 × 1440, 515 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 4 GB
• Permanent memory 64 GB
• Map support microSD memory up to 200 GB
• SIM cards: 2 × Nano-SIM
• Communication GSM/GPRS/EDGE/3G/LTE Cat.9
• Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC, ANT+
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4 and 5 GHz
• GPS with A-GPS, Glonass
• Sensors: accelerometer, geomagnetic sensor, gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, hall sensor, fingerprint scanner, iris scanner, heart rate sensor
• Cameras: 5 MP (front) and 12 MP (rear) Dual Pixel, with LED flash, optical system stabilization and autofocus, f / 1.7, 4K video shooting
• Battery 3600 mAh, lithium polymer, non-removable
• Dimensions 154×74×7.9 mm
• Weight 169 g

For clarity, we decided to make a table with the characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 and its closest analogue Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, and also added the Moto X Force and iPhone 6S Plus, two flagships of competitors, to the table.

	Samsung Galaxy Note7	Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	Moto X Force	Apple iPhone 6s Plus
Screen	5.7″ Super AMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560×1440, 515 ppi	5.5″ Super AMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560×1440, 534 ppi	5.4″ AMOLED, 2560×1440, 540ppi	5.5″ IPS, 1920×1080, 401ppi
SoC (processor)		Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa (4x Mongoose @2.6GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.6)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.0GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5GHz)	Apple A9 (2 cores @1.8 GHz, 64-bit ARMv8-A architecture)
GPU	Mali-T880	Mali-T880	Adreno 430	Apple A9
Flash memory	64 GB	32 GB	32 GB	16/64/128 GB
Connectors	USB Type-C (OTG capable), 3.5mm headset jack, stylus hole		Micro-USB (OTG capable), 3.5mm headset jack	Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headset jack
Memory card support	microSD (up to 256 GB)	microSD (up to 200 GB)	microSD (up to 2TB)	No
RAM	4 GB	4 GB	3 GB	2 GB
cameras		rear (12 MP; video 4K), front (5 MP)	rear (21 MP; video 4K), front (5 MP)	rear (12 MP; video 4K), front (5 MP)
User identification sensors	fingerprint scanner, iris scanner	Fingerprint's scanner	No	Fingerprint's scanner
Hull protection	IP68 (water and dust proof)	IP68 (water and dust proof)	impact-resistant case and screen	No
Battery capacity (mAh)	3500	3600	3760	2750
Operating system	Google Android 6.0.1	Google Android 6.0.1	Google Android 6.0.1	Apple iOS 9.0 (upgradable to 9.2.1)
Dimensions (mm)*	154×74×7.9	151×73×7.7	150×78×9.2	158×78×7.3
Weight (g)	169	157	170	190
average price	T-14123351	T-13485518	T-13342759	T-12859250
Samsung Galaxy Note7 Retail Deals	L-14123351-10

*according to manufacturer's official data

The table clearly shows that the changes in Note7 compared to S7 Edge are minimal. Slightly larger display diagonal (with the same resolution and other parameters) and, accordingly, slightly larger dimensions, but less battery capacity. The novelty has twice as much built-in flash memory (this, by the way, can be an excuse for a higher price), and there is also an iris scanner that no one else has, and a USB Type-C connector instead of Micro-USB (this is no longer you will be surprised, but Samsung has it for the first time).

As for comparison with competitors, the situation here is ambiguous. Moto X Force loses in some ways, wins in some ways, while its key “chips” are completely different: a nylon coating on the back surface and impact resistance (but there is no moisture protection and an iris scanner).

Comparison with the iPhone 6S Plus does not seem to be effective at all, because a new iPhone will be released in September, and it would be more correct to compare it with it. Nevertheless, we could not but include the smartphone of the market leader in the table.

But let's move on to direct testing and understand the Note7 innovations in practice.

Equipment

The smartphone is sold in a black rectangular box.

The kit includes a charger with Quick Charge support (5V 2A in standard mode, 9V 1.67A in Quick Charge mode), USB Type-C to USB cable, SIM and memory card cradle ejector, OTG adapter for USB Type-C (for connecting external USB drives with a full-size plug), an adapter from USB Type-C to Micro-USB (for charging with a regular Micro-USB cable), information leaflets and brochures, and headphones in a separate plastic box and with an additional set of rubber ear pads.

The earbuds are the same as the ones on the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and S6 Edge+, and we can only be happy about that. They have a tangle-free flat wire, a very comfortable shape of the ear cushions, and most importantly, a really decent sound. Even deep basses are transmitted very worthily.

Overall, we can't help but note that Samsung really cares about its users and tries to include everything they need in the package. After all, the same adapters for the new USB Type-C connector will probably be needed, and looking for them is an extra problem. You will spend more time and money on the road to the store than the adapter itself costs.

Design

External samsung view The Galaxy Note7 is much closer to the S7 Edge than the previous Note. In fact, if you don't compare the Note7 and S7 Edge head-to-head, it's quite possible to confuse them. The general appearance and style are the same. And, frankly, over the past six months since testing the S7 Edge, our opinion on this style has not changed. Note7 looks very nice and impressive. Like the S7 Edge, it's one of the most stylish smartphones out there today.

Almost the entire front panel is occupied by a screen that wraps effectively on both sides along the long sides. And this is not only delightful in itself, but also creates the illusion of a complete absence of a frame on the sides. In fact, of course, there is a frame, but its sidewalls are already quite thin, and thanks to the rounding of the screen, they seem quite insignificant. True, unlike the S7 Edge, the rounding here is slightly smaller, and the metal edges, on the contrary, are wider. In the photo below, the S7 Edge sits on top of the Note7, and the difference in bezel thickness is clearly visible.

Is it convenient or not? Our editor Andrei Vorobyov, who has been using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge as his main smartphone for half a year, thinks it's convenient. Here is his opinion.

There is a feeling that in Note7 the side frames have become flat and wide by reducing the curves on both the front and back sides. As a result, the device is more confident in the hand. In terms of functionality, there is no deterioration compared to the S7 Edge, because both smartphones have a bent edge not large enough to accommodate information. only on them (separately from the main screen and without climbing onto it, like the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge). Therefore, a wider or already bent part is not so important.

The above photos clearly show that the bend in Note7 is really less. And it is hardly possible to use it as a functional element, that is, to place any controls on it. But here the main thing remains: the very fact of the bend and the illusion of the absence of edges. Therefore, the device looks no worse, and it is more comfortable in the hand. Like the S7 Edge, the edges are made of metal (more precisely, this is a full-fledged chassis, and not just a edging), and the front and back sides are made of plexiglass. Very stylish, but, alas, quite marco - prints on the back side are collected instantly.

All faces, like its predecessor, are made of metal, buttons too. They are pressed with a pleasant elasticity. The layout of buttons and connectors is similar to the previous model. On the right is the power button, on the left are separate volume buttons. On the bottom edge there is a speaker, a USB Type-C connector with OTG support, a 3.5 mm headset jack and a built-in microphone hole. In our review of the S7 Edge, we lamented that Samsung, unlike its competitors, is not yet equipping its flagships with a USB Type-C connector. And now - there is nothing to complain about :)

Of course, in addition to the changed connector, the rear tip of the stylus is striking in the photo of the bottom face. In order to pull it out of the smartphone, just press a little. Just as easily the stylus is inserted and fixed in the smartphone. The manufacturer emphasizes that the stylus can write even when the smartphone and stylus are submerged in water. We did not make such risky experiments, but we admit that the overall impressions of the stylus are the best. He distinguishes the force of pressing, allows you to perform small strokes.

The upper edge of the smartphone contains a combined slot for a memory card and two Nano-SIM format SIM cards. You can use either two SIM cards at the same time, or one SIM card and one microSD memory card.

Compared to the S7 Edge, there is only one difference here: the microphone has been moved closer to the edge.

There will be three color options for sale: dazzling platinum (gold), titanium silver (metallic) and black diamond (black). We tested the titanium silver version and, I must say, we are satisfied with the color, although it has one caveat: if the lighting is yellowish (for example, in the case of conventional incandescent lamps), then the smartphone also looks yellowish.

Security

One of the main features of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is the iris scanner. Although smartphones with this option are slowly starting to appear on the market, it is still a curiosity, and we were all the more interested in how one of the leaders in smartphone manufacturing implements it.

Let's say right away: the results exceeded all our expectations. And everyone who saw the work of the scanner said one thing: “Wow!”. The beauty of the technology is that recognition is almost instantaneous, in most cases it is error-free (it feels like about 90% of successful unlocks on the first try), and at the same time you do not need to keep your smartphone at a certain distance (that is, of course , it cannot be held too close to the face or, conversely, too far, but the allowable range is very large).

Another significant point is the correct operation of the scanner in different lighting conditions. In the dark - no problem, in the bright sun - too.

Finally, the third: the use of an iris scanner does not at all cancel the possibility of using a fingerprint scanner. That is, you can alternate the unlock type depending on the situation. At some point, it’s more convenient to raise the phone to eye level, at some point, it’s easier to put your finger on it.

However, all this is top-level protection, and at the bottom - all the same, a pin code or graphic key. So if you, for example, have an insufficiently reliable pin code, then the iris scanner will not make the smartphone more secure, because if it fails, an attacker can always try to guess the password. It would probably be advisable in the future to make the possibility of using biometric protection as a basic option as it is more difficult to crack. That is, in any case, the user had to use one of two options - either one or the other scanner. It is clear that there is concern: what if finger recognition does not work (this happens with all smartphones)? But for this case, there is now an iris scanner. And vice versa.

Returning to the description of the iris scanner in the Samsung Galaxy Note7, we note only one drawback: in order to launch it, you need to press the power button and swipe your finger across the screen, that is, do two actions (or even three, if you count lifting the smartphone as a separate action at eye level). Whereas to unlock with a fingerprint, just one press of the right finger on the Home button is enough.

Screen

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy Note7, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen on the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is slightly darker (brightness in photos is 113 versus 116 on the Nexus 7) and doesn't have a pronounced tint. The ghosting of reflected objects in the Samsung Galaxy Note7 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the screen layers. Due to the smaller number of borders (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, slightly better than Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

When displaying a white field in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 350 cd/m², the minimum was 1.5 cd/m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case the smaller the white area on the screen, the lighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a fairly good level. The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device without any problems even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness control, with which the user can try to set the desired brightness level under the current conditions. If the brightness slider is set to maximum in office conditions, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 7.7 cd / m² (darkish), in an office lit by artificial light (approximately 550 lux) it sets it to 350 cd / m² (excessively bright) , in a very bright environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 520 cd / m² (enough), and conditionally in direct sunlight, the screen brightness increases to 570 cd / m² ( information will be visible). If everything is still in office conditions, the brightness slider is at half the scale, then the screen brightness for the four conditions indicated above is as follows: 7.7, 130, 495 and 570 cd / m² (the first value is low). If the brightness control is set to minimum - 1.4, 1.4, 350 and 540 cd/m² (now the first two values ​​are too low). The result did not satisfy us, so we moved the slider first by 50% in the office, then a little to the right of the minimum in complete darkness. We got - 10, 170, 535 and 560 cd / m² (the perfect combination). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and to some extent allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. At any level of brightness there is a significant modulation with a frequency of approximately 60 or 240 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum and close to it, the modulation amplitude is not very large; as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, when the brightness is lowered, modulation with a large relative amplitude appears, and the presence of such modulation can already be seen in the test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, such flickering can cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light emitting diodes. A full color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphoto:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

On the fragment above, you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), while repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without gaps and overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer considers the screen resolution based on green subpixels, on the other two it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this variant is close to the screen case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and some other newer ones. Samsung devices(and not only) with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some uneven contrasting borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they have minimal effect on image quality.

The screen has excellent viewing angles. True, the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color remains just black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 (profile Basic) and the second comparison participant, the same images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd / m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. White field:

Note the excellent uniformity of brightness and hue of the white field (with the exception of darkening and changing hue towards the curled edges). And a test picture (profile Basic):

The color reproduction is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens is slightly different. Note that in this case, the picture occupies the height (with this screen orientation) of the entire area available for displaying the image and goes to the curved edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which makes it even more difficult to view images displayed in full screen. And even the picture of films with an aspect ratio of 16:9 comes to bends, which greatly interferes with watching movies. The photo above was obtained after choosing a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment of color rendering to the type of displayed image and environmental conditions, which is obtained by selecting the two remaining profiles shown below.

AMOLED cinema:

Saturation and color contrast are markedly increased.

AMOLED photo:

Saturation is slightly lower, color contrast is closer to normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile AMOLED cinema). White field:

The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (in order to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed is increased compared to previous photos), but in the case of Samsung, the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness samsung screen Galaxy Note7 visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), as the screen of a mobile device often has to be viewed at least from a slight angle. And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of Samsung at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the elements of the matrix is ​​\u200b\u200balmost instantaneous, but there may be a step at the front of the switch-on width of about 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, the dependence of brightness on time looks like this when moving from black to white and vice versa:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some “twitchy” movements.

For all three profiles, the gamma curve constructed from 32 points with equal intervals according to the numerical value of the shade of gray coincided. There is no significant blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 2.14, which is slightly less than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve deviates little from the exponential dependence (in parentheses, the exponent of the approximating power function is given functions and coefficient of determination):

Recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for images that are generally bright. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely does not correspond slightly to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential grayscale output almost on the entire screen.

Color gamut in profile case AMOLED cinema very wide:

When choosing a profile AMOLED photo coverage is pressed to the borders of Adobe RGB:

When choosing a profile Basic coverage is compressed to sRGB borders:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In the case of a profile Basic with the maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut without proper color correction, normal images optimized for sRGB devices look unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photos and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting does it make sense to switch the profile to AMOLED photo. Profile AMOLED cinema, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies and anything else.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good. The color temperature is close to 6500 K, while this parameter does not change very much in a significant part of the gray scale, which improves the visual perception of the color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units for most of the gray scale, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, and also does not change very much:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale in most cases can be ignored, since there the color balance does not matter much, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is acceptable (and even necessary in bright light) to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and a good color balance. At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected on the screen), excellent white field uniformity, noticeably smaller than that of LCDs, and a drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. The disadvantages include modulation of the screen brightness. Users who are particularly sensitive to flicker may experience fatigue as a result. However, overall the screen quality is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, curved edges are only harmful, since this design find introduces very noticeable color tone distortion and reduces brightness at the edges of the picture, and in ambient light conditions leads to inevitable glare at least along one long side of the screen.

Performance

The smartphone runs on the same Exynos 8890 Octa SoC as the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. The chip is made using the 14 nm process technology, enhanced with FinFET LPP (Low-Power Plus) technology. It uses Mongoose CPU cores (four cores with a frequency of 2.6 GHz) and four Cortex-A53 cores already familiar to us with a frequency of 1.6 GHz.

The Mali-T880 acts as a graphics accelerator. Volume random access memory- 4 GB, same as S7 Edge. And an important detail: 500 MB of these 4 GB is reserved for the needs of the GPU, so the benchmarks define the amount of RAM in both smartphones as 3.5 GB.

AT Samsung review Galaxy S7 Edge you can find detailed comparison performance SoC Exynos 8890 Octa with competing solutions. Here we will not focus on this and focus on understanding if there is any difference in performance between the S7 Edge and Note7.

Let's start with browser benchmarks: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark, Kraken Benchmark and . On all android devices we used Chrome browser, on iOS — Safari. If there is a dash in the table field, it means that the corresponding smartphone has not been tested in this benchmark (or in this version of this benchmark).

The small differences between the results of the two Samsung smartphones are well within the limits of the possible measurement error.

Now let's see how the gadget performs in complex benchmarks - AnTuTu 6 and Geekbench 3.

And again, an unambiguous picture does not work out: in AnTuTu, the new product overtakes the S7 Edge, and in Geekbench it is inferior to it. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the scatter of results is too large to attribute this to an error. However, let's not forget that the Note7 has newer software installed than the S7 Edge at the time of its launch, so this may be the reason for the picture.

The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. We used 3DMark, GFXBench and Bonsai Benchmark. All of them demonstrate real 3D scenes and allow you to visually see how devices cope with them.

Let's start with GFXBench. Recall that Offscreen tests are a display of a 1080p image on the screen, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And Onscreen tests are the output of a picture in the resolution that corresponds to the screen resolution of the device. That is, Offscreen tests are indicative in terms of the abstract performance of the SoC, and Onscreen tests are indicative of the comfort of playing on a specific device. In addition, this year's Android devices used the new Car Chase scene, which uses OpenGL ES 3.1. This standard is not supported by the iPhone, so this scene is not available there, nor is the ES 3.1 version of the Manhattan scene. However, there is enough data to draw conclusions.

	Samsung Galaxy Note7 (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa)	Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa)	Moto X Force (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810)	Apple iPhone 6s Plus (Apple A9)
GFXBenchmark Car Chase ES 3.1 (Onscreen)	7.9 fps	7.9 fps	3.2 fps	—
GFXBenchmark Car Chase ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen)	15 fps	15 fps	5.1 fps	—
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen)	15 fps	24 fps	10 fps	—
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen)	28 fps	26 fps	18 fps	—
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.0 (Onscreen)	25 fps	25 fps	—	39 fps
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.0 (1080p Offscreen)	38 fps	38 fps	—	40 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen)	51 fps	52 fps	40 fps	59 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen)	81 fps	84 fps	53 fps	80 fps

And here there is already almost complete parity between S7 Edge and Note7 (except for the strange loss of new items in one of the modes).

And the last test is 3DMark. The Sling Shot scene ran in OpenGL ES 3.1 on Android devices and OpenGL 3.0 on iPhone.

The abnormally high result in the Ice Storm Unlimited mode is difficult to explain, but it is what it is.

In general, the benchmarks allow us to admit that the performance of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 and S7 Edge is approximately identical, and at the moment this is the top level. At least until the new iPhone comes out.

Video playback

Theoretically possible support for adapters for output to external device we could not check the images due to the lack of an adapter option that connects to USB port Type-C, so I had to limit myself to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output frames of video files with different parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In tests, we used the MX Player video player in Hardware mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

Red marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the respective files.

According to the criteria for displaying frames, the quality of playing video files on the screen of the device itself is very good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, going to the bends. The clarity of the picture is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experiment, you can switch to the one-to-one mode by pixels, there will be no interpolation, but PenTile features will appear - the vertical world through the pixel will be in the grid, and the horizontal one will be a little greenish. This is on test worlds, the described artifacts are absent on real frames. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: in the shadows, only a couple of shades merge with black, and in the highlights, all gradations of shades are displayed.

Autonomy and heating

One of the most interesting questions in the case of flagships is the duration battery life, because, as we understand, the study of the characteristics will not necessarily be able to give an idea about this parameter. And even "laboratory" tests are not always indicative. That is why we used the Samsung Galaxy Note7 as the main and only smartphone and were able to evaluate the battery life "on our own skin".

Knowing that the battery capacity is slightly reduced compared to the S7 Edge, and the screen area is slightly larger, we were afraid that the phone would have to be charged more often than the S7 Edge. But in fact, we did not find any significant difference. Like the S7 Edge, the novelty can work in medium-intensive mode for two days. Medium intensity means the following: automatic check mail every 10 minutes (sometimes in addition to this - manually), frequent use of social networks and instant messengers (FB Messenger, Telegram, SMS), a certain amount of web surfing, irregular and short-term use of Yandex.Maps and Yandex.Transport, as well as about half an hour telephone conversations in a day.

Obviously, if you add watching videos and 3D games to this list, the picture will change. But if for you a smartphone is primarily a working tool, then you can safely charge it no more than every other night.

In addition to "real" testing, we have also added our standard test modes: Guided Tour in the Epic Citadel benchmark (3D game simulation) and YouTube video playback. And here the results are less impressive. In Epic Citadel, the smartphone lasted only 3 hours and 55 minutes - significantly less than many competitors. And when watching the video, the duration of the work was 12 hours 50 minutes, which is also not so hot, what a result, but still acceptable.

Simply put, the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is more for everyday business use than for gaming and entertainment. Probably, the SoC does not work very economically in the same games. As a result, strong heating and rapid loss of battery power.

Below are thermal images of the back surface obtained after 10 minutes of running a battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:

It can be seen that the heating is strongly localized above the center and close to the right edge, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 45 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is significantly higher than the average value in this test for modern smartphones.

Even when the article was written, a scandal erupted with the exploding batteries of the Galaxy Note7. We, fortunately, did not have such incidents, but it is clear that the problem is serious. We hope that Samsung will be able to solve it, and by the start of smartphone sales in Russia there will be no more problems.

In conclusion, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone and glasses virtual reality Samsung Gear VR:

In the second part of the article, you will find a detailed test of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 camera.

One of the interesting changes is the creation of a secure folder where you can transfer content that is not subject to public viewing, for this the functionality of the KNOX system has been expanded. One of the interesting features is the ability to install any duplicate application in such a protected folder, for example, the second Vkontakte or Telegram. The use of such technology is quite simple to come up with, and for sure it will find its fans.

fires

The number of explosive jokes about the Note 7 got even fans of memes, and for this you need to try very hard. Almost all YouTubers joked about what a Note 7 is hot. And this is definitely not in the hands of Samsung. Of course, there were cases of phone fires before, but in Note 7 they got, albeit not big, but massive.

What is known now?

• There is a small batch of devices, up to 5000 pieces, which have a battery defect.
• Batch of devices and their serial numbers known, but Samsung is recalling all devices worldwide.

This situation happens quite often in the world of car manufacturers: for example, technician Vasya assembled a car for a week and set the brakes incorrectly, which stop braking after a thousand pressing the pedal. You don't even have to go far from batteries, one of the first batches of TESLA had cars that could catch fire due to battery problems, but who remembers this now?

This is the first time such a major situation has happened with smartphones, Samsung's PR service initially reported that sales were stopped due to an incredible amount of pre-orders. A day later, another release came out: sales stopped due to battery problems and fire incidents.

But is what is happening now so critical?
Fire incidents occur only in the US and South Korea and do not affect the rest of the world.
There were problems with smartphones before: smartphones did not catch the network and easily bent.
Smartphones do not explode, but rather get very hot and start to smoke, this can be seen on the videos from the surveillance cameras of the cases, of course, in some cases this can lead to a fire.

History, like any informational occasion, will soon be forgotten. The main thing now is not to repeat the mistakes and not to let anything bad happen. Of course, the reputation is damaged, there are losses in the value of shares and the money will have to be spent on returns and reproduction, but do not forget that Samsung is a giant corporation that can afford to release flammable smartphones at least every half a year.

Samsung made the main headache for themselves - for some reason they decided to recall all smartphones. Although the problem occurs with 0.3% of devices. They did not immediately recognize the problem and tried to twist the situation into their own hands. They release firmware for a long time with a limit on the percentage of charge. They, knowing a specific batch, do not update the firmware and do not remotely turn off devices that can be harmful to health.

This is probably the problem of a large corporation - the vertical of management simply does not allow you to quickly respond to such situations. Let's hope that the case will make the management think about solving such sharply arising problems. Otherwise, the company is doing well and they know how to make smartphones.

Galaxy Note 7. Photo: Cnet.com

The story around the explosive Galaxy Note 7 will be in every marketing textbook. It was hard to think of a worse development for Samsung. The new Note could lag, reboot, not catch a signal cellular network– Samsung would have dealt with all this by quietly replacing problematic devices, releasing OS updates and investing more in marketing and PR. But you can’t just close your eyes to explosions, pretending that there is no problem.

Samsung has recorded only 35 cases when a Galaxy Note 7 left on a charge heated up to such a state that it led to an explosion of the battery. I emphasize: only 35 cases. At the time when this story gained momentum in the media and the Internet, 2.5 million Note 7 copies had already been produced, of which 1 million found their customers. You understand that 35 devices against the background of 2.5 million is a drop in the ocean. But from this drop a real storm could break out, the consequences of which Samsung would no longer be able to control.

Ko Dong-jin, President of Samsung Electronics' Mobile Communications Business, on meeting with journalists. Photo: reuters.com

There is still no official information about what exactly is happening with Note 7. As well as there is no exact data on whether absolutely all smartphone models or only a certain batch are affected by this scourge. Of the 2.5 million copies produced, perhaps none more would have exploded, or vice versa - each of them would have turned out to be a time bomb.

The Galaxy Note 7 is the first Samsung smartphone to use the USB Type-C interface. We are used to the fact that Samsung always installs the most advanced technologies on the market in its devices, and everyone was waiting for USB Type-C in the Galaxy S 7, but its appearance in Galaxy models was postponed until the last. It all looks very strange, and what seemed like a marketing gimmick to draw attention to the Note 7 may be an engineering problem that arose within the company for a long time.

Galaxy Note 7 unpacked. Photo: samsung.com

According to information published by some media, Samsung sees the problem in non-certified power supplies and non-genuine USB Type-C used to charge Note 7. What causes the battery to explode?

The USB 3.1 standard used by the USB Type-C connector, like any other generally accepted interface, complies with the parameters approved by the consortium of manufacturers. It can deliver 5A at 20V. In comparison, USB 3.0 can deliver 1.8A at 5V.

At the same time, the usual charging, which is charging your smartphone or tablet right now, produces a standard voltage of 5V and a current of up to 2A. The current strength at a particular point in time is determined by the power controller located on motherboard devices

Most modern smartphones have fast charging capability. For this, an increased voltage is used, which is supplied to the power controller of the device. It is he who protects your device from an explosion, not allowing high currents to pass through the battery. So, you can not be afraid to use the supplied power supply from the MacBook 12, which has an output of 14.5V and 2A, to charge a smartphone that requires 9V and 2A. The power controller in a smartphone can communicate with the power supply to regulate the amount of current used for charging and will not use all 14.5V.

In addition, the batteries themselves have an additional power controller to prevent overcharging and deep discharge of the device. When your phone turns off, signaling a low battery, in fact, its battery has not yet been discharged to zero. Exactly like 100 percent charging is a lie. This is done for the purpose of safety and increasing the service life of the energy element.

It's time to return to the Galaxy Note 7. Obviously, the problem here is on the side of the device. For some reason, the power controller on the Note 7 motherboard was supplying too much current to the battery, or the built-in power controller in the battery was broken, which led to the endless charging of the device. The consequence of any of these cases is the heating of the electrolyte in a sealed battery case and the release of gas, which, as you know from the school physics course, expands, trying to take everything free space which eventually led to the explosion.

The auto-ignition temperature of lithium is in the region of 300 ° C, and combustion products are extremely toxic and harmful to humans. And this is not to mention the fact that the explosion of the device can lead to severe physical injury. Naturally, Samsung could not take such reputational risks. No amount of sales and market share is worth human lives.

Now Samsung is suspending shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 to partners and is recalling already sold models from customers. According to experts, this whole procedure will cost the company a billion dollars, not counting the penalties for broken supply contracts and advertising companies, launched into an empty space.

For Samsung, this whole story is a real challenge. You will have to restart the Galaxy Note 7 already competing with the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. For the first time, these products will converge with each other in the same time period. Samsung has taken its place in the sun too long to give it away to competitors because of one unfortunate mistake. And no matter how anyone in the network rejoiced at the failure of the company, one cannot fail to note the responsibility of the company to its consumers. To recall devices around the world, while suffering multimillion-dollar losses, even if due to a minimal, but a threat to people's lives, is at least worthy of respect.

As I said before: the story around the Galaxy Note 7 will go into marketing textbooks. It remains only to understand whether it will be a success story of overcoming crisis situations or a failure story.

Specifications

• Android 6.0.1 Grace UI
• Display 5.7 inches, QHD-resolution 2560x1440 pixels (518 ppi), SuperAMOLED, automatic backlight control, Always On function, different operating modes, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• 4 GB RAM, 64 GB built-in, memory card up to 256 GB
• nanoSIM (there will be options for 2 SIM cards, then the memory card in the combo slot will not be available)
• Chipset Exynos 8890, 8 cores up to 1.8 GHz per core, MALI T880 MP12 GPU (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 variant in some countries), 14 nm
• support for LTE cat12/13 with software update, operator support is also required, default LTE cat.9
• Front-camera 5 megapixels, flash (screen), BRITECELL main camera, 12 megapixels, time lapse, slow motion, video effects, 4K video
• IP68 dust and water resistant
• Latest generation fingerprint sensor
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot, Bluetooth®: v4.2, A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+, USB 3.1, NFC
• In-body wireless charging (WPC1.1(4.6W Output) & PMA 1.0(4.2W)
• 3500 mAh Li-Ion battery, extreme power saving mode, fast charging in one hour up to 70 percent
• Dimensions - 153.5x73.9x7.9 mm, weight - 169 grams

Contents of delivery

• Smartphone
• Wired stereo headset
• USB Type C to microUSB adapter
• Charger(Fast Adaptive Charge) with USB Type C cable
• USB Type C to USB adapter
• Instruction
• Clip for SIM tray

Positioning

The attentive reader must wonder where the sixth generation of Note has gone, because a year ago in August we discussed Note 5, and then an unexpected jump to number seven. There are two reasons for such a decision, which of them prevailed, it is difficult to say, I think their contribution is equivalent. Firstly, the Galaxy line has always been one generation ahead of the Note, since they did not appear at the same time. These models come out with a difference of six months, usually Galaxy appears in March-April, Note in late summer or early autumn. And it turns out that there is a significant gap between them. But the main thing is that the later released Note model has an index one less. For example, after the appearance and start of sales of the Galaxy S6 of all variants, Note 5 came out six months later, which for some buyers created confusion and created the perception of this model as something “old”, not corresponding to the flagship. The market for the Note line has long gone beyond the circle of technology enthusiasts, so, oddly enough, this factor plays a role. It would not be superfluous to recall that the Note has always been technologically superior to the Galaxy line, for at least half a year it remained the most powerful smartphone from Samsung.

Since 2016, both Samsung lines have become the same in numbers, now the models will come out with the same index, so in 2017 the Galaxy S8 will appear, and later the Note 8 will be released. And if for Galaxy this will be the eighth generation of the device, then for Note only the seventh, but consumers will not worry much about this issue.

The second reason is indirect, but for marketers it plays a role. Apple has the seventh generation of the iPhone on the market in September, which means that Samsung is also leveling the difference in perception, both companies now have the “same” generations of devices. Is it good? In principle, this does not play a role for the majority, this is again a nod to the part of the audience that understands absolutely nothing about phones, but judges by numbers who is cooler. There are quite a lot of such people on the market, this is especially true for Latin America, Mexico and countries in that part of the world, partly in the USA.

In August 2015, when Samsung showed Note 5, it became clear that the future of the Note line was in doubt, the company decided to make the S6 EDGE + the main device, and sell and promote the Note as a residual in most markets. It came out at the end of the year, that is, with a delay of several months, did not have the same support, it seemed that they wanted to quietly get rid of the Note line. Already in January, it became clear that such steps by Samsung caused a very sharp reaction from buyers, they did not want the disappearance of the Note line and demanded that, as before, this line not only exist, but provide devices with the best engineering solutions. By the time the Galaxy S7 / S7 EDGE was announced, Samsung had already decided that they would return everything to its original place and the next Note would become one of the key models for the company.

The positioning of this device looks simple - this is the most powerful model from an engineering point of view, which has a large margin of safety. Curiously, various forums are still discussing the fact that Note 3 is so good that there is no point in replacing it with older models. It is clear that this is not entirely true, but in the perception of a noticeable number of people, the previous models of the Note line are not at all outdated and are in demand. For example, when traveling, I often use Note 4 without experiencing any problems, this is a completely modern smartphone both in terms of speed and android versions(worth 6.0.1). Over the past two years, this model has not passed much, it may well live for at least another year, providing comfortable work. There are almost no models on the market with such a long life cycle, which, at the same time, would not become morally obsolete.

For those who are looking for the very best device, devoid of compromises, this model offers just such an option. But, again, unlike previous years, the difference in technology with the same Galaxy S7 EDGE is uncritical or invisible to most buyers, many perceive the changes as cosmetic and not worthy special attention. In some ways it is, in some ways it is not.

Like any flagship from the A-brand, Note 7 costs accordingly, however, we will talk about this separately at the end of the material. Let's first dwell on the main points associated with this device, let's talk about the impressions of long-term use.

Design, dimensions, controls

With comparable dimensions, the differences in the ergonomics of the S6 and S7 were striking, the second lay in the hand like a glove, and the first against its background was perceived as an unfinished prototype. Having mastered this trick, Samsung engineers were able to repeat it in the Note line, the new flagship fits perfectly in the hand, although I didn’t have any particular complaints about the previous one. But the case was narrowed, and due to this and the beveled edges, it fits better in the hand. Many people who scolded the Note line for its size, having tried the S7 EDGE, somehow got attached to it, saying that this device is excellent in terms of ergonomics. It was on him as a prototype that they were guided when creating Note 7. The dimensions of Note 5 are 153.2x76.1x7.6 mm, Note 7 - 153.5x73.9x7.9 mm. Another thickness of the case is not felt, but the fact that it is already clear immediately. At the same time, a slightly smaller size does not bear any loss in characteristics.

Compared to Galaxy Note 5

Very often I hear that people consider certain phones to be slippery. With Note 7, there is no such problem anywhere, except for water. Climbing into the Atlantic Ocean to photograph how the waves swirl, I got a few great photos, but the wave easily knocked the phone out of his hands, and he set off on his last voyage. It is interesting that for a day and a half it was possible to observe on the map how the apparatus moved along the coast, the signal from it passed from time to time. I suppose that sometimes he was lifted from the bottom by a wave, and then he managed to transmit his coordinates. But it was impossible to find it in the water. The conclusion is simple - when entering the water with Note 7, hold it tightly or use a case so that the device does not drown.

Compared to iPhone 6S Plus

Compared to Moto Z

One of key features all Note up to five had collapsible cases and the ability to independently change the battery. Unfortunately, this device has a monolithic body, the battery can only be replaced in a service center, which, however, is not a problem, the procedure is standard and takes a few minutes. Of course, if you have service center. We’ll talk about the battery separately, I won’t get ahead of myself here, although for many the phrase “battery in Note 7” evokes a certain associative array.

Just like in S7/S7 EDGE, water protection is added, IP68 standard is supported. You can swim with the phone, drop it into the water, and in most situations it won't do anything. Watch a video of how the S7 behaves in a tank of water.

Just like the S7/S7 EDGE, it uses advanced protection technology where the connectors detect if there is water in them and refuse to charge when it is detected. But, unlike the S7/S7 EDGE, the screen coating has been redesigned (the glass is still the same Corning Gorilla Glass 4+, it is also called Gorilla Glass 5 for the rest of the market), now presses are more accurately recognized when the screen is wet.

But that's not all, the S Pen has become smaller, but now it can work both in water and under water (why the second is needed is a big question for me, but perhaps someone will find a use for this technology).

The slot is retractable, there is a place for a microSD memory card, a combined slot (either two SIM cards or a memory card). It is possible that in certain markets Note 7 will be promoted as DUOS, then this will be indicated on the inscription on the case. But structurally, these devices do not differ in any way, they are the same.

Four body colors, a familiar design that does not impress with anything. Blue devices are not supplied to Russia.

The most popular color is black (black onyx - Black Onyx), it accounts for the majority of sales in all countries of the world, it was also the leader in pre-orders in Russia, which is about 80% of the total volume. I also like this color and I chose it. Gold color (Gold Platinum) is easily soiled, there are traces of hands on it, and they are clearly visible indoors. Silver (Silver Titanium) is not so easily soiled, but peculiar, it will not suit everyone. Oddly enough, the blue device looks good, it is a little more lively than the similar color in Note 5.

Among the external changes is the replacement of the microUSB connector with USB Type C. S7 EDGE prototypes were equipped with the same connector, but at the last moment they abandoned it, believing that there would be no benefit from using it. In this model, it is installed, it is USB 3.1 (not 2.0), that is, the data transfer rate will be maximum.

Of the minuses that migrated from the previous generation to Note 7, I note the painting of the metal mesh of the speaker, over time (about six months of a completely careless attitude) it will begin to peel off. In the photo you can see my S7 EDGE.

The same awaits Note 7, the process has not changed in any way, although the company knows that this problem exists. The second weak point is the fingerprint sensor, which is not even covered by Corning Gorilla Glass, but by plastic. For 4-5 months, the plastic is wiped off, and an ugly stain appears, just like on my S7 EDGE. The same is true for Note 7.

These two shortcomings are very frustrating, as they age the device and make it a little sloppy after six months, especially if you peer, and not catch a glimpse. In the same Apple iPhone, the button with the sensor is covered with sapphire, which guarantees the preservation appearance. Why Samsung can't do exactly the same, I don't understand.

Compared to Galaxy S7 Edge

Unlike Note 4, which uses a system of three microphones, this device has only two of them, they are placed at the ends. The noise reduction system works perfectly when talking, the missing third microphone removed the possibility of recording a conversation at a round table from the recorder, when there are several interlocutors, but the “Interview” mode remains, it works decently.

On the front side, there is a proximity sensor, light sensor, iris scanner, and a 5-megapixel selfie camera, all above the screen. The central key is mechanical, with a fingerprint sensor, it works on touch. For some reason, this key is often pressed in the pocket, its size has been changed compared to the S7 EDGE. Although this does not always happen and not for everyone, it has happened to me in certain situations. But in general, this does not create a noticeable problem.

Display

The display has a diagonal of 5.7 inches, QHD-resolution 2560x1440 pixels (518 ppi), this is the latest generation of SuperAMOLED. Back in the days of S6, it seemed to me that it would be difficult to improve a lot in screens, but Samsung refutes these expectations every time. So, just like in S7 / S7 EDGE, the Always On mode appeared, when the clock and icons about missed events are shown on the screen. The logic has been slightly changed, now, in addition to notifications about calls and SMS, you can see icons different applications, including colored icons. Another point, if you write a note on the screen, then clicking on its icon on the Always On display, you will see this note, which is convenient.

The algorithm for working in the sun has been changed, the device gives more natural colors. In general, we can say that Samsung took their ideal screen of the previous generation and made it even more colorful, better. Plus, you can change the color scheme as you like, which gives you a wide palette of colors. Or adapt the screen automatically. The algorithm for learning your preferences has become a little more intelligent, it learns faster what kind of backlight and in what situations, programs you prefer.

Display Mate tested Note screen 7 and called it a work of art and the best screen among all mobile devices, a complete debriefing from them can be read.

And I would like to make a few points. First of all, the auto brightness of the backlight has increased to 1000 nits, which gives a very bright and clear picture in the sun, no other phone can do this, including the S7/S7 EDGE. In bright sunlight in camera mode, this is clearly visible.

Secondly, a video enhancement mode has appeared, in fact, this is an HDR mode for videos where this option is not initially available. But if you want to watch HDR-encoded videos on your phone (HDR mode from 4K TVs), you can do it, this option is supported for the first time on a mobile device. Of course, for most, this will be another feature that they will never get to know, and here Samsung is running ahead of the engine. But it is safe to say that other companies will use the same approach in the future. At the moment, there is practically no such content that can be viewed using this option.

From the point of view of the quality of the screen and picture, the ability to customize it for each individual, this is the best device on the market that has no direct competitors. The flagships of other companies are good, but they do not work equally in all lighting conditions, but here you get the maximum possible both in the sun and indoors. In a word, it is truly a work of art.

Now a few words about the side faces, for them they changed the curvature of the bend, and this managed to achieve that false positives became noticeably smaller. They did not pester me on S7 EDGE, but sometimes they happened, here they are an order of magnitude smaller.

You can familiarize yourself with how the side face works, what you can do with it and which applications to install.

Now let's focus on the new generation protective glass– Corning Gorilla Glass 5. A video appeared on the network in which, using tools calibrated on the Mohs scale, a person showed that at level 3 you can scratch new glass from Corning, while the fourth generation scratched only at level 5-6.

Corning refuted these words, pointing out that the scratch resistance of the glass remained at the same level as the previous generation, it changed its resistance to falls (survival in 80% of cases when falling from 1 meter 60 centimeters). This is true, and it is extremely difficult to break the device, but it is possible if desired. This apparatus crashed after a dozen falls from such a height.

There are no reasons not to believe Corning or the author of the video, but it turns out to be a very contradictory situation. Is the screen scratched or not? In our video, for comparison, I scratched both S7 EDGE and Note 7 with a knife, as a result, it was S7 EDGE that was scratched. Does this prove something? Absolutely nothing. For example, in a pocket with sand, both the first and second are guaranteed to be scratched.

More than a month with my device, with very careless handling of it (carried it with keys, threw it in the sand, and so on), it received small, imperceptible scratches on the screen, and this happened only after spending time on the beach. In all other situations, the screen showed itself no worse than the previous model. People who are worried about the appearance of small scratches, which are only visible up close, are not felt with a finger, do not affect the quality of the image display in any way, they surprise me. I'm sure they try to replace the bumpers in their cars under insurance if there is a small, barely visible scratch. Forgetting that the bumper is designed to be covered with scratches and serve as protection. I do not want to convince anyone, but I am sure that in two or three years of using the phone, no serious problems will appear with its screen in terms of scratches. The problem is very far-fetched and akin to iPhones bending in the back pockets, there is no practical sense for consumers. For those who worry and shake their screen, there are mineral glass stickers that will protect the display. But I think that gluing protection on protection is stupid, it's the same as wrapping a suitcase at the airport in film in order to preserve its appearance. The only purpose of the film is to make sure that thieves do not get into your suitcase, but preserving the appearance of the suitcase is a utopia. Although different people have different views on this issue.

Memory, RAM, memory cards, chipset, performance

Initially, it was assumed that this device will receive 6 GB of RAM and a new mechanism for allocating memory depending on the load will be used. But it was decided to abandon this and leave this technology for 8th or even 9th generation devices. At the request of Google, since the company did not have time to make the necessary add-ons to Android and wants all flagships to get this opportunity within one year.

The total amount of RAM is 4 GB. This is enough for the eyes for all tasks. The memory type has not changed, it is LPDDR4 (10 nm manufacturing process). Very often, people complain about the fact that after loading a smartphone a small amount of RAM is available, which shows a complete ignorance of the issue and how memory is allocated in Android. The occupied memory does not affect the performance of the system, the ability to perform certain tasks. Therefore, the very parameter of how much memory is occupied is useless for evaluating anything, it does not say anything at all.

The minimum amount of pre-installed memory becomes 64 GB, plus microSD memory cards of any size are available (Samsung guarantees memory cards up to 256 GB). They say that some operators will sell 128 GB versions, but this is exotic, the vast majority of devices will come with 64 GB.

Now a few words about chipsets. The device comes in two versions, for the US market and a couple of operators outside it - on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 (maximum frequency - 2.3 GHz, a bunch of virtual parrots in Antutu). For most of the world, the device will be released on Exynos 8893, the frequency here is up to 2.7 GHz, while there is less heating and more time, plus better implemented camera algorithms, energy saving. The difference in operating time between these chipsets at the same load can reach 20-25 percent. Of course, it all depends on your scenarios for using the device, but, nevertheless, this is a rather tangible difference. The presence of a version from Qualcomm is a tribute to the American market and the choice of operators.

The performance of the solution remains high, this is one of the most powerful smartphones, as you can see if you look at the results of synthetic tests. They do not reflect the real performance in life, and it will be enough for the eyes of any person. No slowdowns, slow work and the like.

Battery

Battery capacity - 3500 mAh. The Note 7 was supposed to get a new type of battery, the same as in J7 2016, but at the last moment the company played back, using the same battery as in the Galaxy S7 EDGE, albeit with a slightly smaller capacity. Apparently, the rejection of new technologies is due to the fact that Note 7 as a whole decided not to stuff them, but to save them for subsequent devices. Nevertheless, there are still some technical solutions in Note 7, they have not been seen before.

So, in power saving mode, for the first time, you can change the screen resolution, for example, switch from QHD to FullHD, which will reduce the load on the graphics subsystem and give you an additional 15-20% of the operating time with the same characteristics (screen brightness, all programs, etc.). d.).

If you look at the performance of the device in this mode, it will increase slightly.

It's a fun way to extend your phone's battery life while also choosing the screen resolution you're comfortable with and think is sufficient. In my opinion, most consumers will stay at the original QHD resolution, but some may choose another. Other manufacturers do not yet have this option, as it requires complex integration of OS and display software.

Now let's focus on the operating time of commercial devices. Here, everything has not changed in any way compared to Note 5, this is a day of work, moreover, in the same modes and with the same load. It turns out that with an average backlight you will get (automatic adjustment), 3.5-4 hours of screen operation and a full day of work. Video playback at maximum brightness - about 13 hours.

It's a pity, but the miracle did not happen, and the device is quite comparable with the same S7 EDGE, this is a confident day of work under load. If we talk about those who save and squeeze everything possible out of the phone, use a not very bright backlight, then you can achieve two days of confident work in mixed mode.

Just like before, there is fast charging, it has become a little faster (half charge in 25 minutes). Supports wireless fast charging (WPC/PMA).

Battery fire, Note 7 replacement and worldwide recall

I'm sure you've heard many times about the Note 7 exploding. A separate material is devoted to this, which describes the causes and consequences, as well as the company's actions to replace devices free of charge.

The situation with marriage is unprecedented, and Samsung did not waste time on trifles, but stopped sales of the device around the world, and those who had already bought the phone were offered a free replacement for devices from a new batch with a different marking. Moreover, if we talk about Russia, then all those who bought gray devices can exchange them for free for the PCT, the company will do this starting from the second half of September.

No devices from the batch with a potential marriage were delivered to Russia, so those who received their phones on pre-orders can use them. Or they can change them to new ones starting next week. All new batches come out with updated markings, devices from the first batches have been withdrawn, and they will not be on the market in any form. The media story around flammable Note 7 is greatly inflated, while this problem can only be encountered in the USA or South Korea and with a certain procedure (first you need to burn the charge controller with a non-original charger). Considering that only updated devices will go on sale, there is no particular problem, it concerns only the first batches. Polls show that there are no mass refusals to purchase Note 7, moreover, less than 2% of buyers refused pre-orders in Russia, which speaks for itself. Another thing is that in Russia, as an apology for the postponement of delivery, a set of accessories is given with the phone in addition to Gear Fit 2.

The trail of media history will drag on the Note 7 for a long time, but it is unlikely that it will be able to hit sales of the device hard. Lost only a month and a half, which went to the exchange, then sales will go in the usual way.

Iris scanner

One of the key changes is the iris scanner, this method allows you to unlock the device without touching it. The work of the scanner reminded me in ideology of what we saw on the Lumia 950/950 XL. Whether you wear glasses or not, it makes no difference, look at the device, and it will recognize your iris and unlock it. This takes less than a second. This method is error-free and works very quickly, it can compete with a fingerprint. Of the minuses - a slightly higher power consumption, but you have to pay for convenience, right?

If the running of this technology in Note 7 shows that it is interesting to the public and in demand, then it may appear in S8/S8 EDGE. Although it is possible that this will be one device, and not two models.

S Pen - pen features, new programs and styles

At the presentation of Note 7, they talked a lot and in detail about the updated S Pen, I will try to reflect the most important points. To begin with, most people consider the S Pen an additional and almost unnecessary thing, they use the stylus built into the case very rarely. On the other hand, there is a creative minority that is used to pens, loves to draw, and, on the contrary, does not let go of the S Pen, creates beautiful drawings, sketches, in a word, constantly uses the stylus. These two categories of people will never be able to understand each other, they have too different tasks and needs. Unfortunately, I never learned to draw something other than a stick-stick-circle, and as a result, a little man, so I consider myself to be among the majority without any special artistic talents.

For me, the S Pen is the ability to leave a quick note, write on the screen without even unlocking the phone. This is very useful in meetings when you need to remember something and do not need to write it down in a notebook. Short notes on the run, which are also synchronized with the cloud.

But perhaps the most important thing is the ability to take a screenshot of a page that does not fit on the entire screen. The function appeared back in Note 5, it came in handy more than once to show certain things, instantly send them as a single file, and not torn pages.

Another important point is the ability to take a screenshot anywhere on the screen and immediately draw something on it, cut out a piece. It is also interesting for those who work with graphics and the like.

From the useful, I will also tell you about the ability to recognize text in pictures, that is, you save everything that you photographed or took a screenshot, not only as graphics, you can remove the text from there. It is an indispensable tool in my work.

New feature- this is the translation of individual words, in this mode you set the direction of the translation and you can peep any words that will be immediately shown. The engine from Google is used, the function is pleasant for those who study or constantly correspond in different languages, not always having a dictionary at hand.

The fact that the S Pen began to work under water, in my opinion, is nonsense. It is unlikely that scuba divers will use the phone when diving, and even at a depth of two meters it will simply leak. But what can be written in the rain is already a real application scenario that is easy to imagine.

The pen has physically become a little smaller, the recognition accuracy has increased, as before, 2048 degrees of pressure are taken into account. In the S Note application, a drawing mode appeared, when you can mix colors, this was not there before.

In the first batches of Note 5 out of the blue, bloggers created problems that the pen could be inserted with the wrong end into the connector. It is not clear how drunk you need to be to do this, but then the design was changed. In Note 7, trying to insert the wrong end of the S Pen will not work, the pen simply will not enter the slot.

I can’t say that I use the S Pen very actively, sometimes it happens that I don’t take it out for several days, sometimes I draw something on screenshots a couple of times a day, cut out pictures. But I can say for sure that it helps me to quickly complete the routine tasks that I encounter from time to time. There is simply nothing like this in other phones. Handwriting recognition has become noticeably better, but, in my opinion, this is not as convenient as just typing text on the keyboard, although, perhaps, someone thinks the other way around. I am sure that people who write every year is becoming less and less. And therefore, the S Pen is not so much for writing, but for performing tasks in which the stylus is difficult to replace with a finger.

Camera

Formally, these are the same cameras that we saw in the S7/S7 EDGE, in fact the image processing algorithm has been improved, the difference is not cardinal, but it exists. Autofocus works instantly, however, it was like that on the S7. Due to the increased performance, the processing of images and videos is many times faster. As well as the image stabilization algorithm has changed, it is sharper when shaking. This is one of best cameras on the market, I would like to separately compare it with the iPhone 7 Plus, but we will do this in October. In the meantime, you can see examples of photos and videos from the device. Due to the updated screen, the photos on it look noticeably better than on the S7 EDGE, but this is precisely the effect of the picture on the display, you will not find the difference on a PC, or it will be minimal.

The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels, light sensitivity has been slightly increased. The screen itself can act as a flash. It is possible to improve complexion, remove artifacts on the skin, and at the same time correct the geometry of the face. Face enhancers will definitely appeal to girls.

Photo examples

I think that the photos speak for themselves, the quality of the Note 7 camera is in no way inferior to the best solutions on the market, and in many ways surpasses them.

USB, Bluetooth, communication capabilities

Version Bluetooth 4.2, it was created for the Internet of things and works great with various sensors. Otherwise, there are no special changes, new profiles have appeared, energy consumption has improved. Let me remind you that there is something interesting in the new standard.

Firstly, this is an extended range, which can reach several tens of meters, depending on the settings of the devices and how the manufacturer configured this option. Secondly, the IP protocol is used for addressing, that is, devices now have their own unique addresses and communication with many such devices is supported.

From the technical points, the interaction between Bluetooth and LTE has been improved, now within the same device the operation of these technologies is synchronized, mutual interference is not created (for our LTE frequencies it is irrelevant). Plus, Bluetooth devices can now access the cloud and transfer their results directly, bypassing the companion device, as was necessary before.

USB connection. It uses USB 3.1.

WiFi. 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac is supported, the wizard is similar to that for Bluetooth. You can remember the selected networks, automatically connect to them. It is possible to set up a connection to the router with one touch, for this you need to press a key on the router, and also activate a similar button in the device's menu (WPA SecureEasySetup). Of the additional options, it is worth noting the setup wizard, it appears when the signal is weak or disappears. You can also set Wi-Fi to work on a schedule.

For 802.11n, HT40 mode of operation is supported, allowing you to double the Wi-Fi throughput (requires support from another device).

WiFi Direct. A protocol that aims to replace Bluetooth or compete with its third version (it also uses Wi-Fi version n to transmit large files). In the Wi-Fi settings menu, select the Wi-Fi Direct section, the phone starts searching for devices around. Select the desired device, activate the connection on it, and voila. Now in the file manager you can view files on another device, as well as transfer them. Another option is to simply find the devices connected to your router and transfer the necessary files to them, this can be done from the gallery or other sections of the phone. The main thing is that the device supports Wi-Fi Direct.

WiFi repeater. Usually, when you turn on the hotspot on your phone, it instantly turns off Wi-Fi, you can’t use both at the same time. Immediately, as in S7/S7 EDGE, it is possible to distribute your Wi-Fi to other devices, see about it in the video.

NFC. The device has NFC technology, it can be used with various additional applications.

S Beam. A technology that allows you to transfer a file of several gigabytes to another phone in a few minutes. In fact, we see in S Beam a combination of two technologies - NFC and Wi-Fi Direct. The first technology is used to bring and authorize phones, but the second is used to transfer the files themselves. The creatively redesigned way to use Wi-Fi Direct is much easier than using a connection on two devices, selecting files, and so on.

Grace UI and Note 7 interface features

Starting with Note 7, Samsung is switching to an updated Android interface, it has been named Grace UI. The ideology has remained the same - to give the most simple and lightweight interface that will be similar to regular Android on the one hand, but will provide many improvements on the other hand. Unlike the previous year, many of the changes are directly related to the hardware capabilities of the devices, which makes them curious. Let's take a closer look at what has changed, how the system looks and what it allows the user to do.

Main screen, shutter and settings

At first glance, nothing has changed, except for the rendering of icons, a drop-down curtain and other small elements. Many perceive these changes as cosmetic, although they are not, and they are more serious.

The first thing that catches your eye in the settings menu is the openwork of the fonts and the large amount of information that fits on the screen. If in the previous version of the interface large, bright icons were considered simplicity, then functionality and the ability to show more information were put at the forefront. Those who advocate simplicity will be dissatisfied, but in fact this approach is more convenient, you do not need to scroll through the screens to open the desired menu items.

At the top of the list was "connections", in this section you can manage all the wireless interfaces of the phone, for example, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC. If earlier it was possible to set the visibility of the device for others only when a particular function was activated, now a general switch has appeared, you can activate it, and then the smartphone will always be visible in the search. Note that radio buttons become the main element in the list, and tooltips appear that describe each menu item. It is very convenient and makes it easier to work with the phone.

Of the features of the device, I note the combined download of large files both over the cellular network (LTE) and over Wi-Fi. The file is split into parts, and the download is faster. Also here you can find MirrorLink, when you can broadcast your phone's screen to other devices.

When using two SIM-cards, you have the opportunity to choose the main one for calls and also from which card the Internet will be used. On the other hand, when making calls, you can choose the card you are calling with, the interface is very simple and clear.

In the "Sounds" section, you set up vibration and ringtones for various events. There are also sound effects and equalizers, they work for any application on the phone. That is, you can customize everything as much as possible for yourself.

In the "Notifications" section, you select programs that will be able to update their statuses in the curtain or send messages about events, you can immediately turn them on or off, and configure their behavior.

The "Display" section allows you to select the screen mode, this is a color scheme that is adjustable in four options, a night reading mode, when the blue color changes so that your eyes do not get tired. Traditionally, you can choose the font size, its style for system menus, and also download new fonts. There are settings for the curved screen.

Icon frames, the main menu view and much more are immediately configured. In practice, most of the settings are carried out once, and many do not even change anything, since everything suits them.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that it is impossible to take screenshots in the "Themes and Wallpapers" section, now there is such a security policy. The company is trying so hard to protect the developers of this content. You can install both themes and individual icon sets for all applications, allowing you to change the look of your phone as you like.

Check out the Grace UI video for a detailed look at all the features of the updated interface.

Game component, Vulkan API

At the presentation of Note 7, special attention was paid to the gaming component and repeated, like a mantra, the words about the Vulkan API, which improves the graphics in toys. Since the S7/S7 EDGE demo, Need has been used to reinforce these words. for Speed: No Limits, Vainglory. This game demonstrates the difference between graphics and regular version. Unfortunately, you can stop at this game, at the moment game developers have not yet created their masterpieces for the Vulkan cross-platform engine, this will take time. By the time such games appear, which will take a year or two, or even three, the need for a telephone will disappear. Therefore, it is impossible to consider the Vulkan API as some kind of advantage, it does not exist or it is only on paper. In real life, you gain nothing from the fact that there is support for this API.

Samsung Cloud - cloud storage from the company

Let me remind you that together with Note 7 Samsung service Cloud was born, you are given 15 GB in the cloud, and photos, videos, contacts and SMS are automatically uploaded there, everything is synchronized between your different devices. You can choose to sync over Wi-Fi only. Unfortunately, there is no client for the web, you can only view photos from supported devices. For S7/S7 EDGE, firmware has recently been released with support for the updated gallery and thus Samsung Cloud.

After the files are uploaded, for some reason they are shown in the gallery albums at the very beginning, sometimes they start to double up. Crooked and crooked again. I had to go into file manager and downloaded files are simply transferred to another location to save them.

Another point that drew attention. When you upload your images to the cloud, their quality deteriorates, but this is not shown to you. That is, they show you in the information that the photo file weighs 4 MB, in fact it can be half as much! This is a compressed copy that has full version on the server, but this is not shown to you and is not warned. If you have an Internet connection and for a small number of pictures this is not a problem, they are quickly downloaded from the cloud, and it seems that they are on your device, as they were originally. But when there are a lot of photos, then there is a long wait.

As much as I like the idea of ​​a cloud service, I don’t like the implementation of Samsung Cloud, at the moment it is very crooked, poorly described at the level of ideology and what happens to files, is clearly inferior to solutions from other companies. The only plus is the initial integration into the phone software. Having inquired about the plans for the development of this service, I heard a lot of interesting things, they know about the errors and plan to gradually correct them, but no one knows how quickly this will happen.

Impression

The loudspeaker volume of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is on par with the S7/S7 EDGE, there is only one speaker at the end – it is very clear and loud, the device can be heard well in different conditions. We can say that in terms of sound this is one of the loudest and most pleasant devices of the company. The vibrating alert is average in strength, there are no achievements here. With the quality of voice transmission during a conversation in different conditions, everything is fine, in difficult areas where the signal is weak, the device copes with this well, there is a noticeable improvement in this parameter compared to S7 EDGE.

Samsung has come up with a flagship for the phablet market, and as such, the Note 7 is one of the best devices out there. The previous generation of Note 5 repelled many by the lack of memory cards, to a lesser extent, a non-separable case. In the current Note 7, memory cards are back, which means people are switching from previous models, for example, Note 3/4, to this device. To a lesser extent, they will switch from Note 5, since the model is still relevant and its users will obviously wait for the price reduction for Note 7, they will buy it not at the start of sales.

In fact, there are two devices on the market that can and should be compared, these are the iPhone 7 Plus and Note 7. They are very similar in terms of form factor, metal chassis design and selected case materials. Comparison of the two flagships deserves a separate, large material, so I will focus here on the advantages of the iPhone 7 Plus, which can attract consumers:

• New system from two cameras, which in theory improves pictures (which needs to be checked in practice, but in advertising it sounds very cool, you need to see how it will actually be);
• Design, fashion component of the iPhone.

Of the relative disadvantages - the lack of a 3.5 mm jack in the iPhone, the need to buy adapters if you want to listen to music and charge the phone at the same time. I am sure that there will be a minority of such people - those who feel the need for this.

Traditionally, the Note line has an advantage over all available S Pens. If you understand how to use this pen, then you have the widest possibilities for both creativity and work. She is comfortable. Another thing is that many do not need it due to the lack of such a need. Therefore, evaluate realistically how important this factor is to you.

Both devices are water resistant (IP68 in Note, IP67 in iPhone), the Note has a noticeably better display for different situations, but the iPhone also has an excellent matrix, which looks just as good indoors, gives a comparable picture, which is, of course, subjective, and some may disagree. For me, the lack of fast charging in the iPhone is critical, it ties my hands. As well as the lack of wireless charging, which is convenient in different situations. To some extent, the iPhone acts as a catch-up in relation to the Galaxy / Note line, adopts many of the features of these devices, which is normal. If you go over the top without going into details, you will get plus or minus the same impressions from these two devices, but digging into the details, you can find out a lot of interesting things. This is the number of branded accessories for each model, and other aspects. Everyone will choose based on their preferences, I like the Note line, as it has been proven in practice from previous generations that the camera is better in most situations, all settings and features are more flexible, more memory out of the box and there are memory cards that give you unlimited space . In a word, this is the eternal struggle of different approaches, I choose freedom in everything, in particular, I don’t need a computer at all to work with Note, as well as with any other Android smartphone.

At $68,000 for the iPhone 7 Plus and $65,000 for the Note 7, they can be considered the same in this respect. Complete equality of price and price segment. The first sales of the iPhone 7 Plus will begin on September 23, but the device will be widely on the shelves in mid-October, around the same time the Note 7 will be re-launched after the sales stop. Everything suggests that both models will be sold in comparable volumes in the first quarter of sales, and then, as in the past, the Note line will go up. Unfortunately, all Plus models from Apple are not in high demand, in the past this was the case, and there is no indication that this year will change anything.

In the line from Samsung, the direct competitor for Note 7 is the S7 EDGE, released six months ago. The price of this model is 60 thousand rubles (official retail), on the gray market - 48-50 thousand rubles. Almost the same filling, a screen with a large rounded edges, a slightly more compact body. The screen is excellent, but inferior to Note 7, the camera differs not so much, they are on the same level. The amount of memory in S7 EDGE is only 32 GB versus 64 GB in Note 7.

Many, not considering the S Pen important for themselves and choosing a slightly smaller size, after the announcement of Note 7 began to purchase S7 EDGE, considering it more convenient. As a user of both smartphones, I can say that at first glance this is so. But in fact, Note 7 is more convenient for me, the grip is better, the screen is not much, but larger and at the same time behaves much better in the sun and outdoors. The operating time is approximately comparable if you do not use any tricks and settings, but use it directly. If you set up the phone correctly, then you will gain about 15-20% on Note 7, but is it necessary? I don't think it's necessary.

Often people compare flagships with the Chinese at a price less than two or even three times. Do not deceive yourself, each product has its own price, and buying even a famous Chinese, you always do not get this or that opportunity. Choose a worse screen, the lack of the same water protection and much more. There are two top devices on the market today - iPhone 7 Plus and Note 7, you can and should choose from them. The models of other companies lag behind them in many respects, and most importantly, in terms of perception, there is little image in them.

At the end of the review, it is simply necessary to make a remark about flammable batteries, despite the fact that we talked about this above. Since the beginning of October, Note 7 has been on sale around the world with a different battery design, so you can safely buy them, they have different markings, and later I will post the corresponding photos here. Is it worth buying the device now? In principle, this can be done if you find where to buy it, since Samsung has suspended sales worldwide. But it’s definitely not worth the risk and taking devices from the USA, as well as Asia. The media story around the "explosions" is greatly inflated and largely distorts the real state of affairs. I'm not sure that haste when choosing a flagship is good, it's better to wait for the new wave of Note 7 to appear and take the device from it. At the moment I have been with Note 7 for more than a month and I can say that this is my main device. The device turned out to be very polished, well-functioning and balanced. However, this can be understood from the review.