Samsung has now officially unveiled the Galaxy Note 5, however, there are no plans to bring it to the UK just yet
At long last, the Samsung Galaxy Note has finally been officially unveiled at Samsung's Unpacked event in New York. Following months of anticipation, rumours, and the leakiest of leaks, the wraps were taken off on August 13 in front of many onlookers in the crowds, and many millions more on the live YouTube stream.
But, there's a catch. Before you get all worked up and super excited about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, know that there was one rumour we at KYM (being a UK based site) were hoping would be gumpf, and has unfortunately been proven correct. That is, over here in the UK and Europe we're only getting the Galaxy S6 edge+...at least for now. That's right, no Galaxy Note 5 in the UK and Europe, it is reportedly being focused on the North American and Asian markets. According to a report from Trusted Reviews, a Samsung spokesperson has confirmed the Note 5 has no launch plan for the UK at present. Sad times.
BUT! There is a ray of hope. According to reports in circulation on August 25, a new Galaxy Note 5 variant has appeared on listings from several key certification bodies; the US FCC, the Bluetooh SIG database, and India's import database. In all three cases there's a device listed as the SM-N920F, and in the past the use of the 'F' designation has traditionally meant a European-facing model. In the FCC listing it's understood that the device had a 180-day confidentiality designation for its photos from its submission in July - so clearly Samsung wanted to keep it under wraps for a bit longer; this could mean that we won't see the device launched until that period expires, which would be in the beginning of 2016.
As of August 27, yet another report has emerged potentially hinting at a EU/UK release of the Galaxy Note 5! The folks over at GalaxyClub have spotted the SM-N920F version listed on an official Samsung webpage. However, this time it's a rather more tenuous connection, the listing is specifically regarding the phone' SAR value, which pretty much has nothing to do with distribution and isn't different from one model to the next - it's by no means confirmation that the device is coming to our shores, merely that an "F" branded variant exists...somewhere.
And now another leak has appeared once again signalling a potential Euro-bound launch. A set of benchmarks has been spotted in Geekbench with 3GB of RAM and carrying the SM-N920F designation. This could mean the European version isn't getting the juicy 4GB of RAM that our North American and Asian cousins will enjoy, or alternatively it could be that Geekbench somehow hasn't picked up on the 1GB boost - our money is on the former but our hope is on the latter. Of course none of this is concrete confirmation that the UK and Europe will even get the Note 5 at all, but we can dream and cling to every shred of potential evidence...just try and stop us!
So for everyone in the US, Canada, and Asia, what’s new? Well, we’re aware we’re starting to sound like a broken record here, but don’t blame us, it’s the modern rumour mill’s fault for being so ruthlessly all-encompassing and detailed, but, here we are again; the majority of the rumours were correct, and there’s actually not much of a surprise if you’ve been following the leaks over the past few months.
Not that this is a bad thing! If you have been following said leaks and rumours you’ll know that the various upgrades Samsung has crammed in are significant. Read on to find out the details.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Official Hands-On Video
Samsung has now posted an official hands-on video for both its new phablets, examining all the design aspects, features and capabilities in detail. This appears to be part of a series introducing potential buyers to the phone's characteristics. We'll be sure to post more of these as they emerge.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Design
Well during the run-up to the Galaxy Note 5 launch we saw pretty much everything from sneaky, grainy prototype photos right through to CAD designs, official product renders, and some even higher quality snaps too. We saw the Galaxy Note 5 from pretty much every angle, and of course, it was mostly accurate.
That means we are essentially looking at a body shape very similar to the Galaxy Note 4, but incorporating many key design features from the Galaxy S6, and, to an extent the Galaxy S6 EDGE - but more on that particular point in a minute.
So carrying on Samsung’s design renaissance from the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 EDGE we’re looking at a machined metal chassis clad with glass panels on front and back, and pretty much all the Galaxy S6’s design cues are there including the subtle punched speaker grille along the bottom edge and the neat little aerial lines at both ends. It’s a very tidy package just like the Galaxy S6 - but bigger!
As with past Note handsets, the S-Pen stylus is housed in the bottom edge too. Samsung claims the new S-Pen is even more accurate and smooth to use, even going as far to say it works like a real ball point pen. There’s also a new click mechanism to release the stylus from its housing.
There is one key design feature that is a bit different, but again this was already revealed in leaks a while back. The glass rear panel of the Galaxy Note 5 mirrors the design of the Galaxy S6 EDGE’s curved display glass with a gently curved edge design, which looks just as classy here. Samsung also claims this makes it more ergonomic and easier to use with one hand.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 S-Pen Problems Discovered
It's been discovered that there's a design problem with the Galaxy Note 5's S-Pen and the housing for the stylus inside the bodywork. According to a report from Android Police, if the S-Pen is put back into the phone the wrong way round it can seriously and irreversibly damage the phone.
This is particularly bothersome because, unlike previous Galaxy Note stylus designs which had an asymmetric shape, the Galaxy Note 5's S-Pen is uniformly shaped all round. That means putting it in the "wrong" way round is incredibly easy to do, you can't easily tell which way it should go round, and it'll actually allow the pen to be inserted without much resistance if it is placed the wrong way round, only to suddenly jam at the last moment. It's possible to then remove the stylus with tools, but if you do it seems to permanently destroy the stylus auto-detect mechanism.
Samsung has now officially responded to the issue, and said response is a little disappointing. The firm simply says that users should consult the device manual before using the phone. Apparently the Note 5 manual is the first Note series to actually specify that you must place the S-Pen in the port correctly, meaning Samsung knew about the problem before launch.
In a statement to the BBC, Samsung said:
"We highly recommend our Galaxy Note 5 users follow the instructions in the user guide to ensure they do not experience such an unexpected scenario caused by reinserting the S-Pen in the other way around."
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Display
Again, not much of a surprise here. We’re looking at a massive (and flat - no EDGE curves here) Super AMOLED touchscreen dominating the front fascia and leaving barely any bodywork round the bezel. It’s a 5.7in screen just like its predecessors though, so it has simply been embedded in a tighter bodyshell.
The resolution, as expected, is a QHD (2560x1440 pixels) setup at 515ppi. As with Samung’s existing display offerings you can expect superb visual quality here with excellent brightness, contrast, colour accuracy and robust viewing angles.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Processor & Hardware
The onboard processor is Samsung’s Exynos 7420, an octa-core 64-bit chip manufactured on the 14nm FinFET semiconductor for fast, cool-running performance. This is the same chip that has delivered some of the best performance on the market inside the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+, although in this case it packs 4GB of RAM for better multitasking capabilities - that's the most RAM Samsung has ever put inside a handset. It's also the amount of RAM everyone harps on about when it comes to making the most of 64-bit processor architecture!
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is equipped with a massive 3,000mAh battery cell (which is non-removable) and once again the phone features Samsung’s Ultra Power Saving mode.
The handset is available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB storage options, and for the North American model, ie: non-dual-SIM there is no microSD support.
However, as with the Galaxy S6 edge+ you do get (fast) wireless charging, power saving mode, and both NFC and MST to allow it to function with Samung Pay - Samung's new point-of-sale payment service that works with any existing card tap-top-pay till. Want to know more? Check out our dedicated article on Samung Pay here.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Camera
The camera is the same setup we've seen inside both the Galaxy 6 and S6 edge, and the new S6 edge+, which means a 16MP sensor with a wide aperture, and, as we've seen with the existing flagships, it's capable of some truly stunning image capture with very little effort. It supports 4K video capture, features an LED flash and optical image stabilisation (OIS), and there's a quick capture function you can activate by double tapping the home key.
Samung Galaxy Note 5: Software
The software package is Android 5.1 Lollipop with Samung's latest TouchWiz UI on top, which as with the Galaxy S6 is quite neat, minimalist and streamlined. As expected, Samsung has added many familiar Note features including the Air Command radial menu for the S-Pen, and the multi-window multitasking and screen-sharing features; allowing multiple apps to run on the screen at once.
Samsung has also streamlined key S-Pen features, a given example was signing PDF documents - you don't need separate applications to do it you can simply open a document, write on it, and save it, all without jumping through many hoops at all.
A key point though is that Android M is on the way to a public release in a very short time indeed, and you can bet good money that Samsung will be updating its latest crop of hardware; the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6, at the very least, to the new build from Google. And what's more, Samsung is usually pretty quick out the gate with these updates too.
Samsung has actually now posted a blog article confirming several new features we can expect inside the next build of TouchWiz launched with the Android M update to Samung devices. The post features an infographic detailing several new capabilities baked into the next UI.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: Release Date & Availability
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 pre-orders are already live in the US and it will begin shipping on the same day it goes to retail - September 4. Sadly, the Note 5 will not be available in the UK or Europe for the forseeable future.
Click through the next few pages to see all the archived pre-launch rumours and leaks.
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