Each new representative of the Note line is expected by the public with undisguised impatience, and then undergoes the most close study. Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy Note 7 is no different. A simple study of the technical characteristics of this smartphone makes the heart of any more or less advanced user flutter, but we decided to explore its capabilities in the most detailed way, join us.
Oh yes. To everyone who was in perplexity waiting for the Note 6 model and did not wait, we remind you that the “six” was deliberately missed by the manufacturer in order to bring all their flagship Galaxy(Note and S lines) to such a “common denominator”.
Package is a solid black matte box. Like a theater from a hanger, the solidity of the new Galaxy Note 7 starts from here in the box.
Contents of delivery Includes key clip, tweezers with replaceable stylus nibs, wired headset, charger and USB cable. Of particular interest here is a pair of adapters from USB-C to a full-fledged USB and microUSB: connect both a USB flash drive and use third-party charging.
Design has not changed compared to its predecessors: we have a glass sandwich with a metal frame between the front and rear plates.
The glass is convex, in the company of curved side frames it creates a wonderful effect of a screen floating in the air. By the way, these same bends here are not as strong as those of the same Galaxy S7 Edge.
Dimensions 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm, weight 169 g. It should be noted that for its rather large screen, the Galaxy Note 7 feels like a rather compact device.
Protection against dust and moisture meets the IP68 standard, by the way, this is the first Note to receive such protection.
Standard colors - black, silver and gold - are diluted with a fresh blue version.
On the right we see a thin power key.
On the lower edge, we are greeted by the current USB Type-C port, next to a microphone hole, an audio port, a speaker grill and an S Pen socket.
On the left are the familiar separate volume buttons.
Above we see a tray for a SIM and a memory card, and an additional microphone is also located here.
The rear panel is bent to the side edges, due to which it is convenient to hold the smartphone in your hands, despite its frankly large size. The layout of all the elements is familiar from previous Galaxy models: there is a camera, flash, heart rate sensor and oxygen saturation sensor. All these elements have long been familiar to fans of the brand. Glass back cover, of course, collects all possible fingerprints, but if you put it in order in time, it will look very solid.
On the front panel we see a standard set of sensors, supplemented by an infrared camera for reading the iris, an earpiece and a front camera,
under it - a couple of touch buttons and a physical "Home", combined with a fingerprint scanner.
Iris scanner was mentioned in almost all the leaks regarding the Note 7 and, as we can see, they did not lie. However, it is not so easy to use it: if you take off your glasses is a simple matter, then no one will want to pick out contact lenses a hundred times a day.
Thanks to the infrared camera, recognition works even in the dark, but there may be problems in bright light. If the iris is not recognized for some reason, you can confirm your identity using a fingerprint sensor or a digital password.
It must be admitted that the new fall protection works quickly and, for the most part, faultlessly, but it will not work to "deceive" the sensor with the help of a photograph.
In addition to unlocking the smartphone as a whole, the iris scanner can be used to restrict access to personal photos, records or other types of files.
The fingerprint scanner we will mention only in passing, it is not new to us. Everything works well here, recognition is fast and trouble-free.
S Pen, along with the device as a whole, received protection from dust and moisture, moreover, in such unfavorable conditions it will remain operational. But his improvements don't end there. Thus, the pen has become more precise and sensitive, now it “understands” twice as many degrees of pressure: 4096. Externally, the stylus has become thinner, the selection button remains in its place, and to remove it from the nest, you still need to use a special button. Speaking of the nest, the problem with the incorrectly inserted stylus seems to have been solved forever: now it simply won't fit in the reverse side. Foolproof, in its purest form.
As for its work, the S Pen is fast and accurate, and OCR works great. A screen magnifier (up to 300% enlargement), quick translation (including from images) and the creation of GIF-animation were added to the previous functions. But S Note and Action memo are gone, now their functions are combined in the Notes application. Considering that the programs largely duplicated each other, we consider this the right decision, and we hasten to reassure all users of other Galaxy Note models: you can easily transfer the previously created notes to the new application.
Screen has the same diagonal of 5.7 inches with the same QuadHD resolution (2560x1440) for several generations, which gives a pixel density of 518 ppi. The SuperAMOLED matrix did not leave the smartphone either, but Gorilla Glass 5 now acts as a protective glass. Gorilla Glass 4 didn't give in. Of course, we cannot say that your keys will leave (or not) the same destructive scratches, but we still do not recommend risking the appearance of such an expensive device.
What about the display quality of the flagship smartphone? He's great. Here you can't find fault with brightness, viewing angles, or color rendering. The Note 7 lives up to its status as a cutting edge device.
An interesting feature of the screen is support for HDR video format, which guarantees more smooth transitions colors and wide dynamic range... However, so far this is only a theoretical possibility: there is practically no suitable content on the Web.
As for the curved sidewalls, accidental clicks it doesn't work on them, and SPen works fine in these areas.
The screen temperature settings are the same, the new one has a blue filter (aka night mode) to make the eyes less tired. The work of this mode is provided according to the schedule.
We will also mention the Always On Display option, familiar to users from the Galaxy S7. Here it has become better and now shows notifications not only from standard applications, but also from third-party ones, which significantly expands the scope of an already interesting function.
Sound both from the multimedia speaker and from the headphones are on a high level: detailed and loud. All kinds of effects and a seven-band equalizer are provided.
Operating system Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, of course, will be updated to the latest “seven” as soon as possible, but for now the new shell, which was named Grace UX, is of interest.
The shell turned out to be minimalistic, lightweight and quite interesting. The icons in it are rounded, executed in deliberately simple lines and colors.
The shutter is now made with light colors, quick settings are called up in an additional submenu by swiping down, the SIM card settings are also placed here.
The settings menu has been radically changed.
A search bar appeared in the application menu.
It is impossible not to mention the brand new service Samsung Cloud. In fact, it is just a cloud storage, gracefully integrated into the smartphone interface. All Note 7 users will get 15GB of storage here. In addition to actually storing files, it can be used to back up data.
And, of course, it would be silly to have curved edges, but not have software for it. The Note7 provides Edge UI, with applications moved to the side panels (new ones have been added to the usual list) or contacts.
A little prank from Samsung - the main interface color will now match the color of your smartphone. However, if you wish, it is always easy to change it in the settings.
Performance approximately equal on both versions of the smartphone. As we remember, there are two of them: one is based on 64-bit Samsung Exynos 8890, the other is based on Snapdragon 820. The first processor is supplemented with Mali-T880 MP12 graphics, the second one is Adreno 530. In both modifications of 4 GB RAM, built-in - as standard 64 GB. Perhaps this would be enough for almost any need, but here it is complemented by a slot for a memory card. Also for the Chinese market, a 6/128 GB option is provided.
In any of the above options, this is not just fast, it is a lightning-fast smartphone that can handle any of your requirements and tasks, be it applications, games, synthetic tests, augmented or virtual reality.
Be that as it may, the numbers in the benchmarks are amazing, and in the final version, which hits the store shelves, it may be even cooler.
Interfaces presented by a standard set that is not worthy of close attention: LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2 and GLONASS and GPS navigation systems.
Camera the main one is equipped with a 12 megapixel module with f / 1.7 aperture and Dual Pixel technology, phase detection autofocus and single-section flash. Optical image stabilization is also provided. The camera is distinguished by its high speed of operation, and this applies to focusing, and starting and saving ready-made images.
The application interface has also been updated: now all controls are sharpened for swipes. The output is intuitive and fast.
Whether it's a bright sunny afternoon, evening, or a dim environment, this module delivers great results, with natural colors and no noise in your shots.
Video shooting is carried out at maximum 4K, there is a slow-motion recording mode.
The 5 megapixel front camera with an aperture of f / 1.7 is not equipped with any special technological refinements, but it also shows excellent performance and excellent pictures. The most interesting thing here about video shooting: it is available in 2K quality.
Battery has a capacity of 3500 mAh. This smartphone is enough for a full day of battery life in mixed mode, that is, approximately 5 hours of screen or 14 hours of video.
There is wireless and fast charging; from zero to maximum, the smartphone charges in an hour and a half.
It is impossible to ignore the new energy-saving mode, which, in theory, should extend the battery life of the device by 35 hours. Under the laconic names Mid and Max, there are two energy saving steps, and on each of them the user can make his own adjustments. Especially interesting is the lowering of the screen resolution in Mid to FullHD (1920x1080), and in “Max” to HD (1280x720). Until now, no manufacturer has resorted to this method to increase the autonomy of their devices, although third-party analogues exist and are actively used by users.
Accessories for Galaxy Note 7 are so diverse that it is simply not possible to dwell on each item in detail. We will only mention a large number of cases, including those with an external battery of 3100 mAh and the possibility of wireless charging, a pair of lenses or diodes for notifications. The latter option is already familiar to us from previous versions, but with the new LED View Cover, new possibilities for customization have appeared, you can also use it to accept or reject calls and control some programs, for example, an alarm clock or a timer.
And, of course, we have not forgotten about the new virtual reality helmet Gear VR, we just think that such an interesting device is worthy of a separate review.
Generally, Galaxy Note 7 is beautiful, what can I add? If the Note 4 and 5 models were rather trampling in the wrong place, then the “Seven” is really a step forward. And it's not even about the advanced technologies that have always been present in “Notes”, but about pleasant little things: finally, a curved screen, protection from dust and moisture, a compact body, despite the stable big screen, improved stylus ... And, of course, the iris scanner - Note 7 was one of the first "androids" with such an identification system and certainly the first eminent.
Are you interested in disadvantages? Well, here the case is easily soiled. Glass, you know.
Of course, like everything good, you have to pay for such delights, and a considerable price: in this case, about $ 900.
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Packaging and delivery of the Note 7
The box confirms the top-end status of the hero of our review, because it looks very solid. It is made of solid black cardboard. As usual, there is the name of the model at the top and the key characteristics of the model at the bottom. Since this is a flagship, it comes with a rich set of accessories. Here, perhaps, there is everything that a modern user needs:- USB cable;
- headset;
- network adapter;
- a clip to open the nanoSIM + microSD compartment;
- adapter for microUSB port;
- OTG adapter;
- paper.
Appearance, ergonomics and display of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7
The fresh phablet in its appearance has retained the main features of its predecessor, thanks to which it is precisely the representative of the Note-line that is recognized in it. The design of the smartphone combines elements taken from the models and. In the previous model, only the rear panel was rounded, in the new product, both the front surface and the rear are equally rounded. Due to this, the impression of completeness is created, the appearance of the "seven" is pleasant and harmonious. Although the screen is rounded at the edges, it is not too much. Everything has been done just enough so as not to affect the convenience of handwriting, since the usable area for the S Pen with an excessive curvature of the screen will be less, and this is completely useless.
Despite the dimensions of the device, it is very convenient to use it, it lies just fine in the hand, since the body is noticeably narrowed. Like the latest flagships from the Korean vendor, the Galaxy Note 7 is made with glass and metal. The back is quite slippery, you can accidentally drop your smartphone if you are not careful. However, the cover completely corrects the situation. A freshly baked device can write protection against dust and moisture as an asset thanks to the presence of the IP68 standard. It can withstand depths of up to 1.5 meters, but only for half an hour.
All elements are in their usual places, your finger can easily find them. So, the lock button has found its place on the right edge, while the volume control is placed on the left edge. In front, under the display, there is a physical key with an inscribed fingerprint reader and touch-sensitive navigation buttons on the sides, everything is familiar. Above the screen we see a peephole, a notification indicator, an iris scanner, necessary sensors and a speech speaker. At the bottom there is a call speaker, a connector (USB v3.1), a microphone, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a niche for electronic pen S Pen. A second microphone and a hybrid tray for microSD and a SIM card or two SIM cards are placed on the upper edge. The dimensions of the device are 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm. Weight does not exceed 169 grams. There are five color types available - blue, gold, silver and black.
Phablet has got the best display at the moment with a size of 5.7 inches, occupying, by the way, 78 percent of the front panel. It is hidden under durable Gorilla Glass 5, based on the proprietary SuperAMOLED matrix, the resolution is limited to 2560 × 1440 pixels (Quad HD). Any visible pixels are out of the question, because their density per inch is 518 ppi. The brightness, viewing angles and brilliance are amazing. The color temperature can be adjusted to suit you. Although the screen is practically bezel-less, there are no accidental clicks. As in smartphones of the family, there is an Always-on-Display mode, so the clock and various information are displayed constantly. Many will appreciate the presence of the option "Filter Blue", using it, you can make the color gamut of the display warmer. As for the redesigned S Pen, the nib is now twice as thin for a more comfortable drawing experience. Also, the stylus now recognizes 4096 degrees of pressure.
Technical stuffing and autonomy of Samsung Galaxy Note 7
The "heart" of the device is the Exynos 8890 Octa processor. This 14nm chipset delivers outstanding performance. It includes four cores at 1.6 GHz and four at 2.3 GHz. Installed graphics module Mali-T880 MP12. The LPDDR4 RAM has a capacity of 4 GB, and the built-in UFS 2.0 flash medium is endowed with a capacity of 64 GB. The size of the memory card is unlimited. Such incredible performance will be enough for the next few years. In AnTuTu, the device has a corresponding result - about 145 thousand points. The device is equipped with the widest range of different sensors. For the first time, Samsung smartphones use an iris sensor that replaces a fingerprint sensor. The user can choose between these two unlocking methods. In addition, the Galaxy Note 7 has a gyroscope, barometer, Hall sensor, heart rate meter and compass. Of course, 4G LTE frequencies and navigation using GPS and GLONASS systems are supported. It is worth noting that it takes less than a second to unlock using the eyes, even if you are wearing glasses, just look at the screen. A very handy thing.
The battery is non-removable, its capacity is 3500 mAh, which is 500 mAh more than the last year's model. Autonomy is good, as for a smartphone with top-end filling. The battery allows you to operate the device for up to two days in active mode. For example, at maximum brightness, a video is played for about 20 hours. Energy saving function is provided. There is wireless charging. Not without a fast charging mode, half of the battery capacity is recruited in 20 minutes.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 interface and cameras
This is the first product from the company to include the Grace UX framework. Everything here is noticeably simpler and easier than. Later, other flagships of the manufacturer will be updated with this firmware. Various new features have been introduced. The design is reminiscent of an upcoming release. Apparently the Koreans have redrawn the interface for the future "operating system", because in the future Galaxy Note 7 will switch from today's version to the seventh version of the "green robot".
In terms of photo capabilities, the new product is almost identical. The quality of the images is just as great at night and during the day. However, the cameras have undergone some improvements. In particular, the changes affected the frame processing algorithm. Image stabilization has been improved and is clearer when shaken. The main module is equipped with a 12 megapixel sensor with f / 1.7 aperture. There is phase detection autofocus, optical stabilization and a bright LED flash. It is possible to shoot videos in 4K format. The camera in front is endowed with a resolution of 5 megapixels, its aperture is f / 1.7.
Output
The Koreans have managed to create a very tempting device that, of course, surpasses its predecessor. Although the changes are not so pronounced. The model turned out to be spectacular in appearance, very powerful and functional. I liked the presence of an iris scanner, which makes the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 even more attractive. Of course, it has every chance of becoming very popular all over the world. In Russia, the model will appear sometime in mid-September. The Note 7 price will be about 65 thousand rubles.
Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a specific device, if any.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, offered colors, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 73.9 mm (millimeters) 7.39 cm (centimeters) 0.24 ft (feet) 2.91 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 153.5 mm (millimeters) 15.35 cm (centimeters) 0.5 ft (feet) 6.04 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 7.9 mm (millimeters) 0.79 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.31 in (inches) |
| The weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 169 g (grams) 0.37 lbs (pounds) 5.96 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a rectangular parallelepiped shape. | 89.61 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.44 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | Black Blue Silver Golden |
| Materials for the manufacture of the case Materials used for the manufacture of the device body. | Metal Glass |
| Certification Information about the standards by which this device is certified. | IP68 |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
| GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analog mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies. | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
| TD-SCDMA TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) is a 3G standard for mobile networks. It is also called UTRA / UMTS-TDD LCR. It was developed as an alternative to the W-CDMA standard in China by the Chinese Academy of Telecommunication Technologies, Datang Telecom and Siemens. TD-SCDMA combines TDMA and CDMA. | TD-SCDMA 1880-1920 MHz (SM-N930S) TD-SCDMA 2010-2025 MHz (SM-N930S) |
| UMTS UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and refers to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is to provide more speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1700/2100 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
| LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM / EDGE and UMTS / HSPA with the aim of increasing the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies is called LTE Advanced. | LTE 700 MHz Class 13 LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38) LTE 700 MHz (B28) |
Mobile technology and data rates
Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data rates.
Operating system
An operating system is the system software that controls and coordinates the operation of the hardware components on a device.
SoC (System on a Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) integrates all the major hardware components of a mobile device into a single chip.
| SoC (System on a Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software required for their operation. | Samsung Exynos 8 Octa 8890 |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. The value in nanometers is half the distance between the elements in the processor. | 14 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | 4x 2.3 GHz Exynos M1 Mongoose, 4x 1.6 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 |
| Processor size The bit size of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses and data buses. 64-bit processors offer better performance than 32-bit processors, which in turn are more efficient than 16-bit processors. | 64 bit |
| Instruction set architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv8-A |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel. | 8 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 2300 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) handles computation for a variety of 2D / 3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most commonly used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, and more. | ARM Mali-T880 MP12 |
| Number of cores GPU Like a processor, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical computation of various applications. | 12 |
| GPU clock speed Speed is the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 650 MHz (megahertz) |
| The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. The data that is saved in the RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 4 GB (gigabytes) |
| Memory type (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR4 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels means higher data rates. | Two-channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of the RAM determines its speed of operation, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data. | 1794 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) fixed memory.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage space for data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type / technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends. | Super AMOLED |
| Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed in terms of the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 5.7 in (inches) 144.78 mm (millimeters) 14.48 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.79 in (inches) 70.98 mm (millimeters) 7.1 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 4.97 in (inches) 126.19 mm (millimeters) 12.62 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail. | 1440 x 2560 pixels |
| Pixel density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail. | 515 ppi (pixels per inch) 202 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen footprint The approximate percentage of the display area on the front of the device. | 79.21% (percent) |
| Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen. | Capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistant |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Dual Edge display Always-On Display VR headset support |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical metrics into signals that can be recognized by the mobile device.
Rear camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its rear panel and can be combined with one or more additional cameras.
| Sensor model | Sony IMX260 Exmor RS |
| Sensor type | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
| Light-strength | f / 1.7 |
| Focal length | 4.2 mm (millimeters) |
| Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape. | Dual LED |
| Image Resolution | 4032 x 3024 pixels 12.19 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP (megapixels) |
| 30 frames / sec (frames per second) | |
| Specifications Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera. | Autofocus Burst shooting Digital zoom Optical image stabilization Geographic tags Panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene selection mode Phase detection autofocus (PDAF) |
| Available also with Samsung S5K2L1 (ISOCELL) Phase detection with Dual Pixel Object tracking AF Smart OIS 1080p @ 60 fps 720p @ 120 fps |
Front-camera
Smartphones have one or more front cameras of different designs - pop-up camera, PTZ camera, notch or hole in the display, camera under the display.
| Sensor model Information about the make and model of the sensor used by the camera. | Samsung S5K4E6 |
| Sensor type Information about the type of camera sensor. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, and others. | ISOCELL |
| Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with a larger sensor and lower pixel density offer higher image quality despite lower resolution. | 3.6 x 2.7 mm (millimeters) 0.18 in (inches) |
| Pixel size Pixels are usually measured in microns. Larger pixels are capable of capturing more light and therefore provide best shooting in low light and a wider dynamic range than smaller pixels. On the other hand, smaller pixels allow for higher resolution while maintaining the same sensor size. | 1.389 μm (micrometers) 0.001389 mm (millimeters) |
| Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the size of a full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the size of the device's photo sensor. The number shown is the ratio of the diagonals of a full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) to that of a specific device's photo sensor. | 9.61 |
| Light-strength Aperture (also known as aperture, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of the lens aperture, which determines the amount of light entering the sensor. The lower the f-number, the larger the aperture and the more light reaches the sensor. Typically, the f-number is indicated, which corresponds to the largest possible aperture of the aperture. | f / 1.7 |
| Focal length The focal length indicates the distance in millimeters from the sensor to the optical center of the lens. Equivalent focal length (35mm) is the focal length of a mobile device camera, equated to the focal length of a 35mm full-frame sensor, at which the same angle of view will be achieved. It is calculated by multiplying the real focal length of the mobile device camera by the crop factor of its sensor. The crop factor can be defined as the ratio between the diagonals of a 35mm full-size sensor and a mobile device sensor. | 2.1 mm (millimeters) 20.19 mm (millimeters) * (35 mm / full frame) |
| Image Resolution Resolution is one of the main characteristics of cameras. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often quote resolutions in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions. | 2592 x 1944 pixels 5.04 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video recording rate (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording rate (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps. | 30 frames / sec (frames per second) |
| Auto HDR |
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technology supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Locating
Information about the navigation and positioning technologies supported by the device.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication for transferring data over short distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless transfer of data between different types of devices over short distances.
| Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, each of which improves communication speed, coverage, and makes it easier to find and connect devices. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device. | 4.2 |
| Specifications Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols to provide more fast exchange data, energy savings, better device discovery, and more. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here. | A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio / Visual Remote Control Profile) DIP (Device ID Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) LE (Low Energy) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP / PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) |
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio connector. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
| Browser Information about some of the main features and standards supported by the device browser. | Html HTML5 CSS 3 |
Audio file formats / codecs
Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital audio data.
Video file formats / codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital video data.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge required for their function.
| Capacity Battery capacity indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliampere-hours. | 3500 mAh (milliampere-hours) |
| Type of The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, by the chemicals used. Exists different types lithium-ion and lithium-ion-polymer batteries are most commonly used in mobile devices. | Li-polymer |
| Talk time 2G Talk time in 2G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network. | 26 h (hours) 1560 min (minutes) 1.1 days |
| Talk time 3G Talk time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 26 h (hours) 1560 min (minutes) 1.1 days |
| Adapter output power Information about the strength of the electric current (measured in amperes) and the electric voltage (measured in volts) supplied by the charger (output power). Higher power output provides faster battery charging. | 9 V (volts) / 1.67 A (amps) |
| Specifications Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery. | Wireless charger Fast charging Non-removable |
| Qi / PMA wireless charging |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
SAR levels refer to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body when using a mobile device.
| Head SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed if the mobile device is held close to the ear in the speaking position. In Europe, the maximum SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with the IEC standards, following the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998. | 0.249 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Body SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to if the mobile device is held at hip level. The highest SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with ICNIRP guidelines from 1998 and IEC standards. | 1.28 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Head SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to if you hold a mobile device near your ear. The maximum value used in the United States is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. US mobile devices are controlled by CTIA and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values. | 0.55 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Body SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to if the mobile device is held at hip level. The highest SAR value in the United States is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC and CTIA monitors mobile devices for compliance with this standard. | 0.67 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
The official successor of the Galaxy Note 5 is the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The smartphone is a phablet running the Android operating system. And although the model is the sixth from the presented series, it was assigned the index 7. The manufacturer decided to emphasize that it is in no way inferior to the Samsung Galaxy S7.
So why buy Samsung Galaxy Note 7? What are the advantages of a gadget? Let's figure it out.
Overview
The positioning of the flagship model looks simple. Galaxy Note 7 is the most powerful smartphone with a large margin of safety. In technical terms, it is an absolute copy of the Samsung Galaxy S7 (protection from moisture, dirt, compactness, the best camera).
The visiting card of the Note is the S Pen stylus with its unique capabilities.
The new gadget has a USB Type-C connector, a 64 GB version of permanent memory, the battery capacity is reduced to 3200 mAh Note 7 is equipped with a 5-megapixel front camera, a 5.7-inch display, a 12-megapixel main camera, a USB Type-C port, a fingerprint scanner fingers, the Exynos 8890 processor. Immediately after entering the market, the model was called an “explosive smartphone”.
And that is not all. Updated colors - gold, black, blue, gray. Added new software features - security, content, S Pen. The device instantly translates the selected text into Russian using the S Pen, selects the video area in a couple of clicks. And the model has become so ergonomic that you can use it even under water. main feature- S Pen does not require recharging, it is included in the package.
Updates touched on video and games. The user gets 11 games for free. HDR is supported (a new type of video cards), this allows you to expand the range of colors, pictures have become brighter, juicier.
The security features of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 are unmatched. It is equipped with an iris scanner that runs on Samsung's own algorithm. The user can use the scanner to access the data of the secret folder, unlock the device, authorize payments, applications for Internet banking of a number of world banks.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Case weight 169 g, dimensions - 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm.
- Android 6.0 is an operating system plus a proprietary Grace UX shell and the prospect of updates to Android 7.0.
- 64 GB - the amount of main memory with support for microSD cards.
- Exynos 8890 is an eight-core processor.
- 4 GB - the amount of RAM.
- Supports Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, NFC.
- Optical video stabilization, recording at 60 frames / second.
- Battery - 3500 mAh.
- Heart rate sensor.
- SpO2 and iris content scanner.
- Protection against moisture, pollution of the IP68 standard.
- Fingerprint scanner.
Like the rest of the flagship models, the price for Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is corresponding. Many consider the changes made to be such that they do not deserve special attention, since the difference is invisible and not critical for most, for example, in comparison with the Galaxy S7 EDGE.
However, it is worth taking a closer look at the model if you value comfort and maximum convenience. A branded fitness bracelet is attached to the smartphone as a gift Samsung Gear Fit 2 or 256GB memory card (optional).
Part 1: getting to know the key innovations
Samsung did not wait a bit for IFA 2016 and announced its new flagship Galaxy Note7 in early August. And 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 newsletter, so we will not retell the facts voiced at the presentation here. However, before proceeding directly to acquaintance 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, the diagonal of 5.5 ″ is no longer something unusual, and even Galaxy S devices have got screens of the same size.
Another proprietary Note quality is the included stylus (and, accordingly, support for full-fledged work with it in a smartphone). Here the manufacturer already more clearly distinguishes between the two lines, and competitors are not particularly in a hurry to equip their flagships with stylus. 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 it is no longer necessary to talk about any significant difference.
The situation with the curved screen is even more interesting. Technologists and Samsung fans will remember that the first screen that folds from the side got exactly the smartphone of the Note line: it was called the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, and there was a fold there only on one side (here you can also recall the experimental smartphone Samsung Galaxy Round, but it did not receive development). However, then the curved-screen feature moved to the Galaxy S line, and the S Edge devices received a curved screen on both sides. In turn, the new Note was produced without a fold. And now the fold returns to Note. And what's even more interesting, you can't buy a Note7 without a curved screen. That is, in fact, Note7 is replacing not its immediate predecessor in the lineup, 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 has abandoned the word Edge in the name of the new product, it can be assumed that in the future and in the Galaxy S series, the only flagship version will remain - with a curved screen. And, accordingly, the difference between Note and S will be reduced to the presence of a stylus and, possibly, a slight difference in the size of the display (although here we cannot fail to recall the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge +, which had a 5.7 ″ display).
Let's take a look at the specs of the Samsung Galaxy Note7.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy Note7
- SoC Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa
- CPU Mongoose @ 2.6 GHz (4 cores) + Cortex-A53 @ 1.6 GHz (4 cores)
- GPU Mali-T880
- Operating system Android 6.0.1
- 5.7 ″ SuperAMOLED touchscreen display, curved on both sides, 2560 × 1440, 515 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 4 GB
- Permanent memory 64 GB
- Support for microSD memory cards 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 and 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 stabilization and autofocus, f / 1.7, 4K video shooting
- Battery 3600 mAh, Li-Polymer, non-removable
- Dimensions 154 x 74 x 7.9mm
- Weight 169 g
For clarity, we decided to make a table with Samsung specifications Galaxy Note7 and its closest analogue Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, and also added Moto X Force and iPhone 6S Plus to the table - two flagships of competitors.
| 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, 540 ppi | 5.5 ″ IPS, 1920 × 1080, 401 ppi |
| SoC (processor) | Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa (4 Mongoose cores @ 2.6 GHz + 4 cores 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 (with OTG support), 3.5mm headset jack, stylus hole | Micro-USB (with OTG support), 3.5mm headset jack | Lightning dock connector, 3.5 mm headset jack | |
| Memory card support | microSD (up to 256GB) | microSD (up to 200 GB) | microSD (up to 2 TB) | No |
| RAM | 4 GB | 4 GB | 3 GB | 2 GB |
| Cameras | rear (12 MP; 4K video), front (5 MP) | rear (21 MP; 4K video), front (5 MP) | rear (12 MP; 4K video), 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) | shockproof housing 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 (upgradeable 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 the official data of the manufacturers
The table clearly shows that the changes in the Note7 compared to the S7 Edge are minimal. The diagonal of the display is slightly larger (with the same resolution and other parameters) and, accordingly, the dimensions are slightly larger, but the battery capacity is less. The novelty has twice as much built-in flash memory (this, by the way, may 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 surprise, but Samsung has it for the first time).
As for the comparison with competitors, the situation here is ambiguous. Moto X Force loses in some way, wins in some way, while its key features are completely different: nylon coating of 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 with it. Nevertheless, we could not fail to include the market leader's smartphone 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 (5 V 2 A in standard mode, 9 V 1.67 A in Quick Charge mode), a USB Type-C to USB cable, a key for removing the cradle of a SIM card and memory card, an OTG adapter for USB Type-C (for connecting external USB drives with full-size plug), a USB Type-C to Micro-USB adapter (for charging with a regular Micro-USB cable), information leaflets and brochures, as well as headphones in a separate plastic box and with an additional set of rubber ear pads.
The earbuds are the same as those of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and S6 Edge + and we can only rejoice at that. They have a tangle free flat wire, a very comfortable ear cushions shape, and most importantly - really decent sound. Even deep bass is conveyed with dignity.
Overall, we can't help but note that Samsung really cares about its users and tries to include everything you 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 unnecessary problem. You will spend more time and money on the way to the store than the adapter itself costs.
Design
The appearance of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is much closer to the S7 Edge than to the previous Note. In fact, if you do not compare the Note7 and S7 Edge face to face, then they can be confused. The overall look and style are the same. And, frankly, over the past six months since testing the S7 Edge, our opinion about this style has not changed. Note7 looks very nice and impressive. Like the S7 Edge, this is one of the most stylish smartphones out there today.
Almost the entire front panel is occupied by a screen that effectively wraps on both sides along the long sides. And this is not only something that delights in itself, but also creates the illusion of a complete absence of the frame on the sides. In fact, of course, there is a frame, but the sides are already quite thin, and thanks to the rounding of the screen, they seem quite insignificant. However, unlike the S7 Edge, the rounding here is slightly less, and the metal edges, on the contrary, are wider. In the photo below, the S7 Edge lies on top of the Note7, and the difference in bezel thickness is clearly visible.
Is it convenient or not? Our editor Andrey Vorobyov, who has been using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge as his main smartphone for six months, believes that it is convenient. Here is his opinion.
The Note7 feels like the side bezels are flat and wide by reducing the curves on both the front and back. 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 do not have the bend of the edges so that information can be placed only on them (separate from the main screen and without climbing on it, like the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge). Therefore, the wider or narrower part is not so important.
From the above photos, you can clearly see that the Note7's bend is really smaller. 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 bending 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 border), and the front and back sides are made of plexiglass. Very stylish, only, alas, quite marco - prints on the back are collected instantly.
All faces, like their predecessor, are made of metal, buttons are also. They are pressed with pleasant elasticity. The location 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 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 complained 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 edge. In order to pull it out of the smartphone, just press a little. The stylus is just as easy to insert and secure into the smartphone. The manufacturer emphasizes that the stylus can write even when the smartphone and stylus are submerged in water. We did not undertake such risky experiments, but we admit that the overall impression of the stylus is the best. It distinguishes between pressing force, allows you to perform small strokes.
The top edge of the smartphone contains a combined slot for a memory card and two SIM cards in the Nano-SIM format. You can use either two SIM cards or one SIM and one microSD card at the same time.
Compared to the S7 Edge, there is only one difference: the microphone has been moved closer to the edge.
There will be three color options available: Dazzling Platinum (gold), Titanium Silver (Metallic) and Black Diamond (Black). We tested the “silver titanium” version and, I must say, are satisfied with the color, although it has one caveat: if the lighting is yellowish (for example, in the case of ordinary 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 gimmick, 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 occurs almost instantly, 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 hold the smartphone at a certain distance (that is, of course , it cannot be held too close to the face or, conversely, too far, but the permissible range is very large).
Another essential point is the correct operation of the scanner in different lighting conditions. In the dark - no problem, in the bright sun - too.
Finally, third: the use of an iris scanner does not at all negate the possibility of using a fingerprint scanner. That is, you can alternate the type of unlock depending on the situation. At some point it is more convenient to raise the phone to eye level, at some point it is easier to put your finger on.
However, all this is protection top level, and on the bottom - still the pin code or graphic key... So if, for example, you do not have a reliable enough pin code, then the iris scanner will not make your smartphone more secure, because if it fails, the attacker can always try to guess the password. Probably, it would be advisable in the future to make the possibility of using biometric protection as a basic option as more difficult to hack. That is, in any case, the user would have 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 start it, you need to press the power button and slide your finger across the screen, that is, do two actions (or even three, if lifting the smartphone is considered a separate action at eye level). Whereas to unlock with a fingerprint, just one press with 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 that 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 turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Samsung Galaxy Note7, then they can be distinguished by their size):
The screen of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is slightly darker (brightness in the photos is 113 versus 116 for the Nexus 7) and does not have a pronounced shade. The doubling of reflected objects in the Samsung Galaxy Note7 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass / air) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of intense ambient light, but their repair in the case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, slightly better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of regular glass.
When displaying a white field in full screen and when manual control the brightness of her maximum value was 350 cd / m², the minimum - 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 in the daytime 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, by which the user can try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If the brightness slider is set to maximum in an office environment, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 7.7 cd / m² (a bit dark), in an office lit with artificial light (about 550 lx) sets it to 350 cd / m² (excessively bright) , in a very bright environment (corresponds to illumination on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) increases to 520 cd / m2 (sufficient), and conventionally in direct sunlight, the screen brightness increases to 570 cd / m2 ( information will be discernible). If everything is the same in office conditions, the brightness slider is half-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 dimmer 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 slightly to the right of the minimum in complete darkness. Received - 10, 170, 535 and 560 cd / m² (perfect combination). It turns out that the automatic brightness control function works adequately and to some extent allows the user to customize his work for individual requirements. At any brightness level, there is significant modulation with a frequency of about 60 or 240 Hz. The figure below shows the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time (horizontal axis) for several values of brightness adjustment:
It can be seen that at the maximum brightness and close to it, the modulation amplitude is not very large; as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, when the brightness decreases, modulation appears with a large relative amplitude, 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 with 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 micrograph:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs of screens used in mobile technology.
In 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 overlaps. For such matrices, Samsung has introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer considers the screen resolution for green subpixels, for the other two it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this variant is close to the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen and some other newer 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 green subpixel stripes. Nevertheless, some uneven contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution they have minimal impact on image quality.
The screen has excellent viewing angles. True, when deviated even at small angles, the white color alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color remains simply black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. When viewed from a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. For comparison, here are the photos on which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 (profile Basic) and the second comparison participant displayed the same images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 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 color tone of the white field (except for the darkening and hue change towards the curved edges). And the test picture (profile Basic):
The color rendition is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens is slightly different. Note that in this case the picture occupies in height (with this screen orientation) the entire area available for displaying the image and goes over the curved edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which further interferes when viewing images displayed in full screen. And even the picture of films with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 goes into the folds, which greatly interferes with watching a movie. The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:
Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment of the color rendition to the type of output image and the surrounding conditions, which is obtained when the two remaining profiles are selected, shown below.
AMOLED cinema:
Saturation and color contrast are noticeably 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 box:
The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (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, the Samsung Galaxy Note7 visually looks much brighter (in comparison with LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device at least from a slight angle. And the test picture:
It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness at the Samsung angle is noticeably higher. The switching of the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the turn-on front there may be a step with a width of about 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is how the dependence of brightness on time looks like when switching 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 "jerky" movements.
For all three profiles, the gamma curve plotted using 32 points with equal intervals in terms of the numerical value of the shade of gray coincided. There is no significant blockage neither in highlights nor in shadows, and the indicator 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 power dependence (the captions in parentheses show the exponent of the approximating power function and the 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 generally light images. As a result, the obtained dependence of brightness on the hue (gamma curve), most likely, does not correspond a little to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of shades of gray on almost the entire screen.
Color gamut in case of profile AMOLED cinema very wide:
When choosing a profile AMOLED photo the coverage is compressed 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 case of a profile Basic with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:
Note that normal sRGB-optimized images appear unnaturally saturated on screens with wide color gamut without proper color correction. 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 the Adobe RGB setting, it makes sense to switch the profile to AMOLED photo... Profile AMOLED cinema, despite the name, the least suitable for watching movies and anything else.
The grayscale balance 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) for most of the gray scale remains below 10 units, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, and also does not change very much:
(In most cases, the darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there does not really matter, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-reflective properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. It is permissible (and even necessary in bright light) to use the 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 in the screen), excellent uniformity of the white field, noticeably less than that of LCDs, 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 increased fatigue due to this. However, the overall quality of the screen is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, curled edges only harm, since this design find introduces very noticeable color tone distortions 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, improved 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 with a frequency of 1.6 GHz that are already familiar to us.
The Mali-T880 acts as a graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM is 4 GB, like the S7 Edge. AND important detail: 500 MB of this 4 GB is reserved for the needs of the GPU, so in the benchmarks the amount of RAM in both smartphones is determined as 3.5 GB.
In our Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review, you can find a detailed performance comparison of the Exynos 8890 Octa SoC with competing solutions. Here we will not focus on this and will focus on how to understand if there is any difference in performance between the S7 Edge and Note7.
Let's start with browser tests: SunSpider 1.0.2, Octane Benchmark, Kraken Benchmark, etc. We used the Chrome browser on all Android devices, and Safari on iOS. 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).
Small differences between the results of the two Samsung smartphones are well within the scope 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: 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 be attributed to inaccuracy. However, let's not forget that Note7 has newer software installed than the S7 Edge at the time of its launch, so this may explain the picture.
The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to GPU performance testing. We used 3DMark, GFXBench and Bonsai Benchmark. All of them show real 3D scenes and allow you to visually see how the devices cope with them.
Let's start with GFXBench. Recall that Offscreen tests are displaying a 1080p picture regardless of the actual screen resolution. And Onscreen tests are displaying an image in the resolution that matches the device's screen resolution. That is, the Offscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the abstract performance of the SoC, and the Onscreen tests - from the point of view of the comfort of the game on a specific device. Additionally, this year's Android devices used a new Car Chase scene that leverages 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 an almost complete parity of the S7 Edge and Note7 (except for the strange loss of the new product in one of the modes).
And the last test is 3DMark. Sling Shot on Android devices ran in OpenGL ES 3.1, and on iPhone - in OpenGL 3.0.
The abnormally high score in Ice Storm Unlimited is hard to explain, but it’s 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 it is at the top level. At least until the release of the new iPhone.
Video playback
Theoretically, we could not test the possible support for adapters for outputting images to an external device due to the lack of an adapter option that connects to the USB Type-C port, so we had to confine ourselves 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 "Testing techniques for video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"). Screenshots with an exposure of 1 s helped to determine the nature of the frame output of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and the frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In our tests we used the MX Player video player in the "Hardware" mode. The test results are summarized in the table:
Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.
According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the device itself is very good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with more or less uniform intervals 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 into 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 one-to-one pixel mode, there will be no interpolation, but the PenTile features will appear - the vertical world through the pixel will be in a grid, and the horizontal one will be slightly greenish. This is on test worlds, the described artifacts on real frames are absent. 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.
Autonomous work and heating
One of the most interesting questions in the case of flagships is the battery life, since, as we understand it, studying the characteristics will not necessarily give an idea of 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 estimate the battery life on our own skin.
Knowing that the battery capacity is slightly reduced compared to the S7 Edge, and the screen real estate is slightly larger, we feared 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 new product can work in medium-intensity mode for two days. Average intensity means the following: automatic mail check every 10 minutes (sometimes in addition to this - manual), 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 of telephone calls 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 often than every other night.
In addition to "real" testing, we added our standard test modes: Guided Tour in the Epic Citadel benchmark (simulated 3D games) and YouTube video playback. And here the results are already less impressive. In Epic Citadel, the smartphone lasted only 3 hours 55 minutes - significantly less than many competitors. And when watching the video, the duration of the work was 12 hours and 50 minutes, which is also not a great result, but still acceptable.
Simply put, the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is more for everyday business use than 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 rear surface taken after 10 minutes of running the battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:
It can be seen that the heating is highly localized above the center and close to the right edge, which, apparently, corresponds to the location of the SoC microcircuit. 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.
Already when the article was written, a scandal broke out with the exploding batteries of the Galaxy Note7. Fortunately, we 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 there will be no problems by the start of smartphone sales in Russia.
In conclusion, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone and the Samsung Gear VR virtual reality glasses:
In the second part of the article, you will find a detailed test of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 camera.
