The Samsung Note 7 is official, and there are hardware specs to consider, but most of the coolest new features are under-the-hood.
It’s waterproof, and the SPen is better
The Note 7 is now IP68 rated, and so is the SPen, meaning you can go ahead and use it while you’re swimming if you like. More likely, you can now use it as you trudge your way down the street in the rain to your next appointment.
SPen improvements aren’t limited water resistance – it’s also thinner and lighter than before, and with a more sensitive tip.
There’s a neat GIF tool
With that SPen, there’s a nifty new feature that lets you easily create a GIF from any video you’re watching- it’s called ‘Smart Select’.
Other new ‘Air Commands’ include the ability to magnify or translate text simply by hovering the SPen over the screen.
The Quad HD screen is beautiful – and you can pin a memo to it
This needs little explanation. It’s 5.7-inches of bright, crisp loveliness. We’ve no idea how that large display impacts battery yet though.
You can create a secure space
A feature called ‘Secure Folder’ lets you place any apps, documents, images or anything else away safely in a protected folder that can’t be accessed without unlocking.
You can unlock it hands-free
The iris-scanning technology means you don’t need to use a PIN code or fingerprint to log in. All you do is stare straight ahead at your phone.
It’s mobile video HDR-ready
This means that it supports high-dynamic range playback on video content, giving you more vivid color contrast.
You can quickly take down a note on the lock screen
If inspiration (or a last-minute grocery shop request) strikes, you don’t even need to unlock your phone anymore to note it down. Plus you can pin that note to the lock screen. Neat.