Testing the Samsung Galaxy Note 7: an explosion of flavors – Phonandroid

It is our test! The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was announced there are now about a month. For French and European fans, the wait was long. Indeed, last year, Samsung has marketed its Galaxy Note 5 in our region. The arrival of the Galaxy Note 7 (Samsung skipped version 6) was so highly anticipated

Best.

And we would thank Samsung almost making us wait. The Galaxy Note 7 is simply a success. Obviously it is not flawless but they are minimal as the smartphone is appealing. This Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is a real explosion of flavors . We tell you why in our full review

Summary:

Sheet Samsung Galaxy Note 7

On begins with the specifications of this Galaxy Note 7. on paper, the Samsung smartphone integrates the best of what can make the brand. Thus, there is a screen 5.7-inch Super AMOLED qHD is a resolution of 515 ppi. Note that is a screen 2.5 D which hugs the curves of the smartphone. On the side of the screen you’re on what we knew in France with the previous version, the Galaxy Note 4.

Name	Galaxy Note 4	Galaxy Note 7
Screen	Super AMOLED 5.7-inch Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution (515 dpi). Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3	2.5D Super AMOLED 5.7 inch QHD resolution of 2560 x1440 pixels resolution (515 dpi). HDR video playback.
Processor	Quad-core Snapdragon 805 clocked at 2.7 GHz (28 nm) Architecture 4 x Krait 450 to 2.7 GHz	Octa-core Exynos 8890 clocked at 2.6 Ghz
graphics chip (GPU)	Adreno 420	Mali-T880MP12
RAM	3GB RAM LPDDR3	4GB RAM LPDDR4
Storage	32 GB (24.6 GB available)	64GB / 128 GB / 256 GB
MicroSD	support Card up to 128 GB	taken Map Supports up to 256 GB
rear Camera	Sony IMX240 16-megapixel f / 2.2 and optical stabilization, video UHD / 4K at 30fps, LED flash	12 megapixel camera with image stabilization 3-axis and dual LED flash / video in 4K
Camera before	3.7 megapixel f / 1.9, selfie mode at 90º and 120º wide angle	5 Megapixels
Network	4G (LTE Cat.6 300/50 Mbit / s), 3G (HSPA + 42 Mbit / s): 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, 2.5G (GSM / GPRS / EDGE): 850/900/1800/1900 MHz	4G LTE (Cat. 9) , 3G (HSPA + 42Mbps): 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, 2.5G (GSM / GPRS / EDGE): 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Connectivity	WiFi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 + 5 GHz MIMO 2 × 2), Bluetooth 4.1 (BLE, ANT +), MHL 3.0, DLNA, GPS / a-GPS / GLONASS, NFC and Infrared	WiFi a / b / g / n / ac dual-band and Bluetooth 4.2 + A2DP + LE, NFC, no infrared
Connection	MicroSIM, Micro USB 2.0, 3 mics (directional voice Recording), 3.5 headphone jack mm	MicroSIM, USB Type-C 3.1, headphone jack 3.5 mm, no radio, no MHL
Sensors	gestures, accelerometer, gyro, RGB ambient light, proximity, barometer, fingerprint reader, UV, heart rate	Motion accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, gyroscope, proximity sensor, temperature and humidity, Barometer
Battery	3220 mAh battery (removable)	Battery 3500 mAh (not removable) / fast Charge / Charge induction
S-Pen	15 g, 15 mm pointing, pressure level 2048	Score 0.7 mm, pressure level 4096 IP 68 (waterproof and sand)
water resistance	No	Yes (immersion for 30 minutes at 1.50m deep)
Colours	White, black, bronze, pink	black, Blue, Silver
Dimensions	153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm	153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm mm
Weight	175 grams	168 g
OS	Android 4.4.4 KitKat + TouchWiz	Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow + TouchWiz
DAS	DAS head: 0.315 W / kg SAR body. 0.273 W / kg	DAS head: 0.249 W / kg DAS body = 1.280 W / kg

Under the hood, however, there is change. Samsung dropped the Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm to integrate its home processor, the Exynos 8890 2.6 GHz. He is accompanied by 4GB of RAM and 64, 128 or 256 GB of internal memory. The memory can be extended up to 256 GB with a microSD card. Our test model is a 64GB version.

On the side of the camera, you are entitled to the same sensor as the Galaxy S7, which has already proven itself. Thus, at the back we find a Sony IMX260 with 12-megapixel OIS camera 3-axis, dual LED flash, lens and 26mm f / 1.7. At the front you are entitled to a 5-megapixel sensor.

Otherwise, the battery of Galaxy Note 7 was swollen and passes 3500 mAh . And we feel it daily, I will return. The S-Pen is of course of the game and will be able to enjoy new uses. . Note that the small and Touchwiz overlay specific to the Note range were largely alleviated and offer a much more pleasant experience than before

Finally, we end with the good news: Galaxy Note 7 (and its S-Pen stylus) is resistant to water and dust thanks to the IP68 standard. Samsung really wanted to put everything in its new smartphone. And in practice, it’s all good

Design. Look, enjoy

Do not beat around the bush, Galaxy Note 7 is a marvel of design . As soon as you open the box, we take full eyes. We received our side a blue version of the smartphone with golden borders. It’s really very successful.

The range Note was originally intended for professionals. The Galaxy Note 7 is undoubtedly a symbol of the young active part. It is very elegant, and displays lines that are both dynamic and tasty. We find the lines of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge but adapted to the format Note, and this is a real success.

The Note 7 and retrieves the Edge range slightly curved slab sides. A wonder about this format 5.7 inch that never seems to find endless. This magnificent display is perfectly integrated into a design all glass and metal. The front and back are made of glass. The 2.5D format allows both sides to almost meet on the metal brackets.

At the front there is therefore this high-flying display with a band below on which Samsung integrated its fingerprint reader (physical touch) and back buttons (right) and multitasking (left). These last two buttons are touch-sensitive.

On the upper band, the audio output is found to telephone conversations, the front camera sensor, light sensor and novelty, the sensor iris. I will return to this great innovation a step further.

At the rear, the design is very simple and elegant. The back is all glass and the top we find the photo sensor (which was perfectly integrated) and the LED flash and a pulse sensor. As many elements as we have already seen on the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. The Samsung logo is also visible on the back.

On the right spine there is the power button, and on the left edge both small volume control buttons. The upper portion contains the nano SIM port as well as the micro SD port. A microphone is also visible on this slice.

On the lower edge there is again a microphone. The jack is also present and for the first time a USB Type-C . The audio output is also visible on this slice and small fears averages audio performance. I will come back.

To complete the descriptive elements, note that S-Pen stylus is included on the bottom edge on the right. One press makes it out of its housing. To avoid the disappointments of last year with the pen of Note 5, Samsung has had the good sense not to allow the pen to insert it upside down. Good point.

The Galaxy Note 7 is a true pleasure for the eyes, and this is also the case when it comes to handling. The rounded, the screen 2.5D and materials simply allow a perfect grip. a smartphone with a 5.7 inch screen printing is not really does hold.

Attention however, it is very difficult to use one-handed . Samsung has integrated functionality to use the device with one hand but smaller hands will not succeed, that’s for sure. I have rather large hands and use a hand was rather tedious.

But I must admit that Samsung has done a tremendous job for the grip is optimal. The Galaxy Note 7 does not slip through the hands of the glass, and the curved edges allow for a more comfortable outfit. Congratulations to Samsung for design , even if we were prepared for a good job, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge being successful this way.

Screen : viewing pleasure

How not to fall under the spell of the screen Galaxy Note 7. We know Samsung expertise in this field. As we know, Samsung did not bring technical innovation with this new screen. But the pleasure is always the same.

The Galaxy Note 7 features a Super AMOLED screen of 5.7 inches with qHD resolution. I said there was nothing new, in fact there is one, invisible. The screen of the Galaxy Note 7 is compatible HDR. We have already explained what it meant exactly but you still did a little wakeup call.

The screen of the Note 7 is actually capable of displaying HDR video c that is to say the videos that show a number of unique details and a color rendering ever seen. Only problem, the contents of the kind are extremely rare.

It will be possible to enjoy it soon on Netflix because many series are available on the HDR streaming service but for TV only for the moment. The only viable solution for now is to download HDR videos for viewing.

But clearly it takes a lot of memory, it’s time to download and especially the contents fall over promotional video technology. Not enough to get drunk so. The HDR is good for marketing talk for now.

Otherwise, the Galaxy Note 7 screen is simply beautiful . Samsung knows tame AMOLED technology as a person, and a 5.7-inch screen, it’s really a pleasure.

especially with the curved edges of the smartphone, we really feel that the screen fills the entire space. In the game, when viewing videos or photos or even for the web, the screen is a real asset to this Galaxy Note 7. If you are professional, go to another screen you would be hard. And besides, aesthetically it is beautiful.

In addition to aesthetics, we must remember that the colors are always good. The AMOLED can offer a contrast close to infinity. The brightness is simply excellent, the screen can look without flinching even in strong light conditions. The color temperature is also very fair, and the blacks are deep and allow us to offer excellent battery life.

Undoubtedly, the Galaxy Note 7 will become the standard for of screen technology. We test a lot of products throughout the year, yet the screen of the Galaxy Note 7 managed to surprise me. A marvel simply near perfection . Samsung definitely has a sacred step ahead of competition in this field

Performance. A bomb

AnTuTu	133 834
Geekbench 4 (Single -core / multi-core)	1434/5390
Basemark OS II (Overall / System / Memory / Graphics / Web)	2724/4213/2762/4288/1103
PC Mark	4987
3D Mark Sling Shot ES3.1	2167
3D Mark Sling Shot ES3.0	2552
X Basemark (High Quality)	32,480
Epic Citadel (Ultra High Quality)	59.8 FPS
Androbench (Read / Write Sequential)	479.74 / 135.51 (Mb / s)
Androbench (Read / Write Random)	82.04 / 14.75 (Mb / s)

You may have noticed by observing the data sheet the Galaxy Note 7 embarks exactly the same processor as the Galaxy S7. It is the Exynos 8890 which rotates the machine. To recap, the processor has four cores clocked Exynos M1 between 2.3 and 2.6 GHz for the most demanding tasks, and four Cortex-A53 cores for the most basic tasks.

During our test of the Galaxy S7 we explained that the performance was above the rest, this is always the case with the latest addition to Samsung. The Galaxy Note 7 is a bomb , period.

Little surprise, it is a little below the Galaxy S7 on some benchmarks but this is due to processor frequency a little lower. But in practice, regardless of the use, it is not absolutely know it.

On all benchmarks, the Galaxy Note 7 is simply the best of what one can find today. This is a racing machine, the ideal tool for professionals. Multitasking, the smartphone will never flinch. It is a disconcerting fluidity.

I used the Note 7 for a full work week, and at no time has shown signs of weakness. No lag, not a slowdown, not a bug, nothing. Yet I pushed him into a corner

I did everything with Note 7. I wrote part of this article, I surfed, I ‘ took pictures, videos, I thoroughly played (and very demanding games), I went on social networks all day long. Nothing has been right about him. I have had to admit defeat.

I have tried to blame him any overheating. I told myself that I too would do the damn explode Note 7. But no, nothing. He said this in all circumstances, even a small overheat, even playing with the connected smartphone.

Under these conditions the temperature increased slightly, as on any smartphone but no overheating which leads us to rest the device. The Galaxy Note 7 is a bomb that does not explode. Well, not for everyone, but that’s another debate.

Software interface TouchWiz and S-Pen features

Side the interface, the Galaxy Note 7 enjoys a beautiful slimming cure of the overlay Touchwiz . If you follow the news from Samsung, you are aware that the contractor seeks to significantly reduce its overlay. Indeed, for many users and observers Touchwiz is not worthy of the status of Samsung: too heavy, too complicated

Well Samsung has apparently listened to its customers.. I was really pleasantly surprised by the lightness of this new version of Touchwiz. Yet I certainly am one of the most resistant to any kind of overlay. I am far from a fan of Android in its purest release.

Slim Fast

slimming cure is observed since that one turns the smartphone: the home page displays a more lightweight design one can even speak of flat design. The font is smaller and gives a pro look to all, even if the colors still flashy tend to do a little toy. But it is possible to change the theme quite easily on the Samsung platform that is packed with more sober alternative.

If these small changes are welcome, most of the changes in the interface is for the menus. Those who used older versions of Touchwiz will have to relearn.

Because if the whole interface is easier to learn, he must still some adjustment time . He took two good days of use to instinctively able to access all the settings I wanted.

The menus are now organized into categories with a color code. Each category includes a set of related functions. In the Security section, for example, one finds everything about the fingerprint reader, iris scanner, different codes, but also everything that can affect the safety aspect.

Same for connectivity. Now all parameters Wifi, bluetooth or network are grouped into a single menu called “connections”. The only drawback to this new ranking system comes from the tab “Advanced”.

In this section it looks like Samsung has refourgue everything he could not place elsewhere . You end up with a giant tab that includes a bit of everything and anything. Difficult to navigate. Overall, however, it’s very nice, very fluid, and after a short adjustment period, it fully adopts this new version of Touchwiz. Almost.

12GB pre-installed applications, stop!

For indeed, there is a problem that Samsung n has still not settled, the duplicate applications. And for once, it’s really unbearable. Thus, we find a whole series of applications duplicate : two web browsers, email clients two, two SMS apps, two blinds applications

. and that’s not counting the dozens of pre-installed applications: fitness, shows connected home (therefore not compatible Android Wear), Facebook, the Microsoft Office suite. In total, these pre-installed applications, in addition to the OS, are 12 GB of storage space! It’s too much. Fortunately we start with 64 GB of Note 7 (last 52 of the blow) and it is possible to integrate a microSD card.

New functions of the scanner iris

Despite this problem of pre-installed applications, the new interface of the Galaxy Note 7 has small welcome news. Starting with the blue anti-light mode, which is actually the same mode as found for example on the iPhone. It is called “Night Shift” on iOS

The principle is simple. screen filter blue lights that are harmful to the eyes long term and also tend to stimulate nerves. Not terrible before sleeping. And as we know that many users view their smartphone before sleep, anti-blue light fashion makes sense. The screen will be slightly yellowed order checker social networks without damage to the eyes and fall asleep peacefully.

Among the new features, we obviously found the famous iris scanner . I really wanted to give information about me to Samsung. Anyway the point where we are …

Well, finally, I would perhaps not have. Because the iris scanner, as the HDR display, an element that sends a message powerful marketing rather than a true functionality. It’s simple, scanner works when he feels like it.

The setup is very fast, but then when it comes to identify, it’s a different story. Already, the mere fact of putting their smartphone at eye level to identify is far from intuitive. It is necessary that the alignment of both eyes is perfect for this to work. And yet, not every time.

In use we are left with a phone at eye level, making a movement back and forth to find the right distance. In the street as well say we look c **.

Any user will prefer the fingerprint reader that wants to be very efficient and very fast. Also easy to set up, its response time is really low even if the example 8 Honor is faster. In practice there is no photo, iris scan will be quickly forgotten.

Oh, small thing. The Always On Display Mode is still in the game. And it helps to provide a good autonomy to Galaxy Note 7. But I’ll come back soon

The S-Pen. Hmm …

the big difference between a 7 and Galaxy Note Edge Galaxy S7, if not the screen, the S-Pen stylus. But he brings to really use this pen? The really does is it used? Well I thought that I would use it more. Yet there is no shortage of well-friendly features.

Once you eject the stylus from its housing, the Galaxy Note 7 may have two different reactions. If the display is in standby when you take the pen, it will be possible for you to write directly on the black screen to create a note.

This is without probably the feature I most used. Galaxy Note 7 replaces indeed a book or a notebook that is written on the fly lists, phone numbers, test plans etc.

If the S-Pen is ejected while the smartphone was on Home then a small menu will appear on the right side of the screen. This small rounded menu offers four basic features (it is possible to add to his desire):

• create a note
• smart selection to make a screenshot on a specific area, or create a gif. The only problem with the GIF is that we can not capture and do something together. For example I would have liked to show you some features of Galaxy Note 7 by making a capture, but it’s impossible. Too bad.
• capture that is a screen capture in its entirety (it is possible to draw and annotate the capture)
• English that allows you to translate a word, flying over it with the S-Pen. This is one of the most improved features.

Another small novelty, the fact of pressing the pen button to make a gum. Simple but effective. Finally, note that taking notes is of unparalleled fluidity. It’s a real pleasure to use that stylus to write every day. And more you can use it in the rain since it is also certified IP68 . Good point.

Moreover, it is possible to write with the stylus to respond to messages or emails. And recognition is amazing. I do not write like a pig but I have not applied a writing teacher CM2. Yet the Galaxy Note 7 perfectly recognizes every word written. The few times the transcript was wrong, it was because of hesitation on my part. Really impressive.

Unfortunately, the S-Pen is not flawless and it is actually on its use smartphone that is questioned. Note taking is nice but within limits. The screen is too small to write really content. Too bad because I would have liked to write a part of this product on hand Note 7 to calculate the write time compared to a tactile keyboard.

The stylus itself same has also limitations. It is extremely light and thin. His grip is quite tedious to write. You can take notes quickly, but to reply to an email, for example, you end up storing it because it turns or slipping through your fingers.

And we also tend to unintentionally press the physical button cell where the our fingertips is when writing. So we end up storing the stylus to type on the virtual keyboard is also very effective on the 5.7 inch screen. The stylus would actually perfect sense on a tablet

Audio. He had to find a fault

We looked nit face this total success, and we found it. The audio portion of the Galaxy Note 7 does not match , very clearly. The smartphone features a very small speaker located right next to the pen storage and the sound quality is far from satisfactory.

Warning, this is not catastrophic, but it’s just average. The sound saturates quickly, especially with the treble. Even in conversations with the speaker, the sound is not very clear, with poorly managed mediums. The finding is identical to the bass is very average.

With headphones is much better. Besides those provided with the Galaxy Note 7 are quite good. They prove comfortable and the sound delivered is rather nice, quite clear. It is far from the best market for a smartphone headphones but it’s good work. Let’s say for professionals who are always online at the same time they do something else the supplied headphones are very nice all day.

I have deliberately used during a full day of work and I did not feel any discomfort in my daily use. Even listening to music is very pleasant. If the speakers are very average, the headphones are for their rather good. But we clearly expect more of this side for a smartphone sold 850 euros

Network. All good with very low DAS

as for the rest (except her), Samsung has incorporated what he did best in his smartphone. The Galaxy Note 7 thus supports 4G Class 9 which achieves a theoretical maximum throughput of 450 Mbps for download and 150 Mbps upstream.

For now these flow rates are not available in France, but the Note 7 is ready for the coming months. Besides the integrated technology in Galaxy Note 7 allows him still access the 4G + for operators to offer.

In practice, the grip is excellent. I always enjoyed the 4G Metz even in areas usually hangs it is more difficult, in the surrounding villages mostly. Note that I am connected to the Orange network. To 4G so it’s all good.

WiFi is also excellent as it supports the 2.4 and 5 GHz standards 802.11a / b / g / n / ac. Nothing so dazzling for a high-end smartphone but it did not appear he would have heard of the country, but not oh! Again grip is excellent and connects quickly to any WiFi network.

Add to that an NFC compatibility and Bluetooth standard v4.2 LE (one really see the difference if only for connecting to a speaker), and you have a smartphone on top of connectivity.

and as today many users s’ concerned about the wave of smartphones, know that here too Samsung has done things. It’s a little icing on the cake.