I thought the bets were off. No phone would prove more controversial in 2015 than the Galaxy S6. It seems I was wrong…
If leaked images obtained by the ever reliable French tech site Nowhereelse.frprove correct (and it nailed both the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6 designs prior to launch) then Samsung is about to create the mother of all storms with its plans for the beloved Galaxy Note.
The images show a handset which mimics almost all the major design changes introduced with the Galaxy S6: aluminium frame, glass back, upgraded fingerprint sensor, bottom edge speakers and the more angular lines of the S6’ssuperb camera.
Galaxy Note 5 leaked with case renders – Images courtesy of Nowhereelse.fr
In theory this should be good news (the Note range has needed more premium build materials while the other added features are welcome) but this overlooks one huge fact: Galaxy Notes are primarily productivity devices.
Consequently fitting a glass back to the Note range would, as with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, mean no more expandable storage or removable battery. This divided opinion with the S6es which attract more mainstream owners but – if these images continue Nowhereelse.fr’s impressive track record – taking them from a productivity device which has a much more hardcore fanbase will cause universal outcry.
Yes, Samsung could be adding a glass flap to the back to continue these features (this is hidden by the case), but that would seem a bizarre design decision and a glass sheet has very obvious downsides and is an injury lawsuit just waiting to happen.
At least the Note range’s famous stylus shows up here, so that’s one element Samsung hasn’t forsaken.
So What Is Samsung Thinking?
This is a question many will ask, but the answer is most likely akin to the company’s mindset with the Galaxy S6es redesign: far greater style will compensate for the loss of substance.
Unlike the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, Samsung at least appears to be throwing a little more oomph at the Note 5 to alleviate one of the lost features.
Whereas the S6es have smaller batteries than the S5, the Note 5 is expected to fit a huge 4100 mAh battery – a massive increase on the 3220 mAh battery in the Note 4. That could fix the removable argument for most people, especially if Samsung keeps the same processing efficiencies introduced with its Exynos 7420 chipset in the S6 given the Note 5 is expected to get the incrementally upgraded Exynos 7422.
But fixes are less easy when it comes to memory.
The approach of the S6es was to provide a new 128GB option which the Note 5 will inevitably copy, but this just means greater outlay for customers upfront and the S6es were already far more expensive than the S5 thanks to their premium build materials. It’s here potential Galaxy Note 5 owners will be watching very carefully…
No comments:
Post a Comment