First Impressions: Samsung Note7

The Note7 is here! We got out hands on this new phablet from Samsung for a few hours before its international launch in New York. Here are our first impressions:

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The Galaxy Note7 has been engineered to perfection. It feels less blocky and smoother than the Galaxy S6 series, but still feels sturdier than the new S7 series. Unlike last year’s entries, the camera doesn’t protrude at all. Even at 5.7 inches, the big phablet feels like a perfect fit even for small hands. The QHD Super AMOLED display quality is crystal. The Note7 comes together as a completed evolution of the great concept started by the S6 series.

The Exynos 8890 chip is shared with the Samsung Galaxy S7. Circumstances prevented us from testing hardier apps and games. But given its reputation, it can be believed that this chip will excel benchmarks and tests. The Note7 also comes with 4GB of RAM and an expanded 64GB of internal storage. Further, the 256GB expansion capabilities effectively eliminate storage issues.

The S Pen package remains one of the best that Samsung can offer. Its thin point allows seamless writing like a real pen even when the screen is off. There are a lot of additional functions which make this feature even smarter. It’s water and dust resistant, much like the phone itself. It has an erase button. It can translate on the fly. It’s a completely intelligent pen.

Since it shares the same technology as the S7 series, the Note7’s camera is once again top-notch. First of all, focusing happens in the blink of an eye. Secondly, photos are crispy clear even in low light (but dark photos do have a teeny bit of noise). The Note7’s camera rides on Samsung’s upward trend for camera technology.

The Note7’s TouchWiz looks even better than the vast improvements that the S7 already has. It also has very minimal bloatware. Out of the box, the Note7 has less than a page of installed apps.

USB Type-C is a welcome change in the long run, but may take getting used to. Thankfully, a microUSB adapter comes with the package.

The iris scanner is amazingly accurate. Unlike the fingerprint scanner which suffered a speed bump from slow-moving technology, the iris scanner seems to already be in its prime from the get-go. Detection is at the blink of an eye. Samsung is also working to incorporate iris scanning to authenticate real-world transactions and online sign-ins. (Although, seeing a freakish version of my face every time I access my phone can take getting used to.)

The P39,990 price tag feels a bit steep but it’s worth every centavo. More expensive entries to Samsung’s flagship line do exist, so it’s a touch of relief that the Note7 only barely grazes the P40,000 mark.