Galaxy Note 7

[gorcorps]

After seeing these more and more around at stores, I'd call them in the running for the best looking and best built phones and head and shoulders above other phablets in in-hand feel. A lot of it is just the narrowness of the device for a 5.7" screen, but the edges help here as well.

On the discussion about glass, it's somewhat amusing that the assumption is the next iPhone (2017) will also be glass front and back with a curved AMOLED screen. Wouldn't totally surprise me if it ended up quite similar to the Note 7 with the symmetrical front and bottom glass sides with the normal Apple design points like a circular home button.

My guess on the S8? Aluminum unibody with the same design/curve as the Note 7 - basically with the metal frame continuing from the sides all the way around the back in the same shape.

You can't have an aluminum back and still have wireless charging... So unless you think the S8 is taking that away I'm curious why you think they'd go down that path

 

[Oyeve]

and how are speakers/microphone/reception compared to the note 4 ?

Roughly the same. The speaker is on the bottom corner facing out so its better than the Note 4's rear speaker. people tell me my Note 7 sounds better than my S7 Edge. They were complaining that they could barely hear me on my S7.

 

[dawheat]

You can't have an aluminum back and still have wireless charging... So unless you think the S8 is taking that away I'm curious why you think they'd go down that path

Mostly because I think they know they can't have an iterative design for a 3rd year, curved screen or not. It's just human nature to want something new and there aren't really other materials considered "premium" besides metal and glass.

Wireless charging may take a hit but I thought there were some recent advancements where you were able to charge through a metal back?

 

[dethman]

Roughly the same. The speaker is on the bottom corner facing out so its better than the Note 4's rear speaker. people tell me my Note 7 sounds better than my S7 Edge. They were complaining that they could barely hear me on my S7.

i actually think the speaker is actually much less powerful than the note 4 esp when watching videos. i just upgraded and think it's just not as loud nor crisp. i think it has to do with the waterproofing/resistance issue.

 

[spacejamz]

i actually think the speaker is actually much less powerful than the note 4 esp when watching videos. i just upgraded and think it's just not as loud nor crisp. i think it has to do with the waterproofing/resistance issue.

I think the speakers on the Edge 6+ were louder than the Note 7.....

 

[Raduque]

i actually think the speaker is actually much less powerful than the note 4 esp when watching videos. i just upgraded and think it's just not as loud nor crisp. i think it has to do with the waterproofing/resistance issue.

Now, my Note 4 is almost a year old, but the speaker on it has always been junk. Tinny, harsh highs and no volume, and tons of distortion at it's highest volume.

The Note7's speaker is in a completely different class, and it sounds great. Still not enough volume, though.

 

[lopri]

Why is this phone $850, not $750? Was it not traditionally priced $100 higher than the "S" models?

 

[Lodix]

Why is this phone $850, not $750? Was it not traditionally priced $100 higher than the "S" models?

Yes, you are right and I don't think there is any rational response but Samsung getting to suck more money.

 

[Zaap]

Yes, you are right and I don't think there is any rational response but Samsung getting to suck more money.

I'd say it's just what the market will bear.

The phone is in high demand. They're going to charge a premium... and if the market will bear it, more power to 'em.

For myself, there's no other phone interests me in the slightest right now. If the Note 4 is any indication, I'll have the N7 a long time.

'Saving' $100 wouldn't be worth it to have what I consider a lesser device for my needs/wants. Heck... several hundred bucks wouldn't be.

If there were a $400-$500 phablet with the same features and stats I'd be interested... but there isn't. Sammy knows it. Hence... they can charge what they want right now. Eventually the price will come down anyway... the majority of N7s sold I'd bet won't be anything near the max MSRP.

 

[dawheat]

Yes, you are right and I don't think there is any rational response but Samsung getting to suck more money.

Like Apple, why would Samsung not charge a premium as long as the market will bear it? They have legitimate advantages over the rest of the Android OEMs and they have no reason to compete on price at the high end as long as their advantages are valued by the market.

Curved screens (even Samsung agrees it's almost purely aesthetic), best displays, S-Pen, mobile VR accessory, Samsung Pay, combination of IP certification, compact size, and top battery life. Camera that is the equal of others in IQ but faster.

Now you or I may not value these features to the tune of +$300 over the competition, but the sales of the S7 Edge and Note 7 seem to support that plenty of people do.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Like Apple, why would Samsung not charge a premium as long as the market will bear it? They have legitimate advantages over the rest of the Android OEMs and they have no reason to compete on price at the high end as long as their advantages are valued by the market.

Curved screens (even Samsung agrees it's almost purely aesthetic), best displays, S-Pen, mobile VR accessory, Samsung Pay, combination of IP certification, compact size, and top battery life. Camera that is the equal of others in IQ but faster.

Now you or I may not value these features to the tune of +$300 over the competition, but the sales of the S7 Edge and Note 7 seem to support that plenty of people do.

Is it fair to say that about the S7 Edge when they were literally selling them 2 for 1 (plus with extras)?

There's a few reasons I can think of for the higher price of the Note. One being the curved display does cost more. The second being Samsung is absolutely aiming to be considered premium, and you can argue they have the hardware to claim that (although I'm a bit surprised considering devices like the ZTE Axon 7 which offer very close to most of what the Note does and some features it doesn't, in a not as impressive but hardly ugly design, for $399 unlocked and with little to no bloatware).

I think the real reason though, is the carriers. In the past buying a phone outright would often be quite a bit cheaper (even when the unlocked version was claimed to cost more, contracts made them cost a lot more still), but people would opt for putting a couple hundred down and being subsidized. But now with them being more upfront about the cost of the phone, and with a high price, doing the monthly payment options look more appealing ($20-30 a month compared to nearly $900 outright?). And that gets people to stay with their carrier (even with the ability to get them to pay for the device to switch, I don't know that people do that until they've paid off their devices still, and now they offer the ability to upgrade after a year and things like that, so I think people are actually less likely to change service).

 

[Commodus]

Samsung's perpetual issue is that it wants to be seen as a premium brand like Apple (and to a degree it is), but it's harder for the company to maintain perceived value when it's ultimately just another Android manufacturer. There's usually going to be some other vendor willing to undercut Samsung on price. That and Samsung seems to be trying its hardest to undermine its own case. Between its eagerness to slash prices on launch day and a broader lineup that's much less expensive, Samsung is training customers to never pay full price, to assume that Samsung is the discount brand.

 

[dawheat]

Samsung's perpetual issue is that it wants to be seen as a premium brand like Apple (and to a degree it is), but it's harder for the company to maintain perceived value when it's ultimately just another Android manufacturer. There's usually going to be some other vendor willing to undercut Samsung on price. That and Samsung seems to be trying its hardest to undermine its own case. Between its eagerness to slash prices on launch day and a broader lineup that's much less expensive, Samsung is training customers to never pay full price, to assume that Samsung is the discount brand.

Besides the free mSD or Gear Fit 2 bundle, are these even Samsung deals? I thought these were carrier and merchant deals - with the death of the 2-year contract, carriers are aggressive about acquiring customers. These BOGO deals require a new line activation and service over the life of the installment period.

The true test I suppose will be whether Verizon, AT&T, etc have BOGO deals with the same conditions when the iPhone 7 comes out. Frankly I expect it as well since the more popular the phone, the greater the opportunity to acquire or lose new postpaid customers without competitive offers.

Still selling well - pre-orders apparently are still in the process of being fulfilled in the US.

 

[lopri]

I watched some videos on YouTube and was shocked to see so many dropped frames (un)rendered by this phone. What is going on? Surely it is not an underpowered hardware?

 

[you2]

Were the video stored on the phone or over the internet; might be dropped packets if via internet.

 

[Commodus]

Besides the free mSD or Gear Fit 2 bundle, are these even Samsung deals? I thought these were carrier and merchant deals - with the death of the 2-year contract, carriers are aggressive about acquiring customers. These BOGO deals require a new line activation and service over the life of the installment period.

The true test I suppose will be whether Verizon, AT&T, etc have BOGO deals with the same conditions when the iPhone 7 comes out. Frankly I expect it as well since the more popular the phone, the greater the opportunity to acquire or lose new postpaid customers without competitive offers.

Still selling well - pre-orders apparently are still in the process of being fulfilled in the US.

Well, even the freebies are signs of Samsung's poor confidence. It's not convinced it can sell that hot new phone on its own merits, so it gives you a gadget to help justify the price. BOGO and other deals are clearly more carrier-driven, but I suspect they happen because Samsung gives providers leeway. I'm curious to see how the Note 7 fares in practice, whether it moves the needle for the company's high-end phones or it remains niche.

In contrast: Apple is legendary for being relatively inflexible on price. I have seen some carriers discount its phones on occasion, but it definitely refuses to allow discounts early on. And while it's not so great for deal hunters, I understand why Apple is doing that: it wants to create the perception of value (whether or not you believe it's there), and you do that by maintaining your price so long as a device is selling even remotely well. People buy the iPhone early on because they know they won't come back a few months later to find a Samsung-style deal where the carrier is practically paying you to take the phone off its hands.

 

[dawheat]

Well, even the freebies are signs of Samsung's poor confidence. It's not convinced it can sell that hot new phone on its own merits, so it gives you a gadget to help justify the price. BOGO and other deals are clearly more carrier-driven, but I suspect they happen because Samsung gives providers leeway. I'm curious to see how the Note 7 fares in practice, whether it moves the needle for the company's high-end phones or it remains niche.

In contrast: Apple is legendary for being relatively inflexible on price. I have seen some carriers discount its phones on occasion, but it definitely refuses to allow discounts early on. And while it's not so great for deal hunters, I understand why Apple is doing that: it wants to create the perception of value (whether or not you believe it's there), and you do that by maintaining your price so long as a device is selling even remotely well. People buy the iPhone early on because they know they won't come back a few months later to find a Samsung-style deal where the carrier is practically paying you to take the phone off its hands.

Pretty sure bogos on the 6S started in the fall, a couple months after release. I think you're conflating history with recent experience.

The mobile market in the US is very different from two years ago. Like I said, it wouldn't surprise me to see bogos at launch with the iPhone7 but we'll have to see.

These more limited ecosystem bundles Samsung has done actually shows growing confidence I think. Last year they were doing cash offers from 150 to 200. This year an accessory that costs them probably 50 and gets you into a Samsung ecosystem is a much lighter offerr and smarter.

 

[Zaap]

I watched some videos on YouTube and was shocked to see so many dropped frames (un)rendered by this phone. What is going on? Surely it is not an underpowered hardware?

Curious what you were looking at. Seen nothing wrong with video playback or anything else on my Note 7.

 

[lopri]

I think it was a video by PocketNow. I will see if I can locate it.
Though after further reading that it looks to me like Samsung has prioritized battery life over raw performance, so that might be one explanation.

 

[lopri]

https://youtu.be/EEnXVxvrbQg?t=259

4:20 home screen scrolling appears rather low FPS.

The phone otherwise looks pretty nice, as is expected for the Note series, packing only the best parts in compact packaging. I still wish the Note series phones were more rugged, though.

 

[lopri]

TouchWiz now comes with built-in Greenify?!

 

[Paladin]

TouchWiz now comes with built-in Greenify?!

Greenify?

What case/screen protector combo's are you guys using? I think everyone is finding a tough time getting a combo that doesn't cause the screen protector to peel up on the edges.
I started with this
https://www.amazon.com/Protector-Sh...d=1472661540&sr=1-2&keywords=note+7+iq+shield

and this case (looks great on the silver)
https://www.amazon.com/Spigen®-Resi...&qid=1472661774&sr=1-2&keywords=spigen+note+7

screen protector is getting a little worse. ugh.

 

[Paladin]

I see they have a version 2 protector out now, more "case friendly"
https://www.amazon.com/Protector-Li...d=1472661890&sr=1-1&keywords=note+7+iq+shield

 

[Paladin]

Uh oh, Samsung delaying shipments, investigating exploding batteries.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/samsung-delaying-shipments-galaxy-note-153927184.html

 

[Kazukian]

Here's some pics, they suspect non OEM USB C cables.

http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/08/31/samsung-stops-shipments-of-exploding-galaxy-note-7-phones (Sorry, the site is Apple centric, and the tone of their articles sucks.)