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Samsung Galaxy Note7 review: An S7 Edge on steroids

By James Lu - 20 Aug 2016
Launch SRP: S$1168

Benchmark Performance, Imaging, Battery Life and Conclusion

Benchmark Performance

The Note7 is powered by Samsung's Exynos 8890 octa-core processor (4 x 2.3GHz Mongoose & 4 x 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53) with a Mali-T880 MP12 GPU and 4GB RAM. That's exactly the same hardware you'll find inside the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

Test phones compared
  Samsung Galaxy Note7 Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Samsung Galaxy Note 5 LG G5 OnePlus 3 Apple iPhone 6s Plus
  Samsung Galaxy Note7 Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Samsung Galaxy Note 5 LG G5 OnePlus 3 Apple iPhone 6s Plus
Launch SRP
  • From S$1168
  • From S$1098
  • From S$1088
  • From S$988
  • From S$699
Operating system
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Oxygen OS 3.2.4
  • iOS 9
Processor
  • Samsung Exynos 8890 octa-core (quad-core 2.3GHz Cortex- M1 & quad-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A53), 14nm process
  • Samsung Exynos 8890 octa-core (quad-core 2.3GHz Cortex- M1 & quad-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A53), 14nm process
  • Samsung Exynos 7420 octa-core (quad-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 & quad-core 2.1GHz Cortex-A57)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core (dual-core 2.15GHz Kyro & dual-core 1.59GHz Kyro), 14nm process
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (dual-core 2.15GHz Kryo & dual-core 1.6GHz Kryo)
  • Apple A9 64-bit dual-core 1.8GHz processor
Built-in Memory
  • 4GB RAM
  • 4GB RAM
  • 4GB LPDDR4 RAM
  • 4GB RAM (LPDDR4)
  • 6GB
  • 2GB RAM
Display
  • 5.7-inch / 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (518 ppi) / Super AMOLED
  • Always-On Display
  • Edge Screen
  • 5.5-inch / 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (534 ppi) / Super AMOLED
  • Always-On Display
  • Edge Screen
  • 5.7-inch / 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (518 ppi) / Super AMOLED
  • 5.3-inch / 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (554ppi) / IPS
  • Always-on Display
  • 5.5-inch / 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (401 ppi) / Optic AMOLED
  • 5.5-inch Retina HD / 1,920 x 1,080 pixels / IPS
Camera
  • Rear: 12-megapixel with f/1.7 aperture and smart OIS
  • Front: 5-megapixel with f/1.7 aperture
  • Rear: 12-megapixel with f/1.7 aperture and smart OIS
  • Front: 5-megapixel with f/1.7 aperture
  • Rear: 16-megapixel with f/1.9 aperture and smart OIS
  • Front: 5-megapixel with f/1.9 aperture
  • Rear (Standard): 16-megapixel with f/1.8, optical image stabilization, laser autofocus
  • Rear (Wide): 8-megapixel with f/2.4, laser autofocus, 135-degree Field Of View
  • Front: 8-megapixel with f/2.0
  • Rear: 16-megapixel, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, OIS, LED flash, 1/2.8" sensor size, 1.12 µm pixel size
  • Front: 8-megapixel, f/2.0, 1/3.2" sensor size, 1.4 µm pixel size
  • Rear: 12-megapixel iSight camera with phase detection autofocus, optical image stabilization and dual warm/cool LED flashes
  • Front: 5-megapixels FaceTime HD camera
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 9 (up to 450Mbps), Bluetooth 4.1, VHT80, MIMO (2x2), GPS, GLONASS, NFC, Screen Mirroring
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 9 (up to 450Mbps), Bluetooth 4.1, VHT80, MIMO (2x2), GPS, GLONASS, NFC, Screen Mirroring
  • Bluetooth 4.2, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4+5GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, GPS, GLONASS, NFC
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, A-GPS, GLONASS, LTE/3G/2G
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual band), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, DLNA, USB Type-C, USB 3.1 Gen 1
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, LE, GPS, GLONASS, Lightning connector, 3.5mm headphone jack
Storage Type
  • 64GB internal storage (UFS 2.0)
  • 256GB (MicroSD)
  • 32GB internal storage (UFS 2.0)
  • 200GB (MicroSD)
  • 32 / 64GB internal storage
  • 32GB internal storage (UFS)
  • 2TB (MicroSD)
  • 64GB internal storage
  • 16 / 64 / 128GB internal storage
Battery
  • 3,500mAh
  • Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
  • 3,600mAh
  • Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
  • 3,000mAh
  • 2,800mAh
  • Removable
  • 3,000mAh
  • Dash Charge
  • 2,750mAh
Dimensions
  • 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm
  • 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm
  • 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm
  • 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm
  • 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4 mm
  • 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm
Weight
  • 169g
  • 157g
  • 171g
  • 159g
  • 158g
  • 192g

 

SunSpider JavaScript

SunSpider JavaScript measures the browsing performance of a device when processing JavaScript. It not only takes into consideration the underlying hardware performance, but also assesses how optimized a particular platform is at delivering a high-speed web browsing experience. 

Samsung devices always perform well on this benchmark and the Note7 was no exception. In terms of actual user experience, the web browsing experience was smooth and lag-free.

 

3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited

3DMark Ice Storm is designed to test the gaming capabilities of a device, putting its GPU through a rigorous OpenGL ES 2.0 benchmark test that uses fixed off-screen rendering with high quality textures and post-processing effects. The Unlimited version of the benchmark disables v-sync, display scaling and other OS factors, making it ideal for chipset comparison. 

As expected, the Note7 performed very well on this test, posting a score just marginally lower than the S7 Edge. However, it's worth noting that the OnePlus 3's Snapdragon 820 processor and whopping 6GB RAM actually outscored the Exynos processor here.

For reference, the Note7 scored a very respectable 2871 on 3D Mark's newer, more challenging Sling Shot (ES3.1) benchmark.

 

Quadrant

Quadrant is an Android benchmark that evaluates a device's CPU, memory, I/O and 3D graphics performance. While the Mi 5 again put in a solid performance, it once again trailed behind the LG G5. Samsung's Galaxy S7 with its Exynos 8890 continues to dominate this benchmark.

The Exynos 8890 remains the undisputed king of this benchmark, with the Note7 again scoring just slightly less than the S7 Edge.

 

Imaging

The Galaxy Note7 has the exact same rear and front camera setup as the S7 and S7 Edge. That means you're getting a 12-megapixel, f/1.7, 1/2.6-inch sensor camera with phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilization on the rear; and on the front, a 5-megapixel f/1.7 selfie camera.

As with the S7, the Note7's rear camera has a Dual Pixel sensor, which means it has two photodiodes that capture light independently, enhancing detection in the dark, and vastly reducing the amount of time required to autofocus.

For an in-depth look at the capabilities of the rear camera, check out this article.

As we discovered in our in-depth article, the S7's camera module is one of the best around, and that hasn't changed with the Note7. Color reproduction is excellent, details are sharp across the image, and there's very little noise or processing evident. Autofocus is fast and accurate even in poorly lit environments.

Click for full-size image.


 

Battery Life

Our standard battery test for mobile phones includes the following parameters:

  • Looping a 800 x 480-pixel video with screen brightness and volume at 100%
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
  • Constant data streaming through email and Twitter

While the Note7 is slightly larger than the S7 Edge, it actually has a smaller battery - 3,500mAh battery on the Note7 versus 3,600mAh on the S7 Edge. As a result, combined with its 0.2-inch larger display, it didn't last quite as long, running for 13 hours and 42 minutes in our video looping benchmark - 48 minutes shorter than the S7 Edge.

As for how fast the battery charges, despite switching to a USB Type-C port, I didn't notice a decrease in charging time, with the Note7 taking about 30 minutes to reach 50 percent charge, and just under two hours to fully charge. That's about the same as the S7 Edge and the Note 5.

 

Conclusion

The entire Note7 experience hinges on the S Pen. That's not news to Samsung, but while some of the Note7's predecessors have had the benefit of more powerful specs than their S series counterparts, the Note7 is virtually identical hardware-wise. Even in terms of looks, it's quite similar to the S7 Edge (although anyone with OCD will really appreciate the perfect symmetry on the Note7). Fortunately, this year's S Pen is really, really good. In fact, it's the first time I've felt that Samsung has really nailed the stylus experience.

Not only has Samsung perfected the creativity parts of the S Pen, firstly by simplifying everything into a single Samsung Notes app, and secondly by redesigning the S Pen to be more reactive and precise, it's also added some extremely useful secondary features that make the S Pen much more than just a creativity tool. In fact, over the last few days using the Note7, I generally find myself pulling out the S Pen even when I'm just web browsing or checking email. The glance, magnify, and translate features are powerful tools that make regular smartphones feel downright pre-historic in comparison.

And yes, while you can do flashy stuff like write underwater with the S Pen, I actually found the simple screen-off memo function to be the most useful addition to the S Pen's feature set. Previous versions of the Note required you to unlock the phone, take out the S Pen to access Air Command, then select Action Memo. By the time I've done all of that, I've forgotten what I wanted to jot down. Using the Note7, it literally takes seconds to pull out the S Pen and make a quick memo. Then I can pin it to the always-on display to remind myself later. 

Then there's the Note7's iris sensor, which may just replace the fingerprint scanner as the go-to biometric authenticator. It's just as fast as the fingerprint scanner, doesn't require any specific finger placement. You just have to be looking vaguely in the direction of your phone, and it works virtually all the time (unlike a fingerprint reader, which often fails if you have wet fingers). Going from a pattern unlock to fingerprint unlock was a huge jump forward for smartphones. Iris scanning feels like the next big thing.

Finally, the Note7 offers the usual polished experience from Samsung. Samsung has nailed its bi-annual cycle now, with the S series introducing new features, and the Note perfecting them.

In the title of this review, I called the Note7 an S7 Edge on steroids, and that's really the best way to look at it. Now that you no longer have to choose between a stylus and a curved display, the Note7 is really just a beefed up version of the S7 Edge. It does everything the S7 Edge can do, and then adds a whole load of new stuff on top of it. Not everyone needs all of that extra functionality, and for most people, the S7 Edge is honestly more than enough. But if you're a power user, you're really appreciate what the Note7 is capable of.

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9.0
  • Design 9
  • Features 9.5
  • User-Friendliness 9
  • Performance 9
  • Value 8
The Good
Gorgeous symmetrical design
IP68 dust and water resistant
Fast and accurate iris scanner
Powerful productivity and creativity features with the S Pen
Excellent benchmark and imaging performance
Great battery life
The Bad
Pretty expensive
Most people will be fine with the S7 Edge
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