(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) As we post this, there's only less than an hour left (7pm, Tuesday, Dubai time) before Samsung puts its latest Galaxy Note 7 on full display at its Unpacked event in New York. In case you won't make it to the Big Apple on time - or in London or Rio de Janeiro as there will also be simultaneous launch events there - or if you're there and unable to secure (or fake) a Press pass, fret not; the event will be live-streamed on Samsung's website.
In any case, the Note 7 - just like any new launch - is touted to be the cream of the crop, boasting souped-up specs (both rumoured and confirmed). Just how far has the Note series come? Let's track back a bit. Galaxy Note The device that started a whole new game for Samsung was launched in October 2011. The original Note had a 5.3-inch HD Super Amoled display - a phablet considering it was bigger than your ordinary smartphone and smaller than tablets at the time - had a dual-core 1.4GHz Cortex A9 Exynos processor and, yes, that S-Pen stylus, which became a point - pun intended - of both praise and criticism. It ran on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and sold 10 million units as of August 2012, with five million alone off shelves in the first quarter of that year. Galaxy Note II Bigger screen, better stylus and this time with a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos CPU, the Note II was launched in August 2012 and went on sale in October. It sold over three million units in the first 37 days and more than five million within two months, eventually hitting 30 million as of September 2013. This device was the first to feature Air View, which allows a user to sort of preview content by hovering the S-Pen above the display. Some models also featured wireless charging. It ran on Jelly Bean and 4.4 KitKat. Galaxy Note 3 Widely credited to kickstart Samsung's dominance of the smartphone world, the Note 3, launched in September 2013, was intended to have a more premium look with a plastic leather rear and metallic bezel (although not everyone agreed with that when the actual unit came out). The display and processor were bumped up again, this time with a 5.7-inch full-HD Super Amoled and an octa-core Exynos 5420 CPU, respectively (the China version had a quad-core Snapdragon 800 one). Removing the S-Pen from its compartment activates the Air Command menu, providing access to pen-oriented features. Running from Jelly Bean to 5.0 Lollipop, a June report on The Telegraph put the Note 3 on No.20 in its list of the 20 best-selling smartphones of all time, pegging its sales at over 60 million. Galaxy Note 4 Though its display remained at 5.7 inches, Samsung improved it by slapping in a QHD Super Amoled on the Note 4. The device was released in October 2014 and quickly gained a following, selling 4.5 million units in its first month (although the Note 3 clocked in at over five million in the same period). It also featured Fast Charge, enabling the mobile to go from zero to 50 per cent in half an hour and 100 per cent in about 100 minutes. Several outfits praised the device, particularly its display, although battery life was an issue. Another claim to fame for the Note 4? The film Cai Lan Gong was the first feature film shot with smartphones - obviously, with Note 4s - at 4K resolution. Galaxy Note Edge Well, we all know the standout feature of this device: that curved edge, hence the name. The display was a bit smaller at 5.6 inches, and it featured a either an octa-core Exynos 5 or quad-core Snapdragon 805 CPU. The curved edge served up major hype, although it disappointed as reviews showed that it wasn't really put to good use or had limited usability. It's also the first Note to feature a fingerprint scanner, plus a heart rate monitor found in other previous Samsung phones. The S-Pen was improved and it also had the ability to shoot video in 4K. Galaxy Note 5 Released in August last year, the Note 5's unimetal body is similar to the Galaxy S6, albeit with a curved rear. The 5.7-inch display had smaller bezels, complementing its quad-HD Super Amoled screen. While the device was praised, an issue cropped up with the S-Pen; inserting it into the storage slot backwards could destroy the spring mechanism, make it stuck or damage the pen's sensor, all or any of which could render it unusable. Samsung became aware of it, put warning notes on subsequent shipments and eventually rectified the issue in later devices. It was one of the more popular Android devices during the first half of 2016, with 75,000 units (along with the S6 Edge+) sold in South Korea in the first three days - a better rate than its predecessors. Galaxy Note 7 Here's what we know so far: The design of the Note 7 will be similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge but with an S-Pen and there will be curved and flat versions, though the former is more likely to be launched. The S-Pen, as the rumour mill has it, will be called the E S-Pen, although it isn't clear what that means. Its display is expected to be a quad-HD Super Amoled, and could be 5.7 or 5.8 inches, although with a lower pixel density. It's also expected to come with a USB-C port, as well with a battery of anywhere between 3600mAh to 4200mAh. As for colour variants, black, blue and silver are touted, although there are reports that a gold version is also likely. Depending on the region, the device could come in either an Exynos or Snapdragon chipset, with 6GB of RAM - although using the Snapdragon 823 could enable it to handle up to 8GB of RAM. The main camera is seen at 12MP with "Super OIS Plus" - although there is faint talk of a dual-snapper - while the front will be at 5MP. And in case you're wondering why there's no "6" on the list, Samsung has a fairly simple explanation: It's just streamlining the Note's naming with its Galaxy S smartphones; in case you missed it, it's the S7 now. -
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