The first big smartphone announcement of the summer is expected on Tuesday, as Samsung holds a live event to reveal the next phone in the Galaxy Note range.
How do we know it’s the so-called Note 7? Well, it’s the right time of year for such an update, but more importantly Samsung has already said as much, with the phrase ‘Unpacked 7′ appearing in several teaser images for the event, and more importantly the fact that Samsung has already confirmed as much on their website.
What’s up in the air is how the phone will look and work, and what else Samsung has up its sleeve. Here’s what to look out for.
On its own news site, Samsung already mentions the S Pen, so the stylus would appear to be part of the Note 7 update. Not surprising as along with the larger screen it’s a key selling point of the device. Look out for some new functionality perhaps.
Since the number 6 is being skipped over entirely (don’t worry, you haven’t missed the Note 6) because according to some, Samsung wants to bring the Note in line with its S range – which hits the S7 this year – don’t be surprised if the Note has undergone something of a redesign to follow that tidying up of the Samsung phone line.
The display will likely still be above the 5.5-inch phablet size we’re used to on the Note, but the rest of it might look different.
Samsung is big on battery life and security too, so expect the Note 7 to be efficient and powerful, but with a bright, crisp display to go with it.
As well as phones, Samsung will hopefully dedicate some time to talking about VR. The firm is at the front of the smartphone makers when it comes to affordable devices thanks to the Gear VR headset.
New features that tie-in with the Note 7 could well be on the cards, but if not some more general news on Gear VR would not be a surprise. Samsung is even encouraging users to watch its live event using the Gear VR headset.
If virtual reality is discussed, Samsung could well discuss one of its sibling features – 360 video. The firm already makes the Gear 360 camera, the content from which users can view via a VR headset.
So could an update be on the way?
Samsung’s Unpacked event is being live streamed online from 4pm UK time on Tuesday.