Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumor roundup (updated 8/5)

The first half of 2015 has concluded and we have seen some amazing devices hit the market. Among the best are the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, the HTC On M9 and the LG G4, but let’s not forget there is more to come. As it goes with every year, another herd of important smartphones are to reach store shelves during the later half of the year. Some of them just as important as the typical flagships we mentioned above, if not more.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is one of the most anticipated phones year after year. We could say this series gets most of the credit for the “phablet” movement, so it is definitely an important device to keep in mind. It’s also a handset that happens to be held upon the highest industry standards and Samsung rarely disappoints. Many of us actually prefer the Galaxy Note devices over the Galaxy S series, as they are released later in the year and tend to offer a better build and newer generation specs.

Samsung’s popular supersized smartphones are usually released between September and October. The day when we should finally see it in stage is coming. We are getting ready to take it all in and bring you the best content once the phone is announced and released, but the world keeps spinning until then and we know the rumor mill is not about to stop turning. The leaks have started trickling in, which means we are starting to get a gist of what the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will be all about. Are you ready? Let’s go through every single murmur that has hit our feed.

Design

While the Samsung Galaxy Note series has always differentiated itself from the Galaxy S smartphones in terms of aesthetics and build, this year it’s imperative that they follow a similar design language. Samsung’s numbers keep going down and most of the credit is given to the fact that their design and build quality has always been inferior to main competitors. Pure popularity is no longer working for Sammy!

Some new photos have surfaced from technology site MobileFun, claiming that the pictures (attached above) are showing the Galaxy Note 5. From what we can tell, these leaks don’t really offer up any new information. The device shown off in the photos are similar to just about every other Note 5 leak that’s surfaced over the past few weeks. With that said, it’s always nice to see an unannounced device out in the wild. We’re not entirely sure if these are legitimate, but it sure looks that way.

We’ve also gotten a few hints on the new S Pen that will be present in the Note 5. According to nowhereelse.fr, the Galaxy Note 5 won’t, in fact, come with an auto-eject stylus. The image above was posted by the French technology website, showing off the S Pen slot on the Note 5. There looks to be a small opening on the side of the S Pen where one could pull out the stylus with their fingernail, suggesting that Samsung has passed on the auto-ejecting capabilities this time around. Here’s another picture of the S Pen for a better look:

With the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung takes the team back to the drawing board and manages to do wonders. Their flagship phones are now made of quality materials like aluminum and glass, which makes the new handsets feel like jewels resting in your hand (at least compared to those crappy things they used to make). While previous generations of the Galaxy Note line-up have done pretty well with their plastic builds, Samsung really can’t back-pedal and downgrade when making the Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

Thankfully, it seems Samsung is in the right path to making yet another amazingly-built smartphone. A recent image from Tencent showed us what the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 could look like once finalized, and it pretty much looks like an over-sized Samsung Galaxy S6… yet it does have its differences.

This image looks quite gorgeous, but we must say this is probably not what the phone will look like, even if it will likely have its similarities. We would put more faith on the video @OnLeaks recently leaked, which showcases a CAD design (also of anonymous origins). Now this one literally looks exactly like an overgrown Samsung Galaxy S6, except it happens to have a spot for the S-Pen.

According to the digital model, the phone should measure 123.44 x 77.31 x 10.2 mm, suggesting a large 5.7-inch display. Really, at this point that size is only a little larger than usual. The contrast is not as polarizing as it used to be, and some devices (like the Nexus 6) easily beat it. The phone is also not as thin as the Galaxy S6, but it’s not supposed to be. Keep in mind the Galaxy Note 5 should represent power and functionality, not exactly glamour.

Italian tech site HDBlog then used these CAD design to create some renders of what the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 could look like. Here are the results:

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus

I think we can all agree those Edge devices are here to stay. It will be along time before we see a flagship Samsung device launch without its Edge counterpart, and I am willing to bet my money on the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 won’t be coming to market alone. Hell, they may be launching more than one over-sized smartphone!

Rumors point towards a very interesting change in strategy. It’s said the upcoming Note device with an Edge display will come with a screen that curves around both sides, much like the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. This is corroborated by some of the names the device may have, which include monikers like Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 Note and the less exciting Samsung Galaxy Note Edge 2 (or 2nd gen). This is where it gets confusing, because they could all be the same, but there’s a slight chance the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is a completely different device than the upcoming Note Edge successor. We say this because the rumored specs are contradicting and all over the place.

With all of that said, rumors stating that there will be a Galaxy S6 Edge+ device launching in the near future are certainly picking up speed. Technology site MobileFun, the same website that brought us those Note 5 photos shown above, also managed to snap some pictures of the next curved-screen device from Samsung. Showing model number SM-G928A, this device certainly looks like a larger version of the Galaxy S6 Edge. You can see from the boot animation that the device will be branded as the “Galaxy S6 Edge+”, as well. Like with the Note 5 photos shown above, it should be noted that we’re not entirely sure if these pictures are legitimate.

Display

There’s different beliefs revolving around the Samsung Galaxy Note 5’s screen. It was previously believed Samsung was testing both 2K and 4K displays, going way above today’s QHD standards. More recent reports now state the phone could have a Quad HD Super AMOLED display (2560x1440p) measuring as much as 5.89 inches.

Specifications

Popular leaker @evleaks recently tweeted out a big list of specs that the Note 5 will bring to the table. Those specs include an Exynos 7420 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 5.66-inch 2560×1440 display, a 16MP rear camera (likely featuring the ISOCELL sensor that Samsung unveiled earlier this week), a 5MP front camera (probably wide angle), Android 5.1.1 and no microSD card.

A pair of alleged press images of the Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus were also included in the tweet. You can see these images attached above.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is said to come with either a 5.4, 5.4 or 5.7-inch display. It will be powered by Android 5.1.1 and sport a Snapdragon 808 processor, 32 GB of internal storage, a 16 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front-facing shooter and a 3000 mAh battery (there were also rumors of a possible 4100 mAh battery). Recent rumors also suggest the “Next Big Thing” will also come with a generous 4 GB of RAM, which should allow you to multi-task like a champ.

One very important omission from the device this time around will be the USB Type-C port. Many rumors have stated the device will come with the new connector, while most leaked images we’ve seen show the phone sporting a MicroUSB port.

Also a huge deal is the rumor of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 getting rid of expandable storage support. And considering the new design elements, we will likely also see the removable battery go out the door. We know this will play a huge part in your decision to buy the next Note!

Camera

We don’t know much about the camera aside from the fact that it should be a 16 MP shooter with OIS (optical image stabilization). There’s also said to be an 8 MP (or 5 MP) camera in the front. This is not much to go by, but knowing Samsung they won’t skimp out on these cameras. They should be nearly as good as the camera the Samsung Galaxy S6 offers, at the very least.

Oh, and don’t expect the camera bump to go away. All leaked images show it.

Software

If there is one thing the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will have too much of, it will be software features. This is no average phone. It is called the “Note”, after all, and it is optimized to do just that – take notes. You will find your usual S-Pen features, including Action Memo, Smart Select, Screen Write, handwriting recognition and more. Not to mention the many other features Samsung usually offers, including like S Voice and Multi Window.

All in all, there haven’t really been too many leaks regarding the Note 5’s software. With that said, a new set on hands-on images leaked a few days ago, showing off the device’s new Air Command menu. The revamped menu looks to include shortcuts for Action memo, Smart select, Screen write, S Note, Settings and even an Instagram shortcut. This probably means Samsung may allow users to customize the last shortcut slot, which is a feature most users will welcome to the device. The entire Air Command menu looks much more refined, as well, as the background now appears to blur when Air Command is opened.

Of course, we also expect the Samsung Galaxy Note to come with the latest version of Android, which is Android 5.1.1 (there will likely be a newer one when the Galaxy Note 5 is released).

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Release date

We finally have an official announcement date, folks. Samsung is hosting its big Unpacked event on August 13th, where it’s expected to unveil the Note 5. The event will be held in New York City, and of course, Android Authority will be there to deliver you the best coverage of the new smartphone.

Wrapping up

It’s a bit hard to give you any concrete ideas, because rumors are all over the place right now. They often contradict themselves and many of them are likely incorrect. This conglomeration of confusing information makes us wonder if there really are more diverse versions of the Note/S6 Edge in the works. Maybe there will be a Samsung Galaxy Note 5, a Galaxy Note Edge 2 and a Galaxy S6 EdgePlus? Who knows! For now we can only tell you to keep taking it all in, and to keep your eyes and ears very open. We will do the same and let you know more about the Galaxy Note 5 as additional details emerge. We are sure they will.

In the meantime, go ahead and hit the comments to tell us what you would like to see one the Samsung Galaxy note 5. I am really hoping for a full metal and glass body. I am also quite excited about the inclusion of a USB-C port. How about you?!

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