Numbering Out of Sync
The Galaxy line offers the S line along with the Note line, but the two are not on the same number lineup and this poses a problem. The problem exists as the company released its first Note one year after the S line. The two lines, the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Note are, therefore, not in sync with each other, as far the number structure is concerned. The latest S device is the S7 but the latest Note device is the Note 5.
Number 6 is to be skipped?
The latest news from Samsung is that the next phablet is not the Note 6 that everyone was expecting, but the Note 7. The company is skipping the number six. The reason for skipping this number is that the company wants to be consistent. All the flagship models released in a particular year must have a common number. In case of 2016, the phones released are the S7, the S7 Edge and now the Note 7. This way, there will be no wrong conclusions or confusion among users, as some might consider that the S7or the S7 Edge is newer than the Note 6.
On the other hand, the reason could also be that it makes it easier for Samsung products to compete with the products of Apple. Apple is about to launch the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus in September this year. If a Note 6 is released, consumers might consider it an older device compared to the iPhone 7, especially those who are not well versed with mobile versions.
Effect Unpredictable
It cannot be predicted as to what will be the effect of this number skipping. The company has decided to skip the number six in order to bring uniformity to its devices’ numbering structure. However, companies normally don’t make such a jump in case of a smartphone series, so it is possible that some consumers out there might be angry about it. Moreover, Samsung has been successful in selling millions of their devices over the years, so it doesn’t seem likely that they will lose business on account of the numbering not being synchronized.
Maximizing the Marketability
A representative has informed Electronic Times of South Korea that Samsung has made this decision in order to improve its marketability. It was also mentioned that even Apple had made such a move when the company decided to skip the iPhone 2 and went straight for the iPhone 3G.
What’s New in Design?
Apart from the change in the name, the Note 7 will have a dual edge screen, so there is not going to be any S7 Edge launched along with it, like the Note 5 or the S6 Edge+. The back of the phablet will feature curved glass.
Release Date
It is expected that the S7 will be released in the middle of August this year, surely around the 20th of August. The date of its launch has also been pushed forward, so that it appears in the market just before the release of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.