When Samsung Galaxy Note 7 died, the Galaxy Note 5 was officially declared the latest S-Pen-equipped Note phablet on the market.
Although more than a year old now, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is without a doubt one of the best phones you can have out there. It gets even better is you are specifically looking for a phone that comes with an S-Pen, just like the no more Galaxy Note 7. Released in 2015, this phablet ships with a huge 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display screen with a QHD resolution. However, you get a slightly older Exynos 7420 processor running the show alongside a RAM of 4GB and 32GB/64GB/128GB of onboard storage, but there is no microSD card support. The battery is hefty at 3000mAh and supports fast charging technology.
If you think this is your type of phone, an eBay seller by the name bidallies, who has a 98.5% positive feedback rating, is currently selling a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (64GB) for a mere $299.99. According to the seller, this Note 5 is in good cosmetic condition, but you may come across a few scratches or minor scrapes courtesy of the previous handler. Furthermore, the Galaxy Note 5 variant on offer here is locked to Verizon and as such, it cannot be used with other carriers such as AT&T or T-Mobile. The good side of the story is that the seller is also offering a 60-days money back guarantee or even exchange the product for another phone, if you wish.
For those who feel that Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is too big for them, there is a slightly smaller Galaxy S7 Edge selling on the same platform at a discounted price as well. Apparently, this 5.5-inch S7 Edge phone has been listed for a price of just $369.99. The seller, MyWitOutlet, has a good reputation of 97.5% and is also offering a 30-day money back guarantee.
Unlike the Galaxy Note 5, there is no S-Pen on the Galaxy S7 Edge. However, you get higher performance specs and better features as compared to the former. For instance, there is a faster and more efficient Snapdragon 820 on board, but the RAM stays at 4GB. You get a slightly smaller storage of 32GB, but it can be expanded via a microSD card of up to 256GB. The newer Galaxy S7 Edge also comes with a classy design and feels much better than its counterpart, but as you can see from the prices, the 2016 model is more expensive than the Note 5.
These price drops, even though they are only affecting refurbished models of the two phones, are a strong indicator that the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are just here. Indeed the two should be launched on March 29 and released on April 21, at least for those in Europe. As a result, it is normal to see such price drops coming in at such a time.
So, what do you think about these two phones? Will it be Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7 Edge or will you be OK to wait until April in order to grab yourself any of the two Samsung Galaxy S8 models? Feel free to drop your comments in the section below.