Samsung and Apple already made their mark in the smartphone market with respect to 2016. Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are already up for sale. On the other hand, Apple went back to the 4-inch models by unveiling a compact iPhone SE last month.
Although both sets of phones have taken up to a glowing start, the two companies are not done yet. Samsung is still working on the phablet Galaxy Note 6 while Apple has yet to make its mark in the flagship end, with rumors of an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus starting to gather pace.
Given the abilities that Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge come with, many are of the view that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will be a beast when it comes to performance. Apple is also expected to do the same with the iPhone 7 Plus, especially after having done little with the shift from iPhone 6 to iPhone 6S.
In this regards, here is a look at what to expect from these two devices – Samsung Galaxy Note 6 and iPhone 7 Plus ahead of their official release dates, which are yet to be confirmed as well.
Display quality
After increasing the display size of the Galaxy S6 Edge’s successor, Samsung is believed to be working on a slightly larger 5.8-inch AMOLED screen, but this time, pack it with a 4K display like Sony’s Xperia Z5 Premium. However, other reports claim that Samsung will stick with the same technology used on the S7 and S7 Edge, which means an Always On display will be on board the Note 6. Nonetheless, expect then screen to feature QHD resolution.
With Apple having introduced 3D Touch with iPhone 6S, rumors are increasingly pointing towards a similar feature for Samsung Galaxy Note 6. As this is happening, Apple is reportedly working on bettering the iPhone 7 Plus right from design to performance specs. The latest word on the street is that iPhone 7 Plus might come without the physical home button, with the phone featuring a unique top-to-bottom display panel.
The flagship iPhone 7 Plus is rumored to be coming with a sapphire display that was introduced on the Apple Watch. In addition, it is also believed that Apple might step in with the same technology it used on the screens of iPad Mini 4 and iPad Air 2 – antireflective coating. With the company reportedly working on the thinnest iPhone ever, there are rumors that the 3.5mm jack port will be ditched on the new phone.
Hardware specs
With applications ever-growing in terms of their demand for resources, the need for more RAM has become an inevitable thing for smartphone makers. This year’s Android flagships have 4GB RAM, which is the same as last year’s Galaxy Note 5. Since the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is an upgrade over its predecessor, claims have it that the device will pack 6GB RAM. Further reports claim that Samsung might ditch the 32GB variant for the upcoming Note 6 in favor of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB variants, but this is highly unlikely. One thing that will possibly not miss out is expandable storage slot.
As far as the iPhone 7 Plus is concerned, Apple is said to be working on a device with 3GB RAM and a massive storage of up to 256GB. However, just like Samsung’s case, this cannot be verified.
Photography
The rumor mill claims that Apple will come up with a dual-lens camera system for the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus. With this module already featuring in devices such as LG G5, owners of this device will enjoy improved photography thanks to the availability of different focal lengths at greater zooms. Other than this, very little can be said of the next iPhone camera, but expect it to be a monster.
Samsung has already shown what it can with the cameras introduced in Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. With last year’s Galaxy S6 and Note 5 coming in with the same camera, we might see the same for this year’s flagships. If this is true, Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will feature a DualPixel 12MP snapper on the rear and a 5MP sensor on the front. Both sensors will have an aperture of f/1.7, just like on the S7. Unlike the most smartphone cameras which are based on two axles, the Note 6’s camera will reportedly feature 5 axles to ensure that you get the best shots even when in motion or unstable.
Other innovations expected to come in when Samsung Galaxy Note 6 and iPhone 7 Plus are released include a possible bending S Pen Stylus for the Note 6 and WattUp wireless charging technology for the iPhone 7 Plus. However, keep in mind that all of these are based on speculations and rumors from all over the internet, in addition to our in-house views with respect to these devices. None of them has been confirmed so better take everything with a grain of salt.