Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Final Round-up: Expected Features, Release, Price

In a couple of days, the long-rumoured Galaxy Note 5 is expected to be unveiled in New York City on 13 August.

Rumours are rife that the Galaxy Note 5 will not be the only attraction at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2015. It is believed that the South Korean company is also planning to unveil a phablet version of Galaxy S6 Edge, dubbed S6 Edge Plus.

Here is a recap of the expected features in the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge Plus based on information gleaned from various reports.

Display and Design:

Just days prior to the Galaxy Unpacked 2015, a Reddit forum user, joelrtaveras, posted a series of hands-on photos of the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, revealing the design details.

Both the upcoming devices will boast of a metal-clad uni-body design similar to the company's 5.1-inch flagship smartphones Galaxy S6 (& S6 Edge). The only difference is that the new phablet will sport a 5.7-inch QHD (2560x1440p) screen and have a S-Pen stylus feature to help users navigate the phone's big display. View the leaked Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge Plus photos HERE [courtesy Android Authority]

Processors, RAM and Storage Capacity:

The 2014 Galaxy Note 4 came in two CPU variants, one having Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (SM-N910S) and the other, Samsung's proprietary Exynos 5433 (SM-N910C). This year, Samsung is likely to use its Exynos 7420 series processor only.

The company had ditched Snapdragon 810 in the Galaxy S6 series due to heating issues and opted for Exynos 7420 CPU. The move paid off, as the device was able to beat all its rivals, including the Apple iPhone 6 and the HTC One M9, in benchmarking scores.

To further boost the performance of the devices, Samsung is incorporating advanced LPDDR4 series 4GB RAM.

Both the Galaxy Note 5 and the S6 Edge Plus are expected come in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB variants.

Many will be disappointed to hear this, but Samsung had to let go of microSD card slot in the upcoming phablets due to the uni-body design language.

A recent report suggested that Samsung has plans of launching a separate dual-SIM model with microSD slot. It is expected to be similar to the Galaxy A8 series, where the device's SIM-2 tray also supports microSD card.

[Note: SIM-2 tray will have only one slot, so users have to use the slot either to place the second-SIM or insert microSD card]

Camera:

The Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge got appreciation from tech analysts and fans alike for their amazing cameras. Currently, they are touted as the best camera smartphones in the market. Buoyed by the company's marquee phone's success, Samsung has incorporated the same camera hardware in the upcoming devices as well.

The Galaxy Note 5 and the S6 Edge Plus are expected to come with a 16mp camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) and a 5mp snapper on the front.

To further enhance the photography experience, the company has reportedly decided to incorporate value-added features such as Quick Launch, Tracking AF, Auto Real-time HDR (Front & Rear) , F1.9, Low Light Video(Front & Rear), High Clear Zoom, IR Detect White Balance, Virtual Shot, Slow Motion, Fast Motion, Pro Mode, Selective Focus.

Mobile Operating System:

As per the leaked AnTuTu benchmarking score sheet, both Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and Note 5 will be running on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS.

Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge Plus Release Details:

In its bid to give a head-start to the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus over arch rival Apple's 2015 line of iPhone series, Samsung has made arrangements with retail partners so that the new devices hit all major global markets on 21 August.

[Note: Apple iPhone 6S series are slated get unveiled in second week of September and get released in the following week]

Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy Edge Plus Price Details:

Galaxy Note 5 models' price is expected to start at TWD 23,000 ($725/€660/₹46,280), reported Sogi, citing sources.

As of now, there is no word on the price of the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, but considering the unique display design, it is certain to cost more than the Galaxy Note 5.

Expected features of Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus: