Spec Sheet: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs. OnePlus 3 vs. Xiaomi Mi 5 vs. Other 2016 Flagships

Samsung has just launched its latest phablet, the much anticipated Galaxy Note 7. In comparison to its predecessor, the Note 7 is a much more refined smartphone, but that’s a given. Nonetheless, an updated spec sheet is in order, and the Note 7 has more than a few neat tricks up its sleeves to go against its competition.

Looking at the table above, the Note 7 is evidently Samsung’s best Note device to date – it is also the first smartphone in the series with an IP68 rating and a water-resistant S Pen. On top of that, the Note 7 is also packing the same processor as the Galaxy S7 edge – including the dual-curved display and the very fast 12MP dual-pixel camera. While a curved display first debuted on the Galaxy Note Edge, the Note 7 is the first to sport a dual-curved panel.

The Galaxy Note 7 has quite a few similar hardware as the Galaxy S7, but it’s not just a bigger variant of the latter. For one, the Note 7 has a few interesting new features; the most noteworthy one is its new iris scanner. Of course, it still remains to be seen just how reliable the scanner is, but it’s an interesting feature nonetheless.

When compared against other flagship smartphones, the Galaxy Note 7 can definitely hold its own. Its dual-curved display is plenty sharp, it has a premium construction, the Exynos 8890 processor powering the device is very capable, and the Note 7 is one of the few devices in this list with an IP68 rating. It’s also worth noting that the Note 7 is only available with 64GB of storage, which should be sufficient for most consumers – there’s a microSD card slot for those who need more space.

However, there are a couple of odd hardware choices with the Galaxy Note 7. For one, it only has a 3,500mAh battery; the slightly more compact Galaxy S7 edge, on the other hand, has a bigger 3,600mAh battery. Considering the fact that both of these devices are similarly equipped, the Note 7 may have a slightly worse battery life, although this is merely an educated guess at this point in time.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is definitely the Korean company’s best smartphone yet, but it also comes with a hefty price tag. Retailing at RM3,199 in Malaysia, it is the most costly smartphone in this list. That being said, based on our review of the Galaxy S7 edge, the high price tag may be warranted. Regardless, only a full review of the Note 7 can shed light on how good of a smartphone it really is.