Overview:
Samsung has been busy for a year, and finally ushered in the IFA. The long rumored Galaxy Note 4 was officially released at this UNPACKED conference. However, Note 4 seems to have been upstaged by its brother Note Edge. This time, South Koreans presented the new Note Edge and Gear VR, which finally caught everyone's eye. After playing with Gear S, we can finally say, This UNPACKED conference is a heavy bomb.
Samsung has put 5.7 inch QHD screen, Snapdragon 805 chipset, 16 megapixel rear camera supporting optical anti shake, new S-Pen function, imitation leather back cover and most importantly, metal frame into the Galaxy Note 4 this time. All this sounds good, but Samsung is not satisfied with it.
Samsung finally put the long rumored curved screen into mass production models. This curved screen is the biggest highlight of the new Galaxy Note Edge. The Edge screen and Note 4 have the same specifications, but the former's screen is 160 pixels wider on the right side of the border, which also makes Note Edge the mobile phone with the highest screen resolution on the market.
The Gear VR suite, with the help of Oculus technology, has opened up a new dimension for the use of smart phones. After pairing with Note 4 (currently only Note 4 is supported), users can enter the VR world. VR also has a touchpad, control buttons and a series of sensors to ensure that users can feel immersive when using it. We will explore this in detail later.
Finally, we played with the Gear S smart watch, which has a replaceable strap and hook and loop that can operate independently, but can also be paired with another Galaxy device as a powerful assistant.
Galaxy Note 4：
Samsung Galaxy Note 4, one of the most popular smartphones recently, has finally been officially released in Berlin (and Beijing). The AMOLED screen (515ppi) equipped with 5.7 inch QHD resolution is driven by the latest Snapdragon 805 with the main frequency of 2.7 GHz, Krait 450 architecture CPU, Adreno 420 GPU and 3G RAM.
As usual, Samsung will also produce Note 4 based on its own Exynos 5433 chipset, and this version of Note 4 will have a 4+4 core processor, including four cores [email protected] And quad core [email protected] ， The GPU model is Mali-T760, and the RAM is 3GB. The biggest difference between the two is that Qualcomm version supports LTE Cat. 6 (300Mbps) while Exynos version only supports Cat. 4 (150Mbps).
Note 4 adopts a new design from Galaxy Alpha - cool metal frame, high-quality plastic back cover and curved glass with strong Lumia style on the front.
The new battery cover on Note 4 looks similar to that on Note 3. Although it is made of plastic with imitation leather texture, the sewing pattern on the background of Note 3 is removed from Note 4. Although the plastic back cover is very thin, it feels very solid after installation, and can hardly be seen before removing the back cover. Of course, this sentence also applies to Note 3, but we prefer the back cover of Note 4 without stitches.
Like Galaxy Alpha, the metal frame of Note 4 bulges slightly outward at the corners to make the grip feel better, and prevent the user's fingers from sliding away from the round corners. This design also reminds us of Galaxy S5 Active.
The front of Note 4 is covered by the latest generation of gorilla glass 3. As we mentioned earlier, the glass edge of the front has a certain radian, which improves the grip feeling and operating feel.
In addition to the 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED screen, the front panel of Note 4 looks familiar, with earphones and a new 3.7 megapixel F/1.9 front camera above the screen. The front camera has a 90 degree angle of view and can take a maximum of 120 degree panoramic photos.
At the bottom of the screen are the HOME key, the capacitive multitask key and the return key. The HOME key integrates fingerprint scanning, which can be used to lock/unlock the phone or authorize payment, or to enable the private mode, where you can access the part of the memory that encrypts and stores personal sensitive information (data or photos).
The power key of Note 4 is located on the right side, and the volume key is located on the left side. There are two microphones, S-Pen slot and USB 2.0 interface at the bottom (USB 3.0 was used as the former substitute). The 3.5mm headphone port, noise reducing microphone and infrared transmitter are located on the top.
Note 4 In order to achieve a good noise reduction effect, a total of three microphones are inserted. In order to make full use of resources, Samsung has also created a new recording app, which can eliminate background noise by flexibly deploying three microphones.
Interestingly, Samsung gave up USB 3.0 and went back to USB 2.0 this time. Samsung didn't reveal much about the reason for this decision. However, we can regard it as a step back from Note 3, but the good news is that Samsung has added fast charging technology to Note 4, which is 30% higher than before.
The battery of Note 4 is 3220 mAh, which is only 20 mAh larger than that of Note 3. Therefore, the endurance of Note 4 is not clear at present, especially considering the use of new hardware and higher resolution screens.
When the battery cover is opened, the MicroSIM card slot and the hot swappable MicroSD card slot of Note 4 can be seen. Note 4 supports up to 128GB memory card expansion.
Note 4 is equipped with a new camera module. The sensor pixel is 16 million pixels. The camera supports optical anti shake (tears streaming down the face) and 4K video recording. The green leaf of this red flower is still a single LED fill light.
The back of Note 4 is also equipped with a heart rate sensor and a small speaker. The opening is located at the lower left corner.
Can a Note without an S-Pen be called Note? The new S-Pen looks very similar to the old one, but it is slightly thinner. However, the pen has detailed grooves to provide a better grip. It is really great. Like the old model, Note 4 still has an easy to control button on the side of the stylus.
The new S-Pen provides new functions - it can be used as a mouse on Note 4, and is proficient in dragging and dropping everything. Samsung has also improved the pressure feeling of S-Pen, upgrading from 1024 to 2048, and added some concentration options in the brush.
The new S-Pen plug-in allows users to take notes directly on the home screen - and without manually pressing the button on the S-Pen, the new Snap Note application will scan everything captured by the camera and extract the text and pictures. This function is very useful at the launch site, but we still need to test it in detail after we get the retail version.
In addition, the multi window function has also been upgraded. Now this function is more intuitive. There is a shortcut to create a window directly on the multi task switching interface.
The weight of Note 4 is several grams heavier than that of Note 3, but it is almost indistinguishable when held in the hand. Because of the relationship between the metal frame, curved glass and a better back cover, Note 4 looks more beautiful and feels better when held in the hand.
Note 4 will have white, black, gold and pink body colors.
Update run:
We ran the BaseMark OS II test, and both Note 4 and Note Edge were at the top of our ranking. The two brothers had similar scores, but this was also expected. After all, their hardware was basically the same.
Galaxy Note Edge：
Note Edge is really a surprise on UNPACKED. Although the gossip of major manufacturers has been flying around a few months before the start of IFA, Edge has not leaked much information.
Well, Note Edge does not have a 3-sided curved screen like some rumors, but at least the technology used on this screen is still that way.
In terms of specifications, Edge and Note 4 are basically the same. The difference lies in the screen size and battery capacity. The screen size is larger, but the battery capacity is reduced to 3000 mAh due to the size. I hope this combination will not make the endurance performance of Edge a tragedy.
Like Note 4, Edge also has a metal frame, the plastic back cover also has imitation leather patterns, the same Snapdragon 805 chipset built in, and the Exynos version (really?). Finally, the 16 million pixel optical anti shake lens and the 3.7 million pixel front lens are the same as Note 4.
The biggest selling point of Edge is this curved screen. The 5.6 inch Super AMOLED screen has a front resolution of QHD and a side screen width of 160 pixels. This means that the resolution of the whole screen is up to 1600 × 2560, and the ppi is up to 539. This may be the highest resolution smart phone screen on the market at present.
The curved part of the Edge screen has many uses. When the device is locked, swiping on it will display the date, time and unread gay messages. The front panel will not open, only the additional 160 pixels will light up.
When locking the screen, you can set this part of the screen to display stocks, weather, or shortcuts (including fill lights), or even use it as a ruler.
When you unlock Edge, additional screens will be used to display Twitter messages, additional bottom bar shortcuts, and stocks. Various APPs will display different contents on the additional screen after startup. For example, when you watch a video, the video playback control button will be placed there. Samsung will release an official SDK to developers in the future, so that third-party applications will also use this part of the screen in the near future.
S-Pen is the same as Note 4, and its function is also the same.
Edge is obviously a circle larger than Note 4 and Note 3. Due to the additional screen, the body of Edge is indeed wider than the latter two, but Edge is lighter.
Edge will be available in black and white, and will be available in some markets by the end of this year.
Sample photo of EDGE front camera:
Sample of EDGE front panoramic photo:
Rear camera photo sample:
Rear camera HDR sample comparison:
HDR OFF
HDR ON
HDR OFF
HDR ON
EDGE panoramic photo proof:
EDGE multi frame composite sample:
Sample of EDGE dynamic special effects:
Gear VR：
Samsung Gear VR is an exclusive accessory of Note 4, based on Oculus Rift hardware. When VR and Note 4 work together, Note 4 will be used as the VR display screen, and users need to place Note 4 in front of this device that looks like a telescope.
Gear VR has a variety of buttons, including a touchpad and a return, forward and backward button. At the same time, VR also has built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and electronic compass. There is even a distance sensor inside VR, so when users remove VR from the head, VR can automatically pause all the content being played.
Gear VR only works when the built-in VR player in Note 4 starts. VR will not start in other applications. Currently, the content available for VR is very limited. However, we watched a 360 ° 3D video and experienced a flying game in the live trial. Although the user needs to keep moving his head, it feels cool, and there is no delay between the head movement of the experimenter and the screen movement, which is very good.
Technically, the combination of Note 4+VR is great, but even the screen of Note 4 is not always delicate enough. In order to achieve 3D conversion, the QHD resolution must be reduced by half. In addition, the user's eyeball is only a few centimeters away from the screen, so it is no accident to see pixels.
By the way, thanks to the camera of Note 4, you can also see the outside scenery with VR.
The body of the Gear VR is made of plastic, which is very light. There is soft foam on the side of the telescope, and the rear and top are equipped with straps for fixing. It is full of hairstyle destroyers.
Gear VR may become more interesting with the emergence of more and more adaptive content in the future, but at present, there are only a few DEMOs to experience, and frankly, we are not optimistic about whether there will be much content support in the coming months.
Gear VR will go on sale together with Galaxy Note 4.
Gear S：
A few days ago, Samsung has released the Gear S that supports 3G networks. This wearable device based on the Tizen system will be shipped in the world in October.
The Gear S has a 2-inch arc Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 480 × 360 and is driven by a 1GHz dual core CPU and 512MB RAM. The back of the Gear S is also equipped with a heart rate sensor. This smart watch supports IP67 waterproof and dustproof.
Other configurations of Gear S include 4GB built-in storage, comprehensive mobile network support (including 2G and 3G), Bluetooth 4.1, Wi Fi a/b/g/n, GPS/GLONASS and USB 2.0. The Gear S also connects a Bluetooth headset such as the Gear Circle to answer a call.
The best thing about Gear Circle is that it has a built-in magnet so that users can store two earphones together when not in use.
The Gear S looks cool, but to tell the truth, it's really a big size. The Gear S is the largest smart watch we have ever seen, but it has a built-in phone baseband and nanoSIM card slot.
The good news is that Samsung provides a variety of watchbands for consumers to choose from. Some are as wide as the watch body. Of course, users can also choose a more compact watchband. Samsung will even provide a variety of watch buckles for consumers to choose from.
Gear S runs Tizen OS and supports gesture control. All notifications will be displayed on the home screen. Click them to start the corresponding APP, slide left to call out widgets, slide right to clear all notifications, slide down to open the shortcut panel, and slide up to return to the home page.
There is also a HOME button on the Gear S, click to return to the home page, double-click to start voice control, The voice control function of the Gear S is very easy to use and it is also the simplest text input method. By the way, the Gear S system also provides a touch based full keyboard. Although it has been optimized as far as possible, typing with a full keyboard on a two inch screen is still very painful.
What Gear S really lacks is a web browser. Samsung said they are working hard to develop it, and we hope that this app can log in to Gear S as soon as possible.
The Gear S can be used as both a main device and an auxiliary device. If necessary, it can act as a substitute when the user does not want to carry a smartphone. Samsung hopes that the Gear S can transfer voice calls to the main device through call forwarding.
Samsung has announced to cooperate with relevant operators to launch the Gear S package. Since the Gear S cannot be used as a major device for a long time, Samsung hopes that the corresponding package can be a bit cheaper than the ordinary package.
Gear S and Gear Circle will be officially launched together with Note 4 and Gear VR in October.
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