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Samsung’s Note 7 has an iris scanner and comes to SA in September

Samsung swept us off our feet earlier this year with the Galaxy S7 edge and they might be able to do it a second time following the announcement today that the Galaxy Note 7 will hot local shelves in September.

Last years model, the Note 5 (the number skip from 6 to 7 is to create unity between the Note and S handsets) was a powerful beast that we quite liked and this year Samsung has added all the goodies we loved in the S7 edge into its business skewed handset, as well as a few more.

Bountiful biometrics

Once again users will be able to unlock the Note 7 with a digit of their choice but there’s now another security measure users can opt into.

An iris sensor is mounted at the top of the display allowing users to look at their handset and unlock it. “Parents will love it because it will keep their kids safe. Kids will love it because it keeps them safe, from their parents,” joked Samsung’s DJ Koh during the keynote.

Samsung has partnered with certain banks including Bank of America to test out how well an iris scanner works for applications such as banking. Sadly there was no mention of South Africa getting in on the action but we’ll be knocking on doors to see if we’re getting the same treatment.

Always-on notes

The always-on display we loved so dearly in the S7 edge is back and this time it has a new feature. Users will, according to Sammy, be able to slide out the stylus and write notes without having to unlock the display.

The stylus is even more precise than previous versions according to Samsung and it is now water and dust resistant.

The curved 5.7inch QHD (2560×1440) display also boasts an IP 68 rating for water resistance up to a depth of 1.5m for up to 30 minutes.

On processor duties is the Exynos 8890 octa-core (quad-core 2.3GHz and a quad-core 1.6GHz) that we saw in the S7 edge. The CPU is paired with a sizeable 4GB of RAM.

The internal storage clocks in at a massive 64GB, if that isn’t enough, there is the option to expand storage with a microSD card.

Powering everything along is a 3 500mAh battery, bigger than the 3 000mAh battery in the Note 5. It supports fast-charging through a USB Type-C cable, or wireless charging.

Finally, the obligatory mention of the camera. The rear snapper is a dual-pixel 12MP affair with optical image stabilisation for better action shots. The front camera boasts a 5MP sensor and both cameras have a f1.7 aperture for better shots in low light.

Gear 360: VR Rebooted

The GearVR has been changed a bit. The inside of the goggles are darker so that they aren’t as distracting as the previous version that came with the S7 edge which had a white interior. The viewing angle has also been increased to 101 degrees.

Given that the Note 7 boasts a USB Type C connector the Gear 360 headset will support the new connection. There will also be a an adapter for those still using the microUSB connection.

An updated Gear VR is coming as well
An updated Gear VR is coming as well.

The good news continues. Local distributors are working on a starter pack of sorts which will will include the Note 7, the headset as well as a screen protector, fast charging wireless stand, and a clear back cover.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be available on 1st September once pricing has been revealed, we’ll update you here as always.

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