Leaked blueprints of the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 / Note 7 have given us our first-ever look at the phone and confirmed some key features, ahead of its anticipated debut in August or September.
Sourced exclusively for uSwitch by @Onleaks, AKA Steve Hemmerstoffer of Nowhereelse.fr, the blueprints reveal that the handset will feature a design that’s almost identical to the Galaxy S7 Edge, albeit with an aperture for the stylus pen that defines the Note range.
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However in a major break from past form a USB-C port is evidence, making this the first-ever Samsung handset to upgrade from standard USB. USB-C technology, which tech sites have widely tipped to feature on the next-generation Note, enables faster data transfers and means faster charging too.
Interestingly, our source tells us that above the screen, which comes in somewhere between 5.7-inches and 5.8-inches, there’s a concentration of sensors (two large ones and three smaller ones).
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Their presence adds real weight to rumours that the Note 6 / Note 7 will feature an iris scanner that 'reads' unique biometric information and enables you to unlock your handset just by looking at it.
The phone's dimensions are purportedly around 153.5mm x 73.9mm x 7.9mm. That puts it broadly in line with the Galaxy Note 5, which comes in at 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm, and the Galaxy S7 Edge, which measures 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm.
What we can’t tell you with any certainty is whether the phone in the blueprints is the standard Galaxy Note 6 / Note 7 or the as-yet-unconfirmed, curved-screen Edge-branded model that’s rumoured to be landing alongside it.
The case for the latter is lent some heft by the fact that the phone our source presented us with features a curved screen. But we wouldn't bet the ranch on it.
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We're also unsure exactly what the next-generation Note smartphone will be called.
According to some industry insiders, Samsung could brand the standard model as the 'Galaxy Note 6' and opt to call the variant, curved screen edition the 'Galaxy Note 7'.
We won't know for sure until Samsung shows its hand later this year, most likely the IFA technology expo in early September.
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The good news, though, is that rumours suggest that, unlike the Note 5, the 2016 Note phone will be granted a UK release.