With the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge now out and about, the rumor mill is now busy churning in anticipation of Samsung's next big flagship: the Galaxy Note 6.
The company's Galaxy S7 line of high-end smartphones may get most of the attention these days, but the flagship Galaxy Note line is also set to get a new member this year. The Galaxy Note 6 is expected to replace the Note 5 in a few months and should rock top-notch specs and features all around.
While Samsung has yet to make an official announcement in this regard, the rumor mill has already started to paint a picture of what to expect. With no guarantees that the following specs and features will actually grace Samsung's next flagship phablet, here's what could be in store for the Galaxy Note 6:
Display
Considering the current trend of increasingly bigger smartphone screens, the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 may go beyond its predecessors and sport an even larger display. Samsung was the one that started this whole trend in the first place, when it launched the original Galaxy Note several years back.
The company kept the display size of its last three Galaxy Note iterations at 5.7 inches, but the next generation Galaxy Note 6 could boast a slightly larger 5.8-inch display with a QHD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels).
Samsung Gear VR Support
With virtual reality on the rise, Samsung recently joined the party with its Gear VR headset. The company is currently offering the Gear VR as a free accessory to Galaxy S7 and S7 edge preorder customers and it would make sense to integrate the headset with the upcoming Galaxy Note 6 as well.
If the Galaxy Note 6 launches with a 4K screen, it could definitely take things to the next level. Sony already tapped into 4K smartphone territory with its Xperia Z5 Premium, but Samsung could go even further and maximize the potential of its Gear VR as well.
"Smartphone display density is a big, huge limiting factor for VR, so a 4K Note 6 would be able to offer much sharper visuals than Samsung's current handsets. (For regular apps that don't need insane pixel density, Samsung could follow Sony's lead and render this stuff at Quad HD)," Android Central points out.
Processing Power, RAM
It's pretty safe to assume that the Galaxy Note 6 would pack the highest-end Qualcomm Snapdragon or Samsung Exynos processor (or both, with different versions bound for different markets). It remains to be seen whether Samsung will manage to upgrade its Exynos 8 octa chip in time for the Note 6, or whether a refreshed Snapdragon 820 will hit the scene by then.
At the same time, we're already starting to see smartphones packing a whopping 6 GB of RAM under the hood, and it wouldn't be too surprising if the Galaxy Note 6 joins the fray. If not, at least 4 GB of RAM should be a given.
Camera
With the Galaxy S7 smartphones focusing on low-light photography features, the Galaxy Note 6 could take a similar approach and borrow some of those camera tricks.
Should Samsung want to better compete against rivals, it could also equip the Galaxy Note 6's camera with other popular features such as laser autofocus, as well as greater improvements to optical image stabilization (OIS) and lenses.
On the other hand, it would be preferable if Samsung stuck to a single camera sensor instead of pushing both Sony and ISOCELL sensors like it did with the new Galaxy S7 line.
Battery
Seeing as the new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge sport notable improvements in the battery department, the Galaxy Note 6 should also pack a significantly larger unit than the 3,000 mAh battery powering the Galaxy Note 5.
The Galaxy S7 edge, for instance, rocks an impressive 3,600 mAh battery, so it would make sense for the larger Galaxy Note 6 to boast at least a 4,000 mAh battery capacity.
Features
Again, judging by the new features found on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the Galaxy Note 6 should also come with some great improvements. Samsung's next-generation flagship phablet could borrow some features from the S7 line and come with a water-resistant body, expandable storage and wireless charging among the highlights.
At the same time, the Galaxy Note 6 could also be the first Samsung smartphone to feature a USB Type-C port.
Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 never made it to Europe, to the disappointment of many, as the company chose to launch only the S6 edge+ in the region. This year, however, the Galaxy S7 edge already features a large 5.5-inch display, which means that Samsung may not release an S7 edge+ version as well. This, in turn, could mean that the Galaxy Note 6 could reach European markets.
Release
When it comes to a launch time frame, the next Galaxy Note flagship should make its debut in early fall. The Galaxy Note 5 arrived in August 2015, so the Galaxy Note 6 could hit the scene in August this year if Samsung sticks to a similar launch cycle.
However, considering that Google's upcoming Android N is expected to arrive in October, the Galaxy Note 6 could launch with Marshmallow on board and get an upgrade to the latest Android version later on.
With no official hints or announcements from Samsung, however, it's highly advisable to take this article with a grain of salt. While it would make sense that all of the aforementioned specs and features could grace the Galaxy Note 6, nothing is certain until formal confirmation.
