Just in time for its Aug. 2 launch and rumored release on the same day, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 passed through the FCC. Variants of the device for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular have received approval.
The two main players in the smartphone world are preparing to release new flagship devices in the coming weeks. Apple recently showed off iOS 10 and all the new features coming to current iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices when it's released in the fall. The first hardware to ship with iOS 10 out of the box will be Apple's upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus/Pro, which are widely expected to feature an almost identical design to that of the current iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Most reports claim that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus/Pro will be more of an evolutionary "s" moniker iPhone release, with a completely redesigned iPhone 8 reportedly coming in 2017. The handsets will be the first smartphones from Apple to ship with higher-resolution AMOLED displays, which have been a staple in Samsung's flagship smartphones for years.
Samsung is also planning to launch a new flagship smartphone in the near future and will reportedly release its next-gen Galaxy Note 7 on the day it unveils the device.
Verizon's Galaxy Note 7 variant recently made an appearance on Geekbench, which confirmed some of its specs, and now, that device, along with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular's Galaxy Note 7, has just passed through the FCC.
The FCC filing lists the model numbers that correspond to each carrier; Verizon (SM-N930V), AT&T (SM-N930A), Sprint (SM-930P), T-Mobile (SM-N930T), U.S. Cellular (SM-N930R4) and a Canadian carrier (SM-N930W). This is one of the last hurdles a mobile device goes through before its release.
"First and foremost though, you might be curious as to why it's called Galaxy Note 7 instead of Galaxy Note 6. There are a couple reasons why. First, the Galaxy Note 7 will complement our Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, and unify our product portfolio. Second, the Galaxy Note 7 will minimize confusion about the latest mobile technology from Samsung, and provide full alignment with Galaxy S smartphone," Samsung recently explained why it decided to name the Galaxy Note 5's successor, Galaxy Note 7 instead of Galaxy Note 6.
We'll be covering Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 Unpacked event on Aug. 2 and will report back all the official details, pricing, and if it will indeed be released that day as reports suggest.
