Early prediction: the Galaxy Note 6 is going to pack some serious muscle. How do I know? Take a look at the previous Galaxy Note devices, the original of which pretty much invented the phablet category.
They’re all packed to the gills with the latest hardware available. The Galaxy Note 3 was so appealing back in 2013 that I was actually spending time during my honeymoon reading about it. I’m super pumped for the Galaxy Note 6 that, if it arrives on schedule, should launch sometime during or before this September.
Here’s what I’d like to see Samsung include in its next flagship smartphone.
Evolution of the S Pen
This is a given – Samsung has always improved the S Pen between iterations of the Galaxy Note series of smartphones, so I expect it to do the same this year. But I hope it pays more attention to the actual hardware, too. For one, the S Pen should be reversible so we don’t run into the same issues we did last year.
Samsung could also borrow a page from the Apple Pencil with new support for drawing on different angles on the device, turning the Note 6 into more of a tool for artists and a direct competitor to the iPad Pro’s Apple Pen. That might require additional power, so the S Pen could potentially charge when stowed inside the Galaxy Note 6.
Expandable Storage
I asked for it last year and I’ll ask for it again. Samsung’s seems much more open to allowing microSD support this year – just look at the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. It knows consumers want microSD card support for expanding the storage, and I think we might be in for a treat in 2016.
One thing I’d like to see Samsung do, however, is support Adoptable Storage, which it doesn’t do on the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge. This allows you to format a microSD card as local storage and is an option offered by other manufacturers, such as HTC.
Removable Battery
Part of me feels like Samsung is completely done with removable batteries. It has put more of a focus on adaptive fast charging and wireless charging and seems to think those options are good enough. Still, just reading through our comments I know that plenty of consumers care enough about removable batteries that I’m not the only one clamoring for them to return. The LG G5, for example, is the only current flagship smartphone that has this feature. Let’s see Samsung bring it back… though the next option might make it an obstacle.
IP68 Rating
I absolutely love not having to worry about accidentally dropping my Galaxy S7 Edge in the toilet, and I hope Samsung continues to offer this sort of protection with the Galaxy Note 6. It’s going to be hard: making a dust and water resistant smartphone with a stylus plug and a removable battery will require really solid nano-coatings and water-resistant gaskets.
Samsung also doesn’t quite target the same audience with the Galaxy Note 6, preferring to cater to the professional market instead of Joe Consumer. Maybe, if I wish extra, extra hard it’ll come true.
3D Touch
Android N appears to be hiding a new touch technology that sounds an awful lot like Apple’s Force Touch technology. Since I expect the Galaxy Note 6 will run Android N out of the box, it seems like this will be the perfect smartphone for 3D Touch implementation.
The S Pen might add additional functionality depending on the pressure with which you use it – imagine opening hidden menu options or launching different apps with different S Pen taps, for example. This function, as a native feature in Android N, probably won’t even require the S Pen to work. Just a wish, but one that I think will come true.
Just for fun
Remember these? Take a look at the past Galaxy Note devices.
Galaxy Note 5
Galaxy Note Edge
Galaxy Note 4
Galaxy Note 3
Galaxy Note 2
Galaxy Note
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