Samsung Galaxy Note 5 price, release date, specs and rumors

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 design

We now have our hands on the first photos of what we believe is the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, courtesy of NowhereElse. Based on the previously leaked renders, the device looks as expected. You will notice, however, a small gap at the edge of the stylus holder: this is likely where your nail will fit to hook it out. 

Why is this significant? Only because it suggests that the Note 5 will not arrive with an automatic ejection system, as had been speculated. With only a few weeks to go before the rumored launch of the Note 5, there will almost certainly be more photos to follow soon. Check out the compiled image below.  

Notice the AT&T app on the left image. / © NowhereElse

Alongside the above photo and recent Amazon.it renders of the Note 5 and some case designs, we've also got our hands on some fan-made images. Ivo Marić, known on Instagram as beespline, has uploaded some wonderfully realistic renders of what the Galaxy Note 5 may look like, which are not only impressive from a technical standpoint, but could very well be how the final product looks.

Discounting the bottom speaker/stylus/headphone jack placement (which we think will be reversed) and the slightly raised home button, this fits with the rumored design of Note 5 so far. Check out the pictures below. 

These renders look real, but we believe the stylus holder will be at the bottom right of the device, rather than the bottom left.  / © beespline

Based on what's been leaked so far, the Galaxy Note 5 looks like it's going to be an enlarged Galaxy S6 with a stylus. The same protruding camera sensor beside the flash and heart-rate monitor can be seen on the rear with similar button placements and speaker grill.

The phablet also appears to be housed in the same materials as the Galaxy S6. This premium-feel aluminum unibody would suggest the device won't come with a removable rear panel or a removable battery, as has been previously speculated.

Fans of Samsung's Galaxy series disapproved of this design decision in the Galaxy S6, so we'd expect this revelation to be similarly disappointing, if not exactly unexpected.

A larger Galaxy S6 with a stylus. This could be the Galaxy Note 5. / © Ringke

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 price and release date

Weight has been added to rumors of a mid-August launch for the Galaxy Note 5, as Business Korea touts an announcement on August 13. Earlier, Sam Mobile claimed that the Galaxy Note 5 (and Galaxy S6 edge+) would be unveiled in New York City on August 12, with a release on August 21. 

In an unrelated leak, Polish website Tablety.pl speculates that the Galaxy Note 5 could come with microSD card support, thanks to information gleaned from a Sprint device page. The device referenced, model number SM-N920P, is tipped as the Sprint Galaxy Note 5 variant. Within the device page text you will find the line "External Memory Slot Yes External Memory MaxSize 128GB SDXC," which seems to affirm support for 128 GB microSD cards.

Is this the Note 5, and will it arrive with expandable memory after all? There may only be a few short weeks left until we find out. 

The Galaxy Note 5 might launch in mid-August. / © ANDROIDPIT

The Korea Herald previously suggested that the Galaxy Note 5 would launch in mid-August ahead of the IFA conference, unlike earlier devices in the Note series. 

Though Berlin's IFA conference is typically the setting of Samsung's phablet launches, The Korea Herald indicated that the release could be brought forward to allay the head-to-head competition with Apple when it releases the iPhone 6S in September.

It has also been speculated that Samsung is trying to hurry the Note 5 launch as a response to lackluster sales of the Galaxy S6. Having said that though, Sam Mobile has claimed the Galaxy Note 5 design will be a "blown-up version of the Galaxy S6" albeit with an "extremely thin screen bezel". 

Could we guess at the Note 5 thickness based on the space between the case and the surface? Probably not. / © Ringke

The Galaxy Note 5 price will likely to come close to 1,000 USD off-contract. The Galaxy Note series is known for delivering cutting-edge smartphone technology, and with the Galaxy Note Edge coming in at around 1,000 USD when it was introduced last year, there's every chance the new Note could do so too.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 specs

Both the Note 5 and the S6 Edge are devices are said to feature a 5.67-inch Super AMOLED display with QHD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) and 4 GB RAM, according to Sam Mobile.. They are also expected to come in four colors: gold, silver, black and white.

The Galaxy Note 5 may come with an updated Air Command menu, seen above on the Galaxy Note 4. / © ANDROIDPIT

As the name indicates, the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus would have a dual-edged display like the Galaxy S6 Edge, while the Galaxy Note 5 is destined to have a flat screen. 

Lastly, Sam Mobile suggests that the Note 5 will house a Exynos 7422 processor which it says will combine a "64-bit octa-core CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, and the company’s homegrown Shannon LTE modem in a single package." Like the OnePlus 2, the Note 5 will probably make use of a USB Type-C connector too. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 features

Samsung submitted a patent application file on June 30 for a new feature entitled Write on PDF, which Sam Mobilesuggests could be implemented for the Galaxy Note 5. 

Another ultra-realistic fan render of the Galaxy Note 5. / © beespline

The Galaxy Note 4 includes a 'Screen Write' feature which lets you draw over what's on screen, but to do so on top of a PDF requires you to take a screenshot first. This new trademark would allow the user to write on PDFs simply by activating Screen Write. 

There's nothing to say that the patent relates to the Galaxy Note 5, or that its functionality will be as we suggest, but it seems like the logical conclusion. 

While it's not a groundbreaking feature per se, it is indicative of Samsung's desire to make the Galaxy Note 5 the most convenient phablet it has ever produced. 

Three color options of the Ringke cases for the Galaxy Note 5. / © Ringke

Samsung's stylus, known as the S Pen, is something which sets the Galaxy Note series apart from the competition. While it is performing the best it ever has on the Note 4, there is still a lot of potential for this technology and Samsung is almost certain to deliver some improvements (like the auto-eject feature mentioned at the top of the page).

The handwriting recognition and usability has been improved in the latest version, but can the classic feel of pen on paper be surpassed by a smartphone? Possibly. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 display

Though Samsung is always keen to be at the forefront of display technology, a 4K display for the Galaxy Note 5 does seem unlikely at this point, with the latest rumor suggesting that it will house a 5.67-inch QHD display. 

Should Samsung include a 4K display it might create a huge strain on the battery life (even with the fast-charging expected on the Note 5), it would be expensive, and Samsung already has what many believe to be the best looking smartphone display in the world on the (QHD) Galaxy S6. It would probably be unnecessary risk to include a UHD display on one of Samsung's phablets this year. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 camera

It seems likely that the Galaxy Note 5 will house some impressive camera tech, given that Samsung tends to prioritize this for its flagship devices. The Note 5 would probably house a wide-angle front-facing camera for all of those 'welfies' that people are clamoring for, likely in the region of 5 MP. As for the primary camera, this could be 16 MP offering with optical image stabilization and 4K video recording, as is tipped for the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.

There have been so many leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 now that we're inclined to believe this is how the finished product will look. / © Ringke

What would you like to see in the Galaxy Note 5? Let us know in the comments below.