The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is a 5.7-inch, quad HD phablet. It uses Samsung’s 2015 metal and glass construction and features an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor and 4GB of RAM. Its stand-out hardware detail is the S-Pen stylus, letting users scribble notes or create detailed works of art directly on the display.
The Note series has gained a strong and loyal following of phablet lovers since its introduction and the S-Pen has had a key role in this development. However, at the Note 5’s August launch, Samsung surprised its European followers by announcing they won’t be able to experience the latest incarnation of the stylus. Instead, they are offered the Galaxy S6 Edge+, a similarly-specced phone that loses the S-Pen but gains Samsung’s curved “Edge” display.
Fans of the Note line-up weren’t best pleased by this decision. A petition organised by UK handset retailer Clove attracted thousands of votes within days, calling on Samsung to sell the Note 5 in Europe after “winning the hearts” of smartphone enthusiasts and power users.
The reasoning behind the decision not to sell the device remains unclear but it looks like Samsung could be nearly ready to relent and start sales in the continent, beginning with the UK. Gadgette reports a “trusted Samsung source” has said the Note 5 will become available from late January, narrowly missing the important Christmas season. The news site says it’s confident the source is accurate as they were one of the first to reveal the Note 5 wouldn’t be coming to Europe at all.
It remains unclear whether buyers in other European markets will also be able to buy the phone next year. There seems to be little point in launching the device so late after its unveiling as the Note 6 could be around within six months of people upgrading to the Note 5. The more sensible option would appear to be to wait for that device and hope Samsung reverses its decision not to sell to Europe.
Former Note-loyalists living in the region are still confused as to why they were left out for this iteration of the handset. The Note has a reputation for being power user-friendly and a trusty workhorse, sporting all-day battery and the useful, range-defining S-Pen stylus. Samsung has yet to reveal anything official yet but if this report is true then UK fans could finally be satisfied within the next few weeks.
