Samsung news site SamMobile has “received information” from unnamed sources that also confirm the Galaxy Note 6 will be water and dust resistant to IP68 standards, the same level as current flagship the Galaxy S7. IP68-certified devices have to be able to survive complete immersion in one and a half meters of water for at least half an hour. The Galaxy S7 has been able to survive for much longer in some tests.
Previous rumours have said the Galaxy Note 6 will sport a 5.8-inch display, a small step up from the 5.7-inch panel on the Galaxy Note 5. Samsung may include as much as 6GB of RAM on the new device for efficient multitasking between several resource-intensive apps.
A document obtained by GalaxyClub suggests Samsung may be planning more high-end hardware for the Note 6. it has recently imported an “iris cam” from South Korea into its Indian research and development plant. The Note 6 would be the ideal phone to debut an iris scanner on, a flagship with a reputation for a lengthy spec sheet and range of power user-friendly features.
Iris scanners are still a rare thing on smartphones and are yet to gain mainstream attention. Microsoft’s Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL include iris scanners, letting you unlock the phone just by looking it. Samsung may be planning to include an iris scanner as an alternative to the PIN code, pattern lock, facial recognition and fingerprint sensor already offered on its handsets.
The Galaxy Note 6’s launch is still a good few months away. Samsung usually unveils new versions of the iconic phablet in August, giving it four more months to finalize the design of this year’s model.
Last year, Samsung triggered an outcry among Note fans by deciding not to offer the Note 5 in European markets. The company blamed marketing reasons for the move and pushed previous customers towards the S6 Edge+ instead.
Fans weren’t happy though, starting a petition to pressure Samsung into bringing the Note to Europe. Samsung appears to have learnt its lesson this year as current rumours indicate the Note 6 will be available on the continent from day one. The company has reversed its stance and admitted it caused a “backlash from loyal Note fans,” according to the chief of a major UK mobile network in comments to TechRadar this February.
