Super-size Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Proves Big Is Beautiful

Shout out to anyone who watches films on the move, to creatives who love doodling, to snap-happy Instagrammers who dig an edit suite, and to gamers who love the big screen experience. This is your moment.
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Shout out to anyone who watches films on the move, to creatives who love doodling, to snap-happy Instagrammers who dig an edit suite, and to gamers who love the big screen experience. This is your moment.

The just-launched Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - smartphone of the moment - is a pocket-defying 5.7 inches.

Not only is it big - phablet sized big - it's primed to stream HDR video so when you're watching the latest blockbusters on your commute, you'll experience brighter colours.

And if you want to delve into the Note 7's Game Pack, you'll be immersed like never before, especially if you want to purchase the compatible virtual reality headset and take advantage of the device's Super AMOLED screen.

The Galaxy S7 edge was roundly beloved so it's not surprise that its super-sized Note 7 incorporates that same unique curved edge.

Another unique selling point is the Note's inclusive S-Pen stylus, which enables the satisfying scribbling of handwritten notes and, if you're blessed with artistic flair, Samsung has optimised the S-Pen's tip so you can create detailed illustrations.

Beyond that, the Note's freshest offering has to be its iris scanner, which allows you to unlock your handset "in the blink of an eye", as Samsung puts it. Although we've seen features like this before in other Androids - the ZTE Grand S3, for example, or Microsoft Lumia 950 - it's fair to say these brands have beaten Apple to the finish line on eye-identification functions. But how practical will it really be?

Unleashing the full power of your spanking new phablet at a glance is an inviting prospect, but observers say you shouldn't expect much if you're wearing glasses or sunglasses, contact lenses, or the ambient light is too bright or low. So just to be safe, the Note 7 will provide a fingerprint function to step in when the troubled iris scanner needs a hand (literally).

It's worth mentioning that the phablet is compatible with the Oculus-powered Gear VR, which connects via a USB-C port and will create virtual reality experiences pretty much anywhere.

But many of the most exciting features are all too familiar: we've already encountered them in the Galaxy S7 edge.

Like the S7 before it, the Note 7 boasts a glass and metal frame; water and dust resistance (it can survive at a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes); a super AMOLED display; and an incredible camera, which uses dual-pixel sensor technology, wide aperture and fast autofocus to deliver high quality pictures even in low lighting.

But, deja vu aside, all in all, there's not much wrong with the Galaxy Note 7 if you think bigger is better. For many big-screened devotees it's the dream phablet, and one well worth writing home about when it goes on sale on 2 September 2016 (all the easier with your new stylus).