Samsung has just released its newest flagship entry, the Galaxy Note 7 phablet. Meanwhile, its fiercest rival Apple is said to debut the new iPhone 7 next month.
How will these two late-2016 flagship releases compare against each other?
While Apple has yet to come out with confirmed details on what has changed with the iPhone 7, speculations have already suggested that the Cupertino-based company will be focusing on design improvements rather than under-the-hood upgrades.
One noted change that is being rumored for the iPhone 7 is a radical tweak – forgoing the 3.5 mm audio jack. Even Samsung has jabbed Apple about his when presenting the Galaxy Note 7. Allegedly, Apple will be incorporating audio in its Lightning port. Meanwhile, ditching the standard audio jack will reportedly give Apple leeway in designing the iPhone 7 with a thinner, slimmer profile.
Under the hood, nothing much is expected to change with the iPhone 7, since most industry followers believe that Apple will incorporate its new tech with the 2017 iPhone – unexpectedly dubbed the iPhone 8. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has all the top-tier specs expected of a company flagship. It features an Exynos 8890 processor, with onboard storage options going as high as 256GB. However, instead of the rumored 6GB RAM, Samsung has installed a standard 4GB one, though recent reports say that a 6GB variant will be released in selected markets.
As for its features, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has changed the flagship landscape again, as the new flagship incorporates an iris scanner for added biometrics security. How Apple will outmaneuver this new feature is still unconfirmed, though rumors say that the iPhone 7 may already come out with a full IP6X rating, making it dust- and water-proof. In addition, Apple may also incorporate an updated 3D Touch for its display.
