Rumor Rundown: Samsung Galaxy Note 4

On the very first edition of Rumor Rundown, we will be going over the new up and coming Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The Note 4 is expected to come with the highest specs of any Galaxy device to date, and could have the highest specs ever seen in a high-end smartphone. We will go over all of the rumors regarding the Note 4 top to bottom, and go over the specs one more time. From having a three-sided display, to having a retina scanner. We have all the rumors for you on one page.

One of the first rumors to come out regarding the Note 4, was that it was to be the first Galaxy device stateside to include a UHD display. The resolution of an ultra high definition (UHD) or 2K display is 2560 x 1440. Although the Galaxy Note 4 is expected to tout this vivid display, it wasn’t the first phone to feature this display. The G3 from LG beat it out to be the first UHD phone. This is the most guaranteed feature that the Note will come with. UHD will soon be the standard, just as 1080p has been in the past year.

The second most guaranteed feature to come with the Note 4 is the anticipated ultra-violet or UV sensor. Samsung continues to build off their success with their ‘S-Health’, which first debuted on the Galaxy S4. S-Health started as an app where users could monitor their calorie intake, fitness, and it even came with a pedometer. With the Galaxy S5, Samsung introduced the first device to come with a built in heart-rate monitor. While this is a nice add-on, you can currently download an app to do the same task, as long as you have a flash with your camera. It only makes sense for Samsung to continue building on S-Health, and it will be the first smartphone to feature a UV sensor.

Samsung may have the first UV sensor on a smartphone, but they also might have the first ever retina scanner. In mid-July, the Samsung Exynos Twitter tweeted a photo of a Samsung device with an eye being scanned with a retina scanner, stating “Security can be improved using features unique to us. That’s what we envision. What would you use?” This one tweet started churning the Note 4 rumors even more. The device, also just happens to appear like a Note 4.While it is unknown if the Note 4 releasing with the Snapdragon 805 processor stateside will come with the retina scanner, it may be exclusively in select markets that have the Exynos 5433 CPU.

Once again, this rumor may just be on the international model that features the Exynos 5433, but one Galaxy Note 4 variant will come with a first-ever three sided display. If you are wondering how a phone would function with a three-sided display, you can see the mock-up above. Instead of featuring physical buttons on the side of the device, it would have them on the second and third display. It would also have its own app drawer, so you could pick and choose what apps you want to show up on the side of the display. It would also be a source for notifications, if you were only able to see the side of the device. Earlier this month, it was reported this display had entered production, so it is likely on the horizon. Unfortunately, its probably only going to be released in Korea, just like the S5 Prime and Galaxy Round.

To go along with the UHD display, will be the same 5.7 inch front panel we saw on the Note 3. The first report about the Galaxy Note 4 screen size was that it was going to bump it up to a massive 5.9 inches. This would continue the trend of the Note series increasing the display size. However, a few months later, it was reported that Samsung would downsize in order to be in more direct competition with the iPhone 6L. This would include the same 5.5 sized display that is expected to ship with the 6L. It turns out those were exactly that, rumors. Now it is official that the Note 4 will come with same sized display as its predecessor.

The latest development around the Note 4 would be its most prominent. For the first time in the Note series, it will feature a metal chassis. Samsung first debuted the Galaxy Alpha as the first Galaxy device to feature a metal chassis. Samsung supporters have been clamoring for a device to come with the ‘premium’ design and feel to it, and Samsung has been delivering. This could be Samsung’s biggest asset in taking down the iPhone 6 and 6L.

One feature that has yet to be confirmed or denied, is whether this phone will be water-resistant. Samsung took a big step forward by making the Galaxy S5 come standard with an IP67 rating. In the pictures above, there does seem to be a cover over the microUSB 3.0 charging port, which could suggest that it will be water-resistant. If it does come with an IP67 rating, this device will truly be a one-of-a-kind.

We also have not got a glimpse at what size battery will come in this phablet. One trend that Samsung has stuck with, is fitting a bigger more powerful battery in the same sized chassis. They fit a battery that was 200 mAh bigger in the S5 compared to the S4. Consider it likely they will do the same with Note 4. The Note 3 came with a 3200 mAh battery, so expect Samsung to easily fit a 3400 mAh battery in the Note 4 to combat the extra battery drain because of the UHD display.

With a debut confimed to be on September 3, 2014 we are still waiting for a confirmation on the release date. While that won’t come until Samsung’s unpacked event, a leak has suggested that it will be released on September 15, 2014. That is when PTO (paid time off) blackouts are company wide at Samsung.

Below you can see a quick rundown of the specs expected in the Note 4.

Screen size: 5.7″

Resolution: 2560 x 1440 (515 ppi)
Camera: 16 megapixels (optical image stabilization) (rear) – 3.6 megapixels (front)
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 – 2.7GHz – quad-core | Exynos 5433 – octa-core (international)
Battery: 3400 mAh
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB – expandable up to 128GB
Water resistant: Yes
Features: Heart-rate monitor, fingerprint scanner, UV sensor, touch-pen, three-sided display (international), metal chassis
Expected debut: September 3, 2014
Release date: September 15, 2014