Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Rumors: 5 Things to Know in April

The Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, HTC One M9, and LG G4 are capturing consumer attention right now but rumors suggest that a new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will be coming later this year. Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumors continue to detail what we might see from Samsung in 2015 as the company battles current and future flagships from top manufacturers like Apple, LG and more.

In the fall of last year, Samsung announced two brand new Galaxy Note models in the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge. The Galaxy Note 4, Samsung’s fourth-gen model, is one of the best smartphones on the market. The Galaxy Note Edge, a curved Galaxy Note 4 concept, is a tempting proposition for Android enthusiasts and those that want something different. Many consumers have their eyes on these two flagships as we push deeper into the year.

Rumor has it, Samsung is working on a follow up to the Galaxy Note 4, a fifth-generation Galaxy Note that’s currently dubbed Galaxy Note 5. And while we’re still early into the rumor cycle, we’ve seen Galaxy Note 5 rumors emerge, teasing consumers interested in the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge but also devices like the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and LG G4.

Here are the most interesting Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumors of the last month and early 2015. While you still have several months to go before Samsung rolls its new device out, there are still plenty of people who are either committed to or thinking about waiting for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumors are still vague but we have seen quite a bit of talk about its display, its release date and other key details. With that in mind, here are the Galaxy Note 5 rumors and expectations that potential buyers and upgraders need to know about in April 2015. If you are waiting to buy the Galaxy Note 5, this is the essential information we’ve learned in the first four months of the year.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Release Date

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge have received excellent reviews in the days since their release and it’s clear that Samsung’s onto something with its premium designs, toned down software and upgraded specifications. It’s also clear that these devices, along with the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge, will serve as the company’s flagships for most of the year.

Thus far, we’ve only see one Samsung Galaxy Note 5 release date rumor emerge. The report, from Korean publication Daum, states the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 release date could land in August. If true, this would be much earlier than the Galaxy Note 4 release date. Samsung released the Galaxy Note 4 in October after a launch in September.

It’s important to note that the publication also claimed that Samsung would release the Galaxy S6 in March. The Samsung Galaxy S6 release took place on April 10th for most countries.

If you’re at all familiar with the Galaxy Note series, you’d know that Samsung typically announces its new Galaxy Note model(s) at IFA, a massive trade show that takes place every year in Berlin, Germany. The five Galaxy Note flagships in existence (Galaxy Note, Note 2, Note 3, Note 4, Note Edge) were all announced on stage in and around the start of IFA.

IFA 2015 kicks off on September 4th which means that, at this point, September 1st-4th are the dates to circle on the calendar. While Samsung could do something a little bit different to try and throw Apple and its iPhone release off (maybe even an August release), the safest bet right now is on an arrival in early September at IFA.

Galaxy Note 5 Hype Fueled by Samsung

Unlike last year, Samsung still hasn’t confirmed any early timing for its Galaxy Note release. That said, Samsung continues to talk about its goals and plans for the future, a future that could include the Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

In recent comments made to Pocket-lint, Samsung UK’s vice president for mobile and IT Conor Pierce produced some interesting quotes that hint at what’s to come. Here’s what Pierce had to say about the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge:

The company realised that it needed to do something different. We asked questions of people, what do they want? They want premium design, tick that box. They want the best camera, there you go. They want to solve battery issues. And they want choice. So I’m very confident that [the S6 and edge] materialised from what people want.

We’ve learned that bringing beautiful, premium innovations in design is what people want. I think the market needs this as well because the market has been very saturated.

I think it’s about us breaking new ground. It was a bold move to try to do something different, but if you go back to last year, we had the Note edge and you could see how well that was received. So we understand that this is what people want. They are looking for some inspiration, so yes you will see that across our portfolio.

It’s clear that Samsung is very focused on these key areas and Pierce himself suggests that the company’s other products could come with some of these big changes:

What we have noticed is that typically the upgrade cycle is every 24 months because of the contracts, and people are generally offered an upgrade around six months before that.

That’s when they start to look at the phones on the market. So it’s very important that we don’t just do our best work in this current quarter. People don’t just turn up in this quarter, or July, August or September, looking for a new phone, it’s all year round.

I think the fact that we managed to deliver a new form factor with the Note, create a new category, shows the ambition to keep changing and keep innovating. Samsung puts $40 million a day into research and development, which is a massive injection of money into R&D.

With Galaxy Note 2 users set to come off contract this fall, and with Samsung clearly invested in new technology like bendable displays, we certainly see the company draw from this year’s Galaxy S release with both features and the timing of the release.

Galaxy Note 5 Edge Rumors

A recent report from The Korea Herald suggests that Samsung is at least considering the Galaxy S6 Edge’s dual-edge display technology for the Galaxy Note series.

The report cites Roh Tae-moon, executive vice president of Samsung’s product strategy team who says that “there is a possibility that Samsung will introduce the curved display for the Galaxy Note lineup.” His comments line up with the Galaxy Note 5 rumors that have emerged this year.

A report from China suggests that Samsung will indeed be using a flexible display on the Galaxy Note 5. In addition, an old report from Korean publication Ledwn, which accurately predicted the Galaxy S6 Edge, claims that Samsung will be putting a flexible display on the Galaxy Note 5. With Pierce hinting at continued innovation and rumors pointing to continued use of Samsung’s Youm flexible technology, it does look like the Galaxy Note 5 will have more than just a beautiful flat screen.

New Galaxy Note 5 Display Details

Just how beautiful the Galaxy Note 5 screen will be though is unclear.

Samsung’s thought to be starting production on a 6-inch Ultra HD display at 700+ pixels per inch which could mean a shift from Quad HD resolution to UHD. UHD delivers 2160 x 3840 resolution.

A new report from PhoneArena, citing slides from Samsung’s Analyst Day event, suggests that Samsung is at least considering 2160 × 3840 pixel resolution on the Galaxy Note 5. The company is rumored to be throwing around a 5.89-inch display for both a flat and “Edge” Galaxy Note 5 model which would translate to 700+ppi.

Production on these displays is reportedly set to begin in August which puts rumors of an early Galaxy Note 5 release date in doubt. This information does, however, line up nicely with a potential Galaxy Note 5 launch in September around IFA 2015.

While these Galaxy Note 5 display details continue to firm up, it’s important to note that Samsung is probably throwing around several Galaxy Note 5 prototypes ahead of release. The company probably won’t finalize the final features for several months which means that dreams of a UHD display could be dashed before everything is said and done.

Galaxy Note 5 Processor

Another report from the hit-or-miss publication Digitimes suggests that Qualcomm is trying to get its Snapdragon chips back into Samsung flagship smartphones.

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge both use Samsung’s Exynos 7 octa-core processor. This is a notable change from past Galaxy Note and Galaxy S releases which relied on both Exynos chips and Snapdragon chips from Qualcomm.

According to a report from Recode “Qualcomm plans to have its next-generation Snapdragon 820 processor manufactured at Samsung’s chip-making plants.” What this means is that the relationship between the two companies, while fractured, isn’t completely broken. The report claims that “Qualcomm is hoping that the move to use Samsung’s factories will help it win back business for the next Galaxy S flagship” but it’s not clear if it will be repaired in time for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

If Samsung opts to use a different chip, it could use a Exynos chip. Look for these rumors to start flowing once we get closer to the production stage of the Galaxy Note 5.