iPhone 6s vs. Galaxy Note 5: 5 Important Details

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is official, Apple’s iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus aren’t, but now that we’re armed with official Galaxy Note 5 details we want to take a look at a few things we think buyers need to know about the inevitable iPhone 6s vs. Galaxy Note 5 matchup.

Earlier today, Samsung held an Unpacked launch event in New York City. We were there and we were able to get an up close and personal look at the company’s brand new flagships, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge+. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is the company’s larger version of the Galaxy S6 Edge while the Galaxy Note 5 is a replacement for the Galaxy Note 4.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is one of the year’s most exciting phones. It’s a strong competitor for the current iPhone 6 Plus and it will be pose a threat to Apple’s rumored iPhone 6s, a device that’s expected to debut in a few short weeks.

iPhone 6s rumors had been emerging side-by-side with Galaxy Note 5 rumors. And with an iPhone 6s launch date all but confirmed for September, we expect iPhone 6s rumors to continue as Samsung and its carrier partners gear up for the Galaxy Note 5 release.

Samsung’s early launch has put the pressure on those who are looking to upgrade in the near future. Buy the Galaxy Note 5 now or wait for the iPhone 6s and its rumored iPhone 6s Plus counterpart? It’s a question that many people are asking themselves and it’s a difficult one to answer.

We can’t answer it for you but what we can do is outline some key things we think you need to know as we push deeper into the month of August towards the Galaxy Note 5 release and an iPhone 6s launch date.

When Is The iPhone 6s Release Date?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 release date in the United States is August 21st and top U.S. carriers like AT&T and Verizon are already taking pre-orders.

This is what we expect from Samsung and U.S. carriers. A quick release date to match the quick launch date that puts some space between the Galaxy Note 5’s arrival and the iPhone 6s.

Apple hasn’t confirmed an iPhone 6s launch date or an iPhone 6s release date but we have some clues. A report from BuzzFeed recently outed the iPhone 6s launch date as September 9th. This date isn’t confirmed but the source is credible and there’s no reason to expect anything different at this point.

With an iPhone 6s launch date all but confirmed for the 9th, it helps us narrow Apple’s iPhone 6s release date to a date between September 9th and September 28th.

Apple typically releases its iPhone on a Friday that falls a couple of weeks after the launch day. It also typically releases its new iPhone before the end of its fiscal year. Apple’s fiscal year ends on September 28th. So, there are three likely candidates for the iPhone 6s release date:

• September 11th
• September 18th
• September 25th

September 18th and September 25th make the most sense and these are the dates we’d be focused in on. One way or another, you’re probably going to have to wait for a month or so for the iPhone 6s to hit shelves.

Limited Galaxy Note 5 Release

Some things never change. The Galaxy Note 5, like its predecessors, is heading to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon. It’s also heading to C Spire, a huge change for the Galaxy Note series that’s always been limited to the five major carriers in the U.S.

We still don’t know where the iPhone 6s will land but given the iPhones history, and popularity, there’s a very good chance that the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will land on more carriers than the big five and C Spire.

Some things do change. The Galaxy Note 5, unlike its predecessors, is heading to a select number of countries this year. Samsung is focused on the North American and Asian markets and the company won’t be releasing the Galaxy Note 5 in countries like the United Kingdom this year.

That’s obviously a huge blow to fans living in those regions and it could provide the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus with some advantages.

Galaxy Note 5 Price

In the past, Samsung has priced the Galaxy Note 5 at $299.99 on-contract and around $700 off-contract. This year, the Galaxy Note 5 is actually going to be a little cheaper.

With the Galaxy S6 Edge+ occupying the $299.99 slot, Samsung and its partners have dropped the Galaxy Note 5 down to $250 on-contract for the base 32GB model. This could slot right in between the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus if Apple sticks to its guns.

The iPhone 6 starts at $199.99 on-contract while the larger iPhone 6 Plus, the true Galaxy Note competitor, starts at $299.99 on-contract.

Off-contract, the Galaxy Note 5 price varies from $700 and $800. Apple’s iPhone 6 starts at $650 off-contract while the iPhone 6s Plus starts at $750 off-contract. We haven’t heard anything about the iPhone 6s price but you’ll want to keep this in mind as we make our way into September.

Galaxy Note 5 vs. iPhone 6s (Rumored)

Samsung, as expected, outlined all of the Galaxy Note 5’s key features. Apple hasn’t outlined all of the key iPhone 6s features just yet but rumors have been able to provide us with a rough list of iPhone 6s specs. Here, we take a look at how the key Galaxy Note 5 specs matchup with the rumored iPhone 6s specs.

Galaxy Note 5

• 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad-HD S-AMOLED Display
• Samsung Exynos 8-core processor with 4GB of RAM
• 16MP f/1.9 Camera with Optical Image Stabilization
• 5MP front-facing camera
• Android 5.1 Lollipop with Samsung TouchWiz
• Premium glass and aluminum design
• Improved Fingerprint sensor
• 3,000 mAh battery
• Fast Wireless Charging
• S Pen
• Silver, White, Black, Gold colors

iPhone 6s (Rumored)

• 4.7-inch 1334 x 750  Retina Display (iPhone 6s)
• 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 Retina Display (iPhone 6s Plus)
• Force Touch displays
• A9 processor with Qualcomm chip (faster LTE, improved battery) with 2GB RAM
• iPhone 6-like designs with a few tweaks
• Touch ID
• 12MP rear camera
• 5MP FaceTime camera
• iOS 9
• Silver, Gray, Gold, Pink/Rose Gold

Galaxy Note 5 Storage

One last thing we want to call out. The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 only comes in two storage sizes. A 32GB base model and a larger 64GB model. There isn’t a 128GB model. The device doesn’t come with a microSD card slot for expandable storage.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus probably won’t have expandable storage either though their storage options could be a little bit different.

There’s been a bunch of back and forth about the iPhone 6s’ storage and it looks like the phones will use either a 16GB base or a 32GB base. One thing that rumors have agreed on though is that Apple will continue to offer a 128GB model for power users that need a ton of space.