The Halfway Point: A Look at This Year's Smartphone Trends

As we approach the midpoint of 2016, almost all major smartphone brands have released their flagship phones. Now that we've seen these devices, it's clear that this year's trends are focused on premium design, dual cameras, modularity, and affordability.

Design and Display: A Focus on Curves and Symmetry

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year, and for good reason. The device will come in three colors - black, silver, and blue - with a notable absence of gold or rose gold options. However, what's truly exciting about the Note 7 is its design. According to press renders from reliable leakster and tech journalist Evan Blast, the Galaxy Note 7 features a curved display that drops down on both sides, much like the Galaxy S7 Edge. If you flip the device around, you'll notice that it also has curved edges on the back, similar to the S7 and S7 Edge.

This design focus is a significant departure from previous years, where Samsung's phones often featured rounded corners. However, as we can see with the Note 7, this new approach allows for a more defined shape and a better fit in the hand. The differences between each model are clearly defined, making it easier to distinguish one device from another.

Specs and Features: Catching Up with the S7 and S7 Edge

One of the most interesting aspects of the Note 7 is its spec sheet. According to reports, the device will feature specs that are almost identical to those of the S7 and S7 Edge. This includes a larger battery (compared to last year's model) and 6 GB of RAM instead of the 4 GB found in previous devices. Additionally, the Note 7 will have dust and water resistance, as well as a slot for expandable memory.

The camera is also an area where the Note 7 excels, with a 12-megapixel sensor that's still one of the best cameras on any smartphone this year. However, it's worth noting that the camera resolution is slightly lower than last year's model.

Android Skin: TouchWiz Gets a New Name

Samsung's Android skin, previously known as TouchWiz, has gotten a new name - Grace. While the changes may seem subtle, they're actually quite significant. The settings menu now features a simple white panel with colored icons, making it easier to navigate and customize. Additionally, the device will ship with Android M marshmallow at launch, although an update to nougat is still pending.

The introduction of this new skin marks a significant shift in Samsung's approach to its operating system. By simplifying the interface and adding more customization options, the company aims to make its devices feel more modern and user-friendly.

Air Command Gets a New Feature: Glance

One of the most exciting features of the Note 7 is Air Command, which allows users to perform various tasks with just their S Pen. A new feature called glance has been added to this functionality, allowing users to turn any app into a popup bubble that hovers over active apps. This can be accessed by simply hovering your S Pen over the desired application.

The introduction of glance marks a significant improvement to Air Command's capabilities, making it easier for users to access frequently used features and functions. Whether you're looking at a map or checking email, this feature has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with our devices.

Unveiling the Galaxy Note 7: An Unpacked Event in New York

The Galaxy Note 7 will be unveiled at an unpacked event in New York on August 2nd. This marks the first time that Samsung will be holding a public unveiling for its flagship device, and it's clear that the company is excited to show off what it has to offer.

Global availability for the Note 7 should follow soon after the launch, with Gadget Match being one of the first sources to bring you full coverage. To ensure that you don't miss out on our in-depth reviews and analysis, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, like our Facebook page, and follow us on social media.

We'll also be posting stories and updates on gadgetm match.com, so make it your daily habit until the next video from Gadget Match. I'm Michael Josh, and I'll see you in the next video.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enand just like that 2016 is halfway through almost all major smartphone brands have released a flagship phone and now we have a pretty decent picture of this year's smartphone Trends premium design dual cameras modularity and most importantly more for Less so what's next well August is just around the corner and in a few short weeks we expect to hear about this phone's successor hi I'm Michael Josh you're watching Gadget match and in this video we preview the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 yep you heard me right I did say seven and I do know how to count but I understand the confusion if you've been folling along Samsung's popular fablet has been through only five iterations the original note note two note three Note 4 and the note five logic dictates the next phone should be called the Note 6 but last Samsung is skipping six and going straight to seven Why seven well it probably has to do with this phone Samsung's top-of-the-line Galaxy S7 you see the note is always one generation number behind the sline even if it usually comes out 6 months after and unless you're counting a bigger number usually implies newer and better but for Samsung a consistent use use of the number seven makes it easier for us consumers to identify their entire 2016 lineup S7 S7 Edge and Note 7 we can say with certainty that the Note 7 will look like this these are from press renders from ever reliable leakster and tech journalist Evan blast the Galaxy Note 7 will come in these three colors black silver and blue it's interesting though that there is isn't going to be a gold or a rose gold option these images match leaks posted by Steve hemmer stoer on Twitter if you look closely at the renders you'll notice the biggest design change on the Note 7 will be its display which curves downward on both sides like the Galaxy S7 Edge flip it around and you'll notice that just like the S7 and S7 Edge the Note 7 will also have curved edges on its back and while we're comparing all three top of the line Samsung phones come in different sizes 5.2 in for the S7 5.5 for the S7 Edge and 5.7 in for the Note 7 I love how the differences between each model is clearly defined unlike the muddled mess that it used to be if you look closely at the corners the notes won't be as rounded that should give it enough space for the S Pen stocking Port expect the Note 7 to pretty much catch up with the S7 and the S7 Edge in terms of specs and features the spec sheet should be pretty much identical except for a bigger battery and 6 GB of RAM instead of four the Note 7 also gets the hardware features found on the S7 including dust and water resistance and a slot for expandable memory you also get the same 12 megapixel camera Which is less than on last year's model but still one of the best cameras this year Samsung's Android skin TouchWiz is also updated there's a new name floating around and it's called Grace now although Android n nougat has been announced it isn't available yet the Note 7 will ship with Android M marshmallow at launch the aesthetic changes in grace are subtle except for the settings menu which looks much more basic just a simple white panel with colored icons the drop- down Quick Settings menu is also simpler and without leaving the window you can now dive into tweak individual settings the SP pen enabled Air Command gets a new feature called glance which basically turns any app into a popup bubble that hovers over active apps you can bring it up for a glance by just hovering your S Pen over the bubble which brings us to one final matter just like last year the Note 7 will be unveiled at an unpacked event in New York on August 2nd Global availability should follow soon after Gadget match will be in New York for the launch of the Galaxy Note 7 so to make sure you don't miss our full coverage subscribe to our YouTube channel like our Facebook page and follow Gadget match Elsewhere on social media we will also be posting stories on gadgetm match.com so make it your daily habit until the next video I'm Michael Josh thanks for dropping by heand just like that 2016 is halfway through almost all major smartphone brands have released a flagship phone and now we have a pretty decent picture of this year's smartphone Trends premium design dual cameras modularity and most importantly more for Less so what's next well August is just around the corner and in a few short weeks we expect to hear about this phone's successor hi I'm Michael Josh you're watching Gadget match and in this video we preview the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 yep you heard me right I did say seven and I do know how to count but I understand the confusion if you've been folling along Samsung's popular fablet has been through only five iterations the original note note two note three Note 4 and the note five logic dictates the next phone should be called the Note 6 but last Samsung is skipping six and going straight to seven Why seven well it probably has to do with this phone Samsung's top-of-the-line Galaxy S7 you see the note is always one generation number behind the sline even if it usually comes out 6 months after and unless you're counting a bigger number usually implies newer and better but for Samsung a consistent use use of the number seven makes it easier for us consumers to identify their entire 2016 lineup S7 S7 Edge and Note 7 we can say with certainty that the Note 7 will look like this these are from press renders from ever reliable leakster and tech journalist Evan blast the Galaxy Note 7 will come in these three colors black silver and blue it's interesting though that there is isn't going to be a gold or a rose gold option these images match leaks posted by Steve hemmer stoer on Twitter if you look closely at the renders you'll notice the biggest design change on the Note 7 will be its display which curves downward on both sides like the Galaxy S7 Edge flip it around and you'll notice that just like the S7 and S7 Edge the Note 7 will also have curved edges on its back and while we're comparing all three top of the line Samsung phones come in different sizes 5.2 in for the S7 5.5 for the S7 Edge and 5.7 in for the Note 7 I love how the differences between each model is clearly defined unlike the muddled mess that it used to be if you look closely at the corners the notes won't be as rounded that should give it enough space for the S Pen stocking Port expect the Note 7 to pretty much catch up with the S7 and the S7 Edge in terms of specs and features the spec sheet should be pretty much identical except for a bigger battery and 6 GB of RAM instead of four the Note 7 also gets the hardware features found on the S7 including dust and water resistance and a slot for expandable memory you also get the same 12 megapixel camera Which is less than on last year's model but still one of the best cameras this year Samsung's Android skin TouchWiz is also updated there's a new name floating around and it's called Grace now although Android n nougat has been announced it isn't available yet the Note 7 will ship with Android M marshmallow at launch the aesthetic changes in grace are subtle except for the settings menu which looks much more basic just a simple white panel with colored icons the drop- down Quick Settings menu is also simpler and without leaving the window you can now dive into tweak individual settings the SP pen enabled Air Command gets a new feature called glance which basically turns any app into a popup bubble that hovers over active apps you can bring it up for a glance by just hovering your S Pen over the bubble which brings us to one final matter just like last year the Note 7 will be unveiled at an unpacked event in New York on August 2nd Global availability should follow soon after Gadget match will be in New York for the launch of the Galaxy Note 7 so to make sure you don't miss our full coverage subscribe to our YouTube channel like our Facebook page and follow Gadget match Elsewhere on social media we will also be posting stories on gadgetm match.com so make it your daily habit until the next video I'm Michael Josh thanks for dropping by he\n"