Samsung Galaxy Note 7 release date, news and rumors

Update: The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 release date is likely next week, so we've rounded up the latest news and rumors in a video below. We also added information about the iris scanner, the S7-beating performance and fact that the S Pen may be able to write underwater. Here's the latest Note 7 news.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is the large-screen phone for 2016 that Android power users have been waiting to upgrade to, and its official launch event is almost here.
Sure, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge stretched out fingertips into phablet territory too, with a 5.5-inch display earlier this year. But it didn't have two Note series staples: a 5.7-inch screen and an S-Pen stylus.

Note 7 rumors point to a phone that maximizes the screen space, while minimizing the body and bezels. Returning features like a microSD card are welcome and the unconfirmed iris scanner will turn heads.
It's especially anticipated in the UK and Europe, as Samsung made the bizarre decision not to launch the Galaxy Note 5 outside of the US and a few other countries. Their S-Pen upgrade is long overdue.

Just don't expect it to be called the Samsung Galaxy Note 6. All recent rumors indicate that Galaxy Note 7 is the name of the next phablet. It's thought the company wants to bring it in line with the name of the Galaxy S7 series - and the forthcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
With the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 probably launching in early August we're hearing plenty of rumors about it. We've also cooked up a wishlist of things we want to see.

• More into Apple? Check out the 5.5-inch iPhone 6S Plus and the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus. Or for something smaller there's the iPhone SE.
• Looking to the future? We're already hearing rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Edge in 2017.

No time for text? Get all the best news and rumors in our video roundup below:

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Samsung's next phablet
• When's it out? Expect an August 2 release date
• What will it cost? It's sure to be very expensive

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 release date

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 release date is Tuesday, August 2, according to every rumor out there and, as of this month, a Samsung Unpacked invite. We got one and will be there in both New York and London.

The official announcement will happen at 11am EDT. That means you can expect all of the Note 7 news to start at 8am PDT, 4pm GMT (or 1am the next day, on August 3 AEST).
The August 2 launch event is a little under two weeks earlier in the year than the Galaxy Note 5 announcement. But it's what we've suspected for several months now. A Korean news source believes production to be starting in July - so an early August announcement made sense.
Samsung typically launches its Galaxy Note flagships during IFA, which is happening in early September this year, so that's the only other possible launch date, but It may have its hands (or wrists) full with other announcements, like the Samsung Gear S3.

The good news is that Samsung has confirmed the Note 7 will be coming to the UK, corroborating a TechRadar source high up at one of the UK's major networks.
TechRadar's take: The evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of an August 2 launch.

• Let us know what feature you'd most like to see in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 colors

Hottest leaks:

• Four colors at launch
• More may be added later

Before we get into the design, let's talk about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 colors. It may come in three hues, according to an early July leak that made the new Android phone look especially convincing.

Options include Black Onyx, Silver Titanium and, the highlight of the bunch, Blue Coral. However, we've since seen another leak, showing the Note 7 off in a gold shade, so we may get four colors at launch.

It's also possible that Samsung will add additional colors to the mix after the initial sales rush, to revive interest in the phone.
Techradar's take: Samsung limited the Note 5 in the US to three colors: Black Sapphire and White Pearl at launch and, eventually, Gold Platinum. However, there was a Silver Titanium color too, but it didn't launch in the States. So it's not clear whether all four of these colors will launch in all locations or not.

• Want more? Read our Samsung Galaxy Note 7 colors news

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 design

Hottest leaks:

• A glass back and metal frame
• Water and dust resistance

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 design is poised to be more than just a bigger, S-Pen-included version of the Samsung Galaxy S7. In fact, there may be no flat version of the phablet at all, although a question mark remains on the Edge-only Note 7 rumor.

The image above, shared by techtastic.nl, gives one of our closest looks yet at the phone and mostly matches other images, though some lack the Samsung logo on the front. Since then another even clearer shot, which you can see below, has been shared by the same site.

The shape in these shots is a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, complete with a physical home button and a likely metal frame. The back, based on other leaks, appears to be glass, which makes sense since it was on the Galaxy S7 range. However, it might be slightly more curved at the back than the S7.
Leaked renders from OnLeaks have also suggested the phone will look very similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge, but it will feature room for an S Pen and a slightly larger display as well. You can watch the video below to see the leaked renders and how the phone will probably look.