The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 may have broader global availability than the Galaxy Note 5, if recent rumors are true. GSM Helpdesk claims carriers and retailers in the Netherlands will offer the Galaxy Note 7, though they didn’t offer its predecessor.
Many Galaxy Note fans in Europe were disappointed to find that the Galaxy Note 5 would not be available in markets like the U.K. and the Netherlands when the flagship released in August 2015. Samsung reasoned that it made the Note 5 available to more business- and productivity-centric markets, such as the U.S., while the U.K. got the more youthful and fashion-forward Galaxy S6 Edge+. The demand for the Galaxy Note 5 was so great that U.K. carriers petitioned Samsing to reconsider not introducing the Galaxy Note 5.
Though reports suggested the Galaxy Note 5 would eventually release in these markets, it has not yet been introduced. Now the Galaxy Note 7 release date is just over one month away, according to rumors, making it unlikely the Galaxy Note 5 will ever launch there.
Rumors conflict on whether Samsung will release one flat model of the Galaxy Note 7, a curved display model, or whether the manufactures will release one of each. Samsung has launched two devices simultaneously since September 2014, when the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge were announced. However, the Galaxy Note 4 was a global device and the Galaxy Note Edge was essentially a market prototype with limited availability.
Pundits believe Samsung will release a single Galaxy Note 7 device with a curved display. Though Samsung has had success simultaneously launching two standard-sized slate smartphones, as it did with the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge, it appears releasing two tablets at once is a challenge. Reports in 2015 indicated the Galaxy Note 5 greatly outpaced the Galaxy S6 Edge+ in online sales, despite smaller availability of the Note 5. It is possible that the lack of an S-Pen stylus on the Phablet sized device deterred many customers.
The Galaxy Note line is known for its onboard stylus, which will likely be included in the Galaxy Note 7. Leaked renders and supposed teasers suggest a the Galaxy Note 7 will have a curved display and a S-Pen. While Samsung claimed having select markets for the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ helped with production costs in 2015, releasing one Galaxy Note 7 model with all of the consumer favorite features would likely be more cost effective for Samung in the long run.
Samsung introduced a new press-to-eject design for the S-Pen in 2015. There were some logistical issues early on, as the the new S-Pen could get stuck inside the Galaxy Note 5 and break the device if forcefully removed. However, Samsung revised this oversight in future models.
At this time, no details about the Galaxy Note 7 are confirmed. The device may be announced in early August.
