Hands-on Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review: Phabulous

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 software

The Galaxy Note 7 comes with Samsung's TouchWiz skin. On the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung reduced the range of icon colors to create something more elegant and less playful as a result. On the Note 7, the TouchWiz interface is even more mature.

If you were hoping to see the Note 7 come running Android 7.0 Nougat, you will sadly be disappointed: it leaves the factory with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. When it will be making the jump, Samsung could not say.

So no new operating system, however, there are a number of small new details and improvements. First and foremost, the new Samsung Notes app. Instead of the four different notes apps, as was the case before, there is now a single central app. This can handle your text notes, handwritten notes, photos, and voice memos.

Air Command has seen some fine tuning. / © AndroidPIT

If you quickly need to note something down in a meeting, or you're in bed you are subject to a flash of fleeting genius, you no longer need to unlock your smartphone, launch the app and write the note. Thanks to the Note 7’s extended Always On Display (AOD), you can use the S Pen to write onto your locked phablet’s screen. You can pin these note to the AOD or you can save them to the Notes app.

Unfortunately, the implementation of notes on the AOD is not without its shortcomings: once created, AOD notes can not be edited. It’s is also not possible to transfer notes from the Notes app to the AOD.

Air Command, the S Pen’s software centre, appears, as usual, upon removing the stylus from the phablet. Here again, Samsung has made some improvements. Firstly, there is now a zoom function which enlarges content when you hold the S Pen over the display. You can also translate words and phrases using the S Pen. According to a Samsung employee, this feature is designed to work in combination with the camera. This should prove convenient for frequent travelers, who can then, for example, use the Note 7 to translate a menu, poster or instructions.

A new feature: create GIFs from videos. / © AndroidPIT

The new feature that provides the most fun is probably the one that lets you create animated GIFs from videos. Open up a YouTube video, and you can use the S Pen to record and annotate a short snippet. Once you’re happy with your creation, you can choose from a variety of methods for sharing or sending it.

These GIF animations can be edited and shared to social media. / © AndroidPIT

If you want to secure your animated gifs, pictures, documents or apps from prying eyes, then Samsung has also included a function called ‘Secure Folder’. Store anything in this folder, and it will only be accessible following a successful iris scan.

There are likely even more software innovations that we could not see and try in the limited hands-on and demonstration time. But once we have received our review unit, we will inform you of all new and hidden features.