We had hands-on time with the device, and came away impressed. We’re working on a full review, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about the Note 5, including where to buy it. Read our full hands on review here.
Available at Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint
Samsung stated that the Galaxy Note 5 will be available in stores on August 21, but it’s already up for preorder. If you don’t want to pay full price with Samsung, you can get it from the main carriers in the U.S. Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint have all announced pricing for the phablet.
Verizon’s prices
Verizon is offering the Note 5 on its phone installment payment plan. Preorders kick off at 3 p.m. EST on August 13, and some stores will have the devices on display for customers to check out. The device won’t be on sale in stores until laster on. The pricing is as follows:
- 32GB Note 5: $29 a month for 24 months; 0% APR (full retail price $696)
- 64GB Note 5: $33 a month for 24 months; 0% APR (full retail price $792)
Verizon has two promotions for customers to consider, too. For a limited time, customers will get a minimum credit of $200 when trading in an old phone and purchasing a new Note 5. Also, if you bring your number to Verizon from elsewhere, you’ll get a $100 bill credit within 2-3 bill cycles for each new smartphone you purchase or activate.
You can preorder the Note 5 here.
Sprint’s prices
Sprint users can get the Galaxy Note 5 on a leasing plan, a two-year contract, or Sprint Easy Pay installments. The prices are listed in the picture above.
Sprint has a special offer for customers who buy the Galaxy Note 5 on a Sprint Lease or Sprint Easy Pay plan. The carrier will grant them a guaranteed minimum credit of $200 when they trade in their old smartphone, provided it works, the promise of an early upgrade after one year, and a free Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0. Of course, you’l have to pay to activate the tablet and pop it on a new two-year contract plan with data. It’s a limited-time offer, so if you’re interested, jump on it.
Preorders for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 kicked off at 3 p.m. ET Aug 13 online and over the phone. The Note 5 starts shipping Friday, August 14, and arrive in stores on Friday, August 21. You can preorder the phone here.
T-Mobile’s prices
T-Mobile customers can pre-register for the Galaxy Note 5 on the Uncarrier’s website. The Uncarrier will even show off the phones in stores to customers starting on August 14, before the devices officially hit store shelves. T-Mobile also has a number of promotions for customers who buy the Galaxy Note 5.
- Jump On Demand deal: Customers who buy the Note 5 with T-Mobile’s Jump On Demand through September 30, get the 32GB model for $0 upfront and just $25 a month.
- One free year of Netflix: If you preregister for the phone on T-Mobile’s site before 11:59 p.m. PST on August 20 and get your Note 5 by September 30, you’ll get an entire year of Netflix for free. Once customers get the new Note, all they have to do to redeem the offer is visit SamsungPromotions.com/T-MobileNetflix to get their Netflix promo code, which is redeemable at Netflix.com/SpecialOffers. Those who already have Netflix will get a $107.88 credit ($8.99 x 12 months) on their existing account.
Otherwise, the pricing for the 32GB Samsung Galaxy Note 5 on T-Mobile’s Simple Equipment Payment Installment plan is $0 down and $29.17 for 23 months, plus $29.08 for 24th month. You can pre-register for the Galaxy Note 5 here.
AT&T’s prices
AT&T users can get the Galaxy Note 5 on a two-year contract or a payment installment plan without a contract. The pricing for the Galaxy Note 5 depends on which plan and amount of storage you get. Those who buy the 32GB Note 5 on a two-year contract can get it for $250. The 64GB version costs $350. The full retail price that AT&T Next users end up paying off-contract is $740 for the 32GB model or $840 for the 64GB model. The monthly installments customers pay on AT&T Next are detailed in the picture above. You can preorder the phone here.
AT&T is also offering a few promotions for customers who buy the Galaxy Note 5. Here’s a breakdown of the current offers:
- TV Bundle Offers: Any DirectTV and AT&T U-Verse TV customers who join AT&T’s phone plans will get a $300 bill credit for each line they join to the network when they buy the Galaxy Note 5 on AT&T Next. Customers who have a smartphone that’s up for trade in get an additional credit or promotion card for $200.11.
- AT&T Samsung Buyback Offer: Current customers who upgrade to a Galaxy Note 5 on AT&T Next can get a minimum $200 trade in value in the form of an instant credit or promotion card when they trade their old phones in.
- Switcher Offer: New customers that switch to AT&T from another carrier get a Galaxy Note 5 on AT&T Next get a $100 bill credit and $200 buyback credit when they turn in their old smartphone.
High-end specs
As expected, the Galaxy Note 5 has killer specs and a revamped S Pen to go with them. Here’s a rundown of the specs:
- Display: The Note 5 has a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution .
- Cameras: A 16-megapixel camera is on the back, and there’s a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Video shot on the phone should be rock-steady, thanks to new VDIS tech paired with optical image stabilization tech. The Note 5 also has a the low-light sensor.
- Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop runs on the Note 5.
- Processor: Samsung decided on the Exynos 7420 64-bit processor, combined with 4GB of RAM to make the Note 5 zippy and fast.
- Storage: Samsung offers both 32GB and 64GB variants of the Note 5.
- Charging: The Note 5 packs a 3,000mAh battery that works with fast wireless charging technology, It supports both wireless charging standards.
Read our full hands-on for more detail on the Galaxy Note 5. We’ll soon have a full review for you, too, so stay tuned!
Next page: All the rumors ahead of the launch
Editor’s note: This page is full of rumors and speculation about the Galaxy Note 5 prior to launch. Please check page 1 to learn more about availability and what we now know.
Now that Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is out of the gate, the Internet’s attention is gravitating towards Samsung’s bigger flagship: the Galaxy Note 5. Samsung typically busts out the new Note in September, but the very first rumors about the phablet are already out, and we expect to see a whole lot more of them ahead of its launch. Here’s what we know so far.
Click on a link to jump to a topic:
Leaked images show Note 5’s design
Over the course of the last months, several photos of what appeared to be the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 leaked online. Based on all the pictures we’ve seen, the Note 5 will likely mimic the Galaxy S6’s design with a metal frame and glass back. It may also have a newly designed port to house the S-Pen.
Soon after Samsung announced it would hold an event on August 13, where the Note 5 is expected to be revealed, an official-looking press-style picture of the Note 5 and the S6 Edge Plus was posted on Twitter. The Note 5 is apparently on the left, and the S6 Edge Plus next to it on the right. The design shown fits in with previous leaks.
The Galaxy Note 5 may not come in a rainbow of colors at launch, but SamMobile reports that silver, gold, black, and white variants will be available to start. A snapshot of the gold model hit Nowhereelse.fr in late July, along with a photo of the port for the S-Pen stylus.
Images of the Galaxy Note 5 leaked in early July showing that the overall look of the phone will be similar to last year’s Galaxy Note 4, but it may also sport a metal frame that is similar to the Galaxy S6. We got a nice look at the boot screen of the device.
Just a couple of months ahead of the expected launch date for the Galaxy Note 5, French site Nowhereelse.fr and Twitter leaker @OnLeaks received 3D renders of the alleged Galaxy Note 5 design. The file apparently came from a reliable source, but of course, it isn’t certain whether this is the final design.
According to OnLeaks, the device will have a metal case, though it may have a glass cover on the back like the S6. The entire device is said to measure 152.22 x 153.44 x 76.11 – 77.31 x 7.69 – 10.201mm. Based on the dimensions in the file, the screen will likely measure 5.7 inches and have an “extremely thin” bezel, SamMobile reports. In the leaked images, the Galaxy Note 5 looks just like the Galaxy S6, but with a larger form factor and a slot for the S-Pen stylus.
In July, case manufacturer Verus showed a render of what it thinks is the final design for the Note 5, all wrapped up in its own new case range for the forthcoming device. Whether Verus has some inside information, or it has used the dimensions leaked above along with other industry details, remains to be seen. The phone created by Verus is similar in style to the Galaxy S6, although the edge of the device is more shapely, and there is an obvious slot for the S-Pen stylus.
If you’ve had enough of leaked images of the phone and its cases, how about a packaging leak? What could have been a relatively ordinary picture of a box, holds considerable delights, thanks to an almost complete spec listing on the side. If it’s genuine, the Galaxy Note 5 will have a 5.7-inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel Super AMOLED screen, a 64-bit octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, and a pair of cameras — a 16-megapixel with optical image stablization on the rear, and a 5-megapixel selfie cam on the front.
Additionally, wireless charging may be built-in, along with 32GB of memory (other storage options may also be available), although there’s no mention on a MicroSD card slot. Naturally, the phone will connect to 4G LTE networks. Originally shared via Facebook, the post has since been removed, suggesting it may be genuine. We’ll know everything by the end of the week.
Samsung may launch the Galaxy Note 5 early
Samsung launched the very first Galaxy Note at IFA in Berlin in September, and it has launched each successive Note at the show ever since. However, it’s now almost certain things will change in 2015.
The company has sent out invitations to an exclusive event to be held in New York on August 13, and although it doesn’t explicitly state the Note 5 (and the S6 Edge Plus, presumably) will arrive, it’s highly likely. The invitation is to an Unpacked event — a name reserved for Samsung’s biggest launches — and is accompanied by an unusual 3D image, which makes us think of a curved Edge-style screen.
Prior to this, multiple sources reported Samsung was aiming for a mid-August launch. The most recent was Business Korea, which quoted industry sources saying Samsung would hold an event in New York on August 13, where the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge will be revealed. This fits in with several previous rumors. A source familiar with Samsung’s plans told The Wall Street Journal that the Galaxy Note 5 will launch in mid-August to beat Apple to the punch, while SamMobile’s sources indicated an August 12 announcement with a sale date to follow on August 21, two weeks later.
The decision to bump up the Note 5’s launch date could be motivated by relatively poor Galaxy S6 sales, as well as the growing threat Apple poses with the likely launch of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in September.
The decision to bump up the Note 5’s launch could be motivated by poor Galaxy S6 sales and the growing threat of Apple.
DigiTimes, a publication that often publishes rumors, some of which end up being accurate, stated Samsung has settled on August 12 as the launch date for the Galaxy Note 5. The report said the global release would come just two days afterward, on August 14.
Further evidence of an impending launch came from more official channels, when the Galaxy Note 5, and the S6 Edge Plus, were spotted on the FCC’s website for certification. A version for AT&T and Verizon were listed, with the model numbers SM-N920A and SM-920V respectively. The Galaxy S6 Edge Plus for AT&T is known as the SM-G928A, and the Verizon model the SM-G928V.
Last year, Apple presented its first phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus, just six days after the Note 4 launched. The larger iPhone went head-to-head with the Galaxy Note 4 in stores, but Apple’s phablet went on sale a few weeks earlier than Samsung’s Note 4. The Wall Street Journal stated that Samsung wishes to avoid a similar situation this year, hence the early launch. Rumors of an early launch are nothing new, either. According to a rumor published by WhoWired in mid-May, the Galaxy Note 5’s launch was being accelerated to July 2015.
However, soon afterwards, Samsung president J.K. Shin publicly stated that the report and associated rumors were unfounded. He told gathered media at an event that all this information, along with talk of poor Galaxy S6 sales, was false. Naturally, he didn’t confirm or deny the Note 5’s existence, nor did he say whether the traditional September launch was still the target. The Galaxy Note has traditionally been Samsung’s major release for the second half of the year, and it has previously used the IFA tech trade show in Germany to showcase the phone.
Fast all-in-one processor and 4GB of RAM
Earlier on, Samsung was testing a variety of processors, SamMobile’s source stated, so it’s unclear which chip the company will decide to use in the end. Some early reports pegged Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 as the chip that may power the Note Edge 2, but there are two Samsung Exynos processors in consideration, too.
The Exynos 7422 may power the Note 5, and if it does, it will offer an all-in-one solution (ePoP), which combines the CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, and modem on one chip. Another alternative is the Exynos 7430, but that processor may not be ready for use in a mainstream device just yet.
Another report from SamMobile in mid-July posits that the all-in-one Exynos 7422 chip will launch on the Galaxy Note 5, along with 4GB of RAM. The publication says its inside sources have confirmed the processor and RAM combination for the Note 5. Of course, nothing is certain until the official launch, but SamMobile’s sources are usually spot on when it comes to Samsung.
Note 5 Edge will be replaced by the S6 Plus?
According to a report originating from Chinese social media, Samsung will not produce a sequel to the Note 4 Edge, but will instead launch the rumored Galaxy S6 Plus alongside the Note 5. The S6 Plus has been rumored already, but rumors suggest it will be a slightly lower spec version of the S6 Edge, with a curve running down both sides of the screen. The new rumor report doesn’t say anything to dispute this, but does indicate it won’t come with a stylus — a key differentiating feature of the Note range.
In July, the FCC website showed a phone referred to as the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus was being certified for use on the AT&T and Verizon networks, alongside the Note 5, indicating it will take the place of a Note 5 Edge.
The report also adds Samsung may announce the Note 5 in August, in anticipation of a September launch.
Pop-out stylus to up the cool factor?
A Samsung patent discovered by Patently Mobile may show a feature the company will add to the Note 5, or potentially the Note 6. In a series of images that accompany the patent, a Note-style smartphone and stylus is shown, but rather than sliding out the pen yourself, it could auto-eject on a voice or gesture command.
The eject system may use an electromagnet to push the stylus out, while a locking mechanism deep inside the phone’s body will keep it safe from accidentally shooting across the room. Additionally, some kind of alert will be in place to let you know the stylus has been ejected, such as one using haptics. Samsung claims the auto-eject feature could improve one-handed use on big-screen smartphones like the Galaxy Note.
Apparently filed at the end of last year, the patent does mention a Galaxy Note several times, but doesn’t explicitly state a model number, therefore it’s not certain the cool auto eject feature will arrive on this or even the next generation Note.
An anonymous source cited by Korean media shot down rumors of an auto ejecting stylus for the Galaxy Note 5, suggesting Samsung would opt for a simpler mechanism instead. A leaked photo of the smartphone’s S-Pen slot backs up that assertion — the new Note seems to have a small gap for manually removing the S-Pen with a finger.
Same jumbo screen with 2K or 4K clarity
Samsung’s screens are known for being very bright, colorful, and bold. The Galaxy S6 upped the ante with a super-high resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, which is typically referred to as a 2K screen. SamMobile suggests that the Galaxy Note 5 may also have a 2K resolution, but Samsung could also bump the screen up to 4K.
If Samsung gives the Note 5 a 4K screen, it would be one of the very first smartphones with that kind of resolution. Of course, the higher the resolution, the more energy the screen will suck from the battery, which is something that typically upsets users. The screen will be Super AMOLED, as usual, and is likely to be the same size as the Note 4’s 5.7-inch screen.
Samsung is also expected to reboot the Galaxy Note Edge when it introduces the Note 5. The curved screen is rumored to measure 5.4 or 5.5-inches, and sport two edges. It’s unclear whether the edges will be substantial and useable like they were on the first variant, or if they’ll be pretty, but useless, like those on the Galaxy S6 Edge.
Camera possibilities and more
The Note 5’s camera and other specs remain in shadow, but the Edge 2 may have a 16-megapixel back camera with OIS and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. In July, Samsung announced a new, smaller, 16-megapixel camera module that may end up being used on the Note 5. Despite the smaller size, the company is promising the quality of photos will be equal to, or better than, before.
Other rumors include talk of a massive 4100mAh battery supplying the Note 5 with power, and with Samsung squeezing it into a body that’s only 7.9mm thick. Despite the thinness, it isn’t a radical design departure for Samsung. According to a leaked image, the Note 5’s speaker grill, micro-USB port, and 3.5mm headphone jack are positioned on the bottom, much like the Galaxy S6. Additionally, the device may have support for Samsung Pay, the company’s mobile payments system.
A report from China states the Note 5 will use a new USB 3.1 Type-C connector, equipped with fast-charging technology, plus the ability to streaming 4K resolution content. The same report also adds the Note 5 may use the same high performance UFS 2.0 Flash memory which is found inside the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
We’ll keep you updated with all the rumors regarding the Galaxy Note 5 right here, so check back regularly.
Next page: Our update log with each and every update note we’ve made
Previous Updates:
Updated on 08-10-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added leaked image that may show the Galaxy Note 5’s packaging, and a detailed spec list.
Updated on 08-04-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added leaked press-style picture of what could be the Galaxy Note 5 and the S6 Edge Plus.
Updated on 07-28-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added official news of a Samsung launch event in August 13.
Updated on 07-27-2015 by Kyle Wiggers: Added leaked images regarding the Note 5’s stylus removal mechanism and other specs.
Updated on 07-24-2015 by Robert Nazarian: Added in leaked images of the Galaxy Note 5.
Updated on 07-22-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in more evidence of a mid-August release date for the Galaxy Note 5 and the S6 Edge Plus.
Updated on 07-16-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in news of the Note 5 and S6 Plus Edge on the FCC’s website, plus case manufacturer renders of the Note 5.
Updated on 07-14-2015 by Kyle Wiggers: Added firmer launch details.
Updated on 07-14-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in rumor of mid-August launch for the Galaxy Note 5.
Updated on 07-13-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added rumor of 4GB of RAM in the Galaxy Note 5, as well as news that the Exynos 7422 processor may power the device.
Updated on 07-10-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added report from the Wall Street Journal that Samsung may launch the Galaxy Note 5 in August to beat Apple to the punch. Also added a table of contents.
Updated on 07-06-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added in leaked schematics of what may be the Galaxy Note 5.
Updated on 06-23-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in rumors Samsung will not release a Note 5 Edge.
Updated on 06-11-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in rumors regarding an auto-eject stylus, USB Type-C connection, and other features.
Updated on 05-21-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in official comments on rumors of the Note 5’s early launch.
Updated on 05-18-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in rumors the Galaxy Note 5 may launch earlier than expected at the end of July.
