When Samsung's first Galaxy Note arrived back in 2011, it was a category-defining monster of a handset at time when most manufacturers weren't generally putting screens larger than 4.5-inches on a device.
Fast forward five years and the 5.3-inch screen has grown into a 5.7-inch panel, it's been waterproofed and Samsung's touting it as the best 'big' phone ever made.
But does the Galaxy Note 7 offer enough to justify its ultra premium, £740 price tag?
Design and hardware
uch a large screen calls for some thoughtful design, and while Samsung has certainly incorporated features from its Galaxy line, it has also made improvements. For example, the handset features a double-edge design, making it more comfortable to hold than the Galaxy S6 or S7 Edge by rounding out the square rear.
The Quad HD (2460 x 1440, 518 PPI) display supports High Dynamic Range content, allowing you to watch films with the brightest whites and deepest blacks. This is the sort of future-proofing that you want in a phone, even if content is a little hard to find right now.
Both the front and back of the phone are covered in Gorilla Glass 5 panels, giving it a better chance of surviving when you inevitably drop it. And as someone who uses an S7 Edge as my everyday phone, what particularly struck me is how the Note 7 somehow manages to feel even more premium than this previous model. This may be down to the additional 12 grams it weighs, giving it a total weight of 169 grams. The S7 Edge weighs 159g by comparison, while the iPhone 6s Plus weighs 192g and the smaller 6s weighs 143g.
Samsung's S Pen
One of the major upgrades for the Note 7, beyond its design, is the S Pen. It has a narrower, more sensitive tip than previous models and Samsung has decided to side-step the embarrassing problem of being able to break your phone by inserting the S Pen the wrong way around.
While I've never necessarily been a daily user of the stylus when testing a phone equipped with one (I just don't feel the need to annotate my photos or write notes in handwriting that often), the Note 7 does a great job of bringing in even a user like me.
It's now far more likely that I'll use the S Pen's new hover functions to record a video clip of a film playing on my screen and automatically turn it into a GIF for sharing, as well as translating a word on-the-fly.
Iris scanner
One of the things that truly makes the Note 7 stand apart from rivals is the iris scanner, in addition to the fingerprint scanner which has become almost standard for flagship devices.
In WIRED's test, the iris scanner performed surprisingly reliably – it's worth noting though that I don't wear glasses, which can make things trickier – but taking the scanner outdoors into bright sunlight tripped it up and I had to resort to unlocking it with a PIN.
Note 7's waterproof case
The Note 7's other, slightly less unique, feature is that its casing is waterproof. While it may not survive a long swim in the sea, it would likely manage a quick dip in the shallows.
This means the Note 7 is amazingly useful in the UK's changeable and frequently dreary weather. If it rains, you don't need to stop using your phone and it will mostly respond accurately despite your wet fingers, unlike with a non-waterproof handset.
Taking it into the shower, therefore, might become part of your daily routine if you just can't tear yourself away from the morning podcast or playlist.
Camera
For the camera, Samsung's stuck with the same 12MP dual-sensor setup found on the S7 and S7 Edge. It's a testament to the rest of the phone to say that the camera isn't really a standout feature, but that's not to say it doesn't deliver.
It's quick to capture images, colours are accurate and vibrant and there's a host of built-in filters and options to play around with, which might cut down on the need for third-party apps and free up space on your phone.
The same is true of the front-facing 5MP snapper too. If you're looking for a phone that can show off your selfies in the best way, the Note 7 isn't going to let you down and those built-in filters will probably come in handy once again.
Battery life
While taking constant photos and watching videos on such a large screen will have a knock-on effect on battery life, considering the size and resolution of the display, it's not as significant as you might fear. The 3,500mAh battery, while 100 mAh smaller than that of the S7 Edge, does a fine job in keeping the device powered through a full day of intense use.
If you're a more moderate user, you should get an easy day-and-a-half out of the battery before needing to charge, and if you're a really occasional user, the handset could last as long as a couple of days.
Conclusions
The Galaxy Note 7 does what so, so many large-screen phones have tried to do before it, but it's the first one to truly achieve it: it's made large phones beautiful.
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