Launch report · Samsung
Galaxy Note 7: The recalled 2016 flagship — technically brilliant, infamously flammable.
SpecEagle Editorial·Aug 2016·$849 (launch)·Score 60/100
Galaxy Note 7 was, on paper, the best phone of 2016 — iris scanner, IP68, S Pen, dual-curved QHD AMOLED. A battery-design flaw caused spontaneous fires, triggering a global recall and permanent discontinuation within two months. It is studied today as the defining case in lithium-battery safety.
Key specs at launch
Display
5.7" curved Super AMOLED
Chipset
Exynos 8890 / Snapdragon 820
Memory
4 GB · 64 GB
Main cam
12 MP · f/1.7 OIS
Battery
3,500 mAh (recalled)
Weight
169 g
What stands out
- First mainstream phone with an iris scanner.
- IP68 + S Pen + USB-C ahead of its time.
- Dual-curved QHD Super AMOLED was best-in-class.
- Dual-pixel f/1.7 camera was a 2016 benchmark.
What to watch
- Globally RECALLED for battery fires — banned on aircraft.
- Production permanently discontinued within two months.
- Most units remotely bricked by Samsung.
- A cautionary tale in battery engineering, not a usable phone.
The phone it has to beat
Xperia Z5 Premium
$799 (launch) · score 60/100