Prototype Korean Note 7 shown in Chinese video — but don’t expect this model to ever go on sale.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is almost upon us, with launch events scheduled for Aug. 2 in London and New York. And if all the rumors are to be believed, it’ll sport an S7 edge-like curved screen — the first Note to do so in two years.
That’s a bone of contention for some Note fans, who’ve been reassured by sightings of a flat version of the phone on Chinese social networks in recent days. And now a new video has emerged from social network Weibo, showing the same edge-screenless Note 7 in prototype form for a total of 11 minutes.
A Note 7 which was never supposed to see the light of day.
The unit in question appears to be from Korean carrier SKT, with internals matching the international Galaxy S7 — an Exynos 8890 processor running things, with 4 gigabytes of RAM. It’s pictured running a re-vamped version of Samsung’s Marshmallow-based TouchWiz UX, with more liberal use of whites than what we’re accustomed to on the GS7, and a handful of re-tooled icons. And despite the lack of any edge screen, the prototype has all the “Edge Screen” software cues we’d expect from a phone with a curved screen.
That’s probably because this is a purpose-built testing device — identifiable by its lack of Samsung branding, and barcodes instead of icons over its capacitive buttons. In other words, it’s like this because it’s cheaper to build protos with flat screens, rather than wasting edge screens on a phone that’s never supposed to see the light of day.
Anyway, judge for yourself in the video below. And if you’re willing to part with a large amount of cash, you may eventually find one of these protos up for sale on the darker corners of the web. Otherwise, don’t hold your breath for a non-edge Note anytime soon.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9Xw2O_eyRU?modestbranding=0&html5=1&rel=0&autoplay=0&wmode=opaque&loop=0&controls=1&autohide=0&showinfo=0&theme=dark&color=red&enablejsapi=0]
via: 9to5
