The issue now is how quickly Google will manage to fix this for everybody. While Apple can push out updates to all iPhones, Google can't.

Google is notorious for having a fractured distribution system. Several entities stand in between Google and its users, and they routinely slow down the release of new software. There's phone carriers -- like AT&T (T, Tech30) and Verizon (VZ, Tech30) -- and makers of physical devices -- like Samsung (SSNLF) -- all of which need to work together to issue software updates.

Google told CNNMoney it already sent a fix to its "partners." However, it's unclear if any of them have started pushing that out to users themselves.

The Exynos 7420 is acting as the processor, which matches the Galaxy S6, but with 4 GB of RAM the Note 5 will be making as much use of the 64-bit capability of Android Lollipop as possible. It will ship with Android 5.1.1 out of the box (and I’ll be interested to see if the ‘Stagefright‘ exploit patch is included in this build of Android). Photography fans will be delighted with the 16-megapixel camera on the back, coupled with Samsung’s improved imaging processing software. The Galaxy S6 was a better camera than the iPhone 6, and I’ll be interested to see what the Note 5 can do compared to the iPhone 6S Plus and whatever updates Apple announces at its September event.


The Note 5 will also come with multiple native storage options, and that’s where the fun stops.

The multiple native storage options are being offered because the Note 5 is lacking support for extended storage through microSD cards. Whatever you can afford when you buy the handset will be the storage option that you have for the life of the device. That might be an acceptable trade-off to get a glass back panel and new styling for some, but not everyone has ready access to a desk-bound computer or the bandwidth and money to rely on cloud storage for large files.

The reason appears to be a drive to unify the styling of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge across the full range of Samsung device. That makes sense from a marketing point of view if you want to sell your handsets based on looks alone, but the Note 5 has never been targeted as a fashion-conscious handset. It’s a workhorse handset, the mighty-engined pickup truck of Samsung’s portfolio.

And it doesn’t stop at the microSD card, the fuel tank has been locked tight as well.



BARCELONA, SPAIN – MARCH 01: CEO and President of Samsung JK Shin presents the new Samsung Galaxy S6 during the Mobile World Congress (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The new design language used by Samsung seals the battery inside the chassis of the handset. There’s not going to be any access to allow users to quickly switch batteries. That certainly reduces the wear and tear, on connectors and covers, and likely brings down the cost of manufacturing by a fractional amount, but again it reduces the utility of the phablet.


Samsung Electronics President and CEO JK Shin gestures during the 2015 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on March 1, 2015. (LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images)

Both the replaceable battery and microSD card support has been a key strength of Samsung’s mobile devices for many years. The removal of them in the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge raised a number of eyebrows. In some markets, notably in the US, the reaction was little more than ‘meh’, but other territories had a more visceral reaction. Many users in the BRIC countries prize the flexibility of switching out a battery or using microSD cards to share large files or simply boost memory in a more cost-effective way.

Samsung’s mobile division is in desperate need of a boost to revenue and profit. Taking away key features that have driven the adoption of its phablets does not bode well for the increased sales that recent quarterly results are hoping for.

Has Samsung been too hasty to sacrifice function for fashion?

Confirmation on these changes will only come when the Galaxy Note 5 (and the sister Galaxy S6 Edge Plus) are revealed at the Samsung Unpacked event on August 13th. Forbes’ Tech Team will be covering the news, and will bring you all the details as quickly as possible.

5.2-inch full HD 1080p P-OLED display, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 620 (MSM8976) processor, up to 4GB of LPDDR3-1866 RAM, up to 64GB of eMMC 5.1 internal storage, a 3180mAh non-removable battery, a MediaTek MT3188 wireless charging receiver, and a Marvell Avastar 88W8897 connectivity chipset for 802.11ac Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.2.

The leak also reveals that the new Nexus 5 will be equipped with front stereo speakers, a rear power button with integrated fingerprint sensor, a 13-megapixel rear camera with an IMX278 RGBW sensor, a 6-element f/1.8 aperture lens, OIS, laser autofocus, and a dual-tone LED flash, a 4-megapixel front-facing camera with an OV4682 RGB-IR sensor and Iris Detection, a USB Type-C connector with QuickCharge 2.0.

Price around $300-400