Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition Vs. Galaxy Note 7: Five Ways In Which The Two Smartphones Differ

Samsung unveiled the refurbished variant of the Galaxy Note 7, dubbed Galaxy Note Fan Edition or FE, in South Korea on July 3, which is poised to go on sale in the country on July 7.

For the unfamiliar, Samsung was compelled to withdraw the Galaxy Note 7 from the market after consumers encountered exploding battery issues. Rumors were rife that Samsung would unveil the refurbished variant of the smartphone in select markets and the device is now being launched exclusively in South Korea. It is not clear whether the Galaxy Note FE will release in the U.S.

Even as consumers await the Galaxy Note 8’s arrival, they would be wondering if it is worth purchasing the Galaxy Note FE instead. While the Galaxy Note Fan Edition is the refurbished model of the Galaxy Note 7, it is not totally identical to the latter and comes with some updated features.

Here’s a look at the five different ways in which the Galaxy Note FE differs from the Galaxy Note 7.

Lower Battery Capacity

The Galaxy Note 7 released with a 3,500 mAh battery, which turned out to be defective and was the primary reason why the recall had to be issued throughout the world. The battery would heat up frequently and in several cases, the faulty battery led to the Galaxy Note 7 exploding.

It is because of this issue that Samsung has lowered the battery capacity in the Galaxy Note Fan Edition. It will come with 3,200 mAh battery, which will keep users’ devices charged for a less duration when compared to the battery in the Galaxy Note 7, but will ensure that the smartphone does not overheat and explode.

Moreover, the new battery has undergone Samsung’s eight-point testing, which the company developed in the aftermath of the Galaxy Note 7 debacle.

Updated Processor

The original Galaxy Note 7 device launched with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 SoC in tow in 2016. It was the latest chipset available in the market at that time. However, the Galaxy Note Fan Edition comes with the improved Snapdragon 821 SoC.

Currently, the Snapdragon 835 chipset is the most powerful and efficient processor from Qualcomm, but it seems that Samsung is intentionally desisting from deploying the same in the Galaxy Note Fan Edition, as the Snapdragon 835 chipset may power the Galaxy Note 8.

Bixby Assistant

Samsung launched its own AI assistant, similar to Apple’s Siri, on its 2017 flagship devices – the Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy S8. The Bixby assistant was still under development when the Galaxy Note 7 launched back in 2016 and is yet another feature difference between the two smartphones.

With the Galaxy Note Fan Edition incorporating Bixby, consumers would be able to peruse this handy feature. However, unlike the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ – which have dedicated Bixby buttons – the Galaxy Note FE does not have a specific button for launching the AI assistant instantly.

User Interface Similar To Galaxy S8

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ handsets released with a new user interface or UI, which the company named the Samsung Experience interface. This new UI makes its way to the Galaxy Note Fan Edition. It features a refreshing design choice, which may look similar to the Galaxy Note 7’s UI at first glance, but comes with some updates of its own.

Design Changes

Similar to the Galaxy S8, the Galaxy Note Fan Edition ditches the Samsung logo, which was located just below the earpiece in the Galaxy Note 7. Another design change which is noteworthy is that the Galaxy Note Fan Edition logo is placed at the bottom rear side of the smartphone.

[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]