The Galaxy Note 7‘s second recall has many Note fans looking for a backup plan regarding the phone in their pocket. No one expects recalls to occur, but when they do, there's little else one can do but comply (eventually) and send the recalled phone back to your carrier or the manufacturer (in this case, Samsung).
In light of Samsung's misfortune, some critics have decided to sell former Note 7 users on an array of smartphones “outside of the Galaxy” — Samsung's Galaxy lineup, that is. Sure, these smartphones will offer a high-end Android experience, but they won't offer the familiarity or functionality that another Samsung Galaxy smartphone would offer you. Those other devices are new, but they won't feel like home.
Despite the Note 7 recall, you can still survive (and thrive) within Samsung's Galaxy. On that note (pun intended), we leave you with a few options within the “Galaxy” that you can consider as substitutes. Keep in mind that none of these options will serve as a 100 percent ideal substitute for that Blue Coral beauty you once had (for those that did), but you can find a tolerable option with livable compromises in Samsung's “Galaxy” until the Galaxy Note 8 advent.
Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge
The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge seem out of place in discussions concerning the Galaxy Note 7, but there's one simple reason as to why they live in Note talk: these two phones are the only phones so far that have Galaxy Note 7 features such as the Always On Display (which first debuted on the S7 series), 12MP back cameras with Dual Pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF), the Exynos 8890 and Snapdragon 820 SoCs, water and dust resistance, fast wireless charging and fast USB charging, and the dual-edge display design.
For those who want to see Google's new OS, Android Nougat, land on their handsets, they'll be pleased to know that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are Nougat-eligible. And, that sexy Blue Coral color option you've been craving has been announced, giving you something reminiscent of your Note 7 experience.
There are a string of compromises though, such as the loss of USB-C, a screen size reduction (0.2 inches isn't that big of a deal, though), and the 64GB of storage you had with the Note 7 (most consumers will only get 32GB). You should consider the good and bad before proceeding with this or any of the remaining options found below. For more information, you can always see our Galaxy S7 and S7 edge review.
Galaxy Note 5
The Galaxy Note 5 is a year-old smartphone, but it has some compelling reasons along with being a beloved smartphone from the Korean giant to turn to it as a Note 7 substitute within Samsung's Galaxy lineup. First, it has the same fast wireless charging tech of the Galaxy Note 7 – so wireless charging fans won't have to readjust to relying on fast wire charging only.
Next, it retains the metal and glass build quality of the Galaxy Note 7, though with some compromises (we'll say more on this in the next paragraph). The Galaxy Note 5 will also see an upgrade to Android Nougat (7.0), which is a priority for many Galaxy smartphone users. You do retain the 5MP front-facing camera, though it has an f/1.9 aperture for both cameras instead of the f/1.7 aperture the Note 7 had for its cameras.
In addition to the above features, the Galaxy Note 5 debuted Screen-Off Memo (though there is no scrolling capability added to this feature – yet), so you'll still retain that here, along with the 16MP camera that some say captures larger, more detailed images. Sure, the 12MP camera of the S7 series doesn't let you zoom in as far, but the 16MP camera comes with its own compromises.
Looking to the Galaxy Note 5 as your Note 7 substitute, however, means that you won't have USB Type-C charging (this comes with being forced to hand in the Note 7), water and dust resistance (there is none on the Note 5), the improved 12MP back camera with Dual Pixel PDAF, the dual-edge display (it's flat), water-resistant S Pen, nor the intelligent features added to the S Pen such as 1) Glance, 2) Magnify, and 3) Translate (at least not yet, anyway).
Add to this the loss of 500mAh of battery life as opposed to the 3,500mAh battery of the Galaxy Note 7 (3,000mAh for the Note 5). Additionally, you'll lose the Always On Display if you opt for the Galaxy Note 5, not to mention the Grace UX (at least for now). The Note 5 lacks a microSD card slot, so former Note 7 faithful will encounter this adjustment as well. You will still retain the 4GB of RAM, however, so this is a plus.
If you opt for the Note 5, let me recommend that you purchase one of Samsung's fast wireless charging stands (not the charging pad), since the charging stand will save you an hour of wireless charging as opposed to the near 3-hour charging time with the regular wireless charging pad. Check out our thorough Galaxy Note 5 review before making the call.
Galaxy S6, S6 edge, and S6 edge+
The Galaxy S6 series marked the beginning of Samsung's design language turnabout for the “Galaxy,” and the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are similar to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in design. Of course, you'll retain the dual-edge design here.
However, you will lose the water and dust resistance of the Note 7, S7, and S7 edge, fast wireless charging (the S6 and S6 edge didn't have this feature, only 3-4-hour standard wireless charging), and Dual Pixel autofocus. The Galaxy S6 edge features a 5.1-inch display as opposed to the 5.5-inch display of the S7 edge, so there's some loss of screen size – which is a big deal to those who want larger screens. There's no Grace UX here, either, but you'll see this through an update coming down the pipeline (perhaps with Android Nougat). The 16MP back cameras you'll encounter here will have optical image stabilization (OIS) but lack Dual Pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and some customers will only have access to the 32GB storage model.
The Galaxy S6, S6 edge, and S6 edge+ all have the f/1.9 camera aperture found on the Galaxy Note 5, so photos are still excellent but there are some differences (though you may have to scrutinize photos carefully to find them).
The S6 edge+ retains the screen size of the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy Note 7, however, so large-screen fans will appreciate this about the large edge device, but, as with the S6 and S6 edge, there's no water and dust resistance, though only the S6 and S6 edge have a loss of 1GB of RAM as opposed to the S6 edge+ (3GB of RAM instead of 4GB of RAM). The Galaxy S6 edge+ also avoids the reduced battery life of the S6 and S6 edge, however (the S6 features a 2,550mAh battery while the S6 edge features a 2,600mAh; compare this to the 3,000mAh battery of the S6 edge+ and Note 5, the 3,000mAh and 3,600mAh batteries of the S7/S7 edge, and the 3,500mAh of the Note 7), but matches the S6 and S6 edge with the absence of a microSD card slot for those who crave microSD storage. The absent S Pen and its features here are obvious to many.
As always, we recommend brushing up on the specs and features by checking out our Galaxy S6, S6 edge review and our Galaxy S6 edge+ review.
Conclusion
There are a number of features and factors I could mention here, but not everything can be said within the confines of a single article. We here at SamMobile understand that the Galaxy Note 5 is out of reach for a portion of our readership, so that is a consideration to take into account if the device is not available in your region.
If your Note 7 substitute is sold out at your local carrier retail store and online, then other substitutes above must be considered. Finally, most former Note 7 users will want a Note as opposed to any S phone, which means that their options are limited to the Note 5 for the Android Nougat update – though the Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge still have some popularity for those who just want to “wait it out” until the next Note arrives with expandable storage and removable batteries still available for these 2014 smartphones.
The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, along with the Note 5 and the S6 series, all have compromises as opposed to the Galaxy Note 7. And yet, those considering “leaving the Galaxy” to find a comparable phone will have to accept compromises with those handsets, too. Outside Samsung's “Galaxy,” though, those compromises multiply exponentially.
What phone have you settled for? Turned in your Note 7 yet? What phone did you pick up, or what phone are you most interested in? What remaining phone within Samsung's “Galaxy” would you recommend?
