5 alternatives to Samsung’s exploding Galaxy Note 7

As you’re likely aware, there’s been a huge problem with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 catching fire and exploding. Because of these fiery disasters, Samsung recalled all Note 7 smartphones and is currently replacing them. Considering it’s 2016, chances are, you don’t want to be without a phone. Fortunately for Galaxy owners looking for the same big screen and Android experience, there are Note 7 alternatives. Read on below and take your pick.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

If you’re looking for the closest experience to the Samsung Note 7, your best bet is the Galaxy S7 Edge. This phone offers almost identical specifications, except the screen is 5.5 inches instead of 5.7. It’s equipped with Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 820 chipset instead of Samsung’s Exynos, but the performance should be about the same. Just like the Note 7, it’s waterproof, has curved glass on top, and basically, for Samsung loyalists, there’s no other phone that should come to mind.

• Screen  — 5.5-inch IPS LCD (2560 x 1440 pixels) with Gorilla Glass 4
• Processor  — Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
• RAM  — 4 GB
• Storage  — 32 GB / 64 GB (with microSD slot up to 256 GB)
• Camera  — 12 megapixels, 4K video recording
• Front camera  — 5 megapixel
• Connectivity  — 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, USB Type-C
• Battery  — 3,600 mAh
• OS  — Android 6.0 Marshmallow, TouchWiz UI

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

No other smartphone comes with a dock or stylus except the Note series. Since the Galaxy Note 3, the S Pen has made the most of the Note’s large screen. If you’re looking for a stylus and a similar experience, downgrade to the last Note, the Galaxy Note 5. Although this smartphone’s battery life isn’t as good as the Note 7’s and it isn’t water-resistant, it’s definitely no slouch.

• Screen  — 5.7-inch IPS LCD (2560 x 1440 pixels) with Gorilla Glass 4
• Processor  — Exynos 7420 Octa
• RAM  — 4 GB
• Storage  — 32 GB / 64 GB / 128 GB (with microSD slot up to 128GB)
• Camera  — 16 megapixel, 4K video recording
• Front camera  — 5 megapixel
• Connectivity  — 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, USB Type-C
• Battery  — 3,000 mAh
• OS  — Android 6.0 Marshmallow, TouchWiz UI

Huawei Google Nexus 6P

Want the pure Android experience, large screen included? Look no further than the Huawei Google Nexus 6P. It’s a year old now, so the hardware is considered outdated, but it’s more than capable of holding its own against most flagships. Its Snapdragon 810 is still a powerful processor, and it includes one of the better cameras around.

• Screen  — 5.7-inch IPS LCD (2560 x 1440 pixels) with Gorilla Glass 4
• Processor  — Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
• RAM  — 3 GB
• Storage  — 32 GB / 64 GB (no microSD slot)
• Camera  — 12 megapixels, 4K video recording
• Front camera  — 8 megapixel
• Connectivity  — 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, USB Type-C
• Battery  — 3,450 mAh
• OS  — Android 7.0 Nougat

LG V10

If you’re on a budget, you’re in luck. The LG V10 was the company’s flagship model last year, and its price recently dropped in expectation of the V20’s arrival. It’s an excellent alternative to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7, as it has a stainless steel body with shock protection from being dropped from four feet, and a double layer of glass stops it from cracking easily. LG has even made a secondary “always-on” screen for notifications and quick access, which doesn’t drain the battery. Better yet, it has a great smartphone camera, especially for video recording, and will soon be upgraded to Android 7 Nougat.

• Screen  — 5.7-inch IPS LCD (2560 x 1440 pixels) with Gorilla Glass 4
• Processor  — Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
• RAM  — 4 GB
• Storage  — 32 GB / 64 GB (with microSD slot up to 256 GB)
• Camera  — 16 megapixel, 4K video recording
• Front camera  — 5 megapixels
• Connectivity  — 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, USB Type-C
• Battery  — 3,200 mAh
• OS  — Android 6 Marshmallow (upgradable to 7.0 Nougat), LG UX 5.0

Google Pixel

Unveiled on October 4th, the Google Pixel is a new smartphone from Google, and is the first to have the Google Assistant built in. It's equipped with a 5.0-inch AMOLED display, cinematic widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass, a 12.3-MP rear camera, and an 8-MP front camera. With 4 GB of RAM and a 2,770-mAh battery capable of quick-charging up to seven hours in 15 minutes, this sleek and slender handset is a winner in our eyes. 

• Screen  — 5.0-inch AMOLED display
• Processor  — Quad Core 2x 2.15 GHz/2x 1.6 GHz
• RAM  — 4 GB
• Storage  — 32 GB / 128 GB (with microSD slot up to 256 GB)
• Camera  — 12.3 megapixel
• Front camera  — 8 megapixels
• Connectivity  — 2 RF SKUs — NA and RoW, 3x carrier aggregation suuport, supports up to CAT 11, Telstra, GPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/c/n/ac 2×2 MIMO, BT 4.2, NFC
• Battery  — 2,770 mAh
• OS  — Stock version of Android