Samsung has continued its push to take the top spot on the mobile smart device market from Apple with the official announcement of the Galaxy Note7.

The Note7 announcement, made on Tuesday to an excited auditorium at the company’s Samsung Unpacked event in New York, saw a number of innovations including a new USB-C connector, iris scanning security and an ultra-durable stylus.

Sporting a smooth dual-edge display, improved processor, water resistance and Quad HD screen, the Note7 presents a familiar product we’ve grown to expect from Samsung’s flagship devices.

One lucky user demonstrates the colour blending tool. Photo: AAP

Philip Newton, ‎Corporate Vice President, Samsung Electronics Australia, said 2016 was “a watershed year for Samsung mobile products”.

“We have made fundamental changes to the way our range is crafted to help support the everyday needs of our customers.”

See the Note 7 in action below:

While the improvements found in the Galaxy Note7 may not present game-changing tech, there are many good steps forward for a smart mobile device that other companies are yet to take.

Here’s what to expect:

• 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display
• 64GB minimum storage
• 30% faster than Galaxy Note 5
• water immersion up to 1.5m and dust resistant
• Iris Scanner security
• Qi wireless charging
• 12MP dual pixel back camera – 5MP front camera

The question still remains: does anyone really use a stylus? Photo: Webtekno

Mightier than the sword

The stylus has been around for decades; offering simple functionality ranging from tap-and-click interaction to pressure sensitive performance for fine operations. If you’ve ever used one, chances are you still revert back to your fingers on a regular basis.

Samsung’s new S Pen goes a long way to addressing the many stigmas surrounding stylus use and takes a few steps forward.

Samsung claims your upgrade to the Note 7 will be easy. Photo: Samsung

The new Note7 stylus is quite durable; you can drop it in the sink while washing up (what are you doing using your Note7 while washing up?!) and the stylus will come up smiling. Basically, it’s handy if you’re outdoors a lot or shower incessantly.

What takes this stylus beyond the norm is the functionality built into the operating system, allowing you to more easily take written notes, access translation tools or manipulate on-screen imagery.

Time will tell if it becomes a must-have or just another stylus at the back of your desk drawer. Either way, it’s included with the Note7.

The eyes have it

With digital security never far from the spotlight, Samsung has addressed ongoing user concerns by introducing iris scanner technology to the Galaxy Note7, which can be used to unlock and access your handset, as well as securely access Samsung Pay.

Forget finger prints, now it’s all about iris recognition. Photo: Samsung

Once enabled, just raise the Note7 in front of your face and the device does the rest. It’s a level of security usually only found in enterprise systems, which will hopefully go a long way now to securing private individual user data.

Considering not a week goes by when the Android operating system isn’t compromised by yet another security flaw or user-related malware attack, count this measure as physical protection only.

When reality is not enough

The new Gear VR headset is a refresh of the previous model, with an all-black design and improved touch controls.

The field of view has also been improved, from 96 degrees to 101 degrees, immersing the viewer to a greater degree in their various virtual pursuits.

Consumers experience virtual reality with the Samsung Gear VR headset. Photo: Getty

The headset refresh makes a nice accompaniment to the Gear 360 camera, which captures video in 360 degrees – released in Australia in June this year – although it will be some time yet before VR has a bigger impact on the personal user market.

The Galaxy Note7 will be available in Australia on 19 August.

Will you be upgrading to the new Galaxy Note7? Tell us your thoughts below.