Earlier this year, Samsung shocked the world with the introduction of a revamped design language for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. While the new language retained the iconic home button and some of Samsung’s other signature elements, it swapped out the plastic-y body in favor of a unibody glass design that took aesthetics to a whole new level. Shortly after the Galaxy S6’s debut, the world wondered if the Note 5 would follow the S6’ design changes or if Samsung had something else planned for the big-screened device.

We originally believed the answer to that question wouldn’t come until later this year at IFA, but further breaking tradition, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus have now been formally announced at a special Unpacked event in New York City. We were able to get some time with the Galaxy Note 5 ahead of today’s launch event and will be bringing you hands-on impressions and plenty of device comparisons as well. In the meantime, let’s take a quick overview of what’s new with the Note 5.

Design and Specs

Display 5.7-inch Super AMOLED
2560 x 1440 resolution

Processor Exynos 7420
RAM 4GB (LPDDR4)
Storage 32/64 GB
Camera 16 MP rear camera with OIS
5 MP front-facing camera

Connectivity WiFi a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, GPS + GLONASS
Networks LTE cat 6 300/50
Battery 3,000 mAh
Fast charging
WPC and PMA-compatible wireless charging
Software Android 5.1 Lollipop with TouchWiz
Dimensions 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm, 171g
Colors black sapphire, white pearl, gold platinum

In many ways, the Galaxy Note 5 feels like a blown-up version of the Galaxy S6, sporting the same glass-clad looks, while making the same sacrifices. That means for those that were hoping that the Note 5 would offer microSD and a removable back, we have some bad news.

In terms of specs, the Note 5 is powered by an Exynos 7420 processor with 4GB RAM. On paper you’ll find the same 5.7-inch QHD display as the Note 4, though we imagine there are at least some minor differences. On the camera front you get a 16MP rear shooter with OIS, a 5MP front cam, and your choice of either 32 or 64GB storage. Oddly enough, Samsung has opted not to include an 128GB model, despite its presence on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. This seems like at least a little of a misstep for a phone without a microSD card slot, but only time will tell how big of a deal this proves to be for consumers.

On the battery front we get a 3000 mAh non-removable battery, which is a small step backward from the 3220 mAh battery found in its predecessor. At this point, it is impossible to say how much of a real life difference, if any, this will make on actual day-to-day battery life.

Just as we saw with the Galaxy S6, Samsung intends to make up for the smaller battery by adding wireless charging that is compatible with both WPC and PMA standards, as well as support for quick charging technology