“Merry Christmas!” Samsung said to the South Korean population, as they unveiled a Galaxy Note 5 Winter Special Edition. This is a little gift for would-be consumers, namely a unique version of the Note 5 with 128GB of internal storage. Supposedly targeted at those who’ve been keeping their hands off Samsung’s latest phablet due to the restrictions in storage, the Galaxy Note 5 doubles the previous 64GB storage limit. There’s no word as to whether this version will be released outside of South Korea or if a standardized 128GB verison will be released before next year’s squad of flagships arrive.
Since the Note 5 doesn’t support external microSD storage, consumers resorted to managing with less storage than they might normally be used to. With no option to get more space for apps, videos, and music, things can get cramped as the quality of all these files grows larger as technology moves forward. In theory, someone who has 128 initial gigs, plus another 128GB of storage via microSD cards would be able to record a 4K-video that is double the length.
While Samsung did include a two-year Onedrive subscription at 100GB on purchase with select carriers, that didn’t compensate consumers for the lack of a microSD card. Being limited to cloud storage means you rely on wireless networks a lot more, leading to a likely increase in using the data plan through your carrier. If you want to keep your data plan intact, you’ll have to be careful with how and when you use the cloud storage service. It’s rather messy, and not very consumer friendly.
Samsung is also taking the opportunity to offer a good number of deals also exclusive to South Korea. Consumers targeting the Galaxy Note 5 will also be granted a free fast wireless charger, while Galaxy S6 and S6 edge+ buyers get a free Gear VR.
The special edition will be available for 999,900 won ($850) via carriers SKT and KT. It comes in Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium; fitting colors for the pricetag.
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