Samsung's new flagship phablet is finally official and after months and weeks of countless reports/leaks, we can now genuinely know what Samsung has in store with their new flagship device. Following up the numbering game, this year we're presented with the Galaxy Note 5 which is arguably the most refined Galaxy device Samsung has ever released.

Being announced earlier than it's usual IFA unveiling, the Galaxy Note 5 comes with a bold new design that has been somewhat borrowed from the Galaxy S6 announced earlier this year. No longer is Samsung trying to fake an aluminum frame nor are they trying to trick our eyes (and hands) with faux leather, they've finally learnt their lesson and the result is the Galaxy Note 5 is built with a solid metal frame and glass which is flat on the front and contoured on the back.

The industrial design being showcased on the Note 5 looks a lot like what's implemented on the Galaxy S6 but that's actually a good thing. But Samsung didn't merely enlarge the Galaxy S6, they've also added some extra curves all around to make it feel better in the hand. While Samsung did not configure the Note 5 with a microSD card slot, the trusty S Pen silo is still on the bottom right of the device.
On the hardware side of things, the QHD 5.7" display from the outgoing Galaxy Note 4 is still present in the Galaxy Note 5 and just like on the Galaxy S6, Samsung has opted to go with their own Exynos processor to power their new flagship device. Besides the new processor, the Note 5 also comes with 4GB of RAM, 32/64GB of non-expandable memory, the same 16MP camera from the Galaxy S6 paired with a dual LED flash, a 5MP front facing camera and a noticeably smaller 3,000mAh battery that is non-removable but support Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 and also wireless charging.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 specifications

• 5.7" Quad HD AMOLED display
• 2.1GHz Exynos 7420 processor
• 4GB RAM
• 16MP f1.9 camera
• 5MP front facing camera 
• 32/64/128GB
• Android 5.1 Lollipop
• 3,000mAh battery
• 153.2 x 6.1 x 7.6mm (171g)

Besides redesigning the Galaxy Note 5, Samsung also modified the S Pen and it's now that much stronger and they claim that the precision of the S Pen is now similar to that of a ball pen. In the software side of things, the usual claim of software enhancements like drawing on the screen and writing out text is still present in the Galaxy Note 5. Interestingly, the S Pen also clicks out through a spring loaded mechanism rather than using your fingers to pry on pen.

The Galaxy Note 5 will begin shipping on August 21 in the US and other markets will follow on. Malaysia will be getting the dual SIM Galaxy Note 5 and that'll most probably arrive in early September as rumors point to.