Samsung Crushes Our Dreams As Galaxy Note 5 Photos Confirm Missing microSD Slot, Integrated 3000 mAh Battery

Samsung, what did we ever do to you? Samsung ticked off quite a few enthusiasts with the release of the Galaxy S6 earlier this year. While the smartphone brought with it a swanky metal and glass body, a fast octa-core processor and a QHD display, it also ditched the waterproof body, removable battery, and microSD slot. That last point was probably the most harped on omission.

Given its position in Samsung’s smartphone lineup, many had hoped that Samsung would spare the Galaxy Note series from such feature reductions. As we come closer to the August 13 reveal of the Galaxy Note 5, it appears that Samsung isn’t paying too much attention to its critics. Like the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge that came before it, the Galaxy Note 5 is going with a sleek metal exterior as opposed to “cheap” plastic. The new leaked photos also confirm that an integrated microSD and a user-replaceable battery had to be put on the chopping block.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (Image Source: Droid Life)

It’s a shame, because the Galaxy Note series, which helped launch the phablet smartphone category many moons ago, has been aimed at professionals looking for a bit more than a garden variety smartphone. Now, it appears that Samsung has gone from one extreme, where it was criticized for cheap materials, to the the other extreme, where it brings premium materials at the expense of sought-after functionality.

To add insult to injury, it looks as though the Galaxy Note 5 will also see a reduction in its battery capacity (something that also happened with the Galaxy S5 to Galaxy S6 transition). The Galaxy Note 4 has a removable 3,220 mAh battery, but the Galaxy Note 5’s non-removable battery checks in at just 3,000 mAh. Say it ain’t so, Samsung!

Other reported specs include 4GB of RAM, the ubiquitous S Pen (spring-loaded), and three storage options (32GB, 64GB, 128GB). Samsung is also sticking with microUSB this time around instead of opting for the newer, reversible USB-C standard as seen on the new OnePlus 2.

There’s no doubt that the new Galaxy Note 5 is a looker, but are the supermodel looks worth the feature tradeoffs? Sound off in the comments section and let us know how you really feel.