Samsung Galaxy Note 7 leak suggests it will have a curved screen and eye scanner

How do you raise the bar on the Galaxy Note 5, a phone that's already considered to be one of the best there is?

For years, Samsung's solution was to throw gimmick after gimmick into a new device and pray something would stick. These days, Samsung's more pragmatic with adding features, as evidenced by the excellent Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

The company's next flagship phone in the Galaxy Note line, the Note 7 (the company will apparently skip the Note 6 name), will reportedly come with a screen with dual curved sides and an iris scanner.

A freshly leaked image from @OnLeaks and Android Authority has revealed what they claim is the Galaxy Note 7's front glass panel. Since the leaked image is coming from @OnLeaks, there's a high chance it's authentic; the leaker has a good track record.

The panel suggests Samsung may borrow a little bit of flavor from its Edge devices, which already have two curved sides. The fingerprint sensor/home button appears to be rounder than on the S7 and S7 Edge. 

There are also a few extra circular cutouts on the top bezel. You can see how it compares to the proximity sensor and camera cutouts on the S7 Edge here:

Leaked Galaxy Note 7                                                      Galaxy S7 Edge

The extra cutouts corroborate a report from last weekend that all but confirmed the Note 7 will have an iris scanner. 

How the iris scanner will work and for what purpose is unknown. But as I guessed, if it means unlocking your phone with just a glance, that could be a very big step towards stronger device security in addition to the fingerprint sensor.

Exact details on the Note 7 are still up in the air, but rumors suggest it'll come with a 5.8-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display, Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon processor, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD), a larger 4,000 mAh battery and the same 12-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front cameras on the S7/S7 Edge. It'll also reportedly be IP68 dust and water-resistant.

Samsung might also give its TouchWiz Android skin a revamp with an flatter, cleaner look. 

The Note 7 is expected to be announced sometime in August ahead of the IFA electronics show in Berlin in September.