Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review

[m_tieu]

Intro:

Coming from the iPhone 5s, the Galaxy Note 4 is definitely a big change. Some of the things I really like are the design, display, bigger battery, fast charging, faster processor, S pen, and multitasking capabilities. The only thing I'm not so fond of, is the touchwiz UI that Samsung has applied over Android.

The Design:

The design of the Galaxy Note 4 has changed from that of the Note 3. The frame of the phone is now made from an aluminium and magnesium alloy giving the device a very premium feel in the hand that is complimented by a plastic faux leather backing. On the left of the device, there is a volume rocker and on the right, there is the power/sleep button which are also make of metal. The backing is slightly textured giving the device a firm feeling in the hand so that it doesn't slip, they have also removed the fake stitching from the back that was present on the Note 3. Also on the back, there is the 16MP camera and heart rate and blood oxygen sensor. On the front of the phone, there's the new and improved 5.7" super AMOLED screen with a huge 2560x1440 resolution. There is also a sliding fingerprint sensor embedded into the home button. On the bottom, there is a micro usb data and charching port.

The 2.5d glass covering the front of the device is also curved. This will make it not compatible with most tempered glass screen protectors. A flat piece of glass will simply not sit flushed over a curved one that's on the phone. In the pictures below I have an example of what it will look like with one applied, there is haloing on the edge where the glass curves away. Some glass screen protector manufacturers overcome this by only covering the flat surfaces of the device, but this leaves the edges of the glass unprotected and makes the surface of the phone uneven and look weird. Hopefully companies like phantom glass will come up with a curved one that will sit flushed over the entire screen of the device as they are already in the process of making one to fit over the curved iPhone 6 screen.

The size of the phone is much larger than my 5s, this took me a few days to get used to. At first I felt very uncomfortable holding and using the phone but after a while, I found that it's not so bad. For typing I usually use a swype keyboard for one handed typing and the one handed operation feature to reach the corners with my thumb.

The Display:

The display on the Galaxy Note 4 is simply gorgeous! Colours are vibrant and details are crisp. It is the single best display I have seen on a mobile phone. However, some people find that the super AMOLED screens to be over saturated but I personally don't mind it too much. The pixel density is 515 pixels per inch, much higher than the iPhone 5s. The contrast is amazing on this display; blacks are much darker and colours are brighter. This display is perfect for watching videos, playing games, and browsing the net. It is still currently hard to find native 1440p content for this phone, but with the nexus 6 featuring the same resolution, there will be more support in the future.

The Battery:

With medium to heavy usage, I get about a day's worth of battery with about 50% left when I get home from work at 6pm with the device fully charged at 8am. This phone can probably last about a day and a half with regular usage. This phone also features fast charging. When using the included micro usb charger, the phone is able to charge from dead to 50% in 30 minutes and to 100% in 100 minutes.

S Pen and Touchwiz:

The S Pen has been improved from the previous generation. It is more pressure sensitive and also features a button. The button can be used to activate UI elements for the pen and as a selection tool for texts and images. This makes selecting text to copy and paste very convenient rather than use a less precise finger. Touchwiz UI has also been improved. It feels faster and more responsive than on previous Samsung devices and also features many new multitasking elements. The Note 4 now has windowed multitasking and snap for side by side multitasking on supported apps like on a windows pc. They have also added a feature that support one handed use by shrinking the UI to a smaller portion of the screen to help reach the other side. Neither of these features look or feel elegant, but they do get the job done. Touchwiz still makes the phone feel very sluggish sometimes. I find that even with the snapdragon 805 and 3gb of ram, Touchwiz still makes the phone lag from time to time. For example launching the multitasking screen is slow and unresponsive when compared to the nexus 5 with stock android. Hopefully with the Android L update, Samsung fixes these issues. The software on this phone offers a lot of features and customizability, if you don't mind spending some time figuring out how they work, then they are an added bonus to the phone.

Cameras:

There is a 16MP OIS rear camera and a 3.7MP selfie camera on the right. Pictures are very sharp and vibrant. Good enough for social media and small prints. With larger prints, I would use my stand alone camera. The rear camera is capable of taking 4k video at 30fps and 1080p at 60 fps. (Image has been resized)

Conclusion:

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is definitely the best phone that Samsung has released. The specs and design of the phone are definitely top notch; it looks and feels premium. However, the phone suffers from the usual touchwiz lag that is present on many of Samsung's previous phones. Despite this, the phone is still a workhorse with its multitasking capabilities. I decided to go with the Note 4 over the iPhone 6+ because I feel that it is more work than play with it's extra features that puts the bigger screen real estate to good use. It is truly a shame that it is not compatible with most glass screen protectors as they feel the nicest, right now I'm using the Zagg HD wet apply screen protector which feel rubbery and not as smooth. I think the Galaxy Note 4 is definitely a good buy for someone looking for a big phone and want to get more productivity and customizability out it.

[XTankSlayerX]

Fantastic review! ill will definitely be getting this phone as my next one <3

[Psykomantis00]

I like the aluminum body but they still cheap out with the back cover. If it were more like the HTC one MAX I might have gotten it. Unless the HTC one MAX 2 is amazeballs I'm going iphone 6+s whenever that comes out. 

[m_tieu]

I like the aluminum body but they still cheap out with the back cover. If it were more like the HTC one MAX I might have gotten it. Unless the HTC one MAX 2 is amazeballs I'm going iphone 6+s whenever that comes out.

I don't feel that they cheaped out. The back cover feels nice in the hand and is less slippery than an all metal phone. I think the sacrifice of the all metal back was worth it to have a removable battery cover for on the fly battery swapping. This is also handy if you plan on buying their qi wireless charging back that comes as an add on for the phone. The iPhone 6+ also has a very nice design. I also have used an iPhone 6 for a brief period and felt that it was very prone to slipping out of the hand without a case.

[swifty7]

yep!!  the note 4 will be my next phone.  I have the 4s at the moment and I'm sick and tired of Apple's tech trickle business model.  I've read that their next Galaxy series the S6 will incorporate a retina scanner for security.   I personally don't see it doing too well because it would look stupid to have to constantly raise the phone to eye level for the scanner to work  unless somehow they make it work from a distance.  We'll how it pans out.

 

 

Also, people who complain about the colors of super AMOLED looking too saturated obviously don't know of the screen mode feature which gives you control over screen color.

[Psykomantis00]

I don't feel that they cheaped out. The back cover feels nice in the hand and is less slippery than an all metal phone. I think the sacrifice of the all metal back was worth it to have a removable battery cover for on the fly battery swapping. This is also handy if you plan on buying their qi wireless charging back that comes as an add on for the phone. The iPhone 6+ also has a very nice design. I also have used an iPhone 6 for a brief period and felt that it was very prone to slipping out of the hand without a case.

You can have a removable cover and not be cheap plastic. Look at the htc one max. 

[PhantomChevron]

You can have a removable cover and not be cheap plastic. Look at the htc one max. 

Doesn't have wireless charging though, plus plastic has its pros

[XTankSlayerX]

Fantastic review! ill will definitely be getting this phone as my next one <3

Quoting my past self here... But I was like "Getting one tomorrow, lets see what you think."

 

Good review! How you liking Android?

[Cookie Monster]

I like the aluminum body but they still cheap out with the back cover. If it were more like the HTC one MAX I might have gotten it. Unless the HTC one MAX 2 is amazeballs I'm going iphone 6+s whenever that comes out. 

 

The problem of having a metallic case is that it attenuates mobile radio frequencies.

[Psykomantis00]

The problem of having a metallic case is that it attenuates mobile radio frequencies.

 

So I guess apple and HTC are magicians then. Good to know. 

[Hoppa]

So I guess apple and HTC are magicians then. Good to know. 

Apple had problems with the signals on the iphone 4 because it was all aluminium.

Since then they've had to compensate for that (the bands on the back)

 

@m_tieu

Cool review

Can you do me a favour and test out the infrared capabilities with some devices such as a TV or sound system?

I'd like to know if it works as good as a normal remote.

If there's an app you have to buy to use it then don't worry about it.

[VerticalDiscussions]

Incredible phone, i totally enjoy it ^^. Cant see how people compare the Note 4 with Xiaomi and Meizu (Newer+Upcoming Models).... Its like comparing BMW+Mercedes vs Aston Martin .

[Commander Llama]

New Note 4 owner here.  Can confirm this review.  One-handed use did take a while to get used to.  I do a lot of e-reading and adapting for comfort to flip pages (volume up/down) without hitting the power button on the other side of the phone was a pain.

 

The battery is astonishing.  I'm not a traditional heavy user (no data usage, no gaming, very little calling) and so far my record is 4 days, 15 hours on one full charge with texting, e-reading, and music.  Fast-charging is crazy!  One night my battery was under 20% and I was on my way out for a while.  Plugged the phone into the fast-charger, walked across my house to put my boots and coat on, went to the washroom, came back and it had charged 10%.  Considering 30% will last a full day, wow.  It is truly a paradigm shifting experience to go from a phone that needed daily charging to a phone that you can basically forget about charging and be fine.

 

Screen is incredible, and finally big enough that I can enjoy movies on it.  Guardians of the Galaxy is real pretty.

 

I decided to go with heavy duty protection for this phone because I expect it to be a 3-4 year device.

My case: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MAWQU14?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

-- Makes this beast of a phone even bigger, but it can still fit comfortably in Dude Pockets.  It now has similar length/width dimensions to a 3DS XL.  Solid as hell, it will most definitely survive a drop.  The built-in kickstand is fabulous for desk or travel use, though mine is incredibly sticky to pop out and that's a definite flaw.  I almost need a knife blade to pull it out.

 

My screen protector: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MAWRZ36?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

-- Pretty standard, the pack came with 3.  It does fit the screen perfectly but my first attempt has one air bubble and one piece of dust.  Not visible with screen on, but I'll stop being lazy and make a second attempt some day.

 

Grabbed a 64GB Sandisk MicroSD on early Black Friday discounts, and now I'm carrying around a veritable library of books, comics, audiobooks, and movies.  I'd give it a 9/10 overall.  (64GB microSD was only $35, whereas the 128GB microSD was $140, and I couldn't justify that kind of gap).

[OhhTee]

 

 

Ah, I agree with you. The phone is pretty amazing, I was an iphone user and made the switch. I still haven't got used to one-handed using yet. The S-View case is a pretty cool light case for it, except the screen on the case is a fingerprint magnet.

The fast-charge is a life saver. I use it pretty heavily and it only takes like 30 minutes to get to 50%.

[iruixos]

I've been using the Note 4 for about a week and a half now, quite liking it. A couple of things annoy me but overall it's a good device.

[AlRayes_BRN]

Had the phone for over a month now and its great, love it!

[m_tieu]

@Hoppa thanks. I don't have cable at home but I tested it at a friends house. It's super simple to set up, just follow the on screen instructions and pick out your cable provider. You can see many options for choosing programming from channels to pay per view options. It works decently well, however if you have a really thick case on, it can interfere with the signals. The UI is alright but it would be cool if we could tune it to be used with any ir device.