Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review by Micheal Fisher of Pocketnow

[YamiYukiSenpai]

Written review on Pocketnow (video review is also in there)

At a glance, you could be forgiven for mistaking the Galaxy Note 5 for its smaller sibling the Galaxy S6 – and that’s no accident.

 

The Galaxy Note 5 marks the company’s second major attempt to bring its large-format phablet into the mainstream, at least in terms of aesthetics. The first came in 2012, when the Galaxy Note II supplanted its predecessor’s wide, matte chassis with a narrower casing and a shiny paint job that evoked its contemporary, the Galaxy S III. The two generations since have seen Samsung take the opposite tack, distancing the Note from its flagship siblings: the Note 3‘s stitched pleather stood in stark contrast to the Galaxy S 4’s hyperglaze plastic, while the Note 4‘s aluminum-magnesium frame looked nothing like the pock-marked “Glam” finish of the Galaxy S5.

 

But Samsung struck a chord with this year’s well-reviewed Galaxy S6, and it seems keen to transfer some of the plaudits to its phablet line. With slick glass-and-metal construction and a feature set nearly identical to that of its smaller sibling, some call the Note 5 a glorified “S6 with an S Pen.” Was this unification of big and small inevitable, or has Samsung sacrificed too much of the Note’s power-user cred in its quest to commoditize the king of phablets? Let’s find out.

 

As much as Micheal Fisher, my favorite mobile tech reviewer, loves this device, it's a no-go for me.  The fact that there's no expandable storage & no 128GB variant makes me want to stay away from this device.  With the way I use my phone (taking lots of pictures, offline videos, lots of apps and games, etc.), I'd be out of storage in no time.  At least the Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 have the 128GB variant, which I might choose if I decide to go with a Galaxy smartphone (the Galaxy S6 edge is the only Galaxy smartphone I'm thinking of choosing).  The only 2 phablets I ever liked are the Galaxy Note 3 & Note 4.  They somehow caught my eye and impressed me.

I hope Samsung will add expandable storage in the Galaxy Note 6.  If Sony, who's also using glass and aluminum body for their flagship smartphone, can add expandable storage on their devices, why can't they?

 

P.S. my only choice this year is the LG G4, unless Microsoft and other OEMs make high-end Windows Phones and release it in Canada.

[boboman342]

I like his voice

[YamiYukiSenpai]

I like his voice

LOL same.  He has this voice that just makes you wanna listen.  That's partly the reason why I love watching & listening Pocketnow Weekly.

[Peepnbrick]

I don't mind the lack of removable battery or expandable storage. I'm on an iPhone 4s, which has a small non-removable battery, and I manage my 16Gb of storage very conservatively. Note 5 seems like a good phone, but it's just too big for my liking. I'm excited to get the G4.

 

And I would watch a video about paint drying if it was narrated by Michael Fisher. He's quite captivating.

[LucidMew]

There's also the case of inserting the S-pen in backwards and getting it permanently stuck. 

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/437193-samsung-fail-design-flaw-in-galaxy-note-5-s-pen-insertion/

 

I mean, even Leo Laporte got it stuck while fiddling it around.

 

[dizmo]

I like the Note series, but I'm not a huge fan of this one. Not even so much because of the lack of a removable battery and no memory expansion (though the second one stings), it's more the use of a glass back. Why. It's a stupid idea for every device that gets released with it! I'll never understand why they think it's a good idea.

 

 

I don't mind the lack of removable battery or expandable storage. I'm on an iPhone 4s, which has a small non-removable battery, and I manage my 16Gb of storage very conservatively. Note 5 seems like a good phone, but it's just too big for my liking. I'm excited to get the G4.

 

And I would watch a video about paint drying if it was narrated by Michael Fisher. He's quite captivating.

The Note is only 4mm taller than the G4...

They're virtually the same size :rolleyes:

 

There's also the case of inserting the S-pen in backwards and getting it permanently stuck. 

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/437193-samsung-fail-design-flaw-in-galaxy-note-5-s-pen-insertion/

 

I mean, even Leo Laporte got it stuck while fiddling it around.

Yup. So you have to watch what you do. Sort of like not burning yourself when you take something out of the oven.

I think this is seriously blown out of proportion. There are so many things in the world that you have to take care with.

And, in Samsungs defense, it says right in the manual to watch what you do and not insert it the wrong way.

 

People just need to learn to watch what they do.