If you're a fan of Samsung's Galaxy Note series (or just phablets in general) and you're in Europe then the Galaxy Note 4 is still as good as it gets right now - because the Galaxy Note 5 is a no-show. Yes, sadly, Samsung decided to just launch the handset in North America and Asia in September 2015 and although there were rumours it would arrive in Europe and the UK by the end of January 2016, we're now in mid-February and there's been no word whatsoever. Not a peep. So it seems that was all a load of poppycock, and until we hear otherwise it seems the Galaxy Note 5 is not UK-bound.
Not that this is the end of the world. The Galaxy Note 4 is still a fantastic device, and in fact, from what we've seen of the Galaxy Note 5 so far it doesn't seem like the newer model is a huge update this time round. Let's take a look at what the Note 4 can do...
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Design Build
The Galaxy Note 4 clearly presented Samsung with something of a problem – the company had already honed its phablet concept into something optimal and refined with the Galaxy Note 3; what then, could be changed on the successor model? Well, on the outside not a great deal, it must be said.
The corners have been rounded off a wee bit more and the front glass panel is slightly raised and curved, while being embedded into the fascia for a unique look. Samsung’s usual silver surround design has been split into two ultra-thin bands with a slight contour to them and which sit between where the edges meet both front and back panels. The end result is that the sides are extremely flat, which helps with grip, and the edges are fashioned from a quality-feel matte aluminium. Not only is it practical but it looks pretty sharp too.
The back panel is removable and uses Samsung’s faux leather finish, although this doesn’t seem like a good implementation compared to its predecessor – the soft finish isn’t as plush, feeling more plasticky and tacky than it did before. The fake stitching is gone though, which is a plus. One neat change is the positioning of the power key and volume rocker, with the former being on the right-hand edge and the latter on the left – this means you’re able to have a finger or thumb over each control when holding the handset regardless of which hand you hold it in. The controls have a satisfying feedback level and are solidly contained in the chassis with no hint of wobble.
Samsung’s kept other details similar to its existing model; there’s a microUSB data and charging port in the base alongside the S-Pen stylus’ cubby hole, while along the top edge is a 3.5mm headphone jack. Removable cards are housed near the battery under the removable back cover. Lastly, Samsung continues to use its physical Home key flanked by a pair of capacitive Android controls (“Back” on the right, “Multitasking” on the left).
In terms of handling, Samsung has maintained the positive traits of the Note 3, that is to say; it has a large display with a narrow bezel, and while the bodywork is sized to accommodate this it is by no means an unwieldy device. It is a little heavier and thicker than its predecessor, but the balance still makes it easy to operate and one-handed use is not entirely out of the question, though can be a bit tricky and is certainly task specific with regards to whether it’s practical or not.
It's also worth pointing out that the waterproofing Samsung added to its Galaxy S5 flagship has not made its way across to the Galaxy Note series just yet, with this latest model being as sensitive to the wet stuff as any previous device and with no port covers in sight - avoid taking it in the bath!
Personally I am none too keen on the Note 4’s back panel implementation, but everything else here is solid.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Display
Samsung’s display tech has come under fire in the past over issues of colour accuracy and tinting, however, the 5.7in Super AMOLED panel has been upgraded with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution at 515 pixels-per-inch (ppi), making it extremely sharp. The colour issue has been improved though, you still get a very vivid and saturated image as per Samsung’s apparently preferred style, but you’re not getting colours completely missed and swapped for bluish or greenish tones this time around.
The Super AMOLED tech offers excellent contrast, as well as deep blacks and dark hues, and very wide viewing angles – making it suitable for over-the-shoulder multimedia sharing.
It is a great display for multimedia consumption generally, and particularly excellent for films and games, or showing off your photos.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Processor & Performance
The Galaxy Note 4 packs Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chip, the Snapdragon 805. It’s a quad-core setup based on the updated Krait 450 architecture clocked at 2.7GHz, with an Adreno 420 graphics processor (GPU) and 3GB of RAM. Naturally this is a supercharged monster of a chip and easily capable of running even the most badass games, apps, and content from Google’s Play store. But then of course, so could the Snapdragon 801, and the Snapdragon 800.
In general operation it is pretty darn smooth, I had previously read reports of some juddering but can’t say I’ve encountered this myself; TouchWiz seems to slither effortlessly from one screen to the next.
In short, the Note 4 never felt lacking when it comes to sheer processing muscle. You’re unlikely to find it falling short for some time to come, or at least until app content becomes much more advanced and demanding.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Storage, Connectivity & Other Hardware
You’ve only got one option with the Note 4 and that’s 32GB of onboard storage with support for microSD cards up to 128GB. Still, that’s a fair bit of space all in, so most users needs should be catered for. The phone supports 4G LTE 800/850/900/1800/2100/2600 and 3G including HSPA+, then there’s also dual-band Wi-Fi with Hotspot and Wi-Fi Direct. Bluetooth 4.1 is supported along with NFC, GPS, microUSB with MHL3 TV-Out, and there’s an infrared blaster for TV control. I know some of you still like FM Radios onboard your phones but you’re out of luck here as the Note 4 doesn’t pack one in.
The phone has a decent speaker on the rear panel, the quality is fine for watching films and the like and volume levels can be plenty loud. However, being a solo setup and rear-facing it’s not the best situation for multimedia. Methinks this could be a big area of improvement for Sammy on future devices.
Samsung’s heart-rate sensor and fingerprint scanner have both made the trip across from the Galaxy S5 and work in pretty much exactly the same way. Thus, they also both have pretty much the same usability and usefulness – the latter being dependent on what you want your phone to do of course, personally, I’m not too bothered about phone-based health tracking, but I can see it being advantageous to those who do. Once again though, the fingerprint scanner is not as elegantly implemented as it could be – I didn’t feel particularly compelled to use it over conventional unlocking methods.
Then of course, there’s the S-Pen stylus. A lot of the good stuff here is software based and I’ll talk about it in more detail in the next section. However, Samsung has ramped up the pressure sensitivity on the Note 4 which means the pointing, drawing and writing experience is considerably enhanced for much smoother and more accurate operation. Another cool feature is that the cursor dot appears and can be moved with pinpoint accuracy even when the pen is a little over a centimetre from the display.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Software & UI
Android Marshmallow Lands EARLY?!
Ok, this is a bit weird. We don't want to get too excited just yet because it has all the trappings of a big fat mistake or something, but according to a new report on December 7, Samsung just went and rolled out the Android Marshmallow update to at least one Galaxy Note 4 handset in Hungary. That's weird because this is WAY ahead of schedule, from the leaked roadmaps we've seen Samsung is supposed to be updating in December but it's supposed to be the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge et al - current-gen, premium flagship devices. The Galaxy Note 4, on the other hand, if these previously leaked details are any measure, shouldn't be updated until February 2016.
So what's happened here? Well the report comes via Napidroid, where a member of the editorial team in Hungary had their Galaxy Note 4 handset updated to the new Marshmallow build. We don't know if this is some freakish mishap - perhaps the unit they had was an old test unit or something? Until we hear of the update rolling out to other devices we'll have to assume this was a fluke. However, fluke or no, this instance of early updating has shown us what we can expect from the new Marshmallow build when it does rock up fully.
Napidroid posted screenshots taken from the handset, which you can see below.
New features? Yeah it's got a few, although for the most part we're looking at a UI update and a few added features taken from the newer Galaxy Note 5. Noteworthy (ha!) examples include "Screen off memo" which is a setting that allows the phone to be ready to take notes as soon as you take the pen out, even if the phone is in a sleep state. The Air Command radial menu has also been updated, and across the board we're looking at more polished animations, icons, smoother operation, tweaks, optimisations, bugfixes and all that jazz.
Android Lollipop 5.0 Rolls Out
Samsung is now pushing the Android Lollipop 5.0 update to Galaxy Note 4 handsets inside Europe. Starting in Poland, the update has now hit Germany, Ireland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the UK, amongst others. The software is available over-the-air in many regions but can also be obtained via a linked PC and Samsung's Kies software.
Android 5.1 Lollipop To Bring New, Streamlined TouchWiz UI
According to reports Android 5.1 is coming to the Galaxy Note 4 and bringing with it the streamlined TouchWiz UI witnessed on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. The word comes from Youmobile, which alleges that the update is coming to the S6 and S6 Edge first (which have launched on 5.0.2) and will then arrive on the Note 4 phablet, however, by this time the Note 5 may already be out as the update is "NOT" currently under development, it is merely planned. The report suggests it will come at some point in the second half of 2015.
TouchWiz is a hefty enough software as it is these days but on the Galaxy Note series it’s a whole different animal, with a big boatload of extra features designed to take advantage of that massive display and S-Pen stylus input. On the Galaxy Note 4 it is much the same deal as the Note 3, although there are a few tweaks here and there. The majority of capabilities here are pretty much the same, except this time it’s over the top of Android 4.4.4 KitKat straight out the box.
Multiscreen
This isn’t a new feature from Samsung but it has been altered slightly on the latest Note handset; instead of Samsung’s clunky old pop-up overlay to activate you can now simply go into the multitasking carousel and if a running application supports multiscreen it’ll have a little icon in the right-hand corner showing two boxes. Tapping this opens that application in the top half of the display, and brings up a screen in the lower half where you can scroll through all the supported apps and select one you wish to run in this lower portion. The selection of supported apps is now quite wide-ranging and includes a slice of Google’s own app suite (Gmail, Hangouts, Youtube, Play Movies, Play Books, Maps, Chrome, Play Store, and Play Music), as well as Evernote, Facebook, photo gallery, text messaging, music player, video player, Samsung’s file browser “My Files”, the “S Planner” calendar, Scrapbook, and WhatsApp, to name but a few. Having this level of multitasking is certainly a boon.
Air Command: Action memo, Smart select, Image clip, Screen write
The radial Air Command menu has returned once again, but this time the options contained within are a little different. Action memo remains the same and allows you to quickly scribble down notes, it’s a bit like a “lite” version of the full S Note application. Smart select and Image clip are both similar and are designed to allow you to screen capture and edit whatever is on screen, but each allows you to draw and select a specific area – with Smart select you drag a box, while Image clip lets you draw a freehand shape around what you want. Smart select allows you to share the image, send it to the Scrapbook application, or “Collect” it, which effectively saves it onto your homescreen as a post-it for later access. Image clip enables you to transform the shape of the copied image, Scrapbook it, or share it.
Lastly, Screen write is similar to what we saw on the Note 3 – it captures a screenshot of whatever is on the display and allows you to write or draw over it, edit, crop, and share.
What’s a little disappointing here is the apparent loss of some features we saw aboard the Note 3 (I say apparent because I’ll concede I may have just been unable to find them, but I did have a good long look and it doesn’t seem they’re there). Most notable is the absence of Pen Window, which allowed you to draw a box on the display to overlay a miniature application (for example, a calculator) – this further enhanced the already impressive multitasking, so to see it removed is a bit of a shame to say the least.
One other cool feature worth mentioning is that you can capture a picture of a document using the phone's camera and it'll convert it into an editable image that you can write and draw over.
Handwriting
Samsung has continued to improve its already impressive S-Pen stylus capabilities, the S-Pen is now much more sensitive than before and this means handwriting and sketching are pinpoint accurate, but also incredibly smooth in operation. Depending on which pen you choose in the S Note application you can get different results – the fountain pen is particularly good with its digital ink making even quickly scribbled notes a bit more presentable.
On top of this you also have the built-in keyboard functionality, which allows you to select a handwriting mode that will convert your writing into typed text (which can also be copied, pasted, and edited on the fly) – this is highly accurate and useful in a wide-range of situations, although I did notice that Google’s Hangouts application didn’t seem to support the feature, so it’s not exactly universal.
Android Marshmallow Bringing New TouchWiz Features To Galaxy Note 4 February 2016
Samsung is pretty good when it comes to keeping its handsets updated to new software builds and in keeping stride with Google's latest Android versions. The firm has revealed in an official blog post that it has plans to introduce several key features of Android M, now confirmed as Android Marshmallow, into its existing crop of high-end devices along with a new build of the TouchWiz UI.
Naturally the new devices, including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 will all be part of this update plan, however, sources indicate that the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge, as well as several other slightly older handsets, will also be getting the boost.
Amongst the new features listed in a neat infographic (below), there's improved memory tracking, better power saving and enhanced app management.
During November 2015 multiple leaks emerged showing Samsung's update roadmap plans in the form of database entries, apparently taken from inside Samsung. The latest of these, which comes via PhoneArena's inside sources on November 19, shows that the Galaxy Note 4 will be getting updated alongside the Galaxy Note EDGE during February 2016 - this bracket hasn't changed in the last few leaks, so we've good reason to believe it will stick.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Camera
Update: According to new reports the Snapdragon-based Galaxy Note 4 doesn't have an ISOCELL sensor at all, as we'd previously thought. MyFixGuide tore one of the handsets open and reports it has a Sony IMX240 sensor module with built-in optical image stabilisation (OIS). Apparently it's only the Exynos version (sold in Asia) which has Samsung's own ISOCELL setup.
Note that this makes a scrap of difference to what we'd previously reported about the camera's performance, of course; it's still a bloody good camera.
The sensor size is 1/2.6” and has an f/2.2 aperture with 31mm focal length, there’s also an LED flash. In terms of functionality it’s loaded with a lot of the same capabilities we’ve seen in other Samsung Galaxy handsets; HDR, selective focus, panorama, dual-camera (front and rear modules simultaneously), and “Shot & More” (essentially multishot with some advanced editing for stuff like timelapse, frame-by-frame and the like). The camera UI is also nice and clean, though little has changed here from earlier models, but there are a few new modes as well, for example, a 90-degree wide-angle selfie mode for the front-facing secondary camera.
Image quality is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Samsung’s previous camera setups, particularly the Galaxy S5 and Note 3 – Samsung tunes its imaging for photos that really pop, with excellent dynamic range and contrast, and very vibrant colour even outside of HDR mode. While the sharpness and clarity isn’t going to have the Lumia 1020 or Sony Xperia Z3 quaking in their boots any time soon, it’s still plenty capable enough and puts much of the competition to shame – the optical stabilisation does seem to make a real difference both to the sharpness of the image generally and its ability to capture decent pics even in conditions that are not exactly ideal (on the move, shaky hangover hands, in a vehicle etc). Once again, Samsung also makes actually capturing good shots quickly an easy process.
As well as offering wide-angle selfie capture, the front-facing camera has been enhanced and uses a 3.7MP sensor capable of 1440p video capture.
“The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 totally crushed it’s opposition in automatic mode, regardless of light settings. The Korean flagship took pictures that had natural colors, lots of details and realistic contrast in most cases. However it’s camera had problems with incandescent light, creating a strong yellowish color. A quite interesting thing is that we tested the SM-N910F version i.e. with the one with the Snapdragon processor and… Sony sensor. This is worth mentioning because the Sony Xperia Z3 and Sony Xperia Z1 produced lot worse images compared to their Korean counterpart, even though they share the same sensor producer. This supports the theory that even though Sony produces outstanding camera hardware, they have serious problems with making the most out of it in their own products.”
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Battery
Samsung’s managed to play the Galaxy Note series’ larger scale to its advantage for some time, with monstrous batteries providing at least better-than-average life spans between charging. It’s not always plain sailing though as the larger and higher resolution displays do take a hefty bite out of things. Still, somehow Samsung has managed to deliver excellent battery performance on the Note 4. I ran our video test with The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which is just shy of 2.45 hours on runtime. Starting from 100% charge, with brightness on full and Wi-Fi switched on, a pre-loaded video from Google Play left the handset with an incredible 78% at the end of the film. I also tested using a one-and-a-half hour film played repeatedly from 100% charge until the battery died, with full brightness – this lasted eight hours and twenty minutes.
Just using the phone as my daily driver saw some fairly moderate use with browsing, note-taking, a spot of Youtube, calls, texts, Facebook, and a few other odds and sods. In spite of all this I still managed to get the best part of two days out of the handset, which is perhaps not quite as long as the Galaxy Note 3 but it does have a higher resolution display and a faster CPU. It still lasts a long-ass time though, in my opinion.
The removable cell is a 3,220mAh unit, meaning you’re able to swap out a new cell on the go or if your existing one becomes faulty. The Note 4 also features the Ultra Power Saving mode seen on the Galaxy S5, which when enabled turns the screen black and white and only allows a small handful of applications alongside calls and texts. This mode predicts how much life you’ll get from the battery percentage ahead of time, with a 100% charge stating 15.6 days. That’s a long time, and certainly useful for when you think you may be away from a charger for an extended period and may need to make the odd call – it’s not as long as I was expecting though considering the Galaxy S5’s smaller cell promises about 12 days from 100%, still – can’t really complain can I?
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Price & Conclusion
It’s rather difficult to find a fault here. I’m no fan of TouchWiz or Samsung’s plasticky back panel but these seem like minor gripes when you have a phone that offers super-fast performance, long battery life, a great camera and a capable display, all in a package that is nicely proportioned and easy to operate. The S-Pen features remain excellent and offer some of the best stylus implementation in the smartphone space, neatly fitting alongside the stellar multitasking experience. I have genuinely been able to use this phone as a Notepad and scrapbook in more than one press briefing over my testing time with it, and it performed admirably. Of course it’s also capable when it comes to gaming, films, and typical phone tasks like calls and texts.
Put simply, Samsung remains king of the phablet space, this is pretty much the best large form-factor phone experience available. That’s because it’s been built with purpose rather than just for the sake of having a larger phone – everything is designed to take advantage of the bigger display and stylus, and Samsung has deliberately avoided the trap of expanding the screen past the point of usefulness and practicality.
The Galaxy Note 4 retails for an official RRP of £629 SIM-free as listed on Samsung's webstore, but you can pick it up cheaper elsewhere. Expansys sells it for £599 while Clove UK has it listed for £575 including VAT. Meanwhile on contract tariffs O2 has a lowest price contract of £43 per month with no upfront cost. EE's lowest cost deal is only £14.99 per month but this costs £459 up front for the phone too - the lowest initial outlay is £209 on a £38.99 per month contract. Carphone Warehouse lists the Note 4 on deals from £39.50 per month, or you can go SIM-free but with a price hike from the RRP up to £649.99 - best avoided probably.
Is it worth all that cash? Well arguably yes, it's packed with high end tech and I found it an enjoyable experience on the whole. There's plenty to like here. .
Source: Know Your Mobile
