Design, Features, and Call Quality
Includes Alpha Galaxy, Notes 4 represents a new, premium breed of Samsung devices. Still return the plastic with leather-like texture, but the Cringe-worthy stitching and cheesy fake-chrome is lost. In its place is a handsome metal band, complete with blingy chamfered edges and subtly pronounced corners. The density and rigidity evoke a feeling of luxury and craftsmanship having eluded past Galaxy devices.
It is a good device to look, but still comfortable to actually handle. Beyond its pure size (6.04 by 3.09 by 0.33 inches and 6.21 ounces), 4 Note Lack generously arched back big-screen phones such as LG G3. And the beveled edges look good, but give the Notes 4 a cold, sharp feeling in the hand. The slight bulges in each corner to help secure a firm grip, but this is clearly a case of form over function. Still, I much prefer the in-hand feel of the iPhone 4 Note 6 Plus, you feel the top precariously above my hand between my thumb and fingers, ready to slip on the floor with a slight miscalculation.
Yes, there's a razor-thin gap between the frame and glass display, but remember that was very overblown. It is easy to clean away any debris, and imperceptible spaces can be the difference between a cracked display and only a dented frame in case of a drop. Our review unit took a small number of nicks visible along the polished edge, though, even without any drops. Get a case if you care about these things.
Small details like the firm feedback button add to the premium feel, and Samsung ditches the unconventional micro USB 3 port for a more identifiable standard micro USB port. The back peels off to reveal the SIM and microSD card slot, as well as a removable battery 3,220mAh, all must-haves for Samsung longtime loyalists.
With a battery rundown test, where we streamed a video on YouTube over LTE in the screen brightness set to max, 4 Note lasted for an astounding 7 hours, 56 minutes. That was more than two times over the last year Note 3 (5 hours, 46 minutes) and three times more than the iPhone 6 Plus (4 hours, 46 minutes) in the same test. On top of that, the same Ultra Power Saving Mode Features GS5 we saw here, promising a day of standby battery life on the last 10 percent of the battery. The Note 4 is compatible with Fast Charge technology, Qualcomm's, ie fast topoffs the right accessories.
The 5.7-inch, Quad HD (2560 by 1440 pixels) display is one you have to see firsthand to really appreciate. I admit I'm a sucker for Saturated colors, but even if you ramp down the intensity, the quality of the display is impressive. All we love about the S5 Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S shows true to display the Notes 4 There is almost no aliasing to be found and all pops up to the surface, as it is already printed on the glass itself. Inky blacks and a retina-frying maximum light make for incredible contrast and readability. I have two minor complaints with AMOLED displays, and apply it here: Off-angle viewing makes a quasi-blue tint, and has a mild effect trailing once. For example, black text against a white background will leave a slight, blurred trail when scrolling, which can be jarring for those coming from LCDs. None of this would be a deal breaker for me, though, and I still think it is the best display on any smartphone I've seen.
The Note 4 supports all of AT & T's 3G GSM / HSPA and 4G LTE frequencies. AT & T had another strong showing this year at our annual Fastest Mobile Networks test, and saw me as beautiful or faster speed with Note 4 than 6 Plus an iPhone with an AT & T SIM installed. Reception and call quality is excellent, if not class leading. Earpiece becomes strong enough to hear over the noisy street, with great depth and natural color, even at maximum volume. Shipping via mic is pretty far and no wealth in low end, but the overall sound is true to life. Noise cancellation is just average as well, struggling with a particularly windy day and indoors in a crowded coffee shop.
Rounding out some of the features of the connectivity of the dual-band 802.11b / g / n / ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, and NFC. The Note 4 had no issues connecting to our 5GHz Wi-Fi network or by JAWBONE ERA Bluetooth headset. Wi-Fi performance is also excellent here: Somewhere test, from about 50 feet away from a router in a crowded office, the average 14.08Mbps Notes 4 up to 3.6Mbps down and 8.01Mbps compared to the iPhone 6 Plus is down and 1.75Mbps up.