Armed with an incredible Quad HD AMOLED display, cutting-edge 805 Snapdragon processor, and newfound premium design by Samsung, the Galaxy Note 4 ($ 299.99 contract) is easily one of the most amazing smartphone year. It is a phablet that can convince entrenched one-handers that maybe the extra manual gymnastics can really be effective. Useful repairs software and stylus features continue to offer advantages over the pure size, can not be said for the iPhone 6 Plus quite yet. The Note 4 requires a bit more legwork on the part of users, but the prizes can be great. This is the phone to get the big screen, achieving our Editors Choice 'for phablets.
Design, Features, and Call Quality
Along with the Galaxy alpha Note 4 represents a new breed of premium Samsung devices. Back still 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 hardness evoke a sense of luxury and craftsmanship that eluded previous Galaxy devices.
It is a good device to behold, but still not comfortable to actually hold. More than sheer size (6.04 by 3.09 by 0.33 inches and 6.21 ounces), the Note 4 Less generously arched back big-screen phones such as LG G3. And the beveled edge looks great, but give the Note 4 a cold, sharp feel in the hand. The slight bulges in each corner to help secure a firm grip, but it is clearly a case of form over function. However, much prefer the in-hand feel of Note 4 to the iPhone 6 Plus, feel precariously above the top of my hand between my thumb and fingers, willing to lose the floor with a slight miscalculation.
Yes, there's a razor-thin gap between the frame and glass display, but be aware that became quite overblown. It's easy to clean up any debris, and did not notice that space can be the difference between a broken display and only dented frame in case of a drop. Our review unit took a small number of visible stretch of nicks on the edges polished, though, even without any drops. Get a case if you care about these things.
Small details like company 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 slots, as well as a removable 3,220mAh battery, all must-haves for Samsung longtime loyalists.
With a battery rundown test, where we streamed a video on YouTube over LTE with the screen brightness set to max, Note 4 lasted for a astounding 7 hours, 56 minutes. That is more than two times over the past 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, both Ultra Power Saving Mode Features GS5 we saw here, there is hope within a day of standby battery to last 10 percent of the battery. The Note 4 is compatible with Fast Charge technology Qualcomm as well, which means fast topoffs the right accessories.
The 5.7-inch, Quad HD (2560 by 1440 pixels) display is one you have to see firsthand to truly appreciate. I admit I am a sucker for Saturated colors, but even slope down the intensity, the display quality is amazing. All we love about the S5 Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab shows is true for the display of Note 4. There are almost no aliasing to be found at all pops up to the surface, as it is printed on the glass itself. Inky blacks and a retina-frying with maximum brightness make for incredible contrast and readability. I have two minor complaints with AMOLED display, and apply them here: Off-angle viewing makes a bluish color, and there is a gentle trailing effect sometimes. For example, black text against a white background will leave a slight, trail blur 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 was the best display of any smartphone I've seen.
The Note 4 supports 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 I saw a good or faster speed with Note 4 than 6 Plus an iPhone with an AT & T SIM installed. Reception and call quality is good, if not class leading. Earpiece becomes strong enough to hear over the noisy street, with great depth and natural tones, even at maximum volume. Shipping through the mic is pretty far and no wealth in low end, but the overall sound 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 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 better here: Next-side test, from 50 feet away from a router in a crowded office, in Note 4 14.08Mbps averaged 3.6Mbps down and 8.01Mbps up vs. iPhone 6 Plus is down and 1.75Mbps up.