At the IFA trade show in Berlin, Samsung just took the wraps off
the Galaxy Note 4, and as predicted, it’s a beast of a device. For the
most part, it’s very much as we expected, with a stunning-looking
quad-HD display and equally-impressive camera, and below, we go through
each and every aspect of this all-new addition to the market-leading
phablet series.
Features And Specs
Design
Although the design isn’t dissimilar to that of the preceding Note 3,
it is rather different in many respects. With a metallic finish around
the edges, it’ll feel more premium to the touch, and for the most part,
it looks just like the recently-announced Galaxy Alpha.
Given how Samsung’s Note must offer pro facilities such as removable
battery and expandable memory, a unibody finish akin to the HTC One M8
was never going to be on the cards, but for those who’ve continually
bemoaned the all-plastic finish, the Note 4′s outer shell offers a touch
of finesse.
The removable back cover, meanwhile, is of the same textured plastic that it has always been.
The Galaxy Note 4 will arrive in four different colors; black, white,
gold and pink, so there’s plenty to choose from in this regard.
Despite the bump in specs, which we’ll go into more detail of below,
it’s still a fairly lightweight device, tipping the scales at a
reasonable 176 grams.
The profile of the device, meanwhile, clocks in at 153.5mm x 78.6mm x 8.5mm.
Display
One of the heavily-lauded features of the Galaxy S5 earlier on this
year was the display, and given the continued similarities between
Galaxy S and Galaxy Note, it’s no surprise that the Galaxy Note 4′s
display is also a bit of a humdinger. The 5.7-inch panel – notably the
same size as that of the Note 3 – is a great deal sharper than that of
its predecessor. The quad-HD Super AMOLED display clocks in a resolution
of 2560 x 1440, and suffice to say, you won’t be noticing any pixels
whatsoever.
Samsung has also protected the new display with enhanced screen
glass, which is said to be considerably tougher than that of the Galaxy
Note 3, so you’re less likely to encounter scratches or cracks.
Hardware
Dependent on your country and carrier, you’ll either get a 2.7 GHz
quad-core processor or a 1.9 GHz octa-core chip, but both models will be
accompanied by a whopping 3 gigs of RAM.
As well as Category 6 LTE, there’s Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and along
with usual Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and infra-red, the Note 4 packs a swathe
of sensors including accelerometer, proximity, barometer, finger
scanner, UV, and heart-rate sensor.
As for storage, you get 32 GB of on-board memory across the board, but as ever, this is expandable by means of a microSD slot.
Camera
We were also wowed by the Galaxy S5′s rear-facing shooter, and
although we’ll have to test out the Note 4 hands-on before we can make
any definitive judgments, the omens are definitely good based solely on
the specs.
The device packs a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with Smart Optical
Image Stabilization. According to Samsung, this Smart OIS will “counter-balance camera shake and automatically extend exposure time in dark settings.”
The front-facing, meanwhile, is a surprisingly impressive
3.7-megapixel offering with f1.9 and up to 120 degree wide-angle shots.
So, yes, the Galaxy Note 4 – with its massive screen and solid front
shooter – is definitely made for selfies.
S Pen
The S Pen is the key differentiator between the Note and the rest of
Samsung’s roster, and as was alluded to in the teasers leading up to
today’s announcement, the famed stylus has also been tweaked for a more
pleasurable, productive performance.
As Samsung describes, it feels more like a real pen, and if you’re
attracted to the Note series based upon the S Pen primarily, then you’re
in for a real treat this time around. With calligraphy and fountain pen
options as well as Smart Select allowing you to capture, save and share
multiple pieces of content at once, the S Pen has been greatly
enhanced, and based upon what we’ve just heard, we cannot wait to give
it a try.
Software
Samsung’s own TouchWiz experience appears to be the focal point of
the Note 4′s software improvements. The company’s branded overlay has
been cleaned up, with a fresher interface and less clunky functionality,
while also introducing Dynamic Lock Screens.
Working in collaboration with Yahoo!, Dynamic Lock Screens will make
your lock screen feel more alive and animated, with wallpapers changing
based on weather patterns, and although this isn’t a game-changer by any
means, it’s still a pleasant addition to the fold.
Elsewhere, there’s S Health 3.5, Download Booster, improved
multi-window multitasking, and overall, the experience should feel much
more fluid.
According to Samsung’s official press release, the Galaxy Note 4 will roll out with Android 4.4 KitKat right off the bat.
Battery
The Galaxy Note 4 includes a whopping 3,220mAh battery to keep things
ticking over, and given the array of hardware that Samsung has packed
into its latest and greatest, the device will need every single drop of
this sizeable battery pack.
The complete set of tech specs of the Galaxy Note 4 are as follows:
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