Next to the iPhone 6, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is easily one of the most eagerly anticipated handsets of 2014. Here are our thoughts
Rating:
Typical Price:
£629.00
Pros:
Gorgeous display, Long lasting battery life, Excellent stylus and multitasking features, Powerful performance, Highly capable and easy-to-use camera, Good design and build on the whole, Plenty of storage and good connectivity options
Cons:
Tacky back panel, Some weird/gross UI elements
Verdict:
Samsung's Galaxy Note range goes from strength-to-strength with the latest instalment. There is certainly room for improvement, but by and large this is an excellent Android phone and a genuinely useful phablet-come-PDA
If you're in the UK or Europe and were hoping that, as with previous years, you might be able to get a shiny new Galaxy Note handset - in this case the Galaxy Note 5 - in the tail end of 2015, perhaps in time for Christmas, then we hate to break it to you, but sadly you are all out of luck.
We'll admit it, we're a little disappointed with Samsung. The firm unveiled the new Galaxy Note 5 in early September 2015 but it quickly emerged that it wouldn't be sold everywhere. Nope, this time around the popular stylus-equipped phablet is up for grabs in the USA, Canada, and Asia. Sadly, those of us in the UK don't have access to the device, and for now all the info we have says that isn't set to change.
There have been rumours that Samsung might be planning to roll the device out to the UK and Europe in early 2016, but at the moment it's just talk, and the official line if you prod Samsung is that it has "no plans" for such a move, which is pretty bizarre given just how popular previous versions of the Galaxy Note series have been here in the UK. Why Samsung chose to do this is unclear; it almost seems as if the company is trying to push potential Galaxy Note 5 users towards its refreshed Galaxy S6+ EDGE, which costs more and lacks a stylus. It’s also NOT a Note device, either -- and Samsung has plenty of very dedicated Note users here in the UK.
Turns out this was BUNK -- or a covert marketing ploy -- and Samsung will now release the Galaxy Note 5 in the UK. According to multiple reports the Galaxy Note 5 will land in the UK during January 2016.
You can still get the Galaxy Note 4, though, and with the Note 5 coming it will almost certainly get a price cut -- and this is a VERY good thing. The Galaxy Note 4 might be a year-old phone but it's still packed with high-end technology and a compelling user experience unrivalled pretty much anywhere. What's more, Samsung is very good at keeping these devices up-to-date with the latest Android software, so you're not going to get left behind.
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.
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