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:
Price and Release Date
The Galaxy Note 4 will be available in October, and at the time of writing, the price hasn’t been revealed yet, but when it is, we’ll update this post accordingly.
So, there you have it. The Galaxy Note 4 is finally here, and on first impressions, we’re definitely impressed. What do you make of this new phablet, and more importantly, is it deserving of your hard-earned cash? Do share your thoughts below!
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