Review: Samsung Galaxy Note 4

It's an indicator of just how big the average mobile phone has become that I barely batted an eyelid at the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It's a change from the early days of the Note, when the "phablet" category had yet to take hold and the idea of a large-screen phone from Apple was still a distant possibility.

Back then the Android-based Note was something of a quirky novelty and one few thought would be a serious contender with consumers. Samsung has had the last laugh on that one – a five- inch screen is now almost standard and other manufacturers have been forced to catch up.

The Galaxy Note 4 is the latest version of Samsung’s large- screen phones, and despite the increasing competition, it looks like Samsung may be able to hold its own. An improved camera, an incredibly detailed display and a new design mean the Note 4 is more than capable of standing up to the challenge from Apple – plus it’s still got the S Pen stylus that has proved itself so useful. The Note 4 comes with 3GB of Ram, a 2.7 GHz quad-core processor, 32GB of storage – expandable with a memory card – and extras such as nearfield communications and sensors that measure ultraviolet rays.

The good

Samsung has several years’ experience in the larger screen category. That means it has already made the mistakes, worked out the kinks and come out the other side with the Note 4, which is not only easy enough to use but is also nicely designed.

The Note 4 is an improvement on its predecessor, keeping some elements of the Galaxy design. However, it’s more streamlined and has a few high-end elements the Note 3 lacked. There’s an aluminium strip around the edge and the remainder of the casing is polycarbonate, with a removable battery and space for a micro SD card. The screen just edges out the iPhone 6 Plus at 145mm (5.7 inches) but it’s also slightly heavier at 176g versus the iPhone 6 Plus’s 172g, and thicker at 8.5mm instead of 7.1mm.

But that display is worth shouting about. It’s a quad HD super Amoled display – that means it’s vibrant in colour, sharp in text and great to watch videos on. It’s also sensitive to touch, even through a layer of cloth, which is good news with the winter upon us. One of the things that often raises complaints about largerscreened phones is the ability to use them one-handed. The Note 4 manages to strike the right balance in your hand, feeling light despite its extra bulk over the Note 3 and iPhone 6 Plus, but also perfectly positioned. There are plenty of options to shrink menus and screens to make them even easier to reach too.

The camera is also worth mentioning. It is an improvement on its predecessor, with images notably better in quality. It’s 16 megapixels (mp) for the rear- facing camera and 3.7mp for the front camera, so you can take high-quality images from both. It doesn’t have quite the wide angle of the iPhone 6 Plus for the rear camera though, with the latter fitting in a little more image from the same distance.

The not so good

Despite the improved design, there are a few hangovers from previous versions of the device. It has the plastic fake leather back, which looks fine in the darker colours but not that great in the white. And unlike other Galaxy phones, such as the S5, it’s not waterproof. It seems a bit of an oversight, considering some of its competitors – most notably the Xperia Z3 – have gone down that route. For some reason the USB connection has also been downgraded. The Note 3 has USB 3.0, as does the the Galaxy S5. The Note 4 has stepped back to USB 2.0, with the standard micro USB connection. That means slower data transfers over USB between your phone and your PC.

The rest

The front-facing camera comes with an f1.9 aperture and, buying into the current trend, a “selfie” option that makes your skin look great. The wider aperture gets more light to the lens so you can take photos even in poor lighting conditions. The wide selfie option allows you to fit in a little more of the surroundings, with a 120-degree angle versus the regular 90 degrees.

The Note 4 brings in some of the technology from the S5, including the heart-rate sensor. Just as awkwardly placed, the Note 4’s sensor has a second function: it can be used to control the “selfie” camera. Simply tap to take a photo.

Battery life is also worth noting. The Note 4 easily lasted the day with considerable use and if you do find yourself running out of battery life before you can get to a charger, the Ultra Power Saving mode will get you a bit of leeway. The Note 4 has also improved its charging speed, so a half-hour charge gets you to about 50 per cent battery.

The Verdict

HHHH The Note 4 may just have struck the sweet spot between design and usefulness.