New Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Charcoal Black 32GB (AT&T)
This is My Opinion About This Product
After I buy this New Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Charcoal Black 32GB (AT&T) (Wireless Phone)
I've only had a little time to use this, so this is just my general overview. For technical specifications and professional reviews, there is always "Google it."
To make this review as efficient as possible, I will do a quick run-over, and also a comparison with other phones you might be most interested in comparing it to, especially the Note 3 that it replaces, the iPhone 6 Plus, the LG G3 since it shares more than a few similarities, and even the new upcoming Note 4 Edge.
Physical:
* The Note 4 is basically a Note 3 - if you've held one before, then you'll feel right at home. It's just a smidge taller, narrower, thicker, and heavier. But the main thing you'll notice is the design difference. Looking at it straight down onto the screen side, you might not notice much, but set it down and view it on all sides and you'll see a much better difference. It's like having a same car but the 2015 version over the 2014 version - at first you don't see any difference, until you go up close and realize the little things that make it really stand out. First of all, Samsung has finally paid attention to its best aesthetic competitor HTC, and followed suit with a real aluminum metal chamfered edges, and not the fake aluminum of the Note 3. It looks great. View it from the top and bottom edges, and you'll see an even more striking design change and upgrade. View it from the top edge especially and you'll see what I mean. Here is the first Samsung with truly beautiful edges - I would have never thought I would say that!
*The very next thing you'll notice once you turn it on is the screen. the LG G3 was the first QHD screen for America from a big company, but I can say that Samsung's AMOLED has come a long way, and is now the best on the market. The color gamut, saturation, contrast and black levels have always been great, but Samsung has also come a long way in terms of color reproduction, and especially making the screen still looking great in direct sunlight - it's only been two years since the Note 2, but Samsung has made amazing progress. QHD means 2560 x 1440 resolution - 515 ppi - and Samsung's is the brightest, clearest, and best screen on the planet right now.
*Other notable improvements are:
- Processor: upgraded Exynos and Snapdragon processors depending on where you buy it, upgrade GPU for you gaming aficionados. The Note 3 was one of the fastest and most powerful for its time, and is still one of the fastest phones right now(!), and yet the Note 4 is even faster! Swiping through screens, switching between apps, running a dozen apps, playing processing-intensive games, they all feel like a breeze.
- Upgraded cameras: 16MP on the back, 3.7MP on the front(instead of 13MP and 2MP). You can now record video in 4K mode!
- The pen/stylus is now made by Wacom, the famous stylus maker. Hardware and software improvements have made it more usable than ever.
- Samsung got rid of the USB 3 charging port of the Note 3 in favor of the more universal mini-USB 2, but improvements have made it possible to charge the battery from 0%-50% in 30 minutes. The battery is 3220mAh, up from 3200 in the Note 3. Both will get you through a whole day of moderate usage with a bunch to spare. I've never had it lower than 20% remaining using it from 10am-10pm with moderate to heavy usage. What you should know if you didn't already is that the screen uses the most battery. Keep leaving it on and it will drain fast, especially if you're playing a game. Other big battery hogs are leaving your GPS radio on - even if you are not actively using it - and apps that continually access your phone - like if you set your email to instant retrieval instead of every few hours.
By itself, this phone is a beast in many senses of the word. But how does it compare with the other phones, and is it a worthy buy or upgrade?
In comparison with the iPhone 6 Plus:
If you want a giant phone, the iPhone 6 Plus is a very intriguing option. If you're an Apple person, you're going to get this phone, that's just the truth. It has a beautiful 1080p screen(a very first for Apple), it's fast, and finally Apple has a phone that all Apple lovers who have been craving for a huge phone to have. The Apple ecosystem is still superior in terms of apps and userability. On the other hand, if you like Samsung, then you should absolutely get the Note 4. Samsung now has an almost perfect big phone, and each phone from now on will only get better. You will never regret getting this phone. If you're in the neutral, then it depends on your lifestyle. If you just want a big phone for everyday use, I personally think it's easier to use Apple phones. Everything is just right there - the learning curve is not very steep(until you get into iTunes and want to export stuff, but that's another issue). But if you want more control over your phone and you're more tech savvy, there is nothing better than the Android ecosystem - it has the best of all worlds, and for those more tech savvy, it's actually easier to use than Apple phones. As a user of both ecosystems, I can attest to this personally.
In comparison with the LG G3:
I wanted to include the G3 because both share the QHD-resolution screens. But the G3 is more compact, having smaller bezels and a smaller 5.5" screen. So if you still want a big phone, but feel the Note phones were just a tad too big, then the G3 has that perfect combination. It also has one of the best screens on the market, in LCD form, has a beautiful design, and the LG quality.
In comparison with the Note 4 Edge:
Personally for me, there is no comparison - I'm going to get and use the Note 4 Edge as my main phone. It has a smaller 5.6" screen, but that curve and design makes it oh so unique - it's the most unique and best-looking phone for me by far. Some will complain that with that form factor it will be very hard to have a case that can fully protect it, but so I will just be extra careful with it.
In comparison with the Note 3:
This might be most important comparison, because you own a Note 3. Moving from the Note 2 to Note 3 was easy for me, because my Not 2 had performance issues that my Note 3 doesn't(it would slow to a crawl when too many apps are installed/used, and when your text history is too large texting crawls to a stand still), plus the 1080p screen on the Note 3 is 10x better than the 720p Note 2's, not in just resolution, but brightness, color reproduction, sun-light legibility, etc. The differences from the Note 3 to the Note 4 is less pronounced, since at this size QHD over FHD resolution is not so pronounced - although if you put them side by side you will notice the difference. My advice is, if you resell your Note 3, then absolutely upgrade to the Note 4. If you can't, or can't upgrade and have to buy the Note 4 at full price, then I would say to wait until the Note 5. Or do what I will do, and get the Note 4 Edge.
By itself, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is a definite recommendation. As an upgrade, it is still highly recommended, with caveats. I will add to the review once I have used it more.
To make this review as efficient as possible, I will do a quick run-over, and also a comparison with other phones you might be most interested in comparing it to, especially the Note 3 that it replaces, the iPhone 6 Plus, the LG G3 since it shares more than a few similarities, and even the new upcoming Note 4 Edge.
Physical:
* The Note 4 is basically a Note 3 - if you've held one before, then you'll feel right at home. It's just a smidge taller, narrower, thicker, and heavier. But the main thing you'll notice is the design difference. Looking at it straight down onto the screen side, you might not notice much, but set it down and view it on all sides and you'll see a much better difference. It's like having a same car but the 2015 version over the 2014 version - at first you don't see any difference, until you go up close and realize the little things that make it really stand out. First of all, Samsung has finally paid attention to its best aesthetic competitor HTC, and followed suit with a real aluminum metal chamfered edges, and not the fake aluminum of the Note 3. It looks great. View it from the top and bottom edges, and you'll see an even more striking design change and upgrade. View it from the top edge especially and you'll see what I mean. Here is the first Samsung with truly beautiful edges - I would have never thought I would say that!
*The very next thing you'll notice once you turn it on is the screen. the LG G3 was the first QHD screen for America from a big company, but I can say that Samsung's AMOLED has come a long way, and is now the best on the market. The color gamut, saturation, contrast and black levels have always been great, but Samsung has also come a long way in terms of color reproduction, and especially making the screen still looking great in direct sunlight - it's only been two years since the Note 2, but Samsung has made amazing progress. QHD means 2560 x 1440 resolution - 515 ppi - and Samsung's is the brightest, clearest, and best screen on the planet right now.
*Other notable improvements are:
- Processor: upgraded Exynos and Snapdragon processors depending on where you buy it, upgrade GPU for you gaming aficionados. The Note 3 was one of the fastest and most powerful for its time, and is still one of the fastest phones right now(!), and yet the Note 4 is even faster! Swiping through screens, switching between apps, running a dozen apps, playing processing-intensive games, they all feel like a breeze.
- Upgraded cameras: 16MP on the back, 3.7MP on the front(instead of 13MP and 2MP). You can now record video in 4K mode!
- The pen/stylus is now made by Wacom, the famous stylus maker. Hardware and software improvements have made it more usable than ever.
- Samsung got rid of the USB 3 charging port of the Note 3 in favor of the more universal mini-USB 2, but improvements have made it possible to charge the battery from 0%-50% in 30 minutes. The battery is 3220mAh, up from 3200 in the Note 3. Both will get you through a whole day of moderate usage with a bunch to spare. I've never had it lower than 20% remaining using it from 10am-10pm with moderate to heavy usage. What you should know if you didn't already is that the screen uses the most battery. Keep leaving it on and it will drain fast, especially if you're playing a game. Other big battery hogs are leaving your GPS radio on - even if you are not actively using it - and apps that continually access your phone - like if you set your email to instant retrieval instead of every few hours.
By itself, this phone is a beast in many senses of the word. But how does it compare with the other phones, and is it a worthy buy or upgrade?
In comparison with the iPhone 6 Plus:
If you want a giant phone, the iPhone 6 Plus is a very intriguing option. If you're an Apple person, you're going to get this phone, that's just the truth. It has a beautiful 1080p screen(a very first for Apple), it's fast, and finally Apple has a phone that all Apple lovers who have been craving for a huge phone to have. The Apple ecosystem is still superior in terms of apps and userability. On the other hand, if you like Samsung, then you should absolutely get the Note 4. Samsung now has an almost perfect big phone, and each phone from now on will only get better. You will never regret getting this phone. If you're in the neutral, then it depends on your lifestyle. If you just want a big phone for everyday use, I personally think it's easier to use Apple phones. Everything is just right there - the learning curve is not very steep(until you get into iTunes and want to export stuff, but that's another issue). But if you want more control over your phone and you're more tech savvy, there is nothing better than the Android ecosystem - it has the best of all worlds, and for those more tech savvy, it's actually easier to use than Apple phones. As a user of both ecosystems, I can attest to this personally.
In comparison with the LG G3:
I wanted to include the G3 because both share the QHD-resolution screens. But the G3 is more compact, having smaller bezels and a smaller 5.5" screen. So if you still want a big phone, but feel the Note phones were just a tad too big, then the G3 has that perfect combination. It also has one of the best screens on the market, in LCD form, has a beautiful design, and the LG quality.
In comparison with the Note 4 Edge:
Personally for me, there is no comparison - I'm going to get and use the Note 4 Edge as my main phone. It has a smaller 5.6" screen, but that curve and design makes it oh so unique - it's the most unique and best-looking phone for me by far. Some will complain that with that form factor it will be very hard to have a case that can fully protect it, but so I will just be extra careful with it.
In comparison with the Note 3:
This might be most important comparison, because you own a Note 3. Moving from the Note 2 to Note 3 was easy for me, because my Not 2 had performance issues that my Note 3 doesn't(it would slow to a crawl when too many apps are installed/used, and when your text history is too large texting crawls to a stand still), plus the 1080p screen on the Note 3 is 10x better than the 720p Note 2's, not in just resolution, but brightness, color reproduction, sun-light legibility, etc. The differences from the Note 3 to the Note 4 is less pronounced, since at this size QHD over FHD resolution is not so pronounced - although if you put them side by side you will notice the difference. My advice is, if you resell your Note 3, then absolutely upgrade to the Note 4. If you can't, or can't upgrade and have to buy the Note 4 at full price, then I would say to wait until the Note 5. Or do what I will do, and get the Note 4 Edge.
By itself, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is a definite recommendation. As an upgrade, it is still highly recommended, with caveats. I will add to the review once I have used it more.
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