Samsung galaxy note 4 resolution. Examples of video shooting

In theory, the differences between these chips are huge. The Snapdragon 805 has only four processor cores, while the Exynos 7 Octa has a total of eight cores. More precisely, two quad-core clusters with different clock frequencies. All processor cores of this chip can work simultaneously if necessary. On the other hand, the Qualcomm processor runs at a higher clock speed of up to 2.7 gigahertz. Meanwhile, the faster Exynos cores are 1.9 gigahertz, while the slower ones boast a clock speed of just 1.3 gigahertz.

In recent years, it has become a tradition for Samsung to release its flagship phones in two versions. Based on its own Exynos processor and on a chip from another manufacturer, which is most often Qualcomm. Top-end phablets are no exception to this rule. Some of them have quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, while others are equipped with the Exynos 7 chipset. What does this mean for users?


Phone Arena columnist Nick T tried to figure this issue out, posting on the pages of this resource the results of testing two versions of the Galaxy Note 4 with Snapdragon and Exynos processors using various benchmarks. He notes that US carriers offer phones powered by the Snapdragon processor, while the Exynos-powered model is mainly present in some markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. There are a number of things known about the Galaxy Note 4. But the fact that the phone is presented on the market in two varieties with different processors is relatively little known, as well as the differences that are caused by one processor or another.

But all this is just the “tip of the silicon iceberg.” Chipsets and graphics processors differ. Snapdragon 805 has Adreno 420, and Exynos 7 Octa has Mali-T760. Luckily, both support QHD displays remarkably well, while also boasting support for OpenGL ES 3.1 and Direct3D 11.1. But differences in GPU architecture mean that they operate differently.

Smartphones based on two different processors were tested with benchmarks to determine the chip with the highest performance.

During the testing process, eight benchmark tools were used to test the single-core and multi-core performance of the Snapdragon 805 and Exynos 7 Octa, their ability to process 2D and 3D graphics, and the speed of operation random access memory, storage and web navigation. Before testing began, both phones were reset to factory settings.

It should be noted right away that it is very difficult to choose the best of these processors, but, as a number of tests show, Exynos has some superiority. However, according to the results of the AnTuTu benchmark, the Qualcomm processor received higher scores in most single- and multi-core tests. And the results of benchmark tests from Vellamo, Geekbench, Basemark and PC Mark show that single- and multi-core performance is higher on the Exynos 7 Octa.

Graphic arts

In this regard, the Snapdragon 805 is definitely in the lead. In testing, it outperformed the Exynos chip in all benchmark tests, including AnTuTu (2D and 3D graphics testing), Basemark graphics benchmark, 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited and GFX Bench.

RAM and storage

The speed of working with RAM during testing turned out to be higher for the version Samsung Galaxy Note 4 based on Exynos 7 Octa. As for the performance of the drive, both devices performed almost identically.

Web benchmark

The results were contradictory. The Vellamo and AnTuTu HTML5 benchmarks rank the Exynos-based version of the phone higher. And Basemark and SunSpider tests suggest that the native browser speed is more impressive on the Note 4 Snapdragon 805.

Smartphone manufacturers sometimes integrate an option into their phones that forces the processor to work at maximum speed when running a benchmark application, notes Nick Tee. But in the case of the Galaxy Note 4, this was not observed - the clock frequency changed dynamically during testing, as during normal operation of the device.

Which version of Galaxy Note 4 is more powerful?

Both chips are quite powerful, and each has some edge in certain tasks. Exynos 7 Octa based phone version shows top scores computing power and RAM speed, which for the user means faster execution and loading of applications. On the other hand, the model powered by the Snapdragon 805 chip tops the graphics benchmark tests, meaning it is more suitable for gaming. However, both versions of the Galaxy Note 4 are, the differences between which are minimal.

Benchmark results (in points)

AnTuTu 5.3:

Benchmark AnTuTu
— 46910;
— 48430.

32-bit CPU test (single core)
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 7746;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 6749.

32-bit CPU test (multi-core)
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 26451;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 22924.

HTML 5 Benchmark
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 9324;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 11284.

Integer operations central processor(CPU) (single core test)
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 2238;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 1873.

Central Processing Unit (CPU) Floating Point Operations (Single Core Test)
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 2710;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 2209.

Central Processing Unit (CPU) Integer Operations (Multi-Core Test)
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 3079;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 4089.

Central Processing Unit (CPU) Floating Point Operations (Multi-Core Test)
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 3770;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 4947.

RAM operations
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1950;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 3291.

RAM speed
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 2014;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 3247.

Drive input and output
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 2561;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 2566.

Database input and output
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 683;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 658.

UX multitasking
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 7331;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 6645.

UX Runtime
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 2460;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 1999.

2D graphics (GPU)
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1664;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 1620.

3D graphics (GPU)
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 16469;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 15287.

Basemark OS II 1.0.10:

General
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1315;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 1238.

System
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1687;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 1917.

Memory
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 658;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 871.

Graphic arts
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 3390;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 1981.

Web
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 793;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 712.

Vellamo 3.1:

Samsung testing Browser
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 3346;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 4018.

Testing the Chrome browser
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 3278;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 3421.

Multi-core performance
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1811;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 2094.

Metal
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1840;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 1940.

Geekbench 3.2.5:

Single core test
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1122;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 1242.

Multi-core test
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 3323;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 4089.

PC Mark 1.2:

Job
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 4019;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 4614.

Points
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 20513;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 19891.

Graphic arts
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 21001;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 20651.

Physical test
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 18979;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa — 17625.

GFX Bench 3.0:

Manhattan
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 683 / 11.0 fps;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa - 659 / 10.6 fps.

Manhattan Offscreen 1080p
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1027 / 18.5 fps;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa - 1021 / 16.5 fps.

T-Rex
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1481 / 26.4 fps;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa - 1372 / 24.5 fps.

T-Rex Offscreen 1080p
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 2356 / 42.1 fps;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa - 1880 / 33.6 fps.

SunSpider 1.0.2:

Samsung Browser
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 372 ms;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa - 396.3 ms.

Chrome browser
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Snapdragon 805 — 1165.6 ms;
Galaxy Note 4 powered by Exynos 7 Octa - 966.4 ms.

The processor is one of the main components of a smartphone. Which processor do you prefer, the eight-core Samsung Exynos 7 Octa or the Snapdragon 805 with a higher clock speed, but “just” a quad-core? Does it even matter which of these chips the smartphone is based on?

Having inherited the “family” design and the electronic S Pen, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 tablet received a screen with a huge Quad HD resolution and - for the first time - a metal body. What else is interesting about one of the most advanced “shovels” on the market, Vesti.Hitek found out.

It would not be a great exaggeration to say that the Galaxy Note 4 is a “star” of the first magnitude among tablet phones. Fulfilling the mission of a technological flagship, this device incorporates most of today's top mobile technologies. Note that the Galaxy Note family, in addition to the business audience, is also positioned for people in creative professions, which require, in particular, the ability to draw or photo and text editing skills. It is no secret that smartphones with large screens often jokingly called "shovels". So, the Galaxy Note 4 seems to have everything to easily clear away the rubble of everyday tasks. So, let's evaluate the main capabilities of the new device.

Specifications

• Model: SM-N910C
• operating system: Android 4.4.4 (KitKat), TouchWiz interface
• Display: 5.7 inches, capacitive Super AMOLED, Quad HD resolution (2560x1440 pixels), 515 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Processor: 8-core Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 5433 (4 cores ARM Cortex-A57, 1.9 GHz and 4 cores Cortex-A53, 1.3 GHz), big.LITTLE GTS
• Graphics: ARM Mali-T760 MP6 (700 MHz)
• Memory: 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal, support for microSDXC cards up to 128 GB
• Camera: main - Sony IMX240 Exmor RS, 16 MP, 1/2.6 inch BSI sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 31 mm EGF, autofocus, optical stabilization (Smart OIS), UHD 4K video recording (3840x2160@30fps); front - 3.7 MP, f/1.9 aperture, video recording 2560x1440@30fps
• Communications: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz), VHT80, MIMO (2x2), Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, OTG USB, NFC, ANT+, IR port
• Communication: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 3G UMTS, 4G FDD LTE (Cat.4)
• Navigation: GLONASS/GPS/Beidou
• SIM card type: microSIM (3FF)
• Sensors: proximity, light, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetic field sensor, heart rate sensors, hand movement, fingerprint, ultraviolet radiation
• Battery: removable, lithium-ion, 3,220 mAh (3.85 V)
• Dimensions: 153.5x78.6x8.5 mm
• Weight: 176 grams
• Colors: black, white, bronze, pink

Design, ergonomics

The new addition to the Galaxy Note family has retained its recognizable appearance, despite new trends in the design of the company's smartphones.

In particular, this concerns the shaped metal frame with a slight bend that runs along the perimeter of the device, which provides its exterior with the necessary rigor and style. True, unlike, for example, the frame is now painted in the main color of the body, which can be black, white, bronze or pink. Only the silver chamfers along the edges of the frame indicate the presence of metal. As for the dimensions of the new tablet phone, compared to the Galaxy Note 3, they have changed quite slightly - 153.5x78.6x8.5 mm versus 151.2x79.2x8.3 mm. This is easily explained by the fact that the diagonal of the device’s screen remained unchanged (5.7 inches). But the weight increased by 8 grams (176 g versus 168 g). By the way, we note that in the tablet phone they did not bother with the dust and moisture protection of the device, as, for example, in the case Galaxy flagship S5 (IP67).

The barely noticeable “bulge” of the screen, which curves towards the edges of the body, is explained by the use of 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass from Corning in the Galaxy Note 3. By the way, the display itself occupies 74.39% of the front surface of the tablet, despite the fact that, for example, in the Galaxy S5 this ratio is only 69.76%.

There are holes in the upper part of the front panel for LED indicator charging/events, speaker grille, lens front camera, as well as proximity and lighting sensors.

A fingerprint scanner was added to the oval mechanical “Home”/“Home Screen” button under the display, as in the Galaxy S5, which was not present in the previous model of the family. Selected touch buttons "Recent Applications" and "Back" are not visible without backlighting, the operating time of which is adjusted in a special menu item.

The thin metal power/lock key still occupies the right edge of the device,

and the left one has a metal volume rocker.

At the bottom end there is a microUSB connector, two holes for microphones,

as well as a pencil case for the S Pen electronic pen,

and on the top there is another hole for a third microphone, a 3.5 mm audio headset jack and an IR port peephole.

At removable back cover The “skin-like” stylization has been preserved, while the design seems to have become more prominent. The material used here is soft-touch plastic, pleasant to the touch. But the decorative “stitching” along the contour of the lid, emphasizing the texture, has disappeared somewhere. Under the rear panel there is access to the battery with a built-in NFC antenna, as well as slots for microSD and microSIM cards. In this case, to install the latter, you must first remove the battery.

There are two holes in the upper part of the cover: for the main camera lens, as well as for the LED flash unit and a multifunctional sensor (heart rate, blood oxygen concentration and ultraviolet radiation). The “multimedia” speaker grille, which was located on the bottom end of the Galaxy Note 3, has moved to the bottom of the panel. There is a small gap on the left side of the cover (rear view), which makes it quite easy to remove.

The coating on the back cover not only provides a pleasant tactile sensation, but also, together with the edges and protrusions of the metal frame, protects the device from slipping out of your hands. In addition, the settings provide special tools for convenient control tablet with one hand.

Screen, camera, sound

The display is, of course, the main hardware feature of the Galaxy Note 4. Experts from DisplayMate, which specializes in testing screens, even noted this element of the new tablet as the best on the market. The 5.7-inch Super AMOLED matrix provides a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels (Quad HD, 2K). Compared to the Galaxy Note 3 screen (Full HD, 1920x1080), the total number of pixels has increased by almost 1.8 times, and the pixel density per inch has increased, respectively, from 386 ppi to 515 ppi. Thanks to this, a very clear picture is formed on the display, rich in colors and with large viewing angles. Even the used scheme with two PenTile RGBG subpixels, which all Super AMOLED displays “sin” with, no longer plays a special role.

To correct color reproduction that may seem too acidic, four profiles are available in the screen settings: “Basic”, “AMOLED Photo”, “AMOLED Movie” and “Adaptive Display”. In the latter case, automatic optimization is performed color range, image saturation and sharpness for only a few applications, but compatibility with third-party programs is not guaranteed. The tablet can be operated with gloves if you enable the option to increase the sensitivity of the touch screen layer in the settings.

With good anti-glare properties, the screen has a fairly decent reserve of brightness, which allows you to use it comfortably, including in sunlight. The brightness level can be adjusted manually or use it automatic tuning by light sensor. The capacitive screen of the Galaxy Note 4 supports multi-touch, and AntTuTu Tester and MultiTouch Tester programs confirmed that up to ten simultaneous presses are recognized. The manufacturer claims that the response time of the matrix is ​​one millionth of a second. The advantages of the screen also include a very good oleophobic coating.

The main camera of the tablet received a Sony IMX240 Exmor RS photo module, where the 16-megapixel sensor is located on a 1/2.6-inch BSI matrix, and the aperture of the 31 mm lens is f/2.2. Autofocus and LED flash are also not forgotten. The “smart” optical stabilization system (Smart OIS) compensates for slight shaking of the smartphone, allowing you to avoid “shaking”, and also automatically extends the exposure time in low light conditions. The maximum possible image resolution is 5312x2988 pixels (16 MP) with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and 3984x2988 pixels (12 MP) with a 4:3 frame aspect ratio. Examples of photos can be viewed (Dropbox).

The front camera has an impressive 3.7-megapixel sensor with an f/1.9 aperture, and, in addition to the quite expected “Self-Portrait”, it supports a panoramic shooting mode (viewing angle of 120 degrees) for group “crossbows”. The resulting selfies, as usual, can be adjusted, decorated and improved. The maximum resolution for “yourself” here is 2560x1440 pixels (3.7 MP, 16:9), and with the classic aspect ratio - 1920x1440 pixels (2.8 MP, 4:3).

The organization and design of the interface in the Camera application is practically no different from what is used, for example, in a smartphone. Required shortcuts frequently used settings are easily set on main screen. In addition to Auto, there are also more than a dozen dedicated modes, including Self Portrait, Selective Focus (once the shot is taken, you can select near, far or panoramic focus) and Panorama.

The main camera can shoot 4K or UHD video (3840x2160 pixels, 16:9) at 30 fps. And the front camera best entry at the same frame rate it is obtained only in Quad HD quality (2560x1440 pixels, 16:9). All content is saved in MP4 container files (AVC - video, AAC - audio).

The sound of the Galaxy Note 4's "multimedia" speaker is not very loud, but pleasant. It is practically not muffled, even when the smartphone is lying with the screen facing up (but on a hard surface, of course). Playback is quite clear, with noticeable bass and treble.

Three microphones (two on the bottom and one on the top end of the device) successfully cope not only with noise reduction. Thus, three more recording modes have been added to the Voice Recorder application. In "Interview" sounds are recorded from two directions (from different ends of the tablet). In Meeting/Meeting, the device can distinguish up to 8 audio sources, and some of them can be excluded after recording is complete. And “Voice Note” allows you to immediately convert the recorded voice into text.

Filling, performance

Currently, Galaxy Note 4 is one of the most powerful smartphones in the world. Its model SM-N910C is based on the latest single-chip system manufactured by Samsung - Exynos 7 Octa 5433. Let us recall that the previous generation Galaxy Note 3 tablet hides under its hood an Exynos 5 Octa 5420 crystal, created taking into account less stringent design standards (28 nm versus 20 nm), which affects its performance and power consumption.

The Exynos 7 Octa 5433 chip architecture -- big.LITTLE GTS (Global Task Scheduling) -- also includes eight processor cores, four of which are high-performance and the remaining four are energy-efficient. However, at the same time, the place of the ARM Cortex-A15 and ARM Cortex-A7 cores was taken by the ARM Cortex-A57 and ARM Cortex-A53, respectively, operating at maximum clock frequencies of 1.9 GHz and 1.3 GHz, respectively. The main difference between the new cores is that they are based on the 64-bit ARMv8 architecture, of course, with full support existing 32-bit applications. In terms of performance, they are said to be about 50% superior to their predecessors. Recall that support for heterogeneous multiprocessing allows you to use all cores of the chip simultaneously. For graphics processing, the chip provides a special ARM Mali-T760 MP6 accelerator. Six powerful execution units operating at frequencies up to 700 MHz have allowed it to gain a reputation as one of the fastest in its class. The basic configuration of the device is complemented by 3 GB of RAM. An 8-core processor with a graphics accelerator copes with high screen resolutions without any problems.

In synthetic tests AnTuTu Benchmark 5.2.0, the new tablet phone looked the most impeccable. Having received the title of “monster” and having collected 49,839 “virtual parrots”, he, in particular, did not leave a single chance, for example, to the flagship. Note that the Galaxy Note 3 could count on about 35 thousand “virtual birds” in this test.

In the Vellamo 3.0 benchmarks for multi-core tests (MultiCore), the Galaxy Note 4 was in the lead with a score of 1,883 points, but was only second in the “horsepower” assessment on the processor test (Metal), losing to the “flagship killer” OnePlus One (1570 vs. 1653).

On the Epic Citadel visual test with variable settings of High Performance and High Quality (performance at the expense of quality and vice versa), the average frame rate at a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels differed only in values ​​after the decimal point - 58.7 and 58.5 fps. Changing the setting to Ultra High Quality predictably reduced the value of this parameter (to 46.8 fps).

The tablet also performed very confidently on the universal gaming benchmark 3DMark, where the results obtained by the Galaxy Note 3 in the Ice Storm Extreme tests simply went off scale.

Of the 32GB of internal storage, approximately 24.4GB is available, which can be expanded by another 128GB using microSDXC cards. In addition, external flash drives are easily connected using an OTG USB cable.

The tablet's flagship communications suite seems to include everything you need: dual-band Wi-Fi module 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, ANT+, IR port, NFC. In addition, Galaxy Note 4 can work in Russian LTE (Cat. 4) cellular networks. Let us note, by the way, that using bluetooth 4.1 allows you to reduce interference with LTE on adjacent frequency bands.

Satellites can be used for positioning and navigation GPS systems, GLONASS and Beidou. There is also A-GPS support. This, in particular, is evidenced by the readings of the AndroiTS GPS Test program.

Compared to last year's version, the capacity lithium ion battery in Galaxy Note 4 increased very slightly from 3,200 mAh to 3,220 mAh. At the same time, for the Galaxy Note 4, the manufacturer stated the operating time on the Internet (3G/LTE/Wi-Fi) is 11, 10 and 13 hours, respectively. But video playback takes up to 12 hours. Thus, our test video in MP4 format and Full HD quality at full brightness played continuously for just over 9 hours, which, generally speaking, is very good.

In AnTuTu Tester battery tests, the tablet earned 6,872 points, ahead of a 6-inch (4,837) with the same Quad HD resolution and a fairly capacious 4,000 mAh lithium-polymer battery. In practice, the autonomy of the new tablet phone is approximately at the same level as that of the Galaxy Note 3. The fast charging function allows you to fill the battery from zero to 50% in about half an hour, however, this will require a special 2-mode (5 V; 2 A and 9 V; 1.67 A) Charger, either included in the kit or meeting the Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 specification.

Traditional smartphones are here to stay Samsung modes energy saving, including extreme, which turns the device into a simple “dialer”. Typical common energy-saving measures include restrictions on background data and/or performance, as well as the elimination of color interface images.

Software

On top of the latest Android versions 4.4.4 (KitKat) Galaxy Note 3 uses the well-known proprietary shell from Samsung - TouchWiz. Compared to the one used in the Galaxy S5, little has changed, although there are still some differences. And the most important of them concerns multitasking. Let us recall that back in 2012, the Galaxy Note II offered the ability to simultaneously run two programs by dividing the space big screen between them.

Galaxy Note 4's Multi Window feature allows you to effectively multitask your device by choosing the most convenient way to access applications - full screen, split into multiple windows, or pop-up windows. The size and location of such windows on the screen, which, by the way, can overlap each other, can be easily changed. When minimized, there will be round icons on top of everything indicating application windows. Switching any program to reduced window mode is done with a simple gesture (swipe your finger from the top corner of the screen down diagonally).

By the way, your own news feed is no longer formed by the My Magazine application (as in the Galaxy Note 3), but by Briefing.

Among the pre-installed programs on the Galaxy Note 4, it is worth noting clients of popular services, including Evernote, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

But in updated application S Health can not only count your steps and monitor your heart rate, but also measure your blood oxygen saturation and, in addition, the level of ultraviolet radiation.

How alternative way security for locking screens, logging into websites, and checking account Samsung is comfortable using fingerprints. It is recommended to scan and memorize the images of three different fingers (thumb, middle and index).

Work withSPen

The S Pen is an electronic pen key feature Galaxy Note family.

The body of the plastic stylus, which received a ribbed texture in the fourth generation, has become more ergonomic. The increase in functionality did not affect the size of this tool, and the principle of operation has not changed. Now, in addition to the tilt angle, rotation and movement speed, the stylus is capable of recognizing 2048 degrees of pressure, that is, its sensitivity has doubled compared to the same Galaxy Note 3 accessory.

The context menu can be launched either by taking out the pen from the pencil case,

or by holding the S Pen tip above the screen while pressing the button on the pen. The list offers access to four (not five, as was the case in the Galaxy Note 3) commands. Thus, “Action Note” helps you write text that, after recognition, will be used, for example, as a phone number, SMS message, email and so on. The Smart Select command allows you to quickly collect content by storing selected items by drawing a rectangular outline around them and then allowing you to extract text. Together with the Scrapbook feature, this allows you to collect, save and share content from different sources (web pages, video files). The Crop Image and Caption on Screenshot commands save a randomly cropped portion of an image to a file, and also take a screenshot on which you can write, draw, or send it to other users.

Creating signature notes that include photos, images, typed and handwritten text continues to be supported by the S Note app. It offers its own templates, writing and drawing tools, voice recognition, and more. By the way, the program settings allow you to use your finger when creating notes using the S Pen. S Note files are offered to be synchronized with Samsung and Evernote accounts.

With S Note's Photo Note feature, you can take pictures of notes, such as from paper, the screen, or a chalkboard, so that you can use them as notes after processing. For those who are interested in painting, the Galaxy Note 4 has added the PEN.UP program, where you can look at the work of other users made using the S Pen and post your own.

Purchase, conclusions

The combination of high-performance hardware and good battery life, an excellent Quad HD screen and a wonderful camera with optical stabilization makes the Galaxy Note 4 one of the best tablet phones on the market. And if we take into account the updated functionality of the S Pen electronic pen with accompanying software, then the new product simply has no direct competitors. At the same time, do not forget about the fingerprint scanner, various sensors and other proprietary features of this device, including, in particular, multi-window mode. Of course, the lack of dust and moisture protection, as well as wireless charging, can hardly be attributed to the advantages of the Galaxy Note 4. But, perhaps, only the high price, which at the time of writing the review, according to Yandex.Market, averaged 36,990 rubles, - the main drawback of the new tablet phone.

Galaxy Note 4 should be strongly recommended to those who have already appreciated the advantages of the S Pen electronic pen on previous models of the Galaxy Note family, or are planning to make the most of the capabilities of this accessory in their business or creativity. Otherwise, a better choice among smartphones with large screens would be a device without an electronic pen, which, moreover, is cheaper.

Review results Samsung smartphone Galaxy Note 4

Pros:

• Record high performance
• Quad HD screen
• Camera with optical stabilization
• Good autonomy
• Availability of S Pen stylus

Minuses:

• High starting price
• No wireless charging
• No protection against dust and moisture

The most obvious change is that the Samsung-made processor has been replaced by a new 64-bit Exynos 5433 model based on the more modern Cortex A57/A53 architecture, so in theory power consumption should drop slightly. And the version based on the Qualcomm SoC has evolved only to the 805 model, although many were waiting for the 810. The Mali-T760 video chip, which is superior to its predecessor, should cope with the increased resolution. It's sad, but the battery capacity has remained virtually unchanged, and the weight has increased slightly due to the use of aluminum.

We received a version of the smartphone with Exynos 5433 for testing - it is this version that will be supplied to the Russian Federation with the official manufacturer’s warranty.

Packaging and accessories

Unfortunately, we received the smartphone without a kit, which is typical for a Samsung representative office, so there is no point in judging the delivery. One can only assume that there is nothing supernatural in the box with the device, since models for the foreign market do not pamper consumers with a wealth of included accessories.

Appearance and design

From the outside, the hero of this review is unmistakably recognizable as “some kind of Samsung gadget,” in other words, the corporate style is perfectly maintained.

On the reverse side, the cover is made of soft plastic, which is familiar to us from modern Samsung smartphones in the upper price range. In my opinion, such a solution looks controversial, but I must admit that holding on to such a surface is extremely convenient. Moreover, the material perfectly resists damage, and dirt on it is not very visible.

In terms of dimensions, we still have the same “reference tablet phone”, except that under the camera there is now a heart rate monitor with an additional red LED indicator.

The volume button is on the left; during a conversation, it is convenient to press it with your index finger (if you can reach it). The lock button is located on the opposite side.

At the bottom there is a MicroUSB port, two microphones and a stylus socket. On top you can find a 3.5 mm jack, an infrared port and a slot for a noise reduction microphone.

This photo clearly shows that the bottom of the case is rounded, while the top end has a rectangular cross-section, not counting the extension for the AUX socket.

The frames around the display are very thin, which can cause phantom clicks in the first few days - the size of the device affects it.

The “highlight” of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 – the stylus – has not gone away either. It has one button that can be used to bring up the quick menu.

The stylus is inserted into the bottom end, on the right. If you hold the smartphone vertically, you will have to use your right hand - which is convenient, since in order to put the pen back, you do not need to grab the gadget. They took it out with their right hand, and put it down with their right hand.

The tip is made of soft plastic, and the overall feel of using this pen is similar to that of Wacom tablets.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 SM-N910C is an annual update to the Galaxy Note line of phablets. Despite the fact that the dimensions of the first Note caused laughter among many, over time even Apple recognized the success of this format by releasing its 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is similar in appearance to Samsung Galaxy Alpha: similar design, metal frame and protruding camera lens.

As for the capabilities of the smartphone, in our opinion, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is one of best offers in its category. It has an excellent Quad HD display (2560x1440 pixels) with incredible clarity, one of best cameras, enviable time battery life(half a day of HD video in our tests), wide functionality, the boundaries of which are expanded using the S Pen stylus, powerful hardware, fingerprint scanner. All this makes the Galaxy Note 4 not just a smartphone, but a working machine for solving a wide range of tasks.

Whether you want to shoot signature videos, cool panoramas, or more than just side-by-side shots, one of the best cameras is at your service. Thanks to multi-window mode, you can, for example, watch movies and read email at the same time. Wide viewing angles of the bright, technologically advanced display will allow you to show your friends videos or high-quality photos. To watch Full HD video online, the kit includes high-speed Wi-Fi and LTE Advanced. I wanted to play with cool toys - the filling will allow it.

Among the shortcomings of the Galaxy Note 4, we note that at maximum resolution and at the highest settings, new games may slow down in some “heavy” scenes; nevertheless, 3.7 million pixels on the screen make themselves felt. During our two-week test, the smartphone froze a couple of times. In addition, replacing micro-USB 3.0 with the “older” 2.0 looks like a small step back. Also, for that kind of money, I would like to see protection against water and dust, because the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Galaxy S5 mini have it.

To summarize, let's say that if you want to get everything all at once, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with its wide functionality is for you. However, you can easily get lost in the huge list of settings and functions, and a large amount of pre-installed software can irritate many. If you are one of those who need a premium smartphone, where everything is simple and clear, then you can take the iPhone 6 Plus. Technologically smartphone iPhone The 6 Plus is “simpler” in almost all respects, but it’s faster, and it’s also thinner and has an aluminum body. If you are the owner of a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, then do not rush to upgrade and switch to a more expensive “four”: the Full HD display is already quite clear, and the hardware will last for at least another year, and the kit also includes a stylus.

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Dimensions and weight - 3.8

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4, like its predecessor, has a diagonal of 5.7 inches. We can say that, at least for now, the growth of diagonals has stopped, and we’ll see what happens next next year. Externally, the new product resembled the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Alpha design model. It was on the Galaxy Alpha that the new processor, design and metal frame were tested, which are now in the service of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

What has changed compared to the Galaxy Note 3? The speaker above the Samsung inscription has become two holes shorter. The front panel feels somewhat reminiscent of the laminated display of the Apple iPhone 6. There are horizontal lines running along the plastic around the display. The back panel remains “leather-like”, but now there is no row of quilted ties along the edges of the panel. The camera lens also protrudes from the body. Let's remember that on the Galaxy Note 3 the lens was visually united by a common outline with the flash, and protruded together from the body. In the new model they “stand on their own”, and the flash no longer “sticks out” from the body. The position of the speaker has also changed: it is not on the bottom end, like the previous model, but on the back. As for the stylus, it remains at the bottom.

The metal frame that runs along the ends deserves special attention. In general, it is the same as that of the Samsung Galaxy Alpha: near the lower and upper ends it thickens slightly on the sides of the smartphone; near the front and back panels the frame is cut off and barely noticeably rises above the front of the device.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is a large and heavy device. Its dimensions are 151x79x8.5 mm, and its weight is 176 grams, which is thicker and slightly heavier than the iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy Note 3. With a 5.7-inch diagonal, there is no need to talk about using the smartphone with one hand - only with the use of special smartphone features, such as a smaller screen size and the presence of a side key panel. The build quality is excellent - the smartphone is very durable, nothing bends or creaks. However, in the sample we bought for testing, the speaker holes on the front panel at the top are located crookedly - they are not all on the same straight line. In principle, this is a small thing, but completely unexpected. We also note that the Galaxy Note 4 does not receive protection from water and dust.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 can be purchased in white, black, gold and pink colors.

Screen - 4.9

The display diagonal of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is 5.7 inches, and with its huge Quad HD resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, the PPI value is off the charts - 515 pixels per inch! Only LG G3 and Motorola DROID Turbo, but that's because they have smaller, smaller displays. In our opinion, such super-clarity is no longer needed and can have a bad effect on the autonomy of the device.

As is usually the case in the Galaxy Note line, the display uses a Super AMOLED matrix based on organic light-emitting diodes. The display is covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3 - yes, it will collect fingerprints, but they can be easily wiped off. Thanks to Super AMOLED technology, viewing angles are very wide. The maximum brightness of the display in our tests reached 415 cd/m2, considering that this display does not need a separate backlight layer and the LEDs themselves glow in it, this is high brightness, visually it is extremely bright. The display remains readable in direct sunlight, and the display also features automatic brightness adjustment. The smartphone supports glove mode. We tested this: the device responds even if your hands are wearing double-layer gloves; answering a call outside in cold weather or scrolling through a couple of screens to read a book or article is just right.

In addition, there are 4 different screen modes, as in many Samsung devices with this type of display: adaptive, AMOLED movie, AMOLED photo and basic. In addition to this, in the settings it is possible to adjust the color rendering, however, we were not able to do this: after passing a mini-test to match the colors of the icons, the phone displayed a message that everything was set up normally and there was no need to change anything.

Cameras - 4.9

According to our tests, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4's camera is one of the best available today. Compared to its predecessor, the cameras of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 are noticeably “heavier” in terms of megapixels. Thus, the main camera received 16 MP versus 13 on the Galaxy Note 3, and the rear camera received 3.7 versus 2 MP. Used in Galaxy Note 4 new technology ISOCELL, which forms barriers between pixels, allowing more photons to be received per pixel.

The camera has a wide range of functions: a large selection of effects ranging from fisheye to vintage and sepia, there is also a dual LED lights, autofocus, multiple shooting modes and optical image stabilization. The camera takes panoramas, has an HDR mode, face and smile recognition, and parallel photo and video shooting. We can say that there is almost everything, the only thing missing is virtual effects for entertainment, as, for example, on the Sony Xperia Z3.

The maximum photo resolution is 5312×2988 pixels. The quality of the images is excellent, especially in good lighting; in poor lighting, in our opinion, the camera is a little lacking. The camera interface is simple and concise. In addition to the main camera, there is a 3.7 megapixel front camera with the ability to automatically shoot when a smile is detected on the face, and you can also take panoramic selfies. By the way, 3.7 MP in camera resolution is not without reason - approximately the same number of pixels fit on the device’s display. As for shooting video, the camera shoots video at 1440p resolution, matching the resolution of its display. This resolution for a front camera is very unusual; as a rule, many smartphones are limited to Full HD video.

The main camera of the smartphone can shoot 4K video - 3840x2160 pixels at 30 fps. It features slow-motion shooting with Full HD video at 60 fps. Slow motion video at 120 or 240 fps, like Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 does not. In the video settings, you can turn on video stabilization; tracking autofocus is also available, but if you move the phone sharply and start shooting close objects, the camera takes quite a long time to readjust to the desired distance. Overall, the camera takes excellent quality photos and videos, but only in good lighting.

Photos from the camera Samsung Galaxy Note 4 - 4.9

Working with text - 3.0

The standard keyboard on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is comfortable, with a Swype feature for text entry, as well as a separate row of number keys above the main keyboard block. The disadvantage is the lack of markup of additional characters and, in our opinion, not the most convenient system for switching between languages ​​without separate key- you will have to hold down the spacebar and swipe to the side. However, perhaps the most inconvenient thing is the absence of a comma on the “main” keyboard screen; to enter it you need to call an additional menu, or hold down the period key and select a comma from the pop-up menu. For lovers of the “antique”, you can choose a 3 by 4 keyboard (12 large icons), you can also configure hot keys - for example, you can enter a predefined phrase or word by holding down a certain number.

Internet - 3.0

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 comes with a standard Internet browser pre-installed as a browser with a Magnifier function and Google Chrome with support for synchronizing tabs with the desktop version of the browser. Both browsers can scale the page to fit the text to a pre-selected size. Both do not have a separate reading mode for multiple page scaling. Chrome can offer traffic monitoring and reduction through data compression. In the “native” browser, switching between tabs takes a long time due to the specific animation of the tab manager; in Google Chrome this feature is not noticed.

Communications - 5.0

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartphone is equipped with an excellent set of interfaces. The device has: dual-band Wi-Fi, the ability to act as a Wi-Fi modem, support for the high-speed 802.11ac standard, Bluetooth 4.1 with low energy consumption and an A2DP profile, A-GPS with support for GLONASS and the Chinese Beidou system, as well as an NFC chip and IR port. The N910C model with an Exynos processor is still being distributed in Russia; it operates in LTE networks, but at speeds of up to 150 Mbit/s (LTE Cat 4), and the more advanced model N910S in terms of speed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor is not yet sold in Russia. and perhaps it won't. It supports 4G, LTE Cat 6 with speeds up to 300 Mbps.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartphone works with Micro-SIM cards and microSD cards up to 128 GB. Interestingly, the Galaxy Note 3 used a high-speed Micro-USB 3.0 connector, but here it has given way to micro-USB 2.0. Can this be considered a step back? It is possible, only if it is small, micro-USB 3.0 is not yet very widespread, and perhaps the manufacturer considered that such high speeds transfers via USB cable are not needed by the smartphone. Note that the USB connector of the Galaxy Note 4 supports MHL for transmitting high-definition video and USB-host for connecting peripheral devices to a smartphone.

As a result, the new product has almost everything: high-speed Wi-Fi, LTE, the latest Bluetooth and even an infrared port with NFC. It’s a bit of a pity that the version with support for LTE Cat 6 is not supplied to Russia, and the USB connector has been “simplified” from version 3.0 to 2.0.

Multimedia - 4.6

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 audio player supports many formats and plays MP3, FLAC, WAV files and a number of less popular formats (eAAC+ and AC3). The smartphone comes with good headphones with a spare seal. Built-in video player supports most popular videos formats (codecs MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.264), and also works with external subtitles.

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Battery - 4.4

The body of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has become slightly thicker, and the battery capacity is slightly larger - 3220 mAh versus 3200 mAh for the Note 3. We tested the phone in our two standard tests - HD video at maximum brightness and listening to music in player mode - airplane mode "and wearing headphones. The smartphone demonstrates excellent battery life. The device played HD video at maximum brightness for almost 12.5 hours, about half a day, which is an hour longer than its predecessor. But in the mode of listening to music with the screen off, the device was discharged in 83 hours.

Separately, we can mention two battery saving modes - standard energy saving with limitation of performance and background data, and extreme with a transition to “grayscale”. The battery charge will definitely be enough for you for a working day, and maybe even for several - it all depends on the usage scenario. For example, in games the battery runs out almost before our eyes. As for charging: from zero to 50% it happens very quickly, we were not able to charge it in the promised half an hour, it took a little more time, but still quite fast. However, once it reaches 50%, the charging process slows down. It took us 1 hour and 40 minutes to charge it from 0 to 100%.

Performance - 4.0

Exist different versions Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which differ in their filling. There is a modification of the N910S with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor with 4 Krait 450 cores operating at frequencies up to 2.7 GHz and an Adreno 420 graphics accelerator. Unfortunately, it is not sold in Russia. Our country is supplied with a version of the N910C with an Exynos 5 Octa 5433 processor, eight-core (four cores with a frequency of up to 1.9 GHz and four with a frequency of up to 1.3 GHz) and a Mali-T760 graphics accelerator. RAM on both models is 3 GB, built-in memory is 32 GB. The technical characteristics are impressive, and, like the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, the chipset is manufactured according to a new standard - the 20 nm process technology. In everyday use, the smartphone works quickly, although in our tests it froze a couple of times. As for games, the excessive resolution does not play into the hands of the device, even in the Epic Citadel application it slows down in open spaces at very high settings, fps drops to 20 frames per second, which is visible to the eye, this is not what you expect from a device at this price.

The device is suitable for most games, but overly a high resolution can play a cruel joke, given the more than 3.5 million pixels on the display. According to the results of our synthetic tests, the smartphone occupies a position worthy of a premium device. For example, in the AnTuTu benchmark, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 received 50056 points, one might say a record, and in 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited it received 19754 points, slightly higher than, for example, the iPhone 6 Plus. The chipset used in the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is new, and today it is one of the most powerful.

Memory - 4.5

The total amount of internal memory in the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is limited to 32 GB, of which about 24.6 GB is available to the user. The smartphone has a slot for a microSD memory card; cards up to 128 GB are supported. It is also possible to “hot-swap” the memory card without turning off the device - you just need to remove the device cover.

Peculiarities

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 does not have a water-resistant case, but it does boast a functional stylus. Perhaps this main feature model, and indeed the entire line. With its help, you can not only write notes, type texts or draw, which already opens up great opportunities for creativity, but also perform various commands, for example, quickly create a note, take screenshots and crop part of the image by placing a caption on it. There is also an instant preview function: if you point the tip of the stylus at the icon without touching it, you can view a preview of the image, see information about a contact in the phone book, etc.

Android 5.0 Lollipop. The TouchWiz interface is traditionally used. At first, the smartphone is a little intimidating with the abundance of pre-installed software, and an inexperienced user can get lost in the settings, of which there are a lot. There are quite a few pre-installed applications, from a voice recorder and a file manager to pre-installed WhatsApp and Facebook applications. In the proprietary shell, all applications have been redesigned and have an original appearance, which has hardly changed for a long time. The dialer has Russian letters, which is convenient for finding the desired contact.

A special feature can also be called the presence of two energy saving modes, a number of settings for using the smartphone with one hand (reducing the screen size, side panel of keys and adjusting the position of the keyboard, which, in our opinion, does not look very natural and is not so convenient). As always, there are many features such as smart mute and gestures, smart notifications, flipping the smartphone, taking a screenshot with your palm, multi-window mode. For those who find all these settings and the home screen layout complicated and crowded, there is an option to enable a “simple mode” that reduces the set of visible settings and icons. Although first you will need to find it too. And that's not all - there are special features for people with low vision or hearing, such as flash notifications, spoken passwords and much more.

To summarize, we can say that the Galaxy Note 4 is “stuffed” various functions and features, in our opinion, there is hardly anyone who will regularly use at least half of them, however, there is always a “simple mode” to choose from.

Competitors

Technical Samsung specifications Galaxy Note 4 is great. Among the competitors are the no less expensive iPhone 6 Plus and the slightly more budget-friendly new Huawei Ascend Mate 7. The price of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as of November 2014 is 36,990 rubles (the same as the recommended price for the iPhone 6 Plus 16 GB).

Apple iPhone 6 Plus - with a smaller diagonal (5.5 inches versus 5.7) is slightly “taller” than Note 4, while it is thinner and made of aluminum, while Galaxy Note 4 only has a metal frame, the rest of the body is made of plastic, which in itself is not a disadvantage, but is considered “less prestigious”. The display resolution of the Samsung smartphone is noticeably higher (2560x1440 versus 1920x1080 for the iPhone 6 Plus), viewing angles are also wider, it has a stylus to work with the display, here the iPhone 6 Plus benefits only with more accurate and natural color reproduction. In terms of performance, the Note 4 wins in benchmarks, and in everyday use it is faster than Apple's smartphone. In terms of battery life, the Apple iPhone 6 Plus loses; its cameras are also somewhat “simpler,” albeit with video shooting at high speed, up to 240 frames per second. Both smartphones are not protected from water and have a fingerprint scanner. In terms of interfaces, Note 4 is a little more advanced, with “fresh” Bluetooth, LTE Cat 6, which works at enormous speeds (albeit in a modification that is not yet sold in Russia) and an infrared port. Both models have NFC, but in the Note 4 it is for exchanging data with other devices and making payments, while the iPhone 6 Plus is only for its own payment system Apple Pay. The price for Apple iPhone 6 Plus is from 36,990 rubles and above.

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is an aluminum phablet with a diagonal of 6 inches, its body is thinner than that of Note 4, but it itself is larger and a little heavier. The Ascend Mate 7 has a Full HD display with a lower pixel density, it is also equipped with a fingerprint scanner and has an NFC chip, but it does not have an IR port and high-speed Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Built-in memory is 16 GB or 32 GB in the “premium” version, and a very capacious battery is also among the advantages. For those who are not afraid to buy an expensive smartphone from Huawei and who do not need a stylus, this is a good alternative, although it has not yet appeared on the public market, and it seems that it will not cost much less than the Note 4.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 remained ours the best smartphone in the world for almost six months, until the Galaxy S6 Edge took away this title from him. Now there's a new baby, the Galaxy Note 5. We decided to compare it with the previous generation device. How will the Note 4 perform? Read our Samsung comparison Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy Note 4.

Contents of the article

Design and build quality

The design of the Galaxy Note 4 seems dull compared to the appearance of the Samsung Galaxy S5. Instead of the plastic body with a chrome effect and dimpled rear that we saw on the S5, Samsung has given the Note 4 a metal frame and a faux leather back panel. The result is a great-looking phablet that feels great from all angles.

Yes, he's big. It measures 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm and weighs 176g, but the combination of black metal sides, silver trim and a soft textured back gives it some gravitas. Plus, the display takes up about 75% of the entire device, so it doesn't feel too big like some phablets (hello, Nexus 6). This is also partly due to the convenient button placement and the ability to hold it firmly in your hand thanks to the rubberized back.

However, I'm glad that the Note 5 is thinner and lighter (though not by much) than the Note 4. This makes it even more attractive.

The new phablet has a glass and metal body that weighs 171 g. Its dimensions are 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm. It's smooth and smooth, and the slightly curved edges make it even more comfortable to hold than its predecessor (albeit more slippery). The S Pen no longer needs to be pulled out; the stylus is ejected automatically.

This small change The S-Pen does not affect its functionality, only the ejection process, but it gives the impression that the Galaxy Note 5 is better. It's the same story with the metal edges of the Note 5. The actual difference in width between the Note 4 and Note 5 is small, but the thinner metal body makes the new Note 5 phablet feel much thinner.

It can be argued that this is just Samsung way Convince potential buyers that the Note 5 has more significant improvements than it actually does. That may be true, but regardless of intent, the bottom line is that the Galaxy Note 5 is easier to hold and control than the Note 4.

It's disappointing that the Galaxy Note 5 lacks a removable battery and expandable storage. Both are present in the Note 4. This is not surprising, given that they were excluded from other major devices this year. Samsung phones, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.

That being said, interest in phablets also means greater interest in "consumption" as media tends to look better on a phablet's large display than on a smartphone. Phablets are designed for watching movies and videos, which often require a lot of memory and a lot of energy. Limitations in these areas may put some people off the Note 5.

Display

Galaxy Note 4 has a 5.7-inch QHD screen. It's super bright, high definition (around 515 pixels per inch), responsive, and offers excellent viewing angles.

In almost every way, the Note 4's screen wins this competition. Like many Samsung displays, it's oversaturated, and not 100% realistic, but I like its bright colors. There aren't many smartphones with a display as crisp and clear as the Note 4's.

And the Galaxy Note 5's display is excellent. Although it hasn't been upgraded to 4K, the Galaxy Note's 5.7-inch 5V QHD display (518 pixels per inch) is even sharper and sharper. At full brightness, even simple web pages seem to jump off the Note 5's screen. It's arguably the best display in the sector.

For those who were disappointed that the Note 5's display didn't make the leap to UHD resolution, don't fret. While the resolution and size of these two devices are really no different from each other, the quality of one is superior to the other.

With this in mind, Samsung has cheated by making the Galaxy Note 5's screen look sharper: although it has a larger display, the TouchWiz font and icon size have been reduced. Both devices set the font to "small" by default, but the standard on the Note 5 is smaller. Imagine looking at a low-resolution image up close and from a distance: the further you get, the sharper it looks.

As with the thin edges, Samsung has only created the illusion of superiority. But it is certainly effective.

Software

What sets the Galaxy Note 4 apart from most other phablets is the S Pen stylus. With your own set useful functions The S Pen is one of the main reasons to get a Note 4. You can read more about what it brings to the table in our Samsung review Galaxy Note 4.

Samsung is constantly improving the Air Command menu, which works in conjunction with the S Pen in every Note series model. This happened with the Galaxy Note 5. We didn't have time to test the new features in our Note review 5 first hand, but we can confirm that Action Memo, Smart Select, Screen Write and S Note are back and you can now add your own shortcuts to the menu.

Galaxy Note 5 also comes with Samsung Pay, thanks to its built-in MST (Magnetic Secure Transfer). Unlike NFC payments, which require compatible terminals, MST works with existing terminals credit cards, which are available in most stores.

Performance

Note 4 is equipped with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 or Exynos 5433 processor (depending on the region of sale) and 3 GB of RAM. The Note 5 comes with a Samsung Exynos 7420 with eight cores (four at 2.1 GHz + four at 1.5 GHz), a 64-bit processor and 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM.

As a result, Galaxy Note 5 turns out to be more fast device, but this is only noticeable on paper. Specifications and tests suggest a significant difference, but in reality, it's barely noticeable when performing tasks like opening and closing apps or general navigation.

You will notice the difference when you press the home button. Getting to the home screen is noticeably faster on the Galaxy Note 5 than on the Galaxy Note 4. It's also faster when first launching an app, but once the apps are cached, the time it takes to open them is the same on both phones.

High gaming performance was most consistent on the Galaxy Note 5, as seen when playing Implosion - Never Lose Hope (one of our best games Android). On the Note 5, it loaded a little faster and experienced fewer framerate drops. Again, the difference was small.

The Note 5's average score in our AnTuTu tests suggests it's about 33% faster than the Note 4. It scored 65,440 points to the Note 4's 49,102. But we continue to argue that high-end devices often deliver comparable performance, and the larger RAM capacity can even cause slower speeds under some circumstances. You can read about it in our article on the fastest Android phones.

When the Galaxy Note 5 first launched, it suffered from stability and performance issues. Thankfully, these seem to have been fixed, but it's only slightly faster to use than its predecessor. It seems to me that if performance is not a decisive factor when choosing a phone, then the difference is not critical. Once Android Marshmallow arrives on both devices, this difference may become more noticeable. We'll have to wait to find out for sure.

Camera

The Galaxy Note 4's camera is another amazing feature of the device. The 16-megapixel main camera is equipped with optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash and the ability to record 2160p video at 30 frames per second. Main Galaxy camera Note 5 has the same number of megapixels, but the front one has been improved from 3.7 to 5 megapixels.

The Note 5's software and processing have received significant upgrades and are comparable to those on the Galaxy S6. The Note 5's camera launches faster and focusing is slightly smoother. In my experience, it doesn't focus faster, it just requires a little less adjustment than on the Note 4.

Check out the photo comparison below - Galaxy Note 5 always on top, Note 4 on the bottom.

In most cases, both cameras produce high-quality images. The Note 5 definitely has an advantage when shooting in low light conditions, but there isn't much difference between the two in other situations either. What's more, some of the less common features on both devices can be used to take some really smart shots.

You can practically fake the DSLR effect when using Samsung's selective autofocus mode. While it's not perfect, it's much better than what most other phone manufacturers offer.

Battery

Battery capacity of Note 4 is 3220 mAh. It provides good longevity, especially considering the charge absorption of the QHD display. It has significantly stronger battery performance than the Galaxy S6 (2550 mAh), which also features a QHD display.

In addition, Galaxy Note 4 has a fast charging feature. The phone gets about 50% battery charge in 30 minutes. It also has wireless charging, although it requires a separate battery cover. So, has the Galaxy Note 5 improved significantly?

The battery capacity of the Galaxy Note 5 is 3,000 mAh, the predecessor has 3,200 mAh. This was to be expected since the same thing happened between the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S6. But it is still somewhat disappointing. Since both phones have QHD displays, the battery drains quickly.

The Galaxy Note 5 offers wireless fast charging, which the Note 4 doesn't have, but requires a separate wireless charging station. Although we did not have the opportunity to test the battery, even with improved optimization of technical/ software, we're not sure the Galaxy Note 5 will offer better battery life than its predecessor.

Price and availability

The Galaxy Note 4 is currently available worldwide for around $540 for the unlocked model with 32GB of internal storage. The 32GB version of the Galaxy Note 5 without a contract can be found for $700, and the 64GB version for $800.

The Note 5 has the best hardware currently available from Samsung, and its steep price reflects that. However, if you live in Europe, you'll likely have to pay even more to get your hands on the Galaxy Note 5 because you'll have to import it.

Samsung said it has identified two groups of users: casual media consumers and multitasking/business users. It seems that Samsung no longer sees market demand for its stylus-equipped phablet in Europe, so only the Note 5 sibling will be released there – Galaxy phone S6 Edge+.

Characteristics

Conclusion

The GalaxyNote 5's display is almost the same as its predecessor's, the battery is smaller (and not removable) and it lacks support MicroSD cards. These are big disappointments. The performance specs and camera are stronger, it has a sleek design, and is undoubtedly more impressive, but the extent to which these aspects matter overall may be negligible.

In the new Note Samsung, definitely put design above functionality. If you want the latest, best-looking smartphone with great performance, look no further than the Note 5. If looks aren't your thing, you might prefer last year's cheaper Note 4.

The Note 5 gets many of the improvements in the Note 4's small details. But you may find that Samsung has removed too much of the good stuff in its attempt to create a more user-friendly product.