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7 reasons why the Galaxy Note 4 is Samsung’s best ever

Love it or hate it, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will get a lot of attention from people when it releases, and a lot will go for it versus the other huge smartphones in the phablet category that it has pioneered in. However, that doesn’t stop people from doubting the Note – and I’m here to reassure you that Samsung is indeed putting its best foot forward with the Note 4’s release.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Philippines

Yugatech 728x90 Reno7 Series

1. Finally metal, not metallic

For as long as I can remember, people have been complaining about Samsung’s use of cheap glossy plastic on their flagship phones – me being one of those. The first Note looked okay, then came Hyperglaze on the sequel, then they added on faux leather and a fake stitching to complete the trilogy. Come part 4, it’s just faux leather now, but they’ve finally made the plastic sides metal – and it looks a lot better! However, the faux leather on the back is still plastic, but on the bright side, a lot of us do like it compared to other plastic textures, specifically the one on the S5.

Another thing to note (pun), Samsung may have been forced to play this card right now as there are strong rumors of a huge iPhone coming out soon. If that proves to be true, then the Note series has finally got itself some serious competition.

2. All the latest hardware

Just thinking about a 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display makes me want to buy into it already, especially with the Note’s size, we’re sure to enjoy all the colors, the pixels, and the clarity. Not only that, but the Note 4 is also an S5 improved in a lot of ways, jumping from a Snapdragon 801 to an 805, from 2GB RAM to 3GB RAM and a lot more, still including the heart rate monitor and the fingerprint scanner – love it or hate it.

Galaxy Note 4

3. Optical Image Stabilization & an improved front-facing camera

Even if you’re coming from a Galaxy S5, there’s sure to be some improvement when taking pictures. For one, there’s finally optical image stabilization to help lessening the shaking and the blurring when taking photos. Then, if you’re fond of taking selfies, a 3.7 megapixel front-facing camera with a wider angle will surely satisfy.

4. Software refinements

Samsung focused a lot of their efforts on hardware on this Note iteration, and I think that’s a good thing. All of the things you can do on the Note’s stylus already has a steep learning curve – adding a lot more into that can make it messier. So, Samsung barely highlighted the software in the announcement, but they seem to have polished it and added only very little. For Android skinning, I do believe that in most cases, less is more, and while Touchwiz still looks it needs improvement, it’s getting there.

5. It’s still the king of multitasking

Multi-window, 3GB RAM, having working apps on top of each other and dragging content from one app to another – those are just a few things found in the Galaxy Note 4, proving it to be a very capable multitasker. Add to that the fact that you’re working on a spacious 5.7-inch display, and for sure you’ll get some work done that other phones can’t do or if they can, they’ll do slower.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 S-Pen

6. The S-Pen is useful

A lot of companies have tried to replicate this smartphone’s competitive advantage, and they have all failed miserably. One secret to the Note’s success is the stylus, or as Samsung would market it, the S-Pen. If you’re one to take a lot of notes, draw and write on files on the go, then there is no other option out there – the Galaxy Note is really the one to beat. For those who are not excited with the thought of a stylus, well you can always just keep inserted in the back and not use it. Whether or not you use it, there’s no denying that it’s more than just a gimmick.

7. Samsung’s best phone is not the Galaxy Note Edge

If you haven’t heard about the Galaxy Note Edge, it’s basically everything that the Note 4 is, but with a curved display falling over to the right side, and is expected to be priced higher than the Note 4. On this, we’d like to say that while the Note Edge carries Samsung’s best technologies, the Note 4 is still the one I’d bet on as the Edge is still a first generation product and has a lot of improvement to undergo before finally achieving the title of Samsung’s best smartphone in their lineup. It will still need developers for that edge, and Samsung has to do something with that lack of symmetry which some people find weird, especially for left-handed users.

Maybe the next iteration will have the curve on both sides, or maybe next year, we’ll find a curved display on the Note. Who knows? For now, the Note Edge remains a statement that Samsung can do these kinds of things, but just because something is different doesn’t make it the best. (But hey, the Note was once different and weird. Look where crazy got it now.)

SGN4 Philippines

But of course, the Galaxy Note 4 does have its disadvantages and shortcomings. A lot of people may have expected 64-bit, 4GB RAM and a few more – and while it could be just me, I would have preferred it more if it was waterproof like the Galaxy S5.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is the company’s best ever, but competition is just around the corner, and we have yet to see how everything will play out. Local pricing and availability are also yet to be announced so you have to stay tuned for that. Are you interested in getting a Galaxy Note 4? Or do you like the Galaxy Note Edge? Neither? Feel free to leave your insights in the comments section down below.

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Avatar for Bob Freking

Bob Freking occasionally contributes articles to the website. He is a UST Graduate of Commerce & Business Administration, Major in Marketing Management, and a full-time Sith Lord with three dragons.

12 Responses

  1. Avatar for user user says:

    All android apps can run smoothly on adreno 330 gpu or snapdragon 800 cpu, and maximum video file resolution is 1080p… so in short this device is an overkill and if you lots of money then get this, if not get the note 3 because all performance experience is the same… samsung shud have made this different. Waterproof device or 64bit but yea a little disapppinted on this one

  2. Avatar for PinoyDMC PinoyDMC says:

    camera cant beat other( abit older flagships)
    plastic cheap stylus
    heart rate monitor n fingerprint buggy as ever

    as with any Samsung product, they will cheapen their flagship by releasing, note4 mini, note4 advance, note 4 pro, note4 rugged, note4 neo, etc, etc.
    its price will drop 20% a few weeks after launch, and will have really low resale value.
    lg g3, even the various new Chinese flagship phones (mate7)are looking better.

  3. Avatar for BEST EVER BEST EVER says:

    IT should be…, it’s useless to buy it if its not.

  4. Avatar for The Slow Down The Slow Down says:

    Written like a true fan boy (without the device being reviewed). I’ve been using the note from note 1 to note 3 and one thing I don’t like about it is that after a few months of use, no matter how high the RAM they put in it, it just lags or slows down soon enough. Poor memory management. I thought for a while it was just the phone I got or maybe Samsung has addressed the issue on every new note iteration they release. But no. When you get to that point, even just opening the dialler and other important app you should be primarily doing on a phone becomes irritating (not to mention the glitches happening every now and then).

  5. Avatar for nego nego says:

    Not a Sammy fan here but as I read this entry I’m a bit convinced. The Super AMOLED, the QHD and the multi-window FTW! :)

  6. Avatar for kurt kurt says:

    Hinding hindi na ako bibili ng Samsung phones. Pagbili mo pa lang ng phone puno na siya nang bloatwares o mga software na di necessary na mga apps na nagpapabagal ng iyong smartphones. Habang patagal ng patagal mo sya ginagamit, magtataka ka na lang na may mga apps na nag i install na di mo naman siya ininstall. . Ito ung mga apps na binabayaran ang samsung upang i install ss lahat ng cp na walang paalam sayo. .

  7. Avatar for Rockafella Rockafella says:

    This baby looks so good. I still hate Samsung though.

  8. Avatar for Neil Neil says:

    Hi.

    I’d like to give a critique about the things said on this article.

    1. Saying it’s “finally metal” is kind of disingenuous. You did mention that it’s just the frame that is metal but the item heading is sensationalistic. It might make the phone feel ever so slightly more premium, but still nowhere near the likes of HTC One or the Xiaomi Mi4 (design cues notwithstanding).

    2. On software refinements, you can’t make this claim without a concrete example of how it improved.

    That said, here are the things that I think is a step back for Samsung:

    1. 64GB microSD support. The S5 supports 128GB and I was surprised that this didn’t find it’s way to the Note 4. It’s a phablet so it’s used for media consumption a lot more than the S5 which makes support for larger memory cards more important on the Note 4.

    2. Battery. The increase in specs, and especially the screen resolution, will make the Note 4 drain battery a lot faster and I’m skeptical if the 20 mAh increase would cut it or even just match the Note 3’s battery life.

    3. The increase in resolution has no tangible benefit. At that screen size, you won’t notice a difference between 1080p and 1440p. I would have preferred it if they kept the same resolution and made the entire device metal instead.

    If you’re already using a Note 3, you can pass on this upgrade. If you’re looking for a new phablet, the Note 3 is still the better choice as it’s definitely going to get price cuts soon which make it a lot more viable since the bump from Note 3 to 4 is negligible.

  9. Avatar for bryan_mmx bryan_mmx says:

    Well I guess you haven’t learn a thing regarding the use of cheap plastic case on phones after Apple release iPhone 5C.

  10. Avatar for Justin Justin says:

    The Snapdragon 801 and 805 chips are still using 32-bit Bus width. Considering the 808 and 810 64-bit chips will be coming out soon (like late this year to early 2015), I’d rather wait.

  11. Avatar for kams kams says:

    i would have to agree with you bob. i think the faux leather back helps in the total feel of the phone on the hands. it also helps in the grip part.

    yup, sana water and dust proof na din. but i guess it will be very difficult and expensive due to the stylus.

    i am hoping for an improve camera compared to SG5 since may OIS na.

    pricing na lang. :D

  12. Avatar for boy bezel boy bezel says:

    best ever?

    nakagamit ka na for atlease 1 week sir para magjump agad sa conclusion na ‘best ever’?

    All that glitters is not gold.

    Not sure bayad ng samsung or wat.

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