One unintended consequence of the iPhone 6 Plus launch was to showcase the category of ginormous smartphones pioneered by Apple's chief rival Samsung. While the 6 Plus represents Apple's first foray into the phablet-sphere, Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 is merely the latest device in a series that met considerable skepticism when first unveiled in 2011.
I had my doubts, too, but came to like the original Note, which has been improved through each subsequent generation.
That's true of the new Note 4. All the major U.S. wireless carriers will have it in their lineup; availability begins Friday, though Verizon Wireless customers must wait until next week.
Note 4 has more of a premium feel compared to its immediate predecessor, thanks to a new aluminum frame that rims the otherwise textured plastic handset. It's too bad that Samsung didn't go all the way with metal.
Most of the changes — an improved camera, better S Pen digital stylus — are evolutionary but no less welcome. And funny as it would have sounded three years ago, the Note 4 is now rather conventional, certainly compared to Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note Edge. That's the phablet with a curvy display that cascades along the right edge to provide information that's different from the main portion of the screen.
Samsung hasn't supplied review units of the Edge yet, or for the virtual reality head-mounted contraption it developed with Oculus known as Gear VR, which snaps into the Note 4 (but not Note Edge).
Now that Apple has gone big, the inevitable question becomes: How does the Note 4 compare to the iPhone 6 Plus? In a two-way smackdown, the Galaxy Note 4 holds its own, though at the end of the day I prefer the iPhone.
The two handsets are pretty close in size. Both are just over a half-foot tall, but Samsung's device is slightly shorter than its Apple counterpart, although a tad thicker (0.33 inches vs. 0.28 inches) and heavier (6.21 ounces vs. 6.07 ounces).
Note 4 boasts not only a bigger screen — 5.7 inches vs. 5.5 inches on the 6 Plus — but one with superior resolution (2560 x 1440; 518ppi vs. 1920 x 1080; 401ppi). Both are beautiful displays, and to the naked eye it's hard to detect much of a difference. The Note comes with 32GB of storage, expandable via microSD.
As before, the Note leans heavily on the digital S Pen, letting you draw or write directly on the screen. It can even function as a mouse replacement. The iPhone, of course, doesn't come with a digital stylus.
The latest S Pen has more than 2,000 pressure sensitivity levels, double its predecessor, so that it feels more natural to write. When you pull the pen out from its silo, an "Air Command" menu appears on the screen, with options to take a memo or mark up the screen, among others. Lest you worry about losing the S Pen, you receive a notification if you've left the pen behind.
Samsung also bolstered the cameras. The rear camera now has 16 megapixels and adds optical image stabilization to improve the quality of low-light pictures. The front-facing camera gains a 3.7-megapixel sensor. But two new selfie modes are difficult to master and gimmicky. In "wide-selfie" mode, you tap either the camera button or heart rate button on the rear to start the photo process, then tilt the camera to the left or right to capture the wider image.
A "rear-cam selfie" mode is even more challenging. The goal is to shoot a selfie with the superior camera. A box appears on the display that you move around to get it where you would like your face to appear. As you aim the rear camera, the Note is then supposed to beep at you when your face is properly positioned. It was more work than it was worth.
As with other Samsung phones, the Note 4 includes an S Health app that lets you track your steps, heart rate and, for the first time, your blood oxygen levels and oxygen saturation. I can't vouch for the accuracy but appreciate this new variable.
One of the best new features is rapid charging. Samsung claims you can get up to a 50% battery capacity in a half-hour. Well, almost, based on my tests. I reached 44% and 47%, respectively, in two tries, still a potential lifesaver. If you're out of reach of power, an Ultra Power Saving mode makes the screen go black and white and limits you to a few chosen apps. But you can remain on standby for days.
The phone excels at multitasking. You can display more than one app on the screen at the same time, perhaps keeping your calendar open while you search the Web for a restaurant. Samsung also adds helpful tools for people who like to operate the phone with one hand. For example, while you're typing a message, a reduced size keyboard can be pushed to either the right or left side of the display, closer to your fingers.
On the subject of your digits, the Note 4 has an improved fingerprint scanning system.
My own preference is to stick with the iPhone 6 Plus, because I prefer the hardware design and believe iOS is a smoother, friendlier mobile operating system. But the Note 4 is a strong alternative and one of the best Android phones out there, especially for people who like to write on the screen.
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