If you love a big phone, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a lot to offer. Samsungs most powerful high end beast, The Note 4 was launched in India with an exorbitant price tag of 58,300 INR. That makes it perhaps the most expensive mainstream Android phone in the country. We got to spend some time with the Note 4 at the launch event, let’s discuss our first impressions.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Quick Specs
- Display Size: 5.7 Inch Super AMOLED, 1440 X 2560p HD resolution, 515 PPI, Gorilla Glass 3
- Processor: 2.7 GHz Snapdragon 805 Quad Core with Adreno 420 GPU
- RAM: 3 GB
- Software Version: Android 4.4.4 KitKat with TouchWiz UI
- Camera: 16 MP, Can record 4K videos, OIS +
- Secondary Camera: 3.7 MP, can record 1080P Videos, f 1.9 aperture, 120 degree Wide angle lens
- Internal Storage: 32GB
- External Storage: 128 GB using MicroSD card
- Battery: 3200 mAh
- Connectivity: 4G LTE-A Cat.6 / 3G HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (HT80) MIMO PCIe , Bluetooth v4.1 LE / ANT+, GPS / GLONASS / Beidou , USB2.0, MHL 3.0 and Infrared LED
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Hands On Video Review
Design, Build and Display
The design is similar to Note 3, but there are several subtle improvements which make it look more premium. Samsung is using metal around the edges, instead of metal finish plastic. The display size remains same, but the bezels have been shaved off further. We like the design changes, build and how the Galaxy Note 4 feels in hand. The water and dust resistance is still missing.
The Display is gorgeous with extremely high Quad HD resolution that does look a tad bit better on AMOLED display. The display has good viewing angles and colors aren’t as overblown as we generally see on Samsung Super AMOLED screens. It’s clear that Super AMOLED technology has further advanced and Samsung has done a good job with the bright AMOLED screen in Note 4.The screen Gap issue or Gap gate is overhyped and hardly noticeable, but yes, there is a miniature gap between glass and metal side edge.
Processor and RAM
While other high end smartphones with Snapdragon 801 are powerful enough to handle everything you throw at them, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 goes a bit further with Snapdragon 805 which comes with beter Krait 450 cores (vs Krait 400), Faster GPU and more memory bandwidth.
With Snapdragon 805 and 3 GB RAM on board, you don’t have to worry about performance aspects at all. The chipset can also support Cat 6 LTE Advanced, but in the absence of telecom network support, Indian users won’t benefit from this aspect.
Camera and Internal Storage
The camera with OIS Smart and 16 MP Sensor is again one of the best out there. We were impressed by the initial low light testing and are eager to spend some more time with it. Its fully equipped with shutter modes and filters to keep you busy. The front 3.7 MP camera is also pretty good for selfies with a wide angle lens that allows you to fit more objects in a single frame.
There is ample 32 GB internal storage which can be further expanded using MicroSD card slot. This is good enough to keep everyone happy.
User Interface and Battery
Note 4 is running TouchWiz UI on top of latest Android 4.4.4 Kitkat and you can also expect a timely Android L update as well. The interface has been further simplified compared to Galaxy S5. The finger print sensor has also been well integrated. You can unlock the phone with swipe and you can also assign other functions to swipe gesture.
The presser sensitive S-pen is a valuable tool in Note series. It retails all good features from Note 3 besides adding a few more. Then there is a heart rate sensor and top notch connectivity options including 4G LTE-A Cat.6 / 3G HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (HT80) MIMO PCIe , Bluetooth v4.1 LE / ANT+, GPS / GLONASS / Beidou , USB2.0, MHL 3.0 and Infrared LED for smart TV remote.
The 3200 mAh battery inside can charge to 50 percent in just 30 minutes, when you use the charger that comes bundled inside the box. Fast charging is an effective pragmatic solution that works well in our opinion. Samsung claims 7.5 percent improvement in battery consumption as compared to Note 3. If Samsung manages to maintain a similar battery backup in spite of increased resolution, it will be a big achievement.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Photo Gallery
Conclusion and Price
Note 4 has all the latest and best hardware combined together in a well build premium body. Samsung has opted for the Snapdragon variant in India, which also a good thing. However, the price tag of 58,300 INR seems ridiculously high and hard to justify. There is a huge craze for Samsung Note branding in Indian market and perhaps Samsung will manage to be a formidable competition to iPhone 6 Plus launching side by side on October 17.
