Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review!

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 represents a significant hardware overhaul over its predecessor, highlighted by a metal frame encircling the device and a reimagined back made from a soft touch faux leather. Marques Brownlee notes that the metal edges, chamfered at nearly every corner, give the Note 4 a more durable and premium feel, even if the flat sides make it slightly sharper in hand compared to the iPhone 6 Plus. He also points out the removable back panel which exposes a removable battery and microSD slot, a feature he values highly for long-term usage. The overall design balances a large footprint with a more confident one-handed grip, aided by a 5.7 inch display and optimized bezel integration. In performance terms, the Note 4 ships with a quad-core Snapdragon 805, 3GB of RAM, and a top-tier GPU, delivering fast app launches, smooth scrolling, and strong gaming performance, albeit with occasional TouchWiz lag when opening the multitasking carousel. While the software is Android 4.4 with Samsung’s TouchWiz, Brownlee notes the upcoming Android 5.0 Lollipop update will change the look, unless Samsung reshapes the UI significantly. The display is a standout feature, described as Quad HD Super AMOLED with vibrant colors, superb outdoor visibility, and excellent viewing angles, making web browsing particularly sharp even if most apps don’t yet take full advantage of the resolution. Battery life is a mixed story; the international Korean variant with Exynos hardware showed disappointing screen-on-time early on, but switching to the US AT&T variant with Snapdragon 805 delivered substantially better endurance, often surpassing a full day with heavy use. Fast charging adds a practical edge, reclaiming power quickly, while the camera marks a major upgrade with 16 megapixels and Optical Image Stabilization, delivering bright, sharp daytime images and impressive 4K video, though aggressive sharpening can introduce artifacts in some shots. The S Pen continues to offer multi-faceted utility with features like Screen Write, Smart Select, and Action Memo, maintaining the Note line’s identity as a productivity-centric powerhouse. Overall, Brownlee concludes that the Galaxy Note 4 is the best phone Samsung has made to date, combining industry-leading display quality, robust battery life in the US variant, strong camera performance, and a feature-rich software suite that remains highly usable with or without third-party launchers. He recommends the Note 4 for anyone seeking a large Android device and remains impressed by the hardware design, display, and overall versatility, despite the era’s competing flagship options.

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