On the software
Like the Galaxy S5, TouchWiz is scaled down on the Galaxy Note 4. All the duplicate service options and needless Samsung bloatware is gone. In addition, Samsung listened to users and finally combined Action Memos and S Note. Notes you jot down from the Air Command menu are part of S Note. They can even be pinned to a home screen panel so virtual yellow stickies work as you want them to.
Unfortunately, the AT&T version is loaded with more AT&T junk than I have seen on a phone in a long time, and you can't remove it from Android devices like you can on the iPhone and Windows Phone devices. AT&T apps include AT&T Locker, AT&T Mail, AT&T Mobile Locate, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Ready2Go, AT&T Smart Wi-Fi, Caller Name ID, Device Help, DriveMode, Mobile Hotspot, Mobile TV, myAT&T, and YP.
A feature that distinguishes the Note line is the multi-window support that makes the Note act like a small tablet. The multi-window experience is improved on the Note 4. You can tap on the circle between the panes and switch windows, expand or minimize a window, close a window, and move content between windows.
Pop-up view, small windows, has also been improved so you can have a number of compatible apps open all over the display. Within a compatible app, say the dialer, you simply drag down from the upper-left corner to resize the pop-up and move it around the display.
Remote control software, S Health, Milk Music, Scrapbook, S Voice, and more are included by Samsung. You can also visit the Samsung Galaxy Apps store front for more apps and free gifts from Samsung. There are some good offers available so I do recommend you at least visit the store once to check out the deals.
I hated the My Magazine feature on the Note 3 because it regularly crashed and slowed the device down. Samsung now has Flipboard present when you swipe all the way from left to right beyond the last home screen panel.
The Note 4 is a rather large device and at times it can be a bit awkward to reach down to the home button and two capacitive keys on either side of the button. You can enable a side key panel that you can move around the edges of the screen. This side key panel gives you the task switcher, home, and back buttons by default. Other keys can be added in the settings too.
In regard to the task switcher, note there is a small icon in the upper-right corner of some apps. This is an indicator for a compatible multi-window app. Tapping the icon opens that app in one panel with a prompt to select another app for the second panel.
The Settings area has been vastly improved with related specific settings all now having the same color icon. I still cannot believe they were so random on the Note 3 in the first place. It is now quite easy to find settings with this new organization, but there are still several pages of settings available for customizing your phone.
While there are not duplicate service offerings, there are still 19 quick settings available. You can choose which are active in the notification panel settings, but I still would like to see a cleaner notifications area on the Note 4.
Pricing and availability
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is up for pre-order on most carriers and will be launching within the next week. The full retail price ranges from $700 (Verizon) to $826 (AT&T) with subsidized pricing starting at $300 with a 2-year agreement. This is the same price as the 16GB Apple iPhone 6 Plus, but you get more internal storage and a microSD expansion card option.
The competition
Large screen smartphones are popular today with even Apple joining the party. No other manufacturer has quite the stylus support as Samsung though so if using your smartphone as a mini tablet with inking capability is important to you, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 stands alone.
Looking at phones with displays greater than 5.2 inches, we have the LG G3, Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Nokia Lumia 1520, Xperia Z3, new Moto X, and more. They are all excellent smartphones, but the Note 4 stands out with the top specs and S Pen functionality.
Conclusion
Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 launches after the Apple iPhone 6 Plus and just before the rumored large screen Google Nexus device, so competition is fierce at the moment. If you plan to use the S Pen functionality, then go order your Note 4 now, you will be very pleased with the device.
Some fans also like the ability to expand their storage capacity and swap out batteries so the Note 4 is the natural choice there too. Very few manufacturers allow you to swap batteries today so long-term usage and the ability to pop in a spare is a major benefit to the Note line.
If I did not have the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, then I would likely purchase a Note 4. However, after performing a side-by-side usage comparison, I prefer the email, calendar, media, and application experiences on the iPhone 6 Plus over the Note 4. I never used the S Pen enough to justify keeping the Note 3 and doubt my behavior has changed a year later.
I previously awarded the
Note 3
a 9.5 rating and you might think that the better Note 4 deserves at least that same rating. However, the available options in the large screen smartphone space are extensive and there are some things Samsung can still do to improve the device.
I don't think I have ever given a phone a perfect 10 rating before and to get that the Note 4 would have to be water resistant, have wireless charging out of the box, and have a fingerprint scanner that actually works.
Contributor's rating: 9 out of 10
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