Samsung finally took the wraps off its high-end Galaxy Note 4 on Tuesday, showing off its latest features like the Quad HD display, metal frame, improved camera and processor.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 unveiled at the IFA 2014 event in Berlin, Wednesday, makes a grand entry in the high-end big-screen smartphone category amid rumors of Apple's iPhone 6 with 4.5-inch and 5.5-inch expected to debut this year. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 appears to be the company's best bet against its chief rival Apple.
The latest Galaxy Note 4 has improved massively on the Note 3's shortcomings. The Korean tech giant is offering the best of the company's hardware, display and design in the Note 4. Previous leaks of the phone have left not many surprises in store as far as its specs are concerned.
""With the introduction of the Galaxy Note series, we brought the age-old culture of the pen and notepad into the digital world," JK Shin, CEO and Head of Samsung's IT & Mobile Communication division, said in a statement. "The new Galaxy Note 4 introduces the most refined Note experience to-date by combining all the latest technology that users expect from the Galaxy series."
Design
The company has partly ditched the plastic material in the new phablet in favor of a metal frame, which gives it a premium look much like its Galaxy Alpha. The metal rim wrapped around the 5.7-inch display has sculpted, chamfered edges, which looks classy.
On the rear side of the phone, the faux-leather stitching is replaced with a textured, soft-touch leather-like finish. Overall, the handset looks extra premium than last year's Galaxy Note 3, which is a good thing considering it has to compete against design connoisseur Apple.
Display
Samsung has opted for a Quad HD (2560x1440) Super AMOLED display. The screen size is the same as Note 3 at 5.7 inches but packs more pixels than its predecessor (386ppi vs. 515ppi). The company has used a 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3, which was used in the company's Galaxy S3, to offer better protection.
The large screen makes it easier for users to take advantage of the Multi Window feature and position various apps based on the need.
Improved S-Pen for better companionship
Among other notable upgrades, Samsung highlighted the improvements in the Note 4's S-Pen, which features a more user-friendly Air Command function. The S-Pen also features Action Memo, Screen Write and Image Clip. The introduction of Snap Note feature in the Note 4 allows users to take a picture and convert to the S Note for editing. The company's Smart Select can be used to crop images from different places to make a collage before sharing it with others.
Top-of-the-shelf features
Samsung is well-known for its feature-packed smartphones, especially flagships. Borrowing several high-line specs from the company's flagship Galaxy S5, the Note 4 features an improved fingerprint scanner and a built-in heart rate monitor, making it the world's first mobile with a UV sensor, according to Samsung, but there is no eye-scanner.
The Galaxy Note 4 features multiple microphones along with an improved speaker phone for better noise cancellation and the phone's Voice Recorder offers eight directional voice tagging.
Camera
The Galaxy Note 4 features a 16-megapixel rear camera with Optical Image Stabilization and a front facing camera with 3.7 megapixels. The wide viewing angle at 120 degree and a default 90 degree shooting angle makes it best for "groupies," term used for group selfies. Improved low-light capabilities add more detail to the pictures taken in dim lit environments.
Power stored under the hood
With the exceptional design, high-end display and futuristic features, Samsung needs sufficient power to run the Note 4 without lag. So, the tech giant packed a powerful 2.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor or 1.9 GHz Octa-Core (1.9GHz Quad + 1.3GHz Quad-Core) Processor, which varies with markets. Coupled with 3GB RAM, the Note 4 will pack 32GB of built-in storage along with microSD support. It runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat version out of the box and its proprietary TouchWiz UI with a touch of Android L to include stacked card multitasking view.
To run these features, Samsung packs a 3,220mAh battery with charge time from 0 to 50 percent in just 30 minutes. The USB 3.0 charging port is replaced by MicroUSB 2.0 port in the Note 4. With the Ultra Power Saving Mode, the Note 4 is expected to run longer even when the battery drops below 10 percent.
Other features
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 packs several other useful features like Download Booster, improved S Health 3.5, and sensors for Gesture, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyroscope and Barometer along with 4G LTE support in available countries.
Availability
The Galaxy Note 4 will start selling in October around the world in "Charcoal Black," "Frost White," "Bronze Gold," and "Blossom Pink" color options. Pricing details will be released at a later date.
