After all the hubbub of the Apple launch of the iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung quietly planned out their next version of the Note. Launching a month later in the US to focus on China, we finally get an idea of what this is about. And the answer is:
By Robert Gauna
The Pen.
It was there for the previous three versions, but it keeps getting better as the quality of the screen and the components have been beefed up to keep the competition at bay. I mean, Samsung owns this product category, even if Apple and LG are putting their ‘Phablets’ out there, too.
The Specs
So, why the Note 4? The stylus is the main reason why. A large screen is a great feature for any phone, but when you couple it with a stylus for granular control, you end up with a winner product. 
Also, it doesn’t hurt that Samsung added a 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. It has a huge battery to compensate for the screen size, and the screen is awesome, offering 2650×1440 quad HD AMOLED — a step ahead against the iPhone 6 Plus with a 551 ppi (versus 401 on the Apple side).
OS-wise, it’s running Android 4.4 KitKat with the Samsung TouchWiz layer on top of it. After a long time, Samsung is now listening to their users by scaling back their tweaks and bloat-ware.
One-handed operation feels a bit clunky, but it works for the most part. Multi-tasking is a key feature as always with the split screen support that has been around for a while on the Note.
The Pen
The Pen is the obvious upgrade here. It’s more responsive, is smoother, and has 2000 levels of sensitivity versus the 1000 on the Note 4. Samsung added a calligraphy tip to the software, too, so penmanship is more readable than last year’s version.
The Camera
The camera takes awesome photos; the stabilization feature helps a lot here. The front-facing camera is beefier to keep up with the Selfie crowd. There’s even a software feature called Beauty Face mode that makes you younger (I wonder why). You can also take panorama shots with the front camera.
Processor and Battery
Processor speed is much better than the iPhone 6 Plus, based on the benchmarks. The battery charges up really quickly, getting 50% capacity in 30 minutes or so, which is very helpful because of the sheer size of the battery.
Downside
The only downside is the plastic back plate, which is less tacky, but still a fake plastic leather design. Samsung should just come up with something better already.
Final “Note”
So buy it? If you’re in the market for a phablet-sized phone, hold off on the iPhone 6 Plus first and check this phone out before plunking down your money. It’s $299 on contract with major carriers and $749 for an outright purchase.
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