Galaxy Note 4 Release Date: Review of Specs and Features
Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 – touted as having the potential to be one of this year's best handsets in terms of quality and extra features – remains on the wish list of many fans.
A month after it was unveiled at Samsung's IFA Unpacked 2014 in Berlin, Germany, there is still no definite word yet on when the latest plus-sized "phablet" will be released.
It was earlier rumored that the Galaxy Note 4 would be released on Sept. 26 in South Korea. It didn't happen.
Then reports circulated that it would be released in 140 countries by the end of October. However, aside from reports that the Galaxy Note Edge has passed some certification tests, nothing has been talked about on the release date of its curved variant.
Now, sources are saying that the device will not be made available until the first quarter of 2015.
Design and build
During the presentation of the device in Berlin last month, it looked like the Galaxy Note 4 is not much different from its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 3. It has the same fake leather backplate and metallic sides.
The Galaxy Note 4's button placement is also the same as that of its predecessor. The same is true with the physical home button on the front of the phone and volume and power controls on its right side.
However, Samsung made some modifications under the hood. These included the iPhone-style fingerprint scanner. This was first introduced in Samsung's regular-sized Galaxy S5 handset.
Home screen
The custom fingerprint scanner provides security and convenience to users, letting them lock the Galaxy Note 4 easily and securely. Unlocking it is also easy for the device's rightful owner, but not to the persons who may try to use the gadget once the owner inadvertently loses it or it gets stolen.
Although the Galaxy Note 4 is quite thin by phablet standards, the phone's 154x79x8.5mm dimensions and 176g weight make it rather unwieldy to use one-handed. Actually the Galaxy Note 4 is both thicker and heavier than last year's model, which measured 9.3mm and weighed 168 grams.
But this bit of inconvenience is quickly negated by the Galaxy Note 4's reworked S Pen. The S Pen digital stylus docks nicely into the bottom edge of the Galaxy Note's rear, making the device more comfortable to use.
Display
Just like other Samsung handsets, the Galaxy Note 4 takes pride in its 5.7-inch QHD 2560x1440 display. The Galaxy Note 4's display looks brilliantly sharp and has impressive color balance and brightness levels according to reviewers.
This quality is attributed to Samsung's custom Super AMOLED technology. Normal AMOLED screens are designed to display deeper and richer blacks by electrically charging each individual pixel to generate colors. Super AMOLED is even better than normal AMOLED since it also reduces the screen's power consumption.
Operating system and software
The Galaxy Note 4 packs a heavily customised version of the Android 4.4.4 Kitkat mobile operating system.
One common user complaint is the presence of too many unnecessary services in previous Samsung handsets. The makers of Galaxy Note 4 appear to have taken this into consideration as the handset offers significantly fewer bloatware apps and looks noticeably cleaner.
Samsung has also included new useful apps, some of which are designed to help users take full advantage of the Galaxy Note 4's S Pen Stylus.
The Galaxy Note 4 also offers enhanced multi-window support and new Smart Select and S Pen Mouse features.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 S Pen
The new multi-window feature lets users swipe using the S Pen to minimize open windows and pull up new apps. Smart Select lets users select several items in a row and simultaneously share them as attachments in messages. The S Pen Mouse makes it easier to select and edit text using the S Pen and lets users instruct the stylus to highlight text simply by holding down the pen's side button.
The new features make such tasks as document-editing, note-taking and altering images, much easier to do.
Performance
Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM, the Galaxy Note 4 provides exceptional speed. Apps and webpages open up in milliseconds free from hang time. This is true even when multiple apps are running as viewed from the handset's multi-window support.
Camera
The Galaxy Note 4 touts an "industry-leading" 16MP rear camera with optical image stabilization, and 3.7MP front camera. The options in the camera support all modes, including Dual Shot, panorama and HDR (high dynamic range).
Storage
The Galaxy Note 4 comes with 32GB of internal storage. A further 64GB can be added using the Galaxy Note 4's microSD card slot.
Overall, the reviewers were unanimous in saying that the Galaxy Note 4 has the potential to be one of 2014's best handsets.