Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review

The Note 4 wears its size better than that of the iPhone 6 Plus. Placing the two alongside one another reveals the Note 4 is shorter, even though it has a larger screen. Samsung’s smartphone may be thicker than Apple’s at 9mm, but the waistline works in its favour by evening out its proportions.

Backing the towering size of the Note 4 is a 5.7in AMOLED display enriched with a 2560x1440 resolution. Each inch of the display has 515 pixels, and that’s considerably more than the 401 pixels-per-inch of the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. Smartphones including the LG G3 and the Oppo Find 7 ooze similar specs, but the Note 4’s display proves superior to its 1440p rivals.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review

This form of multitasking is marred by a few factors: the screen isn’t big enough to accommodate two portrait windows, and only a select few applications support the mode. Samsung’s split screen mode, which enables two supported apps to run on-top of one another, remains more practical.

Proving a better productivity aid is the S-Pen stylus. The fourth generation S-Pen is Samsung’s most refined. Using it to take notes on the Galaxy phablet replicates the texture of notetaking with old-school pen and paper.

The S-Pen is far more versatile than an ordinary Bic ball point. Slide it out (or press its button) and an ‘Air Command’ menu populates with tailored modes. These include the ability to write on screenshots, crop screenshots on the fly, and the option of writing memos.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Touch

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Back

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review