Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Looks the Same, but Performs Better, What We Love about the New Note 4, Specs, Features and Price

By Kara Michelle Oct 17, 2014 10:08 AM EDT

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review: Looks the Same, but Performs Better, What We Love about the New Note 4, Specs, Features and Price

We can say that Samsung's Galaxy Note started the "phablet" trend, the now popular hybrid of smartphones and tablets. It was the first smartphone to appear with a big screen, 5.3 inches to be exact, and the rest was history; the competition for the best smartphone tablet started since then, with Apple's iPhone making its recent entry in the phablet category. Don't forget Google's new Nexus 6 and 9, boasting their bigger displays. Now, here's Samsung Galaxy Note 4, with more specs and features to compete further with the rest of the smartphone world.

One thing you've got to appreciate about Samsung and their Note series is in their consistency. Samsung's Note 4 follows the predecessors' design, while making a little change here and there. Some design features in the previous Note didn't appeal to some, but the Note is now back with aluminum sides, chamfered edges and smooth curves, seemingly following the sophisticated look of its competitor. Over-all, there has only been a minor tweak on the design. Maybe there's something to that. Maybe they want the users to still 'feel at home' when upgrading their Note to Note 4.

The display is at its best. Note 4 upgraded its screen resolution from 1080p to Quad HD. The change might be hard to notice, but you've got to appreciate the stunning display. The Super AMOLED panel shows bright and vibrant colors without becoming oversaturated, and the screen is surely easier to view from every angle.

Note 4 now has a heart rate monitor, with sensors for ultraviolet rays and blood oxygen levels. The S Pen is only slightly modified, but pretty similar to the previous one, except it's twice as sensitive to pressure as the previous one. No wonder you can now enjoy calligraphy, with fancy letters and numbers, using the Note 4 Pen. One-handed experience with your Note is now better too, by far the best. Making previous Note tasks way easier to do with a single hand.

Galaxy Note 4 will be available in all major US carriers starting this month. Note 4 is priced $300 with a 2-year contract from AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular and Verizon, and $750 if payment's spread-out over 2 years with the T-Mobile.