Hands-on part deux for the Galaxy Note 4!
After weeks of waiting, Samsung Philippines has finally received the Galaxy Note 4. Yes, you read that right – the Galaxy Note 4 has now landed in the PH, and we’ve managed to get our hands on a retail device today. While we’ve spent some quality time with the Galaxy Note 4 during its official unveil, this is the first time we’re actually handling a retail unit without the words “Engineering Unit Confidential” plastered all over the screen.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
- Samsung Exynos Octa processor (1.9GHz quad-core processor + 1.3GHz quad-core processor)/2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor
- Mali-T760/ Adreno 420 GPU
- 3GB of RAM
- 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED display, Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 2560 x 1440 resolution
- 32GB of storage, expandable via microSD
- 16-megapixel rear camera with AF and Smart OIS
- 3.7-megapixel front camera with f1.9 lens
- WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, A-GPS
- 3G, LTE
- Android 4.4 KitKat with TouchWiz UI
- 3200mAh battery
Initial impressions: still feels awesome, now with Qualcomm inside
We’re not going to bore you with the external feel of the Galaxy Note 4 – if you need a refresher of the device, you can check out our first hands-on here. What’s surprising is that the Galaxy Note 4 that was on display in Samsung’s store was a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 version instead of the octa-core Exynos version we initially handled the first time around. This is huge – Samsung initially told us that they would only be offering the Exynos version of the device in the PH, and it seems that they’ve gone back on that and will be also offering the Snapdragon 805 processor for the PH. Samsung’s Exynos solution isn’t bad (just check out the scores of the Galaxy Alpha on our hands-on to see what it’s capable of) but some people will always want a Qualcomm chip over everything else.
As far as benchmarks are concerned, the Galaxy Note 4 produced underwhelming results, considering that it’s running a Snapdragon 805 processor, Adreno 420 GPU and 3GB of RAM, only managing to produce 37442 on AnTuTu. On its own that’s a pretty high score, but compared to the Exynos Galaxy Alpha, it’s a bit surprising. Then again, the Galaxy Note 4 is powering a higher resolution QHD display while the Galaxy Alpha is only HD. Processors paired with higher resolution displays typically produce lower synthetic benchmarks, so that may be the culprit.
Speaking of the display, the one on the Galaxy Note 4 looks great, which is pretty much par for the course when it comes to Samsung’s Super AMOLED displays. Everything is nice and sharp, and there’s no lag whatsoever when you start navigating through the UI. Placed side by side, it’s apparent that Samsung used the same design language on the aluminum sides of the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Alpha, and both feel extremely premium in the hands.
The Galaxy Note 4 will retail for Php 37,990. We’re actually waiting for our review device and will post the unboxing once we get it.
