After months of speculation and leaked details, Samsung officially announced its next-generation Galaxy Note 4 at IFA in Berlin. The smartphone has impressive specs and features in addition to a new metal-framed design.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 at an event scheduled for Sept. 9. The company will launch its largest iPhones to date, which will consist of a 4.7-inch and 5-5-inch iPhone 6. Apple is about to make its entry into the phablet market dominated by Samsung's very popular Galaxy Note series.
Samsung held its Unpacked event at IFA 2014 in Berlin and launched the 5.6-inch curved-display Galaxy Note Edge and next-generation Galaxy Note 4. The phablets are Samsung's answer to Apple's impending iPhone 6 and, as usual, the company is going to take a multidevice approach when competing with Apple.
"The Galaxy Note series signaled extraordinary innovation within the technology industry. Its larger screen size and iconic S Pen technology launched a new standard in smartphone culture," said JK Shin, CEO and head of IT and mobile communication at Samsung Electronics. "With the introduction of the Galaxy Note series, we brought the age-old culture of the pen and notepad into the digital world. The new Galaxy Note 4 introduces the most refined Note experience to date by combining all the latest technology that users expect from the Galaxy series."
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is filled with top-of-the-line specs, exclusive Samsung apps and features, and enhanced S Pen features. The phablet features a 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad HD Super AMOLED display and is running Android 4.4 KitKat. The handset is powered by a 2.7-GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (U.S.) or 1.9-GHz Samsung Exynos octa-core processor (China and other regions) and 3 GB of RAM.
The Galaxy Note 4's camera capabilities consist of a 16-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and OIS (optical image stabilization) and 3.7-megapixel front facing camera. The handset ships with 32 GB of internal storage and a microSD expansion slot that will support up to 64-GB microSD cards. Samsung has included a large, removable 3,220 mAh battery. The Note 4 also comes with a fingerprint scanner for security and PayPal purchases. The UV sensor and heart rate sensor take advantage of S Health and will provide users with recommendations.
Samsung has included the same enhanced features it debuted with the Galaxy S5, like Multi Windows, which allows users to run two applications on the display at the same time. Ultra Power Saving Mode turns off unnecessary features, like checking for mail, turning off radios, and making the display black and white to squeeze out many more hours of use.
S Pen optimized features include Air Command, which allows users to quickly access popular features like Action Memo, which takes handwritten notes and converts them into actionable features like making a call, adding a handwritten contact to your contacts, and more.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 follows in the footsteps of the recently announced Galaxy Alpha when it comes to design. Samsung has used a metal frame around the Galaxy Note 4 to make the handset feel more premium. Its design is very reminiscent of Apple's current iPhone 5s.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will go on sale worldwide in October and will be available on all four major U.S. carriers. We'll update you on carrier launch plans as we hear them.
