Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 4 will hit the shelves in the U.S. beginning Friday. It will be available on all major carriers. Meanwhile, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has entered the phablet market with its 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Apple’s new devices are flying off the shelves all over the world. Pre-orders in China surpassed 20 million units in just three days. Apple and Samsung are two of the world’s largest smartphone makers, and bitter rivals. So, it becomes inevitable to ask: How does the Galaxy Note 4 compare to the iPhone 6 Plus? Here is how they stand up against each other, and what sets them apart.
Galaxy Note 4 vs. iPhone 6: display
DisplayMate recently hailed the Galaxy Note 4 has the “best smartphone display ever.” And the phone rightfully deserves the title. It comes with a gorgeous 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution and 518ppi pixel density. The Super AMOLED screen offers more vibrant colors than the IPS LED display of the iPhone 6.
The iPhone 6’s 5.5-inch display has 1920 x 1080 resolution and 401ppi pixel density. Though it lags behind the Galaxy Note 4 in terms of resolution, the difference is hard to detect with the naked eye.
Galaxy Note 4 vs. iPhone 6: design
The Note 4 feels more premium than its predecessors, thanks to a brushed aluminum frame. It has a soft, removable touch-back cover. But Samsung disappointed some fans by not going with full-fledged metal chassis. By comparison, the iPhone 6 Plus has an all-metal body. The Note 4 is a bit shorter than the iPhone 6 Plus despite having a bigger display size, thanks to its thinner bezels. However, Apple’s phone is slimmer at 0.28 inches compared to 0.31 for the Note 4.
Galaxy Note 4 vs. iPhone 6 Plus: specs
When it comes to specs, Samsung’s flagship phone wins on almost every parameter. It comes with 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB RAM. It has built-in storage of 32GB with the option to expand it by 128GB using a microSD. Apple doesn’t reveal exact specs of its phones. But teardown reports indicate that the iPhone 6 Plus comes with 64-bit dual-core A8 processor with 1.4GHz clock speed and 1GB RAM. Apple’s new phablet is available in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage variants with no microSD slot.
Galaxy Note 4 vs. iPhone 6: camera
Both devices sport wonderful camera with optical image stabilization, which improves the image quality in low-light conditions. The Galaxy Note 4 sports a 16-megapixel main snapper and 3.7-megapixel front camera. By comparison, the iPhone 6 Plus retains the 8MP camera from its predecessor. The lower pixel count may disappoint some, but in testing conditions, Apple’s phone has consistently outperformed every other smartphone camera out there.
In terms of video recording, the iPhone 6 Plus can record slow motion and time lapse movies. In contrast, the Galaxy Note 4 offers damn good 4K video recording. What’s more, Samsung’s phablet has three new modes dedicated to selfies. It would be the obvious choice for those who love taking selfies.
Galaxy Note 4 vs. iPhone 6 Plus: other features
Each phone has some special tricks up its sleeve. The Note 4 boasts of an improved S Pen stylus, allowing you to write or draw directly on the screen. Samsung’s latest stylus has over 2,000 pressure sensitivity levels. As a result, it feels more natural to draw or write. The iPhone 6 Plus doesn’t have a stylus. Further, the Note 4 has a multi-tasking mode, which lets you run two apps simultaneously on the screen. It also has a rapid charging technology that gets up to 50% battery capacity in just 30 minutes of charging.
Though both devices have fingerprint sensors, the iPhone 6 offers better implementation. On Apple’s device, you only need to place your finger on the Home button, but you’ll have to slide it cross on the Note 4. Further, the Reachability function in the iPhone 6 Plus lets you operate even this 5.5-inch phablet with one hand. Apple Pay gives you the ability to make secure payments online and in retail stores with nothing more than your fingerprint.
The Galaxy Note 4 is a strong alternative to the iPhone 6, and one of the best Android devices in the market.
