Should Note Owners Wait For The Galaxy Note 5 To Upgrade?

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2014 was a very difficult year for Samsung, and the Korean corporation will be hoping that the next twelve months brings better fortune. With profits tumbling by around 60 percent, the bullish expectations of the company to seriously challenge Apple at the apex of the global mobile marketplace certainly did not materialize. Now Samsung will be playing catch-up in 2015, and will need some outstanding devices in order to aid this process.

Note 4 overshadows Galaxy S6

However, one of the success stories of 2014 was the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. This phablet-sized device was one of the most impressive mobiles released during the calendar year, and helped enhance Samsung’s reputation at the time when it had taken a bit of a knock.

It is interesting that the Galaxy Note 4 was the standout release from Samsung during the previous twelve months, as it is the Galaxy S series which is really considered the flagship smartphone from Samsung. But the Galaxy S5 was a bit lacklustre, certainly in terms of appearance, and was not hugely well received either critically or commercially.

So at the moment, the Galaxy Note series is the flag bearer of quality in the mobile range of the Korean electronics giant. But should existing Galaxy Note 3 owners upgrade to the very well received Galaxy Note 4, or would it be more prudent to wait for the release of the Galaxy Note 5, which should be coming late in Q3 or early in Q4 during 2015?

People are certainly already talking about this device as being a significant step forward over the Galaxy Note 4, but it is not quite yet known what Samsung will include in this phablet. What should be noted is that the Galaxy S6 will be released before the Galaxy Note 5 hits the market, and that there is massive pressure on Samsung to deliver something outstanding with the Galaxy S series this time out.

Mobile World Congress focus

Thus, with the Mobile World Congress coming up in March, 2015, and with analysts considering this to be the likely venue for the unveiling of the Galaxy S6, for the time being Samsung’s focus is squarely on its flagship smartphone. This may be indicative of a general trend throughout the year, as Samsung will be well aware that the device which is considered to be a rival to the iPhone needs to attract more praise, and indeed consumers.

So although there is no doubt that Samsung will improve the Galaxy Note 5 from previous iterations in the series, it is not at all guaranteed that it will be a significant focus of the Samsung strategy during the calendar year. It would seem to be far more essential that Samsung produces a truly outstanding smartphone when the Galaxy S6 hits the market, and there may be more rudimentary advances in the Galaxy Note series when the Galaxy Note 5 is released.

On the other hand, the specification list which has been attached to the Galaxy Note 5 is certainly impressive. According to early rumors, the Galaxy Note 5 is expected to be available in September, and when it does appear there will be a raft of spec upgrades offered. These will center around a new 5.9-inch display, and the screen resolution of the Galaxy Note 5 is rumoured to be either ultra HD, or possibly even 4K.

The prospect of the first ever mass market 4K resolution mobile device will attract a lot of consumers, and it could be the most compelling reason to upgrade to the Galaxy Note 5. Certainly, a recent concept design of the Galaxy Note 5 created by Maryum Ayub suggested that a 4K display will be prominent in this phablet, and this will certainly ramp up the pressure on Apple to produce something outstanding with the presumed iPhone 7 Plus.

Galaxy Note 5: Possible 4K resolution

Aside from the screen size, Samsung is expected to include some other extremely impressive specs in this device. An Exynos octa-core processor clocking 3.2 GHz is predicted, along with 4GB of RAM and a 19-megapixel rear camera offering optical image stabilization. Samsung is also expected to improve the quality of its front-facing camera as well, in an attempt to attract customers keen on taking selfie photographs. Apple has already signalled its intention to do the same, so the Korean Corporation will almost certainly attempt to trump this.

However, the existing specifications in the Galaxy Note 4 are also extremely impressive. This device is built around a 5.7-inch display with 1,440 x 2,560 pixels (515 ppi pixel density), and the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 ensures that this is a device which runs extremely well. The 16-megapixel camera included has been praised, as has the exceptional battery life produced by the Li-Ion 3220 mAh battery included.

The Galaxy Note 4 is a niche-leading phablet, and one that has already attracted a great deal of praise. Any consumer opting for this device will certainly not be dissatisfied, and the next generation Galaxy Note 5 may not be a huge step forward over this already impressive device. However, the promise of a 4K display may attract a large number of consumers to the Note 5, particularly those that wish to utilize the device for multimedia.

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