Customers can finally get their hands on Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 this week, a device that has been deemed a competitive offering against Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. As such, to compare the two devices in terms of display, design, specs, camera and features has become common among fans and critics alike.
When it comes to display, the Galaxy Note 4 was recently considered to have the "best smartphone display ever" by DisplayMate with its 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display that boasts a 2560 x 1440 resolution. Its screen also offers more dynamic colors compared to the iPhone 6 Plus' IPS LED display. The 5.5-inch display of the iPhone 6 Plus offers a lower resolution of 1920 x 1080 but has not been found to lag behind the Galaxy Note 4.
Samsung's offering has also been found to have a sleek design with its brushed aluminum frame, although the Note 4 has been criticized for not using metal chassis full-on.
On the other hand, the body of the iPhone 6 Plus has been made completely with metal. It also has a bigger display size and a slimmer frame compared to the Note 4, which is shorter and a bit bulkier.
In terms of specs, the Galaxy Note 4 is integrated with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor along with 3 GB of RAM. It has a built-in storage of 32 GB and also supports microSD cards of up to 128 GB.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 6 Plus is powered by a 64-bit 1.4GHz dual-core A8 processor with 1 GB of RAM. Customers can choose from the 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB storage options, but the device does not support microSD cards.
When it comes to their cameras, the Galaxy Note 4 comes with a 16-megapixel rear shooter and a 3.7-megapixel front camera.
For the iPhone 6 Plus, an 8-megapixel camera can be found at its rear; although a lower pixel count is likely to discourage future purchasers of the device. Apple's offering has reportedly outperformed all other smartphones in the market when it comes to photo capture.
Nonetheless, both the Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus have been integrated with optical image stabilization.
Other features that customers can look forward to are the improved S Pen stylus of the Note 4 that enables the user to write directly on the screen. The device's multi-tasking mode also allows two apps to be opened and used simultaneously, whereas rapid charging technology for the Note 4 generates at least 50 percent capacity even with only 30 minutes of charging.
While the iPhone 6 does not come with a stylus pen, Apple's offering has been found to have fingerprint sensors that are more effective than that of Samsung's. Thanks to the Reachability function, individuals can use the 5.5-inch device using only one hand. Moreover, the recently unveiled Apple Pay supports and secures online payments and eases transactions with retail stores.
All in all, both the Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus each have their strong points to offer, depending on the needs and expectations of users.
