Samsung just unveiled the new Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+. Both phones are flagship models and have a lot of powerful hardware. The S6 Edge plus is just the upgraded version of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is the successor of the Galaxy Note 4. Many people were waiting for this upgrade for a long time. Samsung Nepal has also launched the Note 5 in the market. Samsung Galaxy Note 5 price in Nepal is Rs 89,900 for the 32GB model. There is no 64 or 128 GB version available at the launch time.
Galaxy Note is the flagship lineup from Samsung with S Pen. Lots of people love it due to the best thing that is SPen or stylus. Note phones are flagship and they are always beefed up with powerful hardware. Most of the time they are more powerful than S series because they come later. This time also Galaxy Note 5 comes with new improvements and hardware that we saw on Galaxy S6.
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This year Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes with many serious changes. It brings the design DNA of the new Galaxy S6 series with it. There is glass and metal construction with no removable parts except the SIM card tray. The S Pen is improved and the camera is also improved. Improvement is the way of growth and what everyone expects. However sudden changes done this year are pretty surprising. They are surprising in both positive and negative ways. So let us see them in the specs list and analysis.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Specifications and Overview
- Display: 5.7 Inches Super AMOLED Screen
- Resolution: 1440×2560
- Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 4
- SoC: Exynos 7420 (Octa-Core)
- CPU Details: 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 and 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 Quad-Core sets
- GPU: Mali-T760MP8
- Memory: 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM
- Storage: 32/64/128 GB UFS 2.0 In-Built, No memory card support
- Battery: 3000 mAh Lithium Polymer
- Charging Rate: 15W (Quick Charge 2.0)
- Back Camera: 16 Megapixels with f/1.9 Aperture (AF, OIS)
- Front Camera: 5 Megapixels with f/1.9 Aperture
- OS: Android 5.1.1 Lollipop (TouchWiz)
- Connectivity and Sensors: Front-mounted fingerprint sensor, Gyrosensor, Heart rate monitor, micro USB 2.0, Accelerometer
This year Samsung brought its new devices with all new metal and glass designs. Note 5 looks pretty slim, beautiful, and solid. The curved design on the back of the Galaxy Note 5 makes it easier to handle even with its big size. Its new shape is carved so great that the old Note 4 appears bigger. Screen size, resolution, and quality remain the same as last year. Both phones have the same Gorilla Glass 4 protection so there is no change in this part as well. However, this time, there is glass on the backside. In addition, screen sensitivity and S Pen tip are improved for better response.
The camera has improved a bit noticeably with the rear module. Moreover, the front camera got a huge jump with a 5 MP wide-angle selfie camera. Both Note 4 and Note 5 have 16 Megapixel sensors at the back. But the main difference is in aperture size. Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has a wider f/1.9 aperture while Note 4 only has f/2.2. This gives the new phone ability to capture better shots in low light and also have a shallow depth of field.
Core Hardware and Internal Power
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 uses Exynos 7420 octa-core processor with 4 GB RAM. The internal storage option is now increased up to 128 GB. The base model comes with 32 GB only and it is not that good. There is no external SD card support this time so it is better to get at least a 64 GB model. One of the most fascinating things is seeing 4GB LPDDR4 RAM on a phone. The Exynos chipset uses the new LPDDR4 RAM and boasts a 64-bit system and this should provide better performance. In terms of software, the phone comes with Android Lollipop and a new UI. The new software also has many extra features built-in for the S Pen.
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The battery in the new Note 5 is 3000 mAh which is 220 mAh smaller compared to the predecessor. The fast wired charging has been further improved and fast wireless charging support has also been added. Just like Galaxy S6, there is no non-removable back. Therefore there is no support for a removable battery and external SD card. Most people are complaining about this and they said they will not be upgrading due to this. We will have to see more about this in the future.
Design, Screen, and Camera
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has full metal and glass build. It looks beautiful and feels really solid. It is glass, so we have to be extra careful. The front of the phone is flat to provide a writing surface while the back of the phone is curved to provide easier maneuvering. There is a redesigned SPen silo and the pen now can be stored in a neat way. The S Pen sits flush inside the frame of Note 5.
On the front side, there is a big 5.7″ AMOLED screen with 1440 x 2560 resolution and Gorilla Glass 4 protection. At the top, there is a 5 MP selfie camera with an f/1.9 aperture that can record 1440p videos at 30 fps. On the backside, there is a main 16 MP camera with f/1.9 aperture that can take videos in UHD 4K resolution at 30 fps and 1080p videos at 60 fps. There are some interesting and useful features such as stereo sound recording, gyro-EIS, and optical image stabilization (OIS) with the back camera. These things help to get better results in shaky conditions and low-light situations.
Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has a powerful processor, faster memory, better camera, and latest features. It has a solid and premium-looking glass-metal sandwich design that looks really beautiful. However, the trade-off is a non-removable back and battery. One important thing that people are not ready to give up is the SD card. Higher storage models are very expensive and many people don’t like being tied. Portable, light, and cheap storage is a top choice for data holders and this is one deal-breaker for Galaxy Note 5.
In this new flagship phone, there is a new UI, higher memory, improved SPen, and a good look. On the other side, is a smaller battery and no support for a memory card. If we see, Galaxy Note 4 is still a very capable phone. It also has a 16 MP back camera with 4K video recording capability. The processor still holds up very well and the current price is also down. So, if you want to save some money and enjoy a flagship Note lineup product, then go for the Note 4. If you want the latest and best with amazing looks, top-of-the-line chip, higher internal storage, and an improved camera then the Note 5 is clearly the answer.
This phone is big and slippery due to the glass. It seems a bit risky game for design. The phone is astoundingly beautiful with the metal and glass finish but if it drops the crack and scratch will make it look bad. So do put a good back cover and tempered glass for protection.
