Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs. iPhone 6+

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the iPhone 6+ are probably the most coveted big screen phones of 2014. We call the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 a phone, even though we realize it’s a part of the Galaxy Note phablet range. The differences between a smartphone and a phablet – a smaller tablet with all the features of a phone – have become almost non existent these past few years. In 2011, the Samsung Galaxy Note had a huge 5.3 inch screen – about a couple of inches bigger than most smartphone screens. This made it more of a tablet than a phone. Today, in 2014, it’s no longer uncommon for everyday smartphones to have 5 inch screens. The iPhone 6, the smaller one, has a 4.7 inch screen, for example.

The iPhone 6+ is Apple’s first attempt at making a phablet. The product should let it take on the other phablets in the market, like the Google Nexus 5 and, of course, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Apart from a few features, like the presence of the S Pen on the Galaxy Note 4, the two devices are comparable to each other:

The Design

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is close to the Note 3 in design. It has the same faux leather back and some plastic components, but it does have a new metal frame. It has a squarish look to it and chamfered edges.  The phone has a width of 3.09 inches and a length of 6.04 inches. You can get it in white, gold, black and hot pink.

The iPhone 6+ has an aluminum chassis, with smooth, curved edges – very different from the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 6+ looks similar to a new-gen iPad from afar. The iPhone 6+ has a width of 3.06 inches and a length of 6.22 inches. The phone is available in gold, silver and space grey colors.

If you place the devices side by side, you will see that the iPhone 6+ is slightly bigger than the Galaxy Note 4. It also looks much more sleek and high-end. The Galaxy Note 4, on the other hand, appears to be easier to hold because of the faux leather back. It also seems to be sturdier, which you may or may not prefer.

The Screen

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 5.7 inch screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 QHD at 515ppi. Samsung used the well-known AMOLED technology for the Note 4.

The iPhone 6+, on the other hand, has a 5.5 inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 401 ppi. Apple has used the Retina HD display for the screen, which runs with IPS technology.

So which screen is better? The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a larger screen running at a higher resolution. However, you can’t really tell the difference if you place the phones side by side. Most apps are not optimized for the higher resolutions these devices support either.  The colors on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 appear to be a little brighter though.

The Processing Power

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor running at 2.7GHz. It has an Adreno 420 GPU and 3GB of RAM.

The iPhone 6+ has a dual-core Apple A8 processor with 1.4GHz. It runs a quad-core PowerVRGX5450 GPU and has 1GB of RAM.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 trumps the iPhone 6+ in terms of processing power. The iPhone 6+ is a very fast, well-optimized phone, though, so don’t underestimate its performance.

The Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 16 MP camera at the back and a 3.7 MP camera at the front. The camera is a significant improvement over its predecessor, featuring optical image stabilization and letting you record ultra high quality 4k videos at 30fps.

The iPhone 6+ has an 8 MP camera at the back and a 1.2 MP camera at the front. This camera is almost identical to the one on the iPhone 5S. It does give better video performance, though, letting you record at 1080p at 60fps.

We found that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 lets you take better-quality pictures, capturing greater details and giving you more vivid colors. The iPhone 6+ has a competitive camera which, while not as good as the Note 4’s camera, is still pretty good.

Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 3220mAh battery, which is the same battery as the one found on the Note 3. However, you can now charge 50% of your battery in just 30 minutes.

The iPhone6+ has a smaller 2914mAh battery, while the iPhone 5S has a 1440mAh battery. It takes up to 3 hours to charge to 100%.

If you loop a video on both devices, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 stays alive for about 14.5 hours. The iPhone 6+, on the other hand, will stay alive for about 9 hours.

Android vs. iOS

We are really not looking to get into a debate here! Both Android and iOS have their advantages and drawbacks. The iOS is a streamlined, safer experience, as you can use only Apple approved apps. Android, on the other hand, is more customizable and has more apps, period. Both operating systems are easy to use and give you similar features.

The Verdict – Which Phone Should You Buy?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 costs $700 to $825, depending on the carrier, for the 32GB version. The 64GB version of the iPhone 6+ will set you back by about $850- the full retail price. Even though the phones are similarly priced, the Samsung Note 4 distinguishes itself because of its higher battery life and better specs in general. It also has a stylus, the S Pen, which makes navigating and using apps a breeze.

If budget is not a concern and you don’t mind using a phone with a stylus, you can’t go wrong buying the Galaxy Note 4. You might find that you like the Apple 6+ offers a better experience through, if you like iOS. You should try out both phones before you buy – but we would probably end up buying a Note 4.