My Full Family - Note 4, Gear S & Gear Circle short review.

[Andrewtst]

My Full Complete Family.

My short review.

Note 4 - the best mobile phablet ever build from Samsung internally and externally. Check below for complete review.

Gear S - Solid design, I love the curve screen, it is nice touch, not over big actually, fashionable and smoothly. The thing I dislike is the charger, difficult to touch up, why use such design, first generation Gear charger is much better. Another is the build in GPS is half dead, it is A-GPS which need data connection, it won't work without insert SIM card that have data connection or WiFi to any data connection. I already confirm with Samsung where it is behave like that, the Data connection is required.

Gear Circle - Fashionable design, comfortable to wear, awesome sound quality for Samsung mobile user only, how stupid Samsung can get such idea where you need and only can tune the sound setting inside the Samsung Gear App properly, not even from the Music player itself. You get a big different sound quality after make some sound settings changes inside the Gear apps itself!

My current Gear Circle setting at Gear Apps.

I pick Rock then go advanced turn on both Bass and 3D. This two settings can't turn on at Music Player settings and I put normal at Music player settings.

Note 4 complete review:

• Performance - the best QHD resolution phone I tested so far. Smoothness 95% as they is still slightly 3 seconds delay opening recent apps, the briefing add on is not well done especially the open effect, it is not pull out but jump out. Hmm... sometimes they is still slightly jittering when minimise apps and also during scrolling 2nd apps under multi window.
• Real Camera - extremely awesome, I believe the best so far in day light, night shoot wise second best. Today later will do some comparison with iPhone 6 plus. The taken time is extremely fast, no single delay event at night.
• Front camera - great for selfie, bright and clear. The wide selfie wise is not as easier to use as promote.
• Screen quality - I give 95% as well. If you dimmer down the screen then you will notice they is slightly color shift at bottom part at white background. It is more easier to see the wave on bottom end when you put the phone horizontally and look closer to eye. I check others demo set at Samsung store and all same. Please don't purposely check it if you never seen it. But this is by far much much better than my previous Note 3 AMOLED screen. Beside this, the screen is absolutely awesome! The best AMOLED screen I ever seen and use.
• QHD resolution - is this gimmick? Hardly to said, seriously I can't spot any differences compare with FHD. Oops! It is not like HD to FHD that kind of big differences wow!
• Battery Life - surprisingly great! At least the SOT is better than Note 3.
• Touchwiz UI - the best ever by Samsung. Flat nice design and finally can put folder inside apps drawer everywhere back not like initial release in S5 UI which can't. They is two draw back compare with S5. Why Samsung remove the color selection for folder! Also the new briefing is badly implement compare with S5 one. Beside this please implement way for disable or moving to bottom the S Finder and Quick Connect at notification, it is annoying as sometimes I do accidentally click it when clicking the clear button.
• Samsung widget - I love all the Samsung widget, this time all well done with flat look semi transparency especially the main clock weather widget.
• Bloatware - I don't find any extra Bloatware this time. Those keep complaining Samsung is bloat shall really go check it out before judge. Also if you use China phone especially Xiaomi then you will know what is really call bloat.
• Loud Speaker - far louder and better than Note 3 but put back at real is really a big wrong decision. Why oh why you move from previous great bottom location to real. Now I truly miss my HTC One M8 awesome stereo loud speaker.

IN OVERALL I GIVE SCORES OF 95%.

 

[Andrewtst]

Some random shoot.

Here some night shoot. All auto mode. I am impress with the result.

 

[Andrewtst]

Note 4 (wide) vs iPhone 6 Plus (square) Part 01
- all auto mode with HDR Off.

 

[Andrewtst]

Note 4 (wide) vs iPhone 6+ (square) Part 02
- all auto mode with HDR Off.

 

[Canesfan]

Nice quality images.

 

[AnonGuy]

The camera is very nice, especially in day light. Low light, not so much. A lot of aggressive Noise Reduction, but still better than any HTC or Sony Phone. The LG G3 does better in low light and resolves better detail in daylight (due to the software not smoothing things out as aggressively as Samsung's software), however the GN4 has more accurate color saturation than the G3 (tends to boost the colors quite a bit). Shame about the unnecessary QHD display on LG's device.

I thought the same thing when I seen the Note 4's screen. Didn't really seem like a change from the 3. You'd have to be viewing illegibly small text or using a magnifying glass to really see the difference. The displays are both perfectly sharp from normal viewing angles.

I don't like how Samsung processes low light images, at all, and even with OIS the phone seems to shoot with higher ISO than the Note 3 in same situations, which seems a bit odd since OIS is supposed to allow the phone to use a slower shutter speed and lower ISO (less Noise, potentially) in the same lighting conditions.

I'm over Samsung's software, personally.

That briefing is just a lag machine and is going to give people a really really bad first impression of the device if they play with it in a carrier store. It actually performs worse than My Magazine on the Note 3, and I didn't think such a thing was possible. It's also still extremely limited in what you can connect to it.

Blinkfeed is still 1000% better than this (and way more useful). I was really hoping they'd have something that allows me to get away with not having a Facebook App on my phone, for example, but Briefing is *not* that, and it performs horribly. At least you can turn it off, I think.

 

[AnonGuy]

Went to Best Buy earlier and tried both the 6+ (they didn't have one last time) and the Note 4. Took pictures while panning and gently shaking/vibrating my hands on each device. The Note 4 blurred literally every picture and 99% of the pictures from the 6+ had no blurring. It was a stark difference.

Something seems off with how Samsung uses the OIS in the device. It doesn't seem to be working as well as in the iPhone and LG devices. Maybe the huge resolution also has something to do with it, too... But I like knowing that a device is going to take a sharp picture even with some unexpected movement, and the Note 4 just doesn't seem to instill the kind of confidence I get from an LG or Apple camera phone in that department.

 

[Andrewtst]

I don't get blur issue on Note 4 or iPhone 6. Both extreme instant even at night shoot.

Note 4 do much higher ISO than iPhone but it still under well control and getting much better bright image. Some how certain night photo taken by iPhone is way too dark than actual.

As for LG, it never superb in photo output. It is OK but never in extreme great level like Apple or Samsung.

Sony wise I agree their auto mode photo algorithm process is way too wrong.

 

[AnonGuy]

Well the 20+ pictures that I took with both phones (and the G3) completely disagrees with you.

There was a large disparity in the amount of movement the iPhone 6+ and G3 could handle while taking sharp pictures in comparison to the Note 4, which was only marginally better than digital stabilization.

The G3 is better than both the Note 4 and iPhone 6+ in resolving detail in far off shots. Multiple camera comparisons have shown that. The issue with it is in Exposure Control and Color Saturation - not detail. LG's software is a lot less aggressive than Samsung's when it comes to Noise Reduction, which kills detail in the Note 4 Images.

That being said, if you aren't zooming and cropping, that won't matter much anyways. Even a 4MP camera like the HTC One M8's would be perfectly fine.

 

[Andrewtst]

Well the 20+ pictures that I took with both phones (and the G3) completely disagrees with you.

There was a large disparity in the amount of movement the iPhone 6+ and G3 could handle while taking sharp pictures in comparison to the Note 4, which was only marginally better than digital stabilization.

The G3 is better than both the Note 4 and iPhone 6+ in resolving detail in far off shots. Multiple camera comparisons have shown that. The issue with it is in Exposure Control and Color Saturation - not detail. LG's software is a lot less aggressive than Samsung's when it comes to Noise Reduction, which kills detail in the Note 4 Images.

That being said, if you aren't zooming and cropping, that won't matter much anyways. Even a 4MP camera like the HTC One M8's would be perfectly fine.

They is no single site review said LG G3 camera great. Even the blind test by PhoneArena win out by Note 4.

LG G3 get vote down in last place during blind test by PhoneArena.

Note 4 by zooming in also no issue with sharp in clarity.

 

[Andrewtst]

Note 4 Zoom Test - Original, 2x, 4x and 8x

 

[AnonGuy]

I said in resolving detail, which if you compare pictures it's true. CNET did a comparison and it was obvious in their test as well.

This is a software issue. Samsung's noise reduction kills details. We have been complaining about it for years now, since the original galaxy s4 phones.

In great light at very low ISO all these cameras are good but once you start to lose ambient lighting the differences become apparent.

I'm well aware that the Note 4 has lossless zoom. It's one of the benefits of using a high resolution camera sensor. But thanks.

 

[Andrewtst]

I don't think Samsung noise reduction is terrible, it is well control. Go check out any Sony phone release since year 2012 then you will know what is real crazy noise reduction.

For me, Samsung did it well in noise reduction, not over nor nothing touch up at all. A well touch up is welcome.

 

[AnonGuy]

Umm, what you're saying amounts to:

Jeff is 7'1". He's taller than Jake, who's only 6'8".

Jake is short.

One being worse than the other doesn't make the other "great," the same way one person being taller than another doesn't make that other person "short."

Samsung's camera processing has been an issue for a long time. Their noise reduction is quite aggressive and kills details in moderate to low light shots while other phones give better sharpness as well as better color accuracy and details in the same situations. When I tested the Note 4's camera there were situations where the Note 3 was pumping out images with less noise reduction and better sharpness and details than the Note 4. That kind of inconsistency is very unwelcome, IMO.

The Issue with Sony's device is that their phones frankly don't take great pictures in Auto, which is bad cause that's how most consumers use the device. Using the manual mode, the Z2 can take much better pictures. Not many consumers are going to put themselves through that kind of trouble. I sure wouldn't.

http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-4-Review_id3812/page/3

Go down to Color Poster. Add the Galaxy Note 3. Then put the box over the faces of the people. Compare how the Note 4 does *more aggressive* noise reduction which is clearly obvious on the faces of those people, compared to the Note 3. Also Note the Skin Tones, etc. The Photo out of the Note 4 has been processed more than the iPhone 6, Note 3, and even the G3 (which is more detailed, but more noisy than the Note 3 and iPhone 6 images).

And that's only the 12MP from the Note 4. It would look *horrible* if it was the full resolution.

What's interesting is if you look at the S5, Note 3 and Note 4 - the S5 images look similar to the Note 3, just ever so slightly better. The Note 4's look clearly worse than both of them. That's in a controlled environment. Of course personal experiences will vary based on what people prefer and how they use it, but aren't directly comparable...

I see heavily processed images. Over the pure white area by the vegetables the Note 4 is casting the white as a slight blue. The pictures is heavily noise-reduced (with a lot of sharpening applied) with dubious white balance and oversaturated/pumped up colors (though it's clearly better than the G3 in that regard).

But then, the comparison you get from the image sample on dpreview pretty much mirrors what I said about the camera when I tried it a couple of weeks ago...

I did notice the Note 4 tends to shoot at odd shutter speeds and ISO levels for something that's optically stabilized, so it may improve with software updates. Frankly, all of those issues are just software, not hardware, so it can improve dramatically just by updating the Camera FW and Software. But so can the Note 3 or S5 (they pushed a Camera FW update to the S4 in the latest maintenance release, for the VZW model).

The processing in the Note 4 images is pretty obvious until you get down to the 2MP sample, then it is not so obvious. The colors are still obviously pumped and the white balance is off though (hard to miss blue whites). Most people will just throw filters on their image or post them to facebook (which destroys the image quality, anyways). If you want to print them then whites being blue and artificial color pumping becomes a bigger issue

I, personally, still think the S5's camera is better with the exception of Optical Image Stabilization. It produces better colors and more balanced images that aren't as aggressively processed as the Note 4's. The Note 4 is still way ahead of the Note 3 due to its OIS and Low Light Performance. The Note 3 is too big to not have OIS, and it's why it is known for producing blurry images for a lot of users. It's also trash in Low Light. The S4 is a bit better than the Note 3 in Low Light as well as Daylight, oddly (seeing as how they use the same Camera Module and ISP, but the Note 3 has a stronger SoC). Maybe some of this is just due to the difference in camera sensors, but most of it (white balance/tint, color pumping, aggressive noise reduction and sharpening) is clearly being done by the software.

 

[Andrewtst]

Random shoot - auto mode, HDR Off.

 

[chong67]

Nice photo. The nasi lemak makes me hungry.

 

[m3incorp]

Already have an iPhone 6 Plus in the home and the owner of it is satisfied with the results of the camera. I should have my Note 4 on Wednesday and sadly to say, since I have a Canon 7D and a Canon 5D Mark iii, I just don't see myself really using the camera on the Note 4. But to each, his/her own as the saying goes.

I belong on a Corvette Stingray forum and you can believe that when anyone posts a comparison of it against "anything" else, the poster always ensures that the Corvette comes out looking the best. I can see the same thing happening on a smart phone forum.

The iPhone 6 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has been tested by numerous companies that do it "all the time". In all of those tests, the iPhone 6 Plus wins some tests and the Note 4 wins some. They are both great smartphones.

 

[AnonGuy]

Pretty much agree. I've printed iPhone 5S and Galaxy S4 images. Both looked good so I tend to value camera speed over resolution bumps. I have no intention or desire to carry around an SLR or P&S just to take photos and video. I rather upgrade my laptop, instead

The RAW shooting in Android 5.0 will allow you to get better photos than the phone spits out if you really care about that and are willing to put in the work. That's going to be a game changer, IMO, and if a Google allows shooting RAW with Google Camera I will forego both of these options and get a 64GB Nexus 6 or Droid Turbo (if it's 32GB with SD card or has a 64GB SKU) instead.

 

[Andrewtst]

Already have an iPhone 6 Plus in the home and the owner of it is satisfied with the results of the camera. I should have my Note 4 on Wednesday and sadly to say, since I have a Canon 7D and a Canon 5D Mark iii, I just don't see myself really using the camera on the Note 4. But to each, his/her own as the saying goes.

I belong on a Corvette Stingray forum and you can believe that when anyone posts a comparison of it against "anything" else, the poster always ensures that the Corvette comes out looking the best. I can see the same thing happening on a smart phone forum.

The iPhone 6 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has been tested by numerous companies that do it "all the time". In all of those tests, the iPhone 6 Plus wins some tests and the Note 4 wins some. They are both great smartphones.

Both iPhone 6 plus and Note 4 is among the best in phone market now. It is undeniable the greatest for the moment.

I also have DSLR but it is not for everyday usage. Phone camera became mass as it is the most easier way when you need it you get it.

 

[Andrewtst]

Note 4 vs Mi3 - indoor, auto, HDR Off

Note 4

Mi3

 

[Andrewtst]

Note 4 vs Mi3 - Outdoor, auto, HDR Off

Note 4

Mi3

 

[Andrewtst]

HDR vs No HDR

HDR

No HDR

 

[Andrewtst]

Here is some more photos taken using Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Auto Mode, no HDR, +/- 4x zoom

Auto Mode, no HDR, no Zoom

 

[Andrewtst]

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Sony Xperia Z3 camera test.

All in auto mode, HDR Off.

Sony had much wider viewing angle but slow shutter speed and the output is.. as usual speechless... far object is blur and noise and wax look. Budget Redmi 1s anytime also can win it.

I am just saying my opinion on the result. Sony fans sorry if my straight opinion hurting.

The phone wise, Z3 is a solid build and speedy but screen default calibration a bit over cool.

Note 4

Z3

Note 4

Z3

 

[Andrewtst]

I also test out Huawei Honor 6. The phone is solid and speedy! First time I find Huawei phone is speedy!

Huawei camera is awesome and speedy as well! Honor 6 is a great value phone to consider.

Sorry for bad angle as the shop tide the phone too short to pulling it out.

Note 4

Honor 6

Note 4

Honor 6