Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Pro Reviews

The reasons you'd want to go with the Note 5 instead of the Galaxy S8+ are: the S Pen stylus, the non-weird 16:9 display ratio, the much more traditional flat screen shape (easier to find and apply screen protectors?), the front-placed fingerprint scanner and physical home button. You will save a few hundred bucks and will get a pretty decent device, despite it being past its prime.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 requires two hands and a pile of cash, but it's the best Android phone with a large screen, a stylus and an accurate camera. Just don't look for it to have a microSD card, removable battery – or availability outside the US.

There are so many things the Note 7 does better than the Note 5, or offers features wholly missing on last year's model, that it's difficult to point to one main selling point for the new Note. Maybe the biggest downside – and this is a huge matter of personal preference – is the lack of a flat-screen Note 7. We're sure that a fair number of established Note fans will be mourning the loss of their familiar display geometry, but there's just so much else the new Note does well that it's hard to imagine the majority of them holding a grudge for long; they'll poke around at the new Edge UX interface, learn to appreciate the phone's smooth curves, and likely begrudgingly admit that Samsung didn't ruin anything with this change.

The Galaxy S7 edge and the Galaxy Note 5 are impressive showcases of Samsung's technological proficiency, displaying impeccable design and containing some of the best mobile hardware money can buy in 2016. Without question, both devices have the style and the guts to defend Samsung's enviable smartphone market share for another year. Great as they are, though, these smartphones are unquestionably different. Where design is concerned, the Galaxy S7 edge is certainly attractive with its dual edge display and good screen-to-body ratio, which makes it suitable for one-handed usage (with a bit of a stretch). The Note 5 doesn't have that, and it also lacks expandable storage, but its screen is a little bigger, and the included S-Pen is a multitasking treat! Speaking of which, productivity-oriented users will naturally feel more at home with the Note 5 and its suite of stylus- enabled functionality that lets them juggle information between apps with swift ease. The Galaxy S7 edge, though, is no slouch in this department, for it too offers side-by-side multitasking, and its Edge UX makes reaching for your favorite contacts and applications very simple and convenient. Hardware-wise, both handsets are speed demons with fast chipsets and blazing UFS storage memory, but it has to be noted that the Note 5 can pull through a full 8-hour workday and more, whereas the Galaxy S7 edge is unable to get you this far. That aside, both devices have excellent cameras, although the Galaxy S7 edge's is exceptionally fast to focus and takes better shots in low light.

The Galaxy Note 5 smartphone camera records images of a high quality with its 16MP of resolution rear-facing camera, and its 5.7-inch display screen is one of the sharpest you'll find on a smartphone. The camera offers both manual control and fully automatic operation, along with the ability to record in RAW, which is impressive for a smartphone camera. The Note 5's image quality is significantly better than its predecessor, and this smartphone camera outperforms most of the lower half of fixed lens digital cameras in the market ... as long as you don't need an optical zoom lens. The biggest drawbacks to the Note 5 are the lack of an optical zoom, as it is with all smartphone cameras, and its high price.

Much like anything, a phone’s value and worth hinges a lot on its price, and in this case, there’s more of a compelling argument going for the Google Nexus 6P. And why’s that? Well, for being the newer of the two, while also packing a premium design that’s original, its price of $499.00 for an unlocked model is mind-boggling. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 fetches for a premium at roughly around $650 to $750 depending on where you look. Knowing all that, price conscious consumers tight on a budget can’t go wrong with the Nexus 6P, since you’re getting a quality performing phone that takes good photos, is extremely responsive, high-spec’d, and comes with the latest version of the Android experience. However, the higher price point of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is justified by its rich set of additional amenities, great productivity portfolio, and its updated design language. Sure, you’re spending more money picking it up, but in the process, you’re getting more with your money – like its built-in wireless charging, heart rate sensor, S Pen stylus, and longer battery life. Power users will undoubtedly appreciate what the Note 5 has to offer on the software side, seeing that it comes with the best multi-tasking experience in a smartphone. You can still get plenty of work done when you’re not at your desk with the Nexus 6P, but the Note 5 is remarkably more equipped for the task. Then again, stock Android has its perks as well, so that’s something to remember. Whatever you end up choosing, you can sleep knowing that both smartphones are arguably at the top of their game. The Note 5 isn’t a surprising candidate for that phablet of the year title, considering that the Note series by and large has always been highly acclaimed, but for Huawei and its Nexus 6P, it’s the first time they’ve struck gold on a global scale – so for them, it’s surely a long time in the making.

If you aren't already too invested in iOS or Android, just enter the store, grab the phones, and pick whichever you think looks better and fits your palm and pocket well – you can't go wrong with either one. If you have to switch sides, though, better stick with your current ecosystem, as neither one is that more enticing than the other to warrant the swap, unless you are really curious. Last but not least, don't forget that the $750 iPhone 6s Plus starts you off with 16 GB of storage only, while the basic 32 GB Note5 can now be had for $650 or even less, which can also tip the scales for you.

Whether or not the Galaxy Note 5 and its S Pen are worth $300 more than similar phones is up to you, although I think it’s on the expensive side considering the hardware at hand. Of course it’s cheaper than an iPhone 6s Plus if you’re looking at Apple’s offering, though Apple has never been a budget smartphone provider.

All things considered, for most users, deciding between the Galaxy Note5 and the LG G4 would be a classic decision of either splurging on a device that's more expensive and able to do more than they actually need, or paying less for a device that seems to be less pretentious, but about as versatile in almost all cases. Whether the Note5 is worth the price premium is up to your individual tastes, needs, and financial situation, which is why we can't straight up recommend it as a better purchase than the LG G4. But if pure technological enthusiasm, or the need for stylus-driven mobile productivity are the motivating forces in your decision-making process, you will end up happier with the Note5.

So, what do we think of the Galaxy Note 5? We’re very fond of just about every aspect of the Galaxy Note 5, from its curved and sleek design to its vibrant display and high-resolution camera. It can handle almost anything you can throw at it thanks to its CPU, GPU and 4GB of RAM and we experienced no lag during our testing. The only bad point is that the Note 5 would sometimes falsely detect the S Pen detaching – and to point out such a minor fault says a lot about the quality of the handset. With this being said, we’re both surprised and sad that the Galaxy Note 5 won’t be heading to UK shores any time soon.

If you refuse to settle for something that’s not absolutely the best in terms of just the sheer amount of tech packed into a pocket computer—Yep. You should. But if you’re a more reasonable smartphone connoisseur and can get by with something more inexpensive, especially in this new era of extinct smartphone subsidies, then you can find something really great for cheap in comparison somewhere else. The Note 5 is Android’s iPhone, in both looks and ambition to be the best. But in that pursuit of being the best, it ignored that “great” and “cheap” are quickly becoming synonymous. That doesn’t mean a $720 unlocked device doesn’t have its place, it does. I just feel like it’s not as justified as it once was with great cheap alternatives and no more smartphone subsidies (except AT&T). But make no mistake, this is the best Android smartphone out there—just maybe not at the best price.

Looking at the list of features alone (with no regards to price), the Galaxy Note5 looks like the vastly superior device: a much faster and consistently good camera, a significantly better and brighter AMOLED display, the S Pen that is a nice extra, neat wireless charging option, a thinner, better looking design, the presence of a fingerprint scanner and option for future use with Samsung Pay... the list goes on. Quite importantly: the Note5 is also much more compact at almost the same screen size, and this makes a big difference, as the Nexus 6 just feels inconveniently gigantic - it’s hard to use with a single hand and barely fits in pockets (even when it fits, climbing stairs can be a painful exercise). However, if one considers price, this difference is indeed reflected in the cost. The Google Nexus 6 has the advantage of having been on the market for nearly a year now, and this has brought a significant price drop: from an initial MSRP of $650, the phone is now officially sold for $500 (full retail price). The Samsung Galaxy Note5 looks like a costly device in comparison: it comes with an MSRP of $750, exactly 50% higher price than the Nexus 6. Put in simple terms, the Galaxy Note5 is clearly the superior phone in most aspects. But is a 50% difference in price justified? It’s up to your wallet to give a judgment about that.

Rather than going into detail about their pricing, we’ll just generalize it by saying that the Galaxy S6 edge+ carries a higher premium than the Note5. There might not be a huge disparity when breaking down their pricing on a fixed, monthly financing plan, but it’s undeniably profound when we look at their outright costs. In fact, the Galaxy S6 edge+, depending on which carrier you buy it from, is normally accompanied with an $80 increase over the Note5. Again, it’ll be different for each carrier, but that’s the cost we’re roughly looking at here. Absorbing all of that, it boils down now to which of the two phones should you pick up. If we’re to factor in their performances and the kind of value brought on by their pricing, we’d give the nods to the Note5 purely because of the added benefit that comes with its S Pen. Not only from a utility point of view, but also in terms of the value brought on by the features that accompany it. For the most part, we find them more meaningful and impactful than the features of the dual-curved display with the Galaxy S6 edge+. We will, however, say that the Galaxy S6 edge+ boasts the slicker design. Ultimately, though, it comes down to personal preference. Indeed, the Note5 comes at us with a more rounded package, but the Galaxy S6 edge+ still carries its own noteworthy qualities to attract consumers. However, the difference in cost might open peoples’ eyes to take notice of the Note5’s extended worth.

There’s no arguing about the Note5’s might and power, as it continues to be king of the hill and untested in the phablet space. Things get better knowing that it’s super spec’d and it performs exceptionally well in all of the important areas it needs to, but we can’t forget about how the Note 4 is similarly spec’d to its newer counterpart – while also laying claim to some amenities no longer found with the Note5. The features we’ve talked about already, adds significant value to the Note 4’s package, which is tougher to say here with the Note5. For what it’s worth, the Note5’s premium design is appreciated, but it’s hard to say how much of a significance it plays in the phone’s overall worth – especially when the Note 4 still has a lovely design with more features in tow.

If you'll forgive the business metaphor, the Note 4 was the phablet equivalent of a machine-washable suit. Convenient and serviceable, yes, but hardly ranking high when it came to aesthetics. The Note 5, in contrast, has a new designer jacket, but that sleek cut isn't going to suit everyone. Giving the Note 5 its slinky Gorilla Glass chassis has ousted the removable battery and memory card slot so prized by a certain type of phablet owner. I'm sorry for their loss, but I can't quite bring myself to grieve too strongly, mind: the surfeit of charging options is market-leading, while the long-overdue retirement of plastic finally leaves the Note feeling like a premium device.You'll pay handsomely for it, too. In the US, bought at full retail price from a carrier, you're looking at around $700 for the 32GB Note 5, or around $800 for the 64GB model. Opt to spread the cost, meanwhile, and you should expect to hand over around $30 or $35 per month for two years, for the 32GB or 64GB devices respectively. Now, that's not unusual for a device in the phablet class - I'd expect Apple's replacement to the iPhone 6 Plus to come in at around that point too, when it's announced in September - but it does mean you have to really, really want the S Pen to warrant the expense. Good news is, if you're of the stylus mindset then the S Pen delivers more on the Note 5 than in any prior generation. The tweaks are, in and of themselves, fairly small, but they add up to a much more usable experience that - with features like PDF annotation - address legitimate and common complaints among power users. The great camera, solid battery life, and incredible display only gild the Note 5's core talents.