When the Samsung Galaxy Note was first announced, people were shocked at the size of the 5.3in display – after all, the average screen size in 2011 was only 2.6in, but over time people have come to adore its style and what the phablet can offer. Does the Note 5 contribute to the Note legacy, or does it fall flat on its face? Read on and find out.
The Samsung Note series has always stood out of the crowd, mainly thanks to its larger-than-life display and the inclusion of a stylus, or S Pen as it’s called. When the Note was first announced, people were shocked at the size of the 5.3in display – after all, the average screen size in 2011 was only 2.6in, but over time people have come to adore its style and what the phablet can offer. Fast forward to August 2015 where Samsung officially unveil the much-rumoured Note 5, boasting a new premium design and improved S Pen. Fans of the Note series were excited to get their hands on the device – that was until the company announced that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 wouldn’t be coming to UK shores. Updated on 22/9/15 with our video review.
This means that if you want to go hands-on with a Galaxy Note 5, you may have to import one. With this being said, our review handset was sent to us by Mobile Fun and while the company won’t be stocking the Note 5 itself, it offers a range of Galaxy Note 5 accessories for those of you lucky enough to get your hands on one.
So, are we missing out by not getting the Galaxy Note 5 in the UK? Or have users dodged a bullet by not being able to purchase the phablet? Read our review and find out.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is the latest in the Note family, and is frankly gorgeous. Samsung is finally moving away from plastic smartphones and moving towards premium aluminium and glass combinations that won’t disappoint. The sleek and lightweight design of the Note 5 is beautiful, and we think it’s one of the best-looking smartphones on the market right now.
It’s available in a variety of colours, including Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Silver Titan or White Pearl. We’ve gone hands on with the Black Sapphire model, a navy and silver colour combination that catches the light in just the right way, showcasing its subtle, understated colour for maximum effect. The famed S Pen has also had an aesthetic upgrade, now sporting a matching aluminium finish for a more premium look.
The Galaxy Note 5 measures in at 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm and weighs a lightweight 171g. Let’s compare this to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus, which measures in at a slightly larger-but-thinner 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm. Not much difference between the two, right? Then you’ll be shocked to know that while the iPhone 6 Plus boasts a 5.5in display, the Note 5 houses a slightly larger 5.7in display. This means that while both phones are very similar in terms of dimensions, the Note 5 boasts 0.2in more screen real estate for your money – and it’s a beautiful display at that, too, but we’ll come to that later.
The Galaxy Note 5 is made from Series 7000 aluminium – sound familiar to anyone? It should, as it’s the same aluminium that Apple use in the Apple Watch, and is what the iPhone 6S is expected to be made of too. What’s so great about Series 7000 aluminium? While being sixty percent more durable than standard aluminium, it’s also lightweight, making it the perfect material to use in a smartphone. Paired with the Series 7000 aluminium is Gorilla Glass 4, Corning’s latest creation that aims to protect both the front and the back of the Note 5.
The slightly curved edges and back plate make holding the Note 5 a lot easier, especially with one hand and for long periods of time – an important factor to consider when discussing phablets. You’re able to easily reach the other side of the screen with a finger without risking a drop due to the extra grip that the curved design provides.
Let’s move on to the features that make the Galaxy Note 5 what it is – the display and accompanying S Pen. The S Pen is one a feature of the Note series that fans love, which has improved in both functionality and design since the release of the original Samsung Galaxy Note. The Note 5 brings along a completely redesigned S Pen, boasting a sleek aluminium body that looks gorgeous compared to the S Pens used in previous Note devices. It includes a push-button end, which allows for easy access when inside the Note 5 – simply press down on the Pen and it’ll pop out, ready to be used.
The S Pen boasts improved and more accurate pressure sensitivity compared to the S Pen bundled with the Note 4, which itself was in line with top-of-the-range Wacom styluses at the time. After using the S Pen for only a few minutes, it becomes apparent that the Note 5 and S Pen do a great job of interpreting angles and swoops, and although a smooth display means you may slip when writing, it’s impressively accurate and enjoyable. We’re not huge fans of using styluses with smartphones, but we found ourselves using the S Pen for a variety of tasks on the Note 5.
Using the S Pen gives you access to AirCommand on the Note 5, which fans of the Note series will know and love. It offers shortcuts to specific S Pen-related activities including Screen write, Smart Select, Action memo and S Note. It’s ideal for those that are on-the-go, creative or just forgetful! While the apps themselves haven’t changed much in terms of functionality, AirCommand has had an Android Lollipop facelift and now includes the option to add custom AirCommand shortcuts, such as “Open Instagram” etc.
The only issue we had with the Note 5 and the S Pen is that on occasion, the Note 5 would think the S Pen had been detached and would display a message (and play a tone). The only issue was that in the majority of these cases, the Note 5 was on a table, stationary with no one removing the S Pen. We also found that it happened when the Note 5 was in our pocket, so much so that we had to manually disable the notification. This may be an isolated issue with our handset, but it’s worth taking into consideration.
But what about the display that provides you with such an exciting S Pen experience? The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 boasts a stunning 5.7in Quad HD super AMOLED screen, with a pixel density of a staggering 518ppi.
Note fans may point out that this is extremely similar to the offering of the Note 4, and they’d be right – the displays are ultimately the same, but with a great display and no real need for a 4K smartphone display, Samsung decided not to upgrade. We think this was right decision to make, especially as we imagine a 4K display would have a serious effect on battery life for a bump in quality that may not be visible to most people. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it eh?
We’ve fallen in love with the display of the Note 5. The high-resolution display is bright, vibrant and offers fantastic viewing angles. The colour representation was a bit out in places, but after watching various movie trailers and playing games on the Note 5, it was clear that this comes close to being our favourite phone display ever.
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