Quick and Dirty Note 2 vs Note 4

[dankev]

I took my Note 2 to Best Buy to see how the new one looks. I'm replacing the Note 2 soon, but I don't know with what yet.

The feel of the Note 4 is much nicer. It is noticeably thinner overall. The aluminum feels better than the plastic on the N2. The textured plastic on the back (they only had white demo models) feels quite a bit nicer than the back of the N2, although it's still not my favorite material. I would prefer soft touch. I don't like the white paint on the aluminum, and I can't figure out why they did that.

The screen on the N4 looked much nicer at first, but then I realized it was just much brighter. The Best Buy lighting was extremely bright, and the N4 gets much brighter than the N2. Once I dimmed the N4 to match the N2's brightness, the difference wasn't as stark. Almost negligible, to be honest. This was at nearly arm's length, where I hold my phone, not 3 inches from my face. I was also surprised that the extra 0.2 inches of screen on the N4 were barely noticeable.

Smoothness overall was about the same on both devices. Opening the camera app and switching from the camera to the gallery was actually significantly SLOWER on the N4. I don't know if it has something to do with the demo overlay or not, but that didn't strike me as a good sign.

Overall, I don't feel excited to spend $750 on this upgrade. The apparent upgrades are feel in the hand and screen brightness. I realize the resolution is much better, but it just wasn't noticeable in 10 minutes of playing with them. If it's a faster phone, that was lost on me. I was disappointed by the speed of opening the camera and gallery. I'm very disappointed they didn't make the N4 waterproof. That would have been a great feature for me.

I'll probably keep looking/waiting for something else. Maybe the Nexus 6 will be better for me. Maybe I'll get a Z3 or a Moto X, even though I'd prefer a bigger screen.

 

[Aquila]

Thanks for taking the time to write this out! I'm honestly having trouble deciding if this is saying something bad about the Note 4 or if it's just a testament to how solid the Note 2 was in its time. Another benefit of the newer tech to consider in the 4 will be battery life.

 

[dankev]

Good point, Darth. Battery life is something I obviously wasn't able to evaluate, but is a big factor. My understanding is that battery life did not change dramatically from the N2 to the N3, and that Samsung has said the N4 will be about the same as the N3. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

And yes, I think it is a testament to the N2. It's been a very good phone, and while I'm excited to get something new, there's really nothing wrong with it. It still does everything, and fast. It's the first phone I've had that felt like that after 2 years.

 

[int_architect]

The screen on the N4 looked much nicer at first, but then I realized it was just much brighter. The Best Buy lighting was extremely bright, and the N4 gets much brighter than the N2. Once I dimmed the N4 to match the N2's brightness, the difference wasn't as stark. Almost negligible, to be honest. This was at nearly arm's length, where I hold my phone, not 3 inches from my face. I was also surprised that the extra 0.2 inches of screen on the N4 were barely noticeable.

Not sure why the difference between a 720p screen with 265 ppi and a 2K screen with 515 ppi is not discernable to you, but I find your screen comparison interesting because the screen resolution if the Note 2 is the reason I passed on it the first place. All in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.

I do agree about the paint belt. I mean...as a design architect I understand it, but my only concern is durability and scratch resistance.

EDIT: About the smoothness being about the same between the two devices. Really? After several versions of Android and (I would presume) several iterations of TouchWiz?

N3 via AC App

 

[anon(394005)]

I've been very happy with my Note 2 over the last couple years. So was on the fence whether the Note 4 was really worthy of paying full retail to replace it. But after seeing one at Best Buy yesterday, I came away fully convinced it IS worthy and a major update to the Note 2 (didn't feel that way about the Note 3).

I thought the Note 4's display puts the Note 2's to shame. It was much brighter even at auto-brightness and much crisper with a lot more detail all around. I'm not very good at describing it, but I was in awe at how much better it looked. It's just a phenomenal looking screen! I also thought the metal frame and backing felt much more premium than the Note 2's plastic build. Just putting them side by side, one in each hand, my Note 2 just looked and felt dated with a lesser build quality.

I wasn't expecting a whole lot performance wise from a Note 4 demo model, but I thought it was just as smooth if not smoother than my fully tweaked out Note 2. I would expect it will be even smoother when I have a chance to tweak and customize the Note 4 to my liking. I also came away feeling the Note 4's S-Pen is vastly better than the Note 2's. It has a softer tip (replaceable too) and is much more responsive; just felt more refined and smoother in overall operation.

Of course, in the end it's all subjective stuff. For me, I just couldn't justify passing up the Note 4 and sticking with an increasingly aging two year old phone (despite it still performing well).

 

[dankev]

Not sure why the difference between a 720p screen with 265 ppi and a 2K screen with 515 ppi is not discernable to you, but I find your screen comparison interesting because the screen resolution if the Note 2 is the reason I passed on it the first place. All in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.

What if Steve Jobs was right about anything over 300 PPI at 12" not being discernible? Can I even write that on an Android forum?

Like Snycalwon mentioned, though, the brightness is vastly different on the 2 phones. And until I turned the N4 down to about 1/4 brightness, its screen looked much, much better. I do think the backlight on the N2 is underpowered.

EDIT: About the smoothness being about the same between the two devices. Really? After several versions of Android and (I would presume) several iterations of TouchWiz?

I was surprised, too. I probably should have used a disclaimer, though: I use Nova launcher, and I'm running a de-bloated Touchwiz ROM. I don't have any UI lag on my N2. I thought opening the camera and gallery would be a good, simple real world test, though. And like I mentioned, the N4 is running demo software which could slow things down.

 

[brentj]

I have had my Note 2 for nearly two years, and it's been a great phone. It's really tough to see the screen outdoors on a bright day, though. I'm hoping that will improve significantly with the Note 4. I have briefly handled the Note 4 in BB, and the screen looks a lot better to me. I'm on Sprint, and the Spark upgrade is in progress in Denver, so getting a tri-band LTE Spark phone makes sense to me, instead of the single band LTE of the Note 2. I think I will appreciate the improved S Pen features and sensitivity, the better camera, the nicer build, and some of the other features. Looking forward to seeing if Voice over WiFi improves my calling ability in my home. For me, with the $200 trade-in deal, it's a no-brainer. I am keeping my Note 2 around as a backup device for anyone on my family plan who loses or breaks a phone. I'll be trading in a cheaper phone.

 

[int_architect]

What if Steve Jobs was right about anything over 300 PPI at 12" not being discernible? Can I even write that on an Android forum?

Feel free to write whatever you please. Steve Jobs was a master salesman. Was he right about a 4" screen? Why does Apple love to tout its Retina displays?

I was surprised, too. I probably should have used a disclaimer, though: I use Nova launcher, and I'm running a de-bloated Touchwiz ROM. I don't have any UI lag on my N2. I thought opening the camera and gallery would be a good, simple real world test, though. And like I mentioned, the N4 is running demo software which could slow things down.

I did wonder about that, which would make a lot more sense. I don't think a heavily skinned version of Android can compare to a rooted and optimized phone.

N3 via AC App

 

[CehowardNote7]

I've been very happy with my Note 2 over the last couple years. So was on the fence whether the Note 4 was really worthy of paying full retail to replace it. But after seeing one at Best Buy yesterday, I came away fully convinced it IS worthy and a major update to the Note 2 (didn't feel that way about the Note 3).

Couldn't have said or put it any better!!

First off, IMO, all the NOTES were groundbraking and IMO again, ahead of their time.

From reading vasts amounts of reviews and from my 11 month experience with my Note 3, here are my OPINIONS.

The Note 2 to the Note 3 is about an all around 20% increase!

The Note 2 to the Note 4 is about an all around 30% increase!

The Note 3 to the Note 4 is about an all around 9% increase!

I was on the fence, because the Note 3 is an awesome phone, so good ,they are running comparisons with the just out iphone 6 plus!!

I think I mentioned this is another thread, so I will say it again, one must be a true addict to go from the Note 3 to the Note 4!! The last 11 months with the Note 3 has made me an addict, and a real Samsung Fanboy too!!

 

[steelrain82]

I'm glad you wrote this. I just got back from bestbuy as well and played with the note 4. I was hoping for something more. I was also not impressed with the screen resolution. For me, I can tell the difference was better but I felt it wasn't that drastic. Compared to the lg g3, the resolution on the no seemed like 1080p. I could see a real difference on the lg g3. The camera was sharp but now that I think about it seemed a little slow. I chalk it up to being a demo model. I didn't like the chamfered edges they felt like they stuck out unlike iphones chamfered edges. The phone was snappy and I couldn't test some things like the Web or other features do to no Internet connection!? Overall, it was nice but I don't know if it was upgrade worthy (unlimited data contract). I may just buy a new n2 battery and call it a day.

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[anon(3092520)]

Op is obviously trolling. The screen is twice the resolution and the processor twice as powerful. Then you have things like the camera doubling its megapixels, and the ram increasing by 50%.

Nothing to see here, just a troll playing whatever game he's into.

 

[jlczl]

Op is obviously trolling. The screen is twice the resolution and the processor twice as powerful. Then you have things like the camera doubling its megapixels, and the ram increasing by 50%.

Nothing to see here, just a troll playing whatever game he's into.

He's not a troll. He's just not a fanatic consumer. I can see where he's coming from. I also realized not too long ago that the demo units in stores look so much better because they're using stock wallpapers that highlight the awesome screen and are at full brightness to do the same. Most of us use dark wallpapers and dim the screen to save battery so when we compare our screens to the ones at the store, of course the demos look much more awesome. Once you match wallpapers and brightness the difference isn't that obvious........especially if you're getting a little older and are starting to need reading glasses like I am. I find myself using them now just to appreciate how great my S5 Active screen is.

When you compare them on more even footing it gets more difficult to justify purchasing an $800 phone. Especially when the one in your hands does everything so well.

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[OceanView]

I think you have to use a 1080p screen for a while to really appreciate the clarity of it compared to a 720p screen.
I bought an iPhone 6 and notice a huge difference compared to my S5 and that is on a 4.7" screen. On a 5.5" screen, the differences would be even greater. The clarity can easily be seen when zooming in on texts on a web page or an e-book. Looking at large fonts, photos or video, the differences are not as noticeable.
And the speed between the Note 2 and Note 4 are probably gonna be at least 30% faster if not more.
I think the display units have Demo software on it and can't really be a true test of performance.

Having said that, I'm selling my iPhone 6 and getting the Note 4.

 

[dankev]

Op is obviously trolling. The screen is twice the resolution and the processor twice as powerful. Then you have things like the camera doubling its megapixels, and the ram increasing by 50%.

Nothing to see here, just a troll playing whatever game he's into.

Please let me know what game I'm playing or what incentive I have to play down the Note 4. I honestly have no idea. I am looking at why I would spend $750 on this upgrade.

Twice the resolution. In theory, great. If I can't see an improvement at the distance where I hold the phone, though, it is of no benefit. What if the phone was doubling from 1 million ppi to 2 million ppi? At some point increased resolution isn't noticeable. I don't see pixelation on my 720p screen.

Twice the power in the processor. In theory again, great. But I don't think the processor gets taxed in day-to-day function. I'm not a gamer, so maybe that would make a difference. I'm not kidding when I say the camera and gallery loaded faster on my Note 2, though.

Camera doubling it's megapixels. That's fine, but it's hardly what makes a good camera. Iphones have great cameras with 8mp. There's much more to it than that. I also didn't test the actual photo quality.

Ram increase. I don't think I've ever maxed out my 2gb of ram.

I'm not saying the Note 4 isn't better. I'm saying I question whether it's worthwhile for me to spend the money to upgrade. Sorry I'm not pushing enough flowers up your **** about how much more amazing it is than a 2 year old device.

 

[mobilebuddha]

Very true! I had that exact impression when I was comparing the LG G3 and my Nexus 5. The stock wallpaper, the stock video (that's in 4K) looked extremely impressive. But once you start streaming youtube videos, it looked much "closer" to a good 1080p display. I've yet to try out the Note4 but am really looking forward to it. - Former Note2 user.

I also realized not too long ago that the demo units in stores look so much better because they're using stock wallpapers that highlight the awesome screen and are at full brightness to do the same. Most of us use dark wallpapers and dim the screen to save battery so when we compare our screens to the ones at the store, of course the demos look much more awesome.

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[peteypab2133]

I have the Note 2 still laying in my room somewhere . Just sold my S5 and traded my note three a couple months back for an M8. But can I tell you what the best phone I have used in at least the last 5 years.. My iPhone 6+

Just saw the note 4 two days ago. Nice but I couldn't tell a difference from the note 3 to the note 4 at all except for some aluminum on the outside..


Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Tapatalk

 

[sithjedi333]

I have the Note 2 still laying in my room somewhere . Just sold my S5 and traded my note three a couple months back for an M8. But can I tell you what the best phone I have used in at least the last 5 years.. My iPhone 6+

Just saw the note 4 two days ago. Nice but I couldn't tell a difference from the note 3 to the note 4 at all except for some aluminum on the outside..


Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Tapatalk

Can you tell a little more about why you prefer the 6+?

I'm coming from a Note 2 on debloated/deknox/deodexed 4.4.2, which runs super fast. It's the first phone where I don't feel a need to upgrade even after 2 years. Pretty amazing actually, goes to show how far ahead of its time the Note 2 was.

I'm considering both the Note 4 and 6+. How do you think call quality, camera, and earphone audio quality would compare between the two? I'm leaning towards the 4 since it's cheap with the $200 trade in, but I have a feeling the 6+ would win on these three attributes which I care a lot about...

 

[int_architect]

Ok...so I just saw the Note 4 for myself. I don't know how anyone can look at the Note 4's screen and not see a difference compared to a Note 2 or Note 3 (which I own and had with me), and it especially the Note 2. Whether it's worth your money is completely up to you and none of my business, but there is a clear and noticeable difference in the screen quality (and not as a result of brightness).

The speaker is much louder than the Note 3's speaker, but it does indeed distort at max and sounds tinny in general.

N3 via AC App

 

[int_architect]

The G3 is showing better battery life, the screen is discernibly better to me, and the overall feel is so much smaller and easier to use.

Compared to what? The Note 2? I seriously considered the G2 before choosing the Note 3. The S Pen was the tipping point.

N3 via AC App

 

[peteypab2133]

Can you tell a little more about why you prefer the 6+?

I'm coming from a Note 2 on debloated/deknox/deodexed 4.4.2, which runs super fast. It's the first phone where I don't feel a need to upgrade even after 2 years. Pretty amazing actually, goes to show how far ahead of its time the Note 2 was.

I'm considering both the Note 4 and 6+. How do you think call quality, camera, and earphone audio quality would compare between the two? I'm leaning towards the 4 since it's cheap with the $200 trade in, but I have a feeling the 6+ would win on these three attributes which I care a lot about...

Honestly I didn't think I would like the ip6+ but it just works. There is no bloatware its buttery smooth and I unplugged it Saturday at 7 am got till Sunday at 7pm and had39% battery life. Very efficient more so than my recent 3000+ mah batteries.

Camera is fantastic. Screen is not over saturated like the note 4 is and my reception is easily 40% better or more. Dead spots on the ride home from work are gone and I can talk in the back office and hallways at work where my notes and Galaxy series phones would say service unavailable.

I would go G3 or M8 over s5 or note 3 due to poor radio strength




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