Note 4 vs Note 5

[robonik]

I need input from people who have had both the Note 4 and Note 5 please. Yes I am aware of the beaten to death issues of the lack of interchangeable battery and the lack of a micro SD card (IR blaster as well) on the 5. But in terms of just the day to day operation, etc. was the upgrade from 4 to 5 a good move?

 

[dkunzman]

I use a Note 5 and my son uses a Note 4.
My use is work (engineer), music, lots of internet/email/messaging/photos/etc... I came from an S6 Edge.
My son is a gamer. YouTube/photos/video/internet/chat/etc.... He came from a Note 3.

Both of us agree the Note 5 is the better device.
He won't switch strictly because he want the ability to swap mSD and battery.

You might look at the Edge Plus too.

 

[OceanView]

This is an issue I still struggle with today.
I have both and can't let either go as I still go back and forth.
There are some things on the 5 I like better and some things on the 4 I like better.
The bottom line is, you can't go wrong with either.
Pick the one you think will be most useful to you as you may not utilize all the features of either phone.

For me, I'll probably keep both for now until the S7 is announced to see which direction Samsung is going.
If they bring back either the micro SD card slot or removable battery, I'll assume those features will be on the Note 6, if not, I'll keep my Note 4.
The Note 5 will be sold when the Note 6 arrives.
Hope that helps.

 

[robonik]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input. I have the Note 5 with 2 days left on my return period. I also have a Galaxy S5 which I had planned to use as well on the same line intermittently. I didn't realize when I bought the Note 5 that it would be the big deal Tmobile is saying it will be to switch back and forth since they use different sim cards (Micro on S5 and Nano on Note 5).

The Note 4 uses the same sim card and so that would make it much easier to switch phones on the same line. But I would hate giving up the better Note. I am pulling my hair out on this one. But I am leaning toward keeping the Note 5 and dealing with the problems/consequences of switching back and forth. It could be that now that I am hooked on the Note the Galaxy will not hold the appeal.

 

[OceanView]

you can get a nano to micro sim adapter on amazon.
I use one and switch all the time with no issues.

 

[robonik]

OMG, you saved the day! What a relief! I am on my way to order that now. Woot. Thank you OceanView.

 

[robonik]

This is great, same day delivery. Adapter $4 + shipping - will be here today. Tmobile wants $30 + $3 tax for the same thing, ouch.

 

[robonik]

Also, I've taken a lot of flak from "friends" who say that I will regret being without the micro SD card and the user replaceable battery, but the truth is that even though I purchased 2 extra batteries for my S5, not once did I need to change the battery in over a year with that phone. And in that same time period I used only 11GB of the 64GB micro SD card. Therefore, I can very probably enjoy the Note 5 even without those features.

The tradeoffs of having the extra horsepower, better S-Pen, etc., will more than offset any perceived shortcomings. However, I eagerly await a new Note 6 with battery and SD card.

 

[OceanView]

Also, I've taken a lot of flak from "friends" who say that I will regret being without the micro SD card and the user replaceable battery, but the truth is that even though I purchased 2 extra batteries for my S5, not once did I need to change the battery in over a year with that phone. And in that same time period I used only 11GB of the 64GB micro SD card. Therefore, I can very probably enjoy the Note 5 even without those features.

The tradeoffs of having the extra horsepower, better S-Pen, etc., will more than offset any perceived shortcomings. However, I eagerly await a new Note 6 with battery and SD card.

oh then in your case, you probably won't miss much.
The benefits of the Note 5 will make forgetting these features easier for you.
My favorite things about the Note 5 are
screen (auto brightness works perfect)
camera
Fingerprint Scanner
Samsung Pay.

 

[MDMcAtee]

Don't get me wrong with this... But if you have no issues using your Note 4 and like the phone, then there really isn't a need to keep the 5 IMHO.

I love my 5, best Samsung device I have ever had, but I wouldn't just upgrade for something new that isn't a substantial upgrade for the price of it.

If you are not having any issues with the 4 I would keep it and wait for the s7 or the note 6 next fall... Fwiw I could have gotten the 4 coming from my Active but got the 5 instead. This phone is a excellent phone and a major upgrade over the note 3 I had before BTW.

Posted from my AT&T 64 gig Black Sapphire leather wrapped Note 5

 

[robonik]

Wow, I guess I really screwed up. I didn't do my due diligence and research before buying a nano to micro sim adapter. I bought a cheap $3.90 piece of junk which would not slide into the sim slot on the SGS 5. I then Googled to find out what might be wrong and it became obvious that it is important to buy a precision sim card adapter such as the Sadapter brand.

Granted it is $12.50 instead of $3.90 but hopefully it will work. Thankfully Amazon refunded my same day shipping charge as well as the $3.90 so they have earned more loyalty points in my book. I will update with my progress.

 

[Sirromey]

Wow, I guess I really screwed up. I didn't do my due diligence and research before buying a nano to micro sim adapter. I bought a cheap $3.90 piece of junk which would not slide into the sim slot on the SGS 5. I then Googled to find out what might be wrong and it became obvious that it is important to buy a precision sim card adapter such as the Sadapter brand.

Granted it is $12.50 instead of $3.90 but hopefully it will work. Thankfully Amazon refunded my same day shipping charge as well as the $3.90 so they have earned more loyalty points in my book. I will update with my progress.

Got to love amazon lol. But in all seriousness you dont need to worry about battery life on the note 5. It sips power and recharges like a champ!

Posted on my Note 5

 

[WeAreAllUnique]

I loved both Note 4 and Note 5. The Note 5 is definitely more powerful and faster. Better feeling and looking too. But there are still some hardware and software features on the Note 4 I wish I had on my Note 5.

 

[Ambreen Mustafa]

Got to love amazon lol. But in all seriousness you dont need to worry about battery life on the note 5. It sips power and recharges like a champ!

Posted on my Note 5

I agree it charges v quickly... and lasts 12 to 14 hrs easily with at least 4 hrs of SOT. (5th day with the phone and I feel it'll improve once app optimization kicks in)

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(377121)]

It was a solid move for me. This phone is much more responsive. The camera is definitely better. Losing the expandable memory I thought would suck, but since you can't really take advantage of the space on the note 4, it really wasn't a problem. The battery life is better than it ever was on my note 4 and i dont think I ever actually went out and bought a new battery for a phone so not being able to doesn't change much for me.

It feels better but yes, it is more fragile with the glass components on the back.

There are little improvements here and there that make a difference everyday. Mostly in speed and responsiveness. The upgraded front facing camera is a nice touch as well. Spen features are improved significantly and being able to assign one note and keep as default apps is a major upgrade.

I recommend the upgrade if you need one now . it's a great phone and definitely an improvement on the note. Otherwise, I'd wait and see with the summer brings. Since we are always approaching another release.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[recDNA]

With 64 gb I won't need the sd card and I don't mind the internal battery since I can just purchase an external battery to charge with.
I will miss ir blaster. I rarely use the pen and may use it less since incorrect insertion ruins it.
Will my note 3 s pen work on note 5?

I might also miss simultaneous voice and data over 3G

 

[robonik]

Got to love amazon lol. But in all seriousness you dont need to worry about battery life on the note 5. It sips power and recharges like a champ!

Posted on my Note 5

Yes, you are absolutely right. For some odd reason when I first purchased the Note 5 it was discharging anywhere from 40% to 90% of the battery while I slept. I would charge before bed, unplug and wake up to between 10% and 60% remaining battery. Tmobile thought it was a problem with the phone, exchanged it for me but that didn't help. So I kept the original device. Then there was an OTA software update in October plus I did a factory reset. Now it's at least as good as my SGS 5, maybe better. It only discharges between 6% and 9% while I sleep.

I am very happy with the battery usage now and truthfully, not once have I ever had to swap batteries in my Galaxy S 5. I won't miss that feature in the Note 5. For added insurance I have a Choe 15,600 mAh fast charging power bank which can quickly recharge the phone from 0% to 100% in about an hour if necessary and it could do so 4 or 5 times before it needs to be recharged.

I loved both Note 4 and Note 5. The Note 5 is definitely more powerful and faster. Better feeling and looking too. But there are still some hardware and software features on the Note 4 I wish I had on my Note 5.

My biggest concern and main reason for considering the Note 4 was the fact that the Note 4 uses the same Micro Sim Card as my SGS 5 and I wanted easy device interchangeability on my one Tmobile line.

Update: The Sadapter Sim Card Adapter (made in Germany) is absolutely outstanding. It works great, and with the nano sim card installed in the Sadapter it slips right into the SGS 5 sim slot. However, I found an even better solution which is the Trio Sim Card from Tmobile. It offers the perfect solution in adapting one card to 3 different sim requirements, regular sim card, micro or nano. It turns out I had one of the Trio cards sitting in my drawer and didn't even know what I had until I talked to customer service and they recommended the Trio as a solution.

It is even slicker than the Sadapter adapter, cheaper too! Now with the ability to change devices easily I have no need to consider downgrading to the Note 4 and I am completely happy with the Note 5 and the SGS 5.