I have a Galaxy Note 5 — ask me about it!

[Leandro Brandao]

what was your previous phone?
i have the htc m8 and i am tempted to buy the note 5 but as always i am worried about touchwiz and lag issues.
also you said that you can't listen to a podcast in shower, i listen a lot to podcasts in my m8 in the bathroom, i don't know if i can give up on the htc speakers.
i want to know also if you can open like 4 or 5 light apps like twitter, instagram, and multitask between them to see if any will reload or stay in memory.
thanks in advance.

 

[gbbg]

I am using an LG G2 and love the miracast and Wi-Di on it.
Does Note 5 have screen mirroring capabilities? It's kinda high on my list.

 

[TheMatrix31]

I'd like to know about screen mirroring too. I screenmirror from my Samsung tab to my Roku all the time. Would be even easier to do it with my phone.

 

[Robster33]

What is the earpiece volume like? Also call quality? Anyone with a Note 5 compared a 6 plus especially with call volume?

 

[Alex_Hong]

what was your previous phone?
i have the htc m8 and i am tempted to buy the note 5 but as always i am worried about touchwiz and lag issues.
also you said that you can't listen to a podcast in shower, i listen a lot to podcasts in my m8 in the bathroom, i don't know if i can give up on the htc speakers.
i want to know also if you can open like 4 or 5 light apps like twitter, instagram, and multitask between them to see if any will reload or stay in memory.
thanks in advance.

I can probably help answer this as well. Have been using the device since 14th Aug in Singapore.
The speakers are decently loud, but quality isn't near what the M8 can offer. 4-5 light apps isn't an issue. I have gmail, twitter, instagram google+, and carousell (app for buy/sell stuff in SG), and I can switch between them with no reloading. But if i add chrome to the mix, chrome reloads after switching between like 3-4 apps, which is a little annoying for a phone with 4GB RAM.

 

[borimol]

I can probably help answer this as well. Have been using the device since 14th Aug in Singapore.
The speakers are decently loud, but quality isn't near what the M8 can offer. 4-5 light apps isn't an issue. I have gmail, twitter, instagram google+, and carousell (app for buy/sell stuff in SG), and I can switch between them with no reloading. But if i add chrome to the mix, chrome reloads after switching between like 3-4 apps, which is a little annoying for a phone with 4GB RAM.

So the RAM/multitasking bug is still presente. OMG Samsung!

 

[Fnord]

. 4-5 light apps isn't an issue. I have gmail, twitter, instagram google+, and carousell (app for buy/sell stuff in SG), and I can switch between them with no reloading. But if i add chrome to the mix, chrome reloads after switching between like 3-4 apps, which is a little annoying for a phone with 4GB RAM.

My experience is quite different. I regularly have 10-15+ apps open and switching is like butter. No issue with Chrome reloading on my end.
Frankly shocked how smooth transitioning is between apps with so many open...

 

[Dr Claw]

So did we cover the available storage vs the OS

I recently got a chance to mess around with a US carrier-branded Note 5 and S6 Edge+ (no real detailed analysis, as these were store displays -- think the carrier was AT&T, as it was at a Best Buy Store).

OS ("system memory") on both these phones (32GB model) was ~12GB, available storage was 15GB.

In other words, don't get 32GB versions of these phones if you're in the States for whichever reason.

Other than that, the feeling was very "familiar" if you're used to TouchWiz/Samsung phones. I didn't see anything that jumped out at me as "new and shiny" except the outward looks of these phones.

 

[feragola]

Once this weekend is over, please, please discuss the battery life. I think that is what many of us are really waiting for. Battery life will be the make it or break it for me. I really need a good reason to 'upgrade' to the Note 5. So far, I haven't seen one yet.

Battery life in a Real-World test conducted by PhoneArena puts the N5 at 9hrs 11mins and the S6 at 9hrs and 29mins. so, it's a good deal longer than most people are claiming that they guess it would last.

Galaxy S6 edge+ battery life benchmark results show better performance than the Note5

 

[Wildo6882]

My number one issue with the S6 that I had was that notifications wouldn't come in if the phone was in deep sleep - as in, I hadn't touched it in 10 minutes or more. This happened on more than one S6. It wasn't things like SMS or phone calls, but emails, Hangouts, Facebook messages, score updates from theScore, and things of that nature. They wouldn't come in until I unlocked the phone, and sometimes not until I opened that app back up.

Have you noticed anything similar to this at all? There is no chance for me to buy this phone if this is the case.

Thanks!

 

[Fnord]

I recently got a chance to mess around with a US carrier-branded Note 5 and S6 Edge+ (no real detailed analysis, as these were store displays -- think the carrier was AT&T, as it was at a Best Buy Store).

OS ("system memory") on both these phones (32GB model) was ~12GB, available storage was 15GB.

In other words, don't get 32GB versions of these phones if you're in the States for whichever reason.

Don't think the 'display' version you played with are representative, I'm with a 32GB carrier branded GS6e+ and it has 24.34GB available (system mem: 6.95GB)

 

[Alex_Hong]

So the RAM/multitasking bug is still presente. OMG Samsung!

Not exactly. I'm only seeing it for Chrome. The other apps switches just fine with no reloading.

 

[Alex_Hong]

I recently got a chance to mess around with a US carrier-branded Note 5 and S6 Edge+ (no real detailed analysis, as these were store displays -- think the carrier was AT&T, as it was at a Best Buy Store).

OS ("system memory") on both these phones (32GB model) was ~12GB, available storage was 15GB.

In other words, don't get 32GB versions of these phones if you're in the States for whichever reason.

Other than that, the feeling was very "familiar" if you're used to TouchWiz/Samsung phones. I didn't see anything that jumped out at me as "new and shiny" except the outward looks of these phones.

These display models are not accurate gauge for capacity. They include a ton of retail demos, contents, etc to showcase the phone. They also have a lot more language installed than the retail versions.

 

[recDNA]

Phone gets a little warm, but so does every other phone. You feel the heat up top near the camera.



There's no front speaker... just one loudspeaker at the bottom, just like the GS6. Sound seems the same as the GS6 — not loud enough to listen to a podcast when set on the counter and I'm in the shower (my usual test of loudness).



I greatly prefer a smaller phone (despite having relatively large hands), but I can already tell the Note 5 is easier to hold and manipulate than the Note 4. Much easier than the Nexus 6 also. The curved glass on the back really helps.

It's still quite tough to reach up to the top of the phone when only holding in one hand, though. And just like the GS6 the glass can get a little slick if its humid and/or your hands are sweaty. Just not a lot to grip onto.



Exact same sensor as the GS6, so great!



Yep, it does. Camera interface is nearly identical also. Just a couple different setting button locations.

The "Pro" mode also now offers RAW capture and manual shutter speed controls.



Have not... Samsung didn't send any accessories with these phones. I'm going to give it a shot with a few of my current wireless chargers, hooked up to a quick charge wall plug — will see how that goes.



Read the OP — only had the phone 24 hours, not even going anywhere near talking about battery until a few more days' use.



Models can cover and be sold in different regions. This one's intended for Eastern Europe and the Middle East, I believe.

This one was provided by Samsung as a review unit — I'm sure there are plenty of phone importers that will be selling them soon.



Nano



If you weren't happy with the Note 4's overall size, the Note 5 will still be a tough sell. It's smaller, and a bit easier to hold, but it's still a really big phone. The S6 edge, even with its sharp edges, is still easier to hold than the Note 5.

Not enough time with it to comment on battery life.

The S Pen is nice, and if that's your thing and you'll use it regularly, yeah the upgrades are probably worth it over the Note 4. The hardware is basically the same, but there's reduced latency and redesigned Air Command, along with some new functionality. Now, we're not sure if those features will come back to the Note 4 either...



Screen is comparable, but maybe just barely brighter and has a little better viewing angles. But of course those kinds of things can vary phone-by-phone as not every screen is the exact same when it rolls off the line. I'm still very happy with the Note 4's screen quality, even today.

Direct sunlight is the same story — if you leave the phone in auto brightness, it'll boost the brightness when it's in direct sun.



Not exactly "grippy" since you're mostly holding onto glass and smooth metal — but it's not too hard to wrap your fingers around.



Don't see how it could, there aren't any sharp edges around.



Coming from what phone? The Note 4 is still a solid device, and is obviously going to be much cheaper than buying a brand new Note 5 at this point. All depends on how much you want the new design and S Pen features.

The only thing I like about note 5 is the wireless charging capability.

 

[Andrew Martonik]

Once this weekend is over, please, please discuss the battery life. I think that is what many of us are really waiting for. Battery life will be the make it or break it for me. I really need a good reason to 'upgrade' to the Note 5. So far, I haven't seen one yet.

Weekend is over! I can give some kind of battery life impressions. In short, I'm not upset with the battery life.

I've been ending each day with about 15-20% battery left, that's after roughly 15-16 hours off the charger, and with 2.5-3.5 hours of "screen on" time. That's with ~90% screen brightness (+ auto brightness), and all of my accounts syncing. Nothing hard-hitting really, just usual email, social networks, browsing, reading, camera, podcasts and music, maybe with some occasional youtube videos or streaming.

That's not bad at all, and nowhere near bad enough for me to be upset with it. FWIW I also get through a day on the Galaxy S6, but not as comfortably.

what was your previous phone?

lol... every phone available, I've used. Most recently using Note 4, Galaxy S6, LG G4, Nexus 6 and Moto X 2014.

i have the htc m8 and i am tempted to buy the note 5 but as always i am worried about touchwiz and lag issues.

There isn't any lag on the Note 5 that I've noticed.

also you said that you can't listen to a podcast in shower, i listen a lot to podcasts in my m8 in the bathroom, i don't know if i can give up on the htc speakers.

Yup, most podcasts aren't loud enough to be heard well when just sitting on the bathroom counter. M8 definitely is, Note 5 not so much. Check out a Bluetooth speaker, perhaps.

i want to know also if you can open like 4 or 5 light apps like twitter, instagram, and multitask between them to see if any will reload or stay in memory.

Everything loads just fine. I haven't noticed any apps closing unnecessarily or needing to reload.

I am using an LG G2 and love the miracast and Wi-Di on it.
Does Note 5 have screen mirroring capabilities? It's kinda high on my list.

I'd like to know about screen mirroring too. I screenmirror from my Samsung tab to my Roku all the time. Would be even easier to do it with my phone.

There's a screen mirroring mode, but it isn't exactly universal — you'll need a Samsung TV.

There's also "Quick connect" if you just want to send local content to those devices instead of mirroring the screen. This works with _a lot_ of devices, like the Chromecast, Xbox and other smart TVs and dongles.

What is Samsung Quick connect on the Galaxy S6, and what can it do? | Android Central

What is the earpiece volume like? Also call quality? Anyone with a Note 5 compared a 6 plus especially with call volume?

All fine and dandy here. I don't have an iPhone 6 Plus, but seems just fine compared to my iPhone 6 and other modern phones. I also don't make that many calls...

My number one issue with the S6 that I had was that notifications wouldn't come in if the phone was in deep sleep - as in, I hadn't touched it in 10 minutes or more. This happened on more than one S6. It wasn't things like SMS or phone calls, but emails, Hangouts, Facebook messages, score updates from theScore, and things of that nature. They wouldn't come in until I unlocked the phone, and sometimes not until I opened that app back up.

Have you noticed anything similar to this at all? There is no chance for me to buy this phone if this is the case.

Never heard of this issue on any recent Samsung phone, and hasn't happened to me on the GS6 or Note 5. Sounds like you have either a funky setting, or an app changing things. This is definitely not the standard behavior.

 

[Wildo6882]

Never heard of this issue on any recent Samsung phone, and hasn't happened to me on the GS6 or Note 5. Sounds like you have either a funky setting, or an app changing things. This is definitely not the standard behavior.

There's actually a thread on it here and on XDA. I'm not the only crazy one. Happened on two S6s and an Active. But good to see you haven't had that issue here.

 

[Robster33]

Big fail for Australia, Samsung only releasing 32Gb. What a joke, looking for a Note 4 now.

 

[rileyjcoggins]

Does the Note 5 come with the Stagefright patch already installed?

 

[Rahim Esmail]

Do you have a 32 or 64 gigabyte version? If 32 how much gigs remain after the essential apps are installed?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[calicocat2010]

Do you have a 32 or 64 gigabyte version? If 32 how much gigs remain after the essential apps are installed?

Posted via the Android Central App

24.44 GB out of 32GB. He has the euro model he said since this question Has been asked. Wait, sorry that is what comes out of the box.

OP, can you answer this posters question?