Considering the Note 4 over the Note 5

[slobkabob]

I am considering the Note 4 over the Note 5 because to me it appears that the Note 5's upgrades aren't really that significant. Plus, the Note 4 would be free for me and it contains removable battery and expandable storage.

What I'm concerned with though is the OS. Lollipop might be the last OS for Note 4 and I hear that many people rolled back to KK.

What about the new Note 4s being sold now with Lollipop? Do they still have issues? Can they be rolled back to KK? Any other arguments to get one over the other?

 

[SpookDroid]

I upgraded from the 4 to the 5 and I'm very happy, but the 4 is still a wonderful beast, even by today's standards. I personally never had issues with LP update to 5.0.1 after I did a factory reset (before the reset I had all sorts of nasty bugs and battery drains, yet a fellow Ambassador never did even without resetting his phone). I think Samsung will update the 4 to at least 5.1.1 and while late, maybe even Marshmallow once it comes out. You can, however, roll back a Note 4 to KK as long as you know how to root/flash ROMs.

What you get with the Note 4 that you don't with the 5? SD Card support (in my case, never used it since SD cards aren't that reliable and in my experience Samsung can't do SD cards right) and removable battery (excellent for trips, but so can a small battery bank) and IR Blaster. Also some software features that are gone/changed in the Note 5, like the MultiWindow sidebar (different way of accessing MultiWindow apps on the Note 5).

What you get with the Note 5 that you don't with the 4? MST for Samsung Pay at any magswipe terminal (not just NFC), better camera (and that's saying a lot, the Note 4 was awesome to begin with) with an even better camera app with full manual controls, super improved speed (no lag! Even using TouchWiz!), smaller body, improved S-Pen sensitivity and features like screen-off notes, and more stuff being displayed in your screen (increased density). I'm sure I'm forgetting a few improvements, but those are the ones that come to mind. Did I mention this thing is lightning fast and non-laggy? Yup. No lag.

 

[srkmagnus]

I wouldn't roll Lollipop devices back to Kit Kat if you could. Yes, there are problems with Lollipop, but the problems don't make the device(s) unusable in my opinion. Plus, there are many security updates included in Lollipop that makes staying on it that much important.

As for devices, I'd say go with what makes you happy. SpookDroid did a great job breaking both down. Let us know what you decide on going with.

 

[slobkabob]

As long as there aren't any glaring issues with Lollipop on Note 4 currently, then I don't foresee a rollback as necessary. I am venturing to guess that the new Note 4s being sold now (with Lollipop) have resolved all of the issues/bugs.

The Note 5 does sound incredible, but then I remind myself that I'm upgrading from my Samsung S4 from 2013 so I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be blown away by the improvements in the Note 4 over the S4.

Then there's the cost:
Note 5: $249 + $80ish tax (taxed at full $739 price) + $45 activation fee (I think that's the fee for AT&T).
Note 4: Free with 2 year contract so I'd just be paying the tax and activation fee.

So that's around $350 for the Note 5 but around $120-ish for the Note 4.

 

[GregMargie]

I currently have a Note 4, 4.4.4 on Verizon and have been avoiding/deferring the Lollipop update for months. So many people I know wish they had not installed the Lollipop update. I also know there are a lot of people who Love it. I really want my phone to have the latest software, but I have just seen too many problems with it, especially on Verizon. I just upgraded my husbands phone from a Note 2 to a Note 4 ($99) and unfortunately it came with Lollipop already installed! He keeps complaining to me about everything that is acting up that didn't on his Note 2. I know I will have to give into it sooner or later too, but not the way it is now.....

I LOVE the Note Phones as I am addicted to the Spen and use my phone extensively for business! I am not happy that they removed the "Removable Battery" and SD card slot on the Note 5. I have had my Note 4 for less than a year and am Extremely happy with it, so will continue with it for probably another year, and see what happens with the next generation of the Note line.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Sammuel1973]

I am considering the Note 4 over the Note 5 because to me it appears that the Note 5's upgrades aren't really that significant. Plus, the Note 4 would be free for me and it contains removable battery and expandable storage.

What I'm concerned with though is the OS. Lollipop might be the last OS for Note 4 and I hear that many people rolled back to KK.

What about the new Note 4s being sold now with Lollipop? Do they still have issues? Can they be rolled back to KK? Any other arguments to get one over the other?

Not sure what carrier you are on, but TMobile just announced a list of devices that will be upgraded to Marshmallow. For now, ask for the 5.1.1 variant out of the box.

https://support.t-mobile.com/community/phones-tablets-devices/software-updates#tmoSUPDocTitle

If swappable battery, SD card, and IR blaster are important to you, go for the Note 4, plus you actually get more features overall than the Note 5.

The Note 5 design and build quality are better, with better specs, camera, and it has Samsung Pay.

For me, I went back to my Note 4 from Note 5 because as a power user, no matter what phones, nothing beats the swappable battery feature. I am constantly using my Note 4.

The decision is up to you.

 

[Andy847]

I just spoke with my cousin who has a Note 4 with Verizon and he also agrees that not worth the upgrade to the Note 5. He says he doesn't like no SD card first and foremost and then not having the removable battery is also a problem for him. He's a fireman and uses his phone a lot. So Another person thinks like us "old school" People.

We may be old school, but manufacturers like LG are also "Old School" as I was reading articles on some of the new LG phones like the LG Pro that will have both the SD card slot and removable Battery. So it's not just us, there must still be a lot of people who want that. So go with the Note 4, besides those reasons, you get more than on the Note 5. If newer is what you want and all that is something that doesn't matter to you, then get the Note 5.

 

[crf450r420]

No MHL support on Note 5 and the wire is just works while wireless is hit or miss at best. Battery simply sucks.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[bwlmog]

I'm in the UK and no Note 5 release planned and the Edge Plus seemingly overly expensive for a largely pointless feature I'm considering the Note 4. SD Card is useful if Marshmallow does roll out on the devise but I'm concerned about buying a phone that is already one year old and Samsung don't have a great track record with long term customer support.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[nahoku]

but I'm concerned about buying a phone that is already one year old

True, the Note 4 is now 1 year old, however, as far as I'm concerned, my phone just made 8 months old... I bought it in Feb 2015. The Note 2 I used to use is still fully functional and it's 3 years old. My HTC Incredible is 5 years old, and my Inc 2 is 4 years old and both work perfectly (except batteries don't last). My Samsung monitor is 5 years old, and my Panasonic TM700 video camera is 5 years old. My Canon G11 came out in 2009 and I use it daily. I could go on and on with all my electronics. Bottom line is that if you're lucky enough to get a good working unit, it'll last for years. If Samsung follows suit like they did with the Note 5, then the Note 6 will be leaked in about 3 months, and it'll be released 5 months later... which will be in June 2016. By then, the Note 4 will be 1 year and 8 months old. The question is... how long you gonna wait?

The Note 4 is a great phone. Fast, no lagging as far as I can see. For those who report lag it must be an app, bad SD, or an OS update... it's not the phone itself. Battery life is very good, and swappable. SD support is wonderful... at least you have that option. I have my own opinions about Lollipop, but hopefully M will solve them... not holding my breath as the reason I don't run LP is because of the UI, not because of how LP runs.

The best I can recommend if you buy the phone is to use it for a few days to familiarize yourself with it's operation and speed... before you install any apps. If you flood the phone with apps when you first get it and the phone gets laggy, then there's nothing to compare to to determine how the phone ran before you installed the apps.

Make up your mind soon... time's a ticking!