Gadgetory

so remember last year when the Galaxy Note 3 came out and we didn't even compare it to the iPhone 5s well that's because they were fundamentally different devices for about a billion reasons not least of which was their size well this year things aren't so simple Apple surprised us a few weeks ago by releasing a monster 5.5 inch iPhone and that simple change puts it in direct competition with Samsung's newest note I'm Michael Fisher with pocket now let's see how they stack up in galaxy note 4 versus iPhone 6 plus brought to you by Squarespace used to be that Apple was the king of all things fit and finish especially when it came to Samsung comparisons but the folks in Seoul have stepped up their game this year as we explained in detail in our full note for review the newest Samsung phablet bears a chamfered chassis of aluminum magnesium with a polycarbonate leatherette back that recalls the expensive notebooks it's named after it's thicker and heavier than the iPhone bigger in every dimension except height and it's beveled edges are harsher in the hand too it's a phone that wants everyone to know it's not no sissy it's a mammoth powerhouse and you better recognize it the iPhone 6 plus takes a more subtle approach with its particular brand of big it's more slippery yet much more comfortable to hold and talk on thanks to the curves that dominate its build with an all aluminum fuselage and the attention to detail that Apple is known for it feels like the more futuristic of the pair but it also seems more fragile and may be more prone to accidental damage aesthetically it's not our favorite iPhone ever either with its bold antenna inlays seeming out of place on this rounded Hardware Samsung's approach with the note family is to see if there's a speck worth offering and if so to include it Apple doesn't think that way so the note 4 has a quad HD display while the iPhone settles for 1080p the note packs a larger removable battery and microSD storage expansion not so with the iPhone with the note you can control your TV or media center via IR you can measure your heart rate and blood oxygen level and you can draw on your screen or scroll like a mouse with the included s-pen the iPhone offers none of that if you're looking for features above all else well stop the video here and the note is your device but hold on what Apple brings to the table is just as alluring to some people greater simplicity and to focus on tiny details that borders on the obsessive there's a little switch on the side of the iPhone and when you flip it your system notifications are muted the fingerprint scanner lets you just place your thumb to unlock the phone instead of clumsily swiping across it apples lightning charging cable is proprietary but it's also reversible so it's easier to plug in in the dark these features elementary even laughably so yes and they're also a part of the reason Apple has sold so many millions of iPhones over the past seven years the software reflects these basic values as well rather than being endlessly customizable and often needlessly complex iOS keeps things simple with a straightforward and familiar grid now if you've watched enough of our videos you know that not all of us are fans of that grid which can feel a little like prison if you're used to tweaking everything on your phone and on the iPhone six-plus frankly it seems even less justified the most customization Apple permits is relocating folders and apps on your springboard and even then you can't even choose where you want the empty spaces to be worse every app takes up the full five and a half inch display and not many of them make terribly good use of that space the note 4 on the flipside is kind of the poster child for intelligent use of screen real estate first of all you can arrange the display however you want mix and match widgets and icons move folders and entire screens around install a custom launcher knock yourself out also with the note you can divide your apps into moveable windows collapse them into minimized icons or drop two of them side-by-side so you can use each one at once using Samsung's S Pen Stylus makes this even more convenient at points as you can copy and paste text from one app into a neighboring or drag-and-drop media from one place to another that's a lot of functionality and the reason the note 4 doesn't win this comparison by a landslide because of it is because there's a big trade-off the simplicity that Apple has perfected so well is nowhere to be found here multi-window is great but it's complex and it can still be temperamental and finicky even in this latest generation the s-pen is very cool but learning it takes time and effort and even then it's not as intuitive as it could be in our experience the iPhone takes much less effort to learn to use which is why it appeals to people who see their smartphone more as a means to an end once you remember to swipe up for control Center and swipe down for notifications you're pretty much golden and hey if you can't stretch all the way up to the notification shade well reach ability can help with that the note 4 is one handed mode is cool too and much more functional to be honest but it's not as easy or consistent to trigger you seeing a pattern here at the end of the day the software question comes down to the old iOS versus Android debate an ecosystem choice that's much bigger than this comparison to break it down to sink ly the iPhone sacrifices versatility for simplicity capability for cosmetics whereas the note 4 does the exact opposite the power gap continues across the optics where samsung's sensor offers double the resolution of the iPhones and many more special features in the software samsung has toned its option density down a little bit with the note 4 but surprise it's still nowhere near as easy to use as the iPhones viewfinder as for which phone's end results you prefer well that will depend on your preferences both cameras are quite good and if you prefer more authentic tones you might lean toward the iPhones less saturated results but there's no denying that samsung's bold vivid colors and higher contrast or big eye catchers Samsung's HDR mode is also much more adroit at pulling light from the darkness apples doesn't seem to really do anything and since both units have optical image stabilization they each do well in low-light though we prefer how Samsung deals with the artificial tones thrown off by light sources like street lights the note 4 also seems less susceptible to lens flare a complaint we also Leavitt against the iPhone 6 apples a8 processor in the iPhone and Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 in the note are completely different from an architectural standpoint fortunately we don't have to talk too much about that because insofar as most consumers go none of it matters both devices adroitly handle processing loads from the benign to the extreme now each one shows occasional stumbles in everyday interaction which is surprising given the amount of power under the hood here but no device is perfect testing on AT&T and Greater Boston we found the iPhone to be the more comfortable device to talk on both physically because of its soft rounded construction and because its ear piece favors clarity over sheer volume callers also said we sounded louder but less clear on the note 4 with noise cancellation effectiveness about the same between the two as for the speakerphone we said in our note 4 versus note 3 comparison that we didn't like Samsung's decision to move it from the bottom to the backside and the iPhone six-plus demonstrates exactly why its edge mounted speaker is just as loud as the rear firing unit on the note and it also delivers a fuller richer sound despite having less space to work with how long you'll be able to blast those tunes will vary depending on your use for stamina you really can't go wrong with either of these they're huge phones and they have commensurately large batteries Samsung's battery is bigger yes but it's also got bigger power draws on the screen and probably the software still the note does take the endurance prize thanks to the battery being removable and replaceable and also Samsung has its special ultra power saving mode available and once you do exhaust the battery completely the quick charger in the box can get you back up to 50% in a half hour which is just ludicrously fast finally you can bring down the brightness on the notes display to almost nothing to save juice which is also handy for reading in bed or texting in a dim restaurant without blinding your neighbours who says Samsung can't sweat the small stuff outside the most basic fundamentals these smartphones are nothing alike so the right buyer for each is easy to figure out if all you're looking for is a bigger display and a longer-lasting battery on a straightforward but powerful smartphone the iPhone 6 plus is the better fit it's got the more polished ecosystem and fewer hassles on the whole and its software showcases the ease of use that's made Apple a household name if simple isn't your bag if instead you're a hardcore power user looking for the most raw performance you can fit in your pocket or you're a Productivity pundit in search of a phone more like a desktop than a mobile device and you don't mind the complexity that comes with that the Galaxy Note 4 lives up to its vaunted family name and it's the better phablet for you either way remember you're getting an outrageously capable handheld the only thing that makes one better than the other is how you plan to use that capability and that as always is up to you but once again this has been michael fisher with pocket now and this comparison was brought to you by Squarespace the all-in-one platform that makes it fast and easy to create your own professional website portfolio and online store for a free trial and 10% off visit squarespace.com and enter offer code pocket now at checkout a better web starts with your website while you're here be sure to check out our galaxy note 4 vs. galaxy note 3 comparison and also see our full note for review right alongside till next time this has been michael fisher with pocket now captain to phones on twitter reminding you that as always it's the motion of the ocean that really counts we'll see you next time