Gadgetory

the iPhone six-plus the galaxy note5 the galaxy s6 edge+ to those with huge hands or huge demands these are some of the only smartphones that matter in the high-end space and each packs a wallop from innovative interfaces to refined cameras to everyday conveniences these phones get you where you're going but they take completely different paths to get there which one fits your mitt better I'm Michael Fisher with pocket now let's find out for years the Galaxy Note family was about as far removed from the iPhone as you could get Samsung used to tout versatility above all bundling in removable batteries expandable storage and all the fake leather you could handle while Apple stuck to its popular but predictable formula of premium simplicity in a petite package Apple changed up that strategy last year with an inflated iPhone aimed right at the heart of Samsung's big screen loving audience and Samsung's 2015 response is a galaxy note with fewer features but a better build and that goes double for the s6 edge+ what it all comes down to is that these competitors have never been more similar than they are this year but there's still nothing alike the differences become apparent as soon as you pick them up with wider radius corners and a smooth slab-sided aluminum build the taller and wider iPhone 6s plus is also a bit more awkward in the hand the thicker note 5 has a glass back which curves down to meet an aluminum magnesium side rail the glass makes it more prone to fingerprints but it's also more ergonomic the edge Plus is a strange inversion of the note 5s design that's easily the most awkward of the bunch the Samsung phones also packed slimmer bezels and to our I a more refined industrial design yes elements of that design were plainly inspired by the iPhone but then again you could make the argument that the iPhone Plus was forced into existence by large format smartphones which the note line pioneered so let's put the kibosh on the who copied who argument it just doesn't matter Samsung as usual has a decisive edge when it comes to raw hardware and boast worthy specs the note fives larger display brings a higher pixel density and it's custom software takes advantage of that with a higher dpi setting that lets it squeeze more information onto the panel it's also a Super AMOLED display meaning it's blacks are truly pitch black and it's screen has a wider range of brightness settings compared to the iPhone the note also has a bigger battery that charges faster and charges wirelessly and it also uses USB so if need be you can get a replacement charging cable more easily it's got a heart rate sensor that can measure your pulse and blood oxygen levels it's got double the RAM of the iPhone and Samsung pay might be the new kid on the block but it works in more places than Apple pay in the United States thanks to its ability to mimic magnetic swipe card readers all this is true of the edge as well with the notable difference of the curved display Apple's victories are more humble perhaps but no less significant to the kind of customers that have made the iPhone such a success while both of these phones pack fingerprint scanners Apple's is significantly faster and you can use it across a wider range of functions like making purchases from the App Store the iPhone comes in 128 gig option while the note 5 doesn't you can control the iPhones notification status with the flip of a switch while the note makes you unlock it and fiddle with sliders the iPhones taptic feedback engine makes for a subtler vibrating alert than the traditional buzz saw and passing an iPhone to someone else to show them a funny thing is a lot easier than doing the same with a Samsung phone you know what I'm talking about capacitive keys bad times when it comes to software the hits go back and forth iOS 9 continues apple's tradition of consistency at the expense of customizability you always start at the grid of icons on the springboard and you're not allowed to do anything aside from rearrange them and even that you do on apple's terms widgets are tucked away in the notification shade and back buttons are ridiculously placed in the top-left corner of most apps again in the name of consistency and a the expense of common sense by contrast Samsung's custom build of Android lollipop lets you do anything you want up to an including rescanning the entire OS to look the way you want it to or accessing the file system Samsung's solution to one-handed accessibility makes just as much sense as Apple's reach ability and Google now continues to be a much smarter voice assistant than Apple's Siri what's changed on each side this year are the special interface enhancements on the Samsung side those include the edge display features of the s6 edge+ and the new s-pen on the note 5 now while we really like the s6 edge+ on the whole the extent of its special features our app shortcuts and flashy notifications so it will focus mainly on the notes integrated stylus which is much more significant because this is the year the s-pen finally gets out of its own way and starts getting useful from the instant memo functionality to the right on PDF software to the new scroll capture screen cap mode the s-pen is now a legitimate enhancement for more than just artists and old-school stylus lovers it's something the average person could find useful and as a bonus the s-pen is also the surrogate Mouse it's always been adding hover scroll and preview ability to the smartphone experience but for the first time ever in one of these comparisons Samsung no longer has a monopoly on that ability Apple's new 3d touch adds a third level of interaction to the software experience by letting you press harder on the display to preview say a link and then press a little harder than that to jump right into it it's also useful as a fast shortcut for home screen actions that jump you directly to specific app functions and if the first time you use it to preview an email or a text message you feel like a wizard obviously it doesn't bring as much functionality as Samsung's s-pen but it's still a very significant improvement to the iPhone experience maybe the most significant one in years when it comes to photos these phones are damn near neck and neck at least when it comes to the end result yes the note 5 has higher resolution but when you put the photos side by side more often than not it's a draw when you get to really challenging stuff like low-light these go blow-for-blow sometimes the iPhone comes out on top and sometimes the Samsung does on average the note tends to bring in more light while the iPhone tends to provide better color reproduction but that's not consistent where Samsung manages to pull ahead surprisingly is in the details Samsung wins the selfie camera battle hands-down apples use of the display as a front firing flash is clever but its refusal to use a wide-angle lens means you can't fit as much into the shot as you can on the note Samsung's HDR mode is also better than Apple's brightening the shadows while retaining more color and Samsung's viewfinder launches crazy fast with a double click of the HOME key while Apple's quick launch shortcut is rendered all but useless thanks to its superfast fingerprint sensor Apple does have live photos where Samsung does not but then again Samsung has a lot more shooting modes including a full suite of manual controls if you want to use them we'll have more samples in our full iPhone 6s Plus review but taken together I think Samsung wins this particular camera battle other corners of the performance experience again flip back and forth iOS has for a long time been good at making the most of a skimpy battery and that holds true here too we managed one and a half days out of the iPhone 6s plus battery before it needed a charge but while the note absolutely needed a top-up every night there's no measurable difference in software performance iOS feels a little slower than Samsung's build of Android but that's because of animations not because of lag and differences in speaker output are minor at best its design and intent not performance where these phones differ the most you've heard it before folks either way you go here you're getting a great smartphone if lots of your friends and family have the iPhone and you want to try life inside that world you're bound to be impressed as confining as it can be and as cartoony as it looks from some angles the iPhone is not a toy it's a stable and well-designed platform supported by the most robust app store there is you'll almost never feel out of the club with an iPhone on the other hand the Samsung lineup of 2015 is unlike anything that's come from the company before particularly as it concerns the Galaxy Note it's no longer a collection of disjointed elements in a clumsy casing targeted at tech heads it's a beautifully presented bundle of features open to customization by those who feel the need and tailored for mainstream appreciation by those who don't and as the wireless charging pads at your local Starbucks can attest the mainstream is definitely taking notice it's always been the case that you can do more with a Samsung flagship than an iPhone but 2015 just might be the year that a majority of people will actually want to for me Samsung takes the day I'll be excited to hear what you think in the comments below this is not pocket now's iPhone 6s plus review folks stay tuned for that and our iPhone 6s review Landing later this week here on YouTube and at pocketnow.com until then this has been michael fisher find me on twitter at captain two phones and thanks for watching we'll see you soon you