Resistance to the elements
is said to be in the cards for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. To be more
specific, the smartphone is expected to be protected against dust and
water damage. This one should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as
it comes from a source that claimed the same for the LG G3. Yet on the
other hand, since the Galaxy S5 has an IP67 rating, it won't be
surprising to see a liquid-resistant Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
Several
new sensors are expected to make an appearance on the Samsung Galaxy
Note 4. Rumor has it that the phone will sport a fingerprint scanner,
presumably embedded in the home key, and a heart-rate monitor, just like
the Galaxy S5. The use for these should be self-explanatory. In
addition,
Samsung might add a sensor detecting ultra-violet radiation.
This could allow for better automatic brightness adjustments and could
help to warn you if you are at risk for a sun burn when you're outside.
Of
course, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will come with an S Pen resting in
its dedicated slot. It is believed that the S Pen will come in an
improved form, but what kind of improvements these might be is not yet
known.
Display
One of the more peculiar rumors out there states that we should be expecting
multiple Samsung Galaxy Note 4 variants –
one with a typical, flat display, and another with a curved display.
Actually, this one is not too hard to believe given that last year's
Samsung Galaxy Round was
basically a Galaxy Note 3 with a curved AMOLED touchscreen and without
an S Pen. What's worth pointing out, however, is that the "curved"
Galaxy Note 4 may have a
Samsung-made YOUM screen that
would extend around the edges in a "wraparound" fashion. The practical
benefits of this design feature are anyone's guess at this time. If this
curved Note 4 variant does turn out to be real, it will probably be
available solely in niche markets.
Either
way, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is rumored to sport a 5.7-inch display,
just like the Galaxy Note 3. The resolution, however,
will get a bump to 1440 by 2560 pixels
(QHD) for a pixel density rivaling that of the LG G3's awesome screen.
True to Samsung's traditions, the Note 4's display will most likely be
of the Super AMOLED kind. Rumors are mum on whether the flat and curved
Galaxy Note 3 variants will both have the same display specifications,
or factors like size and resolution will differ.
UPDATE: A
list of APK files obtained by @evleaks seemingly confirms the QHD resolution of the Note 4's display.
Interface and functionality
Whatever version of Android ends up running on the Samsung Galaxy
Note 4, it will most likely come in a heavily modified form. Samsung's
TouchWiz interface in its latest variation – the one that we know from
the Galaxy S5 – should be on board the device, along with goodies like
Multi Window and whatever S Pen optimized features Samsung comes up
with.
Furthermore, it is rumored that
the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will get swipe gestures
of some kind. These could be used for waking up the device and possibly
for launching the camera from stand-by. Another feature that Samsung is
allegedly testing could be Smart Fingerprint. Basically, it could be a
shortcut for accessing certain functions with a swipe on the fingerprint
scanner. Features found on the Galaxy S5 are also coming to the Note 4,
it seems. Download Booster is expected to be one of them, allowing
users to download large files using the combined bandwidth of a Wi-Fi
and an LTE network.
Naturally, modes and
features that appeared on the Galaxy S5 should be pre-loaded on the
Samsung galaxy Note 4, including the Ultra Power Saving mode. And if the
phone does get a heart-rate monitor, then it will most likely ship with
the newest release of S Health for all your fitness monitoring needs.
Processor and memory
As the case is with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be available in two different processor flavors.
According to rumors, that is. North America, South Korea, China, and
Japan are expected to get a variant powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
SoC, while the rest of the world should be using Samsung's own Exynos
chip, presumably the Exynos 5433. Both are probably going to pack at
least 3GB of RAM, as that is what the Note 3 is rocking under the hood.
No hints of storage space have been passed along so far, but we're
inclined to believe that at least 32 gigs will be on board, with the
option to add a microSD card for extra storage.
UPDATE: Model names for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4
have been leaked. It appears that all major US carriers will be
offering the device with 32GB of native storage. Also, the white variant
might be a Verizon exclusive, at least at launch. Here's what we know
so far:
- Samsung SM-N910A - 32GB, AT&T, Black
- Samsung SM-N910V - 32GB, Verizon, Black/White
- Samsung SM-N910P - 32GB, Sprint, Black
- Samsung SM-N910T - 32GB, Black
UPDATE #2: Benchmark results
for two versions of the Note 4 seem to confirm that there will be
Snapdragon 805 and Exynos 5433 variants of the phone. As expected, both
offer an outstanding display resolution of 1440 by 2560 pixels, 16MP
main cameras, ~3.7MP front cameras, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage.
Listings on a retailer's web site suggest that 16- and 64-gigabyte versions could also be available.
Camera
According
to what's making the rounds, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be packing a
16-megapixel camera, just like the Samsung Galaxy S5. But unlike the
latter, the Note 4 will be utilizing optical image stabilization for
steadier videos and blur-free photos. Sony is said to be the supplier
for the camera unit, which, if true, could mean that the Note 4 won't be
boasting phase-detection auto-focus. Note that the the Samsung Galaxy
S5, which owes its super-fast focusing abilities to the said technology,
uses an ISOCELL sensor by Samsung, and special pixel pairs on the
sensor's surface are what make phase-detection AF work. As for the
handset's front-facing camera, we're not expecting any surprises. It is
said that Samsung will stick with the S5's 2MP front-facing camera for
the Galaxy Note 4.
UPDATE: According to Korean media, the
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 might come with a 12MP camera
instead of a 16MP one. Sounds strange given the fact that the Note 3
uses a 13MP one, but we wouldn't label this rumor as bogus right away.
The choice to go with a lower-resolution sensor might have been made to
allow for optical image stabilization gear to be implemented.
Interestingly, benchmark results seem to detect a 3.7MP front-facing
camera on the device.
UPDATE #2: Rumors
in favor of a 16MP camera are starting to pile up. Whatever the actual
pixel count of the phone's snapper, rumors agree that it will be blessed
with optical image stabilization.
Price and release date
The
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is expected to be announced on September 3
– days before the start of the IFA in Berlin. This rumor is most likely
on the right track as the Note 3 and the Note II were introduced around
the same time and showcased during the same expo. Details on the
phone's availability are expected to be made official at its
announcement, but our guess is that the phone will launch within weeks
after it is made official. As for its pricing, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4
is not going to be cheap, if our intuition is to be trusted. Last
year's Note 3 was offered for $299 on a 2-year contract with a major US
carrier, and the Note 4 is probably going to be about as costly. But if
the phone is indeed
bundled with a Samsung Gear 3 smartwatch, then the offer might sound quite tempting.
UPDATE: It is rumored that the
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is ready to go into mass production.
Allegedly, Samsung is aiming to launch the device only days after its
official announcement – during the second week of September. The phone
is most likely going to be announced on September 3 as official
invitations to a Samsung Unpacked event have already been sent to the
media.
User Agent Profile confirms 1440 x 2560 QHD resolution for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 screen
