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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review: still a big deal

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 16
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Samsung has made some bold decisions with the Galaxy Note 5, having completely redesigned its flagship phablet. In our Galaxy Note 5 review, we analyse this new direction and find out whether you should buy one. Samsung is also now manufacturing a model that avoids the damage caused by inserting the S Pen the wrong way; see the Special features section for more.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Good

  • Great display brightness
  • Extremely fast, quality camera
  • Integrated stylus pen
  • Ingenious handwriting recognition

Bad

  • Lousy multi-tasking
  • Poor sound quality
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: All deals

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 release date and price

The Galaxy Note 5 is currently only available in the US and Canada. It launched on August 21 in the US on AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular. It isn’t coming to Europe (including the UK) at this stage, although that could change, and we have heard that the Note 5 can be found unofficially in Europe, but you’ll need to search for it.

A "trusted Samsung source" of Gadgette.com brought the news in early December that the Galaxy Note 5 would finally see a European release in 2016. The move comes with dubious timing, given that the device has been available for nigh on six months in the US, and the next line of Galaxy devices is due to be unveiled shortly, but consumers will surely be gladdened by the news, nonetheless.

The Galaxy Note 5 is reportedly going on sale in the UK first, in late January.

The Galaxy Note 5 price is reasonable considering its premium build, but you’re still going to fork out quite a bit for it. In the US, it’ll set you back US$250 on a two-year contract and US$696 off-contract with Verizon.

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 17
We got our hands on the Note 5. / © ANDROIDPIT

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 where to buy

These are the current best offers and deals for the Galaxy Note 5. All prices are correct at the time of writing.

AT&T, US$70 p/m (plus US$45 one-off activation fee and US$249 for the handset) with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 2 GB data, on a two-year contract

U.S. Cellular, US$70 p/m (plus US$40 one-off activation charge and a US$199.99 upfront fee) with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 1 GB data, on a two-year contract

You can also buy an unlocked international version of the Galaxy Note 5 with 32 GB of internal storage on Amazon for around US$762. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 design and build quality

Samsung has applied the design language it used with the Galaxy S6 to the Note 5. Gone are the days of tacky fake leather and plastic for the Galaxy Note series: the Note 5 shines with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back.

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 23
The Galaxy Note 5 looks like a reversed S6 Edge+. / © ANDROIDPIT

The most striking thing about the Note 5’s design is its rounded rear edges. Imagine the curved front edges of the Galaxy S6 Edge+, transplanted to the back of the Note 5. The bezels surrounding the display are extremely narrow, particularly next to those curved edges, and they look great. Samsung has taken a real leap forward here in terms of design quality.

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 5
The bezels are considerably narrower beside the curved edge than elsewhere on the phone. / © ANDROIDPIT

The Galaxy Note 5 is certainly beautiful. Its design and the materials used means it feels like a more premium device than its predecessors in the series, but it has lost a few typical Note features. There is no microSD card slot, for example, which will disappoint many fans of the series, and the battery is not replaceable.

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The back of the Note 5 is not removable.  / © ANDROIDPIT

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 display

The Galaxy Note 5 display is a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED unit with QHD resolution. There is no display quite like it – not even the dual edge display of the Galaxy S6 Edge (with or without a plus) looks quite as good.

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 15
The brightness and color brilliance of the Note 5 display are unsurpassed. / © ANDROIDPIT

The Galaxy Note 5 display is actually more comparable with that of the Galaxy S6. Both have a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, but because the Note 5 display is bigger (5.7 inches compared with 5.1 inches), the pixel density is lower. It still amounts to 518 ppi though,which we don’t imagine would be a cause for complaint for anyone.

DisplayMate test results

To get a broader set of results for our testing, we’ve used turned to experts in the field of smartphone and tablet displays. Every year, DisplayMate tests displays using complex procedures to identify color fidelity, color space, brightness, sharpness, reflections, viewing angle stability and so on. Samsung gets top honors virtually every year.

The Note 5 display is much brighter than the Note 4's. It can be seen much better in bright ambient light, and it is also significantly more power-efficient. According to DisplayMate, it provides the best color reproduction of all mobile displays. The Note 5 also set a new record on display brightness.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 special features

The special feature of the Note series is the S Pen. A novel feature of the Galaxy Note 5’s S Pen is that it now has an ejecting mechanism. By pressing the thruster on the end, the stylus pops out from its housing and can be pulled out.

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The S Pen of the Note 5 has an eject mechanism. / © ANDROIDPIT

You can use the pen in two modes. Pulling it out while the phone is in standby mode starts the minimalistic launcher.

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 35
Pulling only the stylus out allows you to write white on black. / © ANDROIDPIT

When the phone is unlocked, removing the Note 5 stylus launches Air Command. This shows a list of S Pen-specific apps that you can access quickly.

note 5 s pen apps
The S Pen stylus is fun to use. / © ANDROIDPIT

To use the S Pen for typing, you need to change the keyboard to pen input. You can find this on the Samsung keyboard to the left of the spacebar.

note 5 s pen keyboard
Note 5 owners never need to tap again. / © ANDROIDPIT
androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 37
 Even basic scribbles with the Note 5 are fun. / © ANDROIDPIT
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The Note 5's handwriting recognition is neat. / © ANDROIDPIT

Following the Note 5's release, many users reported a design flaw. They claimed it was easy to insert the S Pen into the slot the wrong way round, and that doing so made it difficult to remove the pen, and caused the pen removal detection to stop working.

Now, Samsung has quietly corrected this flaw. New models feature a small internal tab that allows for damage-free ejection of the stylus when it is inserted incorrectly. The discovery was made by a user over at Phandroid and was later confirmed by Samsung, who had previously included warning labels on the packaging, which evidently proved insufficient.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 software

The Note 5 has already had numerous software updates. The T-Mobile Edition we used came immediately with performance updates based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. An update to Android Marshmallow was already deployed and now all Note 5 devices are getting Android Nougat.

Our review unit came with some bloatware apps installed, but not an excessive number; just the S Pen apps in addition to the usual Facebook and Microsoft apps. Samsung still runs its TouchWiz UI over the top of its Galaxy series.

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 16
Our T-Mobile review unit came with some bloatware. / © ANDROIDPIT

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 performance

The Galaxy Note 5 packs the powerful Exynos 7420 processor, which has eight cores and a clock speed of more than 2.1 GHz. It has 4 GB of RAM. As with the Galaxy S6 Edge+, there is only the choice between 32 GB and 64 GB versions.

In processor speed and and memory performance benchmarks, the Note 5 performance sits somewhere between the S6 Edge+ and the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact.

galaxy note 5 benchmark vellamo score
The Note 5 performs very well.  / © ANDROIDPIT
galaxy note 5 benchmark geekbench 3 score
The Geekbench scores ​​place the Note 5 within range of the S6 Edge+.  / © ANDROIDPIT
galaxy note 5 benchmark antutu score
In AnTuTu benchmarks, the Note 5 lags slightly behind the S6 Edge+, but is 10 percent higher than the Z5 Compact. / © ANDROIDPIT

4 GB of memory should get you great multi-tasking performance. Unfortunately, the Note 5 seems to be a bit of a letdown. According to both PhoneBuff and Android Police tests, its load times fall behind those of the LG G4 and Nexus 6, even though these have weaker hardware.

The relaunching of apps is very often accompanied by a lagginess we’d expect of devices with significantly less RAM. It seems that Samsung went with 4 GB of RAM for marketing purposes rather than performance. Perhaps it’s dealing with aggressive power-saving, but, if it is, this comes at the expense of decent multi-tasking.

Once you open four or more different apps, the first is closed in the background. If you then call it up, it needs to be completely reloaded. With 4 GB of RAM, this should happen only after the 10th app is loaded.

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 18
The Galaxy Note 5 (right) and the Galaxy S6 Edge+ are identical in their hardware. / © ANDROIDPIT

But we’re sure that Samsung can resolve this issue with a software update. The Nexus 6’s update to Android 5.1 resulted in a measurable improvement to multi-tasking. The secret there was optimized processor control.

Much had been speculated about a microSD card slot ahead of the Galaxy Note 5 release. As it turned out, it doesn't have one. From my perspective, this is not that big a deal, because I’m using cloud services more and more. But even if you're not a fan of cloud storage, a lack of microSD card support is not the worst thing in the world, seeing as the largest variant of the Note 5 has 64 GB of internal memory.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 audio

Galaxy Note 5 audio is good, but not overwhelming. The phone has a mono speaker at the bottom-right but you'll need to play with the equalizer settings to get a decent sound.

note 5 sound equalizer
The audio performance is good, but not great. / © ANDROIDPIT

One of the key features of the Note 4 was its fantastic voice recorder. It had three integrated microphones, making it possible to distinguish up to eight participants in a meeting. The Note 5 does not have this feature, unfortunately, and its voice recorder is totally average.

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 3
The speaker does not provide particularly special sound quality. / © ANDROIDPIT

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 camera

"The camera of the Note 5 is fantastic," says our cameraman Tony. The Note 5 camera can satisfy professionals, even when in an elevator, the subway or under office lighting. The ability to change exposure and focus is fantastic, and there's an 'AF/AE lock' feature that lets you lock the camera’s focus when filming or photographing subjects that are sitting or standing.

pierre stepien note 5 af ae lock camera test review
Once autofocus is locked, Pierre remains clearly visible even when backlit. / © ANDROIDPIT

The camera of the Note 5 is at the top of what is technically possible with a mobile device. Details are super sharp, even when you shoot freehand in automatic mode. The colors are a little artificial (typical of Samsung) and perhaps in need of some editing, but light and dark areas show a level of detail that many other smartphone cameras would display as simply black and white.

Link to album: Galaxy Note 5

note 5 camera review crop to fit
Crop-to-fit has blurred some details here, but there's very little noise. / © ANDROIDPIT

When you look closely at the above crop-to-fit shot, you can see a little blurring, but that would, with more light and less movement, likely disappear. The Note 5 camera is works remarkably well in poor lighting conditions. If a good camera is on your list of buying criteria, you should definitely shortlist the Note 5.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 battery

The Galaxy Note 5 is missing one other feature that's traditional in the Note series: a removable battery. The battery is smaller than the Note 4's too – 3,000 mAh compared with 3,220 mAh. This may look bad on paper, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate worse battery life.

To evaluate the Galaxy Note 5's battery performance we ran two Antutu Benchmarks, a PCMark test, and two of our own real world / heavy usage tests.

A benchmark will automatically put a device through a number of tests to determine how battery life holds up under a number of different scenarios. While these are good for giving an idea of performance, they are still only simulations of real-life use.

We conducted two tests with the Antutu app, which monitored the device while it consumed 20 percent of its battery life, and did the same with the PCMark app, which monitored the device while it consumed 80 percent of its battery life. The higher the score, the better the device has performed during these tests.  

Antutu Battery

Antutu yielded a score of 8,122 on the first test and 8,663 on the second (note that benchmark scores can be influenced by many things and rarely will the same result appear twice on the same device). This is at the top end of our recent benchmarks, alongside the likes of the Xperia Z3, which received a score of 8,401, and is known for having strong battery performance.

androidpit samsung galaxy note 5 antutu battery benchmarks
The results of the second of our '20 percent battery reduction' tests for the Galaxy Note 5. / © ANDROIDPIT / Antutu

PCMark

The PCMark test yielded a 'work performance' score of 5,532 (which is based on how the battery holds up during web browsing, video playback, writing, and photo editing), which produced a 'work battery life' score of 7 hour 4 minutes.

The Note 5 currently holds the number 67 position in Futuremark's benchmark list for Android battery performance. This list is compiled using data from PCMark tests conducted over the past 30 days. It’s worth noting that there are very few flagship Android phones placed higher than the Note 5 – the Galaxy S6 Active comes in at 33, the Moto X Play at 32, but most of the devices that score more highly are minor Android smartphones or tablets from the last few years.

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The results of our '80 percent battery reduction' PCMark test. / © ANDROIDPIT / PCMark

Real world (heavy usage) test

For my own test, I set the Note 5's screen brightness at the maximum with a two-minute timeout. Over the course of the day I used the Note 5 for emails, gaming, watching videos, taking photos and recording videos, as well as for many of the Note 5 -specific software features, such as those found in the Air Command menu.

In addition, I enabled vibrating feedback (haptic feedback) and vibrating alerts and made use of NFC and Location-related tasks. I started my test when the device was at 100 percent battery life. 

androidpit galaxy note 5 battery test full
The Note 5 far exceeds the battery expectation at the very beginning of the test. / © ANDROIDPIT

This type of usage far exceeds how I much would normally interact with a device, but this test was designed to determine how our phones will perform in a worst case scenario.

In our first test, in which I did a little more gaming, the Galaxy Note 5 lasted for around 28 hours before it ran out of juice. In the second test the device had 10 percent battery left after 28 hours. 

androidpit galaxy note 5 battery performance
A breakdown of the battery situation with 10 percent battery remaining in our second 'real world' test. / © ANDROIDPIT

This is little more than one day of battery life – and I did sleep for some of that time – but it’s an impressive figure given how much I used the Note 5. Powering what might be the most detailed display on the platform at full brightness must take a serious toll on the battery life, and few users will permanently set the brightness to the maximum as I did. The Note 5 could have lasted for 30 hours in the second test and for the average user it would last longer still.

The Galaxy Note 5 is unlikely to ever reach the two-day battery life sweetspot that many manufacturers aim for – I can't imagine getting another 20 hours of standby time even with more realistic usage habits – but it's still at the higher end of the battery life spectrum, and will hopefully be even further improved once the Note 5 receives the Marshmallow update.  

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 technical specifications

Final verdict

The Galaxy Note 5 is a great device, both visually and physically. The reason it doesn't score a full five marks is because it seems that design was a higher priority than useful features like a microSD card slot, replaceable battery or the conferencing microphone that the Note 4 had.

The Galaxy Note 4 is a more standout device in every way. And unless Samsung addresses its new phablet’s performance, the Note 5 can’t be considered a proper upgrade over its predecessor.

The best Samsung Galaxy phones compared

  Best flagship Best all-rounder Best foldable Best compact foldable Best midrange model Best budget model
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Image
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
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Samsung Galaxy A34
Rating
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review
Samsung Galaxy A54 review
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Eric Ferrari-Herrmann

Eric Ferrari-Herrmann
Senior Editor

Eric has been with AndroidPIT since 2014. He’s writing articles and reviews for the German website. Topics are mostly privacy and new technology but there's also the occasional piece on environmental sustainability.

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  • Stuart Sen 2
    Stuart Sen Mar 29, 2017 Link to comment

    Samsung Smartphones are durable and used by everyone.


  • 6
    Jaskulski Feb 7, 2017 Link to comment

    Many manufacturers are moving from SD card slots and removable batteries. The war between the design and the functionality is fierce. But you can add power case or SD card extender like me. The S pen is irreplaceable for me. I got the equipment needed and now I plan to swap it with a modular case, that solves the two problems with one blow. It is a great invention from I-blades.

    itprolonden


  • 9
    Kiran Naik Nov 17, 2016 Link to comment

    World class Smart Phone.


  • Hamid Hamod 1
    Hamid Hamod Sep 7, 2016 Link to comment

    New Samsung Galaxy Note 7 cost 30,000rupee

    Latest Apple iPhone SE 20,000rupee & Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE 33,000rupee

    Serious buyer should contant us.

    Whatsapp CHAT or Call : +254703285513 or 00254703285513

    Skype: faisa.hassan102

    Email address: faisa.hassan01@hotmail.com


  • 1
    jessy miranda May 16, 2016 Link to comment

    Samsung Phones are now on sale only at NewSmartphoneDeals;com


  • 1
    DinyM May 9, 2016 Link to comment

    Previously an "Early Adopter" (Note 1, 2, 3 and 4) I am for the first time buying the SAME model of phone again - the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with its REMOVEABLE BATTERY, expandable storage and S-pen. I just timed it. My Note 4 takes 14 seconds to RECHARGE to FULL (because I have 3 batteries and 2 external chargers so just swap the battery) . My phone NEVER has to be on a charging pad or plugged in EVER - it roams FREE!! Until new Galaxy Note's take less than 14 seconds to recharge, the Note 4 is the best Note. If I compare the number of times my phone has got wet compared to how many times the phone's battery depletes, removeable batteries are FAR MORE IMPORTANT than waterproofing. If I wanted an Apple I would have bought one. Such a STUPID decision by Samsung to not allow batteries to be swapped on the Note series. A soon as a competitor comes up with something equivalent to a Note 5 or 6 but with a REMOVEABLE battery and EXPANDABLE STORAGE and an S-Pen, I will swap.


  • Hazel Tully 1
    Hazel Tully Mar 17, 2016 Link to comment

    Note 5, S6, S6 Edge and more is now on sale only at NewSmartphoneDeals:com


  • Renard Robert 2
    Renard Robert Mar 12, 2016 Link to comment

    Ir blaster, removable battery, and expandable storage. Plz bring them all back. I luv the fact I never needed to find my remote lol. Those things are the reason I choose Android over Apple.


  • Sakshi Gupta 2
    Sakshi Gupta Feb 19, 2016 Link to comment

    I have been using this phone for a month and I can honestly say I'm in love with this phone. After watching so many excellent reviews of Samsung S6, I decided to buy it and it performed well beyond my expectations. It runs so smooth even while playing games. There are no lack and no heating at the back and feels classic in the hand. It is available on affordable price with the number of functionality in it. Amazing experience!!


  • Alex Garcia 12
    Alex Garcia Feb 13, 2016 Link to comment

    Probably one of the two non nexus phones I'd buy. My 1st Android was the note 1 & giant screens have been my thing ever since. I'd fancy a gold or silver note 5, but its now 2016 & with that said. Might as well get the next greatest and latest note 6 . the missing sd card and replaceable battery isn't a big deal to me as my nexus phones have not had any of the 2 aforementioned.... I'd just wanna see a bigger battery, better speakers and a smoother TOUCHWIZ, or might as well root it and put stock in it. It's just damn expensive... 650$ is expensive but when ur talking 700$ & beyond its like...... This better be EFFIN awesome to not change it up after a year


  • Mobile Price 2
    Mobile Price Feb 11, 2016 Link to comment

    The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 requires two hands and a pile of cash, but it's the best Android phone with a large screen, a stylus and an accurate camera.

    PROS :
    +Slick glass-backed design
    +Record-break specs
    +Stunning camera quality
    +Handy S Pen stylus

    CONS :
    -Expensive
    -No microSD card slot
    -No removable battery
    -Limited to a few countries

    Samsung's Galaxy Note 5 is excellent overall, and the only phone to buy if you want to write by hand. However, you'll pay a huge premium for a modest upgrade from last year's model, and less pricey competitors will satisfy many.


  • Mike 1
    Mike Feb 2, 2016 Link to comment

    I found out very quickly how poorly the new stylus for the Note 5 was designed. By incorporating the "ejection" feature at the end with an internal spring as opposed to a single piece stylus Samsung created a very weak point in the stylus. It took me about a week before I broke mine. And it was so easy, I don't even know how it happened. All it has to do is crack and that is enough for the spring end to come off.

    Samsung's response..... If the stylus is broken it voids the warranty. Seriously, I copied the chat text.

    Checked to see how much a replacement one costs...... Over $30.

    Thanks Samsung.


  • 1
    Jho Jan 31, 2016 Link to comment

    I really wonder what y'all keep whining bout the note 5. It is a beautiful device, Truth is you cant have it all.
    Maybe comparing it to a note 4 it seems not worth it but there are ways around it. I won two otg flash drives, small enough to fit in my wallet and I have no trouble whipping it out when I need expandable memory on my phone. I have been using the Samsung tab 3 sm-t311 for two years. No expandable storage (16gb) no removable battery and I still wouldn't trade it for the ugly lgG4 or the annoying iphone.
    I simply got a n anker e5 when the battery started to wear out plus if it gets too bad Id just walk into a samsung centre and get my battery swapped for a new one.
    People asking for waterproof phones like why the help is that even so important? How do you wake up to low battery??? That's totally absurd and untrue. Or maybe you got a faulty device.
    I dunno mehn but the note 5 is a beautiful device. Could be better but i like it enough to find alternatives for battery and storage


  • 1
    Jason Pet Jan 27, 2016 Link to comment

    I almost upgraded from my Note 4, which is the best phone I've ever owned until I went to check the new Note 5 out. It's essentially the same phone as the Note 4, only with less features. Samsung used to have a market hold for those who didn't want to be controlled by "big business". Now, they are taking on Apple's business model, and charging for internal incremental upgrades on memory. The battery is not as big of a deal for me, but the lack of SD card slot was a deal breaker. It's too bad that executives get greedy and ruin a market-leading product. The bloatware ads and Samsung pre-installed apps are terrible, you cannot delete them without rooting the phone, and they slow everything down and suck battery life. Good thing there are many other, now better, choices out there (LG, Asus, HTC, Honor) who haven't jumped on the Apple bandwagon. I'll be headed their direction!


    • 1
      Dylon Lyons May 26, 2016 Link to comment

      I wish I would have done a bit more research and been more patient when I upgraded because i jumped from the note 3 to the note 5 and it was like jumping down a hole. I have had so many problems with the note 5 and usually you can't do anything about it because Samsung decided to make it just like an IPhone. I had one problem with my note 3 in the two years i had it and in the 6 months I've had my note 5 I've had at least 10 major problems, they just keep stacking up. If you want a good phone either stick with the note 4 or upgrade to it because that is in my opinion the newest in the note series, not this garbage that they threw at us and expected us to like. Save yourself a lot of trouble and don't by the note 5.


  • 1
    Raisa Dmello Jan 24, 2016 Link to comment

    Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is now available for a huge discount only on BestAndroidPhoneDeals:com


  • 21
    Peter Harwood Jan 21, 2016 Link to comment

    yet another piece of expensive Samsung junk hyped up to sound very good when it isn't


  • PATTERZ 9
    PATTERZ Jan 20, 2016 Link to comment

    No MicroSD, No Deal! Shame on you Samsung.


  • 2
    Monica Lewis Dec 28, 2015 Link to comment

    Note 5, S6, S6 Edge and more is now on sale only on BestAndroidPhoneDeals .com

    Flavia Dcosta


  • 2
    Chris Hu Dec 28, 2015 Link to comment

    I am samsung bad fan but this Note5 was quite disappointing. It losses the edge that the earlier note had... eg: the left soft button for Option key, now is used for switching between app (the function of long press middle button on older Note). So on some of the App, I can't access to any of the extra options. Ebooks I have to turn page by page for 2000+ pages just to get to the page I want. The middle button now bcome for google search... but I DON'T use that feature as much as switching between App and Access extra feature of an App! The button totally left USELESS. Sad.

    The screen capture function also needed extra steps instead of click and hold. No need to drag out the pen options (because I am already using the pen scrolling thru pages so to call for option, need to pull pen options manually), select Smart Select and then select. The Select to Text conversion was a brilliant idea but it doesn't always work. In some situation the 'T' won't appear and you have to treat it as photo save to gallery. so... now for me to capture a text from one page and copy to S Note that I was halfway writing, instead of the old way of screen capture, select what I need, press Copy and paste in Note, now I need to pull pen-option, select what I need, save to gallery, goto S Note, press Attach Media, find where the screen capture went, select the image, paste in S Note, goto Gallery, delete the earlier screen capture so that I can free up space for a storage that CAN'T Be Expanded. Really sad.

    4K video capture... great feature... but for 4K video recording, it eat storage very fast! No SD card to store... only 64GB internal memory that that already occupied by part of the android OS, basic apps etc... is this really making sense? Storing to cloud? When you travel, you want to take great video & pic. Sending to cloud on data... that's a lot of data charges and slooooow.

    I don't like iphone because I do not have fast access to features that I want to use fast. Only one button have to go through many steps to get what I need. I think iphone used to think iphone is for dummy (in the sense they want simple access, don't mind running through many steps just to get thing simple). That's why I am a strong fan of Samsung. I am using 3 samsung tablets now (10.1, 8 and 3), together with 3 samsung note phones (note2, note3 and now note5). I use them depending on what i need to do (weekend relax, working, etc). But the new Note 5 seems like the design team forgot what make them special compare to iphone. While Iphone now trying to be like samsung, samsung turned around trying to be another iphone. Really dissapointing.

    PATTERZ


  • 2
    Brett Dugue Dec 22, 2015 Link to comment

    Sad news! I guess my GN4edge will be the LAST Samsung cell phone I own! A phone without a removable battery and no micro sd card slot is basically WORTHLESS! The stupid SPen is NOT what makes the phone! I BARELY use it! Those TWO features combined with its SIZE do! Unfortunately, a screen that size & the processor to drive the device CHEW THROUGH BATTERY for us hard core users! I really enjoyed NOT looking like a stupid iPhone user ALWAYS plugged into an outlet before a flight! With THREE EXTRA BATTERIES I would just slap a fresh one in and press on! I use my GN4 to take videos as it does a better job most of the time than my dedicated digital camera (which I can still change the battery in btw). Of course that equates to a massive amount of storage!

    I'd keep this GN4edge forever but I'm sure it won't be long before Samsung forces another "CORRUPTgrade" on us and ruins THIS phone!

    Thanks for destroying a once GREAT phone line Samsung!

    PATTERZ


  • 1
    Dan Smith Dec 19, 2015 Link to comment

    I just got the note 5 ....I love it its the 64gb one and has lots of storage space on it ....I will never switch to any other. .runs smooth. ..just want to get the marshmallow update


  • 2
    Andy Dressler Dec 8, 2015 Link to comment

    Well, I bleed android red white and blue and have traveled most of the "cellular country" (Nokia, Moto, HTC, Samsung & others). You couldn't wrestle my Samsung Note 2 from my grasp even while during my REM state sleep. Was that phone perfect? No. Furthermore, I never liked Samsung's (and Verizons) bloatware and the only time I ever used the built in pen was when my family roasted marshmallows and I was short a stick. That said, I loved the size, resolution, and camera as well as a number of other features of the phone. I never loved the battery however! That said, I simply compromised and purchased some nuclear battery on ebayour and was good to go. Sure, there were times where I often needed to usher friends and strangers away from practically smacking me with their fishing rods... but I eventually understood their confusing my phone with some medium sized party-boat and never took it personally, LOL.

    Fast forward a few years and here I amean ready for a mega upgrade. Note 2 to a Note 5 - break out the alcohol boys and girls, thus dude is gonna party! But....um, what do ya mean I can't swap out for a battery that would make my car jealous?? Well I was skeptical but c'mon, my new Note 5 was sharper than anything else out there - WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY ON. I'm now 10 days into my new Note 5 and bottom line and regardless of whichever talking heads claim otherwise, the battery SUCKS. As of this writing, I woke at 8:30 with a fully charged phone. Now 1:00 pm and only 4 1/2 hours later, I'm getting notification alerts that only 15% battery remains (oops, correct that?! Only 14% battery remains). To be clear, all I've done is read a few articles off the internet, spend a couple hours pulling pics from my gallery and emailing them to my sister, and now writing this forum thread response (no video, no music, no games, no other apps). Did I dim the screen or rush to turn off mail and message notifications? C'mon... REALLY? Okay call me crazy because I could have put my phone in "grey mode" or even turn it off while off to the bathroom but I didnt. Yeah I know what you're thinking, Mr. Samsung. Yes I suppose I could survive using single ply toilet paper, and yes I unapologetically keep my a/c on while idling in the McDonald's drive through lane for burgers that I still question whether they really use meat. Therefore don't expect me to ration using the basic features of your beautiful phone simply because YOU decided that I can't invite a few friends out for a little fishing on my stunning battleship sized glass bottomed cell phone. Bottom line, I'm probably gonna exchange my new Note 5 for a phone that will still have a little charge left by the time I go to sleep. Will I miss my beautiful phone? Maybe not, i'll just make believe it's in "low energy mode" sitting in my nightstand.

    PATTERZ


  • 31
    Deactivated Account Dec 4, 2015 Link to comment

    "Lousy multi tasking" lol.. all that power and fancy glass.....


  • ELMO 3
    ELMO Nov 16, 2015 Link to comment

    Non removable battery plus no sd card too bad for me im just stick to note 4, i'm using my phone to replace my laptop now you take that point away 😠 Please samsung for note series give note 6 my life again replacable battery and external sd card and i will stay with note or else i just get the others phone. Note fans screwed by note 5. Advise: you can copy iphone crap to your s family except note so i can work again . Peace

    DinyMPATTERZFrancois ChamberlandOdins Hird


  • Daniel Salzano 1
    Daniel Salzano Nov 9, 2015 Link to comment

    Usage isn't always the great determiner in battery life. Not sure where you liver or work but for many of us not in the middle of a signal rich big city even light usage can drain a battery in hours. Hills, metal buildings and just poor signal will suck a battery drier due to signal hunting. My phone has an extended battery (10,000mAh) and will run for days without recharge unless I decide to try and surf the web in the grocery store or forget to turn off the cell radio when I'm at home were I have very spotty service on the best days. Is signal loss part of the test cycle? Cuz that's what real world is all about.


  • 2
    cesy Oct 18, 2015 Link to comment

    I've been able to get by without the removable battery, i purchased a portable charger (another thing to lug aroung); and yes the sd card thing is really getting to me. But today for the first time I had a chance to set up and customize my note 5, and there's NO INFRARED?!?! Aaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!! This is absurd. I cried for my note 3. All my devices from my entire entertainment system to my central air to my desktop, etc were conveniently controlled by what used to be my most favorite device, my phone.
    : _ ( This lack in convininces not only broke the camel's back, it crushed every vertebrae. Please please please tell me I can switch back to my note 3 without fees!!!

    PATTERZ


  • 5
    Paul Laimal-Convoy Oct 18, 2015 Link to comment

    The writer forgot to mention two, rather large, bad points:

    - No external SD card support.

    - No removable battery.

    These are important issues for power-users (the main Note customer-base), and this has been a common discussion on almost every Android site except this one. This needs to be included in the review, as not everyone reads every other site, meaning ALL the facts and common opinions need to be included for the article to be relevant.

    Please fix the article to include this information.

    PATTERZFrancois ChamberlandOdins Hird


  • 4
    aungkoko hein Oct 17, 2015 Link to comment

    Sd card is a must for me.

    PATTERZFrancois ChamberlandPaul Laimal-Convoy


  • 4
    aungkoko hein Oct 17, 2015 Link to comment

    Where is SOT in battery life test?


  • 3
    vinay Oct 11, 2015 Link to comment

    buying new one is good idea.. but upgrading really bad idea..

    because.. no removable battery
    no sd
    no uv
    no ir..
    same display quality.

    Francois ChamberlandELMOPaul Laimal-Convoy


  • 4
    Antonio Manuel Oct 10, 2015 Link to comment

    If I leave the Note 4 and get the Note 5:
    - I get: improved camera, slightly better display, some software features
    - I loose: SD card, replaceable battery, Infra Red command, 3D recorder, (some spare money!)

    Conclusion: I loose more than I get.
    Decision: I stay with Note 4!

    PATTERZFrancois ChamberlandOdins HirdELMOPaul Laimal-ConvoyThiago Pires


  • 8
    Rene Jagers Oct 9, 2015 Link to comment

    Note 5 isn't worth buying. No sd card, no removable battery. Owned all the Note's so far, but they managed to lose me as a customer. Will buy my future phone's from another manufacturer.

    PATTERZFrancois ChamberlandOdins HirdELMOPaul Laimal-Convoy


    • Thiago Pires 2
      Thiago Pires Oct 11, 2015 Link to comment

      Tive os 4 Galaxy Note, 1, 2, 3 e 4. Do 1 ao 3 sempre uma evolução constante, o Note 4, apesar de melhorar a qualidade de fotos, vi uma pequena piora no quesito qualidade do Áudio da gravação, prefiro o Note 3. Outra coisa, arrancaram a função "ai gesture". O que eu uso bastante, Que é bateria reserva, slot de Cartão, e o Infravermelho (Controle Remoto de tudo, TV, Ar Condicionado, Projetor ...) ou seja, Só tenho a perder ... Encerra-se a minha sequência da Linha Note, a não ser que acertem no Note 6.

      Francois Chamberland


    • 5
      Paul Laimal-Convoy Oct 18, 2015 Link to comment

      THIS.


  • 31
    Deactivated Account Oct 9, 2015 Link to comment

    what's sammy got against Europe, lucky for me I'm not a fan and I don't need the power, but it seems a little strange after trials in the UK last year (Yorkshire police force) with the Note 4 ...
    I can't think of a better selling point for the Note series, it's the perfect device for Police work and say's everything sammy needs to promote Knox..


  • Rodger Ramirez 6
    Rodger Ramirez Sep 3, 2015 Link to comment

    This device is stunning. Now I feel I should wait for it. I already purchased Galaxy S6 Edge+.


  • 10
    Misha Sep 1, 2015 Link to comment

    Today Amazon announced that it will enable Prime account holders to download movies to their Android device. Great move. That might come in handy in situations where there is no Wifi such as the gym, a plane, a low-tech hotel, etc.

    So here we have another service/application offering to chew up more storage precisely at the same time Samsung introduces new high-end phones and scales back customers's storage options. I can deal with paying Samsung for the 128GB, but for Samsung not to even offer a larger capacity as an option on their flagship models? Who offers its customers less storage capacity than the competition and options for upgrading it and then touts it as innovation? I am not sure what the company is thinking...

    Why would a user consider buying either the Galaxy 6 Edge+ or Note 5 and have to worry about bumping into a storage capacity issue, with no way to address the concern apart from trading in his/her phone? I know plenty of iPhone users who bought the 128 version of the 6 and 6plus since they figured out that it was a safer bet. Samsung users? No such option on Samsung's premium line-up...

    Samsung's investors have dumped the stock, to the tune of a $44 billion loss in value. Customers skipping this upgrade cycle and saying "no" to Samsung's top-of-the-line phones is probably not going to help.

    Odins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoy


  • n13L5 14
    n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

    Samsung has a piss-poor track record for ever making the models with larger memory available.

    Aside from that, I rely on having a phone that allows me to travel with multiple Micro SD cards to
    - hold several sets of data like (book library, movie library, music library)
    - be able to swap in a new card when one is full of photos / video.
    - I never travel with less than 10 Micro SD cards (they are tiny, after all and add nothing to my luggage)

    So for me:

    Samsung Note 4 is the last Note worth buying
    Samsung Note 5 is as useless to me as any Nexus device.

    PATTERZFrancois ChamberlandOdins HirdELMOThiago PiresRene JagersMoni MihailovHans FDeactivated Account


    • 46
      Deactivated Account Sep 1, 2015 Link to comment

      I agree the Note 5 is a big disappointment, it's just an Apple clone. I am waiting for the LG G5 to upgrade my S3. Some of the rumors I have read say they are keeping the removable back, thus a removable battery and SD support.

      PATTERZOdins HirdELMOPaul Laimal-ConvoyMoni Mihailov


  • 10
    Misha Aug 29, 2015 Link to comment

    After reading some of the reviews, I was tempted to upgrade from my Samsung Galaxy S5 to a Note 5. Then reality began to sink in. I am using 50+GB of my available storage with my current Samsung Galaxy S5 (16GB core + 64GB expandable Micro SD). Storage is one of those items that has always been underestimated. Rarely, if ever, do people lament, "Gee, I should have bought less storage." With operating systems and applications growing in size, applications proliferating, and content expanding, more demanding users may find themselves up against the wall with a Note 5 having 64 GB of storage. Thus, despite the many appealing features of the Note 5, I have decided to stick with my Galaxy S5 for now.

    Don't get me wrong - the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Edge are nice enough phones. And the Note 5 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge + are also great looking phones and introduce some interesting technological innovations. Unfortunately, it does not appear that Samsung fully considered the overall value proposition and feature set of each phone relative to these phones's predecessors, such as the S5 and Note 4. Users should not have to consider what they are giving up when upgrading their equipment - not in this age. The Galaxy S6/edge/+'s and Note 5's limited storage and limited colors, along with the added worry regarding the glass back breaking are hardly worth the upgrade to get a slightly higher resolution screen (one which is probably far better than most people's eyes can detect), a smaller battery (albeit still providing good battery life), and a faster recharging cycle.

    And color? You can buy any Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with 64GB of storage, as long as it is black (any reference to Henry Ford's comment on Model T color options is purely intentional). Is it unreasonable to expect that we could purchase a white phone with the same amount of storage as a black phone? Glass on a metal back serves no purpose other than to increase the likelihood that it will break and cause users additional headaches and expenses. A scratch on the back of a brushed aluminum phone is one thing. A cracked glass plate is something quite different. Samsung should drop the glass (pun intended), thereby reducing the costs of the phone and eliminating this concern. I am surprised that Samsung's choice of putting glass on the backs of these phones hasn't evoked more of a response from consumers. Then again, it may be too early. Perhaps when we see enough pictures of cracked phones on the forums, Samsung and its customers may rethink the wisdom of this decision.

    Having Galaxy S5 users looking at the last two major Samsung announcements and deciding not to upgrade cannot be a good sign for Samsung, which is seeing its market share erode and a slew of lower-priced competitors begin to edge (no pun intended) ever closer to its feature set. I hate to say it, but once Apple adds a better camera to its iPhone 6 S and 6S+ series, it may be Apple, not Samsung, that provides a better upgrade path for Samsung's current Galaxy S5 customers looking to upgrade to a new phone. I have strongly resisted the iPhone hype, preferring to stay in the Android camp (I can't quite bring myself to drink the Apple Kool Aid...). After weighing Samsung's last two major product line decisions and corresponding feature sets, it may be time to seriously consider an iPhone as my next upgrade.

    PATTERZOdins HirdPaul Laimal-ConvoyLeland Whitlock


    • PATTERZ 9
      PATTERZ Jan 20, 2016 Link to comment

      Spot on!


  • 4
    Sherry Sapp Aug 25, 2015 Link to comment

    Good grief! I have never used the S-pen (I usually forget it's there). But I use my microSD card on my Note 4 all the time and as I'm a power user having a spare battery is a must. So, I'll pass on the Note 5.

    Francois ChamberlandELMOOdins HirdPaul Laimal-ConvoyMoni Mihailov


    • n13L5 14
      n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

      Samsung apparently thought they needed to dumb down their Note, which was always the phone of choice for power users.

      Samsung's new designers apparently think its a fashion item only and flexibility and power features don't matter anymore:
      - no swappable battery
      - no Micro SD card slot
      - no protection from the elements.
      - no option to go with a bright IPS / LPS display either - hate the burn-in issues of Amoled.
      - Amoled also is poor in direct sunlight, while I can read the Z3's IPS display in direct sunlight perfectly.


      Good bye Samsung. Was good while it lasted.

      PATTERZELMOPaul Laimal-ConvoyMoni MihailovDeactivated Account


  • 1
    Lianajones Aug 21, 2015 Link to comment

    I'm very excited to try this new note5...I bought my 1st note in Dec and I love it...yes the battery goes fast but they try and make up for it by the house charger...there's still so much I haven't even started to use in the note4...and no battery doesn't bother me I've nvr had to remove the battery once on my note4...the charger looks a little tricky only because I'm on the road a lot and hope it doesn't slide off while charging...good job Samsung!!!


  • rschall 3
    rschall Aug 20, 2015 Link to comment

    I could have lived with no removable battery. Not offering a 128gb option after no micro SD was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Learning they took away the IR blaster after that was just kicking me while I was down.

    Francois ChamberlandPaul Laimal-ConvoyMoni MihailovLeland Whitlock


  • Krazee Criss 9
    Krazee Criss Aug 19, 2015 Link to comment

    Put it this way I woke up this morning with my Note Edge stuck on the boot splash screen which sometimes happens, I simply pulled off the back cover popped out the battery for 15 to 30 seconds popped it back in snapped the cover back on and shut pressed the power button and it booted right up all the way... Now what would I do with the S6/S6E/S6E+ or the N5 if this happened? I can't remove the battery, so be s.o.l. and take it to my carrier if it was under contract and warranty and I was using that carrier, which mind you I buy my phone out of contract and use them on metroPCS, so nope not a option for me, cellphone repair store for such a simple easy to fix problem? Efff all that jazz!

    Francois ChamberlandOdins HirdPaul Laimal-ConvoyMoni MihailovLeland WhitlockSherry Sapp


    • Deadpenguins 1
      Deadpenguins Aug 20, 2015 Link to comment

      Do you really think every phone without a removable battery just becomes a brick if it freezes? If you hold down the power button for 10 secs on any device without a removable battery it will force reboot. Regardless, if I had a device that occasionally restarted itself and then froze before it rebooted, I would stop buying products from that company. That's just terrible and inexcusable in 2015.


      • n13L5 14
        n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

        Lack of a removable battery is still a problem:

        - No ability to travel with an extra battery (which is much smaller than those charge bricks they want to sell to you)
        - No ability to replace a bad battery for just the price of buying another one where ever you are and without having to send it in.
        - No ability to reliably remove all power from the phone in case of exposure to water. (Remember, water does zero damage to your phone without electricity present).


        Built-in obsolescence is of course the key reason for manufacturers to do this: After 2 years, the $200 to send in your phone for battery replacement is usually just not worth it anymore.

        But most people are too oblivious to realize when they're getting screwed.

        Odins HirdPaul Laimal-ConvoyMoni Mihailov


      • Krazee Criss 9
        Krazee Criss Oct 9, 2015 Link to comment

        Google and read about all the people who had this problem with the original s6/s6e, it speaks for itself, I'd much rather not take that risk. Planned obsolescence, nope they won't sell me on it for so called better hardware and a upgrade so to speak.

        Paul Laimal-Convoy


  • GrimJimCrowley 14
    GrimJimCrowley Aug 19, 2015 Link to comment

    To me it looks like Samsung is trying to win over the iPhone user market. Coming from somebody who came from an iPhone 4 to Galaxy S6, the fixed battery and memory is a non-issue. I could care less about messing around with sd cards (and losing them) and taking my battery out to do whatever you do when you take out the battery. I think they're experimenting with gaining new customers, and hopefully those will outweigh any losses.


    • Adam Baldwin 2
      Adam Baldwin Aug 20, 2015 Link to comment

      One tends to remove ones battery to exchange for a fully charged one. Huge + for those away from a charger for a long time or those who hate being tethered by a cord or those who need a quick shutdown do to frozen phone.

      Moni Mihailovn13L5


    • n13L5 14
      n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

      Of course, the fact that you don't need it and apparently lose your stuff must be a reason to remove features for everyone else.

      Especially in a device that has been mostly the choice of power users from day one. Not a bunch of ditzy people with cotton candy for brains.

      Moni Mihailov


    • 5
      Paul Laimal-Convoy Oct 18, 2015 Link to comment

      Double post.


  • cris cuttino 2
    cris cuttino Aug 19, 2015 Link to comment

    I have the note 4 and its easily the best phone ever made, but i will admit that the Note 5's design is stellar. I mean who wouldn't want to pull something that good loooking out in public? Samsung this year was all about design, next year they'll get the internals right.


    • Adam Baldwin 2
      Adam Baldwin Aug 20, 2015 Link to comment

      Yes indeed ..... They designed the Awesome new Samsung Exynos 7420 Processor and the new 4G DDR4 RAM along with many other performance based design changes. The Fastest most powerful phone along with the S6.


      • n13L5 14
        n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

        Fastest does not equal most powerful by a long shot. Operational flexibility is powerful! Its related to what you can actually do with it.

        A phone with removable storage allows you to shoot an unlimited amount of video for example, yet carrying no extra weight / gear around besides Micro SD cards weighing pretty much nothing, with 10 of them fitting into a credit card sized holder.


    • n13L5 14
      n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

      Your word in god's ear.

      Hope you're right about the internals... It may hold true if enough people avoid buying the Note 5 for those reasons.

      Moni Mihailov


    • 5
      Paul Laimal-Convoy Oct 18, 2015 Link to comment

      It's "couldn't care less".


    • 5
      Paul Laimal-Convoy Oct 18, 2015 Link to comment

      Except most people put their phones in a case, so the externals are largely irrelevant.


  • 1
    Mark Flora Aug 18, 2015 Link to comment

    WTF! There's enough stuff in this unit to upgrade from a freakin' Note 1, 2, or 3! 4 not so much. Still, y'all crazy! UHQA (audiophiles where are you?), 4gb LPDDR4 RAM, fast UFS memory, fast wireless charging, better SAMOLED, better Spen, very good camera with a new pro mode. Am I missing something here? Anybody use or know of USB OTG? You think MicroSD is cheap? Try buying a 128gb USB 3.0 flash drive and see which is cheaper. Also way faster to load those up with music and your damn porn (so called "Power Users", I'm looking at you). See, no need for the cloud storage option. It's not the end of the freakin' world. Quit your whining Mr. Scrooge! Use your Jump On Demand and ur good to go! I'm coming from a S4 and I can't wait for Aug. 21 bitches!!!!


    • Adam Baldwin 2
      Adam Baldwin Aug 20, 2015 Link to comment

      Well said


    • n13L5 14
      n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

      Its still a gain this, loose that proposition vs the Note 4.

      With every person having their own reasoned weighing of what each feature is worth to them.

      Which ones are actually important to their use case and which ones are nice but not critical.


    • 5
      Paul Laimal-Convoy Oct 18, 2015 Link to comment

      Er, I think IGN comments are down the corridor, on the right.

      Regardless, power users don't "store porn" on their devices. They use them to store office documents, video and audio, etc.

      As a teacher, with a Note 2 myself, I use my device to write reports, make flashcards, fill out paperwork, write my thesis, download and play kids songs and videos during class, etc. I would consider the move from my Note 2 to a Note 5 a HUGE downgrade.


    • 3
      Mahendra Shah Dec 10, 2015 Link to comment

      No way Hozae....this Note 5 is good to look at and that is all it is good for ...my Note 4 is fine for me and my older Note 3 is my 2nd phone that I like to use and I am not going to waste my money on a good looking device which is going to be on show in shops ...why buy something like that when it is always going to be available for show........batteries are best charged in an external charger and memory in a tiny package is just a perfect way to carry it around ...I would have loved a micro sd card bus in my Note 4 and Note 3 but Samsung never listen to us ...if they did they would have been financially happy.


  • 3
    Jennifer Keen Aug 17, 2015 Link to comment

    I'll stick with my Note 4. Note 5 looks snazzy, but the lack of a micro sd card is a game changer for me because that's where I store my music and pictures. Not being able to remove the battery sucks. (I've had to replace my note 4 battery once due to it being defective.) I told my sig other about the no micro sd and he said he'd stick with his Note 4 or switch to a phone with an sd card slot when it comes time to upgrade.

    Paul Laimal-ConvoyMoni Mihailovn13L5Sherry Sapp


  • ILWU Thomas Lee 4
    ILWU Thomas Lee Aug 16, 2015 Link to comment

    Good lord you reviewers are so far out of touch with the actual users. I guess if you expect to continue getting free merchandise you best cooperate. Review sites that actually PAY for the devices they review are far far more believable and give truly unbiased reviews.

    The note 5 is a disapointment of EPIC proportions. To watch a company like Samsung stumble so badly is a little discomforting. It's like when you watch someone making an absolute fool of themselves to the point that you actually feel embarrassed for them. This one is for the smartphone sagas. A warning to those with wisdom to listen, ignore your base, your prothletizers, at your own peril.

    Odins HirdPaul Laimal-ConvoyRene Jagersn13L5Kevin Fagan


    • 5
      Kevin Fagan Aug 16, 2015 Link to comment

      I completely agree Thomas. When Samsung brought out the Note 1, reviewers threw their hands up in horror. It's too big! Buying public will never go for it! It took guts and a lot of money to take that gamble. That's when I became a Samsung fan. The balls of these guys! The gamble paid off, as we all know... until now. What happened Samsung? Did the accountants stage a coup? Are the brave innovators of the Note series all fired? Pay attention Huawei and LG! There's a BIG gap in the premium handset market!

      Odins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoy


      • Adam Baldwin 2
        Adam Baldwin Aug 20, 2015 Link to comment

        Samsung got rid of some designers to bring in fresh new blood.


      • Krazee Criss 9
        Krazee Criss Aug 20, 2015 Link to comment

        C'mon now Huawei is as generic as ZTE. LoL

        Sony and Motorola on the other hand though.


      • n13L5 14
        n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

        Yeah, and the "fresh new blood" appears to be pandering to pundits' foible for metal cases and believe that phones have become nothing but fashion objects, functionality be damned.

        The S6 is already not selling as well as Samsung hoped. I can only imagine that the former power user's bastion Note will fare worse.

        And for good reason.

        Paul Laimal-Convoy


  • 3
    Julian Encarnación Aug 15, 2015 Link to comment

    I've had the Note 2, 3, and 4 because there's nothing close to it in the market, I considered them the most versatile phones out there. I still have the Note 2 and 3 and I gave them to my daughters and they still work without problems. To me the Note 5 is a deal breaker, no SD card, no removable battery? What the heck was Samsung thinking? That alone turns a great phone into an IPhone imitation. All my important stuff from work is saved in multiple SD cards which I switch regularly. They just lost another customer, I'm sticking with my Note 4.

    Odins Hirdn13L5ILWU Thomas LeeKevin Fagan


  • Tyler 3
    Tyler Aug 15, 2015 Link to comment

    No SD card and no removable battery is a deal breaker for me. No more Note phones for me. What a shame! I love me note 4.

    Odins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoyn13L5Julian EncarnaciónILWU Thomas Lee


  • insidetech 2
    insidetech Aug 15, 2015 Link to comment

    Let's keep this real, Samsung just lost 6 customers in my family alone. Lack of flagship features and poor camera.

    n13L5ILWU Thomas Lee


    • Krazee Criss 9
      Krazee Criss Aug 15, 2015 Link to comment

      Yup ooo a better front facing camera yippy!! My Note Edge has a 16Mp camera and nearly a 4Mp front facing camera, plus the optional 6000mah extended battery, removable battery and sdcard slot. Think I'll stick to this device a lil while longer, I wouldn't be surprised if the Note 6 is the same as the Note 5, they've already went off the edge and over the cliff coming in for a hard nose dive with the S6/S6E, so no big surprise here. Sadly too the S6 Edge is more of a gimmicky phone with less functional edge's than the Note Edge too.

      Paul Laimal-ConvoyJulian Encarnación


  • 4
    orlando cuyugab Aug 15, 2015 Link to comment

    Lets face it, the reduction of micro sd card and removable battery I'm not happy. These are basic features a cut above from the fruit device. I guess Samsung is heading towards Apple instincts. Uhhhhh!!!!!

    Odins HirdPaul Laimal-ConvoyJulian Encarnación


  • 4
    Griffin D Aug 15, 2015 Link to comment

    4 phones this year. and not one to wow the consumer market. Yes some will sell so the people can have latest and greatest. The gs4 was the phone to have very comfortable in the hands. Had they water proofed that design and bumped up the hardware like the gs5 that gs4 could have been the new gs5 love my gs5. Then come the Samsung iphones only difference is they run Android. Losing SD card and removable battery. Most people against the SD card bitch they are slow. Who cares how slow an SD card is compared to internal storage. You can't up grade internal storage. faster sd card comes out cheap upgrade. Samsung will have 4 flops this year. Will wait till next year.

    Paul Laimal-Convoyn13L5ILWU Thomas Lee


    • 2
      Stevles Aug 17, 2015 Link to comment

      I don't know.. I said "WOW REALLY?" when I noticed it has a smaller battery, lacks MicroSD capability and is pretty much just a cash grab! :-D But yes, the S6 and now the Note 5 is the beginning of the end of what Samsung used to be and beginning of "Sellout Samsung" the new generation version.

      Odins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoy


      • n13L5 14
        n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

        Fashion designers now rule Samsung's phone division, apparently:

        2015 Samsung phones for ditzy people who don't know a point from a comma but are attracted to the shiny edges retarded pundits kept demanding.

        Odins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoy


  • 3
    Larry Roberton Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    I started with the Note 2 and lost it. Then bought another and it quit and wasn't repairable. I'm now using a well used Note 1. I held out for the Note 5 and now I'm disappointed. My Note 1 is more useful to me. I can change my sd card and save vacation photos in a safe place, and quickly add another for study or for more free space. I can change or charge the battery almost anywhere. A super thin fast phone isn't so important to me, especially since it'll be in a large protective case. Super display isn't so important, I just dim it down anyway to save battery. I was going to spend a lot of money for a phone, but I think I would be worse off to do so, and the Note 4's are dropping in price. Hello Samsung you've lost it.

    PATTERZOdins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoyn13L5ILWU Thomas Lee


    • 4
      orlando cuyugab Aug 15, 2015 Link to comment

      I have an old s2...waiting for a killer unit, yeah Samsung murdered the note 5 with a sawn off shot gun. The note 4 is priced well..lets get it.!!!

      Odins HirdKevin FaganILWU Thomas Lee


    • n13L5 14
      n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

      Heh, I stopped using protective cases like 3 phone generations ago...

      Well, the Note 4 looks just about as pretty as the Note 5, but still has the goods - at a decent discount.

      Maybe by the time the Note 6 rolls around, all those fashion designers will have been fired and engineers will have more of a say once again.

      Odins Hird


  • Frankie Lawrence 2
    Frankie Lawrence Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    No SD card or removable battery, no problem. I think this a real nice device. Cloud storage is in now.

    Tsz Chan


    • Krazee Criss 9
      Krazee Criss Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

      Hope ya have a cloud battery and don't mind living in Power Saving and Extreme Power Saving Mode and becoming a wall hugger with more limited Space than Note 4.

      Odins Hirdn13L5ILWU Thomas LeeKevin Fagan


    • ILWU Thomas Lee 4
      ILWU Thomas Lee Aug 16, 2015 Link to comment

      Oh yeah cloud storage. Just what I want. A way of sharing my private documents with any government that wants to. The cloud is just a way of taking ownership away from the people and turning them all into renters.Its all about the money unless the people refuse to cooperate. I for one refuse.

      Odins Hirdn13L5


      • n13L5 14
        n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

        me2

        Vote with your money, people.

        Against turning your devices into thin clients with your stuff spread every place it doesn't belong.

        Halt the beginnings or watch things accelerate in the wrong direction a short while down the line.

        Odins Hird


    • 5
      Paul Laimal-Convoy Oct 18, 2015 Link to comment

      Except cloud storage certainly ISN'T an option for most people. Aeroplanes, underground trains, tunnels, buildings with thick walls, tunnels, countryside areas or poor coverage, plus low data plans/, throttlin are still the main reason why most people in the world don't use cloud storage, and favour external sd cards.

      Odins Hird


  • 3
    NJ Diver Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    They should have named this device Ipad Android edition as this isn't worthy of being called the Note 5... All the worst qualities of Apple with the Samsung logo. I was really looking forward to a Galaxy S6 and Note5 but the lack of removable storage and battery are deal breakers for me and for many of the previous customer base. Now having to look at other Android alternatives as there is no way these Samsung devices deserve consideration -- way to alienate your customer base on both devices. Also it is sad to see how many of these review sites seem to be getting kickbacks from the manufacturer (Samsung and Apple can do no wrong in the reviews). This is pretty much like watching an Olympic diver doing a belly flop. Doesn't matter what the performance was before the water. Key missing features -- removable SD, removable battery... Nice to have (waterproof also missing).

    PATTERZOdins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoyn13L5ILWU Thomas Lee


  • 6
    RobertH Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    Fast charge is only good if you have an outlet.

    n13L5ILWU Thomas LeeLarry RobertonNJ Diver


    • ILWU Thomas Lee 4
      ILWU Thomas Lee Aug 16, 2015 Link to comment

      AND IT STILL TAKES 2 HOURS TO FULLY CHARGE! We all know how easy it is for a professional to set aside 2 hours for charging. Hell I am sure our clients will understand, won't they?

      Paul Laimal-Convoyn13L5


  • 3
    John Bautista Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    I like it that Samsung, as noted in this comparison versus.com/en/samsung-galaxy-note-5-vs-samsung-galaxy-note-4 , opted to go for a 64 bit octa core cpu as opposed to its older brother, the Note 4, which has a quad core cpu that is not a 64 bit one. Not to mention also the 1gb of additional RAM, then the Note 5 should perform better than the previous Note without consuming that much power.

    Tsz Chan


    • n13L5 14
      n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

      A 64 bit core maybe desirable, as things eventually get converted to take advantage of 64 bit addressing.

      But right now, it won't actually do anything practical for you, nor replace the lost operational flexibility of water and dust proofing, removable batteries and Micro SD cards.

      An additional 1GB of RAM is indeed useful, but not actually critical, as its easy enough to clear some RAM if you have an app that needs a lot of it.

      Yes, I'd buy a phone with 3GB or 4GB of RAM over one that has only 2GB of RAM - as long as other CRITICAL details are met. The Note 5 however does not meet them.

      Odins Hird


  • 4
    a b Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    yup. no sd card slot, no removable battery. i wont be getting one, will have to move away from samsung after owning s2, s3 note 2, 3 and 4.

    ive never used the spen, i bought the notes because of the size, speed, quality, swapable battery and the sd card slot. spen doesnt make any difference to me.

    ive put up with
    1) stupid rear speakers
    2) crap speakerphone
    3) no waterproofing

    because of the rest of the features. now i'll be moving to something that does have those features.

    samsung have missed this. all they needed to do was to waterproof, move the speakers and fix the speakerphone and it would be the best phone on the planet. i almost moved away after the note 3 but stuck with the 4. i wont be doing the same with the 5 or the 6+ because they have gone backwards.

    bye bye samsung. thanks for the good times. shame.

    PATTERZOdins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoyn13L5Julian EncarnaciónILWU Thomas LeeNJ DiverRobertH


  • Gera 4
    Gera Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    Samsung, getting cocky like Apple has done is what has made people hate their products and given Samsung phones a chance. So far you have done good by being innovative and giving your customers an edge over the stock up ways of Apple. Because of this Apple has lost customers and fans. And you have gained them. Do not give away that gain by going away from what as made you a cell phone fan favorite. Is okay to match your main competition in the things your customers are looking for. But to copy what consumers hate is a stupid thing to do. Me, my wife and daughter have been faithful to the Galaxy and Note line of phones. I have to say that we will not be upgrading to the new versions due to the two main changes you are making to these phones. No expanding memory and no exchangeable battery is not good. Remember there is other companies out there and this two things you are changing may give them an edge that you have had in the past. Samsung...Be good, stay good.

    PATTERZOdins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoyn13L5Julian EncarnaciónILWU Thomas LeeLarry RobertonNJ DiverStuart Wilkinson


  • Alec B. 12
    Alec B. Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    .... I'll stay with my ZOPO999 ... far superior to whats a now 'new' mobile, no future in Samsung

    PATTERZPaul Laimal-ConvoyNJ Diver


  • 4
    Frank Freeman Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    Well, ......I have bragged and bragged and told everyone I see that I have the best phone made hands down....I am very disappointed that the company has gone away from what got them this far....people....we buy the Note phone to be able to brag to everyone that we have THE best phone...If the Note 5 comes out as planned I will wait until the Note 6 comes out with the new updates, faster processor, better camera, more ram, and the removable battery and expandable memory, oh wait that's what the Note 5 should have done.

    PATTERZOdins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoyn13L5ILWU Thomas LeeNJ DiverStuart Wilkinson


  • 4
    Scottay Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    I've had a Samsung phone since the early Note versions BUT, after reading this I will be for the first time seriously looking at another Android phone. I have a new phone feeling upgrade available in the next 3 months and since i paid for it i may as well use it. As everyone here has mentioned, the SD card (I have 64G card 3/4 full with photo's & Music) and removable battery are musts for me. So I might give another manufacturer a go for 12 months and if i like it i may not come back to Samsung. WHY? ARE SAMSUNG TRYING TO MAKE AN IPHONE? They already had a superior phone.

    PATTERZOdins HirdPaul Laimal-ConvoyNJ DiverStuart Wilkinson


    • n13L5 14
      n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

      Clearly, Samsung is making crappy phones to help out Sony.

      They see that Sony hasn't gotten a fair shake in recent years and don't want to risk them being forced to exit the market.

      Of course it maybe Huawei and other Chinese outfits actually benefiting from Samsung's helping hand.

      Odins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoy


  • 6
    Steve Sosensky Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    I'm unwilling to give up the S-Pen, the replaceable battery, and the microSD, so it looks like I'll go to a Note 4 AFTER the Note 5 releases. I want Samsung to know I'm rejecting the Note 5 in favor of the features I want.

    Odins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoyn13L5ILWU Thomas LeeLarry RobertonNJ DiverStuart WilkinsonScottay


  • 6
    Leland Whitlock Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    I would miss the S Pen but this is enough to make me take a serious look at the Moto X Pure to replace my Note 2; it is either that or a Note 4. However I feel betrayed by Samsung in a way which makes me lean more towards Motorola at the moment.Thanks to the user mentioning the LG Stylus Phablet. I was not aware of it. I like all the options Android brings to the table. Hopefully I will settle on a new device soon.

    surya kumarNJ Diver


    • n13L5 14
      n13L5 Aug 31, 2015 Link to comment

      I didn't know LG was making a Phablet with Stylus...

      One advantage would be the avoidance of Amoled's burn-in issues with an LG phone surely sporting IPS display.

      Now I just need to know if the digitizer is decent - pressure sensitive with a sufficient number of levels - I think Samsung's Note 4 had 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity?


  • 4
    Ryan Lambie Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    Lame. Without the two most lauded and innovative features mentioned all over this thread, this device is just another waste of time and materials. Why continue to sacrifice premiere features and customer satisfaction, just to compete with another company? If you're gonna compete, then you should at least stick to the initial format that has made you a notable (no pun) competitor in the first place.

    I've been a fan and faithful user since the Note 2. My Note 3 is still incredible and every bit much what I'd expected. However, everything after the Note Edge has been a flop. Samsung users are smart enough to know what they want. So why isn't Samsung smart enough to stick with what just works? I don't get it? Whatever happened to "the customer's always right"?

    I believe that Samsung will eventually get it. Hopefully they'll realize the waning popularity of their devices and revert back to old customs that were once successful. Until then, I'll stick to using my older Note models.

    Competition should never come at the price of compatibility; the compatibility between Samsung and their customers.

    PATTERZOdins HirdPaul Laimal-Convoyn13L5ILWU Thomas LeeLeland Whitlock


    • Krazee Criss 9
      Krazee Criss Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

      And this is what they mean by too much progress is a bad thing, sadly I don't think samsung will get it catch on and change back, once a company makes a change it's damn near impossible to make them go back and change to their old way again, this is even true with developers, they're doing what they think is right and needs to be done and are too blindsided by it to see the truth and what their customers think, they don't GAF about their customers as long as they're getting new apple customers, so why try to please the loyal ones, they'll just make ya work harder and put out more, where the new ones will settle for what they get. I truly and sincerely hope sales plummet for both devices and flop hard AF maybe then they'll see the error of their ways, but signs point to No with four devices like that they've put out now. All that matters is its Apple's take on Android S'Apple so to speak, no longer the game changing Samsung.

      PATTERZOdins Hirdn13L5ILWU Thomas LeeNJ DiverScottay


  • 6
    LadyImpactOhio Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    Sorry to be verbose here, but I hope Android Pit has an "in" with both the reviewer and Samsung. All comments here so far complain about no battery swap and no sd card.

    Odins Hirdn13L5ILWU Thomas LeeNJ Diver


  • 6
    LadyImpactOhio Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    I have a Galaxys4 and chose it over the iPhone because of its ability to swap out a battery. I carry an extra one in my purse. This lack of feature here would kill a buy for me, since I know many who have iPhones and the battery has gone out. Then you have a real problem, especially if you are in Europe on a cruise ship.

    Thanks to the reviewer for pointing this out.

    PATTERZOdins HirdILWU Thomas LeeLarry Roberton


  • 5
    Kevin Fagan Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    I'm so disappointed with Samsung. A removable battery and memory sd card were part of what made the note seried special. I agree with the earlier comment about opting for an iPhone rather than a poor imitation, which is what samsung has decided the note should be. Poor show samsung! Your loyal customers deserve better! Wasn't the edge enough of an iPhone competitor?

    PATTERZOdins HirdILWU Thomas LeeLarry RobertonScottayRyan Lambie


    • 6
      LadyImpactOhio Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

      See my comment above. Thanks. Same complaint as yours.

      PATTERZILWU Thomas Lee


  • 4
    Eugene Brana Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    Nope. Sorry! I've been buying Note since the first one. But this is not a Note anymore. I'll pass this one cause it lacks what I want from a phone. I rather use a iPhone that using a Note without a micro sd and removable battery.

    PATTERZOdins HirdILWU Thomas LeeLarry RobertonScottayKevin Fagan


  • 3
    Manuel Robles Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    There must be a list or summary that compares the models side by side, I'll continue to look for it. I'm not sure how much or what people are saving on the SD Card, for me, that's not as necessary as a removable battery.
    Unfortunately, with my previous Samsung, I had issues regularly and was asked every time to remove the battery, wait a couple of minutes, put the battery back and try restarting.
    Surely there's a better way to trouble shoot. So not having the ability to remove the battery is a BIG concern for me.

    PATTERZKevin Fagan


  • 13
    Pat Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    No microSD slot, No ability to access the battery, no Note 5 for me. I'm happy with my Note 4 and definitely don't see enough of an improvement in the Note 5 to get me to pay that much for it. If Samsung continues to focus on making it prettier at the expense of the SD card slot and battery accessibility my Note 4 will be the last one I purchase. Samsung needs to stop worrying about what Apple is doing, pay attention to what their customers say they want and go back to being innovative like when they took a chance on a new concept and brought out the Note series.

    PATTERZOdins HirdILWU Thomas LeeScottayLeland WhitlockLadyImpactOhioKevin FaganKrazee Criss


  • Krazee Criss 9
    Krazee Criss Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    Nope still not at all impressed, IDC if it was a Platinum body and given away for free no strings attached, I'd still protest and refuse it cause of 2 things, No removable battery and No external sd card slot.

    I'll hang on to my Note Edge for dear life now and prey that the next LG Stylus Phablet (LG G5 Stylus) really brings it and impacts a difference with huge spec's compared to their other two stylus devices LG G3 Stylus and LG G4 Stylus a.k.a. G Stylo and possibly buy it when and if it comes out.

    At least then I should still have a removable battery, external sd card slot and a lot less bloat.

    PATTERZILWU Thomas LeeScottayLeland WhitlockKevin Fagan

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