Is there a clear-cut winner?
Apple recently posted their fourth quarter earnings results and the numbers are staggering. The company surpassed all analyst expectations and reported record revenue of $42.1 billion with a net profit of $8.5 billion. This is exactly $1 billion more than they made in Q4 of last year and it’s all thanks to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus – which sold 10 million units in its first three days.
But that was before Apple’s biggest competitor launched its new flagship phablet.
Samsung is the only smartphone manufacturer to give Apple a run for its money and the Galaxy Note 4 is expected to sway many potential iPhone 6 Plus owners. While there are many phablets to choose from today, the Galaxy Note is special because it was the first one to achieve any commercial success. And with the Galaxy Note 3 selling 10 million units in its first two months last year, Apple definitely has some stiff competition ahead.
Both of these phablets are great devices and can perform many of the same functions, but if you’re wondering how they compare or which one is right for your needs, then here’s how they matchup head-to-head:
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
“Bigger than bigger.”
- Dimensions
- 158.1mm (H) x 77.8mm (W) x 7.3mm (D)
- Weight
- 172g
- Operating System
- iOS
- System on Chip
- Apple A8
- CPU
- 1.4GHz dual-core ARMv8-A
- GPU
- PowerVR Series 6 GX6450 (4 clusters)
- Memory
- 1GB LPDDR3
- Storage
- 16GB, 64GB, or 128 GB
- Battery
- 2915mAh
- Display
- 5.5in. Retina HD Display
- 1920×1080 pixel resolution
- 401ppi pixel density
- Camera
- 8MP
- 1080p video recording
- Front Camera
- 1.2MP
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
“Do you Note?”
- Dimensions
- 153.5mm (H) x 78.6mm (W) x 8.5mm (D)
- Weight
- 6.2oz
- Operating System
- Android
- System on Chip
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
- CPU
- Quad-core 2.7GHz Krait 450
- GPU
- Adreno 420
- Memory
- 3GB LPDDR3
- Storage
- 32GB or 64GB flash memory
- Removable Storage
- microSDXC up to 128GB
- Battery
- Removable Li-Ion 3,220mAh
- Display
- 5.7in. Quad HD Super AMOLED
- 2560×1440 pixel resolution
- 515 ppi
- Rear camera
- 16 MP
- 4K video recording
- Front camera
- 3.7 MP
The Comparison
When compared side by side, the iPhone 6 Plus is a tad smaller than the Galaxy Note 4, but the differences in specs are major. And depending on what you’re looking for in your smartphone, each device offers some advantages over the other.
The iPhone 6 Plus may be the phablet for you if you want a phone that…
- Is lighter (4g lighter)
- Is thinner (1.4mm thinner)
- Is narrower (.80mm narrower)
- Has more internal storage (96GB more internal storage)
- Has an IPS screen
- Has a dual-LED Flash
- Supports 64-bit
The Galaxy Note 4 may be the phablet for you if you want a phone that…
- Has a faster CPU clock speed (3.86 times faster)
- Has higher pixel density (28.43% higher pixel density)
- Has a bigger screen (3.64% bigger screen)
- Has more photo megapixels (2x more megapixels)
- Has a higher resolution (1.76x higher resolution)
- Has an external memory slot
- Has a removable battery
The Decision
The Galaxy Note 4 is clearly the workhorse of the two, but that doesn’t mean the iPhone 6 Plus is a slouch – especially if you prefer something smaller or are into photography.
Despite having fewer megapixels, the iPhone 6 Plus has a dual-LED flash that delivers better color balance to photos and videos that “pop” on the IPS screen. And with the Timelapse function, you’ll also be able to create a series of photographs taken from the same position over a long period of time to create a short video.
If you’re not concerned about the phone being too big or the minutia of subpixels within pixels on an IPS display, the Galaxy Note 4 is powerful enough to do anything you ask of it.
The Galaxy Note 4 beats the iPhone 6 Plus in many performance categories, but the most noticeable difference is the display. While AMOLED screens are not as crisp as IPS screens, the Galaxy Note 4 makes up for it big time by offering a resolution that is nearly twice the size of the iPhone 6 Plus and packs in almost 30% more pixels. The display is also bigger, which means watching videos or simply browsing the web will be a lot nicer on the Galaxy Note 4.
If battery life is a concern, the Galaxy Note 4 is also the phone you should consider because the battery is removable and the device supports wireless charging. The Galaxy Note 4 can also be charged via USB and is capable of “Rapid Charging” which brings your phone’s battery life to 50% in only 30 minutes.
At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with purchasing either of these phones. And if you’re like most people, the decision will probably boil down to which is cheaper and what OS you’re accustomed to. But if you’re not committed to any particular ecosystem or simply want to try something different, both of these phones will give you a lot of bang for your buck!
Which phablet do you like better? Do you think one is clearly better than the other? Which one are you buying? Let us know in the comments below!
