The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 launched today and will be phablet to beat in the segment. Let's see how the iPhone 6 Plus stacks up against it.
With the launch of the Galaxy Note 4 today, Samsung has an impressive response to the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple’s first ever phablet. This also perhaps the first time in a long time that Apple enters a segment as the underdog. After all the Note series started off the phablet segment and every new Note device automatically jumps to the head of the class. So, will the iPhone 6 Plus wilt under the pressure of the latest Note phablet?
Let’s take a look at certain important specs of each phone and analyse which one emerges the victor.
Dimensions & Weight
The Galaxy Note 4 weighs 176 grams and is 8.5mm thick while the iPhone 6 Plus weighs 172 grams and is 7.1mm thick. The difference between the two is not all that much in terms of weight and will be very difficult to notice. However, the iPhone 6 is almost 17% slimmer than the Note 4 and that will be noticeable, especially on devices this large.
Winner: iPhone 6 Plus
Display
The Galaxy Note 4 sports a 5.7-in Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and pixel density of 515 ppi. The iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, has a 5.5-in IPS screen that outputs full HD resolution at a pixel density of 401 ppi. While the merits/demerits of an IPS panel versus a Super AMOLED one can be debated on, it’s quite clear that the Note 4 has a much better display at least in terms of pure numbers.
Winner: Galaxy Note 4
Storage
The Galaxy Note 4 has 32GB of internal storage and supports microSD cards up to 128GB. The iPhone 6 Plus comes in variants with 16,64 and 128GB of storage. There’s no room for doubt here; if you want full freedom with respect to storage options, the Note 4 is the way to go.
Winner: Galaxy Note 4
RAM
The Galaxy Note 4 has 3GB of RAM while the iPhone 6 Plus makes do with 1GB. While the former obviously trumps the latter on numbers, you have to consider that Android and iOS use RAM in different ways. Apple’s mobile OS prioritizes efficiency over multi-tasking prowess while Android does exactly the opposite. So, less RAM will mean similar (or even better) real world performance for iOS.
Winner: N/A
SoC
The Galaxy Note 4 is powered by a Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor clocked at 2.7GHz while the iPhone 6 Plus runs on a 1.4GHz Apple A8 dual-core processor. Again, while the Samsung device’s SoC looks more powerful on paper, the A8 is phenomenally powerful as well. The A8 is a 20nm 64-bit processor suited for iOS while the Snapdragon is quad-core beast optimized for Android. A numbers based comparison would be unfair.
Winner: N/A
Camera
Imaging on the Galaxy Note 4 is handled by a 16MP primary and a 3.7MP front-facing camera while the iPhone 6 Plus has an 8MP rear camera and a 1.2MP front-facing one. We haven’t seen the quality of the shots produced by both cameras but in terms of the pure ability to capture more megapixels, the Note 4 emerges the victor.
Winner: Galaxy Note 4
Battery
The Galaxy Note 4 runs on a 3,220 mAh Lithium Ion battery while the iPhone 6 Plus is powered by a 2,915 mAh Lithium Polymer battery. The small gap between the battery ratings means that there’s not too much difference between the two or at least a difference that can be inferred by looking at mere numbers. Real world testing will be able to tell us more so stay tuned for our reviews of both devices.
Winner: Tie
Price
The Galaxy Note 4 is priced at Rs. 58,300 while the iPhone 6 Plus is priced at Rs. 62,500 (16GB), Rs. 71,500 (64GB) and Rs. 80,500 (128GB). There are no two ways about it, the Galaxy Note 4 offers better value for money.
Winner: Galaxy Note 4
Wrap-Up
As expected (and as always), the Android device puts up stronger specs on paper as compared to the iOS device. However, the difference between the two platforms tells us that the real-world performance will most probably tell us a different story. When it comes to value for money though, even though its expensive, the Note 4 offers more than the Apple phablet.
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