Customer Reviews

Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Charcoal Black 32GB (Verizon Wireless)

Let me start with three quick disclaimers. I didnt buy this phone through Amazon, I got mines directly from Verizon so I cannot speak about Amazons service. Second, I will be comparing this quit a bit to the iPhone 6 plus because I do also have that phone. I have been using this phone for about 72 hours so the individual reader can decide if that is long enough to take my opinion seriously.

For anyone who is into tech like me probably has heard about the whole gap-gate issue with these phones. I will honestly tell you there is gap but it clearly a design of the phone to make the curved edge of the screen more pronounce, honestly its looks great but I can understand peoples concerns. You can slide a piece of paper around the edge of the screen but I will talked about that more in the design part of this review.

I will keep the specs to a minimum, if your reading this review just scroll up and all the specs are right there and stated much better than I can describe.

I will start with all of the things that I do not like. The speaker being on back instead of the front or the bottom is very annoying and forces you to hold the phone around the edges if you are watching or listening to something. I have been using the finger print scanner since the second I set it up, its works roughly 85% of the time, I trypically have issues only if I have one hand available to open the phone, such as driving (dont text and drive by the way) or if im holding something. In this case Apple's touch ID is much better but once I got used to Samsungs version it got easier to use. As petty as this is...Samsung its time to redesign that hideous phone dialer. The Note 4 is the only phone that uses a micro sim card so I have to use my Note and iPhone on different lines, if you have one phone this wont be an issue but if your like me and have a few this huge issue.

Now that is out of the way on to what I do like

Display: The screen on this phone is absolutely phenomenal, I have the iPhone 6 plus which also has a beautiful display but Samsung has absolutely outdone themselves this time. The colors are vibrant, the text is insanely sharp. I watched movie previews on Flixster and I was completely mesmerized at the clarity. Dont get me wrong the iPhone 6 plus display is beautiful but right now nothing on the market is coming close to this display.

Call quality: There are no phones right now that are getting bad call quality. I did a conference call yesterday over the speaker phone and it sounded great. The noise cancellation apparently works fine because the caller on the other end had no problems at all hearing me dispite my loud office. The iPhone 6 has no problems in this area either.

Battery Performance: I didnt test by doing any sort of streaming video test but real world testing I can tell you the battery is beast. I am out the door for work around 0630 in the morning, I am in the military at a small base about 10 miles outside of Boston, the Soldiers in my section all work in different areas of the base or even in the city so we constantly communicate via text message and phone calls, I doubt 10 minutes goes by where I am not on my phone plus I have a Moto 360 connected to it, as well as streaming pandora, Facebook notifications and emails. I consider myself a moderate to heavy user. I get home about 6 pm and the Note is hovering around 40 percent. You may use your phone more heavily than me or maybe more lightly but I have no doubt this will last a whole day. The iPhone is no slouch either, the battery on that definitely lasts me an entire day. If you look for a phone based on battery life both of these will easily do the job.

Camera Performance: Now this is where Samsung really pulls ahead in my opinion. The iPhone 6 plus has a very good camera no doubt about it. But the Note 4 has probably the best camera on any phone out right now. If you compare the still shots taken from the iPhone and the Note on their resprective displays they look pretty similar but when you port them to computer screen thats where you really see the difference. The detail in the iPhone photos begins to fall apart, this doesnt happen with Note. The Note has also made their camera interface so much more simpler and less convoluted but its still not as simple as the iphone. You can also download tons of extra shooting moods. The 4k video looks amazing, especially if you have a 4k monitor or TV. 1080p video vs the iPhone I still give the edge to the Note but the advantage is far less obvious than it is with stills.

Design: As everyone knows by thankfully Samsung redesigned the Note with a more premium build. I will say this, this is the best looking Samsung device I have ever used!!! The metal with chamfered edges looks absolutely beautiful, as a matter of fact it looks so nice that I dont even want to carry it without a case. I ordered some cases but until they arrive this phone will not go into my pocket. I love the design even more than the 6 plus but I will also say that while is feels great in the hand, the 6 plus feels a little better because of the rounded edges. But when I have my iPhone out of the case it feels like its going to squirt out of my hands. The note display curves at the edges and that is why there is a gap but the design looks amazing you have to see it to understand what I am talking about. Personally if saw them sitting next to one another I would chose the Note especially the white one (I settled for black, the white was sold out). Which design you prefer is completely up to personal preference, they both look good good tho.

S-pen: I have read that most people never even pull this out, I personally use mines almost everyday. I take notes or copy and past. It is an incredibly useful tool. If you buy this phone you probably already know what you can do it so I wont cover them here, if not please go onto YouTube and check out some of the tips and tricks videos, the S-pen is awesome. I can literally redefine how and what you use your phone for. The iPhone has no such tools, there are some third party styluses but that isnt even close to being the same.

Conclussion: I could have written this review for another hour but noone came here to read or hear the same things you can get on Phonedog or on TheVerge's website or watch on MKBHD or Flossy Carter's YouTube channel, they are actually experts. What I will say is I have both the iPhone 6 plus and the Note 4, and from the perspective of an average consumer they both cost pretty much the same price. But with the Note 4, I feel like I am getting more than just a big phone, it feels like Samsung gives you more extra's even if you dont use most of what they offer. The iPhone 6 is great phone and does exactly what it promises to do, great design, good camera, easy to use...ect but in my opnion, the Note 4 beats it in just about every single other category. I didnt even cover things like multi tasking, I just think Samsung gives you more for your money.

I am currently using the Note 4 and the iPhone 6 plus as my daily phones, the iPad Air, the Tab S and the Surface for my work tablet. I have also this year, the HTC One M8 (still an awesome phone, give it a look if your on a budget), Lumia Icon and the iPhone 5s.

UPDATE: I have been using the Note 4 since the 23rd, I have only used my iPhone once because I forgot to charge the Note and I was running late for work. I found a few more things that I am really liking with this phone, the multi-tasking split screen is awesome. I wanted to send my mom 3 pictures that I took while I was out in Boston over the weekend and when I got home I was able to use the multi-screen function wiht the s-pen and just click and drag the pictures from the gallery directly into the messaging app which was awesome. Also I am now getting the finger print scanner closer to 100%, On the customer support front, my Galaxy watch recieved an update but I wasnt able to get it to connect to my Note 4. I called Samsung, they had me download an app so the technician could remotely access my phone and fix it from where ever he is at in the world, I know I probably sound like a noob right now but it that was one of the coolest thing I have seen, he work on the problem for roughly 45 minutes till he fixed it, so big thumbs up for Samsung tech support.

A 5 out of 5. I have been using the Note 4 for about 2 weeks now after returning the iPhone 6 Plus and wow is this Smartphone amazing. For starters the screen is just breathtaking. Although the jump from HD to QHD isn't always noticeable there are those instances where you can witness it (video play back). Colors are vivivid and details are superb. Viewing angles are the best in class.

One thing I did notice and I give Samsung props for is battery life. You would think that battery would suffer given the QHD display but unlike the LG G3 battery life is not sacrificed here. In fact, I feel that it outperforms the Note 3 (which had excellent battery life to begin with). I get a full day of use with it and when I don't (due to high graphics gaming) the quick charging support in this phone takes care of the rest. I am still suprised at high quickly I can charge my phone to 100% in a matter of minutes vs hours.

One thing we mostly forget about smartphones is that they are still phones and as a phone the Note 4 is a champion. I can hear voices clearly and without distortion. I also dont need to raise volume to its highest setting in order to hear in a noisy environments. So far the call quality is the best I've tested since the HTC One. On the other had, sppeaker phone is good but not the greatest. Can't match the Boomsound on the One M8 but it still manages to delivery decent levels of sound which remain clear even at high volumes.

I haven't tested the Camara to its fullest and will leave my review on that aspect for a later date. Overall I don't believe it will leave me disappointed. The Galaxy S5 has the same module minus the OIS and pictures on that device are outstanding.

One added miracle coming from Samsung is we now get a metal frame. It makes a big difference in the premium feel of the device but i wonder how long the painted portions will last. I'm comfortable with the size of the device and currently using it with a Samsung Flip Cover. I think it's the best way to keep your device clean and protected without adding bulk and turning your device into an unmanageable monster. I do wish however that this device included wireless charging out the box. I have a Samsung Qi pad which would of come in handy.

In regards to performance, I haven't had any issues. Everything is as smooth as butter. I have yet to experience any lags or freezes which is a suprise given TouchWiz track record. Games run amazing and running other apps simultaneously has not hindered performance so far.

Speaking about multitasking I have got to say... Samsung new "Window" feature is the best new benefit added to the device. The ability to minimize screens or create short windows on running apps is superb. Works great and without hiccups. It's like having your fingers work seemlessly as a mouse. It has proved it's worth already in many instance where copy/paste is required.

Overall I'm glad I purchased this device and believe this one is finally a keeper for many months or perhaps year(s) to come. You can't go wrong with the Note 4. There are many positives to this device and there is no other that can match it currently in the market.

Edited 11/17/14 - Been loving it for more than three weeks now. I finally made an NFC payment (see below)!

*The size of this phone is the most obvious detail. I wanted a big phone, and I got it. Plenty of real estate to draw, organize, take pictures, edit pictures, etc. Maybe I'm a freak, but I'm mostly capable of operating this phone with one hand. It takes some dexterity and balance, but I haven't felt like I was going to drop it. I also have a heavy duty SupCase on my phone, so, 1) it's bigger than a naked phone, and 2) it wouldn't matter too much if I did drop it.

*The actual screen is the next most obvious asset this phone has to offer. It's big, bright, colorful and super sharp. Those extra pixels might be too close together for my eye to focus on, but they do make little details show up nicely. I personally love the saturation of the colors, but I am a more modern graphic designer at heart. As far as battery performance related to the screen goes, I certainly notice increased consumption when the screen is on, but I'm not afraid to fire it up even when I'm below 10% life. See the battery section for more.

*The S-Pen is great. Still very unique to the Note series, this was one of the reasons I really wanted this phone. I love to doodle and this makes it easier to do that anywhere, and in color. The S-Pen would not be hard to misplace, but there is a warning to be set up, which beeps and vibrates if it gets left behind, so that's comforting. Screen write is nifty, the phone takes a screenshot and then puts it right into a drawing program so you can write/draw/emphasize whatever. It will then save the picture to the gallery for easy sharing. Additionally, when the S-Pen is out of it's dock, and a keyboard dialog comes up, there is the option to input text via handwriting. I find this moderately easier than tapping with the pen, or putting the pen down. It takes a little learning, mostly to write in such a way that S's and 5's, O's and 0's are distinguishable. When I think about it though, it's probably forcing me to improve my penmanship.

*Battery life is pretty good, and charging, even with a standard cord plugged into a USB port is quick! I can regularly get 23.5 hours off the charger, with about 4 hours of actual screen on time. Charge times are about 1.5 hours on the adaptive charger or 3 hours connected to a computer usb. Over the weekend, I didn't use the phone as much as I had been (I'm mostly done tweaking options), and was able to get just about 2.5 days off of a full charge + 1 hour on the adaptive charger. I think that's pretty good! One excellent option is the Ultimate Power Saving mode. In this mode I still have the phone, SMS and alarms (in addition to a few other things) and usually only lose 1-2% over an 8-9 hour period. That combined with quick charge times have made me unafraid to turn my screen on, and to use it at full brightness! The removable battery is nice, though I wouldn't do it daily because of my case, but it's nice to know, I don't need to void the warranty/damage the phone if battery life ever starts to worry me.

*The IR blaster is something every man needs (I'm sure women will appreciate it too). The ability to walk into a room and control all/most remote controlled devices with a few seconds of setup is invaluable! I never need to ask, "Where's the remote?" because I know, it's on my hip! Things like air conditioners and car radios with remote controls are not out of reach either, they may just take some fiddling.

*The fingerprint reader is useful. I haven't used it for anything but unlocking the phone, but setting it up properly is very important. I registered both of my thumbs and one pointer, 5 swipes parallel and 5 swipes perpendicular at different angles each finger. Setup like this, I can get a positive match, one handed, 85% of the time. The other 15% I usually realize I'm not thinking about it, and once I do, I get a match quickly. I have not had to put in my password once in two weeks and hundreds of unlocks.

*The heart rate and SPo2 monitors are cool. There is also a function to test stress, which does so by measuring the "variability of the heart rate." I'm not convinced that is a good measure, but it's probably better than "how I feel." While it's nice to have these numbers, I think the best reason to have them come from my phone is that it's handy to have the logged results for review later. Whenever I have my phone I can test, and then pull up a graph of my past results, by hour, day or month. S-Health does also automatically track steps taken, and "Healthy Pace" i.e. running, which are also very helpful to have in graph form.

*Storage is another factor that made up my mind and I'm not sorry. While the phone has no storage variants and is only available in 32GB, it has the now rare MicroSD slot. 64GB cards are less than $30 right here on Amazon pretty regularly. I have two such Samsung EVO 64 GB cards at the moment, one in my phone, one in the wife's tablet. So, I have 96 GB minus 8.5 GB for system files and 2.3 GB for apps. For a phone, that I can remote connect to my computer and transfer files back and forth, that's pretty good!

*Call quality is decent. I can't say it's much different than my RAZR. Unfortunately, my work is in a shifty spot between towers... so I'm used to having dropped calls if I move around, but it hasn't gotten any worse at least. On the other hand, I'm told I sound much better, and I'm sure that's the GN4's superior noise cancellation. The volume on the phone is loud enough for me to comfortably make calls in loudspeaker or phone-to-the-head mode, even when my environment is noisy.

*The camera is great in daylight, not as great in low light. It takes nice quick pictures when the sun is up. In a low-lit room, it can take a second to focus and snap but it's not unbearable, it's the blur that results if the subject is moving that makes me sad. Video is a completely different animal though, very crisp, very smooth. OIS is great! The 8x slow-mo mode is neat, as is the 8x fast-mo. Having a toddler means they get a lot of use!

*I finally setup and used my "Softcard" to pay for groceries! It was as simple as putting in my pin (no fingerprint option, sigh) and tapping the phone on the terminal. I do use my fingerprint to unlock the phone, so that means in order to get my card info, someone would need to steal my phone, spoof my print, and guess my pin. Whether or not hacking is possible is a different discussion, but it's way more secure than CurrentC! Obviously, the gripe here is that NFC terminals are not the norm , except in stores like BJ's, Subway, Panera Bread and McDonald's... APPLE WAS NOT FIRST, but hopefully they successfully spread the tech to stores!

*TouchWiz, ah... Samsung making their presence known. This is my first Samsung phone since the Virgin Mobile Intercept, which came with Eclair... So TW is new to me. I'm still figuring it out, but I think I would much prefer stock android, more useful options. I'll be hoping with wild optimism that somehow the Lollipop upgrade won't be so tainted with TW... I came from a rooted and rommed RAZR, and there were so many options that I really felt like the phone was made for me. Installing "KK Launcher" (based on Nova) makes the home-screen experience better, and "Llama - Location Profiles" makes the phone more intuitive, but I've basically given up on TW making my life any easier...

*The hardware buttons on this phone are probably my biggest frustration with it. I know they are all Samsung standards, but if I'm being honest, I think Motorola has a better setup. The volume buttons being across from the power means I almost always squeeze them together, often with undesired consequences... The mechanical home button is very close to the bottom edge of the screen and I often end up hitting whatever's there on the screen along with the home button. My SupCase probably doesn't help with that though, the added bezel decreases the area available for a thumb...

-Acquisition Story:
I was forced to go directly to the big V because I missed the Amazon preorder, I want the $190 check from Samsung for pre-ordering, and I don't want BestBuy credit because I can get everything cheaper on Amazon!
However, that had the unintended consequence of me actually getting my phone on the 23rd of October, so I'm happy. Now that it seems "Pre-Orders" are finally shipping from Amazon (most to arrive around the 27th or 28th) this is not as important, but it's worth remembering...

The opinionated title of my review is based mostly on the shear number of useful features this device offers out of the box. It may not be the best selling, and I may have seen a biased review or two claiming that the apple team has a better handle on graphics processing, but I can already tell the features I've gone over will make this phone a tough one to beat functionally.

I'll be updating this review as I find solutions/workarounds/points of aggravation/etc.

I'll put in this disclaimer: I don't like Apple. I do enjoy Samsung but I'm not a fanboy by any stretch of the imagination. All of my applications are Google-based purchases and double purchases would be silly so I've stuck with Google-based products through the ages.

Looks - 5/5. This phone is gorgeous. I don't care if it bends (according to Youtube.) Mine lives in my pocket with a case around it that DOESN'T bend. The design is pleasing, technical with elegance and gorgeous with a strong sense of simplicity and utility. It is there and gets the job done and well. The metal accents definitely add a nice touch.

Feel - 5/5. It's light but strong. Feed rigid, like I'm not going to break it. The screen has been exposed to some harsh environments from me and come back without a scratch (I'll be getting a screen protector anyways.)

Speed - 5/5. It's fast. Very fast. In fact, so fast, that when everything was downloaded on it I was able to do my usual tasks that I did on my Note 2 in less than half the time. This was mostly due to shorter load times and faster Internet utilization.

Screen - 10/5. Even if there was a dead pixel on it, there's so many on here and the pixels are so small that I would never be able to see it. The screen is gorgeous. The resolution is incredible. For reference as to how clear it is, there was an entire article in a Google Play tile (roughly 1 inch by 1 inch in physical size) and you could still see EVERY letter clearly. You'll see what I'm talking about if you get one.

The screen being an AMOLED has an interest effect in bright light. In sunlight, you can still see it clearly. The glass is not reflective so much. It blows the contrast way up so you can still see it and readjusts automatically when you enter a darker area. Definitely an interesting (and probably standard) touch but my Note 2 always had issues in sunlight.

Battery Life - 5/5. It lasts. And lasts. And lasts. And... well let's just say the Energizer bunny probably has one in his pocket and runs out before it does. It's a 3220mAh battery which is just a bit more than than the old Note 2, but what it does with that battery is incredible. A lot of the usage comes from the screen and processing power, and I have both on full much of the day and the battery will only use 40-50% with a full day's use, no charges in between.

Oh, speaking of charging. The included charger is QUICK. I have 2.1A chargers everywhere that charge things up nice and quick, but the one that comes with the phone is unique. I've only had the ability to use the fast charger once (since I never run out of enough power to give it a good test) but it DOES charge at a rate of roughly 1 3/4%-2% per minute. It's FAST.

Signal acquisition - 5/5. This is most to do with the network you are on but it also has a lot to do with the phone. I haven't had a single dropped call on Verizon and even in places where it says 1 bar, I still get excellent 4G speeds. This is critical for my type of business when doing research or scouting. It's at least 5x as fast connecting and download as my old Note 2 on Sprint. The biggest issue on most networks is initiating the tunnel to download information for a particular website or app. This phone make that connection flawlessly.

Camera - 5/5. Woo doggy this thing is good. It won't replace a true DSLR but it makes small point and shoot cameras almost a thing of the past. The many features available with the standard camera app are great. I've used the Panoramic view before it and it did an incredible job cropping the picture perfectly, even with non-smooth movements.

Voice Calling - 5/5. Again, partly a network thing but much to do with the phone as well. Everyone is clear. Everyone. Everything. Every time. People hear me just fine (except for one situation I will explain later.) Never an issue with voice. MUCH better than on ol' Sprint. Sorry Sprint, I love ya... but no.

So now for a few of the things I don't like but I didn't feel were enough of an issue to take away a star.

Bloatware is on this device. The good thing about Android though, is that you don't have to use it and it doesn't really detract much. Some can be uninstalled but truth be told I don't really care for it being there.

Speaker phone has a slight issue. While the speaker in the back of the phone is perfect, crisp and clear, apparently people have an issue with hearing me on speaker phone sometimes. I believe this to be a software issue that I might have to look into, but I haven't found it yet. I just figured it worth mentioning for those who use it in factory-fresh mode.

It's a worthy phone. I don't know what the Note 3 was like to compare but for a person who needs a utility phone for work and personal, this is an excellent device. I base my reviews on how the device works for my use, not comparing them to previous generations of products or other competing products. For my use, which I can dare say surpass the industry standard for requirements, the phone keeps up and then some. If you're on the fence, this phone will blow you away.

After thoroughly enjoying my Galaxy Note 2 for the last two years, I was going to pass on the Note 4 because I had a Note 3 for work and while that Note 3 is a very nice phone, I did not see the benefit to upgrading at this time. However, Out driving one day I decided to stop at my local Verizon Wireless location just to check out the Note 4. The young lady at the desk did a nice job of showing me the features of the phone and I spent about 20 minutes doing a head to head comparison between the Note 2 and Note 4. (My note 3 was at home since I was not on call that weekend).

So, while the Note 4 was a nicer phone, I did not really see an overwhelming need to pay $300 for the phone out of pocket. The sales person sweetened the pot with a $200 trade in credit on my Note 2. So, a C-note later and I own a Note 4.

Now, I have had the Note 4 for two weeks now and as much as I compared the 2 and 4 in the store, I have a much better appreciation of the Note 4.

PROS -

1) Construction - This phone has the metal (aluminum) decorative edge on it along with the plastic leather on the back. The phone feels light for it's size and sold in construction. I dropped the phone on the edge from about 3 feet up (It fell out of my truck from the floor to the ground). All I got was a small nick in the metal edge instead of cracked plastic had I dropped my Note 2 the same way. (Why did I not have a case on it you ask?? They did not have one and the one I ordered had not come in yet. Went immediately afterwards after making a few calls to various VZW stores until I found one with with the Otterbox Defender case).

2) Appearance - This phone is slightly longer and a bit narrower than the Galaxy note three. It is a mite thinner than my note 2 was as well. The back has a nice appearance and looks classier than just a smooth, shiny plastic backing.

3) Screen - Folks have talked up this screen quite a bit and I found that difference between the Note 2 and Note 4 for some movies I had on my Note 2 were very noticeable. I played the movie Hitman on both phones and it looked a lot better on the Note 4. Not that it was bad on the Note 2, just better on the Note 4.

4) Performance - I am an avid reader. Between my Kindle Books, B&N books (nook software) and a slew of copyright free books and non DRM books that I own (FBREADER APP), I have over 3000 ebooks on my phone. My biggest test for performance was the system response when I loaded my Kindle and Nook apps on the new phone and proceeded to download my books. On my Note 2, there was a noticeable pause between each book in both apps just acknowledging that I had pressed the 'download' button or pressed the book cover. This process was much faster on the Note 4.

5) APPS - Samsung has done some changes with this version of Kit Kat. It took some getting used to and I ended up finding the settings for my email to make it emulate what I had before. The Multi-Window feature works a bit differently between the Note 2 and Note 4. I like how the apps can open in smaller windows and not take up 1/2 of the screen and you can play with multiple windows.

6) Fast Charger - works as advertised.

7) Wi-Fi connectivity - the range on the phone seems to be a bit greater than my Note2. I can see the Wi-Fi hook up as i come down my driveway (500 ft dirt road) about 200 feet away from the house. (WindStream Wireless Router). Very Nice improvement.

Neutral

1) S-pen - so far it works as well as it did for my Note 2. It pops out a bit easier than the one on the Note 2 however so if you drop the phone on the bottom edge, look out for the S-pen.

2) Battery Life - Can't say the battery life is all that great. Use for Use, about the same as the Note 2 given the way I use the phone. I had turned off the 'automatic brightness' control and kept the screen brighter than it normally would be which DOES impact battery life. I did the same on my Note 2. I get about 8 hours out of the phone before I need to charge (I read ALOT). On the days where I don't read so much, I'll easily go overnight and not have to worry about charging up. I use this phone as my alarm clock so that is important. I have gone to the automatic setting and will see how well that works. **NOTE** I do turn OFF my Mobile Data and Wi-Fi when not using it. Just a habit I've grown into the extend battery life.

3) Fingerprint Screening - I've used it but like a swipe pattern better.

4) Camera - I've only taken a few photo's with it. Need to do some better tests before I can really say anything about that.

CONS -

1) USB 2.0 - The Note 3 had USB 3.0 and I wish the Note 2 would have kept it. Instead, they go back to USB 2.0 and that is just a drag when wanting to move files (books, movies, music) between my PC and my Phone. it is faster for me to take my 64gb MicroSD card out and transfer my stuff that way. Just getting my book inventory after plugging my USB cable to my PC takes better than a minute.

I'm 6'4" and I've regretted getting the S3 instead of a Note for two years now. It hadn't been available, and everyone told me the S3 could do more. It WAS a very good phone, but I have big hands, and REALLY wanted the BIG phone! Finally, I was due for an upgrade last month, and I was at last going to get the Note 4 no matter what! I am solidly in Android and Samsung's corner, so there was no possibility of getting an Apple. Fortunately, all the reviewers have been blown away, and I couldn't agree more! Right out of the box, it fit perfectly in my hand, and the screen looked up at me like a new baby's eyes, and I feel like a proud father. LOL Ok... I'm done being a freak, but this phone has certainly given me a thorough nerdgasm!

Pros-
Large, BEAUTIFUL screen. Tons of memory- I don't need extra storage.
Have a ton of apps open? No problem! This is one strong little computer here!
Everything works smooth as could possibly be hoped for!
Gorgeous pictures, and stunning video- not that I am big into taking pictures...
Charges so FAST! Battery seems to go on and on, no matter what I do all day!
I didn't think I would really need the S-pen, but it is so useful when surfing the web and the buttons are small and close together. As a tall guy with big hands, I've quickly learned to appreciate it!
Sounds amazing- I can't believe how much the speakers have improved just since the S3. I have a bit of hearing loss from when I was a kid, and this new phone has been a blessing for that as well!
The whole phone just feels perfect. Sturdy. Nice weight. I simply can't seem to put it down!

Concerns-
1. The Samsung stock keyboard is still a bit wonky to me. Fortunately, it comes with Swype, which is all I used on my S3, despite being a huge RAM hog. I just finished trying the Samsung swiftflow keyboard for a week, and it works ok, but now I'm hoping Swype will prove even better. I tend to lean towards trace keyboards, since again, I do have big hands, and this helps me not hit three or four keys at a time.
2. Shopping for cases, I was surprised to learn that the Verizon Note 4's have their microphone slightly to the side of where the Note 4's from other carriers do. Checking the comments on various cases, I saw that Verizon users frequently found their microphone hole covered by the case. Many of the descriptions of the cases said, "For AT&T, Tmobile, and Sprint only." I have no idea what the reason was for this design choice- perhaps so more people would buy the cases directly from Verizon instead of Amazon? Not cool.
3. Speaker on the back. This just doesn't make sense. I am tired of handing my phone to someone so they can watch a video, and needing to tell them to cup their hand around the back of the phone so they can hear it. The speaker should absolutely be on the front by now, like some other phone brands have done. I can't think of one reason why its better on the back.
4. I still have to deal with all the ignorant iPhone 6 plus users at work. When Apple didn't have a phablet, they scrunched up their noses and said, "Who would want a phone that big?" Then they rushed out to get the 6 plus, and act like it comes close to the Note 4's glory! Go get bent! Oh wait... your phone beat you to it! LOL

Conclusion-
This phone feels like my S3 ran into a Genie and became the best phone I could have imagined. I usually wait when buying the latest new phone, so they can get the bugs and kinks out, but I was the first person I know to get it in my area, and I haven't noticed any! Go buy this with no reservations!

I will start off by saying this is a large phone and I am a big guy. I have no issues using this phone one handed, but can absolutely see how someone with smaller hands might get sick of it.

Finally! I've been wanting a note version for my phone for years. The reason I didn't? Samsung had this awful style approach that was to spend all of their money on the internals, which are very high end, but then slap a bunch of cheap looking plastic and a little bit of metal. I fully acknowledge that Samsung internals, everything from operating skin to the fact that they have an SD card slot and a removable back and battery, are the best out there. I had an HTC and my wife has a Motorola. We hated them both, for very different reasons, but they felt well made and more expensive in your hand than any Samsung device previously.

With a metal frame and a textured fake leather back, this device feels expensive and "fancy" in your hand. The did a good job of keeping this style through the buttons as well.

The stylus is a nice add on to your normal phone abilities. What amazes me about the commercials is that they show very specific tasks, like cutting images and such, which I admit is a nice tool, but the best benefit of the stylus is that it is very sensitive and keeps the screen, which is an incredible quad HD screen, clear of finger pints. Now the sensitivity thing is important because even the fastest phones sometimes have issue getting exactly what your clicking on or swiping to do. With stylus you can fly through pictures, scroll websites (without touching the screen, just hovering), and swipe texting is crazy fast and accurate with it.

If you're ok with the size of it, you'll love everything else about it. I would say go to a local phone store and give it a pickup first, just to be sure. I also check out the note edge, with the funky slanted screen. Not only does the edge on that fancy screen feel rather sharp in your hand, it didn't respond very well when I used it. I read a lot of reviews saying the same thing, and I didn't feel it brought enough to the table to warrant the $100+ additional cost. It is also a thicker phone, so if you want a thin, sleek phone, go with the Note 4.

I admit, I was brand loyal and kept a awful phone for no other reason than I was scared to leave. It was an unhealthy relationship.

I upgraded from a Motorola Droid Razr MAXX HD. My first clue should have been the fact that there were too many variations of a Razr for anything to be supported or even accessories to be available. From the get go, that phone was never close to the hype that Verizon led everyone to believe. The giant battery never lived up to its promise. It was always dead at the same time, 8:00 pm, with no day charge- this is from DAY ONE. I persisted and enjoyed the few things about it I liked for two years. I finally cracked the screen because I quit caring about it all together...which brought me to the Note 4.

Before I made my decision, I received a Galaxy Tab 3 for Christmas last year and I fell in love, which made my switch easier.

The Note 4 excels in almost every category. I was worried that 15 years of brand loyalty to Motorola would make feel like I was missing something, after completely jumping ship to Samsung, but I don't miss Motorola one bit.

The Camera is AMAZING. Brilliant, crisp, clear detail. Bright ACCURATE color.

Calls are clear. Screen is brilliant. Touch Wiz doesn't bother me at all. The size is nothing, even with small hands it works perfectly fine.

Oh and despite the huge screen, resolution, active apps, location services running and pretty heavy use- I'm at 77% charge, 9 hours after pulling it off the charger.

This phone is great. I'm EXTREMELY pleased and hope this survives the next two years so I can get a Note 6. Not to mention, because it is truly a flagship phone (not to be confused with Moto's "flagship of the month" philosophy) I can actually buy cases for it. Cheap ones, expensive ones, pretty colors, whatever. I believe there was ONE case available for the DRMHD when I bought it and it was a hard shell for $30 at VZW. I bought three Note 4 cases from Amazon for that price- the same day I bought my phone. When Otterbox releases their Defender for Note 4, I'll buy that, too.

p.s. My iSheep friends were ready to trade in their 5s for the new 6s and now they are actively considering Note 4 or S5s, after seeing how much better N4 is to the i6.

Pro:
- Coming from Galaxy S3, this is a big improvement in every way: better screen, a lot better detail and clarity. The high resolution is extremely practical here - immediate eye relief comparing to the old S3 or the wife's iPhone 6 Plus! The difference in clarity and stability is something everyone can see!
- Much faster processors! Old S3 is too slow to play video, bring up photos, etc., especially when loading from the external SD card. Now it's instant!
- The size is fine for me. I have a smallish hand, but have no problem unlock the phone with one hand.
- Well made, not quite iPhone 6 Plus level of refinement, but close enough. I especially like the fake leather back - easy to grab and lot less slippery than the iPhone 6 Plus.
- 128gb micro SD slot, YA!! That and the replaceable battery for me is the iPhone killer!
- And again, the screen is the thing! Clarity and detail. I can read without the reading glasses most of the time!

Neutral:
- Camera, stylus, speaker volume, multi-windows, battery life, work fine, but nothing to brag about or too useful for me. I still need external speakers or headphone most of the time, and recharge every day for example. The photos and videos seem to be comparable to those from the iPhone 6 Plus.

Con:
- The preinstalled and fixed widgets, HATE THEM! Can't remove them either. The layout is awful and inflexible. Have to root it to fix this, not going there, not yet anyway! I understand that they need to do this to make money, but still, it's quite nasty to see all these things taking up key places on your screen that you don't need and can do nothing about it! I can hide and disable most of the preinstalled apps. But the layout I can do nothing about. The Amazon page for example, is very nasty and I can definitely do without. I use Amazon but not from the phone and not like this!
- The screen is still overly sensitive like the old S3: you never know when you could touched something or somewhere by accident that causes the screen to switch, the app to stop, the video to fast forward (or backward), the volume to go up and down, etc. iPhone doesn't have this problem - better OS probably, not Samsung's fault? It shows there's still room for improvement here.

Bottom line:
Great improvement in the most important area - the display. Those from Note 3 probably thinks differently. But for me, Note4 and S3 is day and night. Now I don't use the old Galaxy 10" tab as much because most of the time Note 4 is clear enough and a lot faster. It's not that big to handle and no problem carrying in my pocket. It does what it suppose to and does it mostly well. Great! Just hope "the over sensitive to touch" problem will get fixed in the future.

I was upgrading from a Motorola Razr Maxx, which I had no complaints with. I vowed I was going to keep that phone LONG after my contract was up and I was eligible for an upgrade, which was in November. HA!!!! Once that "new technology" bug gets a hold of me, I'm a goner!!! I went into Best Buy a couple days after Black Friday to sample some of the new phone offerings. I was drawn to the larger size of the Note 4, and at the same time a bit leary that it might to TOO big.
I went back to BB this morning and pulled the trigger on the Note 4 and a new plan from Verizon.
I have been a faithful Android user for many years, and even I am stunned at what this phone can do. I have been experimenting with it for most of the day and am learning something new every time I pick it up. The size is very comfortable, but will take some practice to get the "one-hand" operation down. I was surprised that the larger size wasn't overwhelming at all. Very fast, very smooth, very intuitive. The S Pen is a great feature which I'm sure will become even more valuable as time goes by. I also like the fact that Samsung puts an SD card slot on their products. Yes, the phone comes with 32GB of storage and I transferred my 16GB SD card when I activated the phone at BB this morning, but it's nice to know
I can always expand it if needed. The only drawback is that you have to remove the back cover to access the SD card slot. On my Razr Maxx, there was a access door on the side of the phone.
Love this phone so far and look forward to staying on the cutting edge of smartphone technology with the Note 4 leading the way......