When it comes to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S5, there is more of a difference than meets the eye. Certainly, straight away one it’s obvious that the Note 4 is much larger. The S5 certainly isn’t small but the Note is a fully 9 percent longer and 8 percent wider. It’s a pretty big difference. While this makes for a nice larger viewing screen it can cut down on portability. If you want a phone that is easy to put in your pocket and go, the Note can make that a little difficult. In addition to its larger size it is also 18 percent heavier at 176 grams.
If you’re looking for a good looking phone, neither of these offers anything to write home about. Both look perfectly fine and get the job done but there are sleeker sexier phones available. The Note 4 comes equipped with a faux leather plastic backing that looks fairly identical to its predecessor the Note 3 while the GS5 comes with a metallic appearance dimpled plastic. Either of these feels pretty nice when in hand but neither jumps ahead as the better option.
Display size varies quite a bit since the Note is so much larger than the S5. On the larger phone you’ll have a 5.7” screen and on the GS5 5.1 inches. This means that the Note is a full 25 percent larger. Additionally, the resolution on the Note 4 is a huge upgrade. It now features 2560 x 1440 and 515 ppi. The GS5 still only has 1920 x 1080 with 432 ppi which is still perfectly crisp and clear but isn’t quite as nice as the Note 4.
In addition to their size, one of the big differences between these two phablets is that the Note 4 has a stylus which can be stored within the phone when not in use. For those that love being able to use a pen this can make a big difference.
One of the big step ups that the GS5 has over the Note is its water resistance. The Note 4 will not hold up to water – period. However, the GS5 can sit in up to 3.3 feet of water for a full half an hour and survive.
For the internals, the Note 4 carries the most updated Snapdragon processor while the GS5 has the previous version. There aren’t huge differences between the two and both work very well.