THE GOOD The
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has an eye-catching design, high-end hardware and
takes great outdoor photos. Using the stylus has never felt better, and
battery life is terrific.
THE BAD With
a nonremovable battery and no external storage option, the Note 5
strips away some of last year's features. It's pricey compared to
large-screen competitors like Motorola's Moto X Pure.
THE BOTTOM LINE 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.
Editors' note: This review has been updated to include information about Samsung's newest Galaxy models, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which were introduced at Mobile World Congressin March 2016.
Samsung's
Galaxy Note 5 is the smoothest, sleekest stylus-equipped jumbo-screen
smartphone that the company has ever made. On the plus side: a slim,
shiny, large-screened luster; strong camera; retooled stylus; and killer
battery life. But these assets are subverted by two key omissions; the
Note 5's battery is not swappable and there is no expandable storage
slot (though there is free cloud storage).
The
Note 5 is the least distinctive of the Note line. It's Samsung's only
2015 model to come equipped with a stylus -- and a good one at that --
but it otherwise looks pretty much the same as the Galaxy S6 Edge+,
featuring the same dual curved-edge screen and nearly identical specs.
And the Note 5 and S6 Edge+ are basically supersized versions of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge models that Samsung debuted in March 2015.
In
fact, the stylus (Samsung calls it the "S Pen") is about the only thing
that makes the Note 5 truly distinctive. As such, it's a bit
underwhelming compared with 2014's Note 4, which leap-frogged its peer,
the Galaxy S5,
in the hardware department, even without its S Pen. Nevertheless, the
Note 5's flaws are few and far between, and its stylus gives it a
functional edge over all other large-screen devices.
With
the introduction of the current generation of Galaxy phones in March
2016, Samsung fans would do well to take a close look at the new lineup.
A CNET Editor's Choice, the Galaxy S7 delivers
the goods in spades with a polished design, awesome camera, long
battery life, microSD slot, and water resistance (though no stylus). And
the supersized Galaxy S7 Edge,
an Editor's Choice in its own right, comes equipped with an even bigger
battery and screen, a curved screen with "edge" software navigation,
and a sky high price tag (but, again, no stylus).
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Premium phone, premium price
The
Galaxy Note 5 is available in gold, silver, white and sapphire black
(which looks blue in the light), though not every region carries every
color. Prices vary by retailer and country; be sure to check current
promotions before you buy.
There's
no denying that the Note 5 costs a lot, though it varies depending on
where you live and where you buy it. That noted, as of October 2015, the
64GB version costs roughly $800 and the 32GB model costs about $700,
making the Note 5 more expensive than the $649 64GB iPhone 6 Plus and the $749 64GB 6S Plus. The Note 5 is cheaper than the S6 Edge+, however; you'll pay even more for that curved display.
Compared to other large-screen models, like the 5.5-inch LG G4 or 5.7-inch Moto X Pure, the Note 5 is straight up pricey.
In the US, the Note 5 comes in black and white (but not gold or silver) for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon.
AT&T:
Full retail: $740 (32GB) or $840 (64GB). Next 24 (30 monthly payments):
$0 down plus $24.67 (32GB) or $28 (64GB). Next 18 (24 monthly
payments): $0 plus $30.84 (32GB) or $35 (64GB). Next 12 (20 monthly
payments): $37 (32GB) or $42 (64GB).
Sprint:
Full retail: $720 (32GB) or $816 (64GB). Two-year service agreement:
$250 (32GB) or $350 (64GB). Lease program (24 months): $0 down and $25
(32GB) or $30 (64GB) per month. Easy Pay (24 months): $0 down and $30
(32GB) or $34 (64GB) per month.
T-Mobile: Full retail: $700 (32GB) or $780 (64GB). 24 monthly payments: $0 down and $29.17 (32GB) or $99 down and $28.33 (64GB).
Verizon: Full retail: $696 (32GB) or $792 (64GB). 24 monthly payments: $29 (32GB) or $33 (64GB).
US Cellular: Full
retail: $670 (32GB) or $770 (64GB). Two-year contract: $200 (32GB) or
$300 (64GB). 20 monthly payments: $0 down and $33.45 (32GB) or $38.46
(64GB).
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Design and build
Like
the Galaxy S6, the Note 5 has straight sides and a flat face but also
the Edge+'s frontal curves along the back. From what I can tell holding
them side-by-side, the curves are the same. Checking out its profile,
these comfortable rear arcs cause the Note 5's top and bottom edges to
flare out thicker than its middle. It'll still fill your hand -- this is
a large device -- but the overall sensation is still of slimness,
especially compared to the relatively bulky Note 4.
Although
that AMOLED display still measures 5.7 inches, Samsung has shaved down
the Note 5's dimensions, making the handset feel overall sleeker and
slimmer than last year's Note 4. That's good news for one-handed phone
jockeys, who get the same screen real estate in a more streamlined
package. The 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution (515 pixels per inch) holds
steady from last year, lending a lot of crisp detail to the screen,
possibly even more than we strictly need.
Below
the display, the usual two soft keys (recent apps and back) sandwich
the physical home button, which also serves as the phone's fingerprint
reader and Google Now call-up (press and hold for Google Now, the search
giant's voice-command answer to Apple's Siri). You'll find the
power/lock button on the right and volume rocker on the left. Along the
bottom are the standard micro-USB charger (alas,not USB-C as we had hoped), headset jacks and S Pen holster, with the SIM card tray up top.
On
the flipside, you'll see the 16-megapixel camera lens, flash and
heart-rate reader. A unibody device, there's no removable backplate or
battery and you won't find an expandable storage slot anywhere. Prepare
for your smudgy fingerprints to bloom all over that mirrored surface,
and keep a micro-fiber cloth nearby.
One
last, infuriating thing I've noticed in all these years of testing:
that power/lock button on the right likes to turn itself on in my
purse's interior phone pocket, leaking battery willy-nilly. I keep
hoping Samsung will work this out, but so far no dice.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All-new S Pen stylus
The
Note S Pen stylus, which is made of polycarbonate plastic, changes a
little bit every year. This time around, the stylus audibly clicks into
place inside the Note 5's chute like the crown of a retractable pen.
It's kind of fun, but the fit is so snug, you have to really tease it
out. The plastic pen has long, flat planes to keep it from rolling away
on a tabletop. Its single button slightly recesses from the surface to
tone down the mispresses, which I've found common in previous S Pen
designs.
Important tip:
That S Pen can only be inserted in the holder pointy end first. It is
not meant to holster on the non-business end. If you try it, bad things will happen, as some users report when their S Pens got stuck with the square end wedged, possibly irretrievably, deep inside the phone.
The
S Pen continues to act as a writing implement, pointer and navigational
accomplice. You can use it to pull up a menu dialog box, or photo or
video preview when you hover over it with the pen. It also works with
those touch-sensitive menu buttons and the physical home button.
Dragging and dropping text, and capturing the screen are two other
tricks.
Samsung
claims that its pen writes a lot better this time around, more fluidly,
and with decreased latency times. I didn't notice that, even writing
with the same pen and ink "weight" on the Note 5 and Note 4 side by
side. I did notice that the 5's S Pen feels a touch lighter, which made
for slightly cleaner, easier writing, compared to the Note 4's slightly
heavier pen. My handwriting is still barely legible on both.
The
S Note app itself is greatly simplified, with extra features tucked
into the More menu. You can also download a ton more tools, like a chart
helper and an extension pack that includes advanced tricks like a
heartier toolbar and shape recognition, handwriting "transformation" and
the ability to record sketches.
In
the app itself, you can customize everything from the way you select
color to the way you save favorite combinations of pen tips and ink
thickness. As with previous versions, the pen stays sensitive along the
corners of the page, and on-screen controls will momentarily disappear
so you can continue to write and draw "below" them.
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New features
Compared to 2014's Galaxy Note 4, the new Note 5 has some additional tricks up its sleeve:
Redesigned shortcuts wheel:
Called Air Command, this floating icon hangs out on any screen and
opens up to reveal a circular menu of most frequently used apps -- say,
the S Note app, the browser or your photo gallery. It's always on by
default, but you can turn that off in Settings. You can also customize
this by adding up to three apps of your choice.
Air
Command responds faster these days, which means that if you
accidentally click the S Pen button, you can quickly click again to
dismiss it without too much interruption. The floating icon doesn't get
much in the way, because it only interacts if you tap or click with the S
Pen, not your finger.
Instant memo:
Called "screen off memo" in the settings, this feature lets you create
an "action memo" (more like a sticky note) even when the screen is
turned off. One caveat: it works only just after pulling out the S Pen,
not if the pen has been out for a while. I like this feature -- it adds
to the S Pen's ability to really quickly jot a note. You'll reed to dip
into the settings to toggle it on.
PDF writing: Yep, you can now annotate PDFs by handwriting all over them, just as you can do with a screenshot.
Scrolling capture:
Instead of taking several screenshots of a long piece of text, the Note
5 will prompt you to capture more of the whole screen. You'll be able
to annotate right on the screenshot too, of course.
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Android and apps
The Galaxy Note 5 runs Android 5.1 Lollipop,
bolstered by Samsung's own TouchWiz layer. That means the phone will be
able to tie into Google's wide array of services, such as Google Now,
turn-by-turn navigation and access to Google Drive files. But it can
also tap into Samsung's own software, all of which customizes the
display's look and feel -- like those quick-access toggles in the
notifications shade and anything that has to do with the S Pen.
Microsoft's One Drive cloud storage app is also onboard (more on this
below).
View Full Gallery
Alas, while Android 6.0 Marshmallow is just around the corner, its due date to these new Samsung phones is anyone's guess. With the exception ofpromised monthly security updates, more substantive software updates are on anotoriously slow boat.
In
addition, Samsung's apps include Note mainstays like S Note and S
Health, though the company has really pulled back on its preloaded apps.
You'll find a cornucopia of optional add-ons tucked away in various
spots throughout the phone, like Galaxy Gifts and Galaxy Essentials.
A
quick skip through the settings menu turns up a whole bushel of extra
modes and options, like a simplified home screen (Easy mode) and a vault
for photos and files you don't want anyone else to see (Private mode).
There are also two levels of battery-saver, several gestures and themes
to freshen up the look and feel. You'll even find a user manual.
Likewise,
pull down the notifications shade for quick access settings, including a
flashlight. You can edit to reorder these. From the home page, swipe
right to reveal Flipboard, which you can use to read headline news about
your pet topics.
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The camera situation
If
you look at the megapixel count alone, not much has changed with the
Note 5's camera. Samsung has adopted a wider aperture lens (f1.9 instead
of the Note 4's f2.2), the same one that's used in the Galaxy S6 and S6
Edge. Why is this "good"? A bigger aperture lets in more light, and
more light leads to better photos, specifically low-light pictures. The
image processing capabilities make a huge difference too, of course, but
the bottom line is that the overall photo quality should incrementally
improve from the Note 4, and is on par with the S6 and S6 Edge.
What you get with the camera app
The
phone also gets a few more editing and shooting modes and guides --
little things, mostly, but these are always fun to discover.
As
with the Galaxy S6 and many other phones, the Note 5 here has optical
image stabilization (OIS), which will help keep shaking hands from
blurring shots, and an array of modes and tools. There's auto-HDR right
on the screen (this helps keep photos looking true to life) and panorama
and selective focus as separate modes within.
Brand new is a live broadcasting feature that lets you record to YouTube. There's intentionally a 30-second delay between when you start recording and when the footage hits YouTube. This is essentially Samsung and YouTube's take on Twitter's Periscope tool. (The live broadcast feature is appearing first on the Note 5 and S6 Edge+, and is currently exclusive to those phones -- though how long that will last is anyone's guess.)
What
else is new? Tap to focus and an exposure control appears that lets you
slide to brighten or darken the scene. Take a photo in Pro mode, and
you'll have the option to save it as a raw file, one that the phone
hasn't automatically processed, say into a JPEG format, first. This
option gives photographers much more post-processing control. You can
record a collage of four 6-second videos, to which you can add
background music and share, share away (the file saves as a 720p MP4).
If you're hungry for more modes (like the rear-cam selfie shot), it's
easy to download more from the camera app.
New
in the features-packed editor is a way to create an animated GIF, which
can be a fun way to make use of a series of shots, like a developing
look of surprise or an action sequence. The Note 5 also lets you
annotate photos by writing on them (not an option on the Edge+).
Image quality
So,
how does the camera do? What I wanted were clearer, brighter, low-light
photos and night shots in addition to all those juicy, saturated
daytime images. That's mostly what I got, though the Note 5 still
struggled with an automated night mode that robbed the downtown New York
skyline of its high-contrast drama and turned it into low-contrast mush
compared with real life. A few other indoor scenes also came out a
little soft, while well-lit scenes stayed crisp.
And
now for photos! Most were taken in automatic mode (which sometimes
kicked on HDR or night mode), with the noted exception of a manually
focused macro shot using Pro Mode (I miss the automatically focusing
macros).Good
news for selfie-lovers is the Note 5's front-facing camera levels up
from a 3.9-megapixel jobbie to a 5-megapixel sensor (same as in the S6
and S6 Edge). The default beauty mode you see with the front-facing
camera gets a little more aggressive about airbrushing your face by
surfacing a heap of tools on the screen. Go into the skin tone
sub-setting to turn it up or turn it off. There's also a wide-angle
selfie mode that you and your friends can all squeeze into, and
something called interval shot.
Video
capture goes as high as 4K Ultra HD, which is 3,840x2,160-pixel
resolution, though that's complete overkill for anyone but a resolution
fanatic with a 4K monitor (and a tolerance for ginormous file sizes).
That's why Samsung set the default to full HD, a resolution of
1,920x1,080 pixels -- the same resolution as your 1080p HDTV. You can
change this in the settings. Video recording was excellent, with good
audio pickup of multiple subjects several feet away. Your own voice will
be loudest in any exchange, but your subjects voices' shouldn't
disappear.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hardware specs and performance
The Note 5's inner power changes a little this year, some of it for the worse.
Let's
start with the octa-core processor. Samsung sticks with its Exynos 7
chipset from the S6, a 2.1GHz quad-core chip, plus a second 1.5GHz
quad-core chip for lower-powered tasks. What makes this a departure from
last year's phone is that Samsung is using the same processor on all
global devices, versus having one processor for the US and another one
for non-US models, something that's occurred in the past. A longstanding
partnership with Qualcomm put a Snapdragon processor inside the Note 4,but no longer. The 4GB of RAM (versus the Note 4's 3GB) helps keep things running smoothly.
Unfortunately,
the storage situation is a bummer, especially since the Note 5 is
positioned as a productivity device. With no physical expandable option,
you'll have to get either the 32GB or 64GB versions and hope you have
enough cloud storage if you push against your ceiling. Weirdly, Samsung
teased a 128GB version of the Note 5, and then said it was a mistake.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Performance
Anecdotally,
performance was strong, with zippy navigation and detail-rich graphics.
Using the phone felt snappy, not laggy. Hopefully that pep will hold up
over time. Another piece of good news: the phone launches in about 25
seconds from the off position, which is pretty quick. Likewise, the
camera launches quickly, in under a second, whether you double-tap the
home button or tap the app.
Although
the Note 5 and Edge+ share the same chipset as the S6 and S6 Edge,
these new phones perform better in our diagnostic benchmarking tests. In
real world experience, these devices are among the world's fastest.
Battery power
This
is one of those times when numbers don't mean as much as you think. You
lose a bit of battery capacity -- the Note 4's 3,200mAh removable
ticker drops down to a 3,000mAh embedded battery -- but battery life
blew us away in three looping video tests: 15 hours compared to the Note 4's 12.9 average in the same test.
A
lot of things may have happened to explain the improvement. Samsung may
have tightened up its software to make the phone more efficient when
drawing power. The processor and greater RAM (4GB over the Note's 3GB)
may have some effect as well. Just remember that battery life varies
depending on how you use a device (streaming music and turn-by-turn
navigation suck down your battery faster), and that it tends to degrade
over time. Still, this is a very promising result.
In
addition to long life, the Note 5 incorporates two wireless charging
standards (PMA and WPC, which the Qi standard falls into), and has two
stages of power-saving modes that you can find in the settings,
including the austere ultra-powersaving mode, which essentially turns
your phone into a dumb phone in order to keep it live for emergencies.
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Call quality and data speeds
First
things first, there's no great way to test audio quality all over the
world, but I can test it where I live, and that's in San Francisco (with
carrier T-Mobile). I held several lengthy conversations with CNET
Editor Brian Bennett on his landline in CNET's Louisville, Kentucky
office, 2,300 miles away. We both thought that call quality was a little
soft.
On
my side, I heard a whispery echo on both the Note 5 and S6 Edge+; on
his, it sounded tinny with muffly scratchiness. Both flaws persisted
throughout the call, in the background. On other calls, Brian said the
static faded and noted that when we switched to speakerphone, the
distance seemed to improve the situation.
A
problem with every Samsung phone I've tested in the last few years:
volume was weak. I had to crank it up to full volume to comfortably hear
Brian -- and that was in a quiet location. Samsung knows this, too,
which is why it includes an on-screen control for extra volume. A word
of warning: that enhances every sound, distorted or no.
On
the data side, speeds were pretty consistent with what I've seen on
other phones, so that makes me feel like the Note 5 is going to perform
well for your carrier in your area.
As
for data speeds, the diagnostic app Speedtest.net recorded results that
are consistent for T-Mobile in my area. In real-world tests, apps and
websites opened fairly quickly, though slow pockets did exist.
In
Sydney, Australia we tested on the Telstra 4GX LTE network. As the
Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5 are both Category 9 LTE capable devices, and
the Telstra can support Cat 9, we were anticipating some impressive
results and we weren't disappointed.
While
the average download speed was 72Mbps, it was a few outliers that
skewed the spread. For the most part we saw a comfortable 45-55Mbps.
However, we also managed a top speed of 208.49 (on the Edge+) and a few
other 140+ results. In terms of uploads, we got a dependable 20-30Mbps.
These
matched our general use experience. The Edge+ loaded pages quickly and
getting image files up on social media was a snap. So while the vagaries
of LTE mean might not regularly get 150Mbps and above, you can
definitely feel the difference a Category 9 phone makes.
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Samsung Pay
Like the S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge+, the Note 5 supports Samsung Pay,
the company's new mobile payment system. It will only be available in
the US and South Korea for now, and we've demoed the beta service in
both countries. Check out our experience in South Korea here, and see it on the Note 5 .
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Syncing
On
the syncing and management side, Samsung promises it has spruced up
SideSync (version 4.0) to make sharing content with your PC, tablet or TV a little smoother. It wasn't live at the time of this review, but Samsung says it's coming soon.
One
benefit is auto-connection (after the initial setup); another, the
ability to respond to text and calls from the computer screen, similar
to Apple's Handoff feature. You can also drag and drop software between
your desktop and phone. The software you'll need works with Windows PCs,
tablets and Macs -- that latter is a welcome first.
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Accessories
Samsung
has readied a stable of add-ons for the Note 5, including several
cases, a faster wireless charging puck, and a power brick that charges
your phone wirelessly and your other devices through a cable. The most
distinctive case, the Keyboard Cover, snaps a QWERTY keyboard on the front of the screen for a BlackBerry-like experience.
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Buy it or skip it?
The
Note 5 is a terrific device with strengths in its stylus capabilities
and flashy design. By embedding the battery and whittling down storage
options, however, Samsung has opened the door to competitors that can
offer an expansive screen with expandable storage and/or a removable
battery for a lower price.
The
Note 5 seems just a little bit better across the board than the Note 4,
but for those upgrading from a Note 3, or joining the Note family for
the first time, the 5 here has a lot to offer.
The
big question in my mind is if Samsung just shot itself in the foot by
releasing too many concurrent phones that do too many of the same
things. The 5.1-inch S6 is the Everyman phone; the S6 Edge is the
specialized S6 with rounded sides; and the 5.7-inch Galaxy S6 Edge+ is
the same rounded thing again, but even bigger -- and pricier. Where does
that leave the Note 5? It's mostly all about the stylus.
Luckily
for this phone, its lower price than the S6 Edge+ makes it the more
affordable of Samsung's two extra-large handsets, and the one that more
people will choose if they aren't specifically seeking out the Edge+'s
exotic form.
Me,
I like the Note 5 a lot. I enjoy using a pen to take pressure off
constantly pounding my fingers on a keyboard on-screen. I enjoy the Air
Command feature, and hand-writing notes when I want. I also think it's a
really good phone.
Those
who don't think they'll use the stylus and want to pay less, there are
probably better options out there for you -- particularly if you don't
live in a region with Samsung Pay (you could use Google Wallet).
Versus Samsung Galaxy Note Edge+
Sharing
the same core hardware and software, the Note 5 is the same as the
Edge+, but minus the dual-curved display (and Edge shortcuts), and plus
the stylus with all its writing capabilities. Since the Edge+ is a
pricier phone, people who aren't excited about the rare look of a curved
screen should stick to the Note 5, even if they don't plan to do much
writing
Versus Samsung Galaxy S6
You
pay for the Note 5's larger display and S Pen. Internally, the two are
almost identical (there are differences with battery capacity and RAM,
for instance). Consider the pricier Note 5 if you're interested in a
larger screen and/or the stylus.
Versus Samsung Galaxy Note 4
If
you've got this device already, skip this Note 5 upgrade, especially if
you value your removable battery and extra hardware storage. The
cameras are a little bit better, and the stylus gains are nice touches,
but minimal -- the Note 4 still adeptly handles most tasks. Samsung Pay
benefits you in the US and South Korea only.
Versus every other extra-large Android phone
As
far as I'm concerned, this is still the premium big boy to beat, though
midrange and entry-level large phones are better for the
budget-conscious. For a lower-cost model, the LG G4 Stylus (aka LG G Stylo) comes with a stylus for handwriting and navigation. Other good, large options (without the pen) are the 5.5-inch LG G4 and Google Nexus 6 (though I'd also sit tight for the inevitable 2015 follow-up, which will launch with Android 6.0 Marshmallow).
As
I mentioned before, the forthcoming high-end 5.7-inch Motorola Moto X
Pure also looks promising and costs significantly less. Ditto the OnePlus 2,
which also has a 5.5-inch screen, 4GB RAM (on the 64GB model), an
octa-core processor and 13-megapixel camera for $390 (roughly £250 or
AU$530).
Versus iPhone 6 Plus and 6S Plus
You can't handwrite on the iPhone 6 or
6S Plus, each of which are more easily compared with the S6 Edge+. That
noted, the iPhone 6, which remains the gold standard for smartphones
and is less expensive than the Note 5, is the better value on a
dollar-for-dollar basis unless you simply cannot live withou a stylus.
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