Note 4 vs. Nexus 6

[ibex333]

Just trying to decide which one will be my new phone. I am currently on Note 3.


I love the fact that the Nexus 6 is so big. To me that's an advantage, not a drawback.
With that out of the way, I certainly love the Note 4 Stylus and the ability to use a micro sd card.

But the Nexus 6 has Lollipop... But so does the Note 4.

But the Nexus is already debloated... No garbage software there.

And yet, the Note 4 will be able to use a virtual reality gizmo...

Decisions decisions... Which one do YOU prefer and why?

 

[tuan209]

Nexus 6, because of stock or Android or Google's skin.

Sure, the Note 4 will get Lollipop, but it will look nothing like Lollipop.

I have never used a Note product before but I find it hard to believe how a pen on such a small device could be useful. I could be wrong though.

Honestly, if you are not a heavy phone user or dont care about camera specs, Id go for the Moto X.

 

[ibex333]

That's the thing.. I do care for the camera specs... The Nexus 6 is much improved in that department though.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Got my wife a Note 4, mostly because it's easier to get a deal on Samsung stuff. Honestly I don't think the Note 4, or any current phablet, is a huge jump over a Note 3.

So for you I answer Nexus 6, because the only reason worth upgrading from your current phone is stock Android.

 

[magomago]

Note 4 will have ANT+ support, and will also have better battery life. Nexus 6's advantage is stock android, nothing that can't be rooted for the Note 4.

My main disappointment is that they want 650 dollars for a phone that gives 3-3.5 hours of OST. For such a large battery phone, its quite disappointing that it can't match other similar phones like the Note 4.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoAPTdvgAJg&list=UUBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ

 

[AnMig]

have been using the note 4 since it came out (verizon)

i have been looking at the nexus 6 due to stock android and the ease of playing aroind with roms.

note 4 is excellent thought the only thing missing is root. i have been checking xda daily and unfortunately no root yet for the verizon version.

note 4 has one of the best radios. my note 2 would drain battery at work due to poor signal. with the note 4 it stays at 97% at noon time. i dont think i can finish the battery in 1 day.

dont use the pen, dont use the finger print, heart rate monitor, activity tracker.
just give me my darn root so i can freeze these aps.

dont know if i am willing to trade this for a nexus 6.

main pro for me for the note 4
excellent battery
beautiful screen
sdcard (wake up google phones are media devices that need storage, no cloud bullcrap)
excellent radio

main big cons note 4 (verizon)
root!!!!
need titanium back up and native tethering

 

[Remobz]

Get the note 4 and don't look back.

IMO, both phones are overpriced and not worth the money.

 

[Harry_Wild]

Note 4 is superior in every way! Nexus 6 does not have the battery life which is a big problem. Note 4 Amoled screen is much better too; more up to date screen display inside the Note 4.

 

[zerocool84]

I love Nexus phones but the Note 4 is the better phablet. The screen is better, camera better, makes better use of the large screen, better battery life. Only positive of the N6 is updates first.

 

[zCypher]

Get the note 4 and don't look back.

IMO, both phones are overpriced and not worth the money.

Umm, compared to what? Where do you see a better deal that makes these devices overpriced?

If it's not worth it to you personally that's one thing, but remember that these are brand new flagship devices. Those will never sell for discount price.

If you want best latest and greatest, then yes it is worth it. If getting the latest Android updates as soon as possible is a priority, go with the N6. You definitely won't be disappointed by the other aspects of the phone, as it seems to be the best Nexus yet in pretty much every way.

The screen, camera and battery life will be better on the Note 4. So if those are more important, go with the Note. Personally, I would not base my purchase decision on whether there might be a custom rom available or not. They all have their kinks and bugs. The only exception I would make for that, is if there is a vanilla GPE available (as is the case for the Galaxy S4). Otherwise, purchase only if you're ready to accept the device as it is and with the updates it is expected to get (nowhere near Nexus experience).

The 16mp f/1.9 with optical stabilization should provide among the best camera experience from cell phones. Though the N6 is not that far behind spec-wise, and they've come a long, long way in terms of the software/image processing side of things.

I think it really comes down to, do you want the "Nexus experience"? Samsung has a history of making touchwiz lag pretty badly on a lot of its devices. That was always my main gripe with it (the original Note was god-awful for that). I believe they've got it right with the Note 4, haven't heard people complaining about any lag. I think it's probably among one of the best samsung phones ever for overall feel and quality. It will definitely not give you the Nexus experience though, if that's what you value most.

 

[dawheat]

If you can't stand Touchwiz or must be on a locked carrier (TMobile or Verizon dev edition aren't options for you), then I'd go with the Nexus 6. If I couldn't use the TMo version on AT&T so I could root it, then I wouldn't be using the Note 4.

However, the Nexus 6 has the exact same issue as the Note 4 for me - the lcd_density is not a good fit and actually even worse on the larger Nexus 6. However since you can still easily unlock the bootloader in the Nexus 6, that's not a concern.

If the above isn't a concern for you, then I think the Note 4 has the better display, camera, and battery life - probably the 3 most important things in a phone. Lollipop should come in a couple months so if that isn't a deal breaker, I do think it's the better phone. After disabling the stuff you don't need, even TW isn't that bad anymore.

 

[Apex]

I love the fact that the Nexus 6 is so big. To me that's an advantage, not a drawback.

To be fair, the usable space on both phones are pretty similar. Sure, the Nexus 6's screen is 0.26" bigger, but at least that much is used by the on-screen navigation buttons. Yes, you can root the T-Mobile version and shrink that down a bit, but there's a limit if you want to retain functionality. Because of this, the Nexus 6 is physically bigger, yet the usable screen real-estate isn't all that different.

On top of that, the Note 4's screen is noticeably brighter than the Nexus 6. Neither are all that bright, but every little bit counts when it's down that low.

 

[Zaap]

Certainly if the stylus is important to you, then Note 4 all the way.

 

[Red Storm]

To be fair, the usable space on both phones are pretty similar. Sure, the Nexus 6's screen is 0.26" bigger, but at least that much is used by the on-screen navigation buttons. Yes, you can root the T-Mobile version and shrink that down a bit, but there's a limit if you want to retain functionality. Because of this, the Nexus 6 is physically bigger, yet the usable screen real-estate isn't all that different.

Except when watching video, where the buttons go away and the extra size is definitely noticeable (and also in other apps that support full screen mode). Plus you can enable mods to hide the nav bar if you want.

 

[TrulyUncouth]

As for brightness, the note 4 can boost to ~500 nits if memory serves when it is in auto brightness mode.

I have a note 4 and couldn't be happier. I think just the existence of gearVR is enough to decide it. The poor battery life, lack of stylus, and shittier screen seal the deal for me.

I have a DIY gearVR-like headset I've made from my old oculus DK1 and the note 4 is a goddamn blast in it. I have over a hundred hours watching video in it so far. Coming from someone who almost always regrets tech purchases... I wholeheartedly recommend the note 4.

Edit: Also, if you have never used on-screen buttons... I personally think they suck.

 

[swilli89]

Would say go for nexus 6 but the battery life is pretty bad from the reviews I've been reading.

 

[Wingznut]

Would say go for nexus 6 but the battery life is pretty bad from the reviews I've been reading.

I'm not sure "pretty bad" is accurate. More like average. Which I guess can be bad, depending on your expectations.

 

[Sid59]

I'm so undecided between these two phones. Each has their own concessions

- Screen quality
- battery life/ screen on time
- Camera and Camera modes
- Front Facing Speakers
- Lolipop Stock vs Eventual Lolipop TW

 

[foghorn67]

Nexus 6's camera got the third highest DxO Mark of any phone tested.

The Note 4's camera is good. It's processing is getting better, better than any other Android OEM. But it does tend to oversharpen. I prefer to sharpen stuff myself.

Hopefully, there are some devs out there that embrace 5.0's RAW.

 

[blairharrington]

Just trying to decide which one will be my new phone. I am currently on Note 3.


I love the fact that the Nexus 6 is so big. To me that's an advantage, not a drawback.

Why is it an advantage? Why upgrade your Note 3?

 

[lopri]

What is ANT+? I've seen on Samsung devices but I have no idea what it does.

Finally got around to read AT's Nexus 6 review. Quite a terrible writing.

And about this:

Is there a confirmation as to what kind of AMOLED panel the Nexus 6 has? They did not even look at the sub-pixel grid. I do not know if it is correct to say the panel is last year's AMOLED. First, there was no 2K panel last year. Second, Motorola sourced even denser panel for Droid Turbo (2K/5.2") this year. Third, the Nexus 6's maximum brightness is measurably lower than last years' AMOLED (S4, Note 3, Moto X).

I kind of wish Google went with 1080p screen. Even at 6" it'd still be over 350 PPI.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I kind of wish Google went with 1080p screen. Even at 6" it'd still be over 350 PPI.

Amen. That is what I thought all along.

Could you IMAGINE the hype if this thing had a 1080p LCD and the associated sub-$500 price tag? Between the boost of battery life and cost savings there wouldn't be all this bitching and moaning about the direction the Nexus line went in this year. Everyone would be stoked, except those who dislike large phones.

 

[dawheat]

What is ANT+? I've seen on Samsung devices but I have no idea what it does.

Finally got around to read AT's Nexus 6 review. Quite a terrible writing.

And about this:


Is there a confirmation as to what kind of AMOLED panel the Nexus 6 has? They did not even look at the sub-pixel grid. I do not know if it is correct to say the panel is last year's AMOLED. First, there was no 2K panel last year. Second, Motorola sourced even denser panel for Droid Turbo (2K/5.2") this year. Third, the Nexus 6's maximum brightness is measurably lower than last years' AMOLED (S4, Note 3, Moto X).

I kind of wish Google went with 1080p screen. Even at 6" it'd still be over 350 PPI.

Has any recent panel from Samsung been anything but their diamond pentile layout? It would be good to know regardless, but I'd be surprised if it was anything else.

The battery life on the Nexus 6 wouldn't necessarily be better with a 1080p screen outside of GPU-intensive tasks. I'd guess most people testing web pages and such would not see an improvement. It really seems like it does not have the more power efficient display tech of the Note 4 vs. the Note 3/previous gens.

And a pentile 1080p 6" screen would have a true dpi of under 300 - not very good.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Has any recent panel from Samsung been anything but their diamond pentile layout? It would be good to know regardless, but I'd be surprised if it was anything else.

The battery life on the Nexus 6 wouldn't necessarily be better with a 1080p screen outside of GPU-intensive tasks. I'd guess most people testing web pages and such would not see an improvement. It really seems like it does not have the more power efficient display tech of the Note 4 vs. the Note 3/previous gens.

And a pentile 1080p 6" screen would have a true dpi of under 300 - not very good.

A 1080p Nexus 6 would mean they actually made the device for the new version of Android, ala Nexus 5, rather than slap the Nexus name on an already being made motorola phablet like they did do.

A 1080p MADE FOR LOLLIPOP Nexus 6 would certainly have a LCD screen, as Material Design pushes hard away from the dark colors an OLED loves towards the whites that OLEDs can't do well. We have seen that for LCDs that are 1080p do use less power than those of higher resolutions because a less powerful backlight is needed.


If the Nexus 6 would have actually been planned for a while it would have looked like every other Nexus released recently, it would have come with a 1080p LCD screen, it would have had a 64 bit CPU to actually take advantage of the new 64 bit Android, and it would have been priced somewhere near other Nexus devices.

It we are all being honest with ourselves it is obvious that the Nexus 9 was the planned Nexus for the year, and the Nexus 6 is what happened when Android Silver fell apart. Heck, maybe the Nexus name was going to be a tablet thing going forward, who knows.

 

[lopri]

Has any recent panel from Samsung been anything but their diamond pentile layout? It would be good to know regardless, but I'd be surprised if it was anything else.

I could be wrong but I thought the Tab S was AMOLED+ (RGB). But even among diamond Pentile, they differ in details which result in dramatic improvement as seen on the Note 3 compared to the S4.

The battery life on the Nexus 6 wouldn't necessarily be better with a 1080p screen outside of GPU-intensive tasks. I'd guess most people testing web pages and such would not see an improvement. It really seems like it does not have the more power efficient display tech of the Note 4 vs. the Note 3/previous gens.

And a pentile 1080p 6" screen would have a true dpi of under 300 - not very good.

The Note 3 has 5.7" 1080p screen and it looks great. I know 0.3" can be a big deal but the difference between the S4 and the Note 3 is even bigger at 0.7", yet the Note 3 managed to excel. Diamond Pentile does have fewer subpixels than RGB stripes on typical LCDs but one advantage of this arrangement is that the screen is uniform whether it's viewed in horizontal or vertical mode.

As to power consumption, LCD might be better suited for predominantly white and bright Lollipop's Material design. But even failing that, the Note 3's 1080p screen is brighter than the Nexus 6's 2K screen, and it is last year's AMOLED. Since screen brightness has direct impact on battery life, if 1080p AMOLED is mature than 2K AMOLED today, then we can speculate what if.. (the Nexus 6 was 1080p)