Mobile Technology

Nexus 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Nexus 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Motorola/Google Nexus 6 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Motorola/Google Nexus 6 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4
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Camera aperture
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Camera aperture
Battery capacity
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Battery capacity
Build
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Build
Camera (megapixels)
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Camera (megapixels)
Colors
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Colors
Processor
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Processor
Dimensions
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Dimensions
Display resolution (and pixel density)
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Display resolution (and pixel density)
Display (size)
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Display (size)
Display (type)
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Display (type)
Dual LED flash
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Dual LED flash
Fast charging
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Fast charging
Fingerprint sensor
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Fingerprint sensor
Front-facing speakers
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Front-facing speakers
Heart rate sensor
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Heart rate sensor
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Motorola/Google Nexus 6 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4
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Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Motorola/Google Nexus 6 (left) and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Infrared (remote control)
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Infrared (remote control)
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
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Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
One-handed mode
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One-handed mode
Starting price (full retail)
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Starting price (full retail)
RAM
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RAM
Release dates
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Release dates
Software
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Software
Stylus
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Stylus
Storage options
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Storage options
Split-screen multitasking
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Split-screen multitasking
Weight
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Weight
Starting price (on-contract)
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Starting price (on-contract)
View gallery - 28 images

The Nexus 6 isn't just a big phone, it's a whale of a phone (hence its internal codename, "Shamu"). How does the Moby Dick of smartphones compare to the popular Samsung Galaxy Note 4? Read on, as we compare their features and specs.

Size

Dimensions
Dimensions

The Galaxy Note 4 is already big, but the Nexus 6 is 4 percent taller and 5 percent wider. Samsung's phablet is also 16 percent thinner.

Weight

Weight
Weight

The Note 4 is 4 percent lighter than the new Nexus.

Build

Build
Build

Both Motorola and Samsung took similar approaches here. Rather than go all plastic (and risk being branded as cheap) or all metal (which isn't easy to manufacture, and could eat into profit margins), they both went with plastic backs with metal edges.

We haven't yet handled the Nexus 6, but I thought this made the Note 4 feel much more high-end than its all-plastic predecessors.

Colors

Colors
Colors

We're looking at two color options for the Nexus 6, and four for the Note.

Display (size)

Display (size)
Display (size)

The Galaxy Note used to stand alone as the big-screened smartphone, but in 2014 we have Shamu giving us 9 percent more screen than the Note 4.

Display (resolution)

Display resolution (and pixel density)
Display resolution (and pixel density)

Both handsets have ultra-sharp Quad HD displays. Just a couple of years ago, 1080p screens in phones sounded like overkill, but now these Quad HD screens give you 1.8x the pixels of a full HD screen.

In experience, it's hard to say 1080p screens needed to be any sharper, but I do appreciate the denser pixels that Quad HD screens give you.

Display (type)

Display (type)
Display (type)

Both phones have AMOLED screens, which have the deepest blacks, along with rich colors and high contrast.

Stylus

Stylus
Stylus

You could use the Galaxy Note like you would any other smartphone, but you'd be missing out on its most unique trait – as Samsung's S Pen adds a pen-and-notepad feel to the device. Not only does it give you a sense of precision and control, but Samsung's stylus-based software features are handy for note-taking, saving images/text and annotating screenshots.

Fingerprint sensor

Fingerprint sensor
Fingerprint sensor

The Note 4 has a slide-based fingerprint sensor. It's improved over the ones we saw in the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Tab S, but still not as effortless to use as Apple's Touch ID.

Heart rate sensor

Heart rate sensor
Heart rate sensor

Also like the GS5, the Note 4 has a heart rate sensor below its rear camera.

Split-screen multitasking

Split-screen multitasking
Split-screen multitasking

Samsung's Multi Window goes hand-in-hand with the Galaxy Note's large screen. And on the Note 4, you can drag and drop text and images between side-by-side apps. The only downside is that, like Multi Window itself, it's only compatible with select apps.

One-handed mode

One-handed mode
One-handed mode

On the Note 4, a swipe gesture from the edge of the screen can shrink its entire display to a size that's manageable with one hand.

Camera (megapixels)

Camera (megapixels)
Camera (megapixels)

On paper, the Note's camera is looking better – and we were impressed with its results. But the Nexus 6's shooter gets an "Incomplete" until we put it through the paces.

Camera aperture

Camera aperture
Camera aperture

We're looking at the same ƒ/2.0 aperture in both phones' rear cameras.

OIS

Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)

Both cameras have Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) onboard.

This is an especially nice fit for the Note's Advanced Digital Zoom, which automatically merges multiple shots together to make your zoomed shots (which are usually the same as crops) appear clearer and more detailed.

Dual LED flash

Dual LED flash
Dual LED flash

Like several other recent flagships, the Nexus 6 has a dual LED flash. This can help to light subjects more evenly, with less of a blown-out look.

Battery

Battery capacity
Battery capacity

Both phones have the same 3,220 mAh battery capacity. We've yet to test the Nexus' battery, but the Note 4 had some of the best battery life of any phone we've tested.

Fast charging

Fast charging
Fast charging

Each phone has its own fast charging mode:

On the Nexus, Google says that 15 minutes is all it takes to go from a dead battery to "hours of additional battery life."

Samsung says that the Note 4 can charge from 0 to 50 percent in about half an hour. In our test, it hit 43 percent in 30 minutes, and took 37 minutes to reach 50 percent (though that was with the phone powered on).

Ultra Power Saving Mode

Fingerprint sensor
Fingerprint sensor

If your battery gets dangerously low on juice, the Note has an ace up its sleeve. Ultra Power Saving Mode limits available apps, turns your display black & white – and can turn 10 percent battery into an extra day of uptime.

Front-facing speakers

Front-facing speakers
Front-facing speakers

In the same ballpark (perhaps) as HTC's BoomSound, the Nexus 6 has front-facing speakers that can potentially enhance your gaming or movie-watching experience.

Infrared

Infrared (remote control)
Infrared (remote control)

If you like using your phone as a remote control for your TV or cable/satellite box, the Note 4 can help out.

Processor

Processor
Processor

Both handsets have the same processor, though you'll want to note that this only covers the LTE version of the Note 4. The 3G/HSPA+ version has an octa-core Samsung Exynos CPU in its place.

RAM

RAM
RAM

Each phone also has 3 GB of RAM.

Storage

Storage options
Storage options

Internal storage options are even, but the Note 4 also lets you complement that with a microSD card.

Software

Software
Software

Like every Nexus device before it, the 6 launches with a new version of stock Android. This time it's 5.0 "Lollipop."

It's possible that the Note 4 will get the Lollipop update before long, but Samsung's TouchWiz UI dictates your experience much more than the underlying Android core does.

Release

Release dates
Release dates

The Note 4 just launched this month, while we'll start seeing the Nexus roll out in November.

Starting price (full retail)

Starting price (full retail)
Starting price (full retail)

You could argue that the Nexus 6 is still a great deal, but you can't argue that it has the rock-bottom pricing of its predecessor, the Nexus 5. The new model is bigger and faster, with a sharper screen ... but it also costs nearly twice as much off-contract.

Starting price (on-contract)

Starting price (on-contract)
Starting price (on-contract)

If you buy on-contract, then the Nexus 6 starts at $50 cheaper than the Note 4.

For more, you can check out our full reviews of the Nexus 6 and Note 4.

View gallery - 28 images
6 comments
6 comments
Steve Gaudreault
I'm so torn between choosing between the two. I love my Note 3 but can't stand the locked bootloader. I've been wanting the Nexus android feel but also love my S-pen. Wish I could have both!!
JohnM99
Some knee jerk reactions: 1. With my eyesight, I still think bigger is better. So I like that about the Nexus-6. 2. Speed is king. Since they both use the same processor, that should be identical. 3. I always like more storage. The Nexus-6 has no SD card slot. So if I got a Nexus 6, it would have to be the 64 GB version, which is more expensive. I don’t know how the price of the 64GB Nexus-6 compares with the price of a Note 4 plus a fast SD card. 4. I have a Note-2 but have never taken advantage of the pen. I always think that someday I will. I’ve read it works better on the 4 than the 2 or 3. 5. I’d rather buy from USA (Motorola/Google) than Korea (Samsung).
Hummm….. Curious response on my part, #3 bothers me. On the plus side for the SD, it’s far easier to load/change the SD since I can pull it out of the phone and plug it into my computer and load/change it at lighting speed, and then plug it back into the phone. My 20 GB of music still takes a while to load – but is way way faster than working through the USB port. Plus I can see what all is on the card (like old pictures wasting space) and I can delete/move things on the card or between the card and my PC easily using standard PC tools the way I’m used to working -- Windows Explorer and SpaceMan99 in my case. Doing that from the phone is a pain as far as I’m concerned. That said, on the plus side for no SD, all the software tends to automatically load onto and work easiest with the built-in memory. But this has not been a big problem for me. In the end, I still heavily favor the flexibility of the SD card. So I’d go for the Note-4. One guy's crazy logic.
Lewis M. Dickens III
Will, I never cease to be amazed by your methodical and clean and clear breakdowns for comparisons. They are the best! No question about that.
Being an Architect, I tend to think that people should be in the equation so if I may, I'd like to suggest that your hand be displayed holding the phones in one of the comparisons. While I don't know your size or the size of your hand at least it would show how much "finger" would be left remaining. If Samsung says that one hand will work, what does that mean? It might be wonderful to use a stylus that transforms into different nibs.
Thanks for all your immaculate work.
Bill Dickens
phissith
I didn't know note 4 comes with 64GB, also where can I buy $700 Note 4, lol I like to know!!
Josh Hakala
Your comparison is somewhat biased toward the Note 4. There is no mention of the Nexus 6 hardware/software features that the Note 4 does not have but you are quick to point out the ones the Note 4 has which the Nexus does not.
Just to name a few features that the Nexus has that the Note lacks: - Wireless charging - Double tap to wake screen - "Okay Google" when the screen is off, to issue commands - Trusted devices - USB 3.0 (Note 4 has 2.0)
Trusted devices is a big one; if you have a Bluetooth device connected to your phone that is "trusted", there really is no need for a fingerprint scanner. You should have explained that contrast.
Also, another misleading piece of information you provide is the depth comparison. Yes, the Nexus 6 is over 10mm at its widest point, however, it tapers down to under 4mm on parts of the edges. If you have held the 2013/2014 Moto X, you would understand how it can make the device feel much better/smaller in hand. I would not be surprised if the Nexus 6 feels better in hand compared to the Note 4 because of this.
sshahbazi
Josh Hakala: I agree with you on USB 3.0, and frankly I think someone needs to get fired at Samsung for moving from USB 3.0 (that S5 and Note3 had), to 2.0. Having said that, the best way I have found to transfer data to/from an S5/Note3 is by plugging the sd card into my laptop which has an sdxc compatible slot, as it is faster than the USB 3.0 port that those devices have.
Note4, like Note3 and S5, does have wireless charging capability as long as you have a compatible back cover. I have S-View cases for both S5 and Note3 and they came with wireless charging connectors. I would be surprised if most OEM cases for Note4/Edge don't come with the same.
The rest of the features you mentioned have to do with the Lolipop OS and not the Nexxus 6 hardware. Note4 is expected to have an update available in a month or two, and will have all the features including trusted devices. Note4, will have TouchWiz and I know that majority of Android purists don't care for it. It is a matter of personal preference, and I actually like it. Secondly, I actually don't like Google releasing 5.0 on its own device first. Similarly, I wouldn't like it if Miscrosoft released Windows 10 next year, but only for Surface tablets.