On August 13, as expected, Samsung officially unveiled the next iteration of its Galaxy Note phablet lineup, with the Galaxy Note 5.
While Samsung’s event is technically still going on right now, many publications have already had their hands-on time with the handset, and have obviously taken away a few key details and first impressions of the upcoming handset, which is set to launch on August 21. Many point out that the Galaxy Note 5 is a combination of the Note 4 and the Galaxy S6, in good ways, but also with the lack of a removable battery and microSD card slot, it may not be the perfect handset for everyone.
Take a look at the hands-on roundup below. What do you think of the Galaxy Note 5?
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Engadget
“Don’t get me wrong: The Note 5 is still far from a perfect device. There’s no expandable memory slot in case the 32GB or 64GB options just aren’t spacious enough, and most of the tweaks and changes we’ve seen here won’t be game changers for plenty of people. Still, the blend of handsomely crafted hardware, a great screen and way to use the S Pen almost immediately make the Note 5 the most impressive Note phone I’ve ever played with.“
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CNET
“It’s true that the Galaxy Note 5 fails to take us as far as the Note 4 did over the Note 3, but this also reveals a bias that we expect each new iteration to wildly outperform its predecessor. The Note 5 seems 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.“
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The Verge
“The Note 5’s camera is the same 16-megapixel unit with OIS as found on the S6, and its 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display has the same quad HD resolution. The screen is the same size as the Note 3 and Note 4 — apparently Samsung has settled on 5.7 inches as being the right size for its Note phones — but the overall dimensions of the phone are smaller in every way compared to last year’s phone. It’s ever so slightly shorter, narrower, and thinner than the Note 4, and that’s evident when you pick it up and try to navigate it with one hand. The ergonomics are also aided by the curved back, which makes it easier to rest the phone in your palm. The Note 5 is still a large phone, without a doubt, but it feels less like one than ever before.“
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Android Central
“In my brief time with the Galaxy Note 5, I can already see how it’ll simultaneously draw new consumers into the large phone category, while also turning off more than a few fans of the removable battery and SD card that have so far defined the Note series. That being said, this seems to be the direction Samsung is going with its new devices — and the unification of the Galaxy S and Note lines has its own upsides.“
Based on these quick hands-on impressions of the Galaxy Note 5, are you considering this as your next daily driver?
