We should start a petition for Samsung to bring back the leather backing. Each like on the video = one signature. please like the video and subscribe and comment and favorite and follow me and-
You kidding me that 16 megapixel still looks better than most photos I take today. At least better than most phones that I can afford today with supposedly better camera
"7 years later" That really hit me. I was in elementary school when this phone came out, and really wanted it. The screen and design captivated me, and I remember wanting it so bad. I ended up getting it in 2017 as a backup phone, and I loved it. The screen and cameras were definitely my favorite parts, along with clean design with metal frame. Good times.
@BaconFaceMcGee I got one with my dad when they released to upgrade my very broken and used Galaxy S3. It was glorious at the time. I don't know if I can resist buying one right now.
Of all the phones I have owned (quite a few), I loved my Note 4 the most. The removable back and replaceable battery were HUGE selling points for me. Stylus was good considering 2014's standards. As time went on, software aged pretty crappily. But I would argue that the screen is almost as good as that of my current S8. The Note 4 was my first phone and will forever remain legendary.
This thing was a beast. My girl had one while I had the G3. This was such a good year for phones. Also, it’s the year my first kid was born, so I might be a little biased.
@@Garrettdx1988 I would say it's a tie. Note 4 was better spec'ed than LG G3, but LG G3 is much better supported by open source android. Even today, LG G3 is fully supported by LineageOS, where as Galaxy Note 4 was even never adopted by LineageOS (yes there are unofficial lineageOS rom for Note 4, but these are full of bugs and difficult to work with).
Let me tell you something Josh your presentation and videos your video quality is so good and the fact that you were so factual about everything you talk about makes such a good video always looking forward to the next video thank you for the Great content man
Zion, I agree. I'm new to this channel, but turns out I'd subscribed some time back and just don't remember. But honestly, the frame of reference Josh uses is so superior to all the big channels like Marques and Linus and Lew and a Slew of others who prioritize movie studio cinematography and annoying fan boyism to every single thing they do, and it's all for monetization, to push something good about every single device they review, which gives owners of whatever phones they're pushing a confirmation bias and hits of satisfactory dopamine to assure them they made good purchases. I will say that Marques is a major cut above all the A-listers because he's mature enough now to be quite thoughtful and sobering at times and calling out bad design or functionality when he sees it. BUT -- at the same time he's completely in that framework of "always gotta have the newest, and newest is always better" and just over-amplifying the whole industry marketing scheme that badgers people into feeling like they are losers or missing out if your phone is over a year old, which a huge disservice, extremely elitist, and very PRO MONEY, aligned with all the tech bro's and their $125k to $250k annual salaries which gives them forever spending power to always grab the latest and greatest. By contrast I really was amazed by Josh's more honest and non-market-driven phrasings that convey the true and accurate context that pretty much everything today is just derivative, whether they are making incremental or significant spec changes and upgrades: it's still the same basic experience. Browse web, message people, shoot images & videos, maybe edit your photos, and use all your favorite dumbass social media apps... which is to say, I could give a sh*t about all these latest and greatest breathless reviewers and the phones they are selling for youtube monetization and social cache being up on everything that's new. Someone who comes at this from a more baseline sense of normalcy and, dare I say it, maybe even frugality, is far more valuable than people having to be seen as hawking every little Apple "triumph" as though the world has turned because of some upgrade to their earbuds. I think American consumer culture is vapid and venal. Most people have far more quality and specs that they could ever even begin to differentiate let alone USE in a meaningful way. ... sorry for verbosity but that's what I call a rock solid review without hype or feeding consumerism.
I still have this in perfect condition, and I dont think Ill ever be able to sell it. Its basically still perfectly usable for basic use, and the screen is still exceptional even by today's standards.
Made in 2014 and watching this vid in 2022. Eight good years and still rocking. I use it non-stop due to replaceable battery. Easily replacing battery when it runs low and I am instantly back to business. After Note 4 things went south.
The galaxy note 4 is really one of my all time favorite galaxy devices (other than the flaming note 7). It was such a well all around phone. The chamfered aluminum edge, faux leather backing. It was elegant yet edgy in a sense. that’s one phone that I would love to see Alderney take on
The Note 5 is also an good (and a bit more available) equivalent compared to the Note FE (which wasn't very well regarded after the Note 7 incidents, despite the FE using a lower battery similar to the S7's battery) being made after the S6 design with the usual Note features. Or for even more classy action, a Note 2 or 3 (I have the LTE variant of the Note 2, hairline crack level of damage to the glass that also goes almost unnoticeable.) should do well, although watch out as Kitkat is a royal pain in the butt in getting apps to work these days, to the point where I'd recommend a custom ROM (mind you, Note 2 and the S3 were the first Samsung phones to dethrone the swiss army knife that was the HTC HD2!) to get things done properly, and definitely nothing lower than at least Lollipop.
I bought a repackaged Note 4 in 2015. And, amazingly, I still use it to this day. Honestly, I'm amazed at that Note 4. I used it all this time without any screen protection or shell and it went through many, many falls. From small to 6 meters. The scratches on the screen still remain barely noticeable and do not hinder any media use. One of the things that made me choose this phone back in 2015 was that it had a removable battery. This was a great feature. I've changed the battery 2 or 3 times to push the phone further in time and it worked great. Honestly, it's was a great phone. Concerning the fingerprint sensor, it's indeed weird to use, but a weird quirk I've noticed over the years is that, no one was able to unlock my phone with my fingers. The movement required by the sensor is so specific that people fail to unlock it.
@@hoichiman2385 i still have mine too, but I feel like the built in SSD is getting slow or tired lol. i'm using a custom ROM and i find after reboots it takes quite a while before all my apps show up. I think my phone needs a nap after 7 years :|
Still using it for 5 years and still going strong, best phone i ever had! it have all features that even modern phones don't have... spare battery in my pocket and IR for remote control is the main reason i still using and don't plan change it... maybe i would if i ever find phone with better features...
As a Samsung tech , I am using a custom software upgrade on my note 4 with it running android 7.0 N, and I upgraded the rear camera and I am using a 3500ma battery! Runs great , better now than ever . 👍 great video! 👍
Still using mine, the best samsung ever made... newer samsung phones all lost features compared to the note 4 ...also it is very usefull as a universal ir remote
I just broke my third one, after I bought 2 new 3rd part batteries and then the screen slowly faded to black and just wouldn't turn back on. I wanted to get another but people want too much money $150-$270. I got a note 8 for $250. I'd still rather have the note 4
@@hallmonitor98 thats too bad mate. I think a lot of people are holding on to them because there are no real upgrades when it comes to the specific feature set on the note 4. Is it the eu or the us version of the phone? Wouldnt surprise me if samsung made their phones even in 2014 in such a way that they would die after x amount of hours of use. It is a way to common practice with any electronics
Still have my note 4 for work, with custom firmware it's super fast, everything works and the fact that you can just replace the battery when it's empty is irreplaceable
Soon I'll be buying a note 9 the note 4 used to be a huge dream phone for me... when the note 9 was the latest now I'm getting a note 9 I'm so exited its gonna be the best day of my life
I recommend wait for the note 20 when it gets a bit cheaper. When u use my dads note nine to do things for him I can feel and see the diffence straight away. The only thing separating the two that might be must have for some users is the headphone jack, but the 120hz and inscreen fingerprint scanner is a good trade off.
I still use my Note 4 Edge in 2021. It does everything I need from a phone and I can carry eclxtra batteries around with me. So always got enough juice.
My dad actually uses my old note 4 to this day. I used it for two years then my sister used it for 2 years and now he has used it for nearly a year. It the single most durable phone I've ever used. After a new battery my dad was ready to go with it. Single best phone ever made by samsung.
nice to see Some one doing a review on of the great old phones,, was a sensational phone at the time, the S PEN is only a gimmick, until you know how to really use it,, currently I got the note 10 plus,, use the S PEN 99 percent of the time
I was using this phone until last year. Mid last year I finally got that EMMC issue that plagued the device earlier in its life. I ended up just waiting for a while without a phone and got me a Samsung S20 FE 5G. I love my new phone and don't have a complaint about it, but I do miss the S Pen that is standard with the note. I like that I can charge my buds with my phone. I spend days out fishing and camping, and that power share feature has been really nice. I don't take my battery banks on the boat with me, I leave them ashore at camp. I even charged my sister's phone for her. I love new tech, haha
I got the Note 4 at launch in 2014 and loved it. It had literally everything that made a phone great - a headphone jack, microSD card slot, removable battery, and great camera. Sadly it died a horrible death in Guam when saltwater intrusion killed the motherboard despite having the phone in an allegedly waterproof pouch. I use a Note 9 now and Samsung has lost their way. Now the Note line is dead and nothing out there can replace it.
I had the Note 4 for 3 years. It was great. I dropped it and killed something internally. I now have the Note 9 since it came out. I will keep this phone as it is paid off and newer phones are only a minimal upgrade.
My 15 year old brother still uses a Samsung Galaxy note 4 in 2021 and he still likes it and I did get the battery replaced for him and now he is happy with his phone in 2021
This was the first phone I ever purchased. I was a senior in highschool. Had a red s3 I got as a gift for like 2 years before hand. I miss my note 4. I absolutely loved it. I kept it all the way to me getting my s8 after my axon 7 battery swole up. It still worked. It finally fell into my recliner without me knowing one night and I crushed the screen in the recliner arm.
i remember someone getting a Note 3 way back when they were brand new. damn how times have changed now seeing note 4 considering outdated. time does really fly
Lol. I'm still using my Note 4. I bought it used 6 years ago. Still works for me. I have replaced the battery several times. I am looking for a newer phone now. My Note 4 randomly shuts off even when it has full power. It's slow at times and occasionally freezes up. I've definitely loved the phone.
I'm still using mine today. I never upgraded the software and it still supported by all modern daily apps. I just changed the battery to a high capacity that lasts for a week. I did get a nice S20 present but I still went back to my note 4.
I can't even tell you how much I wish they remake this. With the newest chipset, android version, updated full body display, but with the same key design. They can make the back glasstic for all I care but I would love to have the battery replaceable. Also SD Card and 3.5mm is a must
Honestly despite the lack of software support it’s still probably a good phone. If you can root it it’s still gonna be a great phone that can pass for the basics...
I have 2 mint white AT&T models and they're just about useles besides for a camera. We couldn't download any apps and unfortunately the AT&T version isn't rootable. It would be awesome if i could use them because I have 6 batteries and an external charger.
I'm still using this phone in the UK. The only way this is possible is because of the replaceable battery like you said. I love the IR blaster, I use it at work all the time (I'm a teacher, we have projectors in every classroom and the lights in every room are also controlled by IR remotes, but there's almost never a remote there when you need it). I'd love a better camera and faster performance, but can't bring myself to give up the replaceable battery if I move to a newer Samsung (note or S21 ultra). It feels like such a waste of money for a new phone where the battery will die long before the hardware. If the S21 ultra had a replaceable battery, I'd probably have paid out for the 512gb version by now!
None of the top comments say this (even though if I hit latest I might see other people saying this), but: I had a hunch that the “strange” front camera count might have been exactly 1440p resolution and yep: 2560 * 1440 = 3,686,400 ≈ 3.7M. TBH I kinda like this, your frame output is exactly what the sensor is seeing, there’s no cropping or downscaling or interpolation or anything. If they’d interpolated up to 4M for stills while keeping video at 1440p it would likely have looked way softer than the actual 3.7M. So yeah. Pretty sweet.
I own 4 Note 4's. It allows me to multitask and never get slow down plus I can use different phones for different things one for business one for traveling for pleasure. You can get a brand new one really cheap so when the old one starts not performing well it's easy to throw away and buy another one. It's a great phone everything about is great that's about it
I had this phone and the back was awsome. This phone was one of my best phones when I also got the note 5 but it was a lovable phone. The ringtones on the phone were also my favorite thing because this phone had very nice ringtones and my ringtones that were set were peaceful strum, pure tone, chime, sea breeze and crossing a river. But I loved it so much.
I still have the phone and it's really working very very well except for the battery that I changed recently. I use it interchangeable with note 10. I prefer the note 4's aspect ratio for a reason, and the S-pen in the hand feels better too
I remeber doing a memo for my aunt, who insisted using a fax, I was like just write down what you want on the word Document and then converted to PDF so she could signature, then had it emailed to who she wanted sent, thT only took 3 min, all from my note 4. 😊 📝
"don't buy the note 4" Really? This is one of the only real options for people who want repairability over form. I'm running an S5, but this has 1gb more ram and a faster CPU, so this makes sense.
Note 4 is nice, but it was Galaxy Note 2 that really blew me away when I got it in 2013. Note 4 was modest improvement over Note 2. I use both Note 2 and Note 4 still to this day. Only thing that prevents these two phones from being my primary phone is that radio has become outdated and reception is poor with only one or two viable LTE bands. Note 4 to me was pinnecle of samsung smart phone design. I used some later samsung phones, but that glass sandwich/non removable battery was major backward step in design.
Really accurate review, and this is coming from someone who has STILL NOT UPGRADED from the Note 4!! (Some of us are both way too broke and way too happy with our 2014 technology by comparison, lol. My boyfriend paid off his S9 in 2020, and has been wanting to flush it down the toilet since he first bought it.) Even if I could upgrade right now, I'm not sure I want to... subsequent models have seemed pretty substandard - or at worst, literally explosive - and are missing too many things I love about the Note 4. You are 100% right on the battery thing, which I solved by getting two spares and an external charger. The camera quality really isn't good in low light, but as another commenter mentioned, that can be adjusted manually if you have a moment to do it. My only major complaint is not the phone's fault: the fact that EVERYTHING requires a minimum of Android 7 now!! The only upgrade I would maybe consider is the Note 20, since I could still use my 60 GB SD card in it - but I can't switch out the battery, and there's no headphone jack (having to choose between plugging in either the phone OR the aux cable instead of both while on a long drive isn't an appealing option). Just my 80 cents as a pretty satisfied Note 4 user in 2022. Thanks for this video! P.S. Duracell makes a Note 4 battery that is a BEAST, and I've used it as my primary battery for about three years. Lasts twice as long as the proprietary Samsung batteries, which I keep around as emergency spares with the charger.
It was one of the best samsung smartphones ever made , I still got my Galaxy note 4 as a souvenir . I love the design. The screen, in my opinion, is still looking very good . The leather texture back looks very cool ( at least for me). The camera still performs very well for a 2014 smartphone. The SD card slot is undoubtedly one of the most useful features ( I hate the fact that samsung stopped SD card expansion for their S series lineup) Samsung was killing the competition back in the days. The only downside of it was the software. Touchwiz was so buggy, but samsung learned how to fix their software experience and perfected it with One Ui . Wish I could see samsung reusing this phone with some new hardware and software updates it would be awesome 👌
If my Note 4 didn’t give out at 2020, I wouldn’t have replaced my phone. I recently got it replaced and now I’m using it again along side my new phone. I really love this phone.
I had the Note 4 from early 2015-early 2017, for most of the run it was a great experience. Although from late 2016 till I upgraded to the Galaxy S7 in early 2017 the Note 4 was starting to show its age with some minor hicups starting to become more noticable. the best part of the Note 4 experience was the stylus and the size of the screen for RU-vid video viewing plus reg internet browsing. Like you said for its time it was great but I couldnt see myself really utilizing it in early 2020s(or even late 2010s).
I always thought of the s-pen as a gimmick but now that LG quit making phones I went back to Samsung and I got a Note 20.Using it for 6 months I LOVE the s-pen and write notes and lists all day and it's great not looking for pen and paper like I used to.They are now saying the Note will come back and I hope so because I just started using them.
This was a really great review. I squeezed every bit of life out it with multiple battery replacements. I shot a lot of night time street life videos using it, and I think that camera deserves a lot more credit than you've given it. With manual exposure control dialing the brightness was down, you got amazingly accurate color and very dramatic lighting from stop lights and other color lights like at concerts. I loved that stylus and notes capability. As for the back, to me I never really cared one ay or another because I always used a case... But I will say that I always liked that flexible hard snap when pressing the cover back onto the phone in several places. Agree re Samsung's lack of OS updates. Again, that ugly teal and aqua color combination was just putrid to me, but I've always used Nova Launcher which has always done a great job bringing the look & feel and functionality of newer Android versions, extending the "moderness" of the Note 4. The most interesting thing about your review was the total lack of nostalgia (whereas your S3 review dripped with it) -- which is a welcome change from easily 20 or more reviews over past 5 years from different channels touting it for how well it holds up... many many people here, on XDA and on reddit STILL proclaiming "the best phone Samsung ever made" and "the best phone i've ever owned". When I upgraded finally to the Note 9, everything was a way better experience expect for one big thing: The Note 9's screen glass curves around the edges make it extremely hard to tap items that hug the sides of the screen... The Note 4 was far superior and I dont' know how the Note 9's curved edges ever made it past user testing.
I'm a note guy, had a note 3, 4, 9 and now on the S22 Ultra, the S-Pen is just part of why I love the phones, Watching my Co-Driver sign paperwork and email it back to work was the reason I got rid of my iPhone 5c and never looked back
I'm watching this on a Note 4, yes I'm still using it as my main phone, and yeah it's kinda terrible, can be very slow at times and apps crash all the time (especially Twitter), and some apps aren't available at all on Android 6 (like SONOS). I have replaced the battery twice. Will upgrade to S22 Ultra as soon as it launches, can't wait!
I think that if you would show to a senior a Samsung galaxy s21 and a Galaxy a71, she would say they are on the same price, because nowadays expensive phones doesn't look premium at all, and they look the same as the cheap ones, good old times.
I've just bought one virtually brand new refurbished it cost £99.99 i love it ive never had one before and I wanted to try one out! I love the display and it's better built than modern Samsung's and it don't feel as cheap I will use it for a while and see how i go with it here in the UK in November 2021.😎
@@OmPrakash-pc1ec Yeah but at that point your battery would be dead in 2 years. Probably because of Android of the era being bloated trash and the hardware producing too much heat, and the smaller size of batteries/phones. I trust the battery on my S20 FE is going to last me 4 years easily tho.
@@Generationalwealth94 removable battery is alsl helpful if your phone is stuck or something like that, that has saved me a lot of times, but anyways cases like these dont happen a lot and if making the battery unremovable help with improving the feel of the phone etc, I stand with non removable back
Best phone ever. I had it from launch until it started lagging in 2018 or so. Bought an S9+ afterwards. Realized the mistake I made ( one a note user, you can't back step to an S series) and waited amd bought the Note 20 Ultra for tne 5G compatibility. Always wanted Samsung to make a Galaxy Note 4 FE. Basically the note 4 with today's internal specs. I am very happy though with my Note 20 U
Watching on my Note 3 bought in 2018. Looking to upgrade to the Note 10+ but I'll really miss it. Never had a case or screen protector yet I've dropped it a couple times not a single crack! Faux leather backs need a comeback.
One of my favourite phones ever. It stopped working in 2018, I went on holiday with it and it was quite hot, about a month after it began to automatically power off 😔. Loved the display on this thing
I miss all of the camera features that these old galaxy phones had. No idea why Samsung went away from then. In particular really enjoyed using both front facing and rear camera at the same time while recording video.
This is actually the phone that soured me on Samsung. I got it as a hand-me-down from my mom when switching carriers back in 2015 and was my first "real" smartphone that wasn't made by Alcatel or Pantech. Less than a year later I was sick of Samsung's UI, heat issues, constant reboots and terrible battery life eventually saving up for an LG G3 and haven't gone back. Currently rocking the LG Wing. Maybe i'll give Samsung another chance now that LG is gone but who knows.
My first smartphone was an iPhone 4 (back in 2011) . I've used it for 3 years. In 2014 I decided that I wanted to go Android and I bought the Samsung Note 4. I bought it in December. By April the display was dead. The repair took some time and while I was waiting I've went back to my iPhone 4. I continued using my Note 4 till 2018, when the display died again. At that time I also had serious battery problems (the phone would die when it reached 50% of battery). I bought a new official battery and two week after I was having the same problem. When the display died the last time (January of 2018) I used my iPhone 4 for 2 months before buying an iPhone X. I had so many problems with that Samsung Note 4 and I am someone who takes really good care of my devices. And let's not talk about the shitty software support. The front camera was really bad (it would stretch your forehead).
My personal opinion on updates is this - 3 to 4 years is perfect anymore it may start to slow the device down as the older hardware may or may not be able to keep up with the demands of the newer version of the OS.
Loved that phone. Had to upgrade to a Note8 because of the aged batteries. The replacement batteries I had bought separately were aged because they were sitting in a warehouse for several years. Oh do I miss Action-Memo. There is NOTHING like it on any device. SAMSUNG! Bring Back Action-Memo!!!
