iPhone 6s Plus vs. Galaxy Note 4: What We Know So Far

mardi 4 août 2015

iPhone 6s Plus vs. Galaxy Note 4: What We Know So Far is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

The month of July was a busy one for the rumored iPhone 6s Plus. It was also a busy month for Samsung’s current flagship, the Galaxy Note 4. With an iPhone 6s Plus rumored to be weeks away, we want to take a look at what buyers need to know as we push into August.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 arrived at the tail end of last year, a few days after Apple released its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in the United States. Samsung’s forth-generation Galaxy Note 4 garnered excellent reviews and it remains a solid option as we move towards its first birthday in September.

The Galaxy Note 4 is expected to face increased competition this fall. Samsung’s rumored to have a Galaxy Note 5 up its sleeve for August 13th and Apple’s reportedly planning a new big screen smartphone that we’re calling iPhone 6s Plus.

iPhone 6s Plus rumors have been emerging alongside iPhone 6s rumors for several months now though July was especially busy. In July, we saw iPhone 6s Plus specs and release date details start to firm up ahead of an official announcement.

All of these iPhone 6s Plus details are going to be extremely important to those of you looking to buy a new big screen smartphone in the days ahead. And so are the Galaxy Note 4 details that we’ve gathered up over the past two weeks.

With these new Galaxy Note 4 details and iPhone 6s Plus rumors in mind, we want to take a look at what we know so far about the iPhone 6s Plus vs. Note 4. This looks at specs but it also focuses on some of the smaller details that you might have bypassed in your research.

Here’s what you need to know about the iPhone 6s Plus vs. Galaxy Note 4 as we move into August.

iPhone 6s Plus Release Date

If you’re hunting for a new phone and the Galaxy Note 4 and rumored iPhone 6s Plus are on your radar, you’re probably interested in two dates. The day that Apple’s going to announce the iPhone 6s Plus and the day that it’s going to release the iPhone 6s Plus.

iPhone 6s Plus rumors haven’t been able to pinpoint either date just yet though thanks to a series of production rumors and a U.S. carrier, we’ve been able to narrow things down a bit as we make our way into the summer.

iPhone 6s Plus rumors in late July pointed to the start of iPhone 6s Plus production. Apple’s manufacturers partners will reportedly pick things up in August. This doesn’t confirm an iPhone 6s Plus release date in September but it certainly leaves the door open.

At the end of July, we saw T-Mobile start offering a deal that allows iPhone 6 Plus buyers to upgrade to the iPhone 6s Plus before the end of the year. The offer lasts until September 8th which means that we probably won’t see the iPhone 6s Plus release date land before then.

Apple typically gets its new iPhones out before the end of its fiscal year. Apple’s fiscal year ends on September 28th which means that we could see the iPhone 6s Plus arrive to take on the Galaxy Note 4 sometime between September 8th and September 28th. It’s a broad window but it fits the profile.

Nothing is confirmed but if you’re interested in these two phones, September is the month that you should be preparing for.

iPhone 6s Plus vs. Galaxy Note 4 Specs (Rumored)

If you’ve been doing your homework then you probably know a few of the Galaxy Note 4’s important specs. It comes with a high-resolution display, octa-core processor, 16MP camera, S Pen stylus, and more.

The iPhone 6s Plus is rumored to have some new hardware on board and today we want to run down how the device compares to the Galaxy Note 4 right now. These are rumored specifications but we’ve only included the ones that are the most credible.

iPhone 6s Plus (Rumored)

5.5-inch Retina Display
Force Touch displays
A9 processor with Qualcomm chip (faster LTE, improved battery)
2GB RAM
12MP rear camera/ 5MP FaceTime camera
16/32GB // 64GB // 128GB storage
iOS 9
Design similar to iPhone 6 Plus

Galaxy Note 4

5.7-inch Quad HD display
Exynos 7 octa-core processor
3GB RAM
16MP rear camera / 5MP front-facing camera
32GB storage with microSD card slot
3,220 mAh removable battery
S Pen stylus
Android Lollipop

Analysts believe that the iPhone 6s Plus’ biggest changes will include the Force Touch display, the upgrade to 2GB of RAM from 1GB, and the changes to the iPhone’s camera. The iPhone has used a 8MP sensor for years now and its FaceTime camera has fallen behind rivals like the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S6.

We still don’t have any information about the iPhone 6s Plus’ battery though rumors do point to some battery life upgrades.

iPhone 6s Plus design rumors continue to hint at a 5.5-inch display with the same resolution as the iPhone 6 Plus. They also point to a similar design which means that we probably won’t see a microSD card slot or a removable battery.

While the iPhone 6s Plus could be slightly thicker than the iPhone 6 Plus, it’s not expected to come close to the 8.5mm Galaxy Note 4 frame.

With iPhone 6s Plus design rumors firming up, we recommend going hands-on with the Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus right now to see which one feels better in the hand and in the pocket.

Cheaper & Better Galaxy Note 4

While the iPhone 6s Plus is going to be a tempting device, it’s important to note that the Galaxy Note 4 is getting better, not worse, with age.

In July and August, we’ve seen a number of Galaxy Note 4 deals emerge. We don’t know the price of the iPhone 6s Plus (we’re guessing it’ll be $299.99 on-contract like the iPhone 6 Plus) but you can assume that it will be more expensive than the Galaxy Note 4.

We’re starting to see Galaxy Note 4 deals knock the price down. AT&T is currently offering the Galaxy Note 4 for $50 on-contract. That’s $250 off the normal price of the phone. And with a new Galaxy Note 5 on the way, we wouldn’t be surprised if more Galaxy Note 4 deals emerge before, and after, the iPhone 6s Plus release.

The Galaxy Note 4 itself is also improving thanks to new software. Earlier this week, Sprint rolled out a massive Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 update that brings fixes and enhancements to the flagship phone. For those curious, here’s the full change log:

OS upgrade to Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)
Security Enhancements
Device stability improvements, bug fixes
New and / or enhanced features
Further improvements to performance
Security fix (Stagefright)

We expect this Android 5.1.1 update to hit more Galaxy Note 4 devices in the future and it should help to make the Galaxy Note 4 a little more attractive this fall.

Carriers Making Changes

In July and August, we saw U.S. carriers make changes to the way that you’ll buy the iPhone 6s Plus and Galaxy Note 4.

AT&T is now charging $45 to activate a new phone on a two-year contract. It’s also charging a new $15 upgrade fee for AT&T Next. This will make both phones a little more expensive than you probably realized.

We’ve also heard that two-year contracts are on the outs at Verizon. A source recently told Gotta Be Mobile that the company’s recent changes to its data plans are a step in that direction. We wouldn’t be surprised if the company gets rid of them in time for the iPhone 6s Plus release.

Keep these changes in mind as we push towards the iPhone 6s Plus release.

15 Reasons Why You’ll Love the Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Durable Design

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This year, Samsung came out with a new design language that features both glass and metal. While the Galaxy Note 4 might not feature the same build materials as the Galaxy S6, there are a few reasons why we still love it.

While the faux leather back isn't as nice as the Gorilla Glass back found on the Galaxy S6 or the brushed aluminum of the iPhone 6, it is extremely durable. The metal band that runs along the sides of the phone is a nice compliment to the plastic.

The Galaxy Note 4's design also feels extremely nice in the hand. It's not slippery like the metal iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.

We've been using the phone for a number of months now and there is virtually no damage to speak of. It's not as premium as Samsung's current flagship design but it's still extremely solid and it's going to be fine for most people.