What is good about Samsung Galaxy Note 4?

The hype created by iPhone’s new 6 and 6 Plus is hardly died down, here comes its competitor Samsung launching its latest big screen phablet ‘Galaxy Note 4’, which is all set to hit the markets across the globe by this month end. Will it overshadow the equally impressive iPhone 6?

Priced at £629, which is just above iPhone’s new series, Note 4 comes in three variants - Frost white, Charcoal Black and Bronze Gold.  The greatest catch for Galaxy Note 4 lies in its striking 5.7” Quad HD Super AMOLED display along with more sensitive S Pen stylus, powerful processor and metallic design, which would kick most of its rivals to the edge.

With 1440 x 2550 Quad HD resolution having 515 per inch pixel density, Note 4 runs close to LG G3 and leaves far behind iPhone 6 Plus.

Appearance

Discarding its chrome-covered plastic edges as witnessed in previous Galaxy series, Note 4 has shimmering and sturdy metal chassis with bevelled edges. But the metal frame is prone to scratches and Note 4 did not change its cheap leather cover at its back as in the case of Note 3. The company should have used quality leather like Motorola’s Moto X or just could have used soft plastic cover to match the colour and texture.

For bright and clear images

With any smart phone coming in the market there comes an anticipation of its camera specification and Galaxy Note 4 will clearly outwit other phones in the market with its brighter and clearer images using 16MP Smart OIS rear and 3.7MP front-facing cameras. Samsung claims that the lenses can capture perfect images even in dark background.

Advanced S Pen

The latest S Pen in Galaxy S4 provides users an improvised digital writing experience thanks to its plastic nib which has 2,048 levels of enhanced pressure sensitivity. Compared to Note 2 and 3, S Pen in Note 4 makes drawing, taking screenshots, annotating and jotting down notes, a pleasurable experience.

Software and Performance

Not long ago, Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface was in total mess, but with the launch of Galaxy S5 the company has almost fixed this issue. With Note 4, the software has become simple yet powerful. Compared to Galaxy S5 and Alpha, S Health feature is more powerful with added feature in Note 4. Apart from recording walking, cycling, running, sleep, heart rate and more, the new Note 4 has an added oxygen saturation level monitor to record oxygen level in your blood and UV sensor to read on how harmful the sun is to your body. Both these facilities are placed on the back of the phone adjacent to the camera flash.

Packed with a mammoth 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor having 3GB RAM, the performance is the best among the best. Also, users will be delighted to see apps opening quickly, games super smooth and HD videos run flawlessly. However, fingerprint scanner needs improvement as sometimes it requires repeated swipes to work properly.

More work less charge

Note 4 has long battery life even after long hours of usage. One can charge up to 50 per cent in just 30 minutes. Even after 30 hours, Note 4 would consume only 15% battery charge, so with full charge one can see one through the whole day with average to heavy usage, or can be stretched to even two days of lighter usage. For emergency situation where charging is not possible, users can opt for Ultra Power Saving Mode, which not only turns the screen to grey it will also limit the users to texts, calls and email. With this mode even 10% of charge can see through a full day of light to medium usage.

Coming with the latest multi window functions offering more flexibility, one can use multiple applications at a time on a single screen.  

    

Other features

Note 4 is water proof, light in weight (176g) and thin (8.5mm). With its more added features and facilities compared to its previous three Note phones, Note 4 justifies the steep £629 price tag.

Conclusion

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 is one of the best phablets available in the market. Note 4 is far superior than other equivalent brands in the market for its high resolution screen, better OS and design and most importantly the S Pen stylus.

Though iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have undoubtedly swept the mobile markets across the globe, but for people who are particular about good and reliable operating systems with whole of apps and user-friendly software, Galaxy Note 4 will be the best bet.

Apple brings in SIM enabled iPad Air 2

Buying a SIM for your new mobile phone will become a passe soon and if one goes by the latest news from Apple’s stable, the new ‘iPad Air 2’ has come embedded with SIM, which, according to mobile network analysts, will trigger a price war among mobile operators across the globe.

Apple SIM will give the owners more freedom to choose the network and exit whenever they find a cheaper and reliable option.

The 4G-compatible iPad Air 2 has come with software-based SIM card, which nullifies the need for the multi-numbered plastic cards provided by mobile network operators to take control of their services.

With the new Apple SIM, users in the US and UK can sign up directly from the devices for services from any operators and can use the same number in different nations with different service providers.

“The Apple SIM gives users freedom to select any short-term plans from selected carriers in the UK and US from their iPad,” Apple said on its website.

The SIM provides subscribers’ unique IDs and carry out the encrypted authentication number to the network of that identity.

In the UK and US most of the phones sold are locked to a particular network, hence customers have to stick to a particular service provider even though they want to end their contract early. The software-based SIM by Apple may end the phone locking practice.

Owners with new iPad Air 2 can choose short term data plans with any mobile phone provider and shift to others when needed, which means a long contract is going to go soon.

Presently, a few mobile phone operators have recognised Apple’s new technology, which includes EE from the UK and AT&T, Sprint and T-mobile from the US.

The new SIM technology could give more freedom for customers allowing them to switch networks on-the-go, if they find a network with better service at lower cost.a

Loss of iMessages! Apple finds a way

Apple has recently unveiled a new tool in its website to help users who wish to shift from iOS to other smartphones. The new web tool allows one to de-register their mobile number instantly from Apple's iMessage system. Apple was criticised by users for disappearing text messages after they changed their devices.

Many ex-iPhone users had complained earlier that they did not receive text messages from their friends and relatives. The issue was due to Apple routing the texts through iMessage even after the users switched over to other devices. Since iMessage is used only on Apple's platforms, users who changed from iOS but failed to disable iMessage wouldn't see messages sent with Apple devices. 

Users who experienced the problem had only one solution - they should deregister the old device from Apple accounts.

But with the new web tool, one should enter the phone number to be uncoupled from Apple's iMessage system. Apple then would send a confirmation code. The user should type it in the browser window and he will be free from the issue.

This tool is not useful for those who don't switch devices, but for people who often change SIM cards to different devices. The new tool will make the transition smoother. The company faced a lot of criticisms from former iPhone users when they reported disappearing of iMessages with some of them even filing case against Apple.

Beware! Your free mobile app may spy on you

Security experts have warned against downloading free apps, as they said, some of them are designed to spy on mobile users to steal their personal ID and other sensitive data.

Daily Mail, in its latest report quoting technology experts, said millions of mobile users are prone to be spied by free apps they installed on their phones.

The report said flashlight apps, which turn devices into torch, can secretly record sensitive personal details of the mobile owners. 

Vital information such as phone location, owners and their contacts and also text messages are mapped by these apps to be delivered to advertising agencies and market research firms to understand users’ shopping habits, experts claimed.

They also warned that such apps could be made by criminals, identity thieves and hackers to steal personal data which could be used to access their bank accounts and other personal information.

Most popular flashlight apps for Android smartphones are Super-Bright LED Flashlight, Tiny Flashlight+LED and Brightest Flashlight Free.

Gary Miliefsky, founder of cyber-security firm SnoopWall, advised the US government against such apps. He said customers don’t realise that these programmes could be much more than simply used as torch lights.

To escape legal wrangles, app makers write warnings that data will be passed on to third parties, inside the lengthy terms and conditions, which hardly anyone reads. However, the threat does not apply to the in-built flashlight.

American watchdog The Federal Trade Commission had earlier upheld a complaint against a flashlight app that it had failed to inform the customers that information was being sent to advertisers.

Google, which has made Android and online store for getting apps, refused to comment on individual apps but said they remove apps that violate their policies.

G3 boosts smartphone sales for LG

Driven by a strong demand for its flagship G3 and cheaper L series phones, LG Electronics' phone sale has gone up to a record 16.8 million in the third quarter of this fiscal.

In contrast to the fellow South Korean counterpart Samsung Electronics, which has projected 60 per cent fall of revenue due to sluggish demand, LG has reported increase in operating profit in the third quarter as the sales went up to 39 per cent year-on-year, due to high demand for its G3 and cheaper L series phones - L Fino and L Bello.

Yoon Bu-hyun, LG's chief of mobile division, said, "The market response for G3 has been good... and we expect that smartphone market to grow continuously, especially for LTE."

LG is currently preparing to roll out G Flex, a curved-screen smartphone, Yoon informed without giving further details.

"G3 has proven its worth in terms of competitiveness against several high end mobiles including Samsung's Galaxy S5. This has boosted the expectation for LG’s next big ticket release - G4," said an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities in Seoul.

LG is believed to have sold about 4 million G3 sets compared to 5 million sets of Galaxy S5 in the same period, which is pretty less compared to Galaxy S3 and S4.

The global demand for LTE smartphones will reach 63 billion from 43 billion in 2015, with emerging markets making the most of it.

LG's net profit stood at 203 billion won with revenue reaching at 14.92 trillion won in the quarter.

IRB to ban players using mobile phones during Rugby World Cup

Rugby players and officials participating in the World Cup scheduled next year in England will not be allowed to carry mobile phones during match days, as International Rugby Board is planning to enforce a blanket ban on using the gadgets.

The move, according to sources, is aimed at protecting the tournament from match-fixing or corruption claims.

In the recently held IRB regulations committee meeting the issue was discussed and members understood to have agreed that both match officials and players should not be allowed to use mobile phones even for texting during match days. Members also discussed ways and means to monitor the betting pattern.

Addressing media, Alan Gilpin, head of the Rugby World Cup, said, "The ban of mobile phones is under consideration. The move is in line with protecting the integrity of the game. It is the matter of taking preventive measures before anything untoward happens.”

IRB’s 2012 regulations put some strictures on players and officials on betting and sharing confidential information about match/matches to anyone including their family members.

Denying that the ban of mobile phones on players and officials will be overly draconian, Brett Gosper, chief executive of the IRB said: "We don't want to be anything draconian on players or put some strictures on their basic mobile phone use, but we don’t want to take any risks in the gambling and corruption areas."

Isle of Man to get first 5G network in world

When many countries are still struggling to have 4G network, the Isle of Man, a Celtic island situated in the Irish Sea, will get world’s first 5G phone connectivity, which is 100 times faster than 4G.

Home to around 81,000 inhabitants, the Island administration has plans to launch the next generation mobile technology in 2016, according to International Business Times.

The island, under the direct control of British Crown, has been chosen for 5G network for many reasons. Credited with a good telecom infrastructure, the upcoming International Centre for Technology, a university backed by the Manx Educational Foundation, Huawei and HP, is likely to speed up the process.

Speaking to media, Huawei's CEO Ken Hu acknowledged that 5G would be 100 times faster than 4G, the speediest network possible at the moment.

The Department of Economic Development of the isle, which is backing the initiative, said the testing is going as per the schedule.

Earlier, the island was used by Spanish wireless carrier O2 as a 3G testing zone.

LG launches AKA phones with mood faces

South Korean consumer electronics giant LG has launched a new handset for youth called ‘LG AKA’. Though pricing and availability of the new phone outside South Korea are not immediately known, the company has provided the specs of the new handset.

As per the firm's blog post on its social website, some of the features of the Android 4.4 KitKat-based LG AKA are 5-inch IPS display with HD (720x1280 pixels) resolution, quad-core 1.2GHz processor with 1.5GB RAM, 8-MP rear and 2.1MP front-facing cameras and 16GB inbuilt storage with microSD card expandability. 

Available in four different cover cases (yellow, white, blue and pink), they partially bar the display area and provide animated eyes on the screen. The available portion tells about the battery status and notification details to users. Company sources said, all the four cases portray different-styled eyes depicting different moods.

Powered by a 2610mAh battery, the handset weighs 135.5 grams and has connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0, 4G LTE, AGPS, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS and USB 2.0.

LG KizON wristband to track children

In the blog post LG also claimed that it has started rolling out KizON wristband across Europe. KizON is a device designed for parents to help track their primary and pre-school children. The wearable band was launched in July targeting only customers across South Korea. 

The company, in its third quarter review notification, announced introducing KizON to European and North American countries. The price details, the company said, would be announced locally.