With the release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last month, Apple got a bit of a head start on the competition for the device-heavy fall update season, but Samsung isn't letting timing get in the way of releasing one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year: the Galaxy Note 4.
Samsung's newest phone is rumored to get a release date announcement during Google's event this Wednesday, but little has been confirmed about what's coming down the pipe. The larger 6 Plus would be a fitting rival to the Note 4, so we'll concentrate on that comparison. Let's take a look at how the two stack up head-to-head just in time for tomorrow's event.
Hardware
The Galaxy Note 4 is powered by a 2.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor while the iPhone 6 Plus sports a smaller 1.4 GHz dual-core ARMv8-A. The Note 4 also blows away the iPhone with its 3 GB of RAM while the iPhone 6 Plus only has 1 GB.
As for storage, Apple's apprehension of removable storage restricts the iPhone series to 16GB, 64GB, or 128GB versions, while the Galaxy Note 4 comes standard with either a 16GB or 32GB version, expandable to 128GB and anywhere in between, thanks to microSDXC support.
Design
The Note 4 is around five millimeters shorter and one millimeter narrower than the iPhone 6 Plus, but the Apple product is more than a full millimeter thinner, where it counts. The Samsung phone uses its size more efficiently, though, with a bigger screen in a smaller package.
Display
The iPhone 6 Plus has the larger of the two displays in the iPhone 6 line, right at 5.5 inches, but the Samsung product's 5.7-inch display makes a difference, especially when you consider its Quad HD Super AMOLED, 515 ppi resolution over the iPhone's 401 ppi density.
Software
The software is really where the iPhone 6 Plus outshines the Samsung product. With a brand new OS made specifically for this new phone's launch, the iPhone's iOS 8.0 outperforms the older Android 4.4.4 Kitkat version found on the Note 4. And knowing Android's track record of updating its devices, who knows how long it will be before the Note gets the new Android L update?
Camera
In a recent survey of more than 6,000 of its readers, PhoneArena found that just under 43% of those polled chose the Note 4's pictures as superior while a little more than 22% chose the iPhone 6's photos. This is thanks to the Samsung device's 16 MP camera versus the iPhone 6 Plus' 8 MP camera.
Battery
The iPhone 6 Plus' improved 2915 mAH battery is no match for the Samsung phone's 3220 mAH battery, although actual endurance tests have yet to be seen between the two.
Price
The iPhone 6 Plus retails for $300 (16GB), $400 (64GB), and $500 (128GB) with a two-year contract, while you're looking at $750 (16GB), $850 (64GB), and $950 (128GB) with no contract. The Note 4 is estimated to cost $900 with no contract on its 16 GB base model.
Overall, most critics rate the Note 4 far above the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. Once the Note 4 actually releases in the U.S., we'll be able to see more accurate comparisons. If the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 garners enough attention before launch, it might have a chance to beat the more popular iPhone's three-day sales record of 10 million units sold.
