Galaxy Note 5 vs. LG G4: What We Know So Far

We continue to see Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumors tease consumers in the United States and around the world. With those Galaxy Note 5 rumors in mind, we want to take an early look at how the device is stacking up against the LG G4, LG’s new flagship. This is our way too early Galaxy Note 5 vs. LG G4 comparison.

In 2013, LG released the LG G2. The device helped LG to assert itself as a major player in the United States and abroad thanks to its unique design, excellent camera, and outstanding battery life. It was one of our favorite smartphones of the year.

Fast forward to a year ago. LG replaced the LG G2 with an LG G3 that built on the successes of the LG G2. The LG G3 was one of our favorite smartphones of the year and a device that we’d put up against any Android smartphone including the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note.

Unsurprisingly, the company’s introduced a 2015 flagship dubbed the LG G4. The LG G4 still isn’t out but it looks like it will arrive in the next few weeks for consumers in the United States. And that means that consumers probably have their eyes on it and its competitors.

One potential suitor is the rumored Samsung Galaxy Note 5, a rumored follow up to last year’s Galaxy Note 4. The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 isn’t official but Galaxy Note 5 rumors continue to heat up as we push deeper into the year.

We’ve started to hear whispers about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 specs, Galaxy Note 5 release date and Galaxy Note 5 carriers. There are still plenty of details that remain shrouded in mystery but we have enough to make an early comparison to the new LG G4.

This early Galaxy Note 5 vs. LG G4 comparison will run down the latest Galaxy Note 5 rumors and show you how they currently compare to the LG G4. Here’s what you need to know as we push into May.

Release Date

The LG G4 is confirmed but it’s still not available in the United States. Carriers remain silent about the exact date though T-Mobile recently said that it would release the LG G4 on June 2nd. The carrier later deleted the information but it’s clear that the LG G4 release date in the US will land in early June.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 won’t be on shelves to greet it. Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy Note 5 launch date is rumored for IFA 2015 in September alongside a new Apple Watch competitor dubbed Gear A.

IFA kicks off on September 4th which means that that’s the date prospective buyers will want to circle on the calendar. Samsung typically announces its Galaxy Note around the start of IFA.

The Galaxy Note 5 release date isn’t clear. If Samsung announces at IFA then a Galaxy Note 5 release date will probably come in September or October. And if that’s the case, it will arrive around the time Apple is expected to release its iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. And it will touch down months after the LG G4 in the United States.

Carriers

The LG G4 is coming to a number of carriers in the United States. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and U.S. Cellular will all carry the LG G4 and all of them are expected to start stocking the device in June. It’s not clear if the LG G4 will make it to other carriers though with each passing day, the odds get slimmer.

Thus far, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumors have failed to establish a full list of Galaxy Note 5 carriers though we have seen signs of what to expect.

A recent report from SamMobile outlines some potential Galaxy Note 5 release details. The site says that Samsung will use model number SM-N920F for the international version of the Galaxy Note 5. The international Galaxy Note 4 model number is SM-N910x so the change is logical.

The leak also outlines several other model numbers including those for the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Verizon Galaxy Note 5.

• Galaxy Note 5 – SM-N920F EUR XX (Europe)
• Galaxy Note 5 – SM-N920S KOR SKC (Korea)
• Galaxy Note 5 – SM-N920K KOR KTC (Korea)
• Galaxy Note 5 – SM-N920A NA ATT (AT&T)
• Galaxy Note 5 – SM-N920V NA VZW (Verizon)

This all but confirms a Galaxy Note 5 release for the top two carriers in the United States and it also suggests that the Galaxy Note 5 will be coming to at least two other key markets, Europe and Korea.

So, at the very least, we should see the Galaxy Note 5 match the LG G4 with releases on AT&T and Verizon. The Galaxy Note series is know for hitting all five major carriers so there’s a good chance we’ll see it land for Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular as well.

Display

The LG G4 comes with a gorgeous 5.5-inch Quantum-HD with 2560 × 1440 resolution. It’s a large display but thankfully, it doesn’t turn the LG G4 into a monstrosity that’s difficult to grasp with one hand. It’s going to be the perfect sized screen for a lot of people.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S6 both use Quad HD resolution though we could see the Galaxy Note 5 make a jump later this year.

Galaxy Note 5 rumors suggest that Samsung is currently testing a couple different displays on the next Galaxy Note. One is a Quad HD display (1440 x 2560 pixel resolution) while the other is a Ultra HD display. UHD resolution would bring 2160 x 3840 resolution at 700+ pixels-per-inch to the Galaxy Note series.

While the technology is in development, it’s not clear if it will win out over Quad HD. Samsung may not decide until much later this year and we should see rumors out one or the other before Samsung makes its announcement.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note series has always been about the big screen and the S Pen stylus and rumors point to a screen that’s around 5.7-inches in size. If true, the size of the display will only be a little bit larger than the LG G4’s.

The latest Galaxy Note 5 rumors suggest that it will feature a flat display, like the LG G4. The company is reportedly developing a new curved Galaxy Note Edge 2 that won’t feature the same specs as the Galaxy Note 5. The device is expected to come with mid-range specs and rumors point to the use of a dual-edge screen that’s similar to the one found on the Galaxy S6 Edge.

To get familiar with Samsung’s Quad HD panels, take a look at our Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy Note 4 reviews. To get familiar with the size and resolution of the LG G4 display, take a look at our impressions. Our full review is coming soon.

Design

If you’re familiar with the LG G3, the LG G4 is going to be familiar. LG’s tweaked some things though and its flagship now comes with two design options: A leather option or a plastic option. In our time with the LG G4, we’ve preferred the leather model because it’s not as slippery as the plastic.

LG’s design also comes with other notable features: A microSD card slot for expanded storage and a removable battery. The removable battery means that the stock battery can be easily replaced. It also means that users will be able to install an extended battery for more juice. For more on the LG G4 design, take a look at the video above.

We’re still not entirely sure how the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 design will matchup but we do have some clues.

This year, Samsung delivered a brand new design language for its Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Instead of plastic, the designs utilize glass and metal. The designs are absolutely beautiful, arguably the best that Samsung’s ever released, though they do come with some tradeoffs. Namely, they lack a MicroSD card slot and come with a non-removable battery.

Samsung’s well known for keeping its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note designs under lock and key ahead of launch so we haven’t seen any big Galaxy Note 5 design leaks. That said, it sounds like Samsung likes the direction it took with its new flagships.

In recent comments made to Pocket-lint, Samsung UK’s vice president for mobile and IT Conor Pierce offered up some interesting quotes that hint at what we could see from Samsung down the road:

The company realised that it needed to do something different. We asked questions of people, what do they want? They want premium design, tick that box. They want the best camera, there you go. They want to solve battery issues. And they want choice. So I’m very confident that [the S6 and edge] materialised from what people want.

We’ve learned that bringing beautiful, premium innovations in design is what people want. I think the market needs this as well because the market has been very saturated.

I think it’s about us breaking new ground. It was a bold move to try to do something different, but if you go back to last year, we had the Note edge and you could see how well that was received. So we understand that this is what people want. They are looking for some inspiration, so yes you will see that across our portfolio.

Pierce goes on to say that future products, like the Galaxy Note 5 perhaps, could take a similar route as Samsung tries to compete with the iPhone:

What we have noticed is that typically the upgrade cycle is every 24 months because of the contracts, and people are generally offered an upgrade around six months before that.

That’s when they start to look at the phones on the market. So it’s very important that we don’t just do our best work in this current quarter. People don’t just turn up in this quarter, or July, August or September, looking for a new phone, it’s all year round.

I think the fact that we managed to deliver a new form factor with the Note, create a new category, shows the ambition to keep changing and keep innovating. Samsung puts $40 million a day into research and development, which is a massive injection of money into R&D.

In other words, we’d be very surprised if Samsung used a plastic design or faux leather design on the Galaxy Note 5. Those days appear to be over.

Camera

The LG G4’s 16MP camera is outstanding and it’s comparable to all of the top sensors on the market including the sensors found on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.

Samsung is reportedly working on new camera features in its upcoming Android 5.1.1 update. The features are unclear though rumors suggest they might have something to do with Google’s camera API.

If Google adds the full API, we could see some changes to the camera including RAW and better control over the shutter speed. With the LG G4 camera as good as it is, Samsung probably won’t sit around twiddling its thumbs.

Pierce’s comments above also hint at upgrades to the camera though the exact specifications of the Galaxy Note 5’s camera haven’t leaked out just yet. At the very least, we’d expect it to boast a 16MP camera sensor that’s on par with the sensor found in the Galaxy S6.

Processor

The LG G4 uses a 6-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and 3GB of RAM. That’s going to be enough power for most people, including power users. The Galaxy Note 5 processor is unconfirmed but it looks like Samsung will also be putting a powerful processor inside its new flagship.

A new report claims that Samsung will be using a Exynos 7422 processor inside the Galaxy Note 5. This new processor will supposedly “be the company’s first ever all-in-one solution (ePoP) as it will combine the CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, and modem on a single chip.”

Samsung’s also said to be testing another chip, a new Exynos 7430 chipset, but the CPU is still only an engineering sample and it likely won’t be ready in time for the Galaxy Note 5’s release. Samsung reportedly hasn’t decided on a final chipset but all signs point to the Exynos 7422 and not the Exynos 7430.