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Galaxy Note 4: 5 Features this Galaxy Note 3 Owner Wants

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is due this fall, and thanks to an overflow of Galaxy Note 4 rumors and loose-lipped Samsung executives we have a good idea about what to expect. After using the Galaxy Note 3 for nine months there are specific upgrades that I want to see when the Galaxy Note 4 release arrives.

After dominating the large Android smartphone space for years, the Galaxy Note 4 faces a tougher opponent thanks to a 5.5-inch iPhone 6. Rumors show the Galaxy Note 4 screen is bigger and includes an S Pen, but the iPhone 6 could deal a blow to Samsung’s dominance in the large Android smartphone space and to the king of phablets.

The Galaxy Note 3 is a very nice smartphone, and continually one of the top smartphones to buy in 2014, but there is still room for improvement.

Here is a checklist of Galaxy note 4 features this Galaxy Note 3 owner wants.

Here is a checklist of Galaxy note 4 features this Galaxy Note 3 owner wants.

Rumors suggest the Galaxy Note 4 features include a 5.7-inch QHD display, 3GB of RAM, a supercharged processor, improved cameras and other updates. If Samsung is able to deliver these rumored Galaxy Note 4 specs, it will make many Galaxy Note 2 upgraders happy and validate the choice of Galaxy Note 3 owners to use an early upgrade option that carriers now offer.

Read: Galaxy Note 3 vs Galaxy Note 4 Rumors

Here is a look at what a Galaxy Note 3 owner wants from the Galaxy Note 4, and how each wish stacks up to current rumors.

Durable Design, Ditch the Leather

The Galaxy Note 3 design feels better than the Note 2, but it is still not incredibly durable and the fake leather back on the white Galaxy Note 3 is not something Samsung should stick with.

We don't need more fake leather on the Galaxy Note 4.

We don’t need more fake leather on the Galaxy Note 4.

Even with good care, the plastic silver band that runs around the edge of the Galaxy Note 3 shows marks from using the phone every day. Metal smartphones like the iPhone 5s can show marks as well, but it normally takes more force. Although a metal Galaxy Note 4 doesn’t seem like it is in the cards I want to see Samsung boost the strength of the plastic on the edges of the Galaxy Note 4 to prevent wear and tear.

The plastic fake leather back of the Galaxy Note 3 is not as nice as the black model and is one that Samsung should abandon or significantly upgrade. The white Galaxy S5 back feels better and the fake leather design of the Galaxy S5 S View case feels more like a leather material than this hard plastic. If Samsung like the look of leather, use something other than plastic to offer it on the Note 4, or better yet go with dimples like the Galaxy S5.

I also want a water-resistant design so that the Galaxy Note 4 is waterproof to the point that I need for daily use. The Galaxy S5 already offers this and it looks like the Galaxy Note 4 will as well. It would also be great to see wireless charging built-in but that may be asking too much.

Galaxy Note 4 design rumors point to a brand new design, but we don’t know exactly what the company plans to show off this fall. Expect a fingerprint sensor and the water-resistant design that the Galaxy S5 offers. The LG G3 offers hope that Samsung can shrink the overall size of the Note 4 slightly. It is also safe to expect a removable back with access to a Micro SD card and a removable battery.

Amazing Display, That’s Not Bigger

The Galaxy Note 3’s 5.7-inch display is big enough for a smartphone. I would rather see Samsung keep this size and offer a smaller overall design than boost the screen size again. The HTC One Max’s 5.9-inch display looks great, but it makes the device incredibly big.

The 5.7-inch display is still a great size for the Galaxy Note 4.

The 5.7-inch display is still a great size for the Galaxy Note 4.

On top of keeping  sane display size I want to see a 2k display in the Galaxy Note 4. Android, apps and content may need to catch up to this high-resolution, but the LG G3 display looks amazing and I would love to use a Note 4 with a QHD display to watch movies and TV at the gym and on the go.

The latest Galaxy Note 4 rumors line up with this part of my wishlist. Samsung will reportedly use a 5.7-inch QHD display on the Galaxy Note 4. That is the same size as the Galaxy Note 3, with a 2560 x 1440 resolution. The Note 3 only offers a 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Stunning Cameras

The Galaxy S5 camera is a major step forward, and I hope that Samsung continues to improve the performance and results available from Galaxy cameras on the Galaxy Note 4. Simply put I want a camera that takes better looking photos, reliably with a faster focus and capture. The Galaxy S5 camera gives a lot of hope for this wish.

Holding out hope for a faster, better performing Galaxy Note 4 camera.

Holding out hope for a faster, better performing Galaxy Note 4 camera.

Benchmarks suggest the Galaxy Note 4 camera will feature optical image stabilization and a 16MP sensor. OIS helps users take better looking photos in low light and in other conditions. While some rumors suggested a higher 20MP camera, a 16MP sensor with a good lens, stabilization and good software should suffice. The front facing camera may also get a boost to nearly 4MP for better video chat and selfies.

Better Speakers

The HTC One M8 delivers the best sound on a smartphone n 2014, putting the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3 to shame. I hope that Samsung is able to deliver better sound with the Galaxy Note 4 release this fall. Front facing speakers are tough to pull off on a phone with a large screen because it often means big bezels. The HTC One Max is a clear example of this tradeoff.

Samsung should upgrade this speaker for the Note 4.

Samsung should upgrade this speaker for the Note 4.

It would be great to see Samsung use some type of sound channeling to direct the sound from a back facing speaker through an acoustic chamber and out an opening on the front of the device. Speck makes an iPhone case that uses this technology to make speakers sound better without any hit on battery life.

There are no Galaxy Note 4 rumors that deliver details about the speakers or speaker placement, so this may be a surprise or something shoppers are left wanting.

S Pen Enhancements

Samsung continually updates the S Pen user experience with each Note release. The Galaxy Note 3 added a new menu that offers fast access to common S Pen activities. Overall the S Pen is a nice Galaxy Note 3 accessory, but Samsung can continue to improve this experience.

The S Pen is an integral part of the Note experience.

The S Pen is an integral part of the Note experience.

Galaxy Note 4 rumors don’t include any specifics about the S Pen yet, but it would be a shock to see the device arrive without one. It would be great to see Samsung add to the S Pen features, as I would like to use the accessory more, but we’ll need to wait and see what Samsung is able to deliver.

17 Comments

17 Comments

  1. Jason

    06/28/2014 at 2:00 pm

    Interesting almost similar comparison to https://galaxynotex.com

  2. Barbara

    06/28/2014 at 4:07 pm

    It seems that Samsung, met do what iPhone is doing coming out with two model’s of the same phone. If Samsung does this I think one model should come as a 5.7 like the note 3, the other model should be a 5.9, some costumers like a bigger screen. Of course it just what I would like to see happen. I personally think a lot of people will probably, stick with the note 3 in til there’s a better note series phone. Either I will wait for the note 5 or the LG G flex 2, which is rumored to have android lollipop, or android Silver.

  3. rigosj

    06/28/2014 at 5:01 pm

    Why should one constantly complain about that fake leather? It is perfectly all right. I like it very much.

    • Babs Oyed

      06/28/2014 at 9:02 pm

      I agree the pleather is perfect and I love it

  4. TheTruthSquad

    06/28/2014 at 6:09 pm

    I always put any phone of mine in a case so I really don’t care what material they use. It doesn’t show anyway. You can make it cardboard for all I cARE.

  5. Alba

    06/28/2014 at 8:20 pm

    It is a really tough competition between Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6, the two biggest rivals in this world of Smartphones. I support Galaxy Note 4, as I still remember that time when I ditch my iPhone 4 and replace it with Galaxy Note 3. I still don’t have any regret of my decision. I am impressed with its 3100mAh battery performance that after fully charged on wireless charger gives a huge opportunity to explore more apps and features and stay connected with the world without worry about its status.

  6. Babs Oyed

    06/28/2014 at 9:10 pm

    Here is my wishlist for the Note 4.
    1. Much better battery.
    2. 64gb internal storage option from day one (they should not even release a 16gb version)
    3. Hopefully better camera than on the S5
    4. Much thinner, lighter and premium looking design (don’t care if they use plastic)
    5. Software optimization especially in the gallery and with S Note so that these operate much faster
    6. Much louder and clearer speakers
    7. More intuitive S pen features.
    8. Less of TouchWiz and more of Stock Android when it comes to the esthetics part of the UI (TouchWiz is so much more functional than stock but much less beautiful)
    9. IP67 certification
    10. Wireless charging out of the box

    • Nathan

      07/25/2014 at 1:31 pm

      1. 2 choices you have to get a bigger battery for note 3
      buy ZeroLemon battery case
      buy mugen.co Battery (no case, just something you swap the note 3 battery with.
      2. why no 16GB. You can just insert a sdcard and root and install app2sdcard.
      3.i agree, but won’t care if it is like S5’s
      4. Agreed, but as long as they don’t sacrifice the hardware. (i would like on screen buttons)
      5. Agreed.
      6. Front facing speakers would have me sold on the note 3, hope it is on note 4.
      7. don’t mind.
      8. As long as they don’t get rid of multi window and air view.
      9. would love that, but optional.
      10. no thanks, it would make it more expensive, also it would charge much slower

  7. Jessie Jamilla

    06/29/2014 at 1:02 am

    Here is my wishlist for Galaxy NOTE 4:

    1. 4,200maH battery life or more
    2. 64Gb internal storage (like what Babs Oyed mentioned)
    3. Better CAMERA (3.5MP front as everyone loves selfies & 20MP rear and lossless zoom)
    4. The thinness/thickness of the phone is enough, I don’t want a super thin phone as it could break easily.
    5. Keep the Leather-look design, it looks totally awesome, improve it if you can
    6. Software optimization (like what Babs Oyed mentioned)
    7. Better SPEAKER, louder and definitive
    8. Improved S-PEN (faster, more friendly and etc)
    9. Shut it at 6-inch size
    10. Remote flash using S-PEN
    11. Water-proof, Dust-proof and a better Anti-theft feature
    12. More masculine (lesser curved edges)
    13. Include spare S-PEN, Headset (or additional payment)
    14. Faster, swifter overall performance. Apparenty, the note 3 is still having delays in opening apps and games, at least my experience.
    15. Wireless charging

    • Nathan

      07/25/2014 at 1:34 pm

      11. anti theft features.

      Install Cerberus. it is a good app. just try it out with the free trial. then you can choose whether you want to buy or not. Just trust me.

  8. keith

    06/29/2014 at 1:31 am

    64gb or 128gb internal storage

  9. Lorenzo Wright

    06/29/2014 at 1:50 am

    As a person whom has had every note series phone all I want for the note 4 is to have the same codecs available that the note 2 and 1 had and a louder speaker would be nice and although I like the size of my note 3 no phone should be bigger then a note so make the 4 like 6 inches or higher to be bigger then htc and iphony

  10. Sean.

    06/29/2014 at 9:04 am

    If anyone wants a bigger screen than 5.7 inches.. which in my opinion is big enough..then just get a tablet…i love my note 3 and I’m overall pleased with the phone (including the faux leather) .. can’t wait for the note 4 this fall

  11. Cherie A Bennett

    06/29/2014 at 9:54 am

    God grief, leave out the dimpled back of the S5. Putting a case on it or not, it looks hideous. I like the faux leather look of the Note 3.

  12. Hollywood69

    06/29/2014 at 5:28 pm

    why must the author keep talking about the iphone throughout this article. ..he is trying to brainwash ppl..the note 3 is still the best phone out…and still the most expensive. .for a reason…so much better than every thing else out there. ..till note 4 with qhd 1440p of coarse…

  13. Hollywood69

    06/29/2014 at 5:30 pm

    oh..and I love the faux leather back…even though its plastic. .that and the screen..fav’s

  14. Nathan

    07/17/2014 at 2:25 pm

    Better Speakers; consider it pre-ordered by me

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