Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs. OnePlus One – Can The Underdog Trump The Monster?

The brilliant Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has recently been unveiled at the IFA event. Whereas the mighty handset that comes with killer specs at a nominal price named OnePlus One was released in June. Readers who are interested in purchasing the OnePlus One or the Galaxy Note 4 should check out this comparison to figure out if the OnePlus One can give tough competition to Samsung's latest behemoth.

Display, Exterior And Size

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 features a whopping 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display, whereas the OnePlus One comes with a 5.5-inch LTPS LCD display. The OnePlus One comes with a screen resolution and pixel density of 1,080 x 1,920 pixels and 401 ppi respectively, whereas the Galaxy Note 4 bundles a killer 1,440 x 2,560 (2K) pixels resolution and 515 ppi density.

In addition to the dotted back panel, the Galaxy Note 4 comes with a metallic frame surrounding the plastic corners of the handset, giving it the much-loved premium look than the predecessor Note 3. When it comes to screen details, the Samsung handset sports a razor sharp display and much-thinner bezels. In spite of housing superior Super AMOLED screen and 2K resolution, there is not much difference in the display when looked from a distance. However, when the phone is positioned closer, users can see the superiority of the display in the form of no pixilation of any kind, says Phone Arena. The OnePlus One, meanwhile, comes with a unique magnesium exterior providing a premium-looking, matte-effect laden rear. In addition, the device's back panel is alterable with a choice of bamboo, kevlar and denim shells, to name a few.

Speaking of size, the Galaxy Note 4 is 0.33-inch thick and weighs 176 g, whereas the thickness and the weight of the OnePlus One are 0.35-inch and 162 g, respectively.

Hardware, Software And Memory

The Galaxy Note 4 is powered by a superior quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 805) Krait 450 processor, clocked at 2.7 GHz. The OnePlus One, meanwhile, is powered by a relatively inferior quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 801) Krait 400 processor, clocked at 2.5 GHz. However, both the handsets are backed by the same 3 GB of RAM.

It is worth noting that, Samsung offers an additional processor choice based on the region of release i.e. octa-core (Exynos 5433) processor. However, there is no information available to ascertain when and where this model will be released. Furthermore, the Galaxy Note 4 runs on Android OS v4.4.4 KitKat with TouchWiz UI on top of it, whereas the OnePlus One runs on the unique combination of Android v4.4.2 KitKat OS with CyanogenMod 11S UI.

When it comes to memory, the Samsung smartphone offers 32 GB of in-built storage, while the OnePlus handset comes with 16 GB or 64 GB of storage space. While the Galaxy Note 4 supports microSD card for expansion up to 128 GB, the OnePlus One doesn't.

Camera And Battery

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 sports a solid 16 MP ISOCELL rear-facing camera unit with LED flash, whereas the OnePlus One houses a 13 MP rear-facing camera unit with dual-LED flash. Also, the OnePlus One and the Galaxy Note 4 house 5 MP and 3.7 MP front-facing shooters respectively. In addition, the Samsung device comes with optical image stabilization (OIS) and 4K video recording capability.

As far as the battery goes, the Galaxy Note 4 houses a much-powerful 3220 mAh battery, whereas the OnePlus One comes equipped with a similar 3100 mAh battery unit.

Additional Features

1. The Galaxy Note 4 can charge from 0% to 50% in just 30 minutes, according to Phone Arena.

2. The Samsung device comes with water and dust resistant exterior. However, it is not certified. Also reports say the handset can survive up to 30 minutes of underwater (1.5 meters depth) sojourn.

3. Also, the Galaxy Note 4 comes with additional sensors like UV, heart-rate, SpO2 and gesture-based sensors.

5. The unique selling point of the Galaxy Note 4 is its improved S-Pen stylus. The stylus is housed perfectly in the slot provided in the phablet's body. The S-Pen stylus blends seamlessly to provide natural writing experience, according to Phone Arena.

6. Also, the Samsung device boasts the much-loved fingerprint scanner for unlocking the device and also for making payments.

7. Dropbox is now offering 50 GB of free cloud storage (Duration: 2 years) for Galaxy Note 4 buyers.

8. Other than supporting the standard connectivity options, both the devices support NFC.

9. Also, both the handsets support micro-SIM.

10. Interested readers can check out Bamboo StyleSwap Cover specific to OnePlus One handset that comes for US$49.

Price

The OnePlus One (16 GB) variant can be purchased for AU$449.95 in Australia. According to recent news, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is available for pre-order in Germany and it is priced at €699 that roughly translates to US$903 and AU$997. In addition, the Galaxy Note Edge is priced exorbitantly at €1000, which roughly translates to a mind-blowing US$1292 and AU$1427.

Verdict

It is easy to pick Galaxy Note 4 as the winner owing to the never-ending, improved specs and features. However, looking at the price difference with respect to features, OnePlus One stands tall along with the Note 4. End of the day, readers with interest in getting the latest specs at any cost can opt for the Samsung device. Others, who would like to get the best and required specs with an impressive price tag should go for OnePlus handset, opines IBTimes UK.

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