The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is one of the most powerful and sophisticated smartphones that you can buy. It’s equipped with one of a choice of three of the most powerful chipsets in use and has a 5.7-inch QHD, or ultrahigh resolution, display, plus as a 3,220 mAh battery and the S Pen. However, what use is all this power if there isn’t something to do with it? And it’s here that Samsung have really gone to town with the additional software features, some of which uses the Samsung’s advanced bespoke technology and some is just nifty.
One of the Note 4’s hardware features is clever noise cancelling microphone technology, which makes it a great for the first two entries in my list: Meeting Mode and Sound Detector. Meeting Mode is a way to set up the device voice recorder and not only does it record a meeting but it also shows where the sound is coming from. The Sound Detector is great for those of us with impaired hearing; the Note 4 can be used as something of a third gear, ideal for when we want to listen to music but don’t want to miss the doorbell chime or a crying baby.
The next feature is borrowed from more powerful computers, which is Link Preview. You’ll need to make sure that Air View is set up, then if you place the S Pen over a link in an application such as Messaging, the Note 4 shows a preview of the linked web page. This is a very cool feature. My fourth entry in the list also covers using the S Pen, in this case when you hand write entries into the S Planner as the Note 4 can smartly interpret what you write to place into your diary. The fifth entry on the list concerns contact management; if you go into Settings, Calls and then enable Show Caller Information, the Note 4 pulls up all sorts of useful information when somebody calls you. That’s great when you are a relationship manager and are struggling to keep up with all of your clients.
The next two features concern the camera: when taking a selfie, the Note 4 will recognize a face. Once it goes, gently tapping the heart rate monitor sensor on the back will take a picture and because you’ve not had to move your hand much, it should be sharp and in-focus. Another feature, number seven in the list, is the ability to set the focus and exposure with a long tap (touch and hold) on the screen.
My final three top features concern the Settings aspect of the device and the first is that frequently used Settings are moved to the top of the list. It’s a simple, subtle improvement to the normal way of organizing Settings, but it’s welcome. The ninth great feature is the ability to share WiFi networks with other people even if you don’t know the code; tap on the network and select Quickshare. And the final improvement is how the Note 4 has a “one handed operation” mode; the toggle for this is kept in Settings, Display & Wallpaper, One Handed Operation. When it’s enabled, swiping in from the edge of the screen to the center will reduce the screen size. This is great if your other hand is carrying something and you need to use the Note 4 for a call.
The Note 4 is an impressive handset in its own right, but many of these nifty features might remain buried in the Settings menu. What’s your favorite For me, it’s perhaps the ability to easily share a network without having to read out a long and convoluted WiFi key. Let us know in the comments below.