The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (
stylized
In the visual arts, style is a "...distinctive manner which permits the grouping of works into related categories" or "...any distinctive, and therefore recognizable, way in which an act is performed or an artifact made or ought to be performed a ...
as SΛMSUNG Galaxy Note5) is an
Android-based
phablet
A phablet (, ) is a mobile device combining or straddling the size formats of smartphones and tablets. The word is a portmanteau of ''phone'' and ''tablet''.
Phablets feature large displays that complement screen-intensive activity such as mo ...
designed, developed, produced and marketed by
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational corporation, multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of ...
. Unveiled on 13 August 2015,
it is the successor to the
Galaxy Note 4
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is an Android smartphone developed and produced by Samsung Electronics. It was unveiled during a Samsung press conference at IFA Berlin on 3 September 2014 and was released globally in October 2014 as successor to t ...
and part of the
Samsung Galaxy Note series
The Samsung Galaxy Note series is a discontinued line of high-end Android phablets and smartphones developed and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The line is primarily oriented towards pen computing; all Galaxy Note models ship with a stylu ...
.
The Galaxy Note 5 carries over hardware and software features from the
Galaxy S6
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a line of Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Succeeding the Samsung Galaxy S5, the S6 was not released as a singular model, but instead in two variations unveiled and ...
, including a changed design with a glass backing, improved camera, and fingerprint scanner. The precluded camera software also includes built in
livestreaming
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but no ...
functionality as well as features meant for use with the device's bundled, spring-loaded
stylus
A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision w ...
. The device was released together with the
Samsung Galaxy S6
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a line of Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Succeeding the Samsung Galaxy S5, the S6 was not released as a singular model, but instead in two variations unveiled and ...
Edge+.
The device received positive reviews from critics, who praised the upgraded build quality over prior models, along with improvements to its performance, camera, and other changes. Similarly to the S6, Samsung was criticized for making the Galaxy Note 5's battery non-removable, and removing the ability to expand its storage via
microSD
Secure Digital, officially abbreviated as SD, is a proprietary non-volatile flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices.
The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between SanDis ...
. It was argued that these changes potentially alienated
power user
A power user is a user of computers, software and other electronic devices, who uses advanced features of computer hardware, operating systems, programs, or websites which are not used by the average user. A power user might not have extensive tec ...
s—especially because the Galaxy Note series had historically been oriented towards this segment of the overall market.
The Galaxy Note 5 is briefly succeeded by the
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is a discontinued Android-based phablet designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled on 2 August 2016, it was officially released on 19 August 2016 as a successor to the Galaxy Note 5. I ...
, released in August 2016. However, that device was ultimately
recalled and pulled from the market after repeated incidents where batteries overheated and caught on fire.
The discontinued Note 7 was later re-launched as
Galaxy Note Fan Edition in July 2017,
while a fully-fledged successor, the
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an Android-based smartphone phablet designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The successor to the discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition and Samsung Galaxy No ...
, was released in September 2017.
Specifications
Hardware
Design
The Galaxy Note 5 adopts a similar design and construction to the
Galaxy S6
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a line of Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Succeeding the Samsung Galaxy S5, the S6 was not released as a singular model, but instead in two variations unveiled and ...
, featuring a unibody metal frame and glass backing, although unlike the standard S6, the back of the device is curved.
It is offered in dark blue, white, gold, and silver color finishes.
The storage slot for the S Pen stylus uses a spring-loaded mechanism to eject the pen for more convenience.
Due to the design, inserting the pen in reverse could cause it to get stuck. This issue is known as ''"pengate"''.
Functionality
Like on the
Galaxy S6
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a line of Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Succeeding the Samsung Galaxy S5, the S6 was not released as a singular model, but instead in two variations unveiled and ...
,
Mobile high-definition link
Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) is an industry standard for a mobile audio/video interface that allows the connection of smartphones, tablets, and other portable consumer electronics devices to high-definition televisions (HDTVs), audio receive ...
, a feature introduced with the
Galaxy S2
The Samsung Galaxy S II (or Galaxy S2) is a touchscreen-enabled, slate-format Android smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Samsung Electronics, as the second smartphone of the Samsung Galaxy S series. It has additional software feat ...
and
Galaxy Note 1 in 2011, has been removed from the series with the Galaxy Note 5.
The Galaxy Note 5 has a non-removable 3,000
mAh lithium-ion
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also sees ...
battery and supports the
Qi open
Open or OPEN may refer to:
Music
* Open (band), Australian pop/rock band
* The Open (band), English indie rock band
* ''Open'' (Blues Image album), 1969
* ''Open'' (Gotthard album), 1999
* ''Open'' (Cowboy Junkies album), 2001
* ''Open'' (YF ...
interface standard
In telecommunications, an interface standard is a standard that describes one or more functional characteristics (such as code conversion, line assignments, or protocol compliance) or physical characteristics (such as electrical, mechanical, or op ...
.
The Note 5 features a 5.7-inch
1440p
1440p is a family of video display resolutions that have a vertical resolution of 1440 pixels. The ''p'' stands for progressive scan, i.e. non-interlaced. The 1440 pixel vertical resolution is double the vertical resolution of 720p, and one-third ...
Super AMOLED
AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode, ) is a type of OLED display device technology. OLED describes a specific type of thin-film-display technology in which organic compounds form the electroluminescent material, and active matrix ...
display. It is powered by a 64-bit
Exynos
Exynos, formerly Hummingbird (), is a series of ARM-based system-on-chips developed by Samsung Electronics' System LSI division and manufactured by Samsung Foundry. It is a continuation of Samsung's earlier S3C, S5L and S5P line of SoCs.
Exy ...
7 Octa 7420
system-on-chip
A system on a chip or system-on-chip (SoC ; pl. ''SoCs'' ) is an integrated circuit that integrates most or all components of a computer or other electronic system. These components almost always include a central processing unit (CPU), memory ...
, consisting of four 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 cores, and four 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 cores, and 4 GB of
LPDDR4
Low-Power Double Data Rate (LPDDR), also known as LPDDR SDRAM, is a type of synchronous dynamic random-access memory that consumes less power and is targeted for mobile computers and devices such as mobile phones. Older variants are also known as ...
RAM.
The Galaxy Note 5 is available with either 32 GB or 64 GB of storage (a special "Winter Edition" exclusive to South Korea offers 128 GB storage),
and utilizes a 3020 mAh battery with wireless and fast charging (
Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0) support.
Samsung claims wired fast charging and wireless fast charging to be able to charge the phone entirely in 90 and 120 minutes respectively.
Similarly to the S6, the Note 5 does not offer expandable storage or the ability to remove the battery, unlike its predecessor.
As with the S6, the fingerprint scanner in the home button now uses a touch-based scanning mechanism rather than swipe-based, and the device also supports
Samsung Pay
Samsung Pay (stylized as SΛMSUNG Pay) is a mobile payment and digital wallet service by Samsung Electronics that lets users make payments using compatible phones and other Samsung-produced devices. The service supports contactless payments usin ...
.
Camera
The 16-megapixel rear-facing camera is identical to the Galaxy S6, with a f/1.9 aperture,
optical image stabilization
Image stabilization (IS) is a family of techniques that reduce blurring associated with the motion of a camera or other imaging device during exposure.
Generally, it compensates for pan and tilt (angular movement, equivalent to yaw and pit ...
, object tracking autofocus, and real-time
HDR.
Video recording is supported at
2160p
4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) is the dominan ...
with 30
frames per second
A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent.
Frame and FRAME may also refer to:
Physical objects
In building construction
*Framing (con ...
, 1080p with 60fps and 720p with 120fps.
Software
The Galaxy Note 5 shipped with
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
The new "Screen off memo" feature allows the phone to be awoken directly to a note screen when the stylus is removed.
The Camera app on the Note 5 also allows public and private
livestreaming
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but no ...
directly to
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
, and supports export of
RAW images.
In February 2016, Samsung began to release
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow for the Galaxy Note 5.
The Galaxy Note 5 also gradually received the Nougat (
Android 7.0) update with
TouchWiz
TouchWiz was a user interface developed by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd with partners, featuring a full touch user interface. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as an operating system. TouchWiz is used internally by Samsung for smartphones, ...
Grace UX during the first and second quarters of 2017.
European release
The Galaxy Note 5 was not released in Europe, in favor of solely marketing the
S6 Edge+ in the region. Samsung European Vice President of Brand and Marketing Rory O'Neill explained that the decision was based upon market research showing that consumers in the region primarily viewed large-screen phones as being oriented towards entertainment, and not productivity.
Reception
Reviews
''
The Verge
''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts.
The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...
'' complimented the higher-quality build of the Galaxy Note 5, describing it as being a "more humane device" due to its lighter build with thinner bezels in comparison to the Galaxy Note 4, along with its display, performance and additional S Pen features. However, the Galaxy Note 5 was panned for not offering a removable battery, expandable storage, or a 128 GB model, considering these oversights to be inappropriate for a device in a series that was "unapologetically meant for power users." The device was also described as being the result of Samsung "
olding themselvesback", having dropped the "old, unfettered excessiveness of the old Note" in favour of developing a "consumer-friendly" device with only minor upgrades over the S6.
''
TechRadar
''TechRadar'' is an online publication owned by Future and focused on technology. It has editorial teams in the US, UK and Australia and provides news and reviews of tech products and gadgets. It was launched in 2007 and expanded to the US in ...
'' shared a similar degree of positivity towards the Galaxy Note 5, noting that "the sacrifices Samsung felt it needed to make to get to that premium Note 5 design have turned off some longtime users. Thankfully, there's a lot more to like about this phone upgrade than dislike."
Issues
Following its release, it was discovered that inserting the pen into the Note 5's storage slot backwards could result in permanent damage to the spring mechanism, making the stylus become stuck, or damaging the sensor that detects when the S Pen is removed; all of these scenarios render the stylus unusable.
Samsung was aware of this issue and stated that it had provided a warning against backward pen insertion in the Galaxy Note 5's manual, but placed more prominent warning labels on the device itself on later shipments.
In January 2016, it was reported that the design of the mechanism had been revised to allow the safe ejection of a pen accidentally inserted backwards, without causing damage to the sensor.
Sales
In its first three days on sale, over 75,000 units of the Note 5 (together with the
S6 Edge+) were sold in South Korea, exceeding the rate of sales of the previous year's models. A study by
AnTuTu detailed that this smartphone was one of the most popular Android devices in the first half of 2016.
Other
The device has been featured in the
music video of ''Focus'', a song by
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
, with her writing the phrase "''Focus on me''" using the stylus.
References
External links
*
{{Android phablets
Smartphones
Samsung mobile phones
Samsung Galaxy
5
Mobile phones introduced in 2015
Mobile phones with stylus
Mobile phones with 4K video recording
Discontinued smartphones