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US regulators recall refurbished Galaxy Note 4 batteries
The Galaxy Note line is having problems again. Don't worry, this is not a Note 7-level emergency. And the issues aren't Samsung's fault or even associated with the original phone model. However, batteries installed in refurbished Note 4 phones by FedEx Supply Chain and distributed through AT&T's insurance program could overheat and are now being recalled.
Giant phones are finally a big deal in the US
Extra-large phones have been hot stuff in some countries for a long while, but not so much in the US. The country must have had a change of heart in the past few months, however. Kantar Worldpanel estimates that gigantic devices jumped from 6 percent of American smartphone sales in the first quarter of last year to 21 percent in early 2015. Why? If you ask Kantar, the launch of the iPhone 6 Plus was partly responsible -- it racked up 44 percent of all supersized phone sales despite being just a few months old. The analyst group isn't saying much in public how other brands were doing, although it's safe to say that category pioneer Samsung grabbed a large slice of the pie thanks to high-powered behemoths like the Galaxy Note 4.
Dear BlackBerry, Ryan Seacrest isn't done with the QWERTY keyboard
Maybe you remember the bizarre collision of worlds at last year's CES when Ryan Seacrest touched down in Las Vegas to introduce the Typo, a physical QWERTY keyboard case for the iPhone 5/5s. If you do, then you may also recall the controversy and legal tussling over the original Typo's striking resemblance to BlackBerry's Q10 keyboard. One court ordered a sales injunction and another Typo revision later, Seacrest and his partner Laurence Hallier are back at CES to debut another physical keyboard accessory, this time it's the Typo2 for the iPad Air and iPad mini lines. The pair carved out some time during the madness of CES to speak to me about Typo's bumpy start, the impact of customer feedback on product design and the boldfaced names that swear by their QWERTY case.
The year in reviews: a look back at the best gadgets of 2014
It's been quite a year in products here at the Engadget offices. Not only have we looked at the latest flagship phones and hottest laptops, but our reviews have run the gamut from VR headsets to WiFi Crock-Pots. We've worn lots of smartwatches and fitness wristbands on our arms, tried out an ultra-secure phone and looked at more Chromebooks than we can count. And while we reviewed plenty of average and mediocre devices (and even a few bad ones), there are a handful that emerge at the top of the heap. Some come out as clear winners, while others are good, but don't quite break away from the pack, leaving us with a rather perplexing six-way-tie for seventh place. Thus, we present to you not our top 10, but top 12 highest-scored products of 2014.
Here's what our readers are saying about the Galaxy Note 4
Apple may have just stepped into the larger phone market this fall with the iPhone 6 Plus, but Samsung's Galaxy Note line of Android devices is currently in its fourth generation. Our own review of this 5.7-inch "phablet" noted how it's been given a chance to "grow, mature and dominate the genre." In fact, we called it "the best large-screen phone on the market." But does our proclamation hold up now that plenty of other people have gotten their paws on this S Pen-enabled workhorse? To find out, we've taken a look at the reviews that you, our readers, have left us on the Galaxy Note 4's product page over in our database.
Engadget UK giveaway: win a Galaxy Note 4 courtesy of Bitdefender
Christmas is a time of giving, but let's be honest, being on the receiving end is so much better. Over the next few weeks, we're going to be running back-to-back giveaways as we approach the festive season -- and winners won't even need to wait until the 25th to start playing with their free toys. To kick things off, we've got a new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (octa-core Exynos variant) to gift to one lucky reader, thanks to the generosity of our friends at Bitdefender and their Mobile Security software for Android. For a modest subscription fee, the app will protect your device from malware, advise you when app permissions might be cause for concern, let you track and wipe your phone remotely if it's been pinched, and even keep your Android Wear smartwatch safe. If you don't know the drill already, UK residents can enter the giveaway up to three times via the Rafflecopter widget below. Before you start clicking away, though, give the rules a quick read, would ya? Winning: congrats to Pete D. from Meifod, Wales!
Samsung's Gear VR Innovator Edition arrives next month in the US
If you've been eyeing Samsung's Gear VR headset to pair with that Galaxy Note 4, you might soon be in luck. The company announced today that the Innovator Edition of the virtual reality gadget will be available stateside in December. Of course, the Gear VR is powered by Oculus tech, using that super-sized smartphone's 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display to sort the "fully immersive" experience. In order to properly show off the device, Samsung and Oculus teamed up with the likes of Marvel, DreamWorks, Cirque du Soleil and others to craft VR offerings in hopes of convincing you to commit your funds. We're talking things like a tour of Tony Stark's Lab in advance of The Avengers: Age of Ultron. The first time a Note 4 is connected to the Gear VR, Oculus software will automatically download to the handset for wrangling purchases, watching movies and more. Unfortunately, there's no word on pricing, but while you wait, you can opt for updates from Samsung in the meantime.
Samsung lawsuit claims that NVIDIA's benchmarks are misleading
Samsung definitely isn't taking NVIDIA's first patent lawsuit lying down. The Korean tech firm has countersued NVIDIA not just for allegedly infringing on six patents, but for leading buyers astray with benchmarks for the Shield Tablet. NVIDIA is supposedly trying to "confuse customers" by claiming that the slate's Tegra K1 processor outpaces the Exynos 5433 chip in the Galaxy Note 4; regular benchmarks show that's not true, Samsung claims. The suit also accuses PC vendor Velocity Micro of violating two additional patents (for a total of eight), since NVIDIA's graphics cards play a heavy role in its lineup.
The NSA can now use Samsung's Galaxy phones for classified work
Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets have just become the first consumer mobile devices approved by the US National Security Agency (NSA) to carry classified documents. The edict covers most of its newer Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, and the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet (2014 edition) -- as long as they're equipped with Knox, Samsung's mobile security app. Knox-enabled devices have already been approved by the US Department of Defense, but only for general, not classified, use. That's a shot of good news for Samsung in the face of recent dismal earnings, and it no doubt wants to translate the NSA's golden nod into consumer and corporate sales. Ironically, many of those potential customers may be paranoid... of the NSA.
Where to buy Samsung's Galaxy Note 4
A week later than Samsung had originally planned, the new Galaxy Note 4 has today officially landed on UK shores. As far as we're concerned, the 5.7-inch behemoth is the best big-screen phone you can get your hands on at the moment, with a gorgeous, pixel-dense display and all the power you can manage. And thanks to various software tricks, it's not much of a chore to use one-handed, despite its beastly dimensions. Phablet fans waiting on the newest Note from the pioneer of the super-sized handset now have that all-important decision ahead: to buy or not to buy? Well, join us below as we investigate where you can get one, and how much of a dent the many options are going to make on your bank account.
Galaxy Note 4 owners get three months free of OnLive gaming
Ahead of the Galaxy Note 4's release in the US tomorrow, Samsung has a last-minute incentive for potential buyers as well as those who have already pre-ordered. The company just announced a new partnership deal with OnLive, which gives owners of its fresh, big-screen handset three months of free gaming through the streaming platform. Samsung's promotion is part of the Galaxy Gifts Package, a collection of free software from its own app store, and will give users access to titles from OnLive's PlayPack bundle, such as Batman: Arkham City, Darksiders, Rogue Legacy and many more. The OnLive service is typically $9.95 per month -- so not only do you save some cash, but also have the chance to try it without any attachments. Once you have your Note 4, the OnLive app can be downloaded from the Galaxy Apps shop.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review: the best big-screen phone you can buy right now
What began in 2011 as a brand-new phone category has flourished into one of the most popular in the world. Smartphones with big screens (phablets, to some) are now ubiquitous, but it all started with an odd device called the Samsung Galaxy Note. At 5.3 inches, it was a behemoth for its day -- and yet, it sold like hotcakes thanks to its unique S Pen stylus, which provided users with extra functionality, and a copious amount of screen space. Four iterations later, the Note series has continued to grow, mature and dominate the genre. Not only does the latest version, the Galaxy Note 4, come with the snazziest spec sheet on the market, but it also ushers in a fantastic new direction in Samsung's design. It sure sounds like an improvement over last year's model, and it is. Now that Apple's ready to tackle the Note with a large-screen phone of its own, however, is Samsung's baby still the best in its class?
Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 coming to the UK on October 10th
Not bothered about the new iPhones? After something with a big screen and Android at its heart? Well, that's what Samsung's Galaxy Note family is all about, and the company has announced the latest member of the clan will be hitting the UK October 10th, a week before the US. The super-sized Galaxy Note 4, with its 5.7-inch Quad HD display and high-end specs all around, is now up for preorder, but only at Samsung's "Experience" stores. Carriers and retailers will be able to open up reservations from September 26th, with Samsung specifically naming Three and Carphone Warehouse as guaranteed partners. We haven't got any juicy pricing information to share with you just yet, but should be able to let you know where the best deals lie nearer the time. Spoiler: it's unlikely to be at Phones4u.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 will land in the US on October 17
It seems like one giant smartphone has been getting all the attention lately, but one of its biggest rivals (literally) is finally set to touch down stateside. Samsung confirmed today that the Galaxy Note 4 will hit the US on October 17, and you can lay claim to yours starting tomorrow from all the usual carrier suspects. We've enjoyed our brief time getting to know the Note 4 and all the little improvements it brings to the table (hello, Quad HD screen!), but here's the thing -- the jury's still out on whether Samsung has done enough with its newest S-Pen experiment to make it worth an immediate upgrade. As always, pricing will vary a bit depending on who you get your service though: a Note 4 with a bog-standard two year AT&T or Verizon contract will set you back $299, while T-Mobile wants nothing upfront and monthly payments of $31.24 for the next 24 months. Alas, our friends across the pond will get a bit of a headstart on us - Notes will drop onto their store shelves a full week earlier.
Samsung ads poke fun at everything from Apple's stream to its Watch
Now that Apple's new iPhone 6 Plus is ready to play in the Galaxy Note 4's size territory, Samsung is taking the competition on with a few new ads. It's revived the "It Doesn't Take A Genius" tagline, and first up is a segment making fun of Apple's glitchy live video stream during yesterday's presentation. The rest of the videos play up Samsung's features like multitasking windows, stylus and fast charging, or make fun of anyone using a watch that still requires a phone to get connected. Whether you're already lined up for a refreshed slate of iStuff or if you weren't too impressed, the latest round of Apple vs. Samsung -- on store shelves instead of in the court room -- is here (complete with bonus flame action).
iPhone 6 Plus vs. the competition: Bigger is better, right?
Phones have been getting bigger and bigger, with many consumers embracing large handsets even as their screen sizes start to brush against the 6-inch mark. But those who prefer a larger screen have really only had Android as an option -- until today. The larger iPhone 6 Plus is here, and it's beautiful. While time will tell whether the iPhone 6 Plus has what it takes to challenge its more-established competition, we can still take a look at its specs versus the Galaxy Note 4 and LG G3 to see who's coming out of the gate with the strongest start. Want to see how it compares to other phones, both big and small? Build your own specs comparison with our compare feature!
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 looks and feels like a premium device (hands-on)
When Samsung launched the very first Galaxy Note at IFA 2011, the device -- a 5.3-inch behemoth that came with a stylus - seemed absurdly large. But the idea was crazy enough to work: It was the beginning of a brand-new phone genre adopted by nearly every handset maker around the world and beloved by millions. Three years later, we're being introduced to the fourth smartphone in the series, known as the Galaxy Note 4. As you might expect, the device comes with new and improved specs in both hardware and software, but the design of the 5.7-inch phone itself has made a huge step in the right direction: It comes with an aluminum frame, and based on my first impression, it's the best looking of the bunch. It's time to explore Samsung's latest large-screened device.
Samsung teases a Galaxy Note 4 reveal for September 3rd
It's that time of year again: smartphone-reveal-event season, and Samsung is holding one next month, in three cities, simultaneously. A recent invite sent to the press, embedded after the break, asked us to "note the date" of September 3rd on our calendars for a product unveiling in New York. It's the latest in the Korean outfit's series of Unpacked events, and it's happening just a few days before Apple's supposed product reveal. Given the cheeky wording of the email, we'd suspect it's pertaining to the Galaxy Note 4 (it's almost assuredly about the Note 4). Whatever it may or may not end up being, though, you can rest assured that we'll be there covering it live just for you.
Samsung hints that its next Galaxy Note phone will have a quad HD display
It's no surprise that Samsung would make a new Galaxy Note smartphone given the series' very healthy sales, but just how is the company going to improve on the design of the Note 3? By giving it a quad HD screen, apparently. The company has posted a web profile for an unannounced SM-N910A (the Note 3 for AT&T is the SM-N900A) that includes a 2,560 x 1,440 display, hinting that the future Galaxy Note will pack visuals roughly as sharp as LG's G3. It also backs what we've heard about Oculus VR getting greater-than-1080p OLED screens from the Korean tech firm. There aren't any other big clues in the profile, but they come on the heels of import data that suggests the next Note will maintain the same 5.7-inch screen size as its predecessor -- Samsung may be resisting the urge to produce a truly gigantic phone like the G Pro 2 or Lumia 1520.
