Say what you want about Samsung's Galaxy Note range, there's no denying that it kick-started the large-screen smartphone (or phablet) market. Apple may have defined the original smartphone market, and then later the tablet craze with its iPad, but the phablet niche was carved out expertly by Samsung...

The Galaxy Note 4 is a bit of a handful and is rather expensive but lovers of the Galaxy Note range will likely be enamoured with this edition. It is, on the whole, a great device with plenty of power and features. As long as you're aware that you're buying a huge phone and will get the most out of what it offers. Otherwise a smaller and cheaper handset is probably a better choice – the Galaxy S5 or one of its rivals.

The Galaxy Note 4 is by far one of the best phablets that we have seen and combines high-end hardware with a feature rich UI. It also features some welcome changes in the design department and the Super AMOLED display just leaves us wanting for more.

Design overhaul is great; Excellent display; Powerful hardware and software features; OIS on camera with 4K video

Still too large to handle; Plastic back panel is very flimsy

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 combines excellent image quality across the board with a comprehensive imaging feature set that includes powerful panorama and HDR modes.An efficient optical image stabilization system keeps things steady in low light and when shooting video and the large high resolution screen is a pleasure to view and edit images on. Unfortunately the Samsung does not offer DNG Raw support or manual control over shutter speeds but if you can live with those limitations the Samsung is a top option for any mobile photographer.

Good detail and low noise levels in bright light; Reliable exposure and white balance across the ISO range; Good balance between noise reduction and retention of detail in low light; Very good video quality, excellent detail in 4K video mode; Efficient HDR and panorama modes; Comprehensive imaging feature set; Excellent high-resolution screen; Responsive in operation; Camera app offers some customization and flexible exposure control; Decent front camera; Comprehensive editing options; microSD support; Good battery life and fast charging, removable battery;

No physical two-stage shutter button; Camera app still a little unstructured; Selective Focus feature difficult to use; No IP67 certification (compared to Galaxy S5);

The Note 4 wears its size better than that of the iPhone 6 Plus . Placing the two alongside one another reveals the Note 4 is shorter, even though it has a larger screen. Samsung's smartphone may be thicker than Apple's at 9mm, but the waistline works in its favour by evening out its proportions.

1440p screen; Fast charge battery; Integrated S-Pen stylus; 16 megapixel camera; Metal chassis

Frustrating finger scanner; Uncomfortable form factor for phone calls

The Galaxy Note series heralded what we now know as the phablet category. Currently in the fourth generation, the Samsung Galaxy Note series has tasted success with every generation.

This phone released was 2014 and this one is great phone of Samsung this phone have 1440×2560 pixel screen resolution this phone is a big screen phone of 5.7 inches this phone have 16 mega pixel camera and 3.7 mega pixel front facing camera picture quality is also fine proccer is also have a great...

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is an excellent smartphone that any phablet fan would love to own. Its stylus works perfectly, its screen is gorgeous, its camera is powerful, and its processor blazes.

A spectacular camera; a huge battery; a solid processor and a stylus to boot – the Note 4 has just every feature a smartphone fanatic would want

The phone is big and clunky and can be rather uncomfortable to hold; thanks to its hard edges and a bezel that's distinctly separate from its screen

Actually, a lot of people were wrong about big phones. When Samsung first came out with the Note in 2011, I wasn't the only one who laughed at the idea of a 5.3-inch smartphone. But I was wrong.

Fantastic display; Excellent battery life; Good-looking and well-made

Still just too much Samsung software; Overly complex in places; Seriously; look at all these settings

You don't have to go far to find a big smartphone these days. You've got to look a lot harder, though, to find one that uses its size to its advantage. The Galaxy Note 4 is more than The Next Big Thing; it's the next big thing that deserves to exist.

 Super high-end specifications;  Premium fit/finish with outstanding display;  Best camera on a Samsung smartphone;  Best stylus experience on any smartphone; Powerful; adaptable software

The Note 4 has been widely available for several weeks on its home turf in South Korea, even selling out its initial round of pre-orders; Here in the States, its official availability kicks off just as this review goes to press on October 17.