S ometimes Samsung doesn't get the credit it deserves. Fans gush over Apple's ability to create new product categories overnight, yet its South Korean rival created what is arguably one of the most popular today: the "phablet" For the uninitiated, the phablet is the tag given to any phone so large...

Obscenely fast; Stylus and split-screen work well; Sound battery life

Yet more Samsung bloatware; Note Android 5.0 Lollipop yet; Falls short of the iPhone 6 Plus' looks

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (SM-N910F) is an excellent smartphone . The material impression is now better and pretty appealing with the metal frame . The Snapdragon 805 is very fast, but the throttling of the Adreno 420 under load is pretty annoying.

Powerful SoC; Good camera; Great build quality; Very good battery runtimes; Replaceable battery; Expandable memory; S-Pen; Quick charge; 50 GB Dropbox for 24 months; Good GPS module; Decent voice quality; The great display is in a class of its own and also works well under the sun.

GPU throttling; No IP certification; No USB 3.0; Bloatware; We would have expected an IP certification for the Note 4

The Galaxy Note 4 is a shining example of how great a phablet can be. It's one of the best Android phones available today -- if not the very best.

Fantastic big-screen features; Cutting edge processing power; Great battery life; Best Android phablet; Plenty of storage space; Fantastic camera

Not waterproof; S-Pen controls hidden in settings; No good way to manage screen size; S Pen isn't a must-have feature

Armed with an incredible Quad HD AMOLED display, cutting-edge Snapdragon 805 processor, and Samsung's newfound premium design, the Galaxy Note 4 ($299.99 with contract) is easily one of the most impressive smartphones of the year.

Incredible Quad HD display; New premium look and feel; Flexible multitasking; Improved stylus features; Outstanding battery life

Trades comfort for style; Requires some work to get the most out of the experience

Not only is the Note 4 the best Samsung smartphone I've ever used, but it's also the best large-screen phone on the market -- even better than the iPhone 6 Plus.

Gorgeous design with high-end materials; Nice display; Best camera in a Galaxy smartphone; Powerful performance; Great battery life

Isn't waterproof; Loudspeaker still needs work

The Note 4 is the big powerhouse in Samsung's Galaxy phone range and it just keeps getting better with each iteration. This latest model gets a new processor, an even sharper screen and a couple of improved cameras. The Galaxy Note 4 is on sale now for ￡629 SIM free.

Terrific screen; fast processor; slim but sturdy build; expandable memory; plenty of features; decent battery life

TouchWiz might be a bit busy for some; not waterproof; expensive

Next to the iPhone 6, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is easily one of the most eagerly anticipated handsets of 2014. Here are our thoughts

Gorgeous display; Long lasting battery life; Excellent stylus and multitasking features; Powerful performance; Highly capable and easy-to-use camera; Good design and build on the whole; Plenty of storage and good connectivity options

Tacky back panel; Some weird/gross UI elements

The Galaxy Note 4 is Samsung's phablet follow-up to the Note 3 . The Note really isn't cheap at launch. If you buy it directly from Samsung it will cost you an eye-watering ￡629 SIM-free, but you can find it for less if you shop around. These days it costs a lot less.

Exceptionally sharp; vibrant screen; Brilliant battery life; Solid all-round camera; Packs plenty of power

S-Pen app discovery needs work; Plastic back still feels tacky; Some software features are not easy to find; Very expensive

Samsung is no stranger to large phones and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is no exception. Measuring a whopping 6 x 3.1 x 0.3 inches, the Note 4 is not ideal for one-handed use. Reviewers were pleasantly surprised with its fairly lightweight 176 grams and comfortable grip.

Incredibly sharp and vibrant display; Snappy processor with no dips in performance; Improved camera for crisper images and better low-light photography

Faux-leather back feels cheap; Too big to use one-handed; No visible difference between standard HD and QHD

Now that we've seen Apple do its first take on the whole big phone thing, it's time to see Samsung make its Note phablet better than ever.

Holy pigeon; that screen is freakin' amazing; looking clearer than the competition and boasting an extra boost when sunlight hits it; Amazeballs 4G speeds supporting Category 6 (first phone locally to do so; Solid performance; Support for high-resolution audio; The first time in a few years that...

Not so amazing battery life; Samsung's S Pen feels like it does less; No waterproofing like its S5 brother; Images still don't rotate in the gallery until you press a button (sigh