Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Apple iPhone 5s: first look

Design

Aluminum David vs Aluminum-ish Goliath.

The Galaxy Note 4 follows after the Galaxy Alpha's interesting character, enriching the mostly plastic exterior with a precisely crafted solid metal frame. The iPhone 5s is a smartphone with an iconic, largely familiar unibody metal design that hasn't seen substantial changes since the iPhone 4 came around in 2010. With the presence of metal and a tastefully designed back panel, the Galaxy Note 4's design definitely comes from a higher standard, but the iPhone's no compromise build and design is still considered the benchmark to beat. Of course, both phones are created to serve different screen dimensions and usage purposes, and we want to say that they both look and feel amazing for high-end devices on their respective categories.

The skinny bezels that frame the Galaxy Note 4's large QHD display are impossible to miss. The iPhone 5s ignored the impending slim bezel trend when it came out last year, but by the looks of it, Apple will catch up brilliantly with the iPhone 6 in this regard.

There's no hiding the fact that the Note 4 is humongous compared to the iPhone 5s. In exact numbers, Samsung's new phablet measures an imposing 6 x 3 x 0.33 inches, 6.2oz (153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm, 176g), while the iPhone 5s is the ultimate in easy one-handed usage at 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 inches (123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm) and 3.95 oz (112 g). Still, the Note 4's dimensions make for a reasonably compact device in its own class. Samsung went the extra length to produce the most comfortable Note 4 possible, shaving extra weight off its sides and screen bezels.

The devices are available in Black, White, Gold, and Pink for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, while the iPhone 5S comes in Black, White, and Gold. But which phone is the one to bring to the beach? The Galaxy Note 4 is tightly sealed against water and dust, and should be able to survive half-hour underwater dips of 1.5 meters. On the contrary, the iPhone 5S “loves” water about as much as cats do. Waterproofing is yet to come to Apple's beautiful hardware. In terms of sensors, the Galaxy Note features enough data collectors to be useable as a portable weather station, while the iPhone 5S boasts a dedicated motion co-processor along with the garden variety of movement and light sensors.

As an object of differentiation, the Galaxy Note 4 sports its unique S-Pen stylus that fits snugly into its own slot within the device's body. Like the iPhone 5s, it too has a fingerprint sensor for secure unlocking and payments.