Samsung Galaxy Note5 User Reviews

Overall User Rating
Build quality
9.5
Camera quality
9.7
Performance
9
Display
9.9
Battery life and charging
8.9
Rating breakdown (out of 10)
User reviews
8

Great phone but not perfect

Phone owned for less than 3 months

I managed to buy a samsung note 5 refurbished for 280 pounds off eBay. When it arrived I was blown away by the design and display. I loved the haptic feedback on the keyboard and when I finished setting it up I got to work. Here are my thoughts. This phone is not waterproof and the design picks up fingerprints and cracks easily. I love the curvature of the backplate. It makes the phone feel smaller than its 5.7 inches. The software mine shipped with was 6.0.1 lollipop but there is a nougat update out now. The display was excellent at first but picked up fingerprints very easily. It got very bright and also very dim which was helpful in dark rooms. The colours were very bright and vivid. I would recommend getting a screen protector as the display picks up scratches very easily. The speaker is good but very easy to mate and the headphone jack is average. I loved the haptic feedback throughouut the phone and the fingerprint scanner was reasonable but quite inconsistent and sluggish at times. I also encountered a fair bit of lag when using this phone not only in the keyboard but also when opening apps. However that said it ran games very well. It did heat up at times, especially whilst quick charging and playing games. The signal was quite poor and WHY IS THERE NO TOGGLE TO TURN MOBILE DATA ON IN THE QUICK SETTINGS. It's just one of those things that any phone should have. Battery life was poor in all honesty. 3 hours of screen on time is scraping the barrel and it lost about 20% if I left it overnight (about 11 hours). However quick charging was great going from zero to full in about 90 mins. The camera was brilliant excellent performance and stunning results and the s pen was great but I didn't use it as much as I thought I would. It does make a great stress relief toy though. I have has numerous issues and gigs though like the sim not detected message and screen overlay. It was a good phone but sadly one month ago it stopped charging and nothing I did could save it. BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Read Full Review
9

Great Leisure/Productivity Phone (T-Mobile Variant)

Phone owned for less than 3 months

There's no doubt that the Galaxy Note 5 is still a solid contender against the other flagships to date, especially with the design and everyday usage that I hardly notice any difference in processing speeds (until you start the benchmark tests). With the Quad HD display, web browsing and streaming on the web look nothing short of amazing! I've owned two Note 5's and neither of them have let me down one bit. From the camera quality to heavy multitasking I do on a daily basis (texting, HEAVY social media, emailing), it goes off without a hitch. 4 GB of RAM is plenty to get the job done, I just wish the microSD card option was available, as my media storage options are pretty limited. As for battery life, it's good, but not great, seeming as I get through around 8-10 hours max before my day ends. With using the phone function of this device, it performed just fine, especially with Wi-Fi calling in areas that necessarily have cell service. I'd simply recommend it to anyone who still wants a competitive smartphone for a modest price!

Read Full Review
10

Still a relevant phone

Phone owned for more than a year

I bought my Note 5 two days after release, upgrading from a Note 3. I thought the Note 3 was a great phone, but this one was a huge improvement in the way of design and performance. I was hesitant on upgrading due to the fact that I had a 64GB SD card in my Note 3 that I couldn't transfer to the new phone. The non-removable battery wasn't an issue for me as I never had any battery related issues with my old phone. I'm coming up on the two year anniversary of owning this phone, after passing on the Note 7 due to the recall, and it is definitely still a relevant phone. On Verizon, we just got the Nougat update that further shows what this phone is really capable of. In the beginning, the software was buggy, but it primarily due to Verizon's own customization of the firmware. Specs aside, this phone still performs better than competing phones of the fruit variety that I have used and battery life is very comparable, though the octa-core processor can really suck down some juice under demanding conditions. The display is just beautiful with unmatched contrast ratio of most any phone on the market today. The camera takes the best photos I've ever experienced with a smart phone, even the new iPhone 7. The S-Pen durability with the clicking back is lacking. 9 times out of 10, I'll click the s-pen to remove it and it gets stuck requiring me to tap it to remove it. A few weeks ago, I discovered the back of the phone isn't the same Gorilla glass as the display. I dropped the phone, but my shoe broke most of the fall, but it hit the back corner near the S-pen and received a chip in it the size of a ballpoint pen tip and caused it to crack (not noticeable unless you look at it from an angle in the light). The phone has taken some abuse without a case and held up surprisingly well, with the chip and subsequent cracks to be it's only battle scars. Overall, I've not experienced too many issues with the phone in just under the two years owning it.Looking back, I would buy it again without hesitation despite not having expandable storage. I bought the 64GB model and with music, pictures, and HD video captures, still have 24GB of storage remaining. I will definitely be remaining in the Note family. I've had the 2, 3, 5, and will be getting the 8 when released.

Read Full Review
10

Amazing Phone !

Phone owned for less than 3 months

I really love my Galaxy Note 5, I was user of Galaxy S5 and the last time i use Note Series was year 2012 (Galaxy Note 10.1). The Galaxy Note 5 really help me in my daily productivity with above average battery performance.

The only backwards that I notice is the mobile signal problem in dual sim Galaxy Note 5 (the bar is full but when I do test call it said not active. I have to trigger it by sent some call or sending SMS).

Also this phone has a very good build quality but the glass is really a fingerprint magnet.

Read Full Review
6

I'm not impressed with the Note 5

Phone owned for less than a month

I really wanted to love this phone but after having only 2-3 days the screen started to flicker, characters were missing and apps closed for no reason. Samsung chat remoted into the phone via Smart Tutor and fixed issue however it came back the next day. Samsung support advised I send phone in for "physical review" with no loaner available. I contacted the carrier and am receiving a replacement. If replacement phone displays ONE issue back it goes and I will purchase the IPhone 6s. The phone costs almost $700. Samsung support is ok I didn't like the way they inferred there was liquid damage, it was almost as if they looked for a reason to blame the customer for the device's failure. If Samsung wants to compete with Apple they better ramp up their customer service to the point it actually services the customer instead of trying to point blame on the customer. Overall I am not impressed with this overpriced phone, sorry.

Read Full Review
9

Best Phone I Have Ever Had!

Phone owned for less than a year

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is the first Note phone I have owned, but is by far one of the most sophisticated phones I have ever had. First off, the design, amazingly beautiful. I have the black sapphire color and whenever light hits it just right, man that shiny color shines! Although this design does make the phone get fingerprint smudges all over it. The curved sides back it easier to hold and it feels smaller in hand than it actually looks. The performance on this phone is ridiculous. Runs smoothly and opens apps immediately without much delay. 4 GB of RAM really does help this phone run properly. The only thing I do not care for is the volume level and the deepness of the sound. The sound is too tinny to my liking and not enough depth.
Other than that, best phone I have ever had and can't wait to get the Note 6!

Read Full Review
10

Amazing

Phone owned for less than a month

I bought the gold 64gb version and it is such an attractive phone. I am coming from an iphone 5 that I was using for over 2 years and the Note just smashes it in every category. The gold color looks absolutely stunning and does a great job at masking the fingerprints on the back. The phone is large but the curved back edges makes it feel smaller than it is. I haven't been using the Spen a whole lot, but there are some cool features that it provides. I am enjoying the look and feel of android and haven't had any problems with touchwiz so far. The display is gorgeous. I love watching Youtube videos and live-streams on it. One thing I have noticed is that the screen gets rainbow colors on it when viewed at semi-steep angles, but I am still able to see everything on the screen and there is no real reason to be viewing the screen at those angles. I am unsure if my tempered glass screen protector contributes to the rainbowing colors. Overall, I am really enjoying the Note so far and I hope I can keep it looking good and lasting a long time to come.

Read Full Review
10

Sooo good

Phone owned for less than a month

I sold iphone 6s just after 1 month use and bought this. Im sooo satisfied. It is great. Reliable helper on day to day life. Health app is soo great. It mortivates me for exercising ,heart rate sensor is also a worthy addition. Love it... A very good choice if you are looking for a big display.

Read Full Review
10

No

Phone owned for less than a month

Great phone but not such a significant difference to upgrade from note 3, especially from note 4. The premium materials is not my first choice for the body but still looks great as a trade of for durability.

Read Full Review
10

An amazing phone

Phone owned for less than 3 months

It's almost impossible to go wrong here, hardware-wise. The phone is amazing to look at, the camera is fantastic, the display is the best I've ever seen and it's snappy and quick to use. The last Note I had was the Note 2, and there are some software features missing (some would consider it bloatware) that I wish were still there, and some features of S Note are rather hidden, but those are the only cons. I don't use the default TouchWiz homescreen, I use Zooper and Nova Prime.

Read Full Review
10

Perfect

Phone owned for less than a month

i have 32 gb gold version and i am using it for a month and its the best thing i ever had ... the camera is addictive !...very addictive
the note 5 is very beautiful and eye catching
spen is at its peek since note started it ! and its working like a charm

Read Full Review
9

Amazing hardware, software slightly improved, above average battery

Phone owned for less than a month

one of the best phablet out there or quite possibly, the best! It's beautiful physically and maybe less beautiful in the inside. Note 5 is an improvement over the note 3 but if you have the note 4, better stick with it until note 6.

Read Full Review
10

Best phone!

Phone owned for less than a month

In all aspects, compared to any other phone I've seen or used, this is honestly the best designed, best made, most powerful phone I've ever owned. The S pen is more of an accessory rather than a vital part of the phone I'd say, but everything else more than sells it.

Read Full Review
10

You will just love this phone!

Phone owned for less than 3 months

This is my first time to own a Samsung branded mobile and I can say that it is one hell of a smartphone. Camera is superb and the manual mode is a good option to have. I just love it in every way. And the lack of SD Card slot don't bother me at all.

Read Full Review
10

The Best Phone i have ever held

Phone owned for less than a month

i had an HTC one m8 and i loved it but it lacked things . this is hands down the most all around phone out there , read the details below for more (this is coming from a person that is the "phone fixer/expert" in my family and group of friends so i handled many many phones for long periods of time )

Read Full Review
9

great .... although its flows

Phone owned for less than a month

you will find a lot of shorts, but at the same time you will never find an over all better phone, it ticks all the important things a normal-to-average-power-user will ever need, more further, those who are really supreme user will be still somehow happy with it

Read Full Review
10

Samsung galaxy note 5

Phone owned for less than a month

Good phone, it is the best phone that I have had and I strongly recommend sever yore to buy it if it is in your budget. It has nothing wrong with it to me and it looks really in the front with the screen graphics.

Read Full Review
10

Amazing Phone

Phone owned for less than a month

I recently made the switch from my LG G3 which I felt was the best phone I have ever owned. It was perfect in so many ways. Until, I made the switch to the note 5. I looked all the new phones the edge the edge+ the 6s+ and none of them felt comfortable in my hands. The Iphone just seemed to be the same old same old just bigger and though good looking it's very large. This phone is smooth and the charge time is amazing. The photo's it take are great and the battery usually last around 16+ hours with Google chating through out the day and facebook and web browsing along with videos and gaming. At first I was put off by the glass and afraid it would shatter as my older Iphone 4 did from less than 7 inch drop out of my pocket. Not this one! I dropped it atleast 5 feet directly on the side and not a single scratch and that was on my marble floors... The S- pen is new to me but I like it I didn't think I would but when I have to take a note it's just nice and quick. The truly best option is the BLOCK ability. When I transferred from Sprint to Verizion and now Att the phone number I had belong to some deadbeat who couldn't pay his bills and now after 3 years I still get calls for the jerk. If you're on the fence with this phone don't be go for it. I didn't want the edge plus over this though it looks cool its a pain to hold in your hands. I kept setting the edge bar off. Lastly, The quick charge is amazing. I purchased a quick car charger and it goes from 10% to 100 in about 20 mins. When plugged into the orginal charger it goes from 20 to 100 in about 40 mins on and 30 off. Not to mention Wifi charging is the best no cables at all.. Only Con is more options for colors. Att only had Blue and White.. I would love a dark green or something cool. Samsung out did themselves on this one and maybe a expansion for memory other than that it's great!

Read Full Review
10

The Best Phone Available (2015)

Phone owned for less than 3 months

The Note5 improves on almost everything that the Note 4 had a problem with. It is a near-flawless phone. For such power from such a small device, the battery life is lengthy for the average user. The screen is beautiful if one wants to watch videos and the user experience is stress-free. No more lag from TouchWiz, as was common in the older phones. Many will complain about the lack of removable battery, but the only time I had to remove mine in the older models was when they froze, and that is not happening with this phone.

Read Full Review
10

A handful of perfection

Phone owned for less than 3 months

Except for some cons as no sd-card, IR sensor and non removable battery which is indeed not a big issue considering the battery timing, Note 5 in my opinion is full of perfection considering every kind of use from a gamer to multimedia and video entertainer to photographer to in office users.

Read Full Review
10

EXCELLENT!!!!

Phone owned for less than 3 months

It is the best note I ever had, nice, super fast efficient, the battery lasts the whole day, the s-pen incredible, excellent fast and lap top power, the screen and the camera could not be better .. I'm super happy.....

Read Full Review
9

Monster of a phone... with minor drawbacks

Phone owned for less than a month

One of the best Android phones I've owned, if not the best. There are some drawbacks to this phone, but the overall package makes up for all the negatives at the very end. Overall if you can afford it, buy it... you won't regret this investment.

Read Full Review
10

Great Phone

Phone owned for less than a month

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is very impressive phone. All the features are excellent like design, camera, battery etc. Galaxy Note 5 can be the best option for you if you are looking for a stylish phone. I highly recommended for this. For more details you can visit at Samsung India site.

Read Full Review
9

Honest Review

Phone owned for less than a month

Great phone! If you turn the display to basic you can easily get 6hrs screen on time. Mix that with power saving mode and you can get 7.5hrs+ screen on time. The ram management is a big disappointment. Otherwise the phone is pretty snappy. The fingerprint scaner is so inconsistent. I used the 4 fingerprint slot for my one finger and it still wouldnt recognize it.... No ir blaster is annoying. Great camera and build quality, would highly recommend a dbrand skin!! Pretty loud speaker addicted to clicking the s pen. Very quick fast charging, the phone doesn't feel big. Unlocked version comes with roughly 22GB

Read Full Review
10

Awesome phone but

Phone owned for less than a month

Great phone but battery and Micro SD Card but I can deal with it since I bought home base cloud for the place of SD card other then that I love the phone battery buy a rechargeable battery and keep it on you all the time because there is alot of places where you can't plug it in the wall

Read Full Review
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless