When Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 5 and snubbed the UK a lot of people – including us – were very annoyed. The Galaxy Note launch is always one of the most satisfying launches of the year, usually surpassing the so-called Galaxy S flagship in every regard. It was an odd decision too because the Galaxy Note range has always been VERY popular in the UK. 

Samsung didn’t even say why it had decided to nix the UK, either. Instead, it gave us the Galaxy S6 EDGE+, a jumped up more expensive version of the Galaxy S6 EDGE. Needless to say, a lot of punters felt short changed as they had been holding out for the Galaxy Note 5. Many after the fact continued to hold out as well, as rumours suggested Samsung was just bluffing and would eventually release the device here in the UK. 

Turns out Samsung was bluffing. The Galaxy Note 5 will land in the UK it some point in January.  With the happy news that Samsung is finally launching the Galaxy Note 5 in the UK towards the end of January 2016, we thought it was high time we'd have a look at how it compares to its predecessor.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4: Specs

As you can see from the direct spec comparison table, the Galaxy Note 5 is not far removed from the Galaxy Note 4 on the whole. We'll highlight specific ways in which the new model has been enhanced in the sections below.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4: Design & Display

To be honest, this is the main area of change for the Galaxy Note 5 from its predecessor. The Note 5 has received a design overhaul bringing many of the good features over from the Galaxy S6 to the larger form factor, including a metal frame and glass back panel, some seriously sleek and refined bodywork, narrow display bezels, and a generally more premium build that is satisfying to get to grips with. Anyone disappointed by Samsung's old plastics will find the Note 5 a completely different animal.

The Galaxy Note 4 does boast an improved design over its predecessors and the removable plastic back, while stylistically not as pleasing, does enable access to the battery cell - which is removable, unlike the Note 5's design.

The display is not that different at all; it's the same size, the same QHD resolution and near enough the same pixel density - not that any of this is a bad thing as the Note 4's display was (and remains) superb in terms of visual quality.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4: S-Pen Stylus & Features

As well as the overall design overhaul, Samsung paid extra special attention to the S-Pen stylus design and functionality for the new Galaxy Note 5. The Galaxy Note 4's S-Pen was very fun to use and nicely sensitive and accurate for drawing or writing, complete with capable built-in handwriting recognition and conversion support. However, Samsung has built on this further for the Galaxy Note 5 with yet more levels of pressure sensitivity, with Samsung claiming the stylus feels more like using a true pen than ever before. The exterior design has also changed to handle, look, and feel like a regular pen or pencil.

Samsung has streamlined functionality, for example, PDF support is now built-in to support handwriting so that you can easily and quickly sign digital documents in this format. The Air Command radial menu has also been enhanced. Aside from these changes the Note 5 and Note 4 remain similar with the ability to multitask smoothly, as well as split the display between multiple applications and widgets.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4: Processing Power, RAM & Hardware

The Galaxy Note 5 has a big boost in the engine bay, sporting the same 64-bit octa-core chip hardware as the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, which were, quite simply, two of the fastest phones launched in 2015. It also has a massive 4GB of RAM to help things tick over as smoothly as possible, and this is definitely a help with multitasking, stylus input, and video content, as well as general performance.

The Galaxy Note 5 also has a higher-tier onboard storage option for those who want it, with a bigger 64GB variant available. You can still go for the same 32GB variant as with the Galaxy Note 4 to keep things more affordable, though.